Dave Saunders
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nemock.bsky.social
Dave Saunders
@nemock.bsky.social
Human girls and Samoyed Dad. Autodidactic. Nerd. Surgical robotics, MedTech, AI, greentech. Love to tell stories.
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I was there for the dot-com crash. Mahogany desks, catered lunches, magazine cover dreams. Most people lost everything.

Twenty-five years later, I keep seeing the same patterns.

So I wrote a book about what actually works. This is the story of why.

substack.com/@nemock/p-18...

#startups
I Wrote a Book Because I Was Tired of Watching Smart People Fail
Two years ago, I was sitting in my home office at 2 AM, staring at my laptop.
substack.com
One-on-ones aren't status updates. They're for removing obstacles and building trust. Use them right. #entrepreneurship
February 8, 2026 at 11:37 AM
The best feedback I ever got was the hardest to hear. Create a culture where people tell you the truth: davesaunders.net
February 8, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Success to me means ___________.
February 8, 2026 at 8:28 AM
Content marketing takes longer than you want and works better than you expect.
February 8, 2026 at 6:53 AM
Async communication or real-time meetings?
February 8, 2026 at 5:18 AM
What's the difference between micromanaging and staying informed?

More on this in my book: https://www.davesaunders.net
February 8, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Protect your team's time like you protect your own.

Dig deeper: https://www.davesaunders.net
February 8, 2026 at 2:09 AM
People buy from people they trust. Be trustworthy.
February 8, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Fast growth hides problems. Slow growth reveals them. Sometimes the slower path is the faster one: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Revenue is the only pitch deck that never gets old. Build that first. More on this approach: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 9:25 PM
If you could add one clause to every term sheet, what would it be?

From my book: https://www.davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The best marketing feels like a favor, not a pitch.
February 7, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Three decades of building companies. Every lesson that mattered. One book. Founders Who Finish: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 4:41 PM
If it takes three paragraphs to describe your revenue model, you don't have one. Customers pay you for X. That's it. Get clear or stay broke.
February 7, 2026 at 4:29 PM
The customer success team knows what marketing should say. Ask them: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Build in public works until it doesn't. Know when transparency becomes liability: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Recognition costs nothing. Withholding it costs everything.
February 7, 2026 at 11:57 AM
When did you stop being a player-coach and become just a coach?
February 7, 2026 at 10:22 AM
A small win today beats a perfect plan tomorrow.
February 7, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Paid ads don't create demand. They capture existing demand. If nobody's searching, ads won't save you: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 7:13 AM
What's something your competitors do that you refuse to copy?
February 7, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Rest is productive. Burnout isn't.

From my book: https://www.davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 4:03 AM
The board seat question is the control question. Understand what you're giving up: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Raised too early once. Spent 18 months serving investor priorities instead of customer needs. Never again. Learn from my mistakes: davesaunders.net
February 7, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Patient capital or aggressive growth capital?
February 6, 2026 at 11:19 PM