2012/03/31

Book Review: The Start-up Of YOU



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The Start-Up Of YOU is a recently released book co-written by LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman. It’s well worth reading, not only because it presents an interesting perspective based on the entrepreneurial experiences of the authors, but is also includes a number of practical exercises (called “Invest in Yourself”) which can help you improve your networking and self-improvement skills.
(Of course the book does its share of promoting LinkedIn and other Hoffman ventures (what similar books don’t?), but at the end of the day, after reading the book, LinkedIn will become a more valuable tool to you.)
The book is not a book about looking for a new job, but in essence it recommends that you do things every day that we usually only do when looking for a job. To quote the cover of the book: “Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career.”
Here are some highlights from the book:
  • We should all think like entrepreneurs and create networks that outlive the initial start-up phase
  • Every person is a small business, and should be constantly planning and adapting as businesses do
  • You can’t be complacent. Always think of yourself as being in “beta” – constantly striving to evolve and make yourself better
  • Your personal asset mix is not fixed – you can and should learn new skills
Frankly, the main value of the book to most people will be its chapters (and follow-up exercises) on networking. The book talks about developing both a small inner circle of 8-10 key people – called professional allies – and an outer and larger circle of contacts – which can reach into the hundreds. As in all things, the more you view your networks from a “we” rather than “I” perspective, so that both parties can benefit from the relationship, the more effective your networking efforts will be.
The book concludes this way: “So start tapping into your network. Start investing in skills. Start taking intelligent risks. Start pursuing breakout opportunities. But most of all, start forging your own differentiated career plans; start adapting these rules to your own adaptive life. For life is a permanent beta, the trick is to never start stopping. The start-up is you.
Let me know if you end of buying the book and agree with my assessment.

6 Huge Tech Trends to Watch




These trends could make for huge opportunities--or huge disruptions to your business. Either way, they are ones to watch.

We’re only a few months into 2012, but several technology innovations are starting to show promise. Whether these trends will force you to change how you do business, or present you with entirely new opportunities depends on how willing you are to be an early adopter and take risks. You'll have to find room in your IT budget for these things, too. Whatever you do, keep these innovations on your radar:

1. Predictive technologySeveral companies have started talking about their research into predictive tech. The idea is that, as computers become smarter, they can analyze historical data to make predictions.

For example, Ford is using technology from Google to develop a navigation system that predicts, based on your previous routes, where you want to go at a specific time of the day. For small business, predictive tech could help in small ways: Your printer might forecast how much paper you will need next month, or help you arrange a better utility contract for heating based on trends form the past few years.

2. HTML5There has been buzz about HTML5 now for the past few years. The new version of HTML provides a richer framework for videos and interactive content. Steve Jobs claimed it was a better approach to dealing with this rich content than Adobe Flash. One sign that HTML5 may finally replace Flash comes from the automotive world. In the upcoming Cadillac XTS sedan, the dashboard interface uses HTML5 so developers can make new apps without being confined to a specific code base.

3. High resolution displaysThe Apple iPad 3 is the first sign that mobile devices are going ultra-high-res. The iPad 3 has a 2048 x 1536 screen that looks super-sharp for videos, e-books, and apps. But the iPad 3 is not the only device to offer much higher resolution. The Samsung Series 9 desktop display uses 2560 x 1440 pixels for a screen that looks much more sharp than most monitors.

4. Social analyticsI wrote recently about Sprout Social, a tool that helps you understand your social graph: how well you are connecting with others, your reputation, your follower stats. What I’m seeing lately is an uptick in “aggregators of aggregators”—tools like thismoment that takes the data obtained from Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and others, and shows you how your company is doing on campaigns. As with any business endeavor, these super-aggregators are trying to get to the bottom line to understand whether social marketing efforts are paying off—or leading you nowhere.

5. Speech for businessOne of the great features of Apple's Siri is its ability to understand context. You can add a reminder that tells your wife when you leave work. When you do, Siri sends the reminder based on your location. Lately, speech tech has shown signs of improving even more. Natural language searches will become commonplace in a few years—you will be able to walk into a conference room and say “tell everyone the meeting is cancelled” and the speech system will know what you mean and send the message.

6. Business-ready storageCloud storage has changed how Big Business operates—in some cases, larger companies are ditching their data centers altogether. But small companies do not even have data centers. Some of the choices for storage are making a huge impact—Dropbox is more popular than ever. But a new service called Huddle provides better reporting, security, and team accounts that is a better choice for business.

Essential Reading List for New Entrepreneurs


Essential Reading List for New Entrepreneurs

Everything you need to know to become a successful entrepreneur is in these six essential books.
 
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Few of us are born knowing everything it takes to be an entrepreneur.  You may have the spirit, the personality, the drive, but often we still need to learn the tricks of the trade in order to become truly successful.

My education at Columbia University and corresponding course work at the business school during my undergraduate years served me well. I have been involved with start-up ventures both successful and not. But nothing has helped me hone my skills as an entrepreneur like these books. In my opinion, they are the best books on the market for new entrepreneurs and should be required reading for all that want to start their own businesses.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

To me, this book sets the tone for anyone who is preparing to run their own business. It provides an insightful look into the author’s views of why you go into business for yourself and who you should be looking out for once there. That is why it tops my list as required reading for all new entrepreneurs.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Sure we all want the freedom provided by owning our own businesses. But how do you transform your job into a business and actually attain the freedom sought? Gerber expertly breaks down what it takes to structure a new company so that you can create an entity that exists without you thus providing the freedom you desperately desire.

