If you are in a loving relationship, and your other half (your most passionate advocate) cannot explain to someone else, in simple words, what you do for a living (unless you are in the Security Services), how impressive are you really?
Archive for May, 2019
Advocate
Saturday, May 4th, 2019
Sino British Ties
Friday, May 3rd, 2019
Politics has a way of deflecting attention from the truly meaningful to the symbolic with frustrating missteps. In a week, when Britain’s future relationship with China, has surpassed Brexit on the front pages of the UK broadsheets, it was reassuring to hear reason, and common sense, spoken by British MP Dominic Raab, at an intimate private dinner attended, by many of London’s most influential Sino voices. For we have much more in common than that that divides us.
Run For The Roses
Friday, May 3rd, 2019
“The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
Tis summer, the people are gay;”
There are many problems in US thoroughbred racing but starting with the fabled walk from the barn to the gates flicking open, the most engaging theatre in global sports, the Kentucky Derby, has its’ next mint julep-filled edition on Saturday night. A pick? Baffert, Baffert, Baffert.
12 Signs That You Have Lost Control of The Investor Discussion
Friday, May 3rd, 2019
- You are talking about funding terms and conditions before you have framed the investor’s objectives
- The investor continues to ask questions about your credibility long after your first conversation.
- The investor feigns interest with anecdotes of his or her own past experiences and seeks to point you to a “dead-end” road.
- The investor routinely allows (or makes arranged) disruptions to your meeting, by their assistant, colleagues or to take “urgent” phone calls.
- The investor cuts short your meeting or arranges for a subordinate to step in at short notice.
- You are pushed into a position by the investor of constantly defending your investment thesis, your IP, or your technology rather than discussing how you might work as partners in success.
- You are doing more than a third of the talking.
- You are treated as a subordinate in the investor meeting (body language and talk).
- The investor refuses to engage in a conversation about his or her desired outcomes as it pertains to your investment needs. (“It is too early.”)
- The responses that you receive from the investor are curt and to the point but with little or no explanation for his or her position.
- You leave accepting “we’ll call get to you” or words to that effect from the investor that include no definitive next step (call, meeting, exchange of further information).
- Your follow up calls and other attempts at contact are returned with a cursory platitude or not at all.
Breeding
Wednesday, May 1st, 2019
Breeders breed racehorses with a very simple task in mind, to breed the fastest horse between the starting gate and the winning line.
“Strength” in the form of stamina to sustain the strongest galop and “speed” to outrun the field.
Nothing is certain but breeding the best sires with the best mares is the least risky option.
Would an outsider recognise your sales and marketing “system” as the superior progeny of the best people with the best technology? If not, why in the hell do you think you can outrun your competitors and build a sustainable future?