Dot Com to Dot Bomb

I'm just gonna say it, "Housing market anyone?" It just amazes me that hundreds of thousands even millions of people can lie to themselves and one another all at the same time. It's not a market bubble, it's a lie bubble. A big bubble full of lots of lies big and small, and when it pops everybody gets stabbed in the back. That's not even the worst of it. Now I'm looking for bubbles to invest lies in. As long as I pull out before it pops (am I going to get away with that last statement?), I can avoid all the s$#% before it goes down. I wonder what the next big bubble will be about?!

It seems like the dishonest and/or careless people who jump on opportunity right at the outset have the potential to profit from these bubbles, while the more cautious and/or honest people are a bit hesitant so they get screwed for coming in too late. Is this capitalism? Human beings? Moral Degredation? Maybe, all of the above? We will repeat this process. Is it a new phenomenon or something that's been happening since as far back as we can remember? Personally I think it's something that's been happening forever, only modern society and technology have allowed it to occur on a much larger scale. We no longer have little segregated economies, we are now a global economy. I'm talking big mother @#$%ing bubbles people! Personally, I think there are some missing laws that have not taken into account new ethical issues arising out of our modern world. In particular laws that pertain to public companies and investing.

Accounting Basics on not so basic accounting

Reading this article was very confusing. Not the math; the math is not hard at all. Give me an excel spreadsheet and I'll show you what I can do. The terms however... Why do they make such simple things have large names that don't convey what they mean? I hear "Gross net overbudget blah blah blah", not "how much we made last year after taxes". Why can't we just call these numbers what they do and represent instead of making special names. The word "Profit" is the only term I feel I can deal with. This makes me think I could use an accounting class or two just to immerse myself in the terminology. Again, another example where immersion is necessary. I don't feel like I took much away from the accounting read at all, there were just to many unfamiliar words referencing other unfamiliar words.

While I am frustrated about accounting, I see much value in it. I thoroughly enjoy business math, whether I know the name of what I'm doing when I do it or not. It gives one a sense of control and organization, because, for me at least, one knows exactly what is going on. Where the money goes and how it's used is to the success of the business as the business itself. You can sell tons of a brilliant product or service and still be horribly inefficient. My boss bought out his business partners half of their business, and now the business is significantly more profitable (o.O I used an accounting word just there). His partner was giving discounts to everyone, not charging enough for labor, not paying bills on time, and ordering merchandise in little chunks instead of big shipments. Tens of thousands of dollars every year, a huge percentage of the cashflow was just falling through the cracks. I think I would like to be an organized person... perhaps google will help me.

Michele Armstrong please stick to questions

My title might sound mean, but I felt like her presentation was rather lacking. She was pretty much just reading powerpoint slides at the beginning. That's okay however, because she was awesome about answering our questions, and was very knowledgeable about the topic at hand.

Human Resource Management... that's something the small business I've worked at for the past 7 years could really use. I'm sure everyone with a job says something to a similar tune. People are people, and most of us are pretty @#$%ed up. The hardest part of my work day is dealing with people. Could you imagine if your job title was basically "Person who deals with people"? That's pretty much what a human resource manager is. Maybe the fact that they're honest about what their job is makes it easier for them. The rest of us are in denial. "I'm just a salesman, I shouldn't have to deal with this person!" Nope, you're wrong. Most of us have to deal with people, whether coworkers or customers, so person who deals with people is in our job title. Maybe it's all those other responsibilities we have to deal with that are dragging us down. "Alright, so you'll give me $60k a year. That should cover dealing with people, but how much are you going to pay me for programming?"

I found Michele's advice on interviews invaluable, and was happy I took extensive notes. There's all these things that are just expected, and we're JUST EXPECTED to know about them. It is in a sense its own culture. I find that the only way I can really learn about culture is by immersing myself in it. I'm going to take as many interviews as I can get. I'll keep screwing them up until I get it right.

Derek Young Undercover Rockstar

I'll admit that when I first saw Derek Young I saw some puny little computer nerd. I know now however that he's a man running multiple SUCCESSFUL companies, is active in his community, exercises like a fiend, and still somehow manages to find time for sleep. Currently he's living like 3 of my lives, because I don't actually believe I have anywhere near that much time in my life. Perhaps, I'm not using my gCal as much as I should be?

One of the things I noticed about Derek, is that he doesn't dig for opportunity. He comes across needs and passions, and then responds with what he knows. He learns things and then makes those things work for him. Though he said a lot of his success happened out of luck, I think he was being modest. I think a lot of his success comes from the fact that he clearly knows what he is doing. While I feel a lot of other guest speakers would make good board advisors/directors for my company, I would want Derek to RUN my company.

I was really excited to hear about his office space for startups. That's an amazing idea, and I think a service to the community. Seeing what Derek has done inspires me, and makes me seriously consider being an entrepreneur. I think instead however, I'll start by getting a handle on my own life. Being organized and managing ones time while still taking care of one's self is a skill everybody should have or at least strive for. Though I'm not a child anymore and I no longer look up to the garbage man and his awesome truck of crushing, I can most assuredly say, "I want to be like Derek when I grow up."


