“How much to buy your baby?”
November 24, 2009No Comments
All mothers think that their babies are beautiful. OK, if not really beautiful, then certainly much more special than all the others… There is something primal in humans that makes us seek to find endearing qualities in our offspring. How much would you be willing to sell your baby for?
I have had 3 different calls …
Picking the Winners
November 20, 2009No Comments
How do you pick future champions while they are still young and developing? How do you identify a talented team of entrepreneurs at an early stage? How do you measure the real potential of a startup business?
Be Careful What You Believe
November 18, 2009No Comments
Henry Ford is one of my heroes. He was a pioneer of large-scale mass production, he founded the Ford Motor Company and he produced the Model T in 1909 – a product that forever changed the world’s idea about what was truly possible.
When Life Leaks In
November 15, 20092 Comments
I had an email exchange with a business associate last night. What started as a work discussion, emerged into a dialog about life and death, values and meaning. She wrote that she had received some bad news lately. I inquired what it was. She told me that she has recently learned that her father has …
Rick Salmon appointed President of Selection Jury for 2009 European Venture Contest
November 12, 20092 Comments
(Oslo, Nov. 12, 2009)
Europe Unlimited has appointed Rick Salmon as President of the Selection Jury for 2009 European Venture Contest Finals which will be held on December 14th and 15th, 2009 in Barcelona. The Jury will consist of 30 distinguished members representing the Venture Capital community in Europe. The mission of this annual venture contest …
Worshiping Genius
November 9, 2009No Comments
“Italy worships Genius, but has not yet figured out how to create a culture of entrepreneurship”. This was an interesting statement made by the Executive Director of the Italian Angels for Growth, Lorenzo Fanchini at last week’s semi-final of the European Venture Contest (EEVC) held in Turin. Italy is a country filled with brilliant scientists …
“If you are so smart… why are you not rich?”
November 5, 2009No Comments
“If you are so smart, why are you not rich?”
I saw this written on a T-shirt the other day at a gathering of entrepreneurs. It was a blatant challenge and it made me stop and think. In looking back on my 20 years as an entrepreneur, have I failed if I am not rich? …
When I was a boy I loved to watch “Cowboy and Indian” programs on television. The plots were always the same. They usually started with a group of settlers – who were traveling in their covered wagons towards some dream of a better life in a faraway place. Then would come some sort of a …
Meetings with Remarkable Men
October 27, 20094 Comments
I saw a strange French movie in 1979 that made a big impact on me. It was called Meetings with Remarkable Men and told the story of G.Gurdjieff, a philosopher who traveled through Central Asia in order to discover spirituality through dance, music, near-encounters with death and by meeting remarkable people along the way.
Over the …
A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste (Part 1)
October 25, 2009No Comments
My own company is in a crisis right now… a real crisis with tough decisions to make, sleepless nights to endure and an impending sense of doom that is like a nasty hangover. A bit of bad luck, bad timing, some strategic mistakes and a global financial crisis have all combined into a witch’s brew …
