Is it Prudence or Procrastination?
Is it prudence or procrastination? Some simple tests for determining whether you need to gather more information or act now based on what you already know.
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Michael Wade: Things I Wish I Knew in My Twenties
I came across a list of 21 “Things I wish I knew in my twenties” by Michael Wade and was impressed by the insights he offered. Here are my top eight.
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Mastering The Skill of Entrepreneurship
Expertise in a complex skill, like the skill of entrepreneurship, requires mastery of a constellation of techniques and methods. I use an essay by Ursula K. Le Guin “Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?” as a point of departure to explore the “continuous cultivation of a disposition, leading to skill in performance.”
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Serge Toarca Offers Three Reasons To Bootstrap In a Small Market
Serge Toarca offers three good reasons to consider starting in a smaller market in “Why the hell am I building a product with a tiny market?” I offer another ten.
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Tim Lombard Launches PCBevo, a Unique Analysis Tool for PCB Layout
An interview with Tim Lombard on a tool he has developed called PCBevo. PCBevo helps design engineers and layout designers track the co-evolution of the design specification and the layout of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
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Octavia Butler: Cultivate Habits That Enable Persistence and Learning
Octavia Butler rejects inspiration, talent, and imagination as essential to creative pursuits and suggests that habits that enable persistence and learning are the essential element.
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The Phoenix Checklist for Framing a Problem and Its Solution
In “Thinkertoys,” Michael Michalko (@MichaelMichalko) describes “The Phoenix Checklist” as a rich set of questions developed by the CIA designed to help agents look at a challenge from many different angles.
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Some Reflections on My Life Triggered by a Recent Birthday
I had a birthday this week which triggered from reflections on my life. I prepared a short list of lessons learned for my party. I hope you find them helpful.
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David Jeske: Google’s Perspective on Agile
David Jeske divides the agile principles into high level, individual empowerment, and contract development. He embraces the first two, rejects the third.
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Scott Berkun: How to Translate Observations and Creative Insight Into a Solution
In “The Dance of the Possible,” Scott Berkun outlines four tests for understanding the real work involved in translating observations and creative insight into a solution.
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Lessons From Working With Teams Who Speak English as a Second Language
Some thoughts on things we do to make it easier for teams who speak English as a second language to understand us.
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Innovation is the first reduction to practice of an idea in a culture
Entrepreneurs need to focus on innovation or the first reduction to practice of an idea in a culture because this is the critical precursor to customer value.
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Remembering Computer Literacy Bookshops In Silicon Valley
I was asked by the son of the founders of the Computer Literacy Bookshop chain in Silicon Valley to contribute a remembrance of the stores as part of a Father’s Day gift he was preparing. Here is what I wrote.
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Why I Like Working with Entrepreneurs
I like working with entrepreneurs because I find it easier to deal with their psychological challenges and the small team dynamics of a startup than the political problems of an enterprise.
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Key Lessons From Priya Parker’s “The Art of Gathering”
Here are six practical lessons from Priya Parker‘s “The Art of Gathering.” It’s a great book that provides both practical and conceptual guidance for anyone who is planning or hosting a meeting.
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Q: What Makes a Product Attract Early Adopters?
The following is an edited version of a recent online conversation I had with a team of bootstrappers about how to make their product attract early adopters.
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Quotes for Entrepreneurs Collected in July 2019
My July 2019 collection of quotes for entrepreneurs has a focus on the need to take responsibility for the consequences of our beliefs and actions.
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Paul Tyma on “The Old Man’s Business Model”
Paul Tyma defines the Old Man’s Business Model as taking the sure way, even though it may be longer than shortcuts that may not work. Tyma calls it a “trade-off of investment up-front versus brute-force hope.” The “old man” invests up front instead of hoping a quick and dirty approach may work.
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Traffic Parrot Press Release: Bestow Selects Traffic Parrot
We have been working with the team at Traffic Parrot for more than four years, it’s gratifying to have a customer agree to a public endorsement and while Bestow was not Traffic Parrot’s first customer, they were the first to agree to be quoted.
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Reciprocal Gift-Exchange and Charity Knit Networks into Communities
Humans like to give and to receive without cheating or being cheated: we want to be part of networks of reciprocal gift-exchange. If you want to become a member in good standing of community you will need to “give to get.”
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