I made a mistake in empathy that cost me tens of thousands of dollars. It wasn’t a case of bad customer service or a botched partnership. It was something a lot simpler: I didn’t understand how people read blogs. I thought people read blogs as I did, subscribed to only a few, with the queue […]
Pragmatic Optimism: How Your Fears and Doubts Can Allow You to Succeed
Deep down, I’m a die-hard optimist. I believe the world is getting better and that the pursuit of the ideal life is possible and worthwhile. While I disagree with a lot of current self-help, I embrace the core premise: that we can become better people. But, as optimistic as I am about the pursuit itself, […]
How to Draw (and Other Life Lessons)
“I can’t draw, I’m not an artist.” I’ve heard this many times. Some people must think that being able to draw faces or pictures is something you’re born with. It’s not. It’s just a skill, like any other, that people have worked to become good at. I just spent an afternoon doing illustrations for my […]
Is Reading Making You Stupid?
Guy Kawasaki has an interesting formula to value a start-up: “For every full-time engineer, add $500 000. For every full-time MBA, subtract $250 000.” The statement raises an interesting point, do the highly analytical skills offered through an MBA actually hinder the creative process needed for entrepreneurship? And an even broader question: does reading about […]