Disqus - Latest Comments for alexismichelle

Re: Life is 10% How You Make It and 90% How you Take It

alexismichelle — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:14:39 -0000

*awesome* post, and not just because you mention The Alchemist, Eat Pray Love & The Happiness Project--- all three of which are go- to books for me (I especially love the Audible version of the Alchemist, which is narrated by Jeremy Irons.)

One of the things I love about this post is that I don't hear you saying that one should *always* be happy, or that times are never really, really tough-- but rather, its how you handle yourself through those times, the perspective and grace with which you approach them that matters.

One of my favorite books in line with the one you mentioned is the Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz. One of the agreements is never make assumptions-- and I think that particularly applies to some of the examples you gave in this post. It is so easy to make assumptions about the lives and lifestyles of those society deems to be "successful" and then react to those assumptions by unnecessarily competing, comparing, or otherwise feeling inadequate.

Re: I Want My CIC! … The Benefits for Startups to Be Co-Located

alexismichelle — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:03:30 -0000

Mark, you should check out The Hive sometime on one of your future visits to San Diego. We (Bandsintown) decided to work out of there, rather than getting our own office, when we relocated from the east coast and love it. It's a mix of startups and freelancers (rather than just startups, like Dogpatch), but there is definitely a creative and entrepreneurial energy that is pervasive and contagious.

We are working on getting our first Night Owls going soon, too (http://nynightowls.com/)

Re: Moving some thoughts to letter.ly

alexismichelle — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:34:48 -0000

Hey Jon! Can you elaborate a bit more on why you decided to do this? I would doubt its for the money (given that writing isnt your core business) and a newsletter format loses the comments and interaction, which on a blog with an intelligent readership like yours can be a big value add. So, am just curious why you've decided to change formats.

Re: From Hopes and Dreams to The Real Thing

alexismichelle — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:40:21 -0000

Maybe its because I just finished reading the Dip by Seth Godin, or maybe its because I feel like I live this post (and see it in so many of the entrepreneurs around me), but this is one of the most poignant posts I've read on this blog (and I tend to love most of them!).

I guess its like any relationship or commitment-- in the beginning its a vision of what the future will be like, but then reality begins to set in. The thing that amazes me is when, difficulties and all, the reality is even more incredible than your wildest dream. I'm glad that reality is often so different than hopes and dreams, or else we'd be limited by our own imagination.

Re: Nice Analogy

alexismichelle — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:55:42 -0000

Great chart (and blog post by Shane!). This something I've thought about alot, working for a startup in the music industry and interacting with up and coming artists all the time.

Adding to the analogy too is the role that technology has played in enabling artists and startups alike to produce AMAZING things with much fewer resources (people, equipment, money). Seems like so many of my favorite albums these days are actually just one or two people who play all the instruments and do all the production themselves, yet the sound is incredibly polished, full, and rich. Same thing with many of my favorite apps-- like tweetie/ atebits for example-- you'd never know how small the team was by the quality of the app itself.

Re: Best Entrepreneurship/VC Tumblr Blogs

alexismichelle — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:47:18 -0000

Great list!!! Don't know whether you are still adding to it, but here are two more awesome female entrepreneurs that are also on Tumbler:

- Jen Consalvo: co-founder of shinyheart ventures and thankfulfor.com (http://noreaster.tumblr.com/)

- Jessica Valenzuela: founder of mavindigital and founder of Justkiteit.com (http://jessicalea.tumblr.com/)

Re: Rewards and Monetization

alexismichelle — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:35:17 -0000

My younger sister (not involved in tech at all) asked me if I heard of foursquare the other day. She heard about it on Dr. Phil ;)

Re: The Yo-Yo Life of a Tech Entrepreneur – A Cautionary Tale

alexismichelle — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:26:11 -0000

I really like how you highlighted the week to week nature of the "yo yo." It really does feel like one week you are totally together and the next pfft!

Re: The Yo-Yo Life of a Tech Entrepreneur – A Cautionary Tale

alexismichelle — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:26:14 -0000

Wow, incredible post. REALLY appreciate your candor, it takes alot of courage to write posts that arent "cool". I also really appreciate everyone in this blog community sharing their own experience with the yo-yo life of an entrepreneur.

I went from being a professional dancer with a daily yoga practice to working for a startup, so I've definitely felt the physical side effects as well. This is the first company I've worked for that I love so much and am so motivated by that I eagerly choose work over working out, when time gets tight (and when is time every not tight working for an early stage company? ;) Its a doubly whammy because not only am I not dancing regularly, but much of my work is sedentary, behind a computer!

