This is Bill.
(break)
You’re joking.
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Fascinating. Educational software has potential.
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…That’s actually kind of inspiring. I’ll forward this to my philanthropy team… or maybe I’ll just write it in VB over the weekend.

Happy Birthday! Keep learning and adapting. May you find inspiration in challenges and success in every project you undertake this year!

Well, Robert, first off—congrats. What I appreciated most is how grounded the book is in reality. So many start-up books are filled with hype. Yours is refreshingly honest. I particularly liked the idea that success is less about “visionary genius” and more about getting the fundamentals right—especially your point about aligning the value proposition with a real customer pain point.

Absolutely. One thing I look for—and you emphasize this well—is customer obsession. I always ask: “Have they talked to real people?” You’d be surprised how many founders haven’t. They fall in love with their solution, not the problem they’re solving. That distinction—between building something clever versus something needed—is what separates a good idea from a great business.

It’s everything. Ideas evolve. Markets shift. But your team—that's your engine. I look for founders who are curious, coachable, and relentless. And I liked your section on resilience—not glamorizing struggle, but showing how start-up life really works. Most people underestimate how hard it is to stay focused and sane when things aren’t working.

The one on “operational excellence.” It sounds boring—but it’s what keeps start-ups alive. Passion gets you started. Process keeps you going.

Yes—read The Start-Up Puzzle. And then get out of the building. Talk to your customer. And remember: real innovation solves real problems. Everything else is noise.



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