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What Does Eric Ries Love About Being a Founder · Below the Line with James Beshara

Below the Line with James Beshara

Eric Ries — Psychological Journey of a Founder

Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author and CEO/Co-Founder of one of the most ambitious ideas on the planet right now (Long Term Stock Exchange) talks about the movement he started with his best-seller The Lean Startup and why the narratives need to change when it comes to building companies. He also shares his personal approach to starting companies…

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Notes

  1. What Does Eric Ries Love About Being a Founder at 3:42

    Eric says that being a founder is not something he enjoys, necessarily, but the desire to make change in the world is what drives him to be a founder. Full answer

  2. What Does Eric Ries Say Movies Get Wrong About Startup Founders? at 8:32

    On Below the Line with James Beshara, Eric Ries says case studies, magazine profiles, and movies mislead people who actually start companies. Full answer

  3. What Is the Danger in Consuming Media-driven Startup Narratives at 12:01

    There is an entire industry that creates beautiful, entertaining stories about startups and their founders. Full answer

  4. What Stops First-time Founders From Seeking Help at 19:12

    It’s called toxic founder image. Full answer

  5. What Are the Most Successful Startups Hiding From the World at 21:09

    Eric says that when you see what's actually going on in the most iconic startups you can think of, you realize there's dysfunctions and problems everywhere. Full answer

  6. What Is the Biggest Challenge With a Notion of "overnight Success" at 28:32

    There is no such thing as an overnight success, and startups often take 10+ years before they get to a milestone deemed successful by the outsiders. Full answer

  7. What Are Some Things That Eric Has Personally Adopted to Find a Balance Between Enthusiasm and Cynicism at 32:13

    Equanimity is his go-to for all things entrepreneurship. For him, in order to survive as a founder, you have to practice some form of non-attachment. Full answer

  8. How Does Stress Affect Founder's Body at 33:27

    Eric Ries has a very challenging situation with his company where the whole venture was on a brink of going extinct. Full answer

  9. What Should You Know Before Starting a Company at 34:33

    Startups are challenging both physically and emotionally and it is important to learn not to freak out. Full answer

  10. How Do You Share the Burden of Startup-founding With Your Team at 38:59

    Eric Ries exposes his team to the entire startup roller-coaster, successes or failures, to clearly explain that his team is all they've got. Full answer

  11. What Does Eric Ries Say Business School Students Miss About Startups? at 43:26

    Eric Ries tells James Beshara that students he teaches keep asking why he never mentioned pivots, even though pivots are most of what he talks about. Full answer

  12. What Is the Untold Truth About the Geniuses in Silicon Valley at 45:12

    Often times even the geniuses in Silicon Valley don't know how great of a product they have until it is beyond popular. Full answer

  13. What Should You Know About Feedback at 53:22

    Do not take feedback personally, instead accept it and analyze it with an understanding that anything being said is packaged with the person's emotions and… Full answer

  14. What Is the Fundamental Attribution Error, as Eric Ries Explains It? at 56:30

    On Below the Line with James Beshara, Eric Ries calls the fundamental attribution error a well-documented bias. Full answer

  15. How Are Arbitrary Deadlines Harmful at 1:05:16

    They are harmful because they betray trust between you and your team. Full answer

  16. Why Are Early Adopters of Products So Important to a Company at 1:19:16

    You cannot be an early adopter if a product is flawless and polished. They can go from your most fierce critics to your most passionate defenders. Full answer

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