Blog: Forward Thinking
Often snarky, sometimes funny, thoughts and musings from Glen Hellman about Executive Development, Leadership, Startups, Washington DC Business and more.
No Offense But…
I just noticed for like the 8th time in the last few weeks some guy who is famous for accomplishing nothing with the exception or receiving numerous trivial awards has humbly bragged about these awards by expressing, "I'm humbled." No, Douchenozzle. You're not humbled. You're humble bragging. So I thought I'd just review some of the simple lines that signal the deliverer of said lines is a tool...
Corporate Governance Requirements For Angel Investors
Angel Investing is inherently risky. Startups, in general, aren't for the weak at heart. It is even more perilous when investing with minimal leverage that comes with a small investment of $25 - $50 thousand. Over a 10 year period, I made 7 investments that returned 180 percent. Over the same period of time, the S&P returned 250 percent. Yes, I took 50 times the risk to get a fraction of the return. How could I have improved the returns? I should have insisted that companies followed certain corporate governance norms. And if I didn't have the leverage to dictate good...
Dan Snyder is Proof That Luck Can Be a Cruel Mistress
In Business, luck can be a cruel mistress. Too often, good luck can be mistaken for brilliance. Take the case of Daniel Snyder. He sold a schlock telesales operation and made hundreds of millions of dollars. Since then he's demonstrated his brillance in multiple ventures: In 2005, he began accumulated stock in Six Flags until he gained control of the board. He installed a buddy as CEO and named himself Chairman. In 2009 the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Under the reorganization plan, Snyder was removed and lost his entire investment. A real businessman, named Bill Gates, owned 10,210,600...
Marcus Bullock – A Real Startup Founder and Ex-Con
Marcus Bullock is the real deal. The deck is stacked against him from achieving anything of note. Yes, this man, conquered the odds and has built a life of value. I often write about the phony startup founders and future convicts. The conman and clowns of DCTech. Today I'd like to go the other way, with a real man, the real deal who has sinned and paid for his sins and today is working to change the world. Marcus Bullock is an activist for criminal justice reform. He's a man who spends his time giving back to the community by teaching...
In with Amify and Out with Trustify
Remember back a few years ago, when Trustify was a thing? Back then Danny Boice and Jennifer Mellon were spending their investor's money like drunken sailors. With big fanfare and much press, these two crooks announced their big office opening on the 8th floor of 201 12th St. South in Crystal City. Then all of a sudden, the companies phones were turned off and one day, people showed up for work and the locks were changed. Trustify was evicted for non-payment. Boice, Mellon and the company were sued by their Landlord, JBG Smith and smith was awarded $263,477.21 by the...
Cranky Old Fart as Product
You can't sell to everyone. Your products and services aren't right for all people or companies. So why are you spending so much time presenting a homogenized, milk toast, bland, offend-no-one image? Why are you so afraid of offending the people who make crappy customers? When I work with clients and ask them who are their best customers, they can answer quickly. When I ask, who are your worst customers, they can rattle off a list faster than my brother-in-law heads for the bathroom when a waiter lays down the dinner bill. When I ask them what traits do they have in...
Are You A Business Chef Or Cook
In business, there are many buckets in which we can categorize people. One of my favorites is Chef or Cook. Chef (AKA Strategist) - A Chef is creative. They are motivated by intrinsic forces That is they are driven by satisfying the internal need to discover, to learn, to do that which has never been done, to create. They do what makes them happy. Great startup, entrepreneurial CEOs are usually Chefs, they have a unique vision, the need to do what hasn't been done. They don't follow the well-worn path, they blaze the new path. Cook (AKA Executioner) - A...