Snap Trap Earphone Holder
Demo video. Not the best presentation, but simple and to the point ... just like her product:
Humans of New York
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| "What was the happiest moment of your life?" "Well, it’s not now." |
Here are just a few examples form Humans of New York:
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| "I’m a Catholic priest." "What’s the most difficult part about being a priest?" "You sort of have to be all things to all people, and everyone expects you to fulfill their needs right away. It may sometimes seem like I’m not concerned with your problem. But I might just be tired. Or have the flu." |
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| "I just want to spend a few more years with my grandson." "Is there anything you want to teach him?" "I leave that to his parents. I just want to be there." |
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| "When I was young, I thought I’d be in a rocking chair by now. But it’s not nearly as bad as I feared. My bones kind of ache on rainy days, but other than that, I like being 82." |
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| "I left my third wife by putting a note on her pillow saying: ‘Gone to the store to get cigarettes. Be back in 5 minutes.’ That was twelve years ago and I haven’t been back yet. I don’t even smoke. |
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| "I’m wearing really plain looking underwear." |
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| "You know how most parents eventually get to the place where they say: ‘May not have been what I was hoping for, but this is who my kid is.’? Well, my dad never got there." |
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| "I’m trying to keep the love going in my family." "How do you keep love going?" "Love is a fragile thing. It will dissolve, so you have to recreate it everyday. Everyday you have to give your woman a new reason to love you." |
The New CEO
The article sought to examine, among other things, the results of large companies hiring an "outsider" CEO (from outside the company) but from the company's existing industry versus a new CEO from an outside and different industry. Interestingly, only about 1/3 of companies hiring new CEOs did so from outside their own ranks, although this number has increased in recent years.
The authors found:
- 528 companies from 1993 to 2009 who hired an "outsider" CEO
- 312 hired a new CEO from outside the company's industry
- 216 hired a new CEO from within their own sector.
Within the first year, companies that hired an "outsider" CEO from the company's own industry had higher overall returns. After the third or fourth year, however, CEOs that were hired from outside the company's industry posted better stock returns on average.
Initially, the market reaction to a new CEO from a different industry is, predictably, negative. After the CEO is able to implement new policies and demonstrate better performance, however, "the market turns and remains in favor." Also, in the long run, new CEOs from outside the company's industry "paid more dividends to shareholders, engaged in higher capital spending, and demonstrated better operating performance as measured by profitability."
The study also looked at CEO's as "generalists" versus those considered "specialists". Overall, the generalists were not only better at making a positive impact on their new companies, they were compensated as much as 19 percent more than other CEOs.
Cha ching!
Of course, it wasn't necessarily that a "generalist" were more sought after, but typically "generalist" CEOs were more likely to have:
- guided businesses through challenging business landscapes
- challenged conventional wisdom
- experimented with unconventional ideas
So, needless to say, after years of taking jobs for experience over pay and a mountain of student loans, all in an effort to better prepare myself to step into new businesses and industries, this news was exciting and encouraging.
Granted, I'll probably continue to take on challenges for the experience rather than the compensation ... unless, of course, a Fortune 500 company wants to take me up on that additional 19%!
Cheers!
Who Killed Net Neutrality?
An interesting article by Josh Herrman at Buzz Feed delves into the problem in more detail, but suffice it to say that the recent ruling could allow big companies, such as Netflix or Pandora, to "sponsor" data plans in order to make their service more readily available to their consumers. The negative of this is that they would also have leverage over ISPs to control how bandwidth is distributed to consumers, potentially limiting the opportunities for new, innovative companies and ideas from reaching the tens of millions of mobile data subscribers.
It's not just a possibility, it is most likely a certainty.
Fred Wilson, a highly respected VC in the field, provides a thought-experiment in this regards. It's interesting.
Entrepreneur: I plan to launch a better streaming music service. It leverages the data on what you and your friends currently listen to, combines that with the schedule of new music launches and acts that are touring in your city in the coming months and creates playlists of music that you should be listening to in order to find new acts to listen to and go see live.
VC: Well since Spotify, Beats, and Apple have paid all the telcos so that their services are free on the mobile networks, we are concerned that new music services like yours will have a hard time getting new users to use them because the data plan is so expensive. We like you and the idea very much, but we are going to have to pass.
