Startup Ideas We'd Like to Fund

Paul Graham | Y Combinator

"When we read Y Combinator applications there are always ideas we're hoping to see. In the past we've never said publicly what they are. If we say we're looking for x, we'll get applications proposing x, certainly. But then it actually becomes harder to judge them: is this group proposing x because they were already thinking about it, or because they know that's what we want to hear?"

Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up More Cash

Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

By Abha Bhattarai

In an ominous sign for Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial machine, venture capital firms are cutting back on their investments in companies at their earliest stage of development and being forced to provide extra funding for later-stage companies that can’t leave the nest and go public.

Advice for entrepreneurs: Throw out that five-year plan, build something now, and don't take any money

From Signal vs. Noise, a weblog by 37signals about design, business, experience, simplicity, the web, culture, and more.

"Greg Gianforte is the author of “Bootstrapping Your Business: Start and Grow a Successful Company With Almost No Money.” In Follow Your Dream, he advises throwing out your five-year plan and focusing on building something now instead."

Warren Buffett’s 7 Secrets for Living a Happy and Simple Life

Success Soul

Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule. No. 1

How Many Silicon Valley Startup Executives Are Hopped Up On Provigil?

How Many Silicon Michael Arrington | TechCrunch

"Is someone you work with taking Provigil to give them an extra competitive edge? I’ve spoken with one executive who says he uses it regularly to work twenty hour days, and the buzz lately is that it’s the “entrepreneur’s drug of choice” around Silicon Valley. Over the last week two separate entrepreneurs have mentioned it casually in conversation, and one said he tried it once and loved it."

The most important revenue number you present in a business plan

Jim Logan | Simplifying the complex sale

"Some recent client work reminded me of a series of projects and a period of time when I worked with private investors and business owners on a number of investment and M&A opportunities. My role was evaluation of revenue plans and associated sales and marketing initiatives, opportunities, and challenges."

Don't ask employees to be passionate about the company!

Creating Passionate Users

"People ask me, "How can I get our employees to be passionate about the company?" Wrong question. Passion for our employer, manager, current job? Irrelevant. Passion for our profession and the kind of work we do? Crucial."