A VC in Vacationland

Seeking the next gen supply chain technology breakthroughs

recent posts

about

  • Communicate with Logic or with the Heart?

    Shannon and Weaver Model of CommunicationImage via Wikipedia

    My friend, Roger Jones, has taught me a lot about how to best manage a business.  Here are his thoughts on communicating in business.  They are very valuable insights:

    "If you think about it, the
    majority of business is based on communicating using logic, the language of the
    'mind'.  That's delivering information, facts and intellectual
    interpretation.  There is typically little emotion displayed when we communicate
    using logic and we tend to talk like TV news-readers (fairly flat and not that
    engaging).  Those who use this type of communication hope you will
    understand and accept their message in terms of the data, statistics and case
    studies they use to support their argument.

    Not surprisingly, those who use 'mind' or logic based communication rarely have
    their messages accepted by their audience, whether in a meeting with their boss
    or team, or when delivering a conference presentation.  And as leaders
    they tend to have little personal presence and impact.

    However, the story is quite different for those who communicate with the
    'heart'.  Their messages are more easily accepted.  Those who use
    'heart' communication are those who inspire people, have greater gravitas and effortlessly
    persuade.

    These people deliberately communicate on an emotional level.  They dress
    their messages in the narrative, and bring light, colour and rhythm to their
    spoken word. 

    They are the storytellers.

    Storytellers have been known for centuries for their imagination and wisdom.

    Storytelling brings knowledge to life.

    Great storytellers are invariably great leaders.  Inspiring and motivating
    people with their narrative.

    They win hearts and minds.

    Importantly storytelling as a tool for change will enable you to capture your
    audience so they are clear about your intention.  Effective storytelling
    wins the trust of people you need to involve in making the changes that matter.

    So a suggestion – you might want to think how you can start to move away from
    logic and use storytelling more in your day-to-day business interactions to win
    hearts and minds, and so inspire performance and enable change."  

    Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Marketing & Sales Innovators: Port Clyde Fresh Catch

    NC Fish & shrimp from Southport Seafood at Sou...Image via Wikipedia

    I wrote recently about Linda Bean's Perfect Maine lobster co-operative, designed to help Maine lobster men (and women) develop a better marketing, sales and business model for their business. There are similar co-ops springing up, like Port Clyde Fresh Catch, which is focusing on a broader range of catch, including fish, shrimp, scallops and crab, in addition to lobster. Like Linda, they are working on branding Maine seafood and a sustainable and "organic" catch. They are also aggressively marketing their products at leading restaurants such as the Stone Barn Center for Food & Agriculture. These co-op may be the future of how smaller producers will compete in the future.

    Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Six Slides to Funding

    Gold Key, weighing one kilogram is used to acc...Image via Wikipedia

    Getting one's start up story into a few meaningful slides is terribly difficult but probably the most important job any fledging founder can undertake.  Andy Swan posted his candidates for the six slides recently as a comment to Fred Wilson's Blog on how Union Square Ventures raised money with only a six slide deck.

    Here they are:

    1. Imagine a world where….
    2. Here's how we get there…
    3. Known obstacles to overcome
    4 The pot of gold
    5 Why our team is awesome
    6 Routing number for investment

    Pretty neat…..

    Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Supply Chain Innovators: TrafficZag

    Traffic congestion, Brasília D.F. (Plano Pilot...Image via Wikipedia

    TrafficZag has launched a new iPhone app, CommuteX, which anonymously tracks and evaluates a user's individual commute, and identifies the best departure times and routes. The initial market is the District of Columbia region, which has one of the worst commutes in all of the United States.

    The app could also be a boon to trucking companies, looking to find real-time delivery route options to avoid the worst traffic congestion.

    Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • The Coin Drops on Shareholder Value

    Unilever NV Unilever PLCImage via Wikipedia

    My only question is why it took so long to debunk the ideas that companies should focus on maximizing shareholder value? In a recent Financial Times interview, Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, made sure that the markets and his employees know that Unilever's first priority was the satisfaction of their customers, not shareholders.

    He joins other former shareholder focused advocates, including Jack Welsh–often cited as the father of shareholder value–in distancing themselves from a short term, quarterly view of maximizing share price and tying compensation to achieving the highest possible share prices.

