May 16, 2012
May 14, 2012
YouTube didn’t need ads to spread itself – instead it used embeds.
The rise of the Growth Hacker
The new job title of “Growth Hacker” is integrating itself into Silicon Valley’s culture, emphasizing that coding and technical chops are now an essential part of being a great marketer. Growth hackers are a hybrid of marketer and coder, one who looks at the traditional question of “How do I get customers for my product?”
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start up youtube growth hacker Silicon Valley
May 13, 2012
The Avengers
Character Analysis:
Captain America is a nice guy and all, but he’s pretty much useless. He’s the moral fiber of the crew and he’s always trying to unite the team under one common goal. But he’s kinda like the annoying goody-too-shoes little brother that no one wants. I guess he has a cool shield….but i mean comon. Also his uniform is whack. -10 points for his stupid mask.
Hawkeye is basically Legolas with a black vest and non-pointy ears…..skip. What is he going to do when his arrows run out? I rather have Katniss than him. At least katniss knows how to hunt rabbits and groosling.
Thor? I don’t know…his ability to control the weather is pretty awesome. And his hammer is epic, but something about him…..just…sucks. I think i know what it is. It’s cause he’s a god, and how am I, a mere mortal, supposed to relate to his character? Also there is only one true God. His very existence is blasphemous and now I hate him.
Ironman is a really close second to the Hulk. Ability to fly, shoots lasers beams, genius-level IQ, has bombs stowed away in his shoulders, and has his own building in midtown. This guy is a swiss army knife on cocaine, steroids, and Flintstone vitamins. But his alter-ego, Tony Stark, is too much of a D-bag for me to like him. I’m pretty sure if he was into basketball, he would be a Heat Fan. getoutahere.
Hulk was my favorite. Straight beast mode. Raw emotion and pure rage. He brought down that flying-fish-alien-vessel with his effing bare hands. He can jump on top of the empire state building with one stride. He’s just so damn angry and awesome. And I love him. Also watching him go on a rampage and destroy stuff, kinda reminds me of someone tearing it up in a basketball game. The way he jumps, spins, blocks, and maneuvers through various terrain. He would make a nice addition to the Laker’s Frontcourt. Him and metta would make the ultimate bash-brother duo.
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avengers hulk hawkeye ironman captain america thor
May 11, 2012
I love how NY has different ecosystems within the city. Soho with its cobblestone streets and trendy retail stores. You walk a couple blocks down and you’ll be in Chinatown where your nose is infiltrated with smells of fish markets, bakeries, and soup dumplings. Stroll south for 15 minutes and you’ll be in Wall Street where buildings go up farther than the eye can see and where billions of dollars are trading hands every day.
May 10, 2012
“Add to your faith virtue…” — 2 Peter 1:5
“Add” means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in. “Add” means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.
Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you - “I will write that letter”; “I will pay that debt.” Make the thing inevitable.
We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of finding out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.
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Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest
May 9, 2012
Sup Dog.
There were like 100 people standing around this dog in between the 7 Train and Citifield. Parents would guide their kids next to this canine, pull out their iPhone, snap a couple photos, and the next set of kids would have their turn.
The owner is either feeding the dog filet mignon every night to reward him for his patience. Or that dog has marijuana in that pipe.
May 8, 2012
Twenty Uncommon Lessons from Warren Buffet
1. Lose money for the firm and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation and I will be ruthless. This is covered every year. Money can always be made again. Reputation doesn’t recover quite so easily. It’s all too tempting to trade long-term respect for a little short term gain. The world constantly tries to seduce us. Here’s an easy reminder: imagine whatever you do will be reported by an informed reporter the following day in your local newspaper for your family, children and closest friends to read. Act accordingly.
2. Don’t expect people to change. Berkshire Hathaway owns over 70 businesses. They buy a few more every year. But they only buy ones they won’t have to improve (contrary to what happens in acquisitions elsewhere). They’ve realized how futile is to try to changes others’ behavior. We love to paint a rosy picture that things will be better after some special event happens (an acquisition, a marriage, kids, a move, a new job, whatever), but for the most part, how people act is out of our control. Make sure the people you surround yourself with are the right fit from the beginning.
“If we thought the success of our investment depended on them taking our advice, we’d move on.” – Charlie Munger
3. Conventional wisdom is often an indication of what not to do. 99% of business schools teach their students that the type of investing Warren and Charlie do is impossible. Who do you think’s right? (side note: it’s funny for two guys crazy about learning, to so openly put down business school, given 30% of the audience probably has an MBA or is trying to get one). The road less traveled still does make all the difference. If everyone’s doing it then it’s usually time to reassess. Be careful taking things as fact just because a bunch of other people do. Like we’ve seen before, everything was impossible until someone did it.
