{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"Jeff Cozart","home_page_url":"https://jeffcozart.com","description":"Jeff Cozart","author":{"name":"Jeff Cozart"},"items":[{"id":"what-funding-stage-quietly-fails-to-measure","html_content":"

In venture conversations, stage is often treated as shorthand for progress. Pre-seed. Seed. Series A. Growth. The labels are convenient, widely understood, and useful for capital markets that need quick ways to categoriz...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/what-funding-stage-quietly-fails-to-measure","title":"What Funding Stage Quietly Fails to Measure","date_modified":"2026-03-02T20:11:24Z"},{"id":"the-valley-of-death-in-critical-minerals-isn%E2%80%99t-where-most-think","html_content":"

Many promising technologies stall because they collide with the hard realities of mineral project economics.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/the-valley-of-death-in-critical-minerals-isn%E2%80%99t-where-most-think","title":"The Valley of Death in Critical Minerals Isn’t Where Most Think","date_modified":"2026-02-27T14:33:47Z"},{"id":"most-deep-tech-startups-dont-fail-on-technology","html_content":"

The real breakdown usually happens somewhere between the lab and the market.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/most-deep-tech-startups-dont-fail-on-technology","title":"Most Deep-Tech Startups Don't Fail on Technology","date_modified":"2026-02-26T02:42:41Z"},{"id":"ai-won%E2%80%99t-replace-you","html_content":"

A quiet anxiety is spreading through the economy. You can hear it in boardrooms and break rooms alike. The question surfaces again and again:

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/ai-won%E2%80%99t-replace-you","title":"AI Won’t Replace You","date_modified":"2026-02-24T17:08:43Z"},{"id":"the-problem-with-prevent-defense","html_content":"

In football, prevent defense is designed to protect a lead. The idea is simple—play it safe, avoid mistakes, and keep everything in front of you.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/the-problem-with-prevent-defense","title":"The Problem with Prevent Defense","date_modified":"2025-10-07T03:36:33Z"},{"id":"selling-as-a-trusted-advisor","html_content":"

About 20 years ago, a friend recommended I read Kurt Wright’s book Breaking the Rules. That was my introduction to Appreciative Inquiry—a framework that asks us to focus less on what’s broken and more on what’s working, ...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/selling-as-a-trusted-advisor","title":"Selling as a Trusted Advisor","date_modified":"2025-09-29T18:53:45Z"},{"id":"strategy-is-saying-no","html_content":"

When most people think of strategy, they think of choosing the right opportunities. New markets. New products. New acquisitions. The logic is simple: more options equal more growth.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/strategy-is-saying-no","title":"Strategy Is Saying No","date_modified":"2025-09-08T14:50:29Z"},{"id":"ambition-starts-the-race-determination-finishes-it","html_content":"

A lot of people have the ambition to start a business.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/ambition-starts-the-race-determination-finishes-it","title":"Ambition Starts the Race. Determination Finishes It.","date_modified":"2025-08-28T13:49:43Z"},{"id":"start-with-the-customer","html_content":"

Glen Stearns, in Undercover Billionaire, has a simple rule:

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/start-with-the-customer","title":"Start with the Customer","date_modified":"2025-08-28T13:42:20Z"},{"id":"the-hidden-work-that-holds-it-all-together","html_content":"

It’s natural to value your own work. You know the long hours you’ve put in, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the importance of what you contribute. It’s human to think: “I’m carrying this team. Without me, none of thi...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/the-hidden-work-that-holds-it-all-together","title":" The Hidden Work That Holds It All Together","date_modified":"2025-08-27T17:15:40Z"},{"id":"when-the-loudest-voice-isn%E2%80%99t-the-wisest","html_content":"

The boardroom was tense. The CEO had just finished laying out his vision: a major business development opportunity that could catapult the company into a new market. His energy was infectious—eyes bright, words sharp wit...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/when-the-loudest-voice-isn%E2%80%99t-the-wisest","title":"When the Loudest Voice Isn’t the Wisest","date_modified":"2025-08-22T16:48:28Z"},{"id":"leadership-beyond-the-hammer","html_content":"

Several years ago, I worked with a manager who was highly driven and demanded success from his direct reports. On paper, these were the exact characteristics I wanted in a sales leader: ambition, hunger, relentless pursu...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/leadership-beyond-the-hammer","title":"Leadership Beyond the Hammer","date_modified":"2025-08-22T15:48:07Z"},{"id":"raising-smart-capital-choosing-the-right-path-for-your-startup","html_content":"

Starting a business takes energy, vision, and courage. Many founders have those in abundance. But there’s often one missing piece: capital.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/raising-smart-capital-choosing-the-right-path-for-your-startup","title":"Raising Smart Capital: Choosing the Right Path for Your Startup","date_modified":"2025-08-22T14:30:05Z"},{"id":"compensation-is-not-the-most-important-factor","html_content":"

Compensation is one of the most misunderstood topics in the workplace. When people talk about their jobs, the conversation almost always drifts toward pay: salary bands, bonuses, benefits, and equity. These things matter...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/compensation-is-not-the-most-important-factor","title":"Compensation is not the Most Important Factor","date_modified":"2025-08-20T15:03:28Z"},{"id":"experiences-are-remembered-products-are-consumed","html_content":"

The Lesson from Wine

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/experiences-are-remembered-products-are-consumed","title":"Experiences Are Remembered, Products Are Consumed","date_modified":"2025-08-19T20:33:24Z"},{"id":"governance-in-startups-why-it-matters-more-than-you-think","html_content":"

When most people hear the word governance, they picture Fortune 500 boardrooms, thick policy binders, and endless compliance meetings. It sounds distant, bureaucratic, and far removed from the hustle of startup life.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/governance-in-startups-why-it-matters-more-than-you-think","title":"Governance in Startups: Why It Matters More Than You Think","date_modified":"2025-08-19T13:39:24Z"},{"id":"getting-on-a-roll-the-power-of-focusing-on-what-works","html_content":"

We’ve all seen it in sports. A player, a team, or even an entire season where everything seems to fall into place. Success builds on success. The athletes are in rhythm, the crowd feels it, and momentum becomes almost un...

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/getting-on-a-roll-the-power-of-focusing-on-what-works","title":"Getting on a Roll: The Power of Focusing on What Works","date_modified":"2025-08-18T12:59:18Z"},{"id":"when-winning-the-sale-isn%E2%80%99t-really-winning","html_content":"

In my first professional sales role, I wasn’t selling software or industrial equipment—I was selling scouting.

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/when-winning-the-sale-isn%E2%80%99t-really-winning","title":"When Winning the Sale Isn’t Really Winning","date_modified":"2025-08-15T15:26:12Z"},{"id":"servant-leadership-the-only-model-that-scales-with-trust","html_content":"

The First Leader Who Really Trusted Me

","url":"https://jeffcozart.com/field-notes/f/servant-leadership-the-only-model-that-scales-with-trust","title":"Servant Leadership: The Only Model That Scales with Trust","date_modified":"2025-08-15T04:17:57Z"}]}