You can read more about Andy Palmer at various locations on the web and he has quite a diverse background from working in different industries to funding and starting nearly 50 companies. He gave a talk at Harvard iLab to inspire the new enterpreneur’s. He showed several slides but also illustrated his advice using clips from several movies and that really illustrated the points that he was trying to make.
Several data points and advice from his talk
– https://www.podimetrics.com/ Podimetrics makes a foot measuring accessory that can measure temperature at the bottom of the foot to assure that diabetic people who do get foot ulcer’s are treated very early. Great example of company with a mission and a relatively simple idea to make a big difference
– Invictus – the movie as an example to get the team together to perform
– Women make wonderful entrepreneur’s
– The entrepreneur should constantly ask themselves – why will I be successful?
– To get the timing right is very difficult so entrepreneur should do what they are doing now
– Suspend intellectual hubris – do whatever you have to do
– Focus on your customers rather than fund raising
– A Venture capital is hard to find but the way of thinking of them is “Does that funder of mine believes in my mission”?
– Characteristics of companies that have been successful: a) They have raised very little money and b) it is made up of people who have worked together before