The wiser part of me knows that I am much more effective when I'm healthy, so I've forced myself to return to a daily exercise habit and yoga practice. The other thing I decided to do was take on the challenge of trying a new action sport every month for a year-- I figured that would be a fun challenge, and would provide additional motivation for staying in shape. After all, if I have to lift my own weight on a kite board I'll be much more motivated to keep it down ;)

Anyway, I think community can be tremendously powerful when it comes to things like healthy habit building, so definitely count me in on the challenge as well .

Re: What Makes an Entrepreneur (8/11) – Detail Orientation

alexismichelle — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:13:18 -0000

This is something I've been wondering for some time... what stage does it make sense for a company to have a CFO?

Re: Leaders

alexismichelle — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:00:36 -0000

Point well taken :) I was thinking about it from the company pov, not the NFL one.

Re: Leaders

alexismichelle — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:43:53 -0000

My apologies if I am misunderstanding your comment, but I am not sure I agree that "connecting to the team and making them feel good about their work" is dependent on winning. In my experience, it may even be the other way around-- that teams who feel connected to company leadership (and one another) and good about their work are more likely to "win."

Re: Staying Fit

alexismichelle — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:42:46 -0000

Family yoga is a great idea!! Never ceases to amaze me what natural yogis kids are. Not just b/c they are like little gumbies, but also because they bring a sense of fun and lightheartedness to the practice. Sometimes adult yogis take themselves waaaaay to seriously.

Re: Business School

alexismichelle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:56:47 -0000

Taking the CFA exam, in conjunction with a very quantitatively oriented finance curriculum in business school, was an invaluable learning experience for me. If I could do it again, I would probably have done an MSF + CFA, but when I originally applied to business school I didn't know I would love finance as much as I did.

I think this post is very thoughtful, and I agree with your bottom line, "just think the duration is too long and the opportunity and cash costs overprice the asset for many people." Business school was life changing for me, but I think that is much more a reflection of who I am and how I approached it (essentially a finance immersion) than the curriculum itself.

Re: Did Conan not read his contract?

alexismichelle — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:17:46 -0000

I'd definitely be interested in reading that post as well! Slightly different, but reminds me of a conversation started Albert's blog a few months ago on whether MBAs make good startup employees (http://bit.ly/8jgo9e).

Re: The Happiness Project - A New Year's Resolution

alexismichelle — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:27:25 -0000

Good call! I started reading this book during the last few days of '09, and made my whole family listen to an audio version of the intro and first chapter (where she gives an overview of the happiness project) in the car on our way to brunch yesterday. Its an annual tradition for us to kick off the year sharing intentions for the year to come, and I thought the happiness project would provide a great framework.

One of my favorite aspects of the book (so far, I'm only about half way through) are the countless examples of how being happy makes us 1000x more effective and successful in so many areas of our life. I actually circulated to several friends the list of ways in which being happier makes us more successful at work. I think many believe that focusing on their own happiness is somehow a "selfish" pursuit, but my experience, observations, and interactions have suggested quite the opposite.

Re: Top Tracks of 2009

alexismichelle — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:45:15 -0000

Great list!!! I am impressed you could choose between Bear and Two on Hospice ;) I still can't! Did you have a chance to see the Local Natives when you saw Edward Sharpe? They were one of my favorite new bands this year, and are pretty phenomenal live (for reference: http://bit.ly/localnativesw...

Re: What Makes an Entrepreneur? Perspiration (6/11)

alexismichelle — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:03:13 -0000

Thanks for reading the piece. I've read Outliers a few times, but definitely wouldnt mind picking up again. That story about the beatles is incredible, there really is no replacement for hard work. The thing that I think most people forget, however, is that when you are doing what you love, doing that one thing that you cant imagine NOT doing, it doesn't feel like "work." The perspiration is a pleasure.

Thanks also for the recommendation of Anvil. I havnt seen, but will definitely check out!

Re: What Makes an Entrepreneur? Perspiration (6/11)

alexismichelle — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:38:11 -0000

Thanks for another great post, this series is awesome. Funny coincidence: I also wrote about this exact topic today on the blog I keep for the Wash Post, specifically talking about a band (Vandaveer) which played more than *150* live shows in the first 11 months of 2009, and then bringing it back to the sheer amount of work involved in both entrepreneurship and trying to make it as a musician.

