Triangle adds more than the Tech T in Creative Class 4 T's

Featured link of the post
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1226/p02s01-ussc.html

Joel Kotkin once called Raleigh "A nice place to be if you are a computer". A Nerdistan.

The Triangle of North Carolina, my new home, has recently been VERY good at the Technology T in the Tech, Talent, Tolerance and Territorial Assets of the Creative Class.

But as a new resident weary of the reputation of lack of culture, I have been pleasantly surprised with the cultural offerings. ( More than just the #1 ranked Tar Heels in basketball.)

Now my definition of culture may be different than yours, but for years of business travel to the Triangle coming from Charlotte and Asheville, I could never see the quality of restaurants offered because there is no signage visible from the roads while on my way to the hotels.

The Goodnights of SAS Software fame, (the wealthiest people in NC) have built a new five star hotel and spa in Cary.
http://www.theumstead.com/

SouthPointe has improved the quality of shopping options in the Triangle when added to CrabTree Valley and Cameron Village.

And well, I am now a golf addict. There are lots of excellent courses here and we are close to Pinehurst and a course called Tobacco Road, one of the 10 toughest in US....Anyone up for a challenge? Very affordable in winter.

And according to the featured link article, the artists are beginning to take root in the Triangle too.

Let's hope the added culture will attract more seasoned management and their spouses to the Triangle.

Featured link of the Post
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1226/p02s01-ussc.html

Be Part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

A business story of generosity towards the people who have earned the right to be helped. Is Goldman Sachs listening?

Featured link of the post
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22370503/

Nebraska businesses chip in to fly soldiers home from the war.
20 business people in Nebraska raise the money to fly 40 soldiers home.
Money was raised in two days!

And how much did the guy from Goldman Sachs get in his annual bonus? ($68 million!)

Just a thought for Mr. Gordon Gecko.
(Calm down, I LOVED the movie too!)

Make it an aim to do good and do well in 2008!

Featured link of the post
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22370503/

Be part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

KMART proves branding theory

Featured link of the post
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2007-12-16-light-bulbs_N.htm

Kmart shows branding really does show what people think about your company.
(Think Volvo and safety)

Kmart's new campaign shows an incandescent light bulb that talks to consumers about new bright ideas for people to buy as gifts for loved ones during the holidays.

Problem is that even Congress is considering banning the old incandescent light bulbs in favor of more "green" energy conserving Compact Fluorescent light bulbs.

From the USA Today article...
A little-noticed provision of the energy bill, which is expected to become law, phases out the 125-year-old bulb in the next four to 12 years in favor of a new generation of energy-efficient lights that will cost consumers more but return their investment in a few months.

Further proof that Kmart is out of touch with consumer wants and needs.

Featured link of the post
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2007-12-16-light-bulbs_N.htm

Be Part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Is this on your Holiday wish list?

Featured link of the post
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/60minutes/main3442193.shtml

Two things to add to your wish list
1. A 300 foot long yacht
2. A book by the owner of the football field sized yacht.

Okay all of us can only afford the book by Tom Perkins, one of the founders of Kleiner Perkins, one of the most influential venture capital firms in the WORLD.

Valley Boy
Here is the link to buy the book for your favorite entrepreneur
http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Boy-Education-Tom-Perkins/dp/1592403131/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197554359&sr=1-1

Be Part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

An entrepreneur from my past hits the big time (Product of the Year in National Geographic Adventure Magazine)

Featured link for this post
http://www.sylvansport.com/index.html

Product of the Year for National Geographic Adventure magazine
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/gear/road-trip.html

From the Magazine
2. The Base Camp
Coolest. Camper. Ever. The SylvanSport GO is the camp trailer for people who've never even thought about camp trailers. Light enough to be pulled by a Mini Cooper, the GO unfolds into a Kelty tent that sleeps four and has some seven feet of headroom, screened windows, and a dining table. It also features 24 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) of internal gear storage and the ability to host a roof rack for bikes, boats, and anything else ($7,900; www.sylvansport.com).


Here is a video
http://www.advantagewest.com/about-us/multimedia.cfm/section/about

(Says it all)

Be Part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Featured link for this post
http://www.sylvansport.com/index.html

A new 5 layer pyramid from Richard Florida of Creative Class fame

Featured Link of the Post
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/saporta/stories/2007/12/05/saporta_1206.html

An argument for a new creative age

The Midtown Alliance got a message about creativity at its annual meeting Tuesday. Richard Florida, author of "The Rise of the Creative Class," called the transformation of Midtown in the last two decades "remarkable."

