Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective: 10 Deadly Sins - Thou Shalt Not ...
Here is my own list of sins that can cost a CEO his job or worse the survival of the company.
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective - Duelling Business Models
Recently I attended the IFLA conference in Quebec City. The International Federation of Libraries usually meets bi-annually and this one brought the world’s top Academic and Public libraries to Canada for Quebec’s 400 th anniversary. Having run an LMS (Library Management Software) company a few years ago and think of it as a very peculiar business I was interested to see who had survived who had thrived and how this very peculiar industry had progressed.
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective: Business Plans - A love story
I Love my Business Plan, and you will love yours too. If you are new to this, let me de-mystify it for you. If this is old hat then add your best practices comments.
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective: How many VP’s does a small company need?
HR professionals VC’s and search firms may have their own take on this but here is a perspective of someone who has had to live with this challenge and the consequences.
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective: Speed and Runway
If you have been in a start-up you will have heard the question “How much runway do you have?” For the un-anointed that is a question potential investors ask and it expands to “Given your current net burn rate, how long can you survive on your current financing and when will you need more cash?” The irony is that investors often like to invest when you don’t need the money right now.
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO Perspective: Some painful observations on integrating an acquisition
After trouble shooting one international acquisition, completing another and assisting in others I have a few warnings for those of you contemplating all of this fun.
Aside from the obvious Financial, and IT integration challenges, here are a few of the things I have seen go astray (followed by some recommendations). (We will assume here also that you have figured out if there has to be any supply chain, engineering or manufacturing integration - I will deal with the hidden problems in admin, sales, service, marketing etc.)
Ian Ferguson
CEO Rants and Raves
CEO’s View: VC’s - what works and what does not
Having taken over four Canadian companies where the board was dominated by VC’s and/or angels I often wish the tables were turned and I had been given the opportunity to choose them. Add to this the hundred or so investor groups I have met and I now have a wish-list for interaction with a dominant investor(s).