“There’s been a lot of talk in ‘design thinking’ circles about how the practice of design needs to do more to inform business. You won’t get any disagreement from me. But I haven’t seen a lot of talk of this being a two-way street. We seem to think business folks should appreciate the value that design brings, but we don’t expect designers to appreciate the value that business brings.”

“I had the following conversation recently. Entrepreneur: ‘Brad, I just got an offer for my company for $15 million from Company X.’ Brad: ‘Awesome. Who’s Company X, I’ve never heard of them.’ Entrepreneur: ‘It’s a private company funded by Venture Firm Y.’ Brad: ‘Cool, $15 million — is it a cash deal?’ Entrepreneur: ‘No, it’s all stock…’”

“Entrepreneurs often ask me for a sample business plan they can use as a model for their fundraising efforts. They are surprised when I send them a powerpoint file.”