A funny thing happens when you lie to people: they tend to believe. Why shouldn't they? They lie to themselves all the time. Our minds are wired to respond in predictable ways-among them is perceiving the world the way we want to see it, not necessarily the way it is.

I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In these series of 5 posts, I thought I'd share what I learned in China.

Can you lead your team? Do you have conviction in your ideas while remaining open to new ideas? Do you enthusiastically accept criticism and view it as an opportunity to learn and grow?

Money doesn't guarantee success; only effective execution can deliver that goal. I believe improving the odds for venture-backed companies requires better execution.

In the few days I was in China I met with several VCs, angel investors, business press and spoke to hundreds of entrepreneurs. I was blown away by what I saw in Beijing. Think of what Rome looked like in the time of the empire -- now it's Beijing announcing that China has arrived.

As more women face the challenge, the proverbial glass ceiling will keep cracking and hopefully, one day it will break apart. Until then, don't be afraid to take risks and nurture your ideas. They might just hatch.

I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In these series of 5 posts, I thought I'd share what I learned in China.

We're excited to publicly announce that Plated.com will be joining the TechStars New York class of 2013!

Major acquisitions aside, startups are often blind to the actual costs associated with full-time employees. As you celebrate and toast to your latest round of funding, please take heed of five employee costs often forgotten by founders.

While Elitus sounds interesting, its distinction between Venturians and Crowders seems oddly out of touch with events on Earth where starting new things has been in vogue for centuries.

These days more middle market companies are utilizing a new type of supertemp without adding to overhead. While interim management is not yet a household phrase, some companies are already getting the best of both worlds: temporary and expert.