PinnedWe Can’t Wish Covid-19 AwayCovid-19 is a mean MFer and it’s coming for all of us unless we do something differently. Covid-19 is not just like a cold. Letting it rip unimpeded is adding an enormous, unsustainable health debt to ourselves, our families, our businesses and our society. Herd Immunity was never possible and certainly isn’t now. Long Covid isn’t just real, it’s devastating and surprisingly common. Covid-19 is devastating kids…Covid-1923 min readCovid-1923 min read
Jul 13, 202013 Reasons Why Reopening Schools Now Is ABSOLUTELY INSANE1. Schools are now known to be likely centers of community spread for COVID-19, for example: in Israel (another source), in China, in Hong Kong, in Texas daycare centers, in South Korea, in North Carolina daycare centers, in Georgia daycare, in NC schools, in Illinois, French schools, in New York…Covid-198 min readCovid-198 min read
Jun 22, 2020COVID-19 LOVES CUBICLESPLEASE DON’T FORCE EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE YET!!! — The US isn’t remotely close to done with the health and economic impact of COVID-19. When I wrote an earlier version of this article about a week ago, the data already told a dispiriting and frustrating story. …Coronavirus15 min readCoronavirus15 min read
Oct 2, 2018The Paradox of InnovationMany years ago, I created and delivered training for resellers of LiveVault, one of the first online backup services. At the time, what we were selling was very new and counterintuitive to most of our target customers. …Innovation3 min readInnovation3 min read
Mar 5, 2018Change the world; don’t just build another app/token/platformI’ve heard hundreds of pitches for businesses over the past few years — both as part of my role at Hult International Business School and in my time advising start-ups. I’ve noticed a pattern. If your pitch starts with “an app/token/coin that…”, your business is almost definitely going to fail. …Life Lessons3 min readLife Lessons3 min read
Feb 9, 201873 Mind-Blowing Implications of Driverless Cars and TrucksI originally wrote and published a version of this article in September 2016. Since then, quite a bit has happened, further cementing my view that these changes are coming and that the implications will be even more substantial. …Self Driving Cars19 min readSelf Driving Cars19 min read
Jan 2, 2018Get emotional in business (and life)We buy products based on how they make us feel. Investors invest based on how they feel. Data (facts) serve as constraints (i.e. what are my actual choices?) and justifications. It’s easy to mistake constraints and justifications for decision criteria. The bigger the decision, the larger the role of emotion. …Life Lessons2 min readLife Lessons2 min read
Oct 21, 2017Member-onlyWhat Makes a Great Manager?There are books upon books and tons of research on this topic. There are training classes. There are entire graduate programs dedicated to this. But, despite all of this, I would argue that most managers most of the time aren’t very good. Here is my attempt to simplify how to…Management2 min readManagement2 min read
Oct 21, 2017Member-only3 Tips To Kicking Ass in a New JobA smart, much younger colleague is about to start a new sales job. He asked me for advice on how to hit the ground running. This doesn’t address some of the basics (show up on time, dress well, etc). I boiled it down to three things: Figure out who is…Startup2 min readStartup2 min read
Oct 16, 2017Member-only6 Lessons About Grit in EntrepreneurshipI was introduced to Olguy and his father Etienne earlier this year through a friend of a friend. They’ve been working on a new product for over 20 years. — Their journey has literally crossed 4 continents (Australia beware — they’re coming soon!). Olguy slept on a factory floor in China for weeks to make sure that their first production run was the highest quality. They’ve met celebrities, made a custom shoe (size 21.5!) for an NBA player (who Olguy…Life Lessons3 min readLife Lessons3 min read