I have seen every guest speaker's presentation. I asked Jon Goodman only one question, and asked between 3 to 5 questions of all the other guest speakers. I'm very curious and have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

John Dimmer and Scary Investors

"After all is said and done, the term sheet is not a document that should be taken lightly, as it can seriously impact the rights that you have to control your business. It is not something that the individual investor should negotiate themselves, without an attorney." -from Blog of Kyle

I heartily agree with Kyle on this one. While some investors may JUST want you to succeed, I imagine it's almost always driven by money in some form or another. Investors are sending large sums of money your direction, in hopes that they will get a good return on their investment. Doesn't it make sense for them to negotiate terms that are in THEIR best interest, potentially at the risk of your own? Attorney or no, I see a lot of room for bullying here. Investor interest is going to push hard, and you're going to need to be able to push back and hopefully just as hard.

The article felt more like a crib sheet to me. Though useful, I found it so only in the sense that it says, "See, you have no idea what you're talking about!" I don't think there's any amount of reading that can properly prepare you for negotiating terms. Cold, hard experience is what the job calls for. I used to think school got you ready for the REAL world and the job market. Nope. Like learning to swim, one can only blow bubbles on the side of the pool for so long. Eventually, one has to flail around and choke on water for a bit. Don't worry though, people never drown... well almost never.

Building Out My Company...If I had one ;)

It surprises me how much people will plan for in their lives. The amount of detail that goes into a business plan, whether operational or as a sales tool, seems a little absurd. To plan so far ahead and with so much detail is very limiting and unrealistic. I think its enough to say, "See I know what I'm doing. I've thought of everything. If something should come up I'll know how to handle it." With that approach it's reasonable to plan ahead with a business plan, but to say, "This is what is going to happen around this time, and then I will do this." is unreasonable, especially when the predictions sit atop one another. No one has that much control over life, nor that much foresight.

Me personally, I think I would take a little more casual approach. This is what I think needs to be done to succeed, and these are the resources I need to do such a thing. I discuss possible situations and their solutions, and then see what happens. So much of life is played by ear, that an aggressive approach would require being over prepared. Over prepared in this instance would mean expensive in one form or another. I would instead be over prepared by having the means at my disposal (reserve funds, potential employees, exc...) to handle situations as they arise. Take life as it comes at you I say, but don't let it catch you with your pants down. Be smart and pay attention, and I imagine you can succeed at almost anything.

Jon Goodman - Shrewd and Intimidating

I think the best way to describe Jon would be to say that she is 'brutally honest'. She was very no nonsense, and seemed to believe that there was a right way to do everything. A great deal of her life has been spent doing things. This can be somewhat intimidating to a classroom of students who have spent much of their lives hearing and talking about things, but it can also be empowering.

You can do things too, I hear her saying. You can succeed, and you will fail. "You're dead meat on a cold paper plate."(real quote from Jon Goodman) Her words are like gunfire, making you look for a place to take cover. "You're only as good as your word," she says. Jon Goodman is the drill sergeant preparing you for the real world, a cold and bloodthirsty world.

Any entrepreneur who has ever been in the same room with Jon Goodman no doubt has a lawyer, an accountant, and a shrewd board of advisors, and is constantly turning to warily look over their shoulder for threats. Jon Goodman doesn't care if you succeed or fail, but she does care if you are prepared. It's okay to fail because your business just wasn't meant to be. It's not okay to fail because you were stupid and got caught with your pants down. Be prepared, be smart, and be one step ahead of the game. If in doubt, just remember WWJD, that is "What Would Jon Do?"

Strengths and Weaknesses

As I walk along this crazy road called life, I find myself drawn to many shiny things and concepts that I pass by. The problem is I find there are only so many things I can carry.

I just don't have enough time to spend too much on any one thing, not when there are so many things I've never seen or done before. My biggest weakness in a business setting would probably be my attention span. I start out very intense and passionate with a lot of things I do. Eventually though, new things I am also intense and passionate about come in and push the older things aside. I have scuba gear in the attic, brewing supplies in my basement, and a shelf of books and video games I've never had a chance to finish or even start.

On the flip side of the coin, I try very hard to keep my word. If something important is given to me to do and people are relying on me, I generally won't let them down if it's within my power. In a business setting this means I would pull my own weight, and stick it through until everything was wrapped up. I like Andrew Fry's concept of starting a company and then turning it over for others to run or buy. That concept is very appealing and I think works well with the way I work.

Another strength, I believe, is my passion and natural leadership. Empowering people with an idea and guiding them along the path with me is something I have embarked on before. One of the biggest problems in most of these failures was not knowing what to do next, and in turn losing faith in my/our ability to succeed.

