video by zefrankenfriends
Uploaded by zefrankenfriends on 2013-04-09.
video by 99%
"What you do for a living is not be creative, what you do is ship," says bestselling author Seth Godin, arguing that we must quiet our fearful "lizard brains" to avoid sabotaging projects just before we finally finish them.
video by SCVHA
Steve Jobs: Secrets of Life, a 30-minute short film, is now available as a video and audio download at this link: http://www.SteveJobsSecretsofLife.org. In this 1994 film interview conducted by the Santa Clara Valley Historical Association, Steve Jobs emphasizes why it is so important to take risks - including just the act of picking up the phone and asking someone for help.
video by naji1234
Watch vintage Steve Jobs footage on Apple. This is a rare 22 minute presentation given by Steve Jobs on 1980. This video was gifted to Computer History Museum by Regis McKenna and can be found on their online exhibit about Steve Jobs here: http://www.computerhistory.org/highlights/stevejobs/
Always a starter, never a finisherThere's always that one guy that has this cool new idea he's working on, he seems so passionate about it and is excited to get it out there. 6, 7, 8 (let's just say many) months later, all has gone quiet. And the conversation goes a little like this...
"So what's happening with that cool new project you were working on?"
"Which one?"
"You know, the one where you were going to..."
"Oh that, yeah I didn't really do much with that. I'm working on something much cooler now, it's gonna blow your freakin' mind!"And yet in six months time, you'll be having the same conversation.
Well, as much as it pains me to say this, I'm that person. I've had so many "projects" over the past few years I've lost count. Has any one of them seen the light of day? Well yes, but that failed miserably. The point is, it's all too easy to get distracted and move onto something else, perhaps it's that hurdle where you're just not sure what to do next or how to do it, so instead of finding a way to tackle it head on, you take the easy way out and start something new.
I'm quick to blame my failings on the lack of capital, that I "need" to get my projects off the ground. And that justifies my avoidance. Of course, it doesn't, far from it. But I just don't know how to push through, not right now any way.
So here I am, I've been working on a project for about four months or so, and I'm stuck. I've hit a road block where I don't have the expertise to overcome my problem, nor do I have the cashflow to bring in someone that does. And instead of trying to find a way around it, or learning the necessary skills, I sit back and mope about it. The lack of motivation ever increasing.
Obviously, I need to overcome this, and I need to do it now. My question is, how?
(Disclaimer: I realise that this post could potentially harm any future applications I may submit to tech incubators and / or seed rounds, however I feel being open about this will help me to overcome this problem, and will make a better founder of me in doing so).
produced monday through friday for one year, "the show with zefrank" was a short video program and podcast by ze frank.the show was a conversation between the host and the viewers of the program, called sportsracers.
like any good conversation, it can be a bit confusing if you join in the middle. to get caught up, watch some popular episodes and check out what the sports racers created.
an extensive viewer-created program guide is available and a friendly forum community can also help you out.
the show began with the march 17, 2006 episode and ended exactly one year later.
you can watch the show by surfing around the archive or subscribe to a best-of feed using the RSS feed or iTunes subscription links. you can also share your favorite videos and post them on your blog or myspace page using the "share this video" link found under each video.
The single best term I've learned this year.
Apparently turned into a computer term by the MIT media lab five years ago, yak shaving was recently referenced by my pal Joi Ito. (Link: Joi Ito's Web: Yak Shaving)
I want to give you the non-technical definition, and as is my wont, broaden it a bit.
Yak Shaving is the last step of a series of steps that occurs when you find something you need to do. "I want to wax the car today."
"Oops, the hose is still broken from the winter. I'll need to buy a new one at Home Depot."
"But Home Depot is on the other side of the Tappan Zee bridge and getting there without my EZPass is miserable because of the tolls."
"But, wait! I could borrow my neighbor's EZPass..."
"Bob won't lend me his EZPass until I return the mooshi pillow my son borrowed, though."
