Summer Track PRs

This summer I have been participating in a summer track series at UNC’s Belk Track. Every Wednesday the Godiva Track Club gets together and holds a track meet alternating between “long” nights and “short” nights, featuring events of slightly longer and shorter distances respectively. Having never run track before, I have been using these eventsContinue reading “Summer Track PRs”

Authentic Mediterranean Food in Arkansas

Katie and I just returned from a long weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for my cousin’s wedding. Hot Springs is a small town about an hour outside of Little Rock, the state’s capital. You wouldn’t expect it to be a hotbed of international cuisine but, if our weekend was any indication, it most definitely is!Continue reading “Authentic Mediterranean Food in Arkansas”

A Visit to OwlSpark

Last week I was in Houston and took advantage of the opportunity to spend some time at OwlSpark. OwlSpark is Rice University’s tech startup accelerator, providing funding, space, connections, and mentorship to budding Rice entrepreneurs. It actually began as a project in the lean startup course I taught during my tenure as EIR and I’mContinue reading “A Visit to OwlSpark”

When to Listen to Investors

One of the best – and worst – aspects of being a startup founder is being inundated with a nearly constant stream of advice. Advice comes from everyone – friends, business partners, professors, customers, competitors, journalists, employees – but especially from investors. This makes sense as investors have a lot riding on the outcome ofContinue reading “When to Listen to Investors”

Entrepreneurship at Rice

As I wrapped up my role as the inaugural Entrepreneur In Residence at Rice, I was asked to summarize what we accomplished during my time there in this article, published in the trade journal of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. The article is on pages 29-31 of the journal but, for those who don’t wishContinue reading “Entrepreneurship at Rice”

Startups Should Never Pay to Pitch

Several times a week my startup is solicited to participate in pay-to-pitch events at which we are promised access to a smorgasbord of wealthy, capable investors who are just chomping at the bit to invest in companies like mine. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it is. This has been covered by manyContinue reading “Startups Should Never Pay to Pitch”

The Vibram Five Fingers Lawsuit

Last month it was reported that Vibram, the company that makes the Five Fingers minimalist footwear in which I run, decided to settle a class action lawsuit against it rather than take it to trial. Many of my Facebook friends posted incendiary, sensational articles about it on my wall as if to say, “I toldContinue reading “The Vibram Five Fingers Lawsuit”

Bragging About My Wife

Although I usually devote this blog to bragging about myself, I must take this opportunity to brag about my wife. Yesterday Katie was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the first fellowship for which she ever applied. Katie was one of 2,000 awardees selected from more than 14,000 applications – huzzah! I have been veryContinue reading “Bragging About My Wife”