I have strong writing skills, but am not great at public speaking. I want to improve this so I can become a community manager. How can I brush up on my communication skills?

First of all, I don’t believe that great speakers are natural-born speakers. In other words, it’s all about speaking A LOT. I’ve been speaking professionally for five years and am now totally comfortable on stage (that wasn’t always the case). In short, take as many opportunities as you can to present in front of people. Always make sure that you’re well-prepared and rehearse in front of a mirror – sounds silly, but it works!

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I'm hiring developers for my startup but am not technical at all. How can I make sure I'm making the right decision?

Answered by Scott Rutherford – Founder, UserVoice Posted in Management

Well, you could do worse than check their Github account / blog / any open source projects (lack of all of those should be a warning sign). See how others dev's have rated ... (more)

I have growth in customers but am still not profitable. Its been 10 months since I launched. Should I raise capital to allow us to grow to a point where we are profitable?

Answered by Jason Cohen – Founder of Smart Bear Software.

Depends on *why* you're not profitable. Each incremental customer should be "marginally profitable," meaning the extra cost associated with *acquiring* (i.e. marketing, sa... (more)

My co-founder and I split our roles into sales and operations. Unfortunately, he sucks at sales and now wants to trade. I know I am not a sales person and I'm good at produ...

Answered by Mark MacLeod – Partner, Real Ventures Posted in Management

Have you covered this contingency in your shareholders agreement or employment agreement? Whether you have or not, then you need to have a heart to heart with him. If you a... (more)

Hey Ryan, I have quite a general question, I hope that's fine. Imagine you're in the following situation: You have conceptualized and independently verified a we-based busi...

Answered by Ryan Kelly – Founder, Pear Analytics Posted in Money

Hi Alex. Sounds like the predicament most startups fall into. Funding is getting much harder these days, and without a working model, it's unlikely you will get the attenti... (more)

I have read couple of times, and I believe that the company / environment matters. Now, I am facing this problem. I am a systems man. I can think of web based startups / pr...

Answered by Tim Berry – Founder of Palo Alto Software Posted in Management Lessons

A wise and brilliant business school professor, Steve Brandt, once told an entrepreneurship class I was in: "you may not be able to just start your company right now, but, ... (more)

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