The Reunion was Awesome!
Had a great time. A true marathon weekend of seeing old friends and catching up since 'the good ole days' of 1992.
Here are a few random pictures for anyone who is interested.
I'll try to write about the experience later this week, after I've caught up from slacking all weekend. (fingers crossed)
Class ReunionTomorrow is my 10 year, high school reunion. It's hard to believe that it has been that long.Have you had a recent class reunion? Do you remember your 10 year reunion? How was it? “letme”I'll write again on Sunday and let you know how it turned out.
Lessons of Business in…The New Millennium
In the early 90's, we were told that the Internet would revolutionize business. Gone were the days of needing a physical office space to build a business worthy of changing an industry. Telecommuting was the way of the future.
Poppycock.
I'm part of a business that has no office. All of our employees and contractors work from their homes. We have a web site, we take orders, we have a dozen phone lines that route calls from house to house, and we communicate all day long via email and instant messaging. Dozens of orders are processed throughout the day and I have gone for months without seeing some of the people I work with. However, as we get ready to expand our operations into new markets, we have started telling our story to investors. When we tell them about the technology we use and how it allows us to all work from our homes without a single bit of office overhead, we get wide-eyed grins of interest. BUT, what they haven't yet come to grips with is that the majority of our success comes from the intellectual property that has been gathered to create this type on environment.
What is it worth? Not much, it appears.
You see, unless you have an office and have had to go out and purchase IKEA desks and Herman Miller chairs, fake plants, and a fridge full of stocked goodies, you don't really have anything. If you don't have a physical address and a big boardroom table, you don't have much of a company. (at least that is the general sentiment) Maybe this is what was wrong with the “dotcom boom”. In order to prove their success, many companies created a false front with just 'some man' behind the curtain. I wonder what would have happened if they had started these companies to prove their concept first, before they went off and cashed those big checks.
So, for those of you who are in the process of starting new businesses, I encourage you to not bank on receiving funding for “the next great idea”. Instead, if you've built a better mousetrap, you're gonna have to survive on your own for now. Indeed, there is money to be made from that better mousetrap – BUT, it must be able to actually catch those mice. The proof is in the results, not in the plan.
In these times, if your company is truly “lean and mean” you can only survive if you are hungry and resourceful enough to do it on your own.
A Bad Day
I think it's human nature to enjoy carnage. That would explain why rubber-necking is such a popular pastime on America's
highways. While I'm not a fan of having a bad day, I did enjoy reading
about John's Bad Day.
The fact that it happened because of a Windows box and resolved itself
after 8 hours for no apparent reason, just makes it that much more
enjoyable.
I hope John has a better day today.
When Do You Really Need a Lawyer? [Slashdot]
In my personal experience, if you are in business for yourself in any type of manner, it is a great idea to have a lawyer. I can't begin to count the number of times I've dropped a quick email to my lawyer who was immediately able to calm my fears or provide valuable information that might have saved my bacon down the road. Also, I have found that retaining an outstanding attorney can give you a strong sense of self-confidence. I do not worry about legal issues these days. I am very happy with my attorney and feel that I am well prepared to tackle almost any issue.
How to pick a Lawyer? – andy
These guidelines aren't for every person or every situation, but I find them useful.
1. Use a well-known firm, not a self-practicing attorney – When two lawyers go at it, either in court or via mail, you want your attorney's letterhead to be the one that carries the most punch.
2. Firms are better than individuals – I prefer firms because they carry a large majority of expertise. My personal attorney is the one who knows my situation. They know when to bring in an expert, and they are usually right down the hall. No referrals, no 'outside help' is required. Everything is under one roof.
3. Get a Quote – you cannot always determine the final bill, but if you need services, PLEASE ask for a quote. Lawyers have the most creativity in their billing methods. Knowing the ballpark of your next invoice will save you grey hair and keep your relationship strong.
4. The Right Attitude – sometimes, you need a 'friendly' lawyer who can smooth things out. Sometimes, you need a 14k asshole. Know the difference and know when to engage each type. They both have equal value, but you wouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight, now would you?
5. Maintain the Relationship – Make your attorney your friend. You don't want to be “just another client.” Keep them updated on your events and milestones. Their corporate networks are immense and they are a great source of information.
Mended & HealedIn roughly 12 hours from my post last night about being beaten and bruised, I have been mended and healed. One piece of news can rip you apart – and the next piece can put you back faster than you can imagine.Geeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz. I can hardly wait to share this story.Peace to all.- AndyP.S. What's the lesson here? First, when you lose everything, you can always afford to pray. Secondly, If you make enough deposits into His account, He is quite likely to make you a loan.
MacWorldI received an email from MacWorld today. They are going to print my article in an upcoming issue. I'm not sure exactly which issue, but I'll let you know.SWEET!!- andy
Bruised & Beaten20 hours ago, I woke up ready to face a new and challenging day. What I was about to experience, no matter the weeks of mental preparation, I wasn't prepared. The simple fact is, I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't actually expect it.In the coming weeks, I'm going to do my best to educate the world on my “Lessons in Business.” I've been involved in a myriad of ventures and, while I'll admit to not being an expert, surely I have something worth sharing.Today's Thoughts1. Expect the unexpected.
I know that everyone says this, but really. You MUST do it. If you don't prepare for the worst, it might just happen.2. Act Quickly
When it comes to business, and saving your bacon, don't wait for perfect. Get it done. It has to be effective, but don't waste time going for the gold when silver will do fine. Deliver, and then move onto something bigger and better.3. Be Prepared
Millions of boy scouts and girl scouts can't be wrong. If you're not ready for that rainy day, you're gonna get wet.4. Insurance
Have a contingency plan. “What if ___________?” Make a list of what could happen to sink your business. Then, line by line, figure out how you would recover. Don't wait until it has already happened. By then, it will be too late.5. Determination
If you're not willing to finish the marathon, don't start the race.Tomorrow is another day. Bring it on. I'm ready. Are you?- andy
Why Post-Its SuckI personally think that if the computer had never been invented, post-it notes would never have caught on. You see, without the computer, we wouldn't have a need for a monitor. Without a monitor, where the heck would we stick our post-its?I have two computers on my desk, my Titanium G4 and my Linux box. Both monitors are constantly covered with post-its. The problem is – my post-its are invisible. Within 24 hours of being put on my monitor, they are invisible to my eyes. I instantly forget that I wrote something there so I wouldn't forget about it. Half of the time, the post-it has the exact information I'm looking for, but I can't remember that I put it there. Those big post-its? They are even worse. I hate to waste paper so I find myself writing different topics on the same paper. Pretty soon I only need a portion of the note, but I'm stuck keeping the whole thing around because the sticky part is only on the top.Have you ever thought about how the world would react if suddenly all of the post-its from around your monitor suddenly disappeared? Are your post-its the invisible kind? Do you manage your life with tiny sheets of self-adhesive paper? “letme”
StaminaSlava from Unsanity.org posted an article on what it takes to be a good programmer. One of those key traits is stamina.I have to admit – I think that this is a key piece missing from most apps. I find myself somewhat slipping. I'm working on making it better – but it's not by increasing my intake of caffeine – it's by making better use of my time.As time goes by, I have a harder time burning the midnight oil. It takes me longer to recharge. I find that I need to make better use of my waking hours, because they are fewer than they used to be. To that end, I'm trying to plan my days a bit better. Organize my thoughts. Start the day with a plan.How do you manager your time? “letme”
