Unasked Questions and Other Things You Wish You Had Said
Unasked questions linger after the death of a parent, along with all of the things that you wish you had said.
Unasked Questions and Other Things You Wish You Had Said Read More »
Unasked questions linger after the death of a parent, along with all of the things that you wish you had said.
Unasked Questions and Other Things You Wish You Had Said Read More »
Looking back nineteen years on 9-11 I am struck by how it unified America in way that perhaps only the Moon Landing and Pearl Harbor did.
9-11 at 19: Looking back at a Unified America Read More »
Tips to cut the stress of a startup: plan for learning, take time to recharge, join a peer support group, don’t compare yourself to others.
Q: How Can I Manage the Stress of a Startup? Read More »
A review of two short essays by Sridhar Vembu that explore the meaning of capital as the capability of a group or population to meet its own diverse economic needs.
Sridhar Vembu: Capital is a group’s capability to meet its diverse needs Read More »
Excerpts from Clayton Christensen’s address to the 2010 graduating class at Harvard Business School on “How Will You Measure Your Life?”
Clayton Christensen on “How Will You Measure Your Life?” Read More »
Both of our sons were able to join us for Thanksgiving 2019. It was wonderful. We ended up in a conversation about George Washington, I have included his 1798 proclamation that established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the US.
I came across a list of 21 “Things I wish I knew in my twenties” by Michael Wade and was impressed by the insights he offered. Here are my top eight.
Michael Wade: Things I Wish I Knew in My Twenties Read More »
Octavia Butler rejects inspiration, talent, and imagination as essential to creative pursuits and suggests that habits that enable persistence and learning are the essential element.
Octavia Butler: Cultivate Habits That Enable Persistence and Learning Read More »
I had a birthday this week which triggered from reflections on my life. I prepared a short list of lessons learned for my party. I hope you find them helpful.
Some Reflections on My Life Triggered by a Recent Birthday Read More »
I like working with entrepreneurs because I find it easier to deal with their psychological challenges and the small team dynamics of a startup than the political problems of an enterprise.
Why I Like Working with Entrepreneurs Read More »
Humans like to give and to receive without cheating or being cheated: we want to be part of networks of reciprocal gift-exchange. If you want to become a member in good standing of community you will need to “give to get.”
Reciprocal Gift-Exchange and Charity Knit Networks into Communities Read More »
Some personal reflections on my father and a stroke he suffered in June 1994 when I was launching a new company and expecting my first son in a few weeks.
Father’s Day 2019: a Story of My Father Read More »
For Thanksgiving 2018 I wanted to recap how the events of the first Thanksgiving feast: here are excerpts from “Mourt’s Relation” and “Of Plymouth Plantation.”
Thanksgiving 2018: a Look Back at Founders Who Persevered Read More »
Thanksgiving 2017 is a chance to reflect on your blessings and give thanks to those who have helped you in the last year.
Thanksgiving 2017: Counting My Blessings, Bootstrapper Potluck, Finest Hour Read More »
For Thanksgiving 2016 we hosted the Bootstrapper Potluck for the third year in a row, it’s becoming a tradition we really enjoy.
Thanksgiving 2016: Bootstrappers Potluck and Reflections on Mayflower Compact Read More »
I take a fair amount of inspiration from dreams, which I believe are a way for the mind to reprocess memories into new configurations, the same way that a mixmaster can beat eggs or potatoes into a smooth consistency. I think dreams are a way of reprocessing experiences and distilling additional insights and learning.
What a Mixmaster our dreams are for our memories Read More »
Kenopsia is a neologism coined by John Koenig for “the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet” like the “bare ruined choirs” of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73. What follows is one of my “Spiritual Sundays” posts. It’s a meditation on loss and impermanence.
Kenopsia: Bare Ruined Choirs Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang Read More »
Christmas afternoon finds me reading “Courtesy.” It’s an essay by Ian MacLaren (pen name for Scottish author and theologian John Watson) that offers a recipe for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in daily life. Here are some excerpts I found useful, the last finds me still clearly in the “before picture.”
Courtesy Keeps The Spirit Of Christmas Alive Read More »
No man is a failure who has friends. Clarence’s parting observation to George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” is good advice for all of us on Christmas Eve. Watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” has become a Christmas tradition in our family in recent years: it’s one of the few black and white movies my boys will watch.
No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends Read More »
A recap of the Bootstrappers Potluck Thanksgiving 2015, and an essay by Rich Mullings that we appreciate Thanksgiving like a rainbow, knowing it won’t last
Thanksgiving 2015: Bootstrappers Potluck and Rainbow Shiny Read More »