Florida made a case that we're moving from the industrial age to the creative age — a change that defies the assumptions we've had about economic development.

Florida said people traditionally followed jobs, so all efforts were to get companies to locate in communities. Now jobs are moving to where employers can tap into pools of talented workers, so the thrust should be to attract the creative class.

The best people to interview are college seniors to find out where they plan to live, and why, Florida said.

In his research on how to woo this group, Florida described a pyramid with five layers. At the bottom are basic services — sewers, streets, trash pick-up, schools.

The next layer is opportunity. Does a place offer residents an opportunity to succeed? Next is leadership — does an area have strong civic participation with people who seek progress?

The top two levels were a surprise to Florida. A community needs to be tolerant and welcome diversity. And at the apex of the pyramid is "quality of place." That includes great parks, aesthetics, the arts and public spaces.

Florida said Midtown is on the right track.

Be Part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!
Featured Link of the Post
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/saporta/stories/2007/12/05/saporta_1206.html

The (CFC) light bulb moment and how you know

Featured link of the day.
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/12/signs-you-might.html


About four months ago, I tripped across an article from this guy and have been tuning into the blog ever since.
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/business/index.html

Here is a recent post.

From Logic+Emotion

Signs You Might Be On To Something

1. You can't stop thinking about it.

2. You draw stuff with whatever materials you have available.

3. You talk about it with anyone who is willing to humor you.

4. You build different versions of it in your head.

5. You blog about it from your iPhone.

Be part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Featured link of the day.
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/12/signs-you-might.html

Angle on Angel Investing - Op-Ed

Featured Articles of this post
The Study
http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2086690/

The first report from VentureBeat http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2038735/

With a V8 kind of thud to the head, this Kauffman commissioned study says angel investors do better when they go into deeper due diligence, invest in industries where they have experience and make a better return when they are actively involved in helping the company succeed.

An Angel Investor's thoughts-
http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2079811/

My thoughts from the viewpoint of a serial entrepreneur, entrepreneur network leader and former leader of an angel investor network.
http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2086690/

Be Part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

An example of an innovative entrepreneur creating a solution for an actual problem

Featured article of this post
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/11/british-inventi.html

Why did the dot com boom go to a dot com crash?
Business plans were being funded that were solutions looking for a problem.

I am aware of this problem and now has this possible solution.
Night driving is a problem for people who have good vision.

While most solutions have been expensive new headlights for existing cars, this seems to be a good use of new technology and uses solar energy.
(By the way, Cree is a North Carolina based company that is active in the LED lighting space.)

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Featured article of this post
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/11/british-inventi.html

Why "Bowling Alone" hurts Gen X

Featured link of the day.
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership/PositiveLeadership/LawsofPositiveLeadership.aspx

I recently had a goodbye dinner with some business colleagues in the Asheville market when a person I respect said that attending Toastmasters changed his life for the better.

I have always heard about Toastmasters from people such as Jeffery Gitomer during my days in Charlotte.

But as Mr. Putnam wrote in his book Bowling Alone, people in my generation are joining fewer of the traditional clubs which is why organizations such as the Jaycees are seeing a decline in membership.

So as I am going through a career change, I began to look at options of where to network in my new home of Chapel Hill, NC. I began to think of my friend at dinner and looked up the toastmaster web site.

I found this list of leadership lessons that I thought was appropriate.

• Give more than you expect others to give.
• Combine optimism and perseverance.
• See everyone as a diamond in the rough.
• Express appreciation; accept responsibility.
• Keep your ego in check.
• Show respect for the people around you.
• Treat team members as family.
• Be a source of inspiration.
• Stress cooperation, not competition.
• Maintain a sense of humor.

These are admirable traits in a leader that I would want to be my mentor.

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Featured Link of the day:
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership/PositiveLeadership/LawsofPositiveLeadership.aspx

A blog entry about a great entrepreneur's blog

Article of the day
http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/10/serial-entrepre.html

Marc Andreessen is one of the greatest serial entrepreneurs PERIOD.

Netscape is just one of the companies he took public.

He was recently interviewed for a NY Times article I read this weekend about serial entrepreneurs .

This blog entry talks about the aspirations of someone who has already made more money than they could EVER spend.