"And we haven't returned it because some of the stuffing fell out and we need to get some yak hair to restuff it."
And the next thing you know, you're at the zoo, shaving a yak, all so you can wax your car.
This yak shaving phenomenon tends to hit some people more than others, but what makes it particularly perverse is when groups of people get involved. It's bad enough when one person gets all up in arms yak shaving, but when you try to get a group of people together, you're just as likely to end up giving the yak a manicure.
Which is why solo entrepreneurs and small organizations are so much more likely to get stuff done. They have fewer yaks to shave.
So, what to do?
Don't go to Home Depot for the hose.
The minute you start walking down a path toward a yak shaving party, it's worth making a compromise. Doing it well now is much better than doing it perfectly later.
This article is written by a member of our expert contributor community.
You've graduated from college, diploma in hand (or in the mail), and you have a couple of job offers on the table. Other than being one of the lucky graduates in a weak economy, you have a choice to make. On one hand is a high-paying entry level position at a reputable brand in your field. On the other hand is a job offer from a small startup that is just kicking off. You've seen their product, believe in their mission, and like their approach, but aren't sure you want to take on the risk of working at a startup. You're leaning toward that corporate job and good pay with nice benefits. The smart choice.
Or is it?
Here are 8 reasons why you should take the plunge and enter the startup world instead.
1. You'll have more responsibility.
Working at a startup probably means you're part of a small team, most likely in the single digits. Because of the nature of having such a small team, there is probably nobody else in the company who has the same skillset as you, approaches problems in the same way you do, or even thinks the same way you do.
When I joined Wanderfly, the core team was pretty much already in place, with directors of business development, marketing, and site production already on board. However, graduating with a writing degree and having extensive travel experience, I was able to join Wanderfly as a writer, traveler, and content manager to make sure they had a voice and a direction in the travel field (they had the tech-savvy swing taken care of). After just a few weeks, I became the de facto man for writing, editing, and blogging needs. A few weeks later, I was part of a content management division that included me and myself. Content needs, upgrades, and management all came to me and my little island of responsibility. This pushed me to be more versatile, more reliable, and more productive than in any other project I'd undertaken--in other jobs or at any time during school. At a bigger company, I may not have been given the same opportunity or had an entire company rely on the work that I did. Was I the most important part of the team? Definitely not. But was I an integral part of it? For sure. And that's an empowering place to be right out of school.
2. You'll be given more opportunities.
I probably don't need to tell you that most startup jobs won't pay as well as some of the bigger corporate and business jobs. You (or your degree) may be worth more than a startup is able to pay. But working at a startup offers a different type of reward: an incentive-based system that isn't based on dollars, but rather in skills attained and opportunities seized. The experience will outweigh the pay cut. I (almost) guarantee it. When I first started at Wanderfly, all I had to my writer name were a few pieces in local publications. One year on, and I've had a column on the Huffington Post, been featured on National Geographic, published over 150 blog posts for Wanderfly, and (look, Mom!) an article on Fast Company. Other than being a thinly veiled explain-a-brag, this convinces me that I've had more opportunities to grow as a writer and build toward any future undertaking. I know that if I would have sought out a smaller position at a higher-paying and recognizable travel company I would still be reading through the slush pile of submissions. No thanks.
3. You'll be able to do a lot of different things.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from peers who have entered into a more-structured, corporate position is that they are generally stuck with their main task and don't get to branch out into other areas. Whether it's writing, designing, filling out spreadsheets, or any other task, it's usually a one-person-fits-one-task kind of position. If that sounds like your startup job, then, I hate to tell you, but you're doing something wrong. Working at a startup will allow you to try on a lot of different hats, even that weird one that you didn't think you would ever like, but find out that you did. Looking back on the past year that I've worked at Wanderfly, I've lost track of all the different tasks that I've been able to take part in, from video editing to destination categorization. I came into Wanderfly as a writer, but now I feel comfortable in a lot of different areas, even explaining to the developers how I broke their site and need their help to fix it. All in code-talk.
