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Amsterdam-based Rockstart Accelerator’s first graduates head to Silicon Valley

The Next Web

The accelerator, which counts Amazon CTO Werner Vogels among its startup mentors , will be showcasing its first batch of startups (see list below) in Silicon Valley on the 20th of September, followed by a panel discussion about “The Future of the European Startup Community” Sounds riveting!

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When Should Technical Founders Become CEO?

Both Sides of the Table

Much has been written about when it is time to hire a “professional CEO” to run a startup company and of course that has long been a norm in Silicon Valley when founders find that their inexperience may be a limiting factor in company growth ( know as the Peter Principle ). So why did Larry need to return?

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Leadership is More Than a Memo

Steve Blank

I just read Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley. While Silicon Valley has grown to have global influence, in many ways the cultural leadership from the venture community has dramatically shrunk in the last decade. Yes, in the dim past of Silicon Valley the execs really wore suits.).

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Scaling from maker to manager

Version One Ventures

A few weeks ago I shared some important leadership lessons from Stewart Butterfield , including investing in your own growth to make sure that the founder scales as fast as the company. Growing with your start-up can be a very tough undertaking for a founder. There’s typically little choice for a founder CEO.

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Even the Smartest VCs Sometimes Get it Wrong – Bill Gurley and Regulated Markets

Steve Blank

Bill’s closing line, “The reason why Silicon Valley is so successful is that it’s so fxxxng far away from Washington” received great applause. It’s the antithesis of how founders want to build a business. Hire/advisors from the inside industry but use them to make you smarter not just to outsource the work.

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Leaving Government for the Private Sector – Part 2

Steve Blank

At first many start-ups hire a lobbying firm. Larger companies hiring a Chief of Staff often look for someone who has an MBA, experience with one of the big consulting firms, or experience doing the job already. They can vote to hire and fire the CEO. A Board of Directors has a formal and legal role.

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Is Going for Rapid Growth Always Good? Aren’t Startups So Much More?

Both Sides of the Table

“Why do founders want to take the VCs’ money? And the wrong message is frankly strewn all over Silicon Valley. Founders will continue to take the “growth at all options” path that leads to privacy & trust creep at places like Quora. And this is fueled by the VC culture in Silicon Valley.