I’ve spent the past 15 years building products and leading teams that build them. I specialize in helping B2B SaaS startups, from Seed to Series B stages, mature their product management practices and build their product teams. I am also fairly technical and I have started startups in the past, including raising VC money.
My Mentoring Topics
- I can help you with the following problems, regardless if you are a PM or a founder:
- - Our product development is all over the place. We do too many things at once. We are too slow.
- - Our product strategy is not clear. We are missing a coherent roadmap that we can confidently share with the team / stakeholders / investors.
- - Our product team is at capacity. We need to hire more people.
- - Our journey from 0 to 1 turned out to be slower than we expected. We need to speed it up.
- + many more. Drop a message to talk!
Alexander didn't receive any reviews yet.
You need to be logged in to schedule a session with this mentor. Please sign in here or create an account.
Zero to One - Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future
Blake Masters, Peter Thiel
Key Facts and Insights Monopoly vs. Competition: Thiel asserts that monopolies - not competition - drives progress in business and society. The Power of Secrets: Thiel encourages us to look for hidden truths and untapped potentials, which he refers to as "secrets". The Last Mover Advantage: Thiel introduces the concept of "last mover advantage". This is the idea that being the last to innovate in a specific market can be more beneficial than being the first. The Role of Luck: Thiel suggests that luck plays a smaller role in success than is commonly believed. Four Essential Start-Up Ingredients: Thiel identifies a clear vision, the right timing, a solid team, and a superior product or service as the four key ingredients for a successful start-up. The Importance of Sales: Thiel stresses the importance of sales and distribution, not just product development, for a start-up's success. Future-Oriented Planning: Thiel encourages long-term, future-oriented planning rather than short-term, reactionary decision-making. Vertical vs. Horizontal Progress: Thiel distinguishes between vertical progress (doing new things) and horizontal progress (copying things that work). Seven Questions Every Business Must Answer: Thiel presents seven critical questions that every business must answer to achieve success. Thiel's Law: Thiel proposes his own law, stating that a start-up messed up at its foundation cannot be fixed. An In-depth Analysis and Summary "Zero to One," authored by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, is a comprehensive guide to starting and running successful start-ups. Its main thesis is that start-ups should aim to create new things, rather than competing in existing markets, to achieve monopoly-like status. Monopoly vs. Competition Thiel argues that monopolies are preferable to competition both for the company and society. A monopoly can afford to think about more than its immediate survival, can plan longer-term, and can invest in its workers and products. Monopolies also drive progress as they have the resources and motivation to innovate. This is a stark contrast to the common belief that competition drives innovation. The Power of Secrets Thiel encourages us to look for "secrets," or untapped potentials and hidden truths, in our world. He believes that many areas are ripe for innovation, and it's the entrepreneur’s job to uncover these secrets. This pursuit of secrets leads to innovation and the creation of monopoly-like businesses. The Last Mover Advantage Thiel introduces the "last mover advantage" concept. He argues that being the last to innovate in a specific market can be more advantageous than being the first. This is because the last mover learns from the mistakes of those who came before them and has the chance to create a superior product or service. The Role of Luck Thiel downplays the role of luck in business success. He suggests that attributing success to luck undermines the importance of hard work, strategic planning, and innovation. Four Essential Start-Up Ingredients Thiel identifies a clear vision, the right timing, a solid team, and a superior product or service as the four essential ingredients for a successful start-up. Without these components, a start-up’s likelihood of success is significantly reduced. The Importance of Sales Thiel emphasizes the importance of sales and distribution. He argues that even the most superior product or service will flop without effective sales and distribution strategies. Future-Oriented Planning Thiel encourages long-term, future-oriented planning. He believes that start-ups should not be reactionary but plan for the future. He also argues that a long-term vision is critical to a start-up's success. Vertical vs. Horizontal Progress Thiel distinguishes between vertical progress (doing new things) and horizontal progress (copying things that work). He suggests that start-ups should strive for vertical progress to create new value and achieve monopoly-like status. Seven Questions Every Business Must Answer Thiel presents seven critical questions that every business must answer to achieve success. These questions are related to engineering, timing, monopoly, people, distribution, durability, and the secret question. Thiel's Law Thiel's Law states that a start-up messed up at its foundation cannot be fixed. This law highlights the importance of getting the basics right at the start of a new venture. In conclusion, "Zero to One" provides a unique perspective on start-up success. It challenges conventional wisdom and offers innovative ideas for creating and running successful start-ups. This book is a must-read for any entrepreneur or business leader looking to make a lasting impact.