Secret Service by John DiJulius.

Every business model can benefit from superior customer service. What is it and how do you provide it? Read Secret Service. DiJulius, a self-taught customer service guru, breaks down every aspect of the customer service cycle revealing amazing insights as to how every business can benefit from providing world-class customer service.

The Real Secrets of the Top 20% by Mike Brooks.

If your business is a sales organization and, let’s face it, most businesses must have some component of sales to survive, The Real Secrets of the Top 20% is a must read. Brooks breaks down sales and the techniques to increase the same so that you can make more with the same leads and customers you already have.

Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump.

Trump is a polarizing figure, there is no doubt about it. But there is little debate about one thing–the man knows how to be successful. Unlike some of the other books on the list it is difficult to neatly fit this now iconic book in any one particular category. For me, however, I feel that it offers great lessons in tenacity and attitude that are requisite for every entrepreneur.

Sex Money Kiss by Gene Simmons.

"Really?" you may be asking yourself. He put a book on this list that’s cover is the picture of the iconic Gene Simmons’s tongue? Yup. Read it. You may know him as a rock-and-roll mega star. But underneath the leather, the wild antics, and incomparable showmanship lies the heart and soul of a brilliant businessman. If for no other reason read it to learn about work ethic and the dedication it takes to build a successful business.

Five Career Lessons From Han Solo



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Han Solo
Han Solo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Climbing the corporate ladder – or figuring out when to jump off – has never been harder. Luckily you can learn everything you need to know from the ultimate business renegade: the spice smuggler from Corellia who became a general, and saved a galaxy.
Even if you never get to be a Jedi Knight, you can emerge victorious by being lucky, clever, and true to your gut. Here are some lessons from everyone’s favorite scruffy looking nerfherder, along with real-life examples to prove their worth. No precognition, levitation, or mind control are required. You might even get to fall in love with a princess.
Chewie as shown in Star WarsChewie as shown in Star Wars (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 
1) Have an ally who will support you no matter what.
“Chewie and I will take care of this. You stay here.”
Warren Buffet has Charlie Munger. Larry Page hasSergey Brin. And Han Solo has Chewbacca.
Whatever your career, it’s helpful to have a co-pilot who will stand by your side no matter what, who will charge a platoon of Stormtroopers on the Death Star, howling and blasting everything in sight, or help you fly your starship directly into an asteroid field to escape an Imperial Star Destroyer. It’s even more helpful if that co-pilot is a seven-foot-three-inch Wookie from the planet Kashyyyk who can tear people’s arms off when he loses a chess match.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
2) Be a mentor – you might get paid back later.
“That’s two you owe me, junior.”
Had he not rescued Luke Skywalker from near-certain death on the ice planet of Hoth, Solo himself would have remained remained frozen in carbonite, used as a wall decoration by the villainous Jabba the Hutt. Mentoring a Jedi can be a good way to become a legend yourself.
This lesson is true on Earth, too. If Intel founder Gordon Moore had not been replaced by his lieutenant Andy Grove, would Intel have become the force it is today? (And Grove tutored Craig Barrett, his own successor.) Hip-hop impresario Jay-Z’s mentorship of Kanye West paid off with a joint album, Watch the Throne, and a tour that were huge hits and helped both rappers.
Larry Ward had the voice for Star Wars villain...
Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
3) Don’t be too focused
“Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, and I got a little sidetracked.”

Han Solo’s excuse to Jabba was that he “got sidetracked” when he came across the Rebel Alliance, and was on his way to pay back the villainous slug. Without that distraction, Han Solo would just have been another scoundrel in Jabba’s retinue.
Life, as Groucho said, is what happens when we’re planning other things.Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was supposed to be going to college. Steve Jobs’ exile from Apple gave the world Pixar. Your biggest opportunity might come when you have to ferry an old man and an annoying kid to Alderaan.
The three lead protagonists of Star Wars, from...
The three lead protagonists of Star Wars, from left to right: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
4) Trust what you know
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
Even as he became ever more respectable, Han Solo’s successes were always the result of what he learned as a smuggler. He smuggled himself in hidden compartments when the Millennium Falcon was captured by the Death Star. He disobeyed orders to rescue Luke Skywalker. And, ever the trickster, he gained entry to bunker on Endor by pretending to be an Imperial officer and asking for reinforcements. His success as a rebel officer was not in spite of his history as a scoundrel, but because of it. It’s why Princess Leia fell for him, right?

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Millennium Falcon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
5) Shoot first“Yeah, but this time, I’ve got the money…”
If Han hadn’t vaporized Greedo, the whole Star Wars saga might not have happened. If IBM had followed this rule when Bill Gates arrived to sell it an operating system, there might be no Microsoft.
With gratitude and apologies to Alex Knapp. See also 5  Lessons In Freelancing From Han Solo.

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歷史上人為書而瘋狂, 但現實裡, 愛書的人仍有但是越來越難尋. 一切知識的傳播都是靠書, 書靠印刷術的發明的普及與傳播. 書,權勢的權力還是在讀者, 有讀者,書才會有意義..