Newsletter #4: July 26, 2022
newsletter eats last
I missed the June newsletter. When good things happen in the business, the newsletter does not happen.
…Actually, that’s an excuse. Newsletters are hard. Hope you enjoy this one.
Glen Lake has soft-launched three concepts into Pilot phase. You can tell they’re pilots because we haven’t sprung for the expensive domain names yet. Check out splash pages for each below:
Shelfmark: Grocery Direct Store Delivery (DSD) automation.
Gratuitip: Location-based cashless gratuity platform.
JointAI: Diagnostic aid for orthopedic clinics, powered by ML image recognition.
GLP on Swartz Shorts Podcast
Check out the Swartz Shorts podcast to learn more about Glen Lake from yours truly. Thanks to the Swartz Center of Entrepreneurship, Headstorm, Brian Feldman, and Tyler Gilcrest for the chance to share the store. Link in biooo (or below):
Glen lake pioneering interns!
Glen Lake was lucky to be supported by two terrific interns from Carnegie Mellon University.
Gbemisola Olugbenle is a student in the Masters of Engineering and Technology Innovation Management program. Gbemi has spent her summer on Gratuitip. She single-handedly took the concept from idea to pilot in 6 weeks!
Yusufbek Nasriddinov joined us briefly to shadow and help out all the way from Uzbekistan via CMU Qatar. Yusufbek studies Business Administration and Management as an undergraduate. His financial and entrepreneurial instincts will serve him well as he starts an ed-tech company in his native Uzbekistan.
I’m grateful to have learned from each of them in our short time together.
a masterclass in leadership: mike tomlin
Mike Tomlin is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He sat down with a group of former players on the Pivot Podcast. If you’re a football fan, you’ll appreciate the football stories. If you’re a human that interacts with other humans, you’ll appreciate his thoughts on leadership.
Tomlin shared one of his favorite mantras. When asked about his successes, Tomlin said consistently, ‘I refuse to rest in that comfort.’ He does not let his success (or failure) on the football field define him. He is a father, husband, and mentor first. He also relentlessly pursues greatness with humility. Hard not to be inspired by the guy.
a few books we like:
This month’s books are both written by female authors. Thanks to my friend Kristen Mitchell for the nudge.
How to Build a Goddamn Empire by Ali Kriegsman
Ali Kriegsman co-founded Bulletin. She built an eCommerce marketplace. She held pop-up retail events every weekend in an empty lot in Brooklyn to test her concept. That’s a textbook 0 to 1 MVP. The book is a vulnerable look at entrepreneurship, and especially highlights the barriers that women face in an industry that is (unfairly) dominated by men.
Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg
An oldie but goodie. Also topical because Sandberg recently left Meta, and may have used Facebook/Meta resources to write the book. Sandberg’s personal experience and guidance empowers women as leaders in the workplace. For men, it is an especially valuable chance to better understand and empathize with the challenges women face in the workplace.
help us to build glen lake pioneering
To build a business takes a village. A couple of asks for this group:
Gbemi has done a fantastic job to get Gratuitip to pilot. She returns to school in the fall (and will be missed). We seek an operator to run with the business through pilot and beyond. Do you know an MBA intern or anyone else interested in a business in a box?
Do you know anyone with drone hardware engineering experience? Would love to talk to them.
Do you have a favorite book that is not business related? I would love to read it. And maybe feature it here.
Thanks for reading the GLP newsletter, sponsored by Acrisure.
