Startup Revolution

I loved this post and see myself some in it. I returned to full time work, something I will NEVER do again. I love creating companies. Why would I leave that then?

Fear.

Feat is a virus that infect an entrepreneur's ability to think, pivot and see patterns that must be seen. Fear isn't usually from where or what you would expect either.

Some of the fear is related being out of step with "normal". By leaving the mainstream you leave more than you can imagine. You leave the easily available support systems that create self definition.

An entrepreneur creates themselves. Support systems will never be there when needed since they won't kick in until success is assured and that is late. By the time "success" is well known enough that everyone knows the rough waters are past.

Cancer taught me how to create a support system from friends and family and THAT lesson is why I will never work for another company I didn't start. The missing piece was learning how to cobble together a support system to successfully pass through the rapids.

Now all five entrepreneurship dimensions are present:

1. SELF BELIEF
2. SOUND PEER GROUP
3. TENACITY/CAN DO ATTITUDE 
4. PASSION/PURPOSE (creativity)
5. BE IN FLOW

Great post here about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Interesting how MONEY never comes up :). M

Disruption In BSchool Education

Most of this talk is about disruption in education, but Christensen is the "master of disruption" and this conversation with Mark Suster is fascinating for Internet marketers.

Lack of technological core means an industry can't be disrupted. Education was in this boat for a long time. Online learning brings to education a "technological core" matched with pricing that has lost touch with reality means disruption is possible and likely.

Online learning and corporate learning programs are killing Harvard Business School. Christensen says half of the University business schools are in trouble and will be forced to get with it or close in ten years.

Apple Computer
Fascinating discussion of Apple & proprietary architecture at 10:33. The inevitable opening of a once proprietary operating system means prices fall and the money is made in "sophisticated manufacturing". "It really is scary," says Christensen about the loss of sophisticated manufacturing.

He goes on to blame business school for looking to layoff costs because of the way we teach people to measure things.

Freemiums
Another fascinating conversation about Fremiums at 14:30. "As a general rule if you have a product that doesn't get the job done you have to offer it for free," with Suster weighing in on charging for services. Modularity drives commoditization and that drives profit out.

Crowdfunding
Free usually means there is money to be made, "Above and below and you can invest or be an entrepreneur there and you can make money". Suster then talks about Venture Capital disruption and crowdfunding at 19:50.

Royalty Capital
Royalty Capital = movement in Boston to license capital as a way around limitations of venture capital at 24:00. When revenue starts there is a royalty rate returned to the capitalists. Fascinating alternative financing experiment going on in Boston.

I don't think the list will surprise anyone, but the weighting might. It surprised me.  Great HBR article.