Quotes from Leah Busque

I'm an engineer turned entrepreneur who's passionate about connection.

I've had some very strong female role models, so I think that's an important thing.

I am definitely a keep-it-clean type of person when it comes to e-mail. My 'important' folder on the Gmail app is constantly clean. When a new e-mail comes in to my important folder, I immediately look at it and determine what action item comes with it. The action item may not get done until later, but at least I know it's coming.

People with highly transferable skills may be specialists in certain areas, but they're also incredible generalists - something businesses that want to grow need.

Sprout's a really cool app for pregnant women. It shows you what your baby's development is in real time, so I find myself checking it quite often.

Since most startups operate at a break-neck pace, with a concept to prove or a product to launch within a rapidly shortening runway of financing, company culture often gets shoved aside. This is a big, big mistake: Nobody serious about their business should put culture in the corner.

The Gmail app is definitely the app I use the most. I am always running from meeting to meeting, so it keeps me up-to-date with everything going on. I actually e-mail more often from my iPhone than my laptop, so having a nicely designed e-mail app is really important.

Startups need to focus on building a foundation for their company culture early, and then they need to revisit it often. Every time a hire is made, a feature is launched, a Facebook status is updated, a press interview is given, a round of financing is raised, or a meeting is held, culture should be part of the decision-making process.

One of the cool things we're seeing at TaskRabbit is local tech and gaming startups hiring TaskRabbits to test their products and deliver immediate user feedback. As the founder of a tech startup, I can tell you that this type of focus group testing is paramount - and usually really pricey and difficult to coordinate.

All of our TaskRabbits go through a vetting process, which includes an online application, a video interview, a series of background checks, and then an online quiz that they have to pass before they're activated on the site.

From my background in travel at HotWire and Expedia, the metrics that TaskRabbit is seeing are more than double at what I saw at both those companies.