7 Reasons eBooks Should Be Almost Free
If you want to understand why I think eBooks should be almost free, let me start by telling you a little story (first related by Peter Drucker in his classic Innovation and Entrepreneurship on pp. 33 ff.):
Some decades ago, the chairman of Macy’s became disturbed by a trend he saw in his industry. Most customers [...]
4 Myths (and More!) Bloggers Believe about “Old” Media
Bob Baker pointed me toward this blog post by Leo Babauta: “8 Valuable Lessons Newspapers Must Learn From Bloggers to Survive”.
I’m actually finding myself disagreeing with some of Leo’s points. For example:
Opening the Door to Your Own Destiny
This morning, after I dropped the Missus off at work, I headed down Washington Street toward Mishawum Road, where I needed to make a left turn in order to get to the highway.
Now, this particular intersection has two left-turn lanes. That is, if you want to make a left turn, you can either get into [...]
Too Late, the Code Is Already Written
One way to deal with poor communication on a software project is simply to ignore the people around you and do what you wanted to do anyhow. Of course, this strategy can backfire, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. But in that case, you probably won’t know enough to notice it backfiring, so [...]
Why I Never Want to be Published
Recently, a fiction author told me that because I was “unpublished”–his word, not mine–I was unqualified to offer advice on writing stories. Of course, that’s silly, because getting published is not about whether you can write. It’s about schmoozing with editors and agents and about receiving enough rejection letters. Getting published is an exercise in [...]
Sued for Reading an RSS Feed?
The blogosphere is coming of age. And the story of my recent experience with a well-known blog network illustrates a contentious issue in the blogosphere, contentious because blogging technology is just progressing too fast, even for bloggers. And because the law is moving even more slowly than the bloggers themselves. Before the dust settles, no [...]
How the Oldest, Safest Innovation Redefined a Web 2.0 Website
There are many myths about innovation. The biggest is that it’s risky. This myth is especially prevalent in the hi-tech community. That’s because when we think “innovation,” we think about technological innovation, one of the riskiest kinds of innovation. What’s more, we naturally feel threatened by the most secure and lucrative opportunities for innovation.
And that’s [...]
What Chocolate Says About Entrepreneurship
“Once upon a time, there was a quiet, little village in the French countryside whose people believed in tranquilite. If you lived in this village, you understood what was expected of you. You knew your place in the scheme of things. And if you happened to forget, someone would help remind you. In this village, [...]
Ten Favorite Books
These are not necessarily my all-time favorites in all categories. I don’t even know whether I could narrow the list down that far. But these are ten really good books from my library, all of which I heartily recommend.
In fact, I continue to be amazed at how many people have not read even the most [...]
Overcoming Your Fear of Poverty
Pam Slim, author of the excellent Escape from Cubicle Nation blog and founder of Ganas Consulting, also publishes a free eZine called “Get a Life!” And in the latest issue, she discusses fear about money.
Fear about money creates stress, disturbs focus, saps innovation and productivity, and makes work miserable. The answer, says Pam, is to [...]