Collective Genius

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Collective Genius

Building Unstoppable Venture-backed Teams Visit: www.collective-genius.com

09/21/2024

One of my biggest failures in my founder journey was failing to communicate with my co-founders.

It wasn’t because of my age or lack of experience—it was simply my fear of having difficult and uncomfortable conversations.

Even now, I reflect on times when we had the chance to be more transparent and aligned, but I avoided those tough discussions out of fear of where they might lead.

In one of my ventures, this avoidance eventually caused us to go our separate ways. Our final conversation took place in an elevator, leaving our lawyers’ offices—a tough and painful memory.

It was a hard lesson, not just because of the business opportunity we lost, but because I also lost a valued friendship.

A few weeks ago, during an episode of Tech Scenes, Ryan Vaughn mentioned he had a hunch that my work today reflects a moment from my early days as a founder.

At the time, I responded by focusing on how my entrepreneurial upbringing shaped me, but in hindsight, Ryan was right.

Not having the tools to communicate effectively with my co-founder was one of the earliest and most impactful mistakes I made in my journey.

Now, I see communication as one of the greatest opportunities for co-founders and their teams. It’s crucial, because if you don’t address the hard stuff, what you’re trying to avoid will eventually find you.

If you find yourself holding back from important conversations out of fear, uncertainty, or doubt, know that it’s natural and common.

And if you ever need someone to talk to about this, feel free to send me a DM.

09/20/2024

"Not all software companies or tech companies should be VC backed." Mikey Taylor, Founder of Commune Capital, talks about deciding what kind of company to build on Tech Scenes.

09/20/2024

Your job as the founder is not to do everything yourself. Your job is to set a clear vision and direction, then empower your team.

09/19/2024

If you believe Founder Mode is 100 percent dead on, you're probably right. If you believe that Founder Mode is completely wrong, you're probably also right.

09/18/2024

Q4 planning is happening now. If you need a blueprint for your team, that's why I wrote the bestselling Peak Teams.

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09/18/2024

"Small incremental steps today are going to pay dividends in the future." Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO of StartEd and Producer of EdTech Week, talks relationship-building on Tech Scenes Unplugged.

09/17/2024

Peak Coaching has been a LONG time in the making, and we can't wait for the founding cohort training in November! Get more info at https://collective-genius.com/coach

09/16/2024

"Firms don't really hide what they're looking for. They tell you very clearly." Shane Bigelow, CEO and Co-Founder of ChampTitles, talks about finding the right investors on Tech Scenes Unplugged.

09/16/2024

Are you ready for Q4 planning? Our Peak teams are in the thick of it, so if you have any questions about how you should be setting that up, let's talk.

09/13/2024

Success doesn't have to be complicated. If you can master these three meetings, you can hit your goals.

09/13/2024

"I want to start with the story because the story is something that others can't replicate." Mikey Taylor, Founder of Commune Capital, talks about standing out when fundraising.

09/11/2024

What the heck is an operating system, and why are they SO imperative for VC-backed companies?

09/10/2024

🔔 Big announcement! We are launching our founding cohort of Peak Coaches. 🔔

This has been a long time in the making, and we're incredibly excited.

The ideal Peak Coach is someone who has had experience as a leader, executive, and/or investor in venture backed companies, who has been in the trenches and knows the challenges and problems that come with doing things that have never been done before.

We're looking for people who are eager to grow their own business, who have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to work with innovative companies at scale. Head to collective-genius.com/coach to fill out the application on the website. We can't wait to talk to you.

09/10/2024

I wrote Peak Teams to help venture-backed companies turn chaos and inefficiency into speed, growth, and opportunity. Since it went bestseller last year, I've heard from so many CEOs who didn't even know they needed an operating system until they read it—or thought THEY were supposed to be the "system". Building an unstoppable team doesn't have to be that hard.

09/06/2024

If your people aren't willing to learn, then you have to get different people.

09/05/2024

"If your goal is to move fast as an organization, you can gain even more from losing one of the wrong people than adding one of the right people." Ryan Vaughn, founder of Inside-Out, talks about building a culture where the right people stay on Tech Scenes Unplugged.

09/04/2024

"There's no day that you're allowed to show up and not bring your A game because you might lose that customer." Shane Bigelow, CEO and Co-Founder of ChampTitles, talks about prioritizing customers on Tech Scenes Unplugged.

09/03/2024

Ever wondered what it's like going from being an executive to coaching executives? Adam Weber, founder of Adam Weber Coaching, talks about how to make an impact at the right time on Tech Scenes Unplugged.

09/03/2024

"I don't know what's happening tomorrow, why would I spend any time on what's happening in three years?" I hear this all the time in innovation companies—but not knowing where you're going means your team is wandering blind.

09/02/2024

It's hard to get the team talking about what's not working without serious leading by example from the CEO.

08/30/2024

"Pain becomes a signal of you being on the right path towards exercising opportunity." Ryan Vaughn, Founder of Inside-Out, talks about how resistance doesn't always suck.

08/30/2024

Every time the team comes together to work out a problem, you're building new capabilities with the company.

08/29/2024

""Achieve 100 million in revenue" is not a plan." Anna Barber, Investing Partner at M13, talks about CEO magical thinking.

08/29/2024

A successful CEO has to be a diehard learner, period.

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Videos

"Not all software companies or tech companies should be VC backed." Mikey Taylor, Founder of Commune Capital, talks about deciding what kind of company to build on Tech Scenes. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

Your job as the founder is not to do everything yourself. Your job is to set a clear vision and direction, then empower your team. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

If you believe Founder Mode is 100 percent dead on, you're probably right. If you believe that Founder Mode is completely wrong, you're probably also right. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

"Small incremental steps today are going to pay dividends in the future." Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO of StartEd and Producer of EdTech Week, talks relationship-building on Tech Scenes Unplugged. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode #techscenes

Peak Coaching has been a LONG time in the making, and we can't wait for the founding cohort training in November! Get more info at https://collective-genius.com/coach #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode #peakcoaching #businesscoach

"Firms don't really hide what they're looking for. They tell you very clearly." Shane Bigelow, CEO and Co-Founder of ChampTitles, talks about finding the right investors on Tech Scenes Unplugged. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

Are you ready for Q4 planning? Our Peak teams are in the thick of it, so if you have any questions about how you should be setting that up, let's talk. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

Success doesn't have to be complicated. If you can master these three meetings, you can hit your goals. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

"I want to start with the story because the story is something that others can't replicate." Mikey Taylor, Founder of Commune Capital, talks about standing out when fundraising. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #foundermode

What the heck is an operating system, and why are they SO imperative for VC-backed companies? #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS

🔔 Big announcement! We are launching our founding cohort of Peak Coaches. 🔔 This has been a long time in the making, and we're incredibly excited. The ideal Peak Coach is someone who has had experience as a leader, executive, and/or investor in venture backed companies, who has been in the trenches and knows the challenges and problems that come with doing things that have never been done before. We're looking for people who are eager to grow their own business, who have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to work with innovative companies at scale. Head to collective-genius.com/coach to fill out the application on the website. We can't wait to talk to you. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS #coach #coaching #executivecoach #businesscoach

"If you're crushing every OKR, we're probably going to have a conversation about how our goals are set too low." Derek Streat, CEO of DexCare, talks about setting the right target on Tech Scenes Unplugged. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS

If your people aren't willing to learn, then you have to get different people. #venturebacked #vcbacked #venturecapital #leadership #ceo #founder #operatingsystem #peakOS