4. You will learn from true innovators.
People who start their own business have a different mental and professional makeup than those who have never gone off to create something of their own. Entrepreneurs are defined by seeing a problem and thinking of an innovative and original way of addressing it. Because of this innovative nature, entrepreneurs are some of the best people to learn from. They approach problems differently, are constantly finding solutions, and are driven to make the most out of their time and work. The Wanderfly cofounders continually challenge me when I present a problem because they often view it from a different perspective than I do, giving me a wider appreciation for the different avenues that exist for finding solutions. Innovation is more than creativity. It's action and reaction, solving problems in a new, enlightening way. Every successful startup has true innovators, and if you find the right ones, you'll learn plenty.
5. Your work will be recognized (as will your failures).
If I've learned anything from watching TV shows and movies, it's that if you work at a big company, chances are that all of your hard work is going to be ignored by the boss or someone else is going to snag the credit. But at a startup, it's nearly impossible not to notice a job well done or to give credit where credit is due. If you succeed, the small team will recognize it instantly, and the praise and glory is yours to bask in. Spread your arms in glory, my friend, your work has been recognized. On the flip side of that coin is that it's also really easy to see when you've screwed up. For two reasons, this is a good thing. The first is that it's nearly impossible to slack off to. Within a few days, your coasting and slacking will be noticed and the rest of the team will wonder why they are working harder than they have to. That keeps you focused and on your game. The second reason is that because failure is easier to notice, you'll make sure to eliminate mistakes in order to avoid disappointing your colleagues. Stay focused, startup employee, and your successes will be recognized and your failures minimized. And when the rest of the team says "We couldn't have done it without you," you can be confident that they mean it.
6. You'll work in an awesome atmosphere.
Let me count the ways:
- I wear jeans to work. In the summer, I wear shorts and sandals.
- If there isn't at least one really good joke in an hour, it's probably a slow day.
- Everyone else who works at a startup has the same drive and excitement for creation as you do.
- The startup community (and, in Wanderfly's case, the travel community) is a great, close-knit group. All around you, people are coming up with innovative solutions to age-old problems or making that new tool that simplifies or enhances your life in some way. That entrepreneurial spirit is contagious, and if you don't feel it or catch it, then you're actively avoiding it.
- You can drink beer at work. But only on special occasions. Wink.
7. You'll learn to be frugal.
Working at startup probably means that money is tight. Whether you've been showered with investor love or the founder has a really wealthy uncle, the company will still be thinking of ways to do more with less. No extravagance, no frills, no extraneous booze cruises (heartbreaking, I know). Instead, the business development intern will learn how to design and code the blog, the writer will sometimes do the dishes, and at the start you'll find a way to fit nine people around an eight person table (hint: extra chair). This frugality and monetary responsibility will undoubtedly bleed into your own life as well, and you'll end up finding new ways to find fulfillment other than burning the money you earn. Instead, you'll probably discover a joy in creating and doing, rather than consuming. You'll find happiness in being part of a team that is trying to make other people's lives easier, more fun, and more manageable. Your entire life will take on a meaning of creation, and you'll be more energized, both physically and mentally, to take on new hobbies and start your own personal projects. In the startup world, it's all about creating more and consuming less (this does not apply to Thai food or burritos).
8. You'll be instilled with the value of hard work, ownership, and self-sustainability.
Maybe more important than any other benefit of working at a startup is the realization that hard work, creative thinking, and tenacity are worth a whole lot. Once you've created something of your own, something tangible and whole, something you can touch, feel, or use, you really begin to appreciate personal ownership. For those who do not actively create, or are continuously creating for someone else's benefit, it's difficult to understand the great importance of personal ownership and the liberty needed to pursue that ownership. Working at a startup and spreading the news of your team's product, a product that you helped bring into existence, instills the value of that ownership and gives you pride in your work. It is this pride, in your team's hard-work and ability, that teaches you the importance of protecting those who do create innovative solutions and take risks.
