Lessons LearnedEvolution of a Founder

@om

Starting it up

What makes you happier?Writing for GigaOM or Business 2.0

The founding principles

1. Be self aware of your strengths and weakness.

2. Be transparent and honest with those whom you work with.

3. Be respectful and decent to others, if you want others to be decent and respectful to you.

4. Build a true, peer-to-peer management culture.

Building, learning, evolving, improving

Openness is not just a word, it is a state of mind.

You need to have a truly flat organization and build an open minded and cohesive team, that laughs together, works together and learns to deal with adversity together.

You have to walk before you run.

As a founder you can often don't understand the gulf between your vision of the future and the reality in which a business exists. It is important to find the right balance between the two.

It is good to know what you as a founder are good at, what you suck at, and when you need help. And sometimes that means replacing yourself as the CEO.

Work hard to find the essence of your company's culture, core strengths and

your way of thinking.

If you don't try, you don't fail. You don't fail, you don't learn. You don't learn, you

have failed anyway.

Are you winning as a founder?

People who believe in you also want to succeed. They will work better if you

encourage them, not micromanage them. Empower them to win.

Real founder success is in making yourself less important to the daily

working of the company.

Thanks!om.co@om