San Francisco Stories, Secret CFO, and Star Signs ??
TL;DR
STARTUP LIFE
?? We were in San Francisco
It's a city of extremes. Waymo robotaxis are driving by while homeless people sleep on the streets. At moments, it feels almost dystopian. As Luka Mijatovi? said - the long tail here stretches far in both directions.
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But San Francisco gets to you. The city is impressive, the food is amazing, the weather is god-given, and the people are friendly.
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Tech startups are popping out from billboards and TV ads. Where we have detergent and chips, they have enterprise software and cloud providers. And of course, suddenly, everything is “AI-powered”.
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San Francisco is the Disneyland for startups.
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The energy is incredible. People are hard-wired to think big here. Customers, investors, and other founders are super-enthusiastic about the big thing you're doing. The more audacity in your vision, the better it lands.
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For us Europeans, skepticism is proof of intelligence and sophistication. This is a big reason why we are behind in innovations. Fragmented markets and high regulation also have something to do with it. But the air is palatably different in San Francisco and it’s a great moral climate to breed innovation.
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We did one-on-ones and attended startup events, mixers, and dinners. On any given day, there are 10 events you can go to. From regular meetups to morning basketball matches between startups and investors. ???
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Traveling is a great opportunity to get out of the trenches and think about your path. After listening and talking to some of the luminaries of the tech scene the conclusion is - there is no easy path. And there are as many paths as there are startups. Developing in stealth for three years or landing a huge customer with only a deck. Fundraising through the textbook milestones or being bootstrapped. Having had previous exits or being a complete outsider as a founder. Makes no difference.
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Sometimes you have to travel 10,000 kilometers to hear what you already know. ??
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You’re inventing something new and trying to disrupt the status quo. This is no easy feat. You need to listen to your customers and work hard. Surround yourself with a couple dozen crazy people. People that can see what you see. And watch the damn thing compound.
HERO OF THE DAY
??? CFO Secrets with the Secret CFO
We’re all sick of internet “thought leaders” who spew advice without any real experience. They’re everywhere, adding zero value and polluting our feeds.?
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But the Secret CFO is different.
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He’s a highly experienced CFO sharing practical advice through a weekly newsletter. With decades of experience, he covers team building, strategic decisions, board interactions, tech, and much more, helping modern CFOs excel. Pun intended.?
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He showed up on Twitter and, in just two weeks, gained 20,000 followers. He then reluctantly joined LinkedIn (he thinks it’s full of BS) and launched a newsletter, CFO Secrets, which quickly hit 30,000 followers.
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What makes him stand out is a rare mix of authenticity, anonymity, deep practical experience, and a dash of humor. He doesn’t just talk theory; he shares real-world advice and stories from decades in the trenches of corporate finance.?
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Reading his posts, it’s clear that you’re witnessing a veteran doing his thing. In his own words, anonymity enables him to share real stories candidly and have more fun.
领英推荐
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What I find most interesting about him is his claim that, although incredibly important for the CFO role, technical skills are trumped by soft skills: “A CFO who can’t influence behavior is impotent.”
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If you’re still not convinced, have a look at his deep dive on what you should do in the first 90 days as a CFO.?
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I bet you’ll subscribe after reading it.
BUSINESS
?? 8 Red Flags of the Myers-Briggs Test
Are you an ENFP? Or INTJ? Maybe ESTJ?
If these seemingly random letters make sense to you, you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), one of the most popular personality tests out there.
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It became trendy in the sixties, and by today, 88% of Fortune 500 companies have used it at one point. GM, McKinsey, P&G, and L’Oréal, among others.?
The MBTI generates about $20 million in annual revenues, with nearly 50 million people having taken it since the 1960s.
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I get the appeal: it’s fun, easy to take and understand, and the results always sound positive – it makes people feel good about themselves. What’s not to like?
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But let’s be real—if something seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. If you’re a fan of the test, you do you, but here are a few red flags you shouldn't ignore:
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1. Amateur Origins: MBTI is created by a housewife and her daughter, not psychologists. Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers weren't trained in psychology. Sounds fishy, to say the least.
2. Weak Science: The test is based on Carl Jung's unvalidated theories, not solid science. Jung himself warned against strict personality categorization.?
3. Shaky Reliability: Half of the test-takers get different results on a retake. Consistency? Not a trait of this test.?
4. Rose-Tinted Results: All personality types are described positively, avoiding any negatives. This positive spin can lead to overly favorable self-assessments.
5. Hiring Hazard: Used inappropriately for hiring, the test leads to bias. Despite guidelines against it, some companies still misuse it for hiring. Even CCP, the company that owns the test advises against using it in hiring.?
6. Research Gap: Lacks recent, high-quality peer-reviewed studies. CPP's director of research admits academics aren’t actively studying MBTI. What he fails to mention is that most MBTI studies out there are funded by CPP. Extremely sketchy, right??
7. Over-Simplified: The test reduces complex personalities into just 16 types. It’s like trying to fit a rainbow into a 16-crayon box.
8. Money-Driven: Its popularity is fueled by strong marketing, not scientific proof. The aggressive marketing strategies have driven its widespread use more than its scientific credibility.
If you’re interested in personality tests, here’s a free one backed by actual science.?
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MBTI is nothing but corporate astrology.
See you in a month ??
Development finance specialist | Data science enthusiast
6 个月"For us Europeans, skepticism is proof of intelligence and sophistication. This is a big reason why we are behind in innovations. Fragmented markets and high regulation also have something to do with it." ?? ?? ??
Wow thanks for spreading the word, it’s cool!