Working at a startup also means that you and your small team are the only people responsible for your success. For some, that may trigger a response to go crawl into a corner and hope someone comes and spoon-feeds them their paycheck. For others, it's the greatest motivation there is. To be cut off from relying on others to provide for you will undoubtedly surface skills and a determination that you didn't know you had. At a startup, that natural wish to be self-sustainable is magnified and multiplied, triggering the do-or-die attitude that is often the difference between success and failure. No matter where you go after your stint at a startup, and especially if it is to go off and create a company on your own, that need to be self-sustainable, and the skills you picked up to make that possible, will power everything that you do.
--Kerrin Sheldon is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker, and is the content manager for Wanderfly. He prefers to be underwater in Belize, but also likes climbing, running, cycling, and is strongly considering taking up flying. Find him on on Twitter @kerrinsheldon or on the brand new Wanderfly.
[Image: Flickr user *Kicki*]
TED Talks After hitting on a brilliant new life plan, our first instinct is to tell someone, but Derek Sivers says it's better to keep goals secret. He presents research stretching as far back as the 1920s to show why people who talk about their ambitions may be less likely to achieve them.
TED Talks Is there something you've always meant to do, wanted to do, but just ... haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.
"Robert, they can't eat you!" My rules for success in business and life in general.
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Best of the Blog.
Of all the articles I've written for my Blog, this was the most popular. I've received many comments from readers saying they felt that part of, or all of, this article has either helped them with either something they were dealing with, or something they wanted to accomplish. Perhaps you will also find it interesting and/or helpful as well.Late in 2004, I was asked by BizAz Magazine (a local Phoenix magazine) to speak at one of its "Business Beneath The Surface" breakfast meetings. As part of the event, participants have the option of submitting questions to the speakers, which are then answered during the breakfast.
One of the questions directed toward me was, "What advice do you have for someone who is just starting a business?"
I liked Clint Eastwood's rules.
Also at that time, I happened to pick up a copy of Men's Journal. Clint Eastwood was on the cover and an article featured 10 items called "Clint's rules." I found his rules to be interesting. They were things like, "You are what you drive," "avoid extreme makeovers," and things like that. As Clint Eastwood is a pretty easy guy to respect, I thought the whole rule thing was pretty cool. And the more I thought about it, I realized that over the years I had accumulated a number of principles (or rules) that I tried very hard to adhere to -- and these rules (in many ways) have become the foundation for whatever successes I've had.So, a few weeks before the meeting, I sat down and started typing -- in no particular order -- the rules I try to live by. At the breakfast meeting, I read my rules at the end of my presentation. The response was amazing. I was swamped with requests for copies of the rules. An edited list was published in the Arizona Republic newspaper a few days later. I was even called and interviewed by a local radio station about the list.
Since then, some of the rules have been edited, some consolidated, and a few new ones added. Despite those changes, the list of rules I presented that morning are pretty much what appears at the end of this post.
My rules come from the significant life events I've experienced.
As I write this, I am now 54 years old, and during my life thus far I suspect that I've encountered more significant life events than most people ever dream about. Here's some information about me:I grew up in a lower middle class family in Baltimore's inner city. We were always broke. I've earned everything I ever received. Very little was ever given to me.
I've been working as long as I can remember. Whether it was delivering or selling newspapers, pumping gas, working in construction or in a factory, I've always been making my own money.
And, of course, not all life events are happy ones.
