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" It's just not possible to be a real partner if you aren't materially participating. I believe even the busiest business owners must drive a carpool, pack a lunch, help with homework, make a breakfast or dinner, and consistently attend school events. "

Scott Weiss

Dinner

You

School

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" Be generous with your time and money - it has an amazingly fast payback. Be in the moment with everyone you love - and this frequently means tuning out work completely. And drive slow in parking lots. "

" All great pitches have a few things in common: the founder/team is wicked smart, the idea is big and a breakthrough, and the market is potentially enormous. "

" Nothing helps make a leader more approachable than admitting your struggles, screw-ups and behind-the-scenes thinking on hard calls. If the leader makes this a priority, the whole company will be more open and methodical learning from failure. "

" An approachable and authentic CEO is essential to fostering a high-performance, open communications culture. "

" I wouldn't suggest that being resourceful has anything to do with doing something illegal or unethical, but I've definitely noticed a pattern of being 'creative.' "

" When my co-founder and I first had the idea for IronPort, an email security company, we triangulated a list of the 20 most relevant people in email - former CEOs, open source technologists, investors and thought leaders. "

" Feedback for leaders is often nuanced and difficult to deliver. That said, hearing you are passive-aggressive from 10 different people described 10 different ways becomes hard to ignore. "

" It's really hard to break through the clutter and get the attention of the top investors, as they typically only look at deals that come in from a warm, credible referral. There's absolutely nothing more credible than getting an endorsement from a well-known subject matter expert who has already put their own money into your company. "

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" The first day, week and month of an employee's experience carries a lasting impression. "

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" The experts typically know where the other best-in-the-world talents are currently working and can help you recruit them in with a credible intro. "

" I don't like sweating the details, and I'm pretty disorganized. To be a better leader, I need to stay on top of these shortcomings, and being reminded really helps. "

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" For me, the brightest years at IronPort were without a doubt the darkest years at home. "

Scott Weiss

Home

Darkest

" As a decision maker, you rely on information being passed to you by the people who report to you. As the CEO, however, you cannot rely solely on this information. You also need to 'dip' down into your organization and learn directly from employees at all levels and virtually all skill sets. "

" As CEO, I had a standing 30-minute meeting every Monday to greet and connect with new hires. "

" As a first-time CEO, I wasn't sure if I would scale to run IronPort long-term. But I wanted a legitimate shot at it. "

" At Andreessen Horowitz, we talk about the notion of being 'too hungry to eat.' That's to say, we often see startups that are so entrenched in the product that the founders forget they need muscle to grow. "

" Being on a board is not just about showing up for the meetings. A board member needs to materially contribute to the success of the business. "

" It's important for a leader to hear about his blind spots on a regular basis so working on them is periodically top of mind. "

" Part of the magic of a startup is the fear of death. You have only so much money in the bank, and if you don't get to the right milestone before you run out, then the company goes under - it's over. "