May
12
John Bresee Back Country Store Speaks
Filed Under Business Ideas, Resources, Principles, etc., Education and Love for Learning | Comments Off on John Bresee Back Country Store Speaks
John Bresee, co-founder of the best outdoor equipment retailer on the web, spoke at the UVEF today.
I always love to hear him speak. After the luncheon, we talked a little and he said he is really good at seeing things about three years out. His presentation riveted me every moment.
Basically:
Entreprenuers who actually start business are the only ones who ever succeed.
No lottery ticket. Really easy to start, but really hard to perservere.
Split the category. Geartrader.com is going to take on a niche of eBay.com.
Checkout the following sites:
Dogfont.com woot.com
Be first in the category.
Stay focused. “We sell outdoor gear on the Internet.” No manufacturing.
Split off companies. Apparently, Sony could have had Apple’s market share
if the publishing division in Sony hadn’t crushed the possible iPod division.
Convert the highest and ship cheapest and buy cheapest.
Don’t worry about channel conflict.
Let your customer create the product.
Overlaying on google maps.
iTunes is missing the boat when they don’t open up to all musicians who want to publish their music.
Gary Hammill – the scary way is the safe way.
Google – free matching soon to come.
eBay – free auctions sites will suplant it.
Digital services that charge are begging for a beatdown.
At Backcountry Store, we hire those in our culture to write the content for our culture. Showing up is 90% of life.
-Woody Allen
Never look back lamenting about what could have been.
Don’t choose sleep over entreprenuership.
May
12
Being Creative
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I don’t agree with a couple of these, but this is an article I’ll want to reference in the future: How to be creative (long version).
May
11
The Game of Work – Great Quote
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“People will pay for the priviledge of working harder than they will work when they are paid.”
-Chuck Coonradt
May
7
Handspring Treo 300
Filed Under Education and Love for Learning, Technology | Comments Off on Handspring Treo 300
I just got a PDA phone off eBay for $99.95 and I’m loving it. It’s going to allow me to post and access content from anywhere. I love the fact I can get such great technology for a great deal because I went with older technology that gives me everything I need: a phone, a PDA, and an Internet browser. I just wish I could have got the treo 180 because it has a b&w screen that is good to my eyes. However, it’s not supported by Sprint.
Mar
29
Start a company instead of a summer job
Filed Under Business Ideas, Resources, Principles, etc., Education and Love for Learning, General | Comments Off on Start a company instead of a summer job
Paul Graham’s summer founders program also has a link to starting a start up that is very good.
Mar
26
Unforgettable Biography becomes iMemoryBook
Filed Under Business Ideas, Resources, Principles, etc., Education and Love for Learning, Genealogy to Family History to FamilyLearn | Comments Off on Unforgettable Biography becomes iMemoryBook
Over the last couple weeks we have conducted focus groups and surveys about the Unforgettable Biography and the excercise has proven very useful. We have changed the name and tagline and rebuilt the website, improving it by leaps and bounds in ways that our customers want. The changes are receiving great reviews from our customers so far.
It’s now
www.iMemoryBook.com – collect a book of memories for someone special.
Even though we just released our site, the alexa ranking for today is 60,172, in the top 100,000. I predict this site and product will be a great one for FamilyLearn. Thanks to Paul for teaching me about focus groups.
Mar
18
Another MBA Book List
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The 30 Book MBA in entrepreneurship
Mar
16
Stanford MBA Seth Godin on the MBA
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Apparently, Seth Godin, famous for permission marketing, thinks that dedicated reading of 30-40 books and real life experience is more valuable than an MBA. I personally turned down an internship and PhD program and more from Penn State in order to work on FamilyLearn and get real life experience. Hopefully, Seth’s right and I’m learning more this path than I could have the other. I don’t suppose I’ll ever never know. Seth does know (for him at least) because he did both. Whichever path one takes, I believe a life-long love of learning is more important than anything else.
Dec
15
Google Indexing Libraries Now
Filed Under Education and Love for Learning, Technology | Comments Off on Google Indexing Libraries Now
I’ve heard about Google indexing TV programs, now they’re indexing libraries. Think about the educational and business opportunities that this will create. All those works in the public domain, searched instantly online, free of charge. It’s a fun time to be alive.
Jul
27
Tim Sander’s is onto something important
Filed Under Business Ideas, Resources, Principles, etc., Education and Love for Learning, Home, Family and Church, Ideas and Thoughts | Comments Off on Tim Sander’s is onto something important
Although Love Is the Killer App focuses on building one’s career, I think it teaches a principle similar to one Paul tries to teach the Corinthians in the New Testament:
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Of course, Paul is speaking of things of a person’s salvation rather than their career:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
However, I think the two are closely interrelated.
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