ViewStorytelling with Data - A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
Key Facts and Insights: Effective data visualization is a critical tool in business communication. Context is key in data storytelling; without it, your audience may not understand your message. Too much data can be overwhelming; simplicity is often more effective. Color and design elements should enhance understanding, not distract. Story structure can provide a framework for presenting data. Visual cues guide the audience's attention and highlight important information. Audience understanding and action is the ultimate goal of data storytelling. The book provides practical examples and exercises for honing data visualization skills. It emphasizes on the importance of scrutinizing, altering, and improving data visuals for clarity and impact. The book reiterates the significance of data ethics and the potential consequences of misleading data visuals. An In-depth Look at the Book "Storytelling with Data – A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic is an invaluable resource for anyone who needs to distill complex datasets into meaningful narratives that can drive business decisions. As data becomes increasingly crucial in the business world, being able to effectively visualize and communicate this data is a vital skill. The book begins with the premise that effective data visualization is a critical tool in business communication. This is a truth I have affirmed over my years as a professor, seeing how the ability to present data in a clear and compelling way can significantly impact business strategies and decisions. Knaflic also emphasizes that context is key in data storytelling. Without it, the audience may not understand the points you are trying to make. This aligns with the concept of situational analysis in business communication, where understanding the context can determine the effectiveness of the communication. One of the salient points in the book is the idea that too much data can be overwhelming and that simplicity is often more effective. This resonates with the principle of 'less is more' that I often advocate to my students. The ability to distill complex data into a simple, understandable format is a skill that is highly valued in the business world. Knaflic also discusses how color and design elements should enhance understanding, not distract. This underscores the importance of aesthetic considerations in data visualization, a point often overlooked by professionals who focus solely on the data's numerical aspects. The book further highlights how a story structure can provide a framework for presenting data. This concept of using a narrative arc to present data is a powerful tool, as it taps into our innate affinity for stories, making the data more relatable and memorable. Visual cues are another tool discussed in the book that can guide the audience's attention and highlight important information. This is in line with the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, which posits that visual cues can help guide cognitive processing and enhance understanding. Knaflic's ultimate goal is to ensure that the audience understands the data and takes appropriate action. This aligns with the communication theory's purpose, which is not just to inform but also to persuade and motivate action. One of the book's strengths is its focus on practical application. It provides practical examples and exercises to hone data visualization skills, allowing readers to apply the principles learned. The book also emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing, altering, and improving data visuals for clarity and impact, underscoring the iterative nature of the data visualization process. Lastly, it reiterates the significance of data ethics and the potential consequences of misleading data visuals. This is a critical reminder, given the potential misuse of data and the impact it can have on decision making and trust. In conclusion, "Storytelling with Data" offers a comprehensive approach to data visualization, combining theory, practical application, and ethical considerations. It is a valuable resource for professionals looking to enhance their data visualization skills and effectively communicate data-driven insights in the business world.
ViewGrinding It Out - The Making of McDonald's
Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson
"He either enchants or antagonizes everyone he meets. But even his enemies agree there are three things Ray Kroc does damned well: sell hamburgers, make money, and tell stories." --from Grinding It Out Few entrepreneurs can claim to have radically changed the way we live, and Ray Kroc is one of them. His revolutions in food-service automation, franchising, shared national training, and advertising have earned him a place beside the men and women who have founded not only businesses, but entire empires. But even more interesting than Ray Kroc the business man is Ray Kroc the man. Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was fifty-two years old when he opened his first franchise. In Grinding It Out, you'll meet the man behind McDonald's, one of the largest fast-food corporations in the world with over 32,000 stores around the globe. Irrepressible enthusiast, intuitive people person, and born storyteller, Kroc will fascinate and inspire you on every page.
View