Andy Shannon Blog | Startup operator, investor, and accelerator
Selling is often considered an art form. It takes no less than the most fine-tuned of inter-personal skills and a precise focus on value. But value is in the eye of a beholder, and to truly sell (I'm told) requires the innate skill to first … [Continue reading]
I recently met well known author and professor John Mullins – who not only accepted my blind lunch invitation, but was nice enough to invite me to the LBS faculty dining room (best lunch I’ve had this year). After sharing our backgrounds, the … [Continue reading]
I’m a big fan of Bob Cringely’s blog – he’s been a writer in the Valley for years and witnessed the manic rise first hand. Bob recently wrote a post spurred by a student commenting on the lack of mentorship in their home country of Russia. I … [Continue reading]
How would I describe myself if raising a funding round? Here’s a typical boilerplate: “MBA with 5 years of startup operational experience and investment roles with leading accelerator and family office.” (I know, super lame) I’ve recently spoken to … [Continue reading]
Tara and I have made our way back to London after spending an amazing 10 days in Colombia. Much of this fantastic experience was due to our friends Juan and Natalia, who graciously guided us through their home country – they were truly the best hosts … [Continue reading]
Remember back in the day when standing meetings were so hip? For a while now I’ve been think about how my life has turned into a non-stop series of static meetings in either conference rooms or coffee shops. Nothing is original, the air is stale, and … [Continue reading]
I was lucky enough to recently attend the TechStars London launch at No 10 Downing St. along with many of the UK’s most well known investors (Yep, I felt like a gate-crasher). Following the TechStars/Springboard merging announcement, a roundtable … [Continue reading]
Over the past 10 days I’ve spent 20+ hours in airplanes… the result of living on a different continent from family during the holidays. The vast majority of this time was spent watching movies and reading magazines, but as my mind wandered for the … [Continue reading]
Like most people, at times I come up with what I believe are “bright ideas.” I typically place these ideas safely in an Evernote folder to sit for eternity. This folder now consists of 20+ ideas that to date have not seen the light of day. Well, … [Continue reading]
I have this funny habit while on the tube. Every time the doors open I stick my head out to breath the “fresh” air. Yep… kind of like a dog in a car. There’s no rational explanation for this habit (fresh air + tube = oxymoron), just something that … [Continue reading]
