David Ogilvy used to give each new office head a set of Russian nesting dolls as a gift. Inside the smallest doll at the center was a note that read:

“If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”

Hire People Who Are Greater Than You

As your business grows, the hiring choices you make will be mirrored and exaggerated by each new layer of employees.
– From The Startup Daily

Next time you are stuck on a problem or learning something new, remember that sleeping may be the most productive thing you can do.

The Mind Continues Solving Problems and Processing New Experiences While You are Sleeping

The processing that happens while you are sleeping is separate from the processing that occurs when you are awake, but just as important to the learning process.
– From The Startup Daily

Traditional meetings are boring, but no one says you have to follow the same format for every meeting. In fact, alternative meeting styles may be more effective for different tasks.

If Your Goal is Sharing Ideas and Getting Feedback, Try Having an Open House Instead of a Meeting

Allow participants to come and go at their leisure during an allotted timeframe. You will get more one-on-one time with each attendee, without a lot of the politics that plague larger traditional meetings.

And the best part is that you don’t waste people’s time waiting for that one late person to arrive.

A bad hiring decision is disruptive and costly. You must be methodical and extremely thorough before hiring someone.

Avoid Making Snap Judgements Based on First Impressions in Interviews

This is one situation where first impressions are often wrong. The ability to interview well has little correlation with the ability to perform well in a startup environment.

To get a more thorough impression of a candidate:

Ask open-ended questions.
Look for clues about their work ethic and integrity.
Give them a follow-up task. Use the time it takes to complete the task to judge their sense of urgency and level of interest.
– From The Startup Daily

Don’t spend your limited time and resources on tasks and problems that are outside of your area of expertise.

Focus on What You are Good at, Delegate Everything Else

On an organizational level this means outsourcing functions that are not core to your business. On a personal level this means delegating those tasks that don’t leverage your strengths.
– From The Startup Daily

People can relate to a single individual on an emotional level. However, when many people are involved they become a statistic. Numbers are much more difficult to relate to emotionally.

Individual Examples are More Effective Endorsements than Statistics Showing Many

The most persuasive examples highlight a single individual, and feature a photo or a personal story.

Shouting is not the best way to be heard, nor is it the best way to convey passion. Raising your volume also raises people’s defenses.

The best way to get people to listen carefully is to lower your voice.

People Speak Softest When it Matters Most

To further emphasize a statement, leave plenty of silence both before and after.

This is true in visual design as well. If you want something to emphasize a message, it needs to be surrounded by plenty of whitespace.
– From The Startup Daily

We must always push back against the allure of complexity.

Just because something can be made, doesn’t mean it should be. Be sure that your intended solution does not become a burden.

Simplicity is the New Currency

As time and attention become scarcer resources, the art of simplicity is becoming more valuable. Less is usually more.

– From The Startup Daily

Marlboro wasn’t marketing to cowboys when it created the Marlboro man campaign. The average Marlboro customer looked nothing like the man in the ads.

Pepsi wasn’t just marketing to teenagers when they were the target of the Pepsi Generation campaign, they were speaking to everyone who wanted to feel young.

The Market is Every Person Who Wants to Feel Like the Target

Don’t try to appeal to your customers by marketing to people just like them. Instead, appeal to the person they want to be.
– From The Startup Daily

Products and services are vulnerable to being commoditized, but businesses that provide unique experiences can charge a premium.

Frame your work as theater, and create magical experiences. Hiring is casting, your processes are the script, your strategy is drama, and the place where you interact with customers is the stage.

Don’t Charge for Products or Services, Charge for Performances

When you are charging for the experience, you can charge relative to the value that you provide, not just the costs of your raw materials.

Experiences are deeply personal, and immune to commoditization.
– From The Startup Daily