Human Resources
The Case for Your Startup Hiring Former CEOs
Put your ego and fear aside. Former CEOs can be great additions to your team.
George Deeb is the managing partner at Red Rocket Ventures, a consulting firm helping early-stage businesses with their growth strategies, marketing and financing needs. He is the author of three books including 101 Startup Lessons -- An Entrepreneur's Handbook.
More From George Deeb
Human Resources
The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Clone of Yourself
A healthy sense of your own strengths and weaknesses cautions against hiring your own Mini-Me.
Building a Business
Too Many Meetings Suffocate Productivity and Morale
If you are spending more than 20% of your time in meetings, you not working fast enough and upsetting employees
Business Accounting
How to Build a Startup Ecosystem
If you're the only startup in town, it's going to be tougher than if you're launching in a healthy startup ecosystem.
Building a Business
In Sales, Silence Is Golden
The magic to selling is learning your client's actual pain points. You do that by listening more than you talk.
Marketing
Don’t Start Marketing Before You’re Ready to Start Selling
Creating a demand for something you can't deliver will hurt your brand reputation and your bottom line.
Business Operations & Logistics
Don’t Shuffle People Into the Wrong Job Just Because They’re Already on the Payroll
You grow your company by putting proven performers where you need them most. If you don't have them, hire them.
Thought Leaders
A Good Entrepreneur Evolves Over Time
Some lessons are best learned through personal experience. Make the most of yours, and seek out mentors who can share their stories.
Thought Leaders
The Case for Hiring a Re-Founder Before You Pull the Plug on Your Startup
Founders pursuing their romantic startup vision often need a dispassionate pro to keep things real.
Building a Business
For Startups, Do You Bet on the Jockey or the Horse?
Honestly, there's argument for both.
Marketing
The Art of the Follow-Up
Completing a deal requires persistent content that is never annoying but can't be politely ignored.
Building a Business
Building a Hard-Working Team Starts With You
For better or worse, the cornerstone of a startup's culture is going to be the founder.
Thought Leaders
Focusing Like a Laser Will Increase Your Odds of Success
Focus is the only solution when your company's future gets fuzzy.
Thought Leaders
Leadership 101: Narrow Your Say-Do Gap
When you say you are going to do something, do it.
Building a Business
You Get the Talent That You Pay For
Don't think cheap with your talent decisions -- think the best.
Building a Business
A Secret Tactic for Quick Growth: The Roll-up
Sometimes your company's strategic growth can be achieved most quickly by merging with several others at once. Here, let us walk you through that.
Tech
You Can’t Expand While Your House Is on Fire
Some steps you just don't get to skip, like having a product that works as advertised, at a cost that makes economic sense.
Building a Business
Personality Tests: Helpful Tool or Lazy Shortcut?
Just as a map is not the territory, neither is a personality type the person you're hiring. Be a team builder, not a exam proctor.
Marketing
Sales Not Closing? Know When to Panic!
The longer your product's sales cycle, the more important it is to measure progress along the way.
Building a Business
Stop Selling the ‘What’ and Start Selling the ‘Why’
What your product can deliver may thrill you and your team, but your customers want to know why it matters to them.
Building a Business
You Cannot Cut Your Way to Growth
To grow or not to grow - that is the question.
Marketing
Successful Selling Only Begins With the Sale
That's just the start of what can become a beautiful relationship, featuring evergreen sales and long-term contracts. Have a plan for getting there.
Thought Leaders
Document Your Processes Before They Walk Out the Door
Documenting your business processes as you go is mission critical from day one.
Building a Business
Continue to Innovate Your Products, or Die a Slow Death
Make additional investments in your product and companyto prevent a slow death of your business.
Building a Business
Don’t Try to Maximize Growth and Profitability at the Same Time. It’s Impossible.
Be smart, understand the basic math and pick which route is best for your business.
Building a Business
How to Evolve From Selling ‘Widgets’ to ‘Wisdom’
You decide which is more valuable to the client, things or actionable data insights from those things.
Thought Leaders
When to Take Off the Gloves with Competitors
Draw the line that you should never cross: You just don't lie in business.
Building a Business
The 10 Things You Need to Know When Responding to RFPs
First off, are you sure you're even seeing all the relevant RFPs out there?
Building a Business
Why You Need to Keep Thinking About Your Business Every Single Day
Clearly, 'you don't know what you don't know' until you change your ways.
Building a Business
Are Millennials Wreaking Havoc on Employers? Or Vice Versa?
They regularly leave jobs and want their managers to be their friends. What's an employer to do?
