Roping in the Legal Eagles
By Uncle Saul | June 25, 2009
This is a reposting of a ‘classic’ popular post.
Johnnie Cochran was an effective, albeit smarmy, defense lawyer who would say or do anything to defend his clients (anyone up for a glass of OJ?). He was a master at encouraging jurors to disregard facts and base their legal verdicts on emotions and conjecture. Yet, despite his exceptional courtroom theatrics, you would be foolhardy to hire good old Johnnie to review your software cross-licensing agreement.
A startup-oriented lawyer may not be able to convince a jury of a guilty man’s innocence, but they can guide your adVenture through the menacing legal shoals it will no doubt face. Working with startup lawyers also minimizes the risk of losing control of your adVenture, as they can help you avoid common fundraising and investor pitfalls. Such attorneys can also add tremendous value in your negotiations with Big Dumb Companies (BDCs), as they can ensure that you focus on the deal points that are of most significance to a small entity. As such, a startup-oriented lawyer is a critical member of your extended adVenture team.
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Topics: Classic Post | No Comments »
How Much For A Rib? Pricing Should Be Based On The Value You Deliver – Period
By Uncle Saul | June 16, 2009
In his premier film appearance in the blaxploitation send-up “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” Chris Rock inadvertently illustrates a key pricing issue faced by most entrepreneurs when they initially launch a new product or service.
Watch this 93-second clip and see if you can identify the pricing pitfall addressed in this humorous clip. Caution: the clip contains a bit of profanity. It is Chris Rock, after all.
Topics: Entrepreneur, Strategic Planning, The Fringe | No Comments »
InfoChachkie Nuggets #2 – June 05 2009
By Tom Sawyer | June 5, 2009
Title/Summary: Entrepreneurs can change the world Video
Author: Grasshopper.com
infoChachkie Nuggets:
- A beautiful inspirational entrepreneurial video that clocks in at just 2 minutes, 19 seconds.
Link: <Click Here>
Topics: infoChachkie Nuggets | No Comments »
Fast Followers II: What Color Are Your Elephant’s Sunglasses?
By Uncle Saul | June 3, 2009
Note: This is Part II in a three-part series on Fast Followers. Click here for Part I and Part III
When Superman was introduced in 1939, he was truly a breakthrough comic book character. At the time, most comic heroes were very human, such as Dick Tracy, The Lone Ranger and Tarzan. The very attributes which caused Superman to be unlike anything that came before subsequently became clichéd conventions, which makes it difficult for modern audiences to appreciate just how startlingly different Superman was at the time of his debut. 
His super powers, costume, dual identity and crime-fighting focus have been endlessly imitated, sometimes a bit too closely.
Within months of Superman’s first appearance, Fox Features Syndicate created Wonder Comics, starring “Wonder Man.” As shown at left, he had super powers, wore a red uniform, fought crime and had a large “W” on his chest. Sound familiar? The public rejected this dismal imitation and the comic sold poorly.
Copies which lack originality are similar to those successively made on a Xerox machine. Each copy is an inferior imitation of that upon which it is based.
Topics: Entrepreneur, Strategic Planning, The Fringe | 3 Comments »
Fast Followers I: Beat The Market Leaders At Their Own Game
By Uncle Saul | May 26, 2009
Note: This is Part I in a three-part series on Fast Followers. Click here for Part II and Part III
Lou Pearlman, owner of Trans Continental Airlines, watched five teenagers crowd into one of his private planes. He asked himself, “How the hell can these kids afford to charter a private plane?” The answer surprised him.
The “kids” were the pop singing group “New Kids on the Block” (New Kids or NKOTB), which at the time was one of the most successful musical acts in the world.
Pearlman was unimpressed with the group, but his chance meeting with them sparked an entrepreneurial adVenture. He wondered, “How hard can it be? Get some cute kids who can sing, teach them to dance and unleash them on the public.”
With no experience in the music industry, no musical talent and no fear, he developed musical groups and solo artists that collectively sold over 160 million records, twice as many as NKOTB. Pearlman’s most successful artists include The Backstreet Boys, ‘NSync, Aaron Carter and Jordan Knight.
Whether or not you like or even respect the music created by Pearlman’s performers, the manner in which he conquered the music industry offers relevant lessons for any entrepreneur attempting a fast-follower market-entry strategy.
Topics: Entrepreneur, Strategic Planning, The Fringe | 4 Comments »
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