Published in UT San Diego, October 13, 2014 A few days ago at lunch, I saw an old friend, a man who is on the board of a startup that had earlier come to us for money. We passed because we thought the founder wasn’t willing to listen — also known as the “unmentorable” syndrome. […]
Get Young Scientists Involved in the Business End of Science
Published in UT San Diego, October 6, 2014 Do you know the difference between a jean and a gene? Well, biotechnology is one of San Diego’s key industries, and its practitioners not only know the difference, they are the leaders in the successful commercialization of research conducted at UC San Diego, Salk Institute for Biological […]
When Hiring, Focus First on Talent That Stands Out
Published in UT San Diego, September 29, 2014 Hiring. This subject fascinates me. In a study of chief executives, 68 percent rate hiring as the No. 1 focus and the No. 1 area of weakness. In other words, it ain’t easy. There are myriad ways and tools — the infamous Google brain teasers, the trick […]
La Jolla Bookstore Holds Its Own Against Giants by Re-Inventing
Published in UT San Diego, September 22, 2014 The bookstore is dead. Long live the bookstore. One La Jolla bookstore has triumphed in the face of the big chain stores, in the face of Amazon, and in the face of e-books. Meet Nancy Warwick, owner of Warwick’s, which is believed to be the oldest continuously […]
Want Buyer Loyalty? Try Standing In Your Customer’s Shoes
Published in UT San Diego, September 15, 2014 Customer service. It’s like pornography. I can’t describe it, but I know it when I see it. A customer for life. That is the goal of every business. It takes a lot of money to get one, and you never ever want to give one back. And […]
Outside Classroom, Students Learn to Apply Themselves
Published in UT San Diego, August 18, 2014 A walk in the park. It is a well-known concept that sometimes the best ideas come when you let your mind wander. In this case the park was Balboa, and the wanderers were Stanley Maloy, dean of the College of Sciences at San Diego State University, and […]