Smilin' Bob's Cafe of Thought

Slinging mental hash since 2008
About Me

This is a dumping ground for all things that have no other place in my life. If I am bored, I will write something here. If I want to save a link or a video or a picture that isn't necessarily ready for public consumption, yep, it's here.

This isn't a blog.

If you found this via a search engine, I'm sorry and hope you do better next time.

Having said all that, feel free to kick the tires, doodle on the walls or just look around... and thanks for coming by.

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Archive for

January 2011

 

Being Open for a Change

Screenshot

I was friended on LinkedIn the other day by someone who is currently a competitor.  As usual, I went to look at the connections he had only to find out that he had blocked others from viewing them.  I immediately blocked mine as well... no sense sharing with him if he is not going to share with me.

This morning I had a change of heart.  In all honesty (and I will probably regret saying this at some point) what have I got to hide?  My industry connections are mine.  If I am not doing what I need to do to make sure that my competitor is not taking away my customers then shame on me.  If he can go through my connections and get business from those people then there is only one thing to do.  Figure out what he is doing and come back with something that will offer my connections an even better value.

It is my job to keep my customers happy.  Bring on the competition!

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Why facebook will be a 7 trillion dollar company

Why facebook will be a 7 trillion dollar company

January 10, 2011 – 11:48 pm

Because a loaf of bread will cost $389.

You see, everything is relative.  Except the truth…which is where the hippies go wrong.

I understand that you see things as they currently are.  Even worse, you predict the future according to the paradigm that currently is.  That’s why you clicked on my stupid title to this post.  Well, that and some lottery dream of starting an application that tricks itself into becoming a business of a generation.

It’s why when some loon with a pistol in Arizona plays Billy the kid, it’s the fault of a lady from Alaska.

Of course some of you are regular andyswan.com readers.  Also known as winners.  The previous statements don’t apply to you.  You view the world through a lens that allows for both economic/technological progression as well as the reason and logic restricted to the reality of defined truth.

And what is that truth?  What is that logic?

The truth is, 97% of VC funded companies in the tech space right now are nothing more than applications.   It’s so bad, I’m in serious discussions to start a fund that backs nothing but copycats.

The logic is….this ends well.  You see, markets always end well.  There are painful periods, of course.  Secretaries that think they had a million bucks in stock and then go on Oprah to cry when they figure out they merely made $250k in 4 years with the firm.

But that’s short term fail thinking.  In the long term, even when supposed bubbles burst, winners win.  Look at Amazon.  Look at Google.  Look at Priceline, Netflix, Apple, etc.   Value and wealth created through excellence.   It ends well for the winners, bad for the losers.   The same could be said for a night of bourbon.

So, I challenge you to think beyond the bubble.  Build your BUSINESS on revenues.  Challenge yourself to build solutions that the customer is willing to pay for…..rather than the application that joe trust-fund from the valley is willing to invest in.

You WILL benefit if you do so.

Embrace the burst.

Win.

via andyswan.com

My son recently told me that Tumblr had recently fallen into the realm of places where people with nothing to say re-post the thoughts of other people with nothing to say. I am proud to say that even though I might not have much to say I can certainly post thoughts of people who do... have a lot to say.

Posted
 

This explains so much...

... Why I feel like i have been run over by a truck. I was thinking the cedar season was late this year, but it is making up for it now: http://www.ksat.com/news/26368286/detail.html

Posted
 

How to Tell of Public Sector Workers are Overpaid, by Arnold Kling

I am sorry, but I do not believe it is relevant to ask how educated they are. Using sanitation workers as an example, I would put it this way.

If you do not have enough sanitation workers because you cannot fill job openings at the current level of pay, then those government workers are underpaid.

On the other hand, if you do not have enough sanitation workers because your budget is busted by the ones you have, then those government workers are overpaid.

Basic microeconomics.

via econlog.econlib.org

Posted
 

Happy New Year

P46

Photo from NASA: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110101.html

If I post once more this year, I will have exceeded last year's total output. I had better keep my day job.

I can't promise there will be more posting but this picture was too good not to share.

Happy New Year!

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