2013 Sep 17

No Entitlements Here!

One of the most damaging mindsets in employees - and in people generally - is a sense of entitlement. Just about every culture has some turn of phrase that describes how such a person thinks, feels and acts. In a company, however, it can be toxic. Employees with a sense of entitlement: Are never satisfied Are less productive overall Have significant swings in behaviour Negatively affect the morale of their coworkers What is a "

2013 Sep 16

Lies, Damn Lies and College Statistics

Every now and then, someone uses statistics in so misleading a way as to qualify as dishonesty. While I have little patience for ignorance masquerading as knowledge, I have even less for self-interest masquerading as virtue. I came across a recent article by Debora Spar, the President of Barnard College. Full disclosure: I did my undergraduate work at Columbia University, and my wife is a Barnard College graduate. While I usually enjoy Spar's writings, even when I disagree, and I respect her willingness to take on controversial issues, her article on "

2013 Sep 13

The Dynamic Duo

The purpose of a business, according to guru Peter Drucker, is to "create and serve a customer." Of course, there is one missing word; it really should be, "to profitably create and serve a customer." If the business loses money on every customer, it will not last very long. One of my favourite jokes (unfortunately not always a joke), is the CEO who says, "sure, we are losing on every sale, but we'll make it up in volume!

2013 Sep 12

"The Hidden Cost of Free"

The title of this article is in quotations, because it is based on an article, of the same name, in the Summer 2013 issue of Barnard magazine. No, this (male) author did not attend Barnard College for Women (but he would have happily attended!), but his wife did, and showed him the "President's Page" article by Barnard President Debora Spar. Spar's article, which unfortunately will not be available online for some time, refers not to the direct financial cost of free, but the social cost that leads to a financial cost.

2013 Sep 11

The Problem with The 5C: Be True to Yourself

Well, Apple finally released a lower cost iPhone, the 5C. Barely. Once off-contract, which is how most of the world (and this author) buys them, the price difference is ~$100. On a discussion today, awaldstein said that "Apple may have lost touch with who they are." Actually, I think Apple's troubles may have stemmed from their inability to decide either to break from who they are or stay true to themselves.

2013 Sep 10

Why Companies Really Use Open-Source, or Free is as Free Does

Forbes online had an article several weeks ago on the hidden cost of free open-source software (FOSS). The author's key argument is that nothing "free" is ever truly "free", and there are real hidden costs to free software. In his analogy, open-source is like the wood, bricks, nails and hammer to build a house, and commercial (often called "closed-source") software is like paying someone to take the tools and build the house.

2013 Sep 9

Self-Driving Cars and Horse-Drawn Buggies

The biggest insight this ole' engineer had in his early years is that "technology is cool, but money counts." The coolest technology will never be adopted if it doesn't bring enough significant benefit - either financial or emotional - to enough people. Technology for transportation is very cool, but is subject to the same laws. Its progression, at least in the short to medium range, has been fairly straightforward:

2013 Sep 4

I Have One Word for You, Son: Timing!

It is said that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. While that is meant to refer to who takes credit for successes and failures, I believe in a parallel version: Failure has many causes, but success needs everything to happen just right. Other than the poorly structured English in my phrasing (Winston Churchill would be appalled), there is a truth here that every entrepreneur knows in his or her blood.

2013 Sep 3

Geography As The Interview

Here is an interesting thought: can international borders be a great candidate interviewing tool? Every company says they want to hire only "A" players. Some even mean it (check their culture and willingness to pay for it). But even those truly committed to hiring the best people have a hard time finding and determining if their candidates are the best. Sure, every executive has his/her own network they can leverage to bring in a few great people.

2013 Sep 2

It's the Vision, Stupid

Remember Bill Clinton's great one-liner? "It's the Economy, Stupid!" James Carville supposedly coined it to keep the Clinton campaign focused like a laser on the major issue that would win the election for Clinton against George H.W. Bush. By the way, it worked. I have been thinking a lot about Microsoft lately. For a company whose name once simultaneously inspired legions and terrified equal numbers - who remembers the "