Misc
Solitude
08/08/11 20:42
"Solitude gives us the power not to win the rat race but to ignore the rat race altogether.” - Richard Foster
So true!
Resonate - A Book Review
11/21/10 10:36
There are two go-to people for the best techniques in building compelling presentations: Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds. They have transformed my ability to create great, interesting presentations. I loved Nancy's 2008 book Slide:ology and now she has released Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. This "prequel" to Slide:ology, which was more about the process of creating a presentation, was written before Slide:ology and talks about creating the story in the presentation.
She examines the structure of outstanding presentations in context of other forms of storytelling and provides a thought process to reach the audience on an emotional level. It has an excellent balance of theory and practical applications and is definitely worth the read.
Outstanding book that will uncover ideas that you did not realize you did not know!
Amazon Link
You just need a Little Vitamin R
10/05/10 16:13
I am big believer in David Allen's "Getting Things Done" approach to To-Do Lists. The concepts of getting everything you need to do out of your brain an onto a list and then organizing that list into projects and contexts works great for me. On my Mac and my iPhone, I use Omnifocus to manage my To-Do list. The trap that may people fall into is that they spend more time organizing and less time doing. Moreover, most GTD applications don't help with the execution part of the "Getting Things Done".
Well, Vitamin R from Publicspace.net focuses on changing just that. It is a tool that helps you break down large tasks into a series of short time slices. It helps you focus on the task at hand, usually 15 to 30 minutes in length (e.g. Pomodoro Technique). That is important because our brains are not meant to multitask; in fact, excessive multitasking leads to less efficiency.
To avoid distractions, Vitamin R can hide or quit unnecessary apps during a given time slice. After a time slice is completed, you can evaluate the effectiveness of the time slice on how distracted or how "in the flow" you were. A quick "Now & Later Board" can allow you to quickly dump ideas that occur while accomplishing a time slice without breaking your concentration.
Finally, Vitamin R can integrate with Omnifocus. By dragging an Omnifocus task into Vitamin R, you can automatically close the task complete in Omnifocus once it is done in Vitamin R. Very cool for closure. In short, Omnifocus+Vitamin R are an excellent combination of GTD and Pomodoro techniques.
Vitamin R is $19.95 for a single user license. They have a free trial so you can try to out yourself.
Think Big, Execute Small
09/01/10 08:59
Do you want to have a fundable startup? Then, "think big, execute small"!
VC money (and institutional angels, too) are looking for large exits, $200-300M+. Consequently, they are looking for small growing markets with high-growth potential that can support a company valued at $300M+ at IPO or M&A. So you need to "think big" with your business idea. Something that is topped out at a $60-80M exit won't be attractive to a traditional VC since those exits will naturally appear during the journey to the $300M+ exit.
However, you need to "execute small". Show a consistent track record as a founder/CEO of doing the small stuff well. Knowing when to invest and when not to invest is critical. Also, good people decisions go a long way to success – don't be afraid to hire people smarter than yourself. Finally, set realistic milestone and meet them!
"Think big, execute small" is the recipe for a winning VC-backed startup.
VC money (and institutional angels, too) are looking for large exits, $200-300M+. Consequently, they are looking for small growing markets with high-growth potential that can support a company valued at $300M+ at IPO or M&A. So you need to "think big" with your business idea. Something that is topped out at a $60-80M exit won't be attractive to a traditional VC since those exits will naturally appear during the journey to the $300M+ exit.
However, you need to "execute small". Show a consistent track record as a founder/CEO of doing the small stuff well. Knowing when to invest and when not to invest is critical. Also, good people decisions go a long way to success – don't be afraid to hire people smarter than yourself. Finally, set realistic milestone and meet them!
"Think big, execute small" is the recipe for a winning VC-backed startup.
Three Key Questions for VC Funding
06/30/10 17:28
Want to pitch your company idea for funding to VCs? Well. you need to be able to answer the following questions:
1) Team - Who is on your team? Do they have a previous successful exit as an entrepreneur? Do they have domain expertise that is valuable for this startup?
