In just over a week, I will be officially returning to work after the birth of my second child, Grace. 💙 Of course, as a founder, I’ve been working since her birth. Tax returns still need to be filed, people need to be paid, emails need to be answered, and so on. So, while there […]
From Silicon Valley to the Macedon Ranges
TL;DR we bought a farm! 🚜 🌳 👩🏼🌾 🐑 As many in my network know, I left San Francisco a few years ago to return to Australia. I was living in SF during the peak of the on-demand tech startup bubble and the rental property market was insane. Many non-VC-funded creatives and founders were being […]
The rise of the indie way and the role of non-equity accelerators
I’ve been wanting to write about the rise of the indie movement when it comes to startups for a while, and that post will come. For now, it’s happening in a backward fashion as I discuss non-equity accelerators first. There are a few types of startup accelerator programs for founders: traditional equity-based ones, such as […]
The Future of Work from Silicon Valley at Adobe’s Think Tank
Hey readers! It’s been a while. So much has been going on that it’s hard to create the time to keep the blog updated. Without further delay, I’m going to share some of the happenings in more bite sized posts from now on. In 2016, I took part in a Think Tank on The Future of Work in […]
The vulnerability deficit
I don’t write here much anymore. It’s not for a lack of wanting. Perhaps it’s mostly a lack of time. Perhaps it’s mostly a lack of creative energy when everything is poured into work. Perhaps it’s mostly a lack of habit. One thing’s for sure is that the longer it goes without documenting the journey […]
How to give and receive better feedback as a remote team
I’m mixing things up this week with a guest post from our happiness lead at CloudPeeps, Tessa Greenleaf, about how to do one-on-ones well in distributed teams. — From the very beginning, CloudPeeps has been committed to creating a culture of transparency, which means sharing consistent feedback — and that’s a huge part of why I […]
Startups and the freedom myth
I’ve just finished reading Ryan Hoover’s post: Startups ≠ Freedom. He writes: “People start companies to become “their own boss” for the same reason — they seek freedom. But in most cases, it’s ironically the exact opposite. As a founder, you’re responsible to your investors (assuming you take money), your team, and your users. There’s no “two […]
Celebrating character and what we do when no one is watching
Last Friday evening I got the chance to see The Theory of Everything starring Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. My friends know me as being particularly obsessed with the gloriousness that is Redmayne but I point to this movie not for his talent alone. You see, I’ve been thinking a lot about character, relationships and giving recently. What […]
10 ways to win at professional time etiquette
I think of the last year and a half I’ve spent in New York as professional finishing school. If there’s anywhere on this planet where people are stupendously busy, it’s this place. It definitely took me a few months to settle into the rhythm. Combine this experience with recently fundraising, and I now feel incredible mindful […]
The Daily Gratitude: a complement to the stand-up meeting
I recently started a new company where I’ve been heads down doing a lot of testing and building. Part of this experience has been working with a new team that works remotely. From day one, we’ve started to think about our culture – and the focus on culture has been inspired a lot by our advisor Joel Gascoigne […]
The joys and benefits of keeping a low profile online
“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” ~Albert Einstein In the age of the perfectly-lit selfie, the algorithm-gamed status update and the never-ending quest for more, we have become lost in the attention economy. We find ourselves in a tiring ‘sharing’ cycle – in an ongoing pursuit to be heard. How […]
How to keep believing in yourself
I stood there catching my breath. A gush of thoughts were racing in my mind. “You don’t even believe in me,” I sighed to my best friend. “No one does.” It’s funny how as soon as the words left my mouth, it dawned on me. A metaphorical mirror – a projection of my own reality. […]