Regarding Ron Kornfeld

Ron's presentation on business plans was a refreshing perspective on entering into entrepreneurship. I was surprised however, at learning how venture capitolists handled the review of business plans. A single person might be given a stack of business plans to go through in a single day. A "good" business plan in this instance might be the most aesthetically pleasing, or the one that was able to catch the reader right out of the gate. Does that make it a better business plan then some of the ones refused? In one sense it does, for it was able to catch the attention of the reviewer when others could not. That does not mean however, that it is a superior business plan in the strategic business sense of the word. Some poorly presented business plans have probably represented some of the most solid ideas with much capability for success. This style of reviewing business plans is analogous of reviewing novel and screenplay submissions. However, when a novel or screenplay is rejected that does not necessarily mean that it is no good, nor does it mean that nobody wants it. It just means that that particular publishing firm was not interested. Authors are often encouraged to try their luck many places and submit their transcripts to every possible publishing firm they can find... at least until they get their foot in the door. It seems probable that this same philosophy could be applied to a business idea. Pitch it anywhere you think there could be a slim chance, and maybe someone will bite. Also, it's the same bit with getting your foot in the door; once you've been a successful entrepreneur you will probably have an easier time getting your ideas accepted. So, as they say to authors, hang in there.

5 Ideas of Notable Interest

The first two ideas are ones I've had clunking around in my brain for some time now. The others are fairly new and are out of necessity for this class.

1. A universal product database that can be edited by registered users. If you've ever had to do data input for a retail company, you know how tedious adding new products to a system can be. I remember writing descriptions for items being sold online, little sales pitches to convince the readers they should buy this product, and then clipping the good pictures out of the PDF catalog. How many people have done this before, and for the exact same product? Most retail items have unique barcodes and product numbers, what if we could link those product numbers to pictures and sales descriptions that others have already written? When a new product is encountered then you submit your work to the system. It's basically a wikipedia for products. With the right software you just scan a barcode and all the product information is loaded into your system from the internet.

2. A coffee shop that can make you feel like you're anywhere in the world. The concept is to have a building with one wall in a giant half-circle. Projectors or another video technology cause a seamless panorama to paint the walls. These panoramas can move because it's video technology. Imagine you go in for your morning cup of coffee and find you're in the middle of the rainforest after a fresh morning rain, perhaps you'll sit and enjoy your coffee here.

3. All over the world there are amazing things happening, things you'll never see or experience. With the advent of MMO games we've seen an amazing demand for escapism. What if you could merge that escapism with a webcam. The idea is to put high-def webcams all over the world (or at least some neat places). These cameras will actually be multiple cameras in a cluster that allow for a complete 360 degree live image of the surroundings. This style of image could allow the user to look around in interesting places with a typical monitor, or could be coupled with more advanced monitors such as the coffee shop in idea 2.

4. A cubicle for those that don't want to be in a crowded office. This would probably be seen more in private settings or LAN centers. The idea is for the cubicle to be a large cylinder. The inside of the cylinder/cubicle would be a screen. Incorporated with something like idea 3, the cubicle would make you feel like you're workspace lay in the sky or in another country in the sky.

5. A craigslist crawler. The program would analyze blog posts between the want adds and the for sale posts and connect ones of similar interest. For instance if Jane was looking for personal watercraft, Joe was selling a jet ski or trading it for magic cards, and bill had a ton of magic cards for sale then the program would group those three together. The program could work for Jane, say she bought the magic cards for cheap and traded them to Joe for his jet ski. It could also work for myself, allowing me to make money just by being the middle man on the social networking site. I could buy and sell with a markup in between.

Sometimes You Just Love Something

Myself, I have worked at the same small business for the past 7 years. I have one boss, and he opened the place the same year I was born. I've never had a corporate job. I watch shows like the office and I cringe. That's not really how it is out there... is it?

Some of my friends work(ed) for a technology company called ATS. ATS did contracting work for a company in Tacoma called ****, at least I think that's how it's spelled. I don't know all of the details, but I do know what I saw, what it did to the ATS employees. They dreaded going to work, some refused to work under that contract. Some employees quit, some employees were fired. What stood out the most, however was how beat down all of them were. It was a hostile work environment, one where **** management felt it was appropriate to yell at ATS employees and recommend to ATS management that they fire some of their employees.

Who is to blame? Was ATS really that bad? Why is ATS having to pursue legal action in order to get paid by ****? Is it appropriate to yell in any work environment? What I'm trying to get at is: being in the corporate world can be just as scary and risky as being an entrepreneur. It doesn't matter who was to blame in the previous example, at least not to me, what matters is that that is not a situation I would want to be in.

Back to my job of 7 years. My boss was a tall scrawny bicycle nut who went to Evergreen to be a teacher. Himself and a friend decided to open a bikeshop together. They barely survived in small storefronts best described as a hole in the wall. Neither knew anything about business, in fact a lot of money fell through the cracks. They got their s*** together eventually, my boss bought the other half of the business, and learned a bit about business. Now the business is quite successful.

I have effectively lead you all over the place, but I promise it was for a reason. No matter what path you choose there will be risk. Pursue your dreams. You might not get there, but other opportunities will present themselves. Be an entrepreneur if you like, there's a good chance you'll fail sometimes in life, no matter what you do.