Entrepreneur: I plan to launch a service that curates the funniest videos from all across the internet and packages them up in a 30 minute daily video show that people will watch on their phones as they are commuting to work on the subway. It's called SubHumor.
VC: Well since YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix have paid all the telcos so that their services are free via a sponsored data plan, I am worried that it will hard to get users to watch any videos on their phones that aren't being served by YouTube, Hulu, or Netflix. We like you and your idea very much, but we are going to have to pass.
Entrepreneur: I plan to launch a photo sharing service where the faster your friends like the photos, the faster they disappear. It's gamified social snapchat.In case you need a Net Neutrality 101 review, check this:
VC: Well since Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat have paid the telcos so the photos that are served up in their apps don't use up any of the data plan, I worry that users won't want to use any other photo sharing services since they will have to pay high data costs to use them. We love your idea and would have funded it right here in the meeting back in the good old days of the open internet, but we can't do that anymore. We are passing.
Let's hope for everyone's sake that this doesn't play out as advocates would like.
'Twas The Night Before Christmas 2013
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house.
All the family was snoozin, while I hunched over my mouse.
Working on my computer, holiday lights strung above.
On the screen flickered brightly, the site Healthcare.gov.
In my mind the thought of saving money did dart.
While visions of healthcare brought joy to my heart.
While visions of healthcare brought joy to my heart.
I tapped and I scrolled, with fervor and patience I typed.
The website's was working, the quirks seemed over-hyped.
I continued to feed the questionnaire with my facts.
And the questions continued, each one more seemingly abstract.
Every place I have lived, back through all my abodes.
Every place I had visited, or even casually strode.
My hair color, my blood type, every scar and tattoo.
I started to wonder what this information would do.
And the questions continued, each one more seemingly abstract.
Every place I have lived, back through all my abodes.
Every place I had visited, or even casually strode.
My hair color, my blood type, every scar and tattoo.
I started to wonder what this information would do.
Next, my height, then my weight, then every personal trait that I had.
My race, my ethnicity, every habit good and bad.
Had I smoked, did I drink, was I at all overweight?
Was I married, had I kids, who is everyone I did date?
The seconds turned to minutes, and the hours flew past,
Was I married, had I kids, who is everyone I did date?
The seconds turned to minutes, and the hours flew past,
With each and every question more personal than the last.
I reached the last few disclaimers, agreed to understand.
Then provided my approval and pressed "Submit" to send.
Then I sat back and waited, and more minutes did burn.
As the hour glass on the screen continued to churn.
My excitement did grow in eager anticipation,
Of my options I'd now have for healthcare participation.
But my excitement turned to fret, than soon to all out distress.
Of my options I'd now have for healthcare participation.
But my excitement turned to fret, than soon to all out distress.
As it became painfully clear, I might have to use the "Refresh".
Before I had the chance, the site suddenly flashed.
"Site Not Found" was the cue, all my efforts were trashed.
"Site Not Found" was the cue, all my efforts were trashed.
My face became flush, my heart pounded at rest.
My stomach turned to knots, then my anger got the best.
In my fury I scrolled and the "Back" button did press.
But the information was gone, lost somewhere in space.
As a last resort I checked, the link to "My Account".
But the information was gone, all my cookies cleaned out.
But the information was gone, all my cookies cleaned out.
I moaned in dismay, softly wept in my lap.
Two hours of my life that I will never get back.
Compounding my grief was that my policy was to end
Within a few days, and at that time, what then?
An idea suddenly came, and I sprang with a yelp.
Write Santa a letter, of course, he could help!
It's not much to ask from that jolly old elf.
"An affordable health plan" for my family and myself
I've been a good boy, for most of the year,
Though delivery on such short notice is something I fear.
I'll leave extra cookies, and an extra glass of milk.
Hell, I'll even let him tap my bottle of Scotch if it helps.
But if he can't help, I'm afraid reality is clear.
Hell, I'll even let him tap my bottle of Scotch if it helps.
But if he can't help, I'm afraid reality is clear.
Me and my family will be living in a bubble next year.