November 7, 2017 - Zhivago Partners

Close image of machinery in silver and gray

Why we love working with engineers

My love affair with engineers started officially when I entered the business world right out of high school, selling machine stop tools for a Pratt & Whitney distributor. I started meeting engineers in that job, and thought to myself, “Well, these guys are nice.” After working my way through college, I spent the next 5 or so years as an engineering headhunter in Silicon Valley, interacting with hundreds of engineers every year. I still thought they were nice. The “jerk quotient” was super low; they had a good sense of humor; they were intelligent and well-meaning. Best of all, they were interesting.

Marilu Norden painting of half-nude woman on Kristin Zhivago's blog

Not getting older. Getting better.

You can’t avoid it. One day you will look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Who are you? What did you do with my face?” Age happens.Personally, I’m inspired by my 92-going-on-37 mother, Marilu Norden, who just painted the picture above. I’ve never worried much about getting older, partly because, like my mother, I don’t feel

Green car front seats with an off-white steering wheel

Enemies of revenue: How to keep yourself from limiting your own business

If you own or manage a business, I’m sure you’ve noticed that you can be your own worst enemy. This is especially true for entrepreneurs and CEOs, whose personal behavior dictates the decisions that are made and the direction that the company takes. The strengths and weaknesses of the leader infect the rest of the