Category: Startups

American Made General Store Review Pocahontas, AR

American Made General Store Review Pocahontas, AR Tooling around the underbelly of Arkansas the other week, I was heading north on US 67, which runs from the Mexican border to the Quad Cities, in IA/IL. Pocahontas was indeed named after the Native American of renown, and not after any current political candidate. The town sits… Continue reading American Made General Store Review Pocahontas, AR

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

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

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

Trust Your Employees and Reap the Rewards

Richard Branson, Chairman of the multinational Virgin Group, made some “news” this week by announcing that employees of the (over 400) companies would no longer be bound by an official vacation policy; employees would be free to take the time they need/want, and it would not be monitored. In other words, Branson is placing his… Continue reading Trust Your Employees and Reap the Rewards

What’s Wrong With Alibaba?

The Chinese web company made history today, with the richest IPO ever, bringing in an anticipated USD $21 billion + valuing this middle-man company at over USD $200 billion, giving it a larger valuation than its nearest rival, Amazon. If you’re not familiar with Alibaba, it’s a Chinese based group of internet-based e-commerce companies, including… Continue reading What’s Wrong With Alibaba?

There’s Only One Task For Any CEO

I know many CEOs who believe they have four ‘audiences’ for their concern: Wall Street, regulatory agencies, customers, and employees. (Usually in that order). I believe this to be misguided; I feel that if CEOs make their employees their only priority, all other corporate needs and accomplishments will fall in line. While many in business… Continue reading There’s Only One Task For Any CEO

The Idiocy of Multi-Billion $ Evaluations

 Part  Deux –  In Which I Continue My Rant On Valuations The other day, I penned my thoughts about private equity. Amplifying on that theme, there are a lot of unprofitable companies out there funded by private equity or venture money, with multi-billion dollar valuations. Oh yeah? Sez who? Apparently only the people who hope… Continue reading The Idiocy of Multi-Billion $ Evaluations