Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
My friend Peter Sims recently wrote about how he disagrees with Peter Thiel’s “Competition is for Losers” editorial. Thiel argues that monopolies are good for society, and Peter respectfully disagrees. My own take is fairly nuanced–monopolies are a sign of a healthy market, because they tend to result from innovation in “winner-take-most” markets, but they … Continue reading Monopolies Are A Consequence, Not A Benefit
I was fascinated by a recent report that Upworthy, Elite Daily, and Distractify–buzz-based content repurposers whose “viral” headlines have plagued my Facebook feed–had seen their traffic drop by 50% after Facebook changed its news feed algorithm: http://read.bi/1gmjx5u The rapid decline of these previous “hot” startups illustrates a basic principle of business. You have to ask … Continue reading Do You Have A Relationship With Your Users?
I firmly believe in the truth of the old saying, “It’s cheaper in the long run to pay for a professional.” It’s an axiom that applies in nearly any situation, from decide whether or not to attempt to fix your own plumbing problems, to dealing with groupies if you’re a young All-Star. Yet while most … Continue reading It’s Cheaper In The Long Run To Pay For A Professional
John Kirk recently took issue with the spate of stories about Android’s increasing share of the smartphone market. In his polemic, “Android’s Market Share Is Literally A Joke”, he argues that Apple is actually winning the smartphone battle because it has a majority of the profits: http://bit.ly/11pl4CN “Not only do the high priests of market … Continue reading Yes, Android is winning (at least by what Google cares about)
UPDATE: Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I appear to be back in business (on one browser). They key is to enable the multiple sign-on option in each account: https://www.google.com/accounts/b/0/ManageAccount?hl=en I just tried it, and I’m back to being able to do everything within Firefox. *** I have been a long-time Google user. For example, I’m … Continue reading Google Account Craziness
Google took a lot of ribbing for adopting the “Don’t be evil” motto. But with the recent revelation that Google has been working with Verizon to undermine Net Neutrality, many feel that Google has crossed the Moral Event Horizon into outright villainy. I’m not smart enough to weigh in on the Net Neutrality debate. But … Continue reading Don’t Be Evil = Don’t Inconvenience Me
As an entrepreneur or a company, you should appreciate the underrated power of quitting. While we often glorify a never-say-die attitude, and celebrate the entrepreneurs who build great companies despite near-universal criticism, extreme persistence comes at a price. I caught up with a friend yesterday, a high-profile entrepreneur who will remain nameless (I forgot to … Continue reading Little Bets and the Power Of Quitting
I’ve often said that there’s no privacy anymore, and that Google knows everything about you. Ever wondered what Google thinks it knows? Just click to http://www.google.com/ads/preferences and you’ll find out. Here’s what Google thinks of me: CategoryBusiness – Advertising & Marketing – Marketing ServicesBusiness – Management & Corporate Operations – Strategic PlanningFinance & Insurance – … Continue reading How To Find Out What Google Thinks You Like
I happened to glance at Google News today, and saw that their image matching algorithm was on the fritz. These are actual, non-Photoshopped screen captures: I’m not quite sure what Hillary Clinton has to do with the presidency or gay pride, but apparently Google thinks she’s the best match. Freudian slip, perhaps? Special bonus points … Continue reading Google News Fail: Gay Pride & Prostates
Unbelievable. This blog has been offline for a week because Google’s automated algorithms marked it as a spam blog. How many spam blogs date back to 2001? As usual, no customer service. I submitted a request for review, and I never got a response. On the other hand, I suppose I should be thankful that … Continue reading Google/Blogger Sucks, Part 772