Field Guide
I have been running consumer brands for 23+ years. I’ve founded them, built them, taken them apart, fixed them, re-built them and everything in between. The line is never straight and the journey is not for the feint of heart. It’s an incredible ride if you can stick with it.
*Please note I’m rebuilding all of these posts and will link them as they are built.
Starting A Company
The beginning is the most random part of the journey. There is no one way and every founder journey is wildly unique. It's almost serendipitous.
Generating Ideas
Getting Off The Ground - Finding Customers
Building Your Team
Leading A Company
This is my current approach to leading a company with less than 50 people. The core principle is built around ownership: giving small teams clear areas of the business they can own and move forward. It takes both teaching them how a business runs and empowering them to make mistakes in building it.
Managing Projects - Not Tasks
Developing Your Company Cadence
Compensation Philosophy
North Star & 12 Month Plans
Hiring, Firing, Managing People
Running Off-sites
Teaching Your Team
Running A Consumer Business
Consumer businesses are relatively simple - make great products, make customers happy, don't over spend. Some consumer brands are rocket ships, but most require a methodical approach year after year.
Setting Up Your Financials
Gross Margins, Gross Margins, Gross Margins
Managing Spend - By Ratios
Making Products
Being A CEO
This journey is personal. Everyone has their own path and I can only share what I've learned in taking companies from 0 to 50 employees. After that you have passed my level in the game.
Want To Be CEO – How To Decide
Be Consistent – The Why And How
Prioritizing – What To Work On And How To Switch Topics
Handling Stress
Managing Investors - The Business Update
Being Direct - CEO Says Syndrome