The interview we ran last week with Microsoft's Dan'l Lewin generated so much discussion that we wanted to put him back in the newsroom at the first opportunity -- this time for our Lessons Learned series.
In this video, the Microsoft group vice president and Silicon Valley point man shares his advice for startup entrepreneurs.
"I have a strong belief in selling and channels," Lewin told us. "Most companies fail because of a lack of distribution and sales."
While it's easy to see that advice through the prism of his role at Microsoft, before Lewin joined the software giant he was CEO of Aurigin Systems, a software startup.
Before that, Lewin spent more than a decade at Microsoft's long-time archenemy: Apple Computer, where he directed the company's sales and marketing efforts to the education community, long one of Apple's most loyal customer groups.
After that, Lewin was a founding Vice President of NeXT Computer, the hardware maker Steve Jobs founded after being forced out of Apple in his first go round as CEO.
Lewin also gives us his take on a question that's elicited a wide array of answers -- how much money to take.
"You can't get your products and services to market without money," Lewin says. "Take more money than you think you need."
Got Channels? :) I Do! 1400 Locators. Microsoft is slow to the door when it comes to search. If they were as smart as they think they are they would have been building something similar to mine about 10-12 years ago. It baffles me daily how out of touch these behemoth tech companies are when it comes to search innovation. Here i am a poor boy from la that has built something that no one can compete with on a strategic multichannel vertical level. I think they get lazy and dont have the hunger. Search is good enough today, the future of search is location. Multichannel Strategic Vertical Location Innovation. Hopefully micro's "lookout" men are doing there job. If they are I know I will hear from them. If not?...........as there software model crumbles due to user driven open source apps, and no network of premium vertical channnels to give consumers what they want, they surrender the search industry to Multichannel Premium Vertical Networks like mine. In this industry there will only be a 5-10, if that, major players. Being slow to "this door" can put you out of business in 5-10 years, no matter how big you are. Attention all behemoths, be on the look out for a killer cluster of "fully identifiable network of flying locators!" There is a killer network of these locators that seeks redefine your most desired industry. Search. That is my self professed, wanna be "expert", proclamation.