I recently had a conversation with Bruce La Fetra of La Fetra Consulting on a “Service Factory” concept I have been working on. What follows is a 20 minute audio and edited transcript of some of the key points in our conversation. I have added some hyperlinks for clarity.
Service Factory Conversation with Bruce La Fetra Read More »
I used to think it was the advice I offered that provided the highest value to clients and friends. I talk to a number of people in different or challenging situations. Recently I have come to appreciate that it’s when I focus and listen to someone explain their situation, asking them questions from a caring perspective to
Asking Questions From A Caring Perspective Read More »
I recently did an in depth interview with Jen Berkley Jackson of The Insight Advantage on primary research tools. Jen works with companies to help them make sure that they understand their customers better than any competitor or potential competitor. Her firm performs primary research for clients, using a variety of tools to gather information
Primary Research Tools: Q&A With Jen Berkley Jackson Read More »
In Chapter 9 of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” Robert Pirsig goes into an extended explanation of the Scientific Method using the metaphor of motorcycle repair. He stresses the value of an experiment log, explaining how to organize it so that you don’t become lost in exploring for solutions to a problem. I have
Organizing Your Experiment Log Read More »
Mark Twain writes about a “dumb sense of vast loss” upon learning his daughter has died unexpectedly from meningitis in chapter 6 of his autobiography. He offers an analogy to a house burning down causing an overwhelming sense of loss that takes years to process.
Mark Twain on a Dumb Sense of Vast Loss Read More »
Fabrizio Caramagna curated “The New Italian Aphorists” in 2013, including a selection of his own aphorisms. Here are 5 that entrepreneurs will find useful.
Five Aphorisms from Fabrizio Caramagna Read More »
Joseph Mancuso wrote “How to Start, Finance, and Manage Your Own Small Business” and included an “Entrepreneur’s Quiz” a self-assessment for entrepreneurs. His explanation for the reasons behind some of the questions includes the following nuggets:
Joseph Mancuso’s Insights on Entrepreneurship Read More »
The instrumentation of advertising-driven firms that sell their audience as the product and government efforts to prevent another 9-11 have combined to put us all in the pervasive surveillance of a panopticon.
Pearl Harbor to 9-11 to the Panopticon Read More »
After every Great Demo! workshop we follow up with every participant to learn What results have you observed from applying the Great Demo! method so far? Do you have any success stories to report or share? Are there any questions you’d like to have addressed regarding the methods or concepts? Have you encountered situations where
Abigail Miller on Great Demo Workshop Benefits Read More »
It’s easy to mis-assess who your real competition is. We worry the most about competition that cares deeply. “You’re competing against people in a state of flow, people who are truly committed, people who care deeply about the outcome.” Seth Godin in “Texting While Working“
Be Wary of Competition That Cares Deeply Read More »
James Geary has curated one of the best collections of aphorisms that I have–and I have read dozens: “Geary’s Guide to the World’s Great Aphorists.” Geary has “Five Laws Of The Aphorism,” they are: It Must Be Brief; It Must Be Personal; It Must Be Definitive; It Must Be Philosophical; It Must Have a Twist. In
Ten Aphorisms For Entrepreneurs By James Geary Read More »
You can follow @skmurphy to get these quotes for entrepreneurs hot off the mojo wire or wait until they are collected in a blog post at the end of each month. Enter your E-mail address if you would like to have new blog posts sent to you.
Quotes For Entrepreneurs–August 2015 Read More »
Summer is almost over. If you have been putting off reading “The Lean Startup” I have a time saving suggestion. If you have an hour and want to capture the gist I can recommend a good e-book summary for Lean Startup. If you have another hour I suggest a good summary for Four Steps.
E-Book Summary For Lean Startup Read More »
It’s masturbation to calculate the exit value of idea that has not been reduced to practice and achieved some level of traction. The real question is how much time and effort to invest to achieve a level of traction that would allow place a value on the business that leverages the ideas. Often it’s not a
Q: How Can I Calculate The Exit Value Of My Idea? Read More »
SKMurphy August 2015 Newsletter This blog post summarizes our August newsletter, “Strategies for a Winning Sales Presentation.” You can subscribe to the monthly SKMurphy newsletter using the form at the right Strategies for a Winning Sales Presentation We’ve all seen it–people listening to a sales presentation, eyes glazed over and their minds wandering anywhere but on
Newsletter: Strategies for a Winning Sales Presentation Read More »
In “Abramisms: Lines of the Ancient Aphorist Volume 1” Beston Jack Abrams offers several aphorisms about recognizing the truth in a situation and acting on it. Here are 8 I have selected with some additional commentary for entrepreneurs.
Beston Jack Abrams: Recognize and Act On The Truth Read More »
Beston Jack Abrams has self-published 7 volumes of “Abramisms: Lines of the Ancient Aphorist” between 2011 and 2014. These slim volumes each contain 128 aphorisms, one on the opening page and three per page for another 39 pages: are a revelation and an inspiration. Volume 7 ends with this paragraph, leading me to conclude there
Beston Jack Abrams on Aphorisms Read More »
It’s OK to solve your own problem first, to be the first customer. This at a minimum gets the idea out of your head and reduced to practice where it can be tested. The trick is to use this basic product to spark further discussions about the problem you solved, no your solution.
Q: Can I Be My First Customer? Read More »
The sad reality is that a business cannot be fun, educational, and profitable all at once. Pick boring or grinding over losing money. Christopher Morley observed, “There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning,” but you don’t have to get all three from your business. Without earning you don’t have a
Pick Boring Or Grinding Over Losing Money Read More »
Mary Roach offers a tour of the afterlife in Stiff. She answers the question what happens to our bodies after we die. She explores funeral homes, autopsies, medical training, medical research, crash testing, body armor testing, cremation, brain death, natural decomposition, and organ transplants among other topics. The book is meticulously researched. Roach visits all
Stiff by Mary Roach Read More »