4. Fighting the tide can be brutal, but it’s usually the only fight worth fighting. Enough said.
5. Start as early as possible. When a 26-year-old asked Warren what he’d do in the man’s shoes, Warren said “If I had to do it over again, I would have done the same but earlier.” It is never too early to start something. The sooner you begin, the sooner you get your experience.
6. Don’t expose yourself to steps that can keep you from tomorrow. It can take a lifetime to build a masterpiece, but only an instant to destroy it. Very smart people have failed this way all throughout history. No matter what the possible benefit, these two guys refuse to do anything that opens them to the chance of going back to zero. That’s why they don’t use debt, and in their last 50 years have never faced a truly dire situation. In fact, when things are the worst for the world, is often when they do best. Nothing’s worth risking everything.
“Never risk what you have and need for what we don’t have and don’t need.” – Warren Buffett
7. Tell the truth to a group of people who believe what you do, and things will work out.I do everything I can to run Live Your Legend the same way. Align with the right people and do it in an honest way. Pretty simple.
8. Great things are built as a result of the combination of time and consistency towards a cause you deeply believe in. Find what you’re good at – what you want to build. Then put your head down and allow a lifetime to build it. 40 years ago Buffet wrote out 13 principles of what he wanted to create and how he wanted it run. He then built a culture that executed on that every day. Just about anything can be done with the right focus, time and consistency. As long as you care enough and aren’t in too much of a hurry.
9. Be your own market of one. As a result of the culture they’ve built, Berkshire is often the only company a business owner is willing to sell to (even despite other more attractive offers). Those who think of Berkshire first, don’t think of anyone second. Instead of going out and trying to replicate those around you, go out and create a category. Then be the first guy to hang a shingle in that space. Be willing to do the things others won’t. Standing out will come naturally.
“The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.” – Simon Sinek
10. There’s little progress without failure. These guys quickly admit not only that they’ve had plenty of failures, but that they wouldn’t have what they do if it wasn’t for the screw ups. Unsuccessful people avoid failure at all cost. The successful ones embrace it, learn from it and keep building. If you’re not screwing up every once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough.
11. You don’t need to be able to do that many things right to succeed. In fact, success is inversely proportional to how many things you try to do. Do a few things really well. Focus on that. Hire others to do the rest or don’t do it at all. The most successful businesses and people have a much longer list of what they aren’t willing to do, than what they actually spend time on. Warren is notorious for how many things he’s says no to. Stay within your circle of competence. When in doubt, do less.
12. In business and in life, incentives make all the difference. Understand the incentives on both sides before engaging in a transaction. Most investment managers get paid for how much money they manage, not how much money they make you. Real estate agents are more encouraged to get your house sold as fast as possible than they are to get you the best price. Even the best natured of people can get lead astray by misaligned incentives. Align your incentives with the people you work with (clients, customers and partners) and you’ll get a lot more done, with a lot less frustration. Most importantly, only engage in activities that incentivize you to act in line with what you believe.
13. The first $200 billion is the hardest. The 2nd is relatively easy. The hardest part is starting. Achieve small victories, build momentum and watch what happens. The first time is always the most daunting, there are always more excuses and it certainly takes the most courage. But once you know it’s possible, it becomes your new normal. That starts with starting.
14. Purpose is the ultimate compensation. Job satisfaction and loyalty come from the autonomy to do the work that matters to you, not from a lofty salary or bonus. Every manager at Berkshire is independently wealthy, yet they can’t wait to come to work every day. “They get to paint their own paintings,” as Buffett says. Give people autonomy and trust to do things they are good at. Avoid micro-managing. Don’t think you can do their skill better than they can. Give them the paintbrush and freedom to build upon their vision and that’s what they’ll do. Daniel Pink has an excellent TED talk on The Surprising Science of Motivation.
The same goes for why Warren and Charlie, in their 80′s, have no interest in retiring:
“We get the opportunity to paint our own painting every day and it’s a painting that will never be finished. We love it.” – Warren Buffett
You can’t infuse passion into someone, but you can certainly create a system that takes passion out. When in doubt, give those around you the brush.
15. The most powerful investment is the one you spend on yourself. As Charlie puts it “Berkshire’s record would have been terrible if Warren didn’t keep learning.” These guys are crazy about going to bed slightly smarter than when they woke up. Read everything you can get your hands on. Learn from those around you. Be a sponge. Everything is a lesson. Despite all kinds of advanced formal education, Warren’s #1 diploma in his office is the one he got from completing a week-long Dale Carnegie Public Speaking course. You never know where you’re going to find the best nuggets. Just keep learning.
16. Be a student of other people’s folly. The first seven pieces of art on Warren’s office walls were the seven biggest financial failures of the past century or so. These guys study failure like a med student would study for the Boards. They absolutely refuse to take steps that have even the the slightest chance of leading to financial ruin. The more you learn about the brick walls others charged into head first, the more likely you are to avoid them.
