Yesterday, I was reading a little bit of a commentary by Augustus about his rule during Pax Romana, and I was struck by a phrase that described PBwiki sales over the last few days. The phrase was : “velocius quam asparagi coquantur”, which means: “faster than cooking asparagus”. Although Augustus was describing the manner in which he restored order and harmony after his uncle’s assassination, he could have been describing the way that start-ups need to grow.

So, the next time you bite into some steamed asparagus, think about how fast you are making strides in your business and ask yourself, “What more could I do today to grow my start-up?”

Have you been watching any of the NBA playoffs? Although the games have been great and competitive, what is even more interesting is the fallout from the first round exits in the West. Avery Johnson and Mike D’Antoni were both fired when their 50+ win teams exited the playoffs stage left. These firings showed a great correlation to what life in sales management at start-up is like.

The parallels:

• You get paid pretty well (i.e. NBA coaches are all 7 figure men, and sales people usually make the most money at a company)
• When things are going well (i.e. playoff wins or lots of closed deals), you are a hero. You are almost like a god. Everyone thinks you are a genius, and you probably have the ego to prove it.
• Even when things go well, if you don’t reach expectations (i.e. not winning big games or making an inflated sales projection), you are probably in trouble.
• Expect to get fired or minimized sooner or later

Currently, I am filling the role of VP of sales at a start-up. The start-up has shown great strides the last 6 months of my involvement. Although April was the second best month ever, it really didn’t hit the expectations that I made public. Needless to say, I feel like an NBA coach today!