Collaboration - we all know we need more of it and we all think we are doing it, but can we do it better? Five tactics and 1 killer tip.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Anointed Startup Community Builders = We humans bring lots of bias into our daily thoughts & tasks. Recognizing that we have them is the first step in mitigating bias and creating better outcomes.

Some tasks are optional and some tasks are daily that we do not even consider not doing. Networking should be like brushing your teeth. Read more here

Startup communities and entrepreneurial ecosystems are complex systems. At just about every stage someone asks themselves - what comes next?

There is a long standing point-of-view with community builders whether to optimize for individual freedom or community connection.

Its an age old conundrum in networking: should you focus on collecting as many "dots" as possible or build connections. Transform Your Networking: From Collecting Dots to Connecting Dots

Looking for a new way to unlock success? Find a way to become untethered to artificial goals & expectations. Untethered: A Key To Unlock Your Future Success -

We yearn for startup community results but in many ways, we have no idea how to achieve the very results we crave. Maybe think like a farmer.

For all you math nerds out there, it is time to blow your head up and break all the rules of basic arithmetic. I call it ecosystem math.

It seems we are forever searching for productivity tools and I think your calendar is the most important of them. Manage your calendar! Here are a few more thoughts -

The flywheel effect and innovation ecosystems - - > consistent and strategic efforts, applied over time, can create a powerful force that propels your community forward. Read more here

The Accelerator as Economic Development Tool (part 2 kinda) - hint=you need more than an accelerator!

A founder's dilemma - do I spend more time crafting a great founder image, or do I let people see my character (with all my flaws)?

I have been studying social networks and their requisite social capital for a number of years and this much I do know - it is not collected and activated like a light switch. It is more like a savings account that you deposit capital into to be used later.

I am very proud of my early community building efforts. But in hindsight, these activities were a little selfish as I enjoyed being the face, the cheerleader, and the mostly single point of contact. The impact was short lived - they were not sustained.

100's of discussions later and I know this - startup community leadership takes courage ~

If you need logic to decide whether you should quit your job and go without pay for months to start your company, I would posit that you don't have the DNA of an entrepreneur. Why Pro/Con lists don't work for the most important founder decision -

There is a huge gaping flaw in the "@Techstars accelerator as an economic development tool" mindset. The flaw was just exposed last week. Read On . . .

I love little catch phrases that make you think about something in a new way. A few months back my good friend Connor Murphy and I were chatting and he couched his current state of being a founder as “living in a sea of assumptions”. @connorpm

“Tribes” who are groups of people connected by a shared interest, passion, or purpose. Tribes are clearly startup communities and startup communities are definitely a tribe. These tribes are found in the most innovative cities. Read more in my blog -