Dale Larson

July 28, 2017 Dale Larson Uncategorized

One way we help growing teams make great decisions

Thanks to First Round Capital and to one of Marcy’s clients who describe one of the frameworks we’ve used repeatedly during ten years of coaching startup founders (and that we use in our own lives). We both teach clients how to use it and have used it when facilitating offsites or strategy meetings to help everyone involved shift away from fears and scarcity to find more powerful and creative solutions to complex or seemingly unsolvable problems.

If you don’t already regularly read the First Round Review, make sure you do. Their posts are consistently valuable and high quality.

From Gil Shklarski, CTO at Flatiron Health: This Matrix Helps Growing Teams Make Great Decisions.

Credit for the original idea goes to Barry Johnson and his 1992 book
Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems.

We hope you find this helpful. As always, we welcome any of your questions or stories of where it has worked (or hasn’t), as well as what other frameworks you’ve found helpful!

February 26, 2014February 26, 2014 Dale Larson Uncategorized

Inner Game of the Startup CEO: mastering the secret challenges no one talks about (SxSW 2014)

Elite athletes must focus on more than physical training to win. Startup CEOs also have an inner game to master on the way to success.

The many hidden challenges to being a startup CEO aren’t talked about enough.

Among other things, you face repeated rejection; suffer failures small and large; complete overwhelm; deep self-doubt (if not outright depression); face seemingly impossible dilemmas, decisions and circumstances; and struggle with difficult relationships. At times you feel completely alone, like you’re the only one with these problems, and that there is no one you can talk to. You ask more than once, “am I crazy, or is this normal?”