I coach founders of little startups, often just a few hours/month. Here’s my bio.
Interested? Email me here.
What is “coaching?” That sounds dumb / useless / like a scam.
A lot of “coaching” is indeed useless!
If you’re not crazy excited after the first time we talk, let’s not do this!
A coach should…
- generate a ton of ideas and perspective on an ton of topics like pricing, messaging, selling, blogging, business metrics, product feedback, customer zealotry, competing with bigger companies, design, finance, hiring, partnerships, raising money, and ultimately selling your business.
- be a trusted advisor who is honest with you, who respects you enough to challenge your ideas but also champions your final decisions.
- narrow your focus to what’s important to your business.
- help you through the emotional rollercoaster that bloggers and business books shamefully avoid addressing.
- keep perspective on what will make you happy and fulfilled since you can’t afford to worry about that right now.
- tap his network of other successful business people who can provide specialized advice, partnerships, financing, or just help spread the word about what you’re working on.
- still be humble about the limitations of his own experience and the value of experimentation and measurement over assumptions and preconceptions.
Who are you to give me advice?
You don’t need advice from an MBA academic, or a middle manager with 12 years of “experience” at Dell, or from someone who’s never quit their job and starved for years to get a little company off the ground.
I’ve started three companies in the last 10 years, two as co-founder, one as sole founder. Two were bootstrapped, one funded. All three were profitable within two years; two of them successfully sold for cash. The most recent one — Smart Bear — I ran up to millions of dollars in profits and sold a few years ago.
Here’s a full résumé.
Of course experience isn’t enough — I have to communicate that experience to you and understand your specific issues and product and market.
How much does this cost?
$250 per hour.
Like a decent lawyer or a great accountant.
I’d better have a bigger impact on your business than those guys, right?
Often just 1-2 hours per month can have a big impact without breaking the bank.
What’s the minimum number of hours/months I have to sign up for?
No minimums, no contracts.
You’re in complete control of how much time you need. This is especially important at the beginning when you’re testing whether or not I’m helpful to you.
Even one hour per month can be an inexpensive way to get a pile of ideas, validation, counter-arguments, and focus.
What’s the procedure for canceling?
We just stop. There’s no contract!
No “long-term contracts” or “written notices” or “cancellation charges.” When you’ve decided I’m no longer making an impact, we stop.
This cuts both ways. I can stop working with you at any time, for any reason.
Can you take stock instead of cash?
We can discuss it, but probably not.
Why can’t you bill by the project?
There’s no such thing as a well-defined “project.” Startups change constantly. My job is to help your business succeed, period. Let’s not get caught up in defining “projects” when we could be working on getting your first sale.
Why don’t you have a retainer?
Retainers are how consultants get you to pay for service every month even if you don’t need it. You’re paying to “reserve” time, ensuring that at least a minimum of time will be available; the problem is if it turns out you don’t need it, you’ve wasted money.
Startups can’t afford to pay for things that aren’t directly and tangibly impacting business. I only want to make money if I’m helping you.
On the flip side, a time may come when you want more hours and I can’t oblige. I believe this trade-off is worth it.
What do I have to sign?
There’s no time-based service agreement, but there is a simple document we both sign that defines the parameters of the relationship.
It’s three pages that clarify what’s confidential, absolve me of legal liability, and state that you own the intellectual property rights (IP) to everything I do for you.
Interested? Email me here.