William Alexander is the author of "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden." Tommy Smothers used to ...

Founders are really bad at asking for introductions. On a daily basis I get a request that looks something like this: “Hey Wil, I see that you know (some investor), would you mind introducing me to ...

Tommy Smothers used to get a laugh on stage by introducing the other half of the act, his brother Dick, with the words, “The person to my left needs no introduction.” Followed by a long pause – and no ...

Tommy Smothers used to get a laugh on stage by introducing the other half of the act, his brother Dick, with the words, ‘‘The person to my left needs no introduction.’’ Followed by a long pause — and ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I provide a Midwest view on entrepreneurship, VC, and private equity. This article is more than 10 years old. In an average week, ...