I was stood up to be executed during a robbery of a gas station where I was working when I was 16. To my amazement, my would-be executioner could not muster the nerve to pull the trigger. This saved both of us. I lived, and while he went to jail, he did not go there forever. Even though there were other witnesses to the gas station robbery and assault, and other crimes he and a partner committed, I was the only one who testified against them. They both received major jail sentences.I was with a United States Marine Corps rifle company in Viet Nam for a short while in 1969. As a combat rifleman, I learned several key life lessons that resulted in some of the rules I try to live by. I learned first hand how significant a role "luck" or karma can play in our lives. The rifle company I was assigned to, Delta Company of the 1st Batallion, 26th Marines, operated in the rice paddys of Quang Nam province. We operated on the squad level (7 to 10 of us, depending on casualties), and most every night we left our command post and went several kilometers out into the rice paddys and set up in ambush. While there are many who saw significantly more combat action than me, I did see my share. After 5 or 6 weeks, I was wounded and medevaced to Japan. I returned to Viet Nam several times after that, but came back as a courier of classified documents. Although I requested (at least twice) to return to my old rifle company, the transfer was never approved.
After the Marine Corps, I used the G.I. Bill to attend college, and graduated from the University of Baltimore with a degree in accounting. I attended college mostly at night. After college, I took and passed the CPA exam. I worked only a few years as an accountant. The lion's share of my career has been spent as an entrepreneur.
I've been very lucky when it comes to business.
I started a successful business division for a company called LeaseAmerica. During the four years I was involved with this business, it grew to 84 employees and wrote over $150 million dollars in small office equipment leases. Its success helped redefine how business in that industry is now conducted.Not long after I started the division for LeaseAmerica, I started a software company in the basement of my house. I started it with the little bit of money I had, and named it Parsons Technology. I owned this business for 10 years, grew it to about 1,000 employees and just shy of $100 million a year in sales. Eventually, we sold Parsons Technology to a company named Intuit. Because my then-wife and I were the only investors, and the company had no debt, we received the entire purchase price.
Shortly after selling Parsons Technology, my wife and I decided to go our separate ways and did the customary "divide everything by two." I then moved to Arizona and retired for a year. This was a requirement of my deal with Intuit.
Retirement was not for me.
Retirement wasn't for me, so after the mandatory year passed, and using the money I had from the sale of Parsons Technology, I started a new business. This business eventually became The Go Daddy Group. I started this business from scratch, did it without acquisitions, and developed our own products. In the process, I came spooky close to losing everything I had, and actually made the decision to "lose it all" rather than close Go Daddy. Today, Go Daddy is the world leader in new domain name registrations, and has been cash flow positive since October 2001 (not bad for a dot com). As of this writing, I continue to be the only investor in Go Daddy.Throughout all of these life events, I came to accumulate a number of rules that I look to in various situations. Some of them I learned the hard way. Others I learned from the study of history. I know they work because I have applied them in both my business and personal life.
And one more thing.
I've read many times that original ideas are rare indeed. This is particularly true when it comes to the rules herein. I can't imagine that any of my rules represent new ideas.My contribution is that I've assembled these ideas, put them to work in my life, and can attest -- that more often than not -- they hold true.
While I put my 16 rules together in response to a business question, I've been told by others that they can be applied to almost any pursuit.
Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:
1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."
A special word of thanks.
I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book -- that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while :); -- Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, "They Can't Eat You." I like Brian's suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It's true. No matter how difficult things get, you're going to be OK. It's very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian.Republishing my rules
Should you care to include all or part of this article (or any article in my weblog for that matter) in one of your publications you have my permission to do so provided that you credit me for the material, mention where it was obtained and also my copyright. A suggested form might be "The above (or following) article (or rules for survival) is included with the permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com) and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved."How to see our commercials.
To see all of our new, current and past commercials, as well as the Internet-only version of our Super Bowl commercials, just click on the following link: videos.godaddy.com/bobsblog/avplayerpopup.aspx?mediaIds=sb06ext,sb05ext& link =adsMy favorite commercial.
I've decided to answer the question: Of all of our commercials what's my absolute favorite? There's no question. It's the Internet-only version of the 2006 NFC Playoff commercial -- "Window Washer." Without a doubt, that was our finest moment -- so far. If you would be so kind, take a moment and post a comment with your thoughts in this regard.Copyright © 2004 - 2006 Bob Parsons All rights reserved.
Don't worry, we won't post anything.
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