Category: Uncategorized

Why Start-Ups Need Mentors

I first “landed” in Silicon Valley in 1998, at the beginning of the first bubble. I use the word “landed” literally, as I had just completed nearly ten years of running media, information, and news companies overseas, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including four years on Mainland China. My colleagues, employees, and… Continue reading Why Start-Ups Need Mentors

Making a Case for Incubators

How to Make Incubators and Accelerators Work There have been some articles lately on the proliferation of incubators/accelerators and debates on whether or not they provide a worthwhile service, or in fact, actually help to launch companies. I can say unequivocally yes, they can be a valuable part of the start-up landscape if set up… Continue reading Making a Case for Incubators

Is Your HR Department Your New Storefront?

Some years ago, people talked about the importance of having a great website – that for many companies it was the equivalent of a brick and mortar storefront. The site was what the public saw first, created the initial impression of the company and encouraged (or discouraged) people from doing business with the concern. I… Continue reading Is Your HR Department Your New Storefront?

The Joys of Working Overseas

I’ve been fairly lucky to have had a long, internationally-facing career, having resided in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Beijing, and having touched down on business in sixty countries. I’m sure I learned more than I “taught,” and that’s perfectly OK with me. My assignment with the largest and most challenging responsibilities included being… Continue reading The Joys of Working Overseas

The Mother of All Business Incubators/Accelerators

I’ve been involved in a lot of start-ups. No grand slams, but a few solid base hits and some spectacular strike-outs. My ex wife called me a “risk junkie,’ – I never agreed with that assessment, but I do enjoy the passion and energy of working with founders and employees of new ventures. I’ve also… Continue reading The Mother of All Business Incubators/Accelerators

Are We Ready for “A la Carte” “Cable” Television?

Have you cut the cable yet? There has been a lot of coverage in the news, trades, and other media about how millennials have abandoned “traditional” delivery methods for video product (like cable), and instead are relying on services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and the like. These services have not yet figured out how to… Continue reading Are We Ready for “A la Carte” “Cable” Television?

What’s With McDonald’s? “Too Big to Fail?”

The phrase, “too big to fail” was bandied about a lot during the financial crisis, especially in discussions about banks, insurance companies, car manufacturers. I’m not sure if that was true or not – of course there would have been a lot of pain if one of those companies had gone under, and a lot… Continue reading What’s With McDonald’s? “Too Big to Fail?”

More on Uber

More on WebVan, er Uber A few weeks ago, I opined on this forum that I thought “Uber,” the technology company in the peer to peer ride sharing space, was/is the equivalent of the current bubble’s “WebVan,” – overvalued, over invested, destined to either crash and burn spectacularly or be forced to completely reinvent itself.… Continue reading More on Uber

Red Lobster – In a Pinch, Clawing Its Way to the Bottom

Darden, the restaurant operator (Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Capital Grille ) sold Red Lobster a few months ago. The acquirer was / is Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, that also holds California Pizza Kitchen. Eddie Bauer, Zales and other consumer facing businesses. Golden Gate was formed by… Continue reading Red Lobster – In a Pinch, Clawing Its Way to the Bottom