I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but from what I've observed working for a startup related to the music industry, being obsessive and maniacal is absolutely essential to success-- most artists and entrepreneurs I know wouldn't have it any other way.

Re: How To Get Me To Hang Up On You

alexismichelle — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:48:32 -0000

Great suggestion, I love tungle. Its especially great for multi-party calls or meetings.

Re: Working At Startups

alexismichelle — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:44:51 -0000

Thanks! Hope the talk went well yesterday. I did end up turning my comment into a post on a blog I write for the Washington Post (http://bit.ly/8sthmj). Thanks for the inspiration, was a fun and interesting topic to reflect on.

Re: Working At Startups

alexismichelle — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:29:29 -0000

Great topic! I also look forward to reading a summary of your talk or seeing your slides. From the perspective of someone who graduated from bschool in May and now works for a startup (and LOVES it!!!), I think the topics you have chosen to cover are perfect for the audience you are addressing.

I'm sure this is nothing new to you and your readers on this blog, but if "me now" could give some insight to "me then" about working for a startup (especially a quite early stage one), I would be sure to tell myself:

- Working for a startup requires a redefinition of boundaries, in terms of the emotional investment required, your working relationship with other members of a small team, hours worked, and spill over into your "personal life."

- Job titles are kind of irrelevant. While you may focus your time and energy on specific aspects of the business, at the end of the day its all hands on deck. An MBA is an awesome degree to enter a startup with because it is conducive to being a utility player-- but that means you have to be ready and willing to step in when called upon.

- It is essential to have respect for the technical and engineering team, and to understand that especially at the early stages of a technology based company, they are the most vital members. At later stages marketing and other non tech roles also increase in importance, but understanding what stage the company you are joining is at in this continuum is important. I guess its all expectations management.

Re: The AVC Reader Census: A Day Later

alexismichelle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:19:12 -0000

LaunchBox Digital made a very concerted effort to reach out to female enterprenuers when accepting applications for its 2009 program, and even with that effort less than a handful actually applied. Ultimately they did end up accepting a company with female founders (Keen Guides, lead by two women, one of whom is deaf and recently featured in DC magazine!), but that was ultimately on the merits of the company and not on the fact that it was lead by women.

The same problem exists in VC to a large degree-- do you think its a cyclical problem? VC is hard enough to break into, but as a woman it seems even more daunting. Not to say that there are not fantastic female VCs (or fantastic female entrepreneurs), but the numbers are pretty skewed.

That said, I love this blog post by Christine Herron at First Round Capital. She put out a call on twitter for companies with female founders, and got a surprisingly large response: http://bit.ly/femalefounders

Re: The Blog Where Everybody Knows Your Name

alexismichelle — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:51:06 -0000

Someone pointed out at a conference last week that seeing someone's name regularly in your twitter stream makes you feel a stronger sense of familiarity and personal affinity. I think this also extends to people who are active participants in a blogging community (only perhaps stronger, because all members of the community are seeing the same participants, not just the few that they follow.) Either way, I certainly feel like I know many of the regular contributors (even if I am not one of them myself, though I read religiously ;)

You capture it perfectly in this line: "...but it's fun and everyone is respectful and you learn a lot," So true! And for this, I too am very thankful (and also why it was so important to me to give something to your donors choose challenge, despite being on a 'start up' budget-- though I'm certain I'm not the only reader of this blog who is! :)

Re: The Best Deal In Startup Land

alexismichelle — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:56:27 -0000

"The cash is the smallest part of the Y Combinator value proposition..."

Absolutely-- I can not agree with this more! Having spent this past summer as an associate with LaunchBox Digital (a Washington DC based incubator similar to Y Combinator), I worked very closely with the portfolio companies and saw first hand the myriad of ways that the program itself adds value far beyond that of the seed funding: weekly workshops and seminars, strong and supportive community, opportunity to focus intensely for an extended period, exposure to an extensive network of mentors and advisers, demo days, and perhaps most importantly, ongoing guidance from the LaunchBox partners themselves.

More than anything, I was incredibly impressed by the amount of time, effort and energy each of the partners put into working with the portfolio companies (it far exceeded my expectations prior to coming on board). As someone who believes very deeply in the value of mentors and trusted advisers, I think this aspect of the program alone is well worth a small stake in the company.

What I do wonder, however, is how viable a business it is for the incubators? Their equity stake likely gets heavily diluted in the event of additional rounds, and if the program has multiple partners and investors, any upside is ultimately split among several parties. I know much attention has been paid to this question, but I do continue to wonder.