My Year in the Philippines: Reflections On Starting Up and Development

November 3, 2013 by 1 Comment
Miarayon, Bukidnon, Philippines

I've been in the Philippines for almost exactly a year now. Oh, what an incredible ride it has been so far. Within the year, I've had so many different experiences from starting things up with JGL to a brief stint at co.lab to being part of the launch of Ashoka Philippines.  Life has been unpredictable. I've been exposed to so many new and different ideas. So many different people. I've gained a sense of belonging in a country that has opened my eyes to the world. The year has really been such a gift and a strong driving force of change for me. I remember the days when I only had one peso in my pocket. I remember the days when I was so desperate for blog content that I would write … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, Life in a Startup, TAKE THAT LEAP! Tagged With: , , ,

Startups Unplugged – A Video Montage

March 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The moment was captured. So real, honest, and simple. It illustrates the warmth and vibrancy of a growing community that supports and is open to collaboration. To all the leaders and feeders in the startup community, may this video fuel your spirits :) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, Mentors, TAKE THAT LEAP!, Wunderkinds Tagged With: ,

The Software Guru tells the Real Story: On Startups, Bankruptcy, and Attitude (Part 1 of the Joey Gurango Series)

March 21, 2013 by 4 Comments

I remember texting Peter right after my interview with Joey Gurango, which was just days before Startups Unplugged. In my text, I asked Peter about what he thought about posting an uncut version of Joey's interview on JGL. The reason for my suggestion was that after my interview with Joey, I was completely taken aback by the incredible knowledge that he was sharing with me; even though I wasn't a techie, Joey's stories resonated with me and schooled the heck out of me. Everything Joey shared with me just seemed so important, so I wanted to post everything that he said. While I must admit, I've omitted some parts of the conversation to be practical, this is still a very raw version of what … [Read more...]

Filed Under: GETTING STARTED, Leadership, Life in a Startup, Mentors, STARTUP ADVICE, Startup Myths, TAKE THAT LEAP!, Wunderkinds Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Things I’ve Learned from Startups Unplugged

March 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
Justice League by DC Comics

I've been trying to push myself to blog Post Startups Unplugged, and share all the instances of serendipity that truly made this miracle happen. However, I thought that it would be more effective if I were to cut to the chase about what I actually learned from it all. Here it goes! These are the 5 things that I've learned from Startups Unplugged: Ask and you shall receive. I had no shame in asking sponsors to join Startups Unplugged. This is how I usually got in contact with a sponsor: A kind individual would give me a business card of XYZ individual from XYZ organization, and I'd literally call that person on the spot, even it if was the direct line of the CEO. It might sound too crazy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: GETTING STARTED, Leadership, Life in a Startup, Small Steps, STARTUP ADVICE, TAKE THAT LEAP! Tagged With: , ,

Scaling Your Caring: How You Can and Why You Need to

September 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
carebears

A few weeks ago, my wife posted "what's a good ramen place?" on her Facebook account. We love ramen and wanted to find out if anything new was out there. She was besieged with a score of answers. She got the usual suspects - like Ramen Bar and Ajisen Ramen.  Then we noticed an answer which was met with near-universal approval from her friends - Tamagoya Noodle House. Apparently, it was a small, obscure ramen place in Antipolo which gets crowded fast. (How can we say no to that?! Resistance = futile) And you know what? We went and just loved it. We're now frequent customers. More than ever, we have been consulting Google less and less and our friends on our social networks … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, STARTUP ADVICE, Your Value Proposition Tagged With:

Assemble Your Avengers! An interview with the best startup recruiter there is, Nick Fury

May 16, 2012 by 3 Comments
fury interview

A JUAN GREAT LEAP EXCLUSIVE: An interview with General Nick Fury himself, credited with starting two very successful startups: SHIELD, where he now serves as Director, and more recently, The Avengers. Peter Cauton: Uhm, thank you very much, Director for allowing us an audience. The Juan Great Leap community is ecstatic for this opportunity to learn from you. General Nick Fury: Good for you this is part of the community service sentence they gave me, you know, when it was found I had something to do with the destruction of New York. Let's get on with it, son.  Nice hairstyle. PC: Uhm, thanks. Anyway, sir! All our startup enthusiasts want to know, sir, how exactly did you pull off this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, STARTUP ADVICE Tagged With: ,

The Crucial Art Of Momentum Management, part deux

February 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
track fail

In the previous post, we talked about managing YOUR momentum in the startup process, about how we have to strike when the iron is hot and take advantage of our energy. But what happens now when you're now working with a team of either founders or employees? Things become a bit trickier because now the startup exists outside of you. It now exists in your co-founders/employees, as well as the product you are now presumably working on. Identifying Momentum Shifts First of all, you have to be able to learn to READ how your momentum is. Is there an impasse in activity? Is output slower? Sometimes the signs are subtler: has a co-founder's energy dwindled? How does undergoing your … [Read more...]

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The Crucial Art of Momentum Management

February 1, 2012 by 3 Comments
brutus

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries."  - Brutus (in the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare) This is a line from my favorite Shakespeare play, where Brutus urges his comrades to seize a fleeting opportunity in an armed conflict. Ships tend to leave ports during high tide, so as to go along with the flow. Brutus is basically telling his mates to seize the day while the tide is high, because that opportunity will come and go. Of course, seizing the day is basically the mantra of any entrepreneur - I'm not here to expound on that. What I want to expand … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, STARTUP ADVICE Tagged With: , ,