Building a Startup Requires Deep Self-Awareness
Are you attracted to entrepreneurship? Does the concept of being your own boss appeal to you? Have you always wanted to start a business of your own?
My latest posts.
3 Essential Rules To Make Your Startup Journey Less Painful
Many people would agree with me when I say that startups are ridiculously hard. It has been nearly 5 years since we started the journey as independent operators of a business. Meaning
7 Key Ingredients for a Positive Workplace Culture
The greatest value of having good people around you is not what you get from them but the better person you become because of them.
Can You Be Unhappy and Still Do Great Work?
When you arrived at work this morning, were you excited? Do you love what you do? Do you love what you do? What about the people you work with – do they make your day better?
Incredible Life of The Brilliant But Tortured Alan Turing
Without a doubt, one of my favorite movies in this last decade was Imitation Game. It was about the story and incredible life of the brilliant but tortured Alan Turing.
3 Professional Insights about Earning Respect
I wanted to share a few thoughts I had on the the important of mutual respect. Pretty much all successful businesses, regardless of what they do or sell, have one thing in
How to Reinvent Yourself (5 Steps)
To stay competitive in this economy, you will need to continually disrupt and reinvent yourself. You must shape your identity or it will shape you.
Turning on Your Inner “Beast Mode”
In the late 80’s there was a video game developed by Sega called Altered Beast. The player(s) control a centurion, and as you make your way through the levels fighting creatures you
Don’t Be an Organizational Houdini
Forced perspective is a photographic illusion generally used to make two or more objects seem to be a different size than their actual size. A classic example of this is when you
Treat Contractors Well
They come in all shapes and sizes: needy ones, demanding ones, ones that know too much, ones that know too little, ones that don’t pay – most of us have experienced at
Great Coders Are Artists
I wanted to share my thoughts on the fine line between art and software design. Is software development an engineering discipline? Is it art? Is it more like a craft? Software is
Strong Relationships Are Built by Helping Others Succeed
Our greatest successes in life are often found in helping others succeed. Our most lasting and fulfilling achievements are often earned by helping others fulfill theirs. You might want to start something great
Be an Insatiably Curious and Great Intrapreneur
A very good colleague of mine is quickly becoming the ‘go to’ person at his new company. He’s the type of person every boss absolutely loves because he actually gets shit done
Thank You For Changing The World
Very few times in one’s life has there been an individual that has had such a profound impact on how we think; not just about technology, but about life. I am a
Great Systems Need to Create Flow
Our attraction to games and the enjoyment they produce is a concept highlighted in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow. According to Mihaly, human beings achieve a state of optimal experience when our skills are
Shot Down in Flames, My First Board Meeting
The first time I was invited to join the ‘board’ of a company, it was a non-profit organization, I was extremely excited. Being asked to serve on a board, I felt was
Always Play to Win
For several years, teams in the SEC conference in NCAA football had adhered to a “war of attrition” game strategy: they called conservative plays and held on the ball for as long
Find Your Humble Rainmaker
This post was inspired after I had a discussion with someone that I would call a “humble rainmaker”. I have only met a few people that I would say fall into this
7 Lessons Learned While Building a Startup
I thought it would be worthwhile to share some of my own experiences over the past few months, as well as a few lessons learned during the process of building a startup.
Why a Bit of an Ego is a Good Thing for Entrepreneurs
Some people spit out the word ego as if they just tasted spoiled milk. Most people are convinced that ego is just the opposite of humility. Humility is good, therefore ego is
Victory is the Essence of Confidence
Is success simply a matter of money and talent? Or is there another reason why some people and organizations always land on their feet, while others, equally talented, stumble again and again?
A Lesson from My Dad — Enjoy The Little Things
This story is about the little things an individual can do to create an everlasting impression on someone. As I grow older, and look back, I realize more and more, that those
The Arnold Factor, Relentless Determination
Whatever it took to succeed .. I was willing to do it” ~Arnold Schwarzenegger Throughout his life, Arnold Schwarzenegger had built his career by reinventing himself – from bodybuilder, to Hollywood superstar,
Game Mechanics, Designing an Experience
People have fundamental needs and desires – for reward, status, achievement, self-expression, competition, and altruism among others. These needs are universal, and cross generations, demographics, cultures and genders. A large part of
Indifference Can Be Powerful When Negotiating
In business, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” ~ C. Karrass In a sense, all of life is a negotiation Negotiation does not just occur in used
Listening is the Language of Leaders
Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” Bernard M. Baruch I want you to do a quick mental exercise. Think about your conversations
Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication
If you had tried to convince people that the most successful MP3 player would have fewer buttons and less functionality, not more, you would have been dismissed as a fool. But the
Choose Your Core Values and Mentors Wisely
Achieve success by modeling yourself after professionals with integrity While many intuitively understand the meaning of core values, a solid definition is vital to this discussion. By their very definitions, “core” means
Great Corporate Culture Starts with Ethical Decision Making
“For a company to achieve the desired result, it’s culture – what people think and do – must be aligned with the result.” — Roger Connors, Author of The Oz Principle Rock
5 challenges faced by women in technology leadership
Is it fair to say that one of the main reasons that our societies today are at once so palpably unsustainable and socially unjust, is that we have fallen into the trap of
Simple but Effective Rule for Personal Time Management Each Month
One of my biggest challenges is that I don’t sleep enough, and thankfully it’s neither insomnia nor any chronic sleep conditions. Over the past few years and the launch of some good
Poor Leadership – Warning Signs, How to Avoid the Elephant in the Room
Solid leadership is an essential component of effective management, and although not everyone is a born leader, it is possible to be molded into a leader. The subject of leadership has been
9 Steps to Creating Your Sales Battlecard
I’m sure that most of you have heard of sales battlecards. The Microsoft Partner Network still encourages every channel partner to create at least one to help them better align competencies across
7 of the Most Extraordinary People You Probably Don’t Know but Should!
For all intents and purposes the general theme of my blog is to inspire collaborative creativity. To help people realize the vital importance of working together to not only achieve business success
Where Do You Find Your Professional Inspiration?
Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to meet and come to know several people, from many cultures and walks of life and with the economy and society ever
5 Things to Remember for Maintaining Your Professional Credibility
It has been about a week since my last post, so I thought it would be appropriate to write about the importance of setting the right expectations. But what is the right
The Four Main Life Lessons That We Can Learn From Bill Murray
Bill Murray is famous for his deadpan acting and impenetrable cool. With a phenomenal level of consistent greatness, Murray is one of the most enduring comedic actors in movie history.Murray received an
Should I Ever Provide Free Services to Earn New Business?
The general answer to that question is no. I highly recommend arriving at an agreement to pay agencies for their pitches whenever possible if they’re going to be providing consultations, storyboards, mock
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robsaric.com
I love to design and build systems. I mentor youth and consult tech companies and startups. Say hi!
Rob Saric
Ottawa, Ontario