In the first post, we addressed what startups can learn from enterprise software companies, but in this post we’re focusing on what enterprises can learn from startups. There is a reason startups outexecute the good ole’ enterprise, but let’s find out why. Disclaimer: If decision and policy-makers are your enterprise are stuck in their ways … Continue reading Startups & Enterprises (2 of 2): Agility, Trust, and Innovation that Enterprises need.

Since the acquisition of VendorHawk last year, I have been taking mental notes of things I'm learning working at a large enterprise software company, ServiceNow. I'm writing these couple of posts in an attempt to bridge two worlds of startups and enterprises and show what each one can learn from the other. If you’re running … Continue reading Startups & Enterprises (1 of 2): Startups, how to build for and sell to enterprises

The following contains the Founder's Manifesto, our company Values and how my co-founders and I intended to use them as we operated our company, VendorHawk. I'm am deeply grateful to Brian Geihsler for contributing the core content of the founder's manifesto and for he and Ben Stephens for holding to it while we ran VendorHawk … Continue reading Founder’s Manifesto

Today is my seven year anniversary with my beautiful, God-fearing wife, Bethany. From our sovereign foundations in God-fearing families to our early days of meeting in east Texas (12 years ago), to our family of five, just 10 years after starting a relationship, the Lord has been very good to me in giving me Bethany … Continue reading Honoring Bethany: 7 Years of Marriage

This is the last blog in a 4-part series called Getting Acquired. I started by demystifying how to engage corporate development teams, then talked about how to get a competitive bidding war to get the highest offers and also how to get through diligence to an announcement. This last post is my somewhat early reflection … Continue reading Getting Acquired (4 of 4): Life Post-Acquisition

As I described in part one of this series, you shouldn’t just avoid talking with Corp Dev and product teams with potential partners or acquirers without considering the upsides of competitive intelligence, learning and building a stronger opinion of the players in the market. A good CEO must also be thoughtful about his/her optionality. Is … Continue reading Getting Acquired (2 of 4): Running a Competitive Bidding Process to Sell Your Startup

As a CEO at an early startup, it’s all too common to see unsolicited emails from junior partners at big VC or PE firms reaching out to “start a relationship”. They are basically the SDR for the firm trying to get their name on my radar in advance of a future raise. In a similar … Continue reading Getting Acquired (1 of 4): Engaging Corp Dev for Partnership or Acquisition

There are few things in life that are as exciting as the path I’ve walked to build a company from nothing.  Having built small little businesses from as young as I can remember, and specializing my business degree in “Creating a Company” from idea to revenue, it’s safe to say I have a knack for … Continue reading First Time CEO – The thrill and responsibility of building a business from nothing

PayScale.com was a very key time in my early career, being the first software startup I’d ever worked at. PayScale is the leader of cloud compensation data and software based out of Seattle, WA and boasts more than 5,000 customers. I joined the team in August of 2011 as an Account Executive on a new … Continue reading Working at a High Growth Startup: PayScale.com