For every brand and for every person, yesterday is irretrievably gone and tomorrow is worth a great deal.
- Seth Godin, on sunk cost and your personal brand.
Entrepreneurs are good at keeping their dream when everything about them is changing.
Entries tagged as ‘business’
Sunk cost fallacy
March 12, 2008 · No Comments
Categories: MBA · business · inspiration · quotes · startup
Tagged: business, entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, quotes, Seth Godin, sunk cost
The game is over when I say so
March 11, 2008 · No Comments
The rich troves of data at the fingertips of the biggest Internet companies are also creating a new kind of digital divide within the industry. Traditional media companies, which collect far less data about visitors to their sites, are increasingly at a disadvantage when they compete for ad dollars.
The major television networks and magazine and newspaper companies “aren’t even in the same league,” said Linda Abraham, an executive vice president at comScore. “They can’t really play in this sandbox.”
Gosh! The 500 pound Gorilla is at a serious disadvantage when compared to the 200 pound Gorilla cause its muscle to mass ratio is lower and so won’t get in to the same ring. When did the NY Times start encouraging FUD? The last time I checked Publicis was still wayy bigger than Google.
It would be interesting to know what kind of data traditional companies held about their consumers. For example, what groceries you buy and how often.
Categories: advertising · business · technology
Tagged: advertising, business
Big Bazaar’s Saste Din, Saste in name only
February 4, 2008 · 14 Comments
Big Bazaar and the culture of always low prices has finally arrived here in India. The question is - does Big Bazaar match consumer expectations, or are they just making empty promises.
Categories: India · business · marketing · pricing
Tagged: big bazaar, bigbazaar, business, India, Pune, retail
The Indian Online Advertising Enigma
January 5, 2008 · 3 Comments
Should Innovation-focused online Indian Startups look to Advertising for Revenue?
2007’s most common refrain I hear is that the online advertising is not lucrative. This I have heard from Investors, Founders, including those with Media industry experience. The obvious deduction that one would draw from it is that it is not probable for most startups to attain profitability the advertising model.
Categories: advertising · business · marketing · startup · technology
Tagged: advertising, business, doubleclick, google, India, internet, media, microsoft, online, pay per click, rediff, venture capital, zapak
Build up the Entrepreneurial drive
December 29, 2007 · No Comments
Happy New Year, I wish you a great 2008!
These pieces of art work are driving several out there to become Entrepreneurs.
Pink Floyd - the album Dark Side of the Moon.
Anyone else would have left you by now, but I’m sticking with you. And if I have to ride your ass like Zorro, you’re gonna show me the money. - Rod Tidwell
The Key to this (any) business is personal relationships. - Dicky Fox
I’m finished, I’m f**ked. Twenty four hours ago, man, I was hot! Now… I’m a cautionary tale. You see this jacket I’m wearing, you like it? Because I don’t really need it. Because I’m cloaked in failure! I lost the number one draft picked the night before the draft! Why? Let’s recap: Because a hockey player’s kid made me feel like a superficial jerk. I ate two slices of bad pizza, went to bed and grew a concience! - Jerry Maguire
Railroad Tycoon II - a game by Gathering of Developers.
What are your influences?
Categories: business · inspiration · technology
Tagged: business, games, inspiration, jerry maguire, movies, railroad tycoon II, strategy
Should I get an MBA?
November 22, 2007 · 4 Comments
Is the $100,000 branded MBA worth it? If this is going through your head, I strongly recommend reading this essay aptly titled “The End of the MBA”.
I am considering starting the local chapter of the NoBS (New Order Business School) described in this article. After spending two years with those who would make it to a branded school, I have a fair idea of who should get in. Just last week I reviewed over 10 essays from I.S.B. applicants and often get several such requests for many other schools. I think NoBS would be a great way to get future entrepreneurs together. Any takers for my plan?
Having got an MBA from Wharton, I feel rather strange endorsing this essay. The ironical part is that I recently gave similar advice to a large group of entrepreneurs at the TiE-ISB conference last week. The MBA gets you credibility points while hiring your first few employees and while talking to VCs (but those points can be earned by getting revenue or real customers too).
An MBA is not required for entrepreneurship. A close mentor of mine makes the point well. An MBA would teach you to manage risk. And entrepreneurship is all about taking very big risks or very big bets (depends on how you look at them).
I wish I had read the essay before speaking at the conference. Quoting Seth, ask people who are thriving in today’s economy to name five things that helped them succeed, and they’ll probably come up with a list like this one.
1. Finding, hiring, and managing supergreat people
2. Embracing change and moving quickly
3. Understanding and excelling at business development and at making deals with other companies
4. Prioritizing tasks in a job that changes every day
5. Selling — to people, to companies, and to markets
I waited four years to start doing these. If you still have a choice, don’t wait.
Warning: A branded MBA is a fantastic platform for many well defined career paths. This post applies only to those debating between launching a startup and getting an MBA.
Categories: Anjali · MBA · TiE · academic · business · startup
Tagged: academic, business, Entrepreneurship, ISB, MBA, Seth Godin, TiE, Wharton
Santosh
Anjali