The First Great Depression
One of the prices we pay for the blessings of capitalism in general, and an industrial economy in particular, is a business cycle that goes the wrong way about 25 % of the time. Periodic recessions are inevitable, and history warns us that truly significant and extended downturns are possible such as the Great Recession of 2008-2009 and […]
Best Blogs
I resource material for your “edification, enlightenment, and enjoyment” from many sources. I will continue to provide specific recommendations as above for the content I think is worthwhile. But if you don’t find anything to your liking above, check out this list of the best (in my opinion) blogs, websites etc. for the C-Level Executive from proven […]
Econ Recon:
Slowing Momentum: In his latest FedWatch, ITR Economics looks at new data and explains why the economy may be slowing down. Second Half Game Plan: Hard to believe we’re close to being halfway through the 2020s. ITR Economics’ Lauren Saidel-Baker gives us a look at the next five years and shares how to Unleash Your Potential in the Second Half of […]
Eavesdropping 2.0
Growing up in a rural area in the 1960s, we had what was then known as “party line” telephone service. If you’re not familiar, it meant that several different households (plus our family’s business) were on the same telephone line, each had a different ring for an incoming call and, only one household could use the line […]
10 Lessons from “The Everything Store”
I love good business books, but what I love even more are well written summaries of good business books. To that end, if you haven’t read “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon” check out this terrific article from the Farnam Street blog “10 Things I Learned Reading Brad Stone’s “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the […]
Moby Dick and Venture Capital
Most businesspeople in the SMB space have heard of venture capital but are unlikely to ever access it or have had much direct experience with it. The overwhelming majority of businesses were initially financed by founders, friends and families, and bank loans etc. But the businesses that have the greatest impact on our lives in recent decades […]
The 65% Rule ( Or the Perils of Winning)
A common aphorism in Vistage Groups is “the second worst thing that can happen to a company is success.” Usually this means that the leader of a successful enterprise believes he or she has cracked the secret code to dominance and nothing further need be done but make sure no one changes anything. This is […]
A Cold but Comforting Truth
I shared my annual Commencement Sampler for new grads last week, but an important entry just showed up today. One of the contributors to this year’s sampler was Dr. Scott Galloway (The Algebra of Wealth/Algebra of Life). At the risk of overexposure for Dr. Galloway, the newest post to his “No Mercy, No Malice” blog should be shared […]
“An Airplane Without Wings”
Entrepreneurship is about meeting unmet or underserved needs. Sometimes those needs are those of the entrepreneur. To wit, the Airstream Trailer (see above). In the 1920’s Wally Byam who had grown up in rural Oregon now lived in Los Angeles and missed the great outdoors. “Byam, a magazine publisher, couldn’t wait to ditch his suit and tie […]
Artificial Intelligence, Real Bubble?
If nothing else, Capitalism is about volatility. We’re all accustomed to periodic recessions; some even remember the Great Depression. But that volatility can be localized in industries as well. We call these “bubbles.” The first was in the 1600a in Holland and involved mindless speculation in tulips. Subsequent bubbles were no less chaotic, but ultimately had some economic rationale […]