    Mr Polman understands that if you make your customers your primary focus and happy over the long term, then your shareholders will be amply rewarded.  Nuf said…..

    Does this fly in the face of Milton's Friedman's famous dictum that it is the social responsibility of companies to increase their profits?  Absolutely not, just do not do it all in the short term. 

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

    http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Waze Update…Waze, the user driven traffic jam update app, announced today that it is linking with commuter groups to spread the goodness of it's traffic updates. This is a genius move–one that other web sites wanting to build traffic need to implement with their compatible communities.

  • Keys to Sales Success

    One of the major challenges entrepreneurs face is selling their solutions.  Mo Bunnell has summarized the key steps quite nicely in the March 2010 edition of Consulting Magazine.  You can find his thoughts, No More Death by PowerPoint: Keys to Sales Success here.

  • Supply Chain Innovators: Streetline Networks

    A parking meterImage via Wikipedia

    Streetline Networks is trying to solve the big question for drivers in cities–where is that nearby parking space?  They make traffic control technology that makes it tougher to park cheaper or get away with not feeding the meter. Streamline's applications lets parking authorities identify crowded streets and raise parking-meter charges at a block level. The concept is to encourage drivers to park in a parking lot, or seek a space in a less-crowded neighborhood. San Francisco, Sausilito and Los Angeles are installing the technology.

    Low powered magnetic sensors are embedded in roads to detect cars in parking spots or moving. The real-time data is transmitted to receivers in traffic control boxes, then sent onto city parking managers. If a street has high traffic and no parking spaces, San Francisco may raise the meter rates to as much as $6 per hour.  The prices will register on the meter and on the city's web site.  In early tests, the system paid for itself in two months, primarily due to new parking tickets issued.

    The technology could also be adapted to help trucking companies better manage inner city deliveries and reduce double parking because cars are parked in loading zones. Using the real-time traffic data, trucks could also be routed away from traffic congestion.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
    http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Simple is Better: A Goodbye Gift From Bob Lutz

    GILBERT, AZ - JANUARY 29: In this handout pro...Image by Getty Images via Daylife

    Automotive News has a fascinating article on the retirement of Bob Lutz from GMC after over 50 years in the auto industry. His appraisal of why GM failed is that they over intellectualized the business–five levels of design, five levels of production, too many smart people, not enough common sense.

    The article is required reading for entrepreneurs looking to develop/refine their business model.  Simple is better, whether you are nurturing a start up or managing one of the largest companies in the world.

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

    http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

  • Hair on the Deal

    Piggy bank from German bank HASPA, around 1970.Image via Wikipedia

    Generally, more hair is best, except when it come to venture capital deals.  "Hair on the deal" is a quaint expression used at venture partner meetings to denote when a potential investment is going south.  It could be going south for many reasons, but when the phrase is uttered, it is generally curtains for the poor start up under discussion.  David Lerner recently had an interesting Blog post on the subject that is worth reviewing. 

    David missed a few reasons, including one of my favorites–that a deal is "too hard", meaning that the venture partners can make as much money on other deals and not have to work "too hard" themselves. But I digress…

    The important point is how you can avoid getting hair on YOUR deal. And not have to fund your start-up out of your piggy bank. Here are a few suggestions:

    1. Keep it Simple–too often, entrepreneurs try and solve world hunger in their presentation. They present "disruptive" business models designed to change an entire industry. While this can happen, and Amazon is a great example, most investors shy away from start ups that require many value chain participants to change the way they do business. Focus initially on the key area where your idea can make money, with a roll out plan for the other opportunities.
    2. Remember Romance–I often meet entrepreneurs for the first time who insist on launching into the power points without any polite introductions, etc.  First meetings with investors should be conceptual, unless the investor has asked for a full-blown presentation right out of the box. Explain the basics of your idea and how you plan to make it happen, being ready to dive into details if requested.
    3. Research Potential Investors–it is easy to get a list of local investors and start dialing for dollars.  Many investors will likely do a meeting if you have an interesting idea. And many of those may not be able to add value to your start up.  There is a big difference between passive and active money.  If you know exactly what to do,  passive money-where an investor is like a bank-may work. If you need a lot of introductions and help along the way to make your deal happen, then an active investor who knows the space and can provide valuable advice is best. 

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

    http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js