Adam Kalsey

This is the blog of Adam Kalsey. Unusual depth and complexity. Rich, full body with a hint of nutty earthiness.

Startup myths

26 Oct 2007

Ron Garret has a list of 11 business myths he hears from first-time entrepreneurs.

  1. A brilliant idea will make you rich.
  2. If you build it they will come.
  3. Someone will steal your idea if you don’t protect it.
  4. What you think matters.
  5. Financial models are bogus.
  6. What you know matters more than who you know.
  7. A Ph.D. means something.
  8. I need $5 million to start my business
  9. The idea is the most important part of my business plan.
  10. Having no competition is a good thing.
  11. After the IPO I’ll be happy.

Ron then goes on to detail the realities of these myths with tidbits such as "You don’t want no competition, what you want is bad competition. And there’s plenty of that out there."

I constantly hear from entrepreneurs some variation of 1, 3, 5, and 10.

This has been sitting in an open tab for weeks, I wish I could remember where I saw it so I could give credit.

Recently Written

The Pumpkin Talks Back
Nov 6: I gave my flaming jack-o'-lantern a voice, a camera, and a personality, and let it insult trick-or-treaters for six hours.
A Skills Wheel for Product Designers
Oct 18: I love Petra Wille's PM Wheel for product managers. I couldn't find an equivalent for designers, so I built one.
Where Does Product Marketing Belong?
Mar 6: The debate about whether PMM reports to product or marketing has a simple answer once you ask the right question.
The Rise of Vertical Software
Feb 15: AI makes execution cheap. Deep industry knowledge becomes the real moat.
Using Chatbots as a Tutor
Feb 11: A prompt that turns your LLM chatbot into a custom tutor.
How to Interview Product Managers
Nov 9: Most people never learned to interview, so when thrust into hiring a product manager they ask bad questions. Here's how to ask better ones, with lots of examples of real questions.
AI as Your Strategic Thinking Partner
Oct 12: AI becomes a lens on your own logic. It doesn’t replace your judgment—it sharpens it. By asking questions you wouldn’t think to ask yourself, it turns private reasoning into something visible and testable.
Your OKR Cascade is Breaking Your Strategy
Aug 1: Most companies cascade OKRs down their org chart thinking it creates alignment. Instead, it fragments strategy and marginalizes supporting teams. Here's what works better than the waterfall approach.

Older...

What I'm Reading