Growth
The right length for an executive summary is 250 to 500 words. Here's why, with specific guidance for business plans, board papers, proposals and pitch decks.
Leadership
Over Christmas, I read The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. My friend Todd Wade, an excellent Chief Information Security Officer, gave it to me for my birthday. It's a warts-and-all account of how hard it is to be a CEO and the junk you have to deal with as part of the job.
Leadership
Being a CEO is highly stressful and sometimes you have to wonder why you took it all on. Hiring the wrong people, not hitting the number, deploying the wrong project - and having to ask 'have you done it yet' about 100 times a day. If everything works, the team did it. If one thing goes
Growth
The Problem The buyer has begged you to send your proposal to them as fast as possible, hinting they can make the decision and walk you through all the sales hurdles in their company. They've got the power, they say. They're desperate, they say. This is a strategic priority, they add. You
Leadership
The executive summary is the most important and valuable paragraph or one-pager you'll ever write in business. It's also the one most people catastrophically mess up. I've reviewed and written hundreds of executive summaries as a journalist and CEO advisor from and with the largest
Growth
I am a framework nerd. This week, I'm sharing one of mine - The Trust Model. This little beauty has helped some of the Fortune tech world to change the way they speak and sell to their clients. It's very simple. Let me explain. This is the Trust Model. You have two axis: the horizontal
Leadership
The future of software delivery depends not just on how fast you move but on how smartly and responsibly you do it. Software teams are delivering faster but often at the cost of quality. Sixty-three percent deploy untested code and 42 percent lose over $1 million a year to software issues.
AI
Gartner expects that 30 percent of GenAI projects will be abandoned by the end of this year. Why? Because the fundamentals don’t hold up. Poor data quality. Loose risk frameworks. Sky-high costs and unclear outcomes. Some companies are spending up to $20 million just to test something they
Growth
Marketing gets harder every year. More noise. Fewer eyeballs. Here are my thoughts on how you stay relevant, stand out and get ahead. Breakdown StrategyWhy It MattersWhat to DoAI-Powered PersonalizationPersonalization isn’t a luxury—it’s the standard. Without it, you’re invisible.Invest in
Leadership
Vision, Mission & Purpose are Outdated How do you drive internal engagement? Ernest Hemingway said: “When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. Most people never listen. Nor do they observe.” It’s often the case companies don’t listen to themselves.
