Much to my chagrin I do not code. Somewhere in the archives of my brain is some C++ I learned back in the stone age (late 90's) but that's about it. I certainly understand the value in knowing how to code at least at a basic level as a Product Manager I just haven’t taken the time to learn yet.& Well I should say I’m trying to learn and so far I’m pleased with the process on Codecademy . I have a long ways to go however.

Hating MBAs is in fashion these days. I'm sure by now you've heard of Guy Kawasaki's famous adage .

For a rough approximation of your valuation, circa 2004, you can also use Kawasaki's Law of Pre-Money Valuation: for every full-time engineer, add $500,000; for every full-time M.B.A., subtract $250,000.

Every developer I know that wants to start a company thinks this is the greatest formula ever developed. Truth be told it's pretty amusing and probably not far from the truth. As I've said before there are no absolutes .

The "no asshole rule" has pretty rapidly ascended from interesting business read to highly overused startup cliche in record time. Every founder seems to have latched onto this in some form or another in their quest to build a truly great company they can be proud to take home to mom and dad. It's a really nice sentiment and in theory a great little guiding principle. No one likes working with that guy. The one that you secretly fantasize about punching in the teeth. The problem is not too many people are always assholes. So in practice sorting out the assholes from the well, not assholes is tough. The only absolute is that there are no absolutes.

I've been thinking a lot lately about decisions and choices.

I was chatting with a young startup enthusiast recently and they made a comment that struck me. It was something along the lines of "kill yourself for a few years now and you'll be set for life later."

This type of sentiment about startups is pretty rampant these days. The funny thing is, I don't think it used to be. When I speak to older generations about entrepreneurship the general sentiment is that you're better off getting a steady job. Obviously the advent of the web startup with the extremely low barriers to entry and initial capital requirements has a great deal to do with this. On a relative basis, it's pretty easy these days. The problem is ... while it maybe “easy” to code up a website, it's not easy to make it a viable business.

Startups are hard!

I hear this a lot from a lot of the people in the circles I have been traveling in lately. Thereseemsto be an impression in the startup community that somehow startups have the market cornered on hardness. The funny thing is most of the time I hear this from folks that have spent there career in startup mode. This includes both long time entrepreneurs and kids right out of school getting into their first startup. This idea that somehow startups are the hardest thing you'll ever do is a bit near sighted.You know what's hard?