Category: Uncategorized

SIX THINKING HATS By erstwhile Cambridge academic Edward De Bono is a provocative guide to THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. "The biggest enemy of thinking is complexity, for that leads to confusion". He is a believer in simplifying thinking by dealing with one thing at a time. A MUST READ! View in LinkedIn

ENTREPRENEURS MUST TOLERATE THE UNKNOWN AND CHAOS far more than most business people, because they are at the fuzzy edge of "What If". It is a space that is intensely uncomfortable for most of us. It is both intellectually uncomfortable (can it be done?) and intensely personal (my family may be bankrupt if I fail). This is not for everybody. Think hard if you are cut out for it, and no shame of you are not. The worst thing is a bad fit. View in LinkedIn

ENTREPRENEURS NEED MENTORS to help them prioritize, see the wood from the trees, think out of the box, open doors internationally,and help them keep a level head in the midst of adversity. YOUNG COMPANIES NEED BOARDS to give good governance and strategic advice, and keep an eye on deliverable timelines. View in LinkedIn

SCALABILITY IS NOT THE ONLY GOAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS. Not all inventions need scale. This is an urban myth. A small team of one or two entrepreneurs can develop a new and improved version of an old drug and take it through Proof-Of-Concept, then license it to Big Pharma for say 200 M USD. The total capital needed was about 4-7 M USD. Then they move on to the next bright idea, and Big Pharma does the costly job of sales and marketing. This is not a rare story. View in LinkedIn

DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY IS DIFFERENT FROM INCREMENTAL TECHNOLOGY. In the purest sense, disruptive technologies are rare and massive, such as the motor, the airplane, radio, computers and others. incremental technologies make good things better, and are the most common form of innovation found in emerging companies. Both have a completely different, and legitimate, place in any entrepreneur's dreams. Find your calling and dream the new future. View in LinkedIn

ENTREPRENEURS DO NOT ONLY HAVE TO BE DISRUPTIVE! A great example where innovation does not have to be "disruptive" but rather "incremental". Making good drugs better is highly valued by Big Pharma. There are many small specialty pharma companies working to improve existing drugs. http://lnkd.in/tQFaiU View in LinkedIn

A novel survey of worldwide trends in entrepreneuring that has value for policymakers, and entrepreneurs alike. We often forget that this is a global phenomenon. http://lnkd.in/bJn4wY View in LinkedIn

Innovative solutions spawned out of evolutionary pressure on capital. Necessity is the Mother of Invention. http://m.fastcompany.com/?m=fastcompany/node/3004780&url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3004780/save-world-now-earn-money-later-harvard-backs-social-impact-bonds View in LinkedIn

THE FOUNDER'S DILEMMA. This thoughtful essay lays out the issues and known data points. Just beware of the Big Company Hired Gun who looks good on paper, but cannot adapt to a fast-moving organization where the data points for moving forward may not exist, and the budget does not include a BCG for every new strategic initiative. Changing a wrong CEO choice is a VERY time-consuming and precarious struggle that can endanger the entire company, So, do your reference checks with the uttermost care, and do not get bullied into an expedient wrong choice. http://lnkd.in/uv_F5D View in LinkedIn

BARCELONA FEELS LIKE BOSTON DID IN 1989 ,WHEN HIGH-TECH EXPLODED. I was in Boston then, and Barcelona has the same feel: a critical mass of infrastructure (Technology Parks), medical and scientific innovation (universities), early stage funding (private and public), and an eager entrepreneurial population. This is headed to become the same economic engine in Spain that it became in the US. Nurture, encourage, connect. http://lnkd.in/eyVdTT View in LinkedIn