tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74402960754715781512011-11-27T15:44:30.245-08:00THE BUSINESS GUY | A 20-Something's Guide To BusinessThe Business Guynoreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-89020133610219072192010-04-19T22:18:00.001-07:002010-04-21T10:21:53.273-07:00

I usually don't like to get too far into disecting the news on this blog, but the decision to file a civil suit against Goldman Sachs for fraud is very unique. The firm brokered tons of deals where they sold complex CDOs filled with dangerous mortgages that would eventually default. What makes all this so incredible is that Goldman could create and sell these packages for huge money and have them

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I apologize to everyone for taking so long between posts. The last few weeks have been a time of transition for me as I moved to another position at my company. It occured to me there are a lot of business lessons to take away from periods of movement and the art of learning a new position. Here are the essentials:Humble yourself. An ego has no place in a new job. You are making new friends and

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A lot of talk is devoted to the best way to be efficient and organized throughout the day. There are highly-paid professionals making money purely from teaching people to prioritize tasks and stop wasting portions of their time. For me, being productive is a personal idea and must be tailored to an individuals own ways of thinking and problem solving. With that being said, there are certain

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This is a great example of negotiating from a Hollywood Mogul to a future Hollywood Mogul. Barry Diller, then a young executive at ABC on his way to running a few studios and, more recently, IAC, was approaching Lew Wasserman, head of MCA/Universal:"I was purchasing films for ABC from Universal, and I went to his office, and I asked him - I said, given that we are buying sixty-four units at ,

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By Lewis CollinsLeadership is a term of art. It has been defined and redefined over the centuries. Each leader has his or her unique leadership style and characteristics. The Reverend Martin Luther King once said: “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” This statement is a crystallization of what a leader must do to lead. Rudy Giuliani was once asked whether

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As chips get smaller, computers get smaller and take on different forms. The technology allows for a greater combination of the what used to be purely physical that can now incorporate a digital component.Davis Merrill created SIFTABLES, a fascinating technology that takes a basic block and transforms it into a mini-computer with the ability to sync and connect with other blocks to form a network

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Gary Erickson had a problem. He was an outdoor enthusiast in need of nourishment but stuck with a stale tasting Powerbar he could not bring himself to eat.A seemingly simple problem, but one that becomes much larger for an entrepreneur. You either accept the mediocre product dominating the market or you get up and challenge Goliath with one of your own. Erickson, then the owner of a bakery, went

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How do you lay the foundation for getting rich? Its a process we all must have the patience and passion to attain.Mark Cuban understands how to get rich. His success has come from the ability to see opportunity and take the necessary steps to accomplish his goals. This is certainly an over-simplification, but understand that is a macro-approach to the situation. Gaining real wealth means

The Business Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954246269393046877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-30203798043339687742010-03-15T22:07:00.000-07:002010-03-17T11:21:21.495-07:00

What do you do with your spare time? Are you improving yourself or society?We grew-up on TV. It's a fairly simple fact that television changed the way we utilize our free time and it has been that way for over 50 years. Clay Shirky gives a phenomenally insightful speech at the Web 2.0 Conference on what this technology has done to the population and how we will buck the trend with a fundamental

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If you look carefully at the former employers of many of the most successful entrepreneurs and executives in the world, you will start to notice a pattern. Certain companies have an uncanny ability to develop talent. This doesn't happen by chance, but because they take the time to find potential and nurture growth. GE, Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft are known to be some of the best

The Business Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954246269393046877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-18837979788734181022010-03-13T12:08:00.000-08:002010-03-15T13:58:40.418-07:00

Could the financial transaction industry be going the way of the music, television, and publishing industries?The situations feel similar. A tight, protected system built over many years and controlled by a select group of super-companies that have free reign to charge and operate how they please. Then, a group of developers come through and make the entire business open, easy, and cheap. The

The Business Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954246269393046877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-74221381599076061932010-03-11T23:44:00.001-08:002010-03-12T00:19:16.023-08:00

Sometimes to discover your business, you just have to start your business.Steven Blank defines a start up as an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. The business model essentially describes how your company will make money. Ask any leader to describe their business model and I can almost guarantee you won't get anything resembling a short answer. The reason

