Archive for August, 2010

My daily readings 08/31/2010

August 31, 2010
  • tags: Comment

  • tags: HTML5 NodeJs

  • tags: Leadership

    • A CEO does only three things. Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and retains the very best talent for the company. Makes sure there is always enough cash in the bank.
  • tags: Startup

  • tags: Leadership

    • It is particularly important that managers have the right kind of ambition, because anything else will be exceptionally de-motivating for their employees. As an employee, why would I want to work long hours to advance the career of my manager? If the manager cares about his career more than the company, then that’s what I’d be doing. Nothing motivates a great employee more than a mission that’s so important that it supersedes everyone’s personal ambition. As a result, managers with the right kind of ambition tend to be radically more valuable than those with the wrong kind. For a complete explanation of the dangers of managers with the wrong kind of ambition, I strongly recommend Dr. Suess’s management masterpiece Yertle the Turtle.
    • At a macro-level, everybody views the world through her own personal prism. When interviewing candidates, it’s helpful to watch for small distinctions that indicate whether they view the world through the “me” prism or the “team” prism.
    • On the other hand, people who view the world purely through the team prism will very seldom use the words “I” or “me” even when answering questions about their accomplishments. Even in an interview, they will deflect credit to others on their previous team. They will tend to be far more interested in how your company will win than how they will be compensated or what their career path will be. When asked about a previously failed company, they will generally feel such great responsibility that they will describe in detail their own misjudgments and bad decisions.
    • Final Thought

      While it may work to have individual employees who optimize for their own careers, counting on senior managers to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons is a dangerous idea.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My daily readings 08/30/2010

August 30, 2010

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My daily readings 08/29/2010

August 29, 2010

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My daily readings 08/28/2010

August 28, 2010

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My daily readings 08/27/2010

August 27, 2010

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My daily readings 08/26/2010

August 26, 2010

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My daily readings 08/25/2010

August 25, 2010

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My daily readings 08/24/2010

August 24, 2010
  • tags: Javascript

  • tags: textbook

    • As the iPad and other tablet devices become a go-to device at schools and colleges for consuming textbook content, Inkling is hoping to help publishers capitalize on that growth. Inkling’s platform, which launched today, delivers interactive textbooks that feature the ability to collaborate, add multimedia and communicate within content. Inkling aims to add another layer to online textbooks by adding 3-D objects, video, quizzes, and even social interaction within the content.
  • tags: lifestyle

    • Step 1: Think. Next time you approach something new, think of it as an experiment. Be curious, with a healthy sense of detachment. A scientist would say “I don’t know, let’s see what happens,” and so can you!

      Step 2: Try. Decide what you will try in your experiment. Challenge yourself to do something you might not have done before. Think about how will you measure success. How will you enjoy the journey in addition to the outcome?

      Step 3: Learn. Observe what happens and learn from it. The final outcome might be different from your measurement of success. Expect to be surprised.

    • Step: 1: (Think) You are going to a party and only know a few people. So you will try talking to three new partygoers.

      Step 2: (Try) You will try only asking questions, and steering the conversation back to the other person. You will be Sherlock Holmes – curious dectective in search of each person’s passion (everyone has one).

      Step 3: (Learn) Were people willing to answer any questions? Were you able to engage people? Did you find you were surrounded all night? Was it hard to think of questions?

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My daily readings 08/23/2010

August 23, 2010
  • tags: lifestyle

    • Inspired by books and blog entries about living simply, Ms. Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, both 31, began donating some of their belongings to charity. As the months passed, out went stacks of sweaters, shoes, books, pots and pans, even the television after a trial separation during which it was relegated to a closet. Eventually, they got rid of their cars, too. Emboldened by a Web site that challenges consumers to live with just 100 personal items, Ms. Strobel winnowed down her wardrobe and toiletries to precisely that number.
  • tags: Startup

    • It’s much more easier to start a web company today than 10 years ago. Cheap cloud services. Endless web frameworks. Client side libraries. Server side libraries. Matured architectures. Many best practices.

      What’s improved in VC world in the last 10 years? Better laws? Better standardized practices?

    • Every time I read “If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to focus on profitability”, I think to myself:

      No shit.

    • i can see how you can take the post in that way.

      but i didn’t mean it that way.

      i’m just concerned that there isn’t as much capital around to fund all of these companies in the follow on rounds

  • tags: Startup VC

    • Part of the answer is that this crop of startups will get bought out earlier than those who have come before them. Look at Hot Potato. Josh Kopelman said “we’ve only been investors for a couple of months” about Hot Potato. That is a good outcome for the founders. Not so much for the investors. But it is going to happen more and more as large tech companies look for teams that have a proven record of building and launching strong products.
    • Union Square Ventures’ first fund was raised in 2004. We invested in twenty-one companies and we still have sixteen active companies. And we still have $25mm on reserve for them. Christina and I calculated last week that about half of those sixteen active companies still might need more funding from us. So we have eight “kids who have not yet reached adulthood”. That is six years after we raised the fund.

      The thing that nobody understands until you’ve lived through it is just how long it takes for some companies to get profitable and self sustaining. And just how long it takes for some companies to get liquid and leave the portfolio.

    • So, if you are an entrepreneur you should be very focused on either getting to profitability or getting a VC firm or two with deep pockets into your company (or both). If you are a seed investor, don’t go quite so fast. Reserve some funds for follow on investments. And help your portfolio companies get to profitability or get a VC firm or two with deep pockets into your company.

      I think this expanding birthrate is a great thing. Entrepreneurship is alive and well all around the world. Smart and scrappy entrepreneurs are imaging new products and services and building them. But we all should be careful to think about how we are going to fund all of this company creation. Not just the first part of it, but all of it.

  • tags: idea

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

My daily readings 08/21/2010

August 21, 2010
  • tags: Startup

  • tags: Communication

    • 他们善于把握故事的精髓。他们知道什么该讲,什么不该讲;他们知道什么该先讲,什么该后讲;他们知道什么时候应该做好哪些铺垫,什么时候以什么样的方式把包袱抖开……

      在说理的时候,他们会应用同样的原理。提前想明白什么是重要的,什么是不重要的,不重要的可能需要略去;他们知道听者为了理解某一特定的概念或者道理,需要先了解什么,以此来确定自己讲话的顺序,他们知道听者可能接受什么可能反对什么,而后按照恰当的方式达成说服效果……

    • 而只有一小部分人(我很怀疑不会超过10%)知道这种人的存在实际上是难得而又珍贵的学习机会,通过仔细观察,细心揣摩,反复练习,最终也能习得本质上相同的能力(因性格不同最终风格肯定有所不同)。

      这是事实:与普遍认为的相反,优秀的人往往更可能使身边的人放弃。只有很少的人会把那些极端优秀的人当作学习的榜样。当然,如果身边没有优秀的人,那就是生活在“悲惨世界”之中。所以,无论如何,有总比没有好。

  • tags: ideas

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.


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