Entrepreneurship

Do you Experience Rejection as a Roadmap or a Flash Flood? — Charlie O’Donnell

A founder I’ve been working with described a feedback session we had as being “ripped apart.” Call me a New Yorker, but I don’t think I ripped him apart. In my view, I’d offered some observations — things that weren’t landing, a framing change or two, and things he needs to sharpen and answer for […]

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 Results, Winners And Live Updates

Rhea Ripley is favored to win the women’s Elimination Chamber. WWE WWE Elimination Chamber (Feb. 28, 2026) | Key Points WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 emanates from Chicago, Ill. at 4:00 pm PST. CM Punk faces Finn Balor for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship while Becky Lynch faces AJ Lee for the WWE Women’s World Heavyweight […]

The Life of “Little P’s” and Non-Partners: How to Make the Most of the Opportunity — Charlie O’Donnell

I had the good fortune of starting my career working for two of the most recognized names in venture capital — Fred Wilson at Union Square Ventures and Josh Kopelman at First Round Capital.  When I was at Union Square, Fred Wilson was the most visible VC in the NYC ecosystem. That meant I had […]

A 3D-Printing Breakthrough Just Brought Us Closer to Printing a Car: ‘A Great Feat’

Key Takeaways MIT researchers built a 3D printer that can produce a fully functioning electric linear motor in about three hours for 50 cents in materials. Linear motors are typically used in optical systems and simple robotics. While a linear motor is still far away from the complexity of a car engine, the development is […]

Are They Still Teaching Air Guitar? Thinking About University Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI — Charlie O’Donnell

Sixteen years ago, I wrote that, “Business plan competitions are the air guitar championships of the startup world.” I meant that you can mimic all the movements of a startup without any of the real risk-taking or building. My criticism then was that we were teaching students to pitch without teaching them to build. Fifteen […]

Fractional Isn’t a Concession — Charlie O’Donnell

There’s an assumption founders make about hiring part time roles. At some point, when we can afford it, we’ll stop patching things together and hire the real person. We’ll commit to the singular owner. We’ll professionalize the function. Fractional or modular support is what you do before you’re serious or successful. I see this mistake […]

Sell, Mortimer! Sell! Why Early Founder and Employee Liquidity Creates Better Alignment — Charlie O’Donnell

There’s been a pretty common belief in the venture and startup world that is changing: If an employee wants to sell shares, they’re probably thinking about leaving. If a founder takes some money off the table, they’re losing faith or they’re going to take their foot off the gas now that they’ve got some money. […]

Top Resume, Top Deal Flow: What You Can Learn from OpenAI’s First Sales Leader Moving to VC — Charlie O’Donnell

A lot of my coaching clients have the goal of becoming a Principal or Partner someday. I almost never start by talking about titles. Instead, I ask a different question: three to five years from now, what kind of founders will already want to talk to you before you ever reach out? Not because of […]

How To Pitch To Investors And Actually Get Funding

Securing funding is one of the most challenging hurdles any founder faces. It requires more than just a great idea; it requires a strategy that eliminates doubt and proves profitability. Forbes contributor Micah Logan breaks down the four pillars of a high-impact investor pitch that will move your business in the right direction. Source link

Time is More Valuable Than Money — Charlie O’Donnell

For a long time, I had a bad gut reaction to expert platforms like Intro. I’d see ads like “Book Alexis Ohanian for $2,000” and think: “Really? He’s a good guy, but does he really need the money?” (As it turns out, Alexis uses his Intro earnings to support causes like climate change and to […]