Banks, Risk, and the Original Mr. Potter

Steve LudwigHiring ChallengesLeave a Comment

AI-generated image of a bank

Like a lot of startups, we looked at our banking situation with the news that Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank in the United States went belly up. The failures highlight our complicated relationship with banks and bankers but provide valuable lessons for tech startups and business leaders.  There is now concern about more bank failures and the overall … Read More

Beware the Ides of Consultants

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image of a watch face

March 15 is the ides of March.  It’s the day in 44 BCE that Julius Cesar met an unceremonious end at the pointy part of Roman senators’ sharp daggers. Around 60 to 70 senators are thought to have been in on the plot.  William Shakespeare made the whole thing famous, along with the quote, E tu Brute, which you are … Read More

Finding a Path to Pathfinders

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finding a path through the woods

Existing companies and B2B tech startups have a similar problem.  How to know that the person you are tapping to expand the business, lead a team into a new market, and otherwise help blaze new trails has the right set of deep skills to be successful? A recent survey by a trade group for universities in the United States shows … Read More

Lessons from Self-Managed Teams

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a pile of books with an apple and the letters A, B and C indicating the seat of learning

If one thing the COVID pandemic taught the knowledge worker, they didn’t need to be in their office to do their job—no matter what their bosses said. Some employers and employees are now engaged in a battle to see who will win the power struggle to determine if, when, and how often people will have to gather in person. Can … Read More

Dating, Sales, and Startups

Steve LudwigHiring ChallengesLeave a Comment

two people gazing into each other's eyes

Dating sucks. Okay, let’s refine that one. Dating sucks, except for the genetic freaks that would qualify to be on Love Island. They are not bereft of choice. Still, even for them, the odds may be good, but the goods may be odd.  For B2B tech startups or any business looking into new markets, the behavior of potential clients is … Read More

God Made a Mistake?

Steve LudwigPathfinder SalesLeave a Comment

a person with an indication of their soul above them

“I wish my neuroses were more productive.”  That’s a joke I share with my friends.  To be honest, It isn’t always a joke.  I listen to podcasts, read the Harvard Business Review, and see the latest books about how to improve productivity, create new habits, and do the things that will really make me a better human being—or at least … Read More