Damir Perge's Blog: Entrepreneur Insights from the Trenches, page 6

Startup Danger: Knowing Enough To Be Dangerous

I was talking with a friend the other day about a cool and disruptive idea. He made a statement that has negative connotations for entrepreneurs and investors. “Know enough to be dangerous,” was part of his phrase.

I'm not at liberty to disclose the rest of the discussion due to his startup being in a stealth mode. But later I reflected on the popular phrase. Most revolutionary entrepreneurs start out "knowing enough to be dangerous." There is positive power in that when it comes to the psycho...

Entreprenetics: Analysis of Abraham Lincoln's Failure Gaps

Iwas info surfing and came across the sequence of failures by Abraham Lincoln. I knew he had failed a few times, however I'd never taken the time to analyze those life hiccups. What's interesting is the timeline gaps between Lincoln’s failures. I'd always wondered what he did during those failure gaps.

It's important to study character traits of successful entrepreneur. It is critical to analyze and learn from their failures and how they overcame their personal and financial obstacles during t...

Innovation Mojo: The Confusion About Apple Losing Innovation Momentum

There is an incredible amount of buzz on Wall Street and in the media that Apple has lost some of its innovation mojo. Wall Street has become impatient because Apple’s last disruptive innovation trick was the iPad.

The problem is that Apple spoiled everybody. Apple is on the bleeding edge of innovation, and has created super hits that defy the physics of the power law. Therefore consumers, Wall Street and the media tend to downplay Apple’s current innovation efforts.

Apple is certainly not losi...

Startup Leapfrogs

Startups in Silicon Valley are far more fixated, than anywhere else, on being the original innovator in their own sector. Their goal is to get the credit for inventing an industry, category or product. The startup entrepreneur mantra is, “You have to be first, you have to crush it, and you have to own it before the competition. You have to make sure everyone knows you're the visionary … that you single-handedly created the market. That it was your startup that revolutionized an industry becau...

Entreprenetics: The Myth of Incapability

The psychology of the entrepreneur mind knows no boundaries. Having funded 30+ entrepreneurs in various sectors, one common entrepreneur characteristic I've seen in every one of their innovative minds was the belief that they can do anything.

Whatever their age, education, race or business experience, they all believed that, with enough desire and persistence, they were going to make their vision come true. They had no fear of the unknown. Their entrepreneur minds had a mission to complete the...

Businessnatomy: Your Business Model Obliterated Instantly by “FGAAYM”

The FGAAYM (eff-game) players in high tech are Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, Yahoo and Microsoft. These six players are continuously on the prowl to leverage their current assets into new markets either through direct competition or acquisition.

The current music streaming apps are in big trouble. I’ve been studying the various business models in the music industry and how they’ve evolved due to the effects of digitization. The competitive scenarios in this sector offer an important lesson...

Entreprenetics: Inspired By the Wall

Cloud computing, open source, social media … these simple words have created thousands of startups in billion-dollar sectors. Simple words can trigger disruptive ideas and revolutions.

It was beautiful day for a walk. My girlfriend and I decided to take a stroll along the streets of Dallas. When I walk alone, I like to think. Thinking is not easy but it is a lot of fun. When I walk with my girlfriend, I like to discuss some of the ideas that have popped up into my entrepreneur brain.

Earlier in...

Failnatomy: How to Fail in Business Without Even Trying

When you look at successful people—entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, scientists, politicians, etc.—you inspire to be like them because they are at the top of their game. It is easier to find inspiring success around you because in success sitting on the top of the mountain; you can see them just by looking up.

Would you still be inspired by successful __(fill in the name of the person)__ while they were trying to climb up to the top of the success mountain?

Would you still be inspired by _...

Why Companies Fail: Failing to Innovate

The analysis of markets from a structural and competitive perspective is one of my midnight hobbies. I like to study and analyze companies that innovate at a rapid pace. When it comes to innovation in the high-tech sector, observing Apple, Google, Samsung and Amazon in particular is interesting because of their innovation frequency rate.

If you think about it from an innovator perspective, the innovation rate of speed of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter is not that impressive. One analyst, in th...

Entreprenetics: The Little Roller Coaster That Would

So I was talking to a friend of mine from Silicon Valley about his startup. He’s been working his startup hard for at least two years without any intended results. While discussing his idea to me for at least the hundredth time, he mentioned something that will resonate with any startup entrepreneur. He said, “Damir, My little company that could …”

I can’t finish his sentence for confidential reasons, but the first thing that popped into my entrepreneur mind was a visual of him dressed up as a...