Blog: Forward Thinking

Often snarky, sometimes funny, thoughts and musings from Glen Hellman about Executive Development, Leadership, Startups, Washington DC Business and more.
July 8, 2018
In Startup
3 Comments

The Problem with Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest

Is Steve Case's Rise of the Rest making a big difference for the rest? What is Rise of the Rest? According to Steve Cases, Revolution Web Site: Rise of the Rest is a nationwide effort powered by Revolution to invest in and work closely with entrepreneurs in emerging startup ecosystems. Since 2014, Steve Case and the Revolution team have logged more than 8,000 miles touring entrepreneurial communities by bus in 33 cities. The Rise of the Rest is all about creating a robust startup ecosystem in 33 cities, by going on a bus tour, awarding $100K to pitch contest winners in 33 cities. In...

July 5, 2018
In Leadership
0 Comments

Situational Leadership – Different Strokes for Different Folks

What is Situational Leadership? Just as every leader is different, so is every team. In fact, every member of every team is different which means that not every leadership style is suitable for every team. An effective leadership style for one team is probably not well-suited for another time with another team. Such is the theory of Situational Leadership. As anyone who has watched 4-year old’s play soccer knows, you wouldn’t coach a soccer team of pre-schoolers the same way you would coach a world cup championship team. In fact, you wouldn’t want to coach a team of kids whose parents dragged...

June 27, 2018
In DCTech, Wolves of Startupland
2 Comments

Jen Mellon is Unfaithful

Mr. Cranky opens up his mail today. And today's entry from Mr. Cranky's mailbag is from a first time writer who submits the case that Jen Mellon is unfaithful. I'm sorry fans, but Mr. Cranky doesn't control his incoming mail so once again we talk the Trustify Danny Boice and Jen Mellon story. What is Faith? Jen Mellon, alledged cofounder of Trustify proclaims to be a woman of faith. She claims to be born again. Yet all who know her intimately will share that Jen Mellon is unfaithful to her faith. Jen Mellon cheats and lies to her investors. She uses money...

June 26, 2018
In DCTech
0 Comments

RIP 3Si VC

Today is a sad day for DCTech. It appears that one of our most active, if the tonnage that one bullshits qualifies as active, VCs is no more. Just take a look at the website. http://www.3siholdings.com and you see a blank WIX web site. Ha Wix, the preferred site of fakers, fools, and felons. Come on Jason, WIX sites cost as much as $0...

Executive Coaches Light Bulb Whoopass
June 24, 2018
In DCTech, Startup
0 Comments

Sometimes I Have To Admit, #DCTech Isn’t So Bad

[caption id="attachment_60126" align="alignright" width="150"] Fake Grimlock holding a can of WhoopAss[/caption] When it comes to DCTech, ya'll, well, any of ya'll in DCTech who have ever read my screeds know that Mr. Cranky is a Glass Half Full kind of guy and that Half Full Glass is usually Half Full of Urine. Now, most of you are thinking that Mr. Cranky, is from New Jersey by way of Brooklyn before Brooklyn was as our President would say, "Infested," with hipsters, just used the word ya'll and you're wondering WTF so I'm going to tell you WFT, and TF is that the word, ya'll empowers...

June 20, 2018
In Culture, Human Resources
0 Comments

Hiring Right

The point of hiring is not to get people on board the bus. Hiring right is getting the right people on board the bus. In fact, it's to get the right people in the right seats on the bus.  That's the key. Running a business is like chess and not checkers. In business, you don't need people who all walk alike, talk alike and share the exact same strengths and weaknesses. In business, different roles require different types of people. Some roles require the ability to move diagonally, other roles require you move like a knight. What's the key to hiring right? Four...

June 13, 2018
In DCTech, Raising Capital, Startup
2 Comments

Death By Venture Capital – Angel & Venture Capital Part III

Many Startups fail caused by Death by Venture Capital. Here's the deal. Imagine you are a parent. You have three kids. You don't give a crap about the kids as individuals. You take a portfolio approach to the family.  It doesn't matter what happens to any of the kids individually as long as one of them grows up to cure cancer, it's a win! The other two could wind up dead or in jail, but the portfolio of kids is highly profitable. Venture Capital is like that, except VC's eat their children...

June 9, 2018
In DCTech, Rant, Startup, Wolves of Startupland
0 Comments

Hear Trustify’s Jen Mellon Lie on June 20th

Yes I know I'm talking about Jen Mellon, the horrible human masquerading as a do-gooder and founder of a great startup and wife of Danny Boice. For my regular readers, this is old hat and you don't have to read it. I know, I'm a bulldog with a bone that won't let go. This post is targeted for those who are not regular readers and who may be taken in by the classy facade of the rotting Potemkin Villiage that is Trustify and it's leaders. There is a group of people, sponsoring a talk by Mellon and these people who are putting their...