Blogs

Originally posted in our April 2024 Top of Mind Newsletter. In his essay “Relentlessly Resourceful,” Paul Graham defines a successful startup founder as someone who embodies the quality of being relentlessly resourceful. Graham contrasts this with the notion of being hapless, emphasizing that in dynamic and complex domains, success hinges on more than just perseverance. For followers of ELI’s work, this underscores the critical importance of resourcefulness in entrepreneurial thinking. Resourcefulness is not only fundamental to…

Originally posted in our February 2024 Top of Mind Newsletter. “Stop Coachsplaining!” delves into the intricate relationship between coaches and teachers, highlighting the detrimental effects of excessive direction-giving by coaches. Coaches engage in coachsplaining when they dominate conversations, prescribe solutions without considering teachers’ perspectives, and focus solely on instructional techniques rather than student needs. This approach undermines professional growth by oversimplifying complex issues, diminishing teachers’ autonomy and motivation, and hindering genuine learning opportunities. By recognizing the…

Originally posted in our March 2023 Top of Mind Newsletter. So you’re setting out to test an assumption that you hope will solve a problem in the world that others will value. As we reflected in the previous article, it is important to start testing ideas rather than carefully planning, especially in the early stages of an idea. But knowing how potential users will interact with the concept is also essential. If you’re establishing a new…

Originally posted in our February 2023 Top of Mind Newsletter. The line between product and service has become a continuum in recent years, and as such, we have to adjust how we conceptualize new ventures. As the services organizations provide become more complex, there is a potential strain on both the end user and the team propping up the internal process. Enter service design. “[L]eaving services to individual talent and managing the pieces rather than the…

Originally posted in our July 2022 Top of Mind Newsletter. Startups are often seen as risky, requiring significant time and monetary investment to get going. While that’s not an entirely false perception, we at ELI have found that there is much more we, as educators and entrepreneurial support workers, can do to prepare someone for the trials of starting a fledgling business. In this piece from CB Insights, we see the top 12 reasons (by their…