So let me start with the five biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make. The first is having unclear goals and an unclear mission. Now, I know it sounds like something you might read in a textbook, but I really find it very valuable when I founded a company with co-founders, to literally sit down...
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In companies, like children, personality is set early and expresses itself differently through the years but it doesn’t change, says Kaplan. Entrepreneurs should establish values and culture early on and to remember that these values reflect the values of the founders, he adds.
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Kaplan talks about how roles change within a company when a transition from R&D happens. A vice president of sales when you are trying to get 3 test customers is not a good executive if you are planning to expand to different regions and have a large sales force, he says. You must keep in mind t...
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Kaplan talks about companies having personalities that reflect the personalities of the founders. If you know Bill Gates, you know Microsoft, he says. Entrepreneurs should think about what personality they want the company to have and what personality they themselves have as the founder.
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Kaplan talks about his books. He wrote Startup" from his experiences. He has written another book which has not been published yet. It is a "business to business romance"."
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Kaplan talks about how most people will work on an idea for a company for 2-3 years before they get the money. The best time to start a company, he notes, is when everybody thinks it is impossible.
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Kaplan is working on some really "wacky" things. According to him, the next big wave is going to be in Microsensor technology. This will enable people to use technology to do things that don’t seem possible. He designed and built a home automation system which narrates whatever is happening. He ...
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