What to Learn From the Economic Mess

This video of Dan Ariely from TED  has several enlightening and surprising ideas you can use. It’s 18 min long but the last 2 minutes are an ad.
Why people cheat and steal and how this can be encouraged or discouraged. The reasons are not at all what you’d expect.
How these conditions were exacerbated by the […]

Two interesting (unrelated) posts

Mark Cuban - owner of Dallas Mavericks - put an interesting perspective on the AIG bonus situation using an analogy to a free agent athelete. Did I say he owns the Dallas Mavericks?
Hint - to keep good employees, financial firms will have to offer not bonuses but options. IF they do well in a few […]

Turning Things Around

Most of us aren’t in a position to turn the entire economy around. But don’t think you are powerless. Some people look at this situation and see all the negatives. Some people see opportunity. It’s easier to feel the fear and do the cut back thing and blame the economy.
In fact, it’s both the worst […]

Just go Vote already!

My apologies to non-US readers. We sometimes do things a little strangely here.
Did you US readers know that in Australia there’s a fine for not voting? or that in Canada the government just sends you a voter registration card so there’s no opportunity for  one party or the other to purge the rolls? And how […]

What Really Happened to the Economy?

And is the bailout bill a boondoggle? Spend an hour with Warren Buffett.
Yes, he talks in a few cutsey sound bites, but he also talks so you can understand (at least I could) what really caused the problem and why the bailout bill is/was solution. It was broadcast on Oct 1, 2008
By the way, he’s […]

Fewer Tips for Start-ups

Thanks to an email from Will Hill and Paul Graham’s latest essay I’ve shortened my advice (so you get to do less reading)
1. Make something people want.
As obvious as it sounds this advice is often ignored. Well not exactly ignored, but confused. Inventors especially, are apt to confuse the word “people” with the word “me”. […]

Incredible Results From a Simple Tool That Everyone Can Use

What would you pay for a tool that could transmit the wisdom of your smartest people out to everyone in your whole organization? One that is able to reduce errors in the most complex activity and achieve consistent results time after time? I’m sure you’d pay a lot, but this tool costs very little and […]

CEOs Prevent Problems - Founders Merely Solve Them

The key to growing your company is to prevent problems rather than solve them. There are two parts to this: Attitude and Skill.
Attitude - you must not like being the hero
Heroes solve problems. Usually at the last moment in dramatic fashion with a fanfare and a flourish of cape - just before they dash off […]

What’s Wrong with Business Plans?

Lots of things. Mostly they put too much emphasis on the outcome and not enough on the process. I’m not a big fan. Yes, I know you need them if you’re going to ask for money. And yes planning is a good idea. But planning is a verb not a noun. You should engage […]

Would People Pay to Promote Your Product?

In most industries probably not. But music is different (like art and a few others where commitment and commerce are closely linked). SELLABAND has developed an interesting business model to exploit this combination of passion and partnership. Details HERE.
The idea is “believers” aka investors invest $10 in a share of a new band. When the […]

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