Seeing over the horizon

Entrepreneurs, Executing, Investors, Management, Organisation

Experience is not what it used to be

As parents, we’re delighted when our new infants finally manage to match the shape with the shaped hole in the learning toy. We show them pictures of fish, cats, dogs, lions, and play the same “what’s this?” game that’s been played by parents and grandparents for decades. Humans are good at this pattern matching and…
Digitalisation, Trend Spotting

The future began a while ago

My phone connects up to the car’s Bluetooth system just fine, as you’d expect it to. Not that long ago it began to give me helpful information as soon as it connected: “15mins to get home, take Potter Row. Traffic is light.” Ok, it’s figured out where “home” is and that when I start the…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management

Can entrepreneurialism be taught?

Gillian Tett’s thoughtful review of She Said – “A moving account of how the Weinstein story broke” – described someone that sounded like a dictator and a bully. He did build a significant company. TWC experienced financial turbulence, lay-offs and the ups and downs of the industry, but it produced a string of high grossing…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Strategy, Trend Spotting

Human engagement is a big opportunity

Martha has created a wonderful business in Sheffield (YouTube), and she has shared her adventurous journey with her friends and customers on social media. Forge Bakehouse is now a thriving business with a growing following (Facebook). Her enthusiasm is infectious! What’s not to like as you buy your three Pastéis de Nata? ForgeBakehouse is one…
Digitalisation, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Trend Spotting

The Good, the Bad, and the Surreptitious

What is it about humans? Protest against the introduction of new technology is hardly new. How far back do you want to go? Agricultural workers were protesting in the 1830s about the new threshing machines that were undermining their livelihood. (Wikipedia) If the subject intrigues you, then try the excellent Shield of Achilles, which examines…
Entrepreneurs, Executing, Investors, Management, Trend Spotting

We need to talk about losses

Slack published its first results since going public, forecasting higher than expected losses. Why are they higher than expected? Is it because they know what they’re doing or because they don’t? The shares fell 15%, which suggests that some decided that it’s the latter. (CityAM) Elsewhere, we now know that WeWork Is the Most Ridiculous…
Digitalisation, Entrepreneurs, Management, Strategy, Trend Spotting

WhatsApp scuppers the B2B market

Diversity today is a key topic – how to achieve the right mix of talents, backgrounds and human characteristics in the teams we build and, in many ways, how to avoid missing out because we failed to include some. My project to test WhapsApp as a business channel has delivered some startling results already, and…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management, Trend Spotting

These waves are exciting!

This is a really exciting time to be in the thick of early stage business, and possibly the most exciting time yet in the five decades I’ve been doing this. I stumbled on an interview with the great mathematician, the late Dr. Jacob Bronowski. (BBC) He was obviously really excited about the two epochs of…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management, Strategy, Trend Spotting

Are humans the ultimate differentiator?

Josiah Wedgewood had a lot to do with it. Within four years of starting in 1759, he’d begun to get orders from royalty and the aristocracy, and was one of the first to use celebrity endorsements to power sales to the growing middle classes. He was able to industrialise the production of pottery through his…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management

Why The Big Short was about entrepreneurs

It’s 2006 and we’re at Ceasar’s Palace at the Las Vegas Securitization Conference, and the guy at the lecturn is self-congratulatory, saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, business is good, profits are strong, and the mortgage continues to be the bedrock on which this economy is built”. He gets a huge round of applause. Of course, we…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management, Strategy

Selling up is a capital idea if you’re Tarzan

A new mortgage product was launched in Denmark last week, and it was a global first; the first mortgage with a negative interest rate. Jyske Bank, the third largest there, is offering a 10 year deal at -0.5%. They say that borrowers will still make a payment each month, as with other mortgages, but the…
Entrepreneurs, Investors, Management, Strategy, Trend Spotting

Elephants’ feet need not be threatening

Autocomplete has its uses, it does save a bit of time, but it can be illuminating in that it gives an insight into what the most popular searches might be. Type in Should Apple – the first entry that autocomplete suggests is: Should Apples be kept in the fridge. So what, you might ask?  That’s…
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