Every hill is a mountain when you’re building a company. Each hurdle you encounter must be surmounted with all possible skill and force in order to come out on the other side a success–or even, still alive. Every entrepreneur encounters these obstacles along the way, but it is how you deal with these hill-size mountains that determines if you’re able to live to tell the tale.
In each of these clips, entrepreneurs describe what kind of hurdles they had to surmount in order to move to the next step, phase or stage of their business.
When Pitching Investors, Don’t Let Passion Cloud the Business Model
Investors love an entrepreneur who can tell a passionate and engaging story, but don’t forget your pitch is still about a business. Maxine Bedat, co-founder of Zady, points out that having a “bottom line” and financial vision might be the most important thing when pitching investors.
Like this Founder Genius? See Jeff Bussgang’s ‘Your First Meeting with a VC’ video
Don’t Jargon Yourself Out of a Sale
When it comes to nailing a sales pitch, sometimes it requires speaking a language your customer understands. In this Founder Genius video, Hudl co-founder, John Wirtz- describes how he and his team had to steer away from the complicated and keep their value proposition simple.
Like this Founder Genius? See Craig Wortmann’s ‘Art of Conversation’ video
Great Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Give Their Employees Freedom
To motivate and retain employees, there are a variety of approaches founders can take. Kimber Lockhart, CTO of One Medical Group and founder of Increo Solutions (acquired by Box), explains how keeping employees engaged in the direction of the company is the foundation for workplace satisfaction.
Like this Founder Genius? See Daniel Pink’s ‘Motivation by Autonomy’ video