PinnedPaul O'BrienFounders, VCs Might Not Like My Sharing This, But They ShouldOne of the more challenging skills to help develop in a founder, is being able to discern b.s. from experienced and valid advice. As you…Sep 21, 20232Sep 21, 20232
PinnedPaul O'BrienIt’s never as easy as it looks.I lost $50,000, more or less, on a business started in my 20s. Hurt a lot. I’m now 4d-*ahem* and finding peace with success. Lessons…Jan 4, 20231Jan 4, 20231
Paul O'BrienWhen Entrepreneurship is Bad for the EconomyEntrepreneurship has long been celebrated as the ultimate engine of economic growth, innovation, and job creation. But what if the fervor…1d ago1d ago
Paul O'BrienRethinking Startup Ecosystems to Build What Investors Really WantIn most of the world, startups are in disrepair. No more effectively can we just reboot or defrag a computer to actually fix it, than we…Oct 28Oct 28
Paul O'BrienSeeking Better Startup Founder AgreementsEver see a pie chart like this, or can you at least envision one, wherein a partner of yours (or God-forbid, you), expect a majority…Oct 28Oct 28
Paul O'BrienSeek the Contrarian: What to Expect of a Good Entrepreneurship ProgramIn a speech in Paris, in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt remarked the often encouraged, “Comparison Is the Thief of Joy.” That, when we compare…Oct 15Oct 15
Paul O'BrienThe Quantum CorridorFor too long, cities across the U.S. have attempted to define their startup communities by adopting monikers like “Silicon Prairie,”…Oct 3Oct 3
Paul O'BrienStartups Solving Founders’ Problems are FailingHere’s a problem that you might address as a startup founder: other startup founders struggle to find problems to take on, to come up with…Sep 301Sep 301
Paul O'BrienFounders, North Texas is the World’s FinTech Hub“You’re really seeing a whole new North Texas ecosystem,” noted H. Ross Perot, Jr., son of the former presidential candidate, about the…Sep 20Sep 20
Paul O'BrienGovernment Has No Intention of Cracking Down on DisinformationFinding ourselves in the thick of a contentious U.S. Presidential election, I found myself contemplating how critical it is, now more than…Sep 17Sep 17