Ask for the Money
I have a technique for asking investors for money. At the end of the pitch meeting, I ask: “So… are you in?” It’s that simple. If you’re a founder and you’re raising money for your startup, you need to ask for the money at the end...No One Is Self-Made
Fatherhood has changed me. In my pre-fatherhood twenties, I thought of myself as a self-made man. I viewed the world through an individualistic, narcissistic lens and my accomplishments, I believed, were largely my own. I had taken risks and busted my ass to get...Goodbye, Alarm Clock. How I Hacked Google Calendar to Call My Phone in the Mornings.
I used have a problem waking up on time. Like most early adopter types, I no longer have a physical alarm clock. Instead, I use my iPhone. However, the phone charger is in the kitchen and I always charge my phone at night. And for whatever reason, moving it back and...A Christmas Gift for My Dad
How I Created the Perfect Computer Setup for My Nearly Blind, 85 Year Old Father. After 85 years on this earth, my dad’s vision has declined dramatically due to macular degeneration. It got so bad that he was using a magnifying glass to read emails on his...Mission Driven Companies Do It Better.
Mission driven companies do it better. They execute better. They scale faster. They grow quicker. In my first company, we were anything but mission driven. And this caused us huge problems. If you had asked 5 people in the company, “What does your company do,...Be Kind. It Pays.
“Some of the best companies I’ve invested in were referred to me by founders I’ve rejected. ” -Anonymous Investor I’ve been meeting with a lot of VCs lately. Not because I’m raising money mind you, but because I’m considering...Announcing Marketplace Talks: On-Stage Interviews With The World’s Best Marketplace Entrepreneuers
I’m proud to announce my involvement in Marketplace Talks, the world’s #1 meetup for marketplace startups, entrepreneurs and investors Once a month, I’ll interview a prominent marketplace entrepreneur (or investor) on-stage, in front of an assembled...Morality is a Luxury Good
War is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will. -Carl Von Clausewitz Morality is a luxury good. War is fundamentally amoral. There is nothing a threatened society won’t do, especially when cornered. The violence of war has no...To Commerce! To Freedom! To the Open Internet!
I sent this letter to the Federal Communication Commission just a few minutes ago. I encourage you to do something similar. Also, feel free to discuss this post on Hacker News. From: Matt Mireles Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 12:25 PM Subject: Save the Open Internet. For...
My First Day as a Father