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Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies is a fascinating look at the speed required to keep business on the cutting-edge. A leader's ability to anticipate the future and answer consumer's questions before they ask is crucial to constantly creating new products and services that will increase revenue. Here are a few highlights from this year's list:Sportvision: The company

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Consultants tend to be good consultants because they have the ability to analyze information and suggest solutions. Analysis is an important part of business but has nothing to do with how successful your company will be. The single determining factor in achieving your goals is the ability to implement. In other words, make things happen.Let's back-up for a second. I am not saying that having the

The Business Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954246269393046877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-36280124803850033512010-03-04T11:46:00.000-08:002010-03-04T12:16:27.598-08:00

Pivot may revolutionize the way we use the internet.Gary Flake, founder and director of Live Labs at Microsoft, demonstrates a new technology that allows for the discovery of patterns and links invisible in standard web browsing. It essential has the ability to sort not only massive amounts of data but also content. Use of the internet shifts from just surfing page-to-page to actually becoming a

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Steve Blank knows the difference between a marketing and a sales problem.The first step in solving this problem is getting between the departmental finger pointing and investigating the nuts and bolts of how the product is moved to the consumer.For any budding company, a great deal of the first sales come from friends and contacts of its board members and employees. As Steve points out, this is

The Business Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00954246269393046877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-29842118901073487392010-02-28T22:06:00.000-08:002010-03-02T12:17:15.814-08:00

Entrepreneurship is about vision.It's about the vision to recognize a gap and fill it. This is not based on age and it is not always based on intelligence. I think it's almost exclusively about following through on that conversation you have with your friends that starts with "It would be so great if....".Check out this INC. slideshow about simple ideas by college students that generate serious

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It had been a while since I went through an interview but, sure enough, walking into the meeting with who will be my new boss brought back the same nervous energy I had when first trying to get into the company. So how do you calm these nerves and get the job every time? Simple, do your homework.It's important to understand that, first and foremost, an interview is a sales meeting. The person

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Be remarkable and speak to those who want to listen.Two simple rules Seth Godin believes define the new world of marketing and business success. The general thought is that we are so inundated with products and services that, without being remarkable, there is no way to get noticed. Playing in the middle is a great way to get ignored. Developing for the finges is the way to get attention and have

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It's decision time.Every so often, an opportunity comes around and you have decide the path to your life's success. These are fantastic moments. They are moments of introspection, evaluation, and idealization. My moment came this week in the form of an exciting new opportunity at work. It was time to really think.Comfort, to me, is a scary word. I always link being comfortable with settling and

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Steve Jobs has had several unbelievable stories of succees in his life but, in his commencement speech at Stanford University, he tells three surprising stories that influenced his life. These are tales of confusion, naivete, despair, death, and humility that shaped the man and success story Jobs has been for so many years. I will let you hear the stories from him, but wanted to post what I found

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LOSING MY VIRGINITY, the autobiography by British mogul Richard Branson, is a game-changer for anyone is business. Branson shows the value of listening to your customers, challenging the status-quo, and doing business on your own terms. In almost every business he started or is involved with, he had the unique ability to see large gaps in service and tailor a business to connect with the needs of

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WIRED shows us how the age of open source, custom fabrication and online product design can make anyone an entrepreneur.

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-51615795557785528512010-02-14T16:28:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:00:27.170-08:00

Blaise Aguera y Arcas demonstrated the future of mapping technology at the TED Conference in Long Beach, CA a few days ago. It is no surprise that he drew gasps from the crowd as he showed the combination of digital and real world imagery on one screen. Augmented Reality will be the future as the technology seems to be multiplying in it's capability and functionality by the month.When you watch

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-90123539249611482422010-02-12T21:16:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:00:15.636-08:00

By Dave RichardsonBusiness is tough, the economy is unstable. You need cash flow to make payroll and pay bills. Wait! No, you need profits to make payroll and pay your bills. No, wrong! If you have more cash flow coming in this month than bills then the cash flow has kept you alive a little longer until you can make a profit.So….if you have $20,000.00 in bills due this month and you can get

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-63944751733653139272010-02-06T18:17:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:00:00.286-08:00

Drink the Kool-Aid and take your career to new heights.MEN'S HEALTH had an article this month that hit real close to home. It details the many disadvantages of a cynic, those who blame others for their problems in both their business and personal lives. Constantly complaining and asking questions as to why it never seems to happen for you eliminates motivation and takes time away from what you

