Steve Jobs: The Book

Walter Isaacson is a gifted writer, and his portrayal of Steve Jobs in the new bestseller is very different than the previous books I have read of his on Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein.
It was a very difficult task given the personal challenging background of Steve (he was abandoned by his parents) and his up and down personality. He frequently berated people and always expected their best. He pushed people to do more and innovate beyond what others saw was possible. He was a perfectionist of the first order who refined and reworked until it was perfect in his eyes. He didn't believe in market research only in delivering great innovative products to the customer. The strategy led to blockbuster products including the mac, ipod, ipad, itunes, and pixar to mention a few.
He changed the rules of industries and caused lasting disruptions in so many ways. He was uneven with his family (favoring his son over daughters) and a workaholic. His diet was vegan and very unbalanced over his life - this led to some of his health issues. He was constantly a fighter (with the need for control) with other major figures such as Bill Gates and key founders and leaders at Disney and Pixar. Many he reconciled with later in life.
Most of all he focused on implementing his visions. He drove people to make them happen; he invested time and money while he expected their best all the time. Is he a role model for innovation? No, but we can learn from his continuing focus on his visions, the wide net of friends and resources he built, and his excellent products that challenged the status quo and redefined industries.
A salute to Steve!

We Survived the Irene Storm

The Irene storm blanketed the East Coast with high winds and plenty of rain. It was 6 days of anticipation, and then 6 days without power. Usually the weather predictions are off target (about 90% of the time). This one was on target, but, fortunately, the intensity was less than projected. 370,000 were evacuated from New York City and mass transit in the city shut down at 12 noon on Sat about 10 hours before the storm hit. Over 1 million people lost power in the tri-state area. A significant storm.

There was a run on fill-your-own sandbags at the transfer station, and they helped prevent major floods down our driveway before and after I cleared the drains at 5:45 when there was light outside. Ice, flashlights, batteries, and generators were nowhere to be found for a couple of days. Just like camping - only it got old after 3 days!

The storm brought people together and reinforced how many conveniences we have and have come to rely on in modern life. I am not sure the round the clock hyper weather coverage is a step forward - it hurts business and frays a lot of nerves. We were spared, but many towns and families were seriously disrupted. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they work to rebuild their lives, towns and neighborhoods.

Yale is Focusing on New Businesses

I recently went to the Angel Investors Forum & Yale Entrepreneurial Institute event to hear presentations by 3 student teams. They were well presented and innovative. Each team was passionate and had attracted mentors who had 20+ years of experience and who had invested in the businesses. A working prototype and/or revenue generating business was also the case with all three. Several students were planning to take a year off and pursue their ventures.

Roammeo.com was an event consolidator that had launched in New Haven with mobile applications. Booksavr.com was lowering the cost of books at colleges and offering seveal options for students and management systems for professors. A third project focused on cooling servers with a unique approach that had applied for several patents. Well done teams!

Idea Man by Paul Allen

I just read Idea Man by Paul Allen. It offers his view of launching Microsoft and some insights into Bill Gates. It also covers buying 2 sports teams - Blazers and Seahawks and building a new stadium in Seattle. One chapter covers building a team and partnering with Burt Rutan to win the private space race and $10mil for the first ship to reach space twice (62 miles high) in 5 days. It chronicles the story of his guitar playing and passion for launching Hendrix & EMP music museum in Seattle. He invested in Dreamworks with the big 3 in Hollywood. He also has launched a Brain Research Institute in Washington state. He evens reviews how he lost $8bil in the cable business. It clearly has some interesting insights intermixed with a very big ego.

Where Good Ideas Come From

Steven Johnson's book by the same name (Where Good Ideas Come From 2010) is very inspiring and informative. It chronicles all of key innovations from 1400-2000 in a glossary; where they were created and by whom. In many cases there were multiple creators. It is claearly a fascinating look at the evolution of the modern world we live in. He also captures the creative energy of the early coffee shops, liquid networks, and the slow hunch (i.e Darwin's theory of Evolution) which lead to his epiphany, and serendipity which frequently leads to breakthroughs. I suggest you track it down.
DC3

Australia Rocks!

It’s hard to believe that 3 weeks ago I was diving on the Great Barrier Reef in northern Queensland, Australia. The cyclone did not affect us, but it disrupted life completely just over the mountain to the west in Rockhampton and later Brisbane. Suncorp, my daughter Caroline's company, froze all new hires her and laid people off including her due to uncertain insurance payments. She has found a new job in the health care field, but it was sudden and disruptive.

Yes,it is a marathon trip, but well worth the journey. Caroline moved in late March to Melbourne and lives in trendy St Kilda area near the tram and a 25 minute walk from the water. The economy is strong with 6% growth and a strong Australian dollar. It feels like the hey days of 1960s in the US with a positive attitude and a more open and free society.

Melbourne and Sydney are great cities with panoramic vistas, and happy and engaged people who really enjoy life. All jobs seem to be worthy and quite well paid including waiters, taxi drivers and tour guides to mention a few.

It made me realize how many excessive regulations and systems we have and are now implementing in the US. We have bogged down business opportunities and start-ups and created many uncertainties. This makes for a more pressured society and life. If you do get away for a period of time, you will feel it quite quickly. Alas hopefully we are getting more in balance and ready to address big issues in the US.

Australia is a bucket list item - go and partake and check it off your list.

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