2) Market - Do you have a serviceable market that is small enough to be ignored by the big entrenched players, but fast growing enough to lead to a total market that can support a $200-300 million enterprise value for the company?
3) Differentiation - Do you have a differentiation against the competition? Does the customer care about the differentiation and will they be willing to buy your product because of it? How defensible is the differentiation?
Answer these well...and best of luck in your funding endeavors.
1) Team - Who is on your team? Do they have a previous successful exit as an entrepreneur? Do they have domain expertise that is valuable for this startup?
2) Market - Do you have a serviceable market that is small enough to be ignored by the big entrenched players, but fast growing enough to lead to a total market that can support a $200-300 million enterprise value for the company?
3) Differentiation - Do you have a differentiation against the competition? Does the customer care about the differentiation and will they be willing to buy your product because of it? How defensible is the differentiation?
Answer these well...and best of luck in your funding endeavors.
On Tenacity
06/08/10 08:37
At the recent commencement at my undergrad alma mater Stevens Institute of Technology, David S. Rose talked about the key attributes for entrepreneurship. One was tenacity.
Tenacity is critical to the success of an entrepreneur. You need to believe in your vision and drive towards the goal. Along the way you will hear many naysayers and be tempted to give up. Only with a sense of tenacity can you achieve the goal.
Of course, this tenacity needs to be tempered with an objective assessment of the reality. As the founder of the company, you need to know when to pivot appropriately. Only you will know what is the correct steps because you live with your business day-to-day. Advisors can advise and investors can worry and pontificate, but only you can make the call.
I always found this Zen-like saying valuable - "When faced with a rock, act like a river. When faced with a river, act like a rock." You didn't think this would be easy...did you?
Tenacity is critical to the success of an entrepreneur. You need to believe in your vision and drive towards the goal. Along the way you will hear many naysayers and be tempted to give up. Only with a sense of tenacity can you achieve the goal.
Of course, this tenacity needs to be tempered with an objective assessment of the reality. As the founder of the company, you need to know when to pivot appropriately. Only you will know what is the correct steps because you live with your business day-to-day. Advisors can advise and investors can worry and pontificate, but only you can make the call.
I always found this Zen-like saying valuable - "When faced with a rock, act like a river. When faced with a river, act like a rock." You didn't think this would be easy...did you?
118 Seconds?
05/25/10 17:44
According to Jeff W. Hayzlett - former CMO of Kodak and author of The Mirror Test, the time you have in order to pitch your business is 118 seconds. How does he get to 118 seconds?
The attention span of an individual is about 8 seconds before he or she loses interest, so you have 8 seconds to hook the prospective investor. And nowadays elevators are pretty fast...about 110 seconds according the book. So add them together 8 seconds for the hook and 110 for the pitch.
Got a business idea? Well, what's your 118 seconds?
A Recent Tweet on Anger
05/06/10 14:49
I have been thinking a lot about anger lately and recently tweeted on anger:
Indignation is a just emotion when followed by mature action.
Anger itself is not bad...it is how you respond and use that anger. Notice the key words – indignation, just and mature.
Use your anger as a gift, not as a curse. Then you will control it, instead of it controlling you.
Indignation is a just emotion when followed by mature action.
Anger itself is not bad...it is how you respond and use that anger. Notice the key words – indignation, just and mature.
- Indignation - Is the source of your anger indignation or simply a perceived hurt, disappointment or low self-esteem? In other words, is it outwardly focused or inwardly focused?
- Just - Is your anger focused on a just cause like reversing a wrong?
- Mature - Does your response to anger cause you to rant and rave like a maniac or do you use it as fuel to take a mature responsible action?
Use your anger as a gift, not as a curse. Then you will control it, instead of it controlling you.
Romans 12
02/13/10 09:52
My most favorite passage in the Bible:
Romans 12
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Coming Drought in Silicon Valley
02/04/09 21:17
We definitely have not been getting enough rain in these winter months in Silicon Valley. I suspect that we will see some serious water rationing later this year.
