by Marc H. Rudov | August 28, 2015 | Article
When venture capitalists invest in startup companies, they bankroll the founding teams, not their products. It’s about trust. Invariably, the executives will have to cope with, adapt to, and overcome unknowns, wrong assumptions, and marketplace vicissitudes....
by Marc H. Rudov | August 18, 2015 | Article
In the panoply of perpetual panaceas, disruption is the latest boardroom obsession — but not for companies with strong brands. Branding requires constant customer cognizance. Gurus, books, and seminars abound, admonishing CEOs to “disrupt” their...
by Marc H. Rudov | August 10, 2015 | Article
Getting lost while driving is an exasperating and maddening experience. We’ve all been there; we all hate it. Tempers flare. Schedules crumble. Time shrinks. Deals implode. Chaos abounds. Maps, which many can’t or won’t read, and GPS services exist...
by Marc H. Rudov | July 31, 2015 | Article
Invariably, I hear this from the CEOs of young companies, and not-so-young companies, especially in the tech sector: “It’s too soon to brand. We’ll build our product and worry about that later.” Branding, they wrongly surmise, is akin to paint...
by Marc H. Rudov | July 26, 2015 | Article
Minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office, on January 20, 1981, Iran released the 52 American hostages it had held for 444 days. Why did Iran hold American hostages for more than a year, then suddenly release them on the first day of Reagan’s...