BE PART of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Article of the day
http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/10/serial-entrepre.html

Startup hubs to prosper if they are ready

Featured Article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20071022/bs_bw/oct2007sb20071019378998;_ylt=Ak2Hum8KVr09SwNxJogS8Des0NUE

Silicon Valley is not the only place where startups can prosper.

This article says entrepreneurship should be at an all time high given the current conditions.

But a business friendly city is not the same an an entrepreneurial hub.

Startup hubs must have connectors, the people who seem to know everyone that entrepreneurs need to know.

Lots of cities have all of the infrastructure in the form of facilities and bureaucracies but miss the spirit of entrepreneurship. Counting the number of heads at a networking event is NOT an entrepreneur development strategy.

Are you a connector? If not, why not?

Do you know what a connector is? If not, read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Featured Article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20071022/bs_bw/oct2007sb20071019378998;_ylt=Ak2Hum8KVr09SwNxJogS8Des0NUE

Austin's former Mayor shows you how to lead

84% of people aren't living up to their potential at work?

Article of the day
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2007-10-11-workers-survey_N.htm

Okay, I know this article looks like an ad for Intuit.

But I think it shows some interesting information. 27% of these people think they don't know enough about starting/running a business. (Insert entrepreneur development pitch here...)

While Oprah is a fine role model as the first African American female billionaire, Trump is another story. Yeah, okay, I watched some of the Apprentice too. People look up to a guy who gets to be the rude bully? Who is inspired by the worst combover in history?

Interesting who is not on the list. Not Bill Gates, Mr. Packard, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, etc.

America's idea of being an entrepreneur is Donald Trump?

Any red blooded American male can read between the lines on the Hugh Hefner reference.

INTUIT SURVEY RESULTS • 67% of Americans 'regularly' or 'constantly' think about quitting their jobs • 72% want to start their own businesses • 84% believe they'd be more passionate about work if they owned their own business • 56% are most fearful of not making enough money • 27% are most fearful of not knowing enough about starting/running a business • 66 percent of women think Oprah Winfrey is the most inspirational entrepreneur • 38 percent of men think Donald Trump is the most inspirational entrepreneur • 34 percent of men think Hugh Hefner is the most inspirational entrepreneur Survey conducted by Decipher, Inc. of Fresno California

Be part of the Solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Article of the day
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2007-10-11-workers-survey_N.htm

Two articles on the same day show the change in US demographics

Articles of the day
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/10/baby-boomer-no-.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21209301/

The two biggest generations in US history make headlines on the same day for different reasons.

Unfortunately, I am not part of either generation....

I have always been told that the greatest opportunities are created during the greatest times of change.

So opportunity is knocking, which door are you going to knock down?

80 million baby boomers beginning to retire with the greatest generational wealth in history.

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

Articles of the day
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/10/baby-boomer-no-.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21209301/

Leadership while you are young?

Article of the day
BusinessWeek - 7 attributes of leadership
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20071011/bs_bw/oct2007sb20071010093227;_ylt=Ajwm3RRnNyu02.WTn3AFJ.is0NUE


Leadership in the US is in a real funk today.

True leaders that take risks get cut off at the knees for speaking their mind about solutions for real issues.

That is how administrators with no vision rise to executive positions and then people wonder why no progress is made.

I call this leadership by attrition.

People who should lead are peeled back until a layer of bland neutrality is exposed and given the title of leader.

Is a leader a true leader even if no one is following?

People can show leadership skills even at a time when they have not earned a critical mass of followers yet.

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!

BusinessWeek - 7 attributes of leadership
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20071011/bs_bw/oct2007sb20071010093227;_ylt=Ajwm3RRnNyu02.WTn3AFJ.is0NUE

Selling Picks to the Miners

I found this recent article in the USA Today about how many successful small businesses focus on selling a solution for a pain that exists in industry today.

What does "Sell Picks to the Miners" mean? Levi Strauss did not go after the gold in the Gold Rush like everyone else. He sold things gold miners needed.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2007-05-04-show-money_N.htm

What can you sell to a growing industry? What do the aging baby boomers need? 81 (or 78) million baby boomers make a VERY attractive target market.

Need proof?

Wayne Huizenga started Waste Management with ONE garbage truck! Who is Wayne Huizenga? He owns (or used to own) the Miami Dolphins!

http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/famousentrepreneurs/p/waynehuizenga.htm

Be part of the solution! Decisions are made by those who participate!