Stranger things are happening in the Valley (... what episode are you on?). Steve Blank did an extensive write-up on CEOs with 'bad behavior' and why they can continue to lead a company: that must-read (including Blank's article on what to do about it) might help you prevent strange things from happening in the future. Another strange thing is the case of Zenefits: Buzzfeed reports on this unicorn startup that got fined for misleading its investors (and yes, their CEO is on Blank's list).
What strange things did your startup go through this year? Care to share anonymously? Write it down, and hit submit.
Happy Halloween,
Must read
Why Uber is the revenge of the founders
"CEOs of companies with billion dollar market caps have been in the news — and not in a good way. This seems to be occurring more and more. Why do these founders get to stay around?" 💬
Steve Blank explains why 'bad founder behavior' happens and why these companies let these CEOs stay on. Interested in reading more? Here you can read Blank's vision on what to do about it.
Culture
The SEC just fined a unicorn startup for the first time
"For the broader startup world, the Zenefits case is a clear sign that the SEC sees itself as a new cop on the Silicon Valley beat. Such an enforcement action by the agency against a prominent privately held startup appears to be unprecedented." 💬
Is it possible to compete with Google as a startup?
Spoiler alert: there are ways to beat a 'Goliath', and here are a few means how to do so. 💬
How human capital is tech's most valuable resource
Andrew Keen talks to Dan Schwabel about human capital; the most undermined yet essential force in the Valley. 💬
Modern Entrepreneurship
Don't build a startup, build a movement
MailChimp's monkey business is the perfect illustration of how to grow your brand. Take inspiration from this case study and move the masses beyond your product. 💬
Trends
After the end of the startup era
A thought-provoking piece on the golden age of startups being over: you're more likely to end up working for Zuckerberg than follow his footsteps.
Also, read this reaction, brought to our attention by our NEXT Amsterdam colleagues: about true entrepreneurship versus the 'rockstar' mentality startup-life has grown into.
Design
Applying human-centered design to emerging technologies
Emerging technologies present new opportunities for the future, but how will people use them in their everyday life, how can these technologies help them, what do people imagine? IDEO took these questions to the test. 💬
Finance
What the “Rule of 40” means at the early stage
Why following the "Rule of 40" might lead to bad decisions. 💬
Thank you
Thank you for finishing issue #143 & credits
Thank you for reading Startup Curated, and special thanks go out to Raymond, and Ayush from RefR for curating!
If you value Startup Curated, feel free to forward this copy to your friends to help us grow, or consider sponsoring.