“Learn a lot from other people’s mistakes. It’s a much more pleasant way to live.” – Charlie Munger
17. Think huge. When Warren was in his 20′s, he told his wife that one day they were going to be incredibly wealthy (despite having no real wealth at the time). He wasn’t exactly sure when, but he was sure it was going to happen. He told her to prepare and think about what she’d do with a great deal of money. Then he slowly made $50 billion dollars. Have your vision of what you want your life to represent. Visualize, animate and create it in every part of your world. Give yourself something inspiring to build towards. Sketch out your castle in the sky – then start building the staircase to get there.
18. A brand is a promise. People all over the world buy a can of Coke over the generic options because they trust what’s inside. That it will be of the consistent quality they’ve come to expect. What promise does your brand represent? What do you want it to represent? What about yourself? Every one of us is our own brand. The things we say and do, the way we treat people – all of it is building our own personal brand. The promise that we will deliver to the world. Are you representing a promise that makes you proud?
19. Stop saving up sex for old age. This is my all-time favorite analogy. Working a job you hate, just to build up a resume to hopefully do something you enjoy later on, is just like saving up sex for old age. There is no sense in waiting. If you’re going to build your resume, then build it with things you enjoy, or better yet, take the steps to start doing things you are excited about, with people you admire, right now. There is no waiting. Happiness not spent today does not equal more happiness tomorrow.
“Take a job that you love. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don’t like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isn’t that a little like saving up sex for your old age?” – Warren Buffett
20. The most powerful tools cost nothing. Last week we talked about how today it’s possible to build a meaningful business for less than a $100. You don’t need huge investors, you don’t need an Ivy League education, you don’t need a huge office or a bunch of employees. The most powerful and enabling tool required to run a passion-based business in today’s world is totally free: The Internet. So is most every other key ingredient… Meeting passionate people is free. Learning through books, studies and videos is all free. Hard work on something you love doing, is also free. Have you been embracing the tools that make what was previously impossible, possible?
Buffett recently mentioned how he’d give up his private jet long before giving up his Internet access. And who wouldn’t? But think what that means. A billionaire has access to every tool in the world, yet the most important is the one that all of us have equal (and free) access to. No one needs the jet, but we all need the information. We need the tools. Because the access is what makes everything possible.
Stop thinking you need something more to pursue a dream.
May 4, 2012
Eric Ries: The Pivot.
During the course of his entrepreneurial adventures, he realized that some of the most iconic companies of our time—Twitter, YouTube, Groupon—had abruptly changed course before they achieved success. If they hadn’t, Twitter would have stuck with audio podcasting, YouTube would have been a video dating site, and Groupon would have continued organizing political protests (and you likely would have never heard of them). Virtually every startup he could think of had pivoted at one time or another. Ries’s observation quickly morphed into a kind of Moore’s Law for startups, which he believes are almost certain to change course before becoming successful.
May 1, 2012
April 30, 2012
When I first came to New York, our team came out guns-blazing trying to change the world through technology. We wanted to answer: “Now that everyone has internet on their phones, how can we enrich the lives of people?” We were convinced that we would create apps that would disrupt how people lived - for the better. We wanted to take the problems of everyday life and offer a solution wrapped up in a neat iPhone application.
But soon after we realized we bit off more than we could chew.
None of us had substantial relevant work experience. None of us had worked in an industry long enough to find real problems that needed fixing. We just read a lot of Techcrunch/Mashable and watched “The Social Network” and believed that startup life entailed a year of eating ramen and dollar pizza, dropping out of an ivy league school, and then getting a million dollar round of funding. We were sold on the dream.
But just like the obese woman who thinks buying a gym membership is a sure fire way to get chiseled abs, we found that actually following through everyday with your commitments is not an easy thing to do. It’s actually pretty freaking hard.
but it’s no time for excuses. Even though this year hasn’t been even close to what I had expected, I still can’t help seeing entrepreneurial opportunities and wanting to build products and companies.
Depending on who you are, you can view the same situation very differently. For example, let’s say you found a box of 100 apples in your living room.
A chef would see the apples and start to conjure up ways to serve them as a delicious treat. Apple strudel? Apple Crisps? Cinnamon Apple Poptart?
A scientist would grab the apple, slice off a piece of skin and observe it under a microscope. He would then publish a paper that attempts to prove that the apple skin to juice ratio is LOG^x*1.5.
An athlete would grab a couple before heading out for his morning jog.
A philosopher would sit there and wonder, “There are apples on my carpet? ….Why?”
But me? I would be creating an online hub to sell off the apples, while doing market research on finding the cheapest way to ship bulk orders of produce.
what the hail is wrong with me?
April 27, 2012
April 23, 2012
Skyline
i need a new watermark, anyone know how to use illustrator?
