Observations from traveling the world and working with local startups, investors and philanthropic organizationsObservations from traveling the world and working with local startups, investors and philanthropic organizations

Mar 23

Panama

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All Posts, Central America, Country Profile

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March 23, 2013

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Panama drew international attention when it was discovered to be the thinnest land mass between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. A canal here could save traders the arduous 8,000 mile (12,875 km) journey around South America.

And so the mission began. The French gave it a shot for 9 years, but gave up after they lost 20,000 lives and beaucoup francs. The United Stated decided to give it a go, but its chief engineer soon became overwhelmed and quit. The project was expensive and unpopular. But determined to see the project completed, President Teddy Roosevelt made history as the first U.S. president to ever leave the country by making a public relations trip to the Panama Canal.  He stated, “while the debate goes on, the canal does also.”  As a result, the U.S. successfully finished the project 14 years later. The Panama Canal was one of the most ambitious – and ultimately successful – government projects of its time.

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Feb 21

Lean Finance for Startups (guest piece in Forbes)

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Advice, All Posts

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February 21, 2013

Forbes magazine recently published a piece that I wrote about lean finance for startups. I discussed how traditional corporate finance isn’t equipped to handle the fast-paced, interconnected world that we live in today. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, I have rarely worked with company that’s gotten their financial modeling completely aligned with the reality of their business. Companies (especially startups) should apply “build, measure, learn” Lean Startup methodology to a rolling financial forecast. 

You can find the full article here: The Argument For Lean Modeling

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://worldventureproject.com/2013/02/21/forbes-lean-finance-for-startups/

Jan 23

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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All Posts, Country Profile, Europe

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January 23, 2013

Bosnia and Herzegovina has emerged from its tragic recent history with an eye for the future, yet it remains a complex and diverse country. Although it is a country of only 4 million people, it has over 80 political parties and 3 presidents representing each of the major ethnic groups – Bosniaks (Mulsims), Croats (Catholics) and Serbs (Orthodox). It also has two sovereign territories within its borders – Republika Srpska (not to be confused with the country, Serbia) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – each with its own form of limited government. As one could imagine, this makes governing the entire country and obtaining consensus a bit challenging. Bosnians have yet to agree on a text for the national anthem.  When I jokingly mentioned that they should simply sing “Oh Bosniaaaa and Herzegovinaaaa” over and over again, I was told that even this would offend some people in the Republika Srpska and select individuals who are still nostalgic for the former Yugoslavia days.

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Jan 20

Raising Venture Capital for Startups (guest piece in Fast Company)

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Advice, All Posts

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January 20, 2013

Fast Company magazine recently published a piece that I wrote about fundraising for startups. I discussed how a company can raise its early-stage venture funds quickly and successfully, with examples from my experience at Speek. I also discuss raising enough money to make sure it doesn’t run out before your idea is able to catch on – or you reach your Series A milestones. I believe that this is useful for any tech startup, but especially those located outside of Silicon Valley.

You can find the full article here: Fast Company: How Startups Can Avoid The Series A Crunch

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://worldventureproject.com/2013/01/20/venture-capital-for-startups/

Oct 21

Uganda

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Africa, All Posts, Country Profile

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October 21, 2012

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There was an optimistic buzz in Kampala unlike I have seen in many countries. I spent time with some exciting entrepreneurial incubators – organizations such as FinAfrica and Mara Launchpad that support and fund start-ups, and the Grameen Foundation’s mobile app lab, which builds smart phone applications that address critical healthcare, education and financial needs of the poor. I also had the unique opportunity to meet handfuls of entrepreneurs that are working to leverage technology in order to address the needs of Africa. Throughout my stay, I saw inspiring uses of technology developed to solve real life problems, such as a smartphone app used in remote villages to assess an unborn baby’s health and heartbeat, or the ubiquitous use of cell phones for payment and banking since most of the people do not have access to a bank branch or debit card. This generation of young entrepreneurs has the drive and passion that they believe will put Uganda on the global stage. Many of the local entrepreneurs and investors seemed to look at the progress of Nairobi with admiration and a healthy competitiveness saying, “we can be like that – or better!”

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