Shawn and I are both from Nebraska, so we've always taken a special interest in one Mr. Evan Williams, a.k.a. Boss Tweet. Williams grew up on a corn and soybeans farm in Nebraska. Which of course is great training for Internet entrepreneurdom. Both professions demand that you work all the time. Here's how he describes his business path thus far: In 1997, I moved to California and worked at what is now O'Reilly …
Self-Realization In Tough Times
Serial entrepreneur, Jason Calacanis, is a character I'd like to have lunch with. He talks straight and straight talk is what we need more of in this politically correct, "we're all winners" culture. Writing about the entrepreneur's innate fortitude in BusinessWeek, he says: You see, there are two types of entrepreneurs in this world: real ones and the folks who play entrepreneurs for some portion of their lives. …
News And Paper Need A Separation
The negative news about newspapers is deafening. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, San Jose Mercury News, and now the San Francisco Chronicle are all battling for their very existence. Some might make it, others might not. Everyday this drama plays out, side by side with the dramas in our financial markets, in Detroit and on Main Streets throughout the …
Palo Alto, We’ve Got A Problem
Randall Rothenberg's book, Where the Suckers Moon was instrumental for me at the beginning of my ad career, probably because the book's release (October 25, 1994) and my interest in the business coincided. Today, Rothenberg is President of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). As such, he's concerned with the lack of creativity in Interactive media. The four enemies of online branding: A direct-marketing culture …
My Self-Selection: Writer, Editor and Entrepreneur
The other day, I read a meditation on what it means to be an entrepreneur. Here are some highlights: What makes an entrepreneur different is that he assumes risk. He puts his money, his time, his success, and himself on the line for what he's doing. I was an entrepreneur in the past. Being a young entrepreneur didn't just change my life; it literally paved my way. I believe that entrepreneurs, and even …
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California, Prophet On A Burning Shore
"Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passin slow My time coming, anyday, don't worry about me, no " - John Perry Barlow Mark Morford is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. In his latest piece, he imagines a glorious "green in every way" future for the Golden State. Pot is, by a huge margin, the single largest cash crop in the state unless you count porn stars and celebrity rehab. It rakes in upwards …
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Today In Twitterverse: Search And You Shall Prosper
John Borthwick, an investor in Twitter, sees Twitter's real time search as the stone capable of slaying Google the Search Giant. Reflecting on a three-day training session at AOL back in the day, Borthwick writes: He (Clay Christensen) said time and time again disruptive business confuse adjacent innovation for disruptive innovation. They think they are still disrupting when they are just innovating on the same …
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Outside of TED: Make Something That Matters, Like A Tribe
In case you haven't heard, Seth Godin has a new book out. It's called Tribes. …
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