For even the strongest tech CEOs, challenges and difficulties are unavoidable when scaling a business. In the third of a four-part video mini-series, …
Leadership and Culture
Thoughts on fostering innovative cultures, and scaling teams and organizations.
Tapping into the Innovation Brain Trust of Corporate America
Earlier this month, Battery Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank together hosted a two-day Executive Innovation Retreat in Calistoga, California. The even…
Moving Beyond Culture Fit
By Jill Witty There’s a common phrase in recruiting that now makes me shudder when I hear it. The phrase in question? Culture fit. “What’s so wrong wi…
Board Dynamics 101: Perspectives from A VC and Founder Duo
For founders navigating the stormy waters of entrepreneurship, the effectiveness and engagement of the board can keep a company afloat—or, conversely,…
Gender Balance in Your Tech Startup’s C-Suite Won’t Happen Overnight. Here’s How to Start.
“We’d really like this new hire to be a woman.” Throughout my career as a recruiter I’ve heard this statement dozens of times–usually when a com…
Marriage, VC-style: How One VC and One Prominent Software CEO Make it All Work
There’s a saying in the technology industry that it’s harder to split from your venture capitalist than it is to get a divorce from your spouse. In so…
Focusing on Finance: CFOs Gather to Talk Metrics, Accounting Standards and Managing Up
Earlier this month, more than 85 CFOs and heads of finance gathered for the Battery Ventures CFO Summit in San Francisco. These finance leaders—and mo…
The CEO’s Guide to Increasing Diversity (And Making Money)
I realized my company had to change after talking to an African-American woman who’d just quit Redfin. When I asked her what it was like being black a…
Startups: Don’t Fall Into The Culture-Fit Hiring Trap
I once worked with a startup that wanted to hire a new VP of engineering. When I asked the CEO what he was looking for in a candidate, he said, “Someo…
How to choose the right VC for your startup — A founder’s guide
One of my goals in writing about AppDynamics’* journey from an idea nine years ago to our $3.7 billion acquisition by Cisco this year is to help and i…