“A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses. It is an idea that possesses the mind.” — Robert Oxton Bolt
“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” — Sir Winston Churchill
Helping Startups Tell Their Story -
Mass Challenge is a great program to encourage the development of startups in Massachusetts, and we’ve been involved with it from the beginning. A couple weeks ago they asked us to pull together some…
Went to @Apple store 2 weeks ago to get a new iPhone. Sold out, “give us your e-mail and we’ll put you in the queue.” Got the e-mail yesterday, drive 40 mins out of my way back to Apple story; arrive like a kid on Christmas morning. “We have your phone, but the wait to buy it is 45 minutes, because 400 other people got the same e-mail in the last 48 hours.” EPIC FAIL, heading home to take another look at HTC.
This post is about the most important but under-appreciated skill in business: Selling. I learned more about sales and marketing knocking on doors and selling kitchen knives across kitchen tables…
Apple Releases iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone, iOS 3.2.1 for iPad -
Looks like Apple (AAPL) has decided it needs to see some iPhone headlines that don’t include the word “antenna.”
On the eve of the iPhone 4 press conference it is holding tomorrow, the…
Good advice…
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” — Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning
A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She reduced altitude and spotted a man below.
She descended a bit more and shouted: “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don’t know where I am.”
The man below replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.”
“You must be an Engineer,” said the balloonist. “I am,” replied the man, “how did you know?”
“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you have told me is probably technically correct, but I’ve no idea what to make of your information and the fact is, I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip by your talk.”
The man below responded, “You must be in Management.” “I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”
“Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my fucking fault.”
To be put to your best use is among life’s great joys, whatever it happens to be.
It’s Time to Tackle the Unlearning Challenge -
Brand managers who “get it” but need to deliver on revenue targets for next quarter sometimes feel caught in the crossfire between the social media jihadis and the old media diehards. In hopes of…
A delicious duo of social media and food -
Among the hundreds of brands that young adults gravitate toward, the most successful ones are those that earn the loyalty and trust of their fans. Using those brands becomes habitual, so all…
James Caan, actor, on fatherhood (Interviewed in 2003)
“I never saw my dad cry. My son saw me cry. My dad never told me he loved me, and consequently I told Scott I loved him every other minute. The point is, I’ll make less mistakes than my dad, my sons hopefully will make less mistakes than me, and their sons will make less mistakes than their dads. And one of these days, maybe we’ll raise a perfect Caan.”
Read more in Esquire
Content Is No Longer King: Curation Is King -
“Content is King” — no longer. Today, the world has changed. “Curation Is King.”
Ok, I hear all the content-makers sharpening their knives to take me on.
I’m ready.
First, why content is…
Mary Meeker is a wicked smartypants. Here’s her take on the big Internet trends right now, with emphasis on mobile in general and iPad in particular.
Try the “Fullscreen” link it’s pretty cool…
MS…