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-49428149345547273402010-02-02T23:04:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:59:47.677-08:00

David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals and the creator of Ruby on Rails delivers a must-see speech on the merits of running a sustainable business without the desire to get bought out by a conglomerate. To set the stage, David is speaking after attendees have just been taught, by speaker after speaker, how to pitch VC's and get high-level financing for their business.The counter-argument is the

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-11742496213701523052010-01-31T21:49:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:59:31.312-08:00

The NYTIMES ran this article today about a partnership agreement between Foursquare and BRAVO Network. Foursquare, a mobile phone app that allows people to explore towns and give reviews and tips, has partnered with BRAVO to engage viewers on locations inspired by their shows. It's another step in the interaction companies are looking for with their consumers as mobile apps allow for constant

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-14088125863968587232010-01-30T14:41:00.001-08:002010-02-21T21:59:15.155-08:00

You can't argue with the man's success. Mark points out that you can't be in too much of a hurry to grow-up and the importance of absorbing all the basic business principles you can. As most of us will find out, you learn more through real world experience than any class can teach.SUCCESS & MOTIVATION: SCATTERBRAINED AND IN COLLEGE

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-62536459195259865002010-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:59:04.531-08:00

Great speech from Eugene Lin on how he finally made money selling iPhone apps. Keep trying until that one slightly inappropriate idea takes you to the bank.iPHONING MY WAY TO RETIREMENT $.70 AT A TIME by Eugene Lin from Ignite Show on Vimeo.

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-19120837468225422482010-01-21T12:32:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:58:35.986-08:00

By John CollinsAll driven, ambitious individuals set goals. I doubt many use the word “failure” in a list of those business or personal goals. That is a mistake. It ignores the value of screwing up, of trying something new, or innovative, or untried, or “crazy” and not immediately succeeding. It does not recognize the value of mistakes.Few disregard the worth of a formal education. Learning

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-76338813160156764102010-01-19T12:28:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:58:04.078-08:00

It is possible to start a business in a recession.The financing is out there. Venture Capital firms handed out $17.7 billion in financing, angel investors are looking to nurture and mentor, and, what seems to be the most exciting of all, the age of the incubator is upon us.Picture this: You move to San Francisco to develop your business where you are given office space surrounded by other smart,

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Decrease your spending and increase potential clients and buyers through the new wave of digital marketing.It's time to use a more integrated, targeted, and brand-building strategy to create a buzz and reputation customers will associate with your company. The new platforms include blogs, podcasts, virtual worlds, web communities, and social media. The beauty of these mediums is the initial

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While I don't agree with all of the principles of Tim Ferriss' 4 HOUR WORK WEEK, it certainly has some good points. He did a series of testimonials from followers and I watched this video with a very small amount of jealousy. Maneesh Sethi showcases all the ways you can make money on the internet using a little creativity.

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-70846870172485032912010-01-14T12:06:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:56:58.731-08:00

by EvanGod gave us two ears and one mouth.Nearly 70% of our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from consumer spending. As Americans, we produce and consume goods and services that drive our economy. Someone comes up with an idea - that is then manufactured, packaged, marketed and distributed to an end consumer.Therein lies the rub.The end consumer. The purchaser. The individual who has

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-35716552452283979342010-01-13T12:05:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:56:38.566-08:00

Fred Wilson has a cool take on company founders. They run the most innovative, forward-thinking businesses because it's always about what comes next and not the merits of the past.THE FOUNDER FACTOR

The Business Guynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7440296075471578151.post-6682327768870958122010-01-12T12:02:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:56:17.254-08:00

Survival was the main objective for many companies during the recession that has gripped the global economy for the past 18 months. Businesses got leaner, more reactive, and certainly learned to operate with more efficiency as a matter of necessity rather than want.Whether your company was in the real estate market or not meant little when the international markets froze, prices tumbled, and a

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Mobile app development companies may soon rival software pioneers like Microsoft.Apps are remarkable not only because of the functions they can simplify, but also because of their revenue potential: 1. Consumers purchase the apps.2. Users are exposed to advertising embedded within the app3. In certain situations, digital products can be bought to enhance game play That is a remarkable business

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