Brian de Haaff's Blog, page 29

“Who Cares? Sammy Got the Money!”

Pushy sales people. Marketing claims that hover somewhere between an overreach and an outright lie. You know the kind of company I am talking about. Sadly, there are too many organizations that encourage employees to do or say anything to grow, grow, grow sales. I am sure you can imagine the closed-door conversations: “Who cares? Sam, just get the money!”

Empty promises. Stretching the truth. Hurting employees and letting down customers in the process — why is that OK?

In my new book Lovabil...

Your Co-Worker’s Love

What? Love and business? Yep. It is a concept I explain in Lovability, my new book — it means building a product that customers love and a business where people can do meaningful work and be happy doing it. The word “lovability” sounds friendly, but achieving it is not easy. It requires honoring a deep responsibility to yourself and your co-workers.

Let me give you a concrete example. A few years back, a member of our team needed to rush her daughter to the emergency room. There was no time...

Do Not Send a “Funny” Cover Letter Like This One

“Comedy is not pretty!” That is the title of an old Steve Martin special and I have to agree with the sentiment. When you tell a joke you need to be ready for laughs and also prepare for the worst. Some nights, the audience might roll in the aisles with laughter. The next night? Tough crowd, tough crowd.

I am a fairly serious person but I enjoy a good laugh — there is a time and place for joking. You would not think a job application is a laughing matter, though. But it is surprising how of...

Love Is the Greatest Predictor of Business Success

I do not believe in luck. I appreciate good fortune, but it is just not reliable enough to call a friend. Luck has no place in business because it is an unpredictable force. Crossing your fingers and hoping for the best will not get the job done. So what is predictable? Hard work, perseverance, and one more trait that might surprise you.

That trait is love. And it has recently become clear to me that it is the greatest predictor of business success.

I strongly believe that love is essential...

I Am Not a Guru (Neither Are You)

Being a fully distributed company means we can hire the best people regardless of where they live. We receive hundreds of resumes every week from applicants all over the world. But I am still surprised to see the incredible number of “gurus” who are applying for open roles at Aha! — I mean, what are the odds?

Consider this post a gentle public service announcement for anyone pondering whether to add such a brag to a job application, LinkedIn profile, or cover letter. I humbly suggest that yo...

A Product Manager’s Love Note — It Changed Everything

It is not every day that you receive a love note. A person has to think you are pretty special to write a heartfelt message of appreciation and devotion. Who takes the time to do that these days? It is especially rare for people to profess their love for a software company. 

However, it is my belief that every company should aim for customer and employee love. I believe in this so strongly that I wrote a bold new book about the concept called Lovability. I wanted to share the positive effect...

The One Metric Silicon Valley Is Missing

A friend just recently helped raise money for a fin-tech startup. Exciting times with lots of numbers to watch. Especially when it relates to having money in the bank to push that end-of-business death cliff out another 18 months. But all he could talk about was that it was an “up round.” (Barely, but still up.) I reminded him that for private companies there is one number that people obsess over, often causing more harm than good — valuation.

Do not get me wrong. I can understand the excit...

Your Success — Think Like a Grandpa

“Think like grandpa?” That may sound like backward advice. Times have changed. What could our grandparents possibly have to say about running a business today? Well, I think they have plenty to say.

Our grandparents could see a better tomorrow, but knew it was up to them to realize it. They put everything — body and soul — into building something that would endure for generations. 

Isidore Manpearl was one of those hard-working entrepreneurs. I tell his story in my new book about building a...

Does Your CEO Love You?

So you are putting in another late night at the office. Tied up in meetings all day with no time to get to your real work. And just now catching up on 15 “urgent” emails from your boss. You are giving your best, most heartfelt effort — but it never seems to be enough. If love is truly evidenced by our actions, then you are showing plenty of it to your company leaders. But do they love you back?

If the above scenario sounds all-too familiar, then I imagine your answer is “no.” Maybe you never...

The Un-Buzzed Way to Build a Great Company

People are unhappy at work. That is obvious. In a recent post I strongly suggested that leaders have a responsibility — to treat everyone with respect, set a positive example for the team, and create a framework for what success looks like. But what happens when leaders do not own up to that responsibility?

We know what happens. You have seen the cringe-worthy headlines. Outbursts from ego-obsessed CEOs. Gross executive misconduct and institutionalized prejudice. Breaking the law to grow at...