Silicon Valley is the epicenter of tech entrepreneurship for good reason – far-sighted founders established a new model of finance, venture capital, that suited the innovative spirit of technology and entrepreneurs. They have capitalized on their initial successes by inventing new models of finance: angels, super-angels, microVC, etc.; all fueled by the wealth released by […]
But not THAT much!
As I have mentioned in another blog, Pedro and I strongly believe that every member of the team should be empowered and — contrary to Mexican company customs — making mistakes is ok as long as you have a logical reason for having made that decision and we all make sure that the same mistake […]
Finding your cause
What drives you? What is that thing that makes you go to work every day? What defines you from everyone else? What’s your cause? All of these are difficult questions, but probably the most important ones you need to answer when starting a new endeavor because if not, you may just be creating an empty shell. […]
Relentless in the face of adversity
Allen Iverson played shooting guard in the NBA for fourteen seasons. At 5’11” and 165 lbs., he played each game at a striking disadvantage. Nonetheless, he was the most intimidating player in the league. A columnist once wrote: “Iverson plays with a compelling, hostile, bloodthirsty energy that other players just don’t have. He’s relentless in […]
Hello?
Email is the bomb. The best thing ever. Arguably the most powerful business tool around. However, it can also be a debilitating crutch. Since the late 90’s, email has been the best way to communicate without intruding and at the same time leaving an all-but-indelible trail for future reference. You know all this (you probably […]
A resource for software usability insights
“Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas pelar, pon las tuyas a remojar” In April, the FDA approved Zykadia, a new medicine for non-small cell lung cancer developed by Novartis. Novartis received approval after positive results in Phase 1 clinical trials involving over 240 patients across 30 countries. During clinical trials, Novartis researchers worked to […]
Lessons learned from a failed test
This is a continuation of my last post, The importance of knowing your customers. When we design tests for a new mobile app, we make sure our management team participates as well. Sure, we all have other (and more important) things to do than spending time with customers. Right? WRONG! There is no possible way […]
The importance of knowing your customers
Everyone who has considered entrepreneurship has probably come across The Lean Startup. I’m referencing Eric Ries’ book here because of its predominance, even though there are a few other authors suggesting similar practices. While they may differ on some subjects, they all agree that user-centered design is the way to go when architecting a new […]
Ours or theirs?
Ours or theirs? Outsourcing can be a crucial decision for any start-up. Doing it well can accelerate a product launch and reduce your fixed costs. Screwing it up can leave you vulnerable and stifle innovation. Not doing it at all limits your growth. After 6 years and having at one point had over 400 staff, […]
A resource for unmet customer needs
“No hay mejor maestra que la necesidad” In February, I met a friend at Philz Coffee in Palo Alto. Since Philz was overflowing as usual, we sat outside and shivered in the early morning temperatures. My friend was a former Yahoo! executive and starting to consider his next steps. “I’d love to start a new […]
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