I recently took a walk in Memorial Park in Cupertino and the fountains were almost completely dry. Watching the swans and the ducks on these dry beds, while a great venue for some grab shots, really hit home the need for some serious rain over the next couple of months.
A Good Investment of An Hour of Your Time
06/07/08 07:44
I just finished watching an hour-long video on YouTube of a panel by authors Marci Alboher - “One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success” and Tim Ferriss - “The 4-Hour Workweek; Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich”. It was part of the Authors@Google series and took place about one year ago in Mountain View.
Some key takeaways resonated well with me. Tim Ferriss emphasized time and time again against focusing on list of items and accomplishing as much as possible as opposed to focusing on the effectiveness of the work you are doing. His pareto analysis approach, i.e. focus on the 20% that achieves the 80%, is spot on. He also said that, when forced to do things from 9-5 in a single location, people will make up things to do to fill the time. While managing organizations, I have found this to be very true . The key is getting people to do innovative, effective things with the extra time.
Marci Alboher talks about “Slash Careers” where you have multiple jobs/pursuits to your life. I can certainly relate to her discussion. In addition to having run a division in a high technology company, I have specific interests in marketing, sales, computers, coaching individuals, writing, presenting, wine and cooking. I am always balancing these different activities in my life. I am truly a “slash” individual.
The video offers a new way to look at careers and life and really reinforces my belief on time management. Enjoy.
Reckless Kelly - Time to Visit the iTunes Store
05/30/08 15:14
There are times where you find a hidden gem and you need to pass it forward. Reckless Kelly is one of them.
I was introduced to them by one of my friends. Hailing from Texas, their country/rock blend is quite enjoyable...if you don’t have any of their music, it is time to visit iTunes and download their three best songs:
Wicked Twisted Road
Seven Nights in Eire
Stick Around
Enjoy!
State Farm Insults Bicyclists
04/05/08 10:22
In the following advertisement from State Farm, a businessman to save on rising gas prices moves from driving his car to commute to work to riding a bicycle. The advertisement's proposition is that they will save enough money on his insurance so he can go back to his gas-guzzling automobile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6sNjUoF_Do
The guy is portrayed stupidly with a suit top and cycling pants and a women ridicules the person for his cycling pants. This commercial is just another attempt to portray automobiles as the end-all, be-all and cycling as a second-class citizen. If the guy can get to his office safely, then all the power to him for cycling instead of driving. Good for his health, good for the environment, and good for all of us.
We should be promoting commuting to work by bicycle...not denigrating it. To learn more about commuting to work by bicycle, please see this site.
Fighting Diabetes by Cycling
03/26/08 15:35
On June 6th I will be cycling 75 Kilometers to fight Diabetes in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure fund-raising event. The Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events held in over 80 cities nationwide. I have joined thousands of others to pedal in support of the Association's mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the top 10 reasons to fight diabetes are:
• Nearly one in ten American adults now has diabetes.
• Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.
• Diabetes is a chronic disease and has no cure.
• Each year, more than 80,000 people with diabetes undergo amputations.
• Diabetes can cause other serious health problems ranging from stroke, heart disease, and
kidney failure.
• The incidence of diabetes has increased by 61 percent since 1990 and continues to rise at an
alarming rate.
• Approximately 20.8 million Americans have diabetes — including 6.3 million who don’t even
know it.
• An additional 54 million people have pre-diabetes, putting them at great risk for developing
type 2 diabetes.
• One out of every three Americans born today will eventually develop diabetes if present
trends continue.
• More than $1 in every $10 spent on health care services in the U.S. is attributable to diabetes. This translates to more than $132 billion direct and indirect healthcare costs (2002 statistics).
If you are interested in helping with a donation, please click on this link. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and another 54 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes. Each kilometer I ride, each dollar you donate will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!
According to the American Diabetes Association, the top 10 reasons to fight diabetes are:
• Nearly one in ten American adults now has diabetes.
• Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.
• Diabetes is a chronic disease and has no cure.
• Each year, more than 80,000 people with diabetes undergo amputations.
• Diabetes can cause other serious health problems ranging from stroke, heart disease, and
kidney failure.
