On jealousy
It was my birthday last week, and at this time of year, I always reflect on where I’ve reached in life in comparison with where I think I should be. I’m ambitious, and like most ambitions people I’m competitive. By…
How to network as an introvert
‘It’s who you know, not what you know’. People I trust drilled this truth into me, along with an injunction to extend my network. So I go to meet ups, conferences, dinners and other events to meet people who might…
For the family, friends & supporters
Every so often, an aspiring entrepreneur reaches out to ask for advice. Last week I met with a young man called Mark who contacted me on LinkedIn. He was passing through New York and heard I was here. Mark had…
How we analyzed competitors to design our product
Last week I experienced my first taste of controversy in this arena. I contrasted Posse to Foursquare in an interview with Fast Company, who ran it as a feature with the headline ‘What Foursquare would look like if it had…
Why it’s important for startups to celebrate little victories
If, like me, you run or work in a startup, you may (should!) read lots of business books and attend conferences, honing your leadership skills. And they all urge us to ‘celebrate small victories’ with our teams. It’s a…
Launch a startup like a rock band at SXSW
Before starting work on Posse.com I spent ten years managing rock bands. Most of the artists I represented were successful in Australia, but the big dream was to crack America. And the best place to launch a band is the…
Look out for Angels
I recently joined the board of a Bondi charity that runs the local homeless shelter and women’s refuge. They’ve faced a few challenges recently. A bunch of people left, some troublemakers tried to hijack the organisation, money vanished, and it…
Hiring for a start-up – what I’ve learned so far
I’ve run a start-up for a couple of years now and ran my own music company for eight years before that. Anyone who followed our progress would know I’ve made a few hiring mistakes in my time: we had a…
The power of a new year’s resolution
I remember being on a summer holiday at age nine just after Christmas, and hearing adults talk about their new year’s resolutions. I liked the idea that you could set a challenge for yourself for a whole year. You couldn’t…
