Why Entrepreneurs Start Companies Rather Than Join Them

"If you asked me why I gravitated to startups rather than work in a large company I would have answered at various times: “I want to be my own boss.” “I love risk.” “I want flexible work hours.” “I want to work on tough problems that matter.” “I have a vision and want to see it through.” 'I saw a better opportunity and grabbed it. …'"

"It never crossed my mind that I gravitated to startups because I thought more of my abilities than the value a large company would put on them. At least not consciously. But that’s the conclusion of a provocative research paper, Asymmetric Information and Entrepreneurship, that explains a new theory of why some people choose to be entrepreneurs. The authors’ conclusion — Entrepreneurs think they are better than their resumes show and realize they can make more money by going it alone. And in most cases, they are right."

Author bio – "Entrepreneur-turned-educator Steve Blank is the Father of Modern Entrepreneurship. Credited with launching the Lean Startup movement, he’s changed how startups are built; how entrepreneurship is taught; how science is commercialized, and how companies and the government innovate. . . ."

Read the full article by Steve Blank (photo, left) at Forbes.com . . .

Understanding Speed and Velocity: Saying “No” to the Non-Essential

"It's tempting to think that in order to be a valuable team player, you should say “yes” to every request and task that is asked of you. People who say yes to everything have a lot of speed. They're always doing stuff but never getting anything done. Why? Because they don't think in terms of velocity. Understanding the difference between speed and velocity will change how you work."

Why I Invite All 900 of My Employees to Board Meetings

"Open board meetings may seem extreme, but they are part of a strict code of transparency that I believe factors heavily into our innovation and rapid growth."

"This kind of honesty can be scary at times, but when the company is honest about both successes and setbacks, it creates a context and a narrative that employees can understand and become invested in. Not only are we empowering employees with information, we’re giving them an opportunity to help solve challenges that are outside of their day-to-day roles."

Author bio – "Bipul Sinha is co-founder and CEO of Rubrik. Previously, he was a partner at Lightspeed, where he invited in Nutanix (founding investor and board member), PernixData and Numerify​."

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