Nebraska is the only good album by Bruce Springsteen. But that’s not the point of this post. This post is about death. For something good to happen, something has to die. Harsh but true.
Category: Education Through Entrepreneurship
Teachers are Overrated
Think of something you’re really good at. Chances are, whatever it is, you taught yourself. An insight or tip here and there, some books or videos perhaps. But for the most part, your most valuable, high-return skills and know-how were gained from your own self-education and experience, not from a teacher.
The Idyllic Present
The suburban shopping scene is taken for granted or looked down on today. Someday, someone will see it in a movie and long to experience such an idyllic setting. They won’t be wrong.
The Business Models of Sports Leagues
Most pro sports in the US are built around business models that make no market sense. They are quasi-monopolistic guilds classified as non-profits but run for profit. The incumbent advantages and tribal fandom means they aren’t going anywhere soon. Still, there’s so much room for innovation, and I love thinking about changes to existing leagues, or brand new leagues, or even brand new sports.
Life By Subscription
The idea that a monolithic monopoly needs to provide all kinds of services whether we want them or not is stupid. It’s always been stupid. But it’s easier to see the stupid now that our lives are comprised of a growing web of voluntary subscription services and Amazon delivers everything for free.
The Delicate Art of Listening but not Listening
“If I asked people what they wanted, the would’ve said a faster horse.” — Maybe Henry Ford. Changing the world means showing people something they couldn’t tell you that they needed.Nevermind. They can and do tell you what they need. Just in the wrong language.
What Intelligence and Insanity Have in Common
Mechanical intelligence sees the connections between parts of a machine. Social intelligence sees connections between people. Physical intelligence makes connections between actions and re-actions. Creative intelligence sees connections between disparate ideas. Entrepreneurial intelligence sees connections between different goods or services, or a new nexus between supply and demand.
What If You Killed the What-Ifs?
I was talking to a friend this morning who was in a bad place. He’d forgotten to do some work over the weekend, and he wondered how to handle the inevitable let down when his supervisor found out. He asked what he should do. I asked what his options were.
If You Want Clear Thinking, Get Money Involved
Ask a young person who’s tepid on the idea of attending and they’ll torture themselves trying to work through the pros and cons. Then say, “It will cost you $50,000. You’ve got to come up with that on your own.” All of the sudden, it looks like a ridiculously stupid deal. Because it is.
The History of History
It would be interesting, though very difficult, to study how history changes. I don’t mean how the sequence of human events changes from the present into the future, I mean how the past changes. Since it exists only in memory from our present perspective, the stories we believe about the past are the past. But those stories aren’t fixed. They change all the time.