Top Ten Readings of 2021
I read a lot of articles online, blog posts, tweets, etc. I also read lots of hardcover books and magazines. Some would describe me as a voracious reader.
My family will testify that my favorite way to read is via my sturdy Amazon Kindle. I can read things really quickly on this amazing device and its portability makes content readily accessible whenever and wherever I want it.
As I read my way through diverse content during the year, in the back of my mind I keep a list of the most pertinent I’ve read that relate to my favorite topics – technology, and the art (and science) of forming, growing, and managing tech start-ups.
The following blog posts and articles made the cut and are thus included on the list of my 10 favorite readings for 2021. For each, I’ve cited the header and the source. Click on the link to access the article. I think these writings are important – sometimes inspirational. They have directly influenced my thinking and viewpoint this past year. In some cases, I wished I had written them myself. Here’s the list.
Seed Rounds At $100mm Post Money – Fred Wilson @ AVC. Fred is spot-on about seed company valuations. His model is handy. (Fred’s views on VC, investments, blockchain, entrepreneurship, stocks and other subjects are well worth reading regularly.)
How to be one of the ‘haves’ of SaaS – TechCrunch. This provides a good, graphical analysis showing the concentration of power and influence in the SaaS business.
Dealing with burnout? You're not alone – Jostle Blog. A timely and thorough analysis of the sources of executive burnout and what to do to address this problem.
Six Ways Leaders Can Adapt to the Workplace of 2022 – MIT Sloan Management Review. This offers a very good summary of skills and strategies for managers to embrace in the coming year, such as inclusive leadership, preventing bias, building connections, and more.
The Four Cringe-Worthy Mistakes Too Many Startups Make with Data – Here’s a good summary of data-related mistakes made by startups. For example, the author identifies starting out with collecting, storing and analyzing data related to metrics instead of a goal (read OKR).
NFTs are a dangerous trap – Seth’s Blog. The value of NFTs is ephemeral. Seth summarizes this new domain that is gaining mainstream interest and driving a rise in speculation.
10 Golden Rules of Personal Branding – Mark Schaefer. This is a short, well written article on things to know about personal branding. It will help you to understand what others are doing with this branding and may help you with your own personal branding initiatives.
Engineering Your Way Out of the Global Chip Shortage – HBR. This is requisite reading for understanding the chip shortage and the exit path for the supply chain problems the U.S. and other leading countries are encountering.
Remembering Colin Powell’s 13 Rules of Leadership – Center for Executive Excellence. Colin Powell was a national treasure in so many ways. His 13 Rules of Leadership are super-insightful and helpful to startup leaders.
427 Mondays In a Row – Feld Thoughts. Brad hits a chord with this article about just another Monday during the pandemic. (Brads’ thoughts on VC, Techstars, management, entrepreneurship, investments, etc. are well worth reading regularly. BTW: He’s an amazing reader.)
And here’s a bonus addition to this list, from 2020, that I continue to forward and reference:
Board Diversity – Fred Wilson @ AVC. Once again, Fred is spot-on with respect to forming boards and achieving board diversity in VC-backed companies.
I hope that you get the same value – and perhaps some of the same inspiration – that I got from these. Happy reading...and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year and a healthy and prosperous 2022!