Business Blog

Technical Advisory Boards

Technical Advisory Boards

I was recently asked about the significance and structure of Technical Advisory Boards (TABs) for high-tech companies. Based on my experience, TABs become truly valuable when a company reaches the low millions in revenue. Here’s an overview of how to effectively set up and leverage a TAB.

Debt, Inflation, and Debasement

Debt, Inflation, and Debasement

The United States spends more than it produces and pays for the difference with debt. This causes inflation. Historically, countries take on debt to fight wars and sometimes to ease the effects of a recession. Today, as a nation, we seem addicted to debt in bad times...

Why we hate marketers

Why we hate marketers

Sometimes we hate marketers because they drive us crazy. Here are a couple of examples.

Thank you Japan

Thank you Japan

Almost two decades after my Japan adventure, one lesson stands out from the rest. In the United States and in Japan we both value accomplishment and both value the process by which we achieved that accomplishment, but the balance is dramatically different. This made a big difference in my life. Thank you Japan.

Silicon Valley melting pot

Silicon Valley melting pot

One of the great strengths of Silicon Valley is its diversity. It is a melting pot for the smartest and most motivated people in the world.

You can have it all: 3 business imperative

You can have it all: 3 business imperative

Most high-tech businesses have 3 business imperative.  One is continued leveraging of global resources in order to have access to the best people world-wide and to save costs; continued outsourcing in areas where we are not the best in the world; third is that we need to develop ever deeper competencies in areas critical to business.

The experience curve, or how to win by learning faster

The experience curve, or how to win by learning faster

“When a person with experience meets a person with money, the person with experience gains money and the person with money gains experience.”  Anon. “Our strategy is to get big fast.” Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Twenty-first century economic winners are those that find...

What does a CTO do?

What does a CTO do?

My most popular essay is this one on What Does a CTO do? The CTO is the Chief Technology Officer.