Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
If you’re born into the poorest quintile, and don’t get a college degree, you have a 32% chance of making it into the middle class or above (top 3 quintiles). That rises to 62% if you get a college degree. Getting a college degree doubles your chance of having a successful life (if having a … Continue reading Education Is Destiny: Educated Poor Do As Well As The Lazy Rich
This paragraph from Warren over at Coyote Blog may well be the best paragraph I read all week: “For socialists, wealth is not created by man’s mind and his effort — it is a spring in the desert with a fixed flow rate. It just exists to be taken or fought over. The wealthy, by … Continue reading The Zero-sum Fallacy Of Socialism
I like Seth Godin’s work, but I think he’s overrated. It’s not Seth’s fault; he keeps doing great work. But the Internet hype machine has saddled him with ridiculously high expectations and a worshipful aurora of groupies, which makes it difficult to evaluate his work properly. Nonetheless, his recent post, “Pick Anything — The Calculus … Continue reading The Best Time For Change Is When People Are Forced To Choose
I go to the gym about three times a week to run on the treadmill. One of my pet peeves is that the television choices are neither fish nor fowl; they’re a peculiar mixture of men’s and women’s programming. To wit, here is what’s generally playing on the four screens, from left to right: 1. … Continue reading Business Opportunity: Men-Only Gyms
As long-time readers know, I’m a huge critic of Wal-Mart’s critics, who typically combine two characteristics I despise: A complete misunderstanding of economics, and a fundamentalist faith in the power of trade unions. What these critics miss is that fact that Wal-Mart passes nearly all of the savings it squeezes out of its value chain … Continue reading The Wal-Mart Safety Net
Lots of entrepreneurs ask me if they need a business plan. I always give the same answer: No. I’ve raised and participated in dozens of angel and venture rounds, and the only time a business plan was ever involved was my very first start-up. I’ll bet the experienced investors who gave me their money saw … Continue reading It’s Official: Business Plans Are a Waste of Time
Professor Todd Kashdan of George Mason offers this wonderful tip on his Psychology Today blog:Researchers at Stanford University tested a simple idea for how to create successful outcomes during tense negotiations or conflicts. The reason that arguments can quickly turn ugly is that people don’t feel as if they’re being understood. Thus, make sure that … Continue reading The One Secret To Resolve Argument and Conflict
One of the key components of the Silicon Valley ecosystem is the gang of Valley law firms that serve all the startups and entrepreneurs. These firms go out of their way to be helpful to entrepreneurs (with the hope that you’ll choose them when you start your next company). The folks over at Orrick invited … Continue reading Two great *free* events for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley from Orrick
Just as I’ve recently realized that I’ve gradually evolved from a self-proclaimed child prodigy into a grey-haired voice of experience, I’ve also found that I’ve come to know a lot of important and influential people. Just in the past week, seemingly at random, I’ve had friends who are spending the day with Bill Clinton, launching … Continue reading The Secret, Foolproof, 4-Step Way To Get To Know The Important And Influential
“At the same time, the rest of us can’t afford to demonize every investor or entrepreneur who seeks to make a profit. That drive is what has always fueled our prosperity, and it is what will ultimately get these banks lending and our economy moving once more.” –Barack ObamaNow if only people listen…. (via Fred … Continue reading Quote of the Day: “Seeking profit is what has always fueled our prosperity”