• The incidence of diabetes has increased by 61 percent since 1990 and continues to rise at an
alarming rate.
• Approximately 20.8 million Americans have diabetes — including 6.3 million who don’t even
know it.
• An additional 54 million people have pre-diabetes, putting them at great risk for developing
type 2 diabetes.
• One out of every three Americans born today will eventually develop diabetes if present
trends continue.
• More than $1 in every $10 spent on health care services in the U.S. is attributable to diabetes. This translates to more than $132 billion direct and indirect healthcare costs (2002 statistics).
If you are interested in helping with a donation, please click on this link. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and another 54 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes. Each kilometer I ride, each dollar you donate will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!
Yesterday's Post Was An Internet Prank --- Rickrolling
03/15/08 09:06
Yesterday' post was an Internet prank called Rickrolling. Basically, you trick the reader into believing that the post is important and then sending them to a copy of Rick Ashley's "Never Give You Up". The song actually hit #1 on the Billboard Charts on March 12, 1988.
Some details on Rickrolling can be found here. And yes it is a real link!
Some details on Rickrolling can be found here. And yes it is a real link!
An Instructive Joke for Eliot Spitzer
03/11/08 20:57
There once was a young man who had just left the doctors office after learning he was dying. He was understandably very upset by the news. He decided to find out what alternatives to medicine might be available and the very same day headed to the city's main public library to investigate further. Tucked away back in a dusty corner was an obviously old book on unusual facts. Searching through it, he stumbled across an entry concerning an account of some immortal porpoises living in Central Africa. Deciding on the spot that this was his salvation, he soon was on his way across the ocean to deepest darkest Africa. Hating to fly, he'd booked passage on an outgoing ocean liner. Read More...
Horrible Day for Bay Area Cycling
03/10/08 16:56
Yesterday was a terrible day for cycling in the Bay Area. Two separate accidents on roads that I normally ride remind us how fragile life is.
On a normally safe road, two cyclists were killed and one seriously injured after -- believe it or not -- a sheriff deputy apparently fell asleep at the wheel and ran into them across the road. Both cyclists were professional racers with one having Olympic potential. Also, on Skyline Blvd. at the top of the western hills of Silicon Valley, a car turned right in front of four Webcor riders --- also a racing team --- who were in a paceline. Three were sent to the emergency room with one still in the ICU. These riders were not recreational riders, but very skilled riders.
Cars and bicycles need to share the road safely. Dave Zabriskie, a world-class cyclist and a member of the 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle, has founded an organization Yield to Life to promote a safer environment for cyclists. It is time to get serious about safety for cyclists. Please donate to Yield to Life.
http://yieldtolife.org/
On a normally safe road, two cyclists were killed and one seriously injured after -- believe it or not -- a sheriff deputy apparently fell asleep at the wheel and ran into them across the road. Both cyclists were professional racers with one having Olympic potential. Also, on Skyline Blvd. at the top of the western hills of Silicon Valley, a car turned right in front of four Webcor riders --- also a racing team --- who were in a paceline. Three were sent to the emergency room with one still in the ICU. These riders were not recreational riders, but very skilled riders.
Cars and bicycles need to share the road safely. Dave Zabriskie, a world-class cyclist and a member of the 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle, has founded an organization Yield to Life to promote a safer environment for cyclists. It is time to get serious about safety for cyclists. Please donate to Yield to Life.
http://yieldtolife.org/
"Baseball's Best" Cheat
12/15/07 06:56
This week, George Mitchell released his report on steroid use in baseball with the actual names of players. Included in the report was Roger Clemens, among other star players. We now have Clemens, the dominant pitcher during my lifetime, as well as the dominant batter (Barry Bonds) accused of using steroids to enhance their performance. It is an indication of the sad state of affairs, where win at all costs is paramount. I think it is a microcosm of a bigger problem in America: the lack of moral absolutes...no real definition of right versus wrong. Read More...
Death as a Taxable Event
12/12/07 06:19
There is a common saying that there is only two certainties in life: death and taxes. The estate tax combines both into one event. Read More...
