Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, October 26, 2020 This column is running eight days before Election Day. Like many of you, I have a dog in the fight, and emotions across the country are running at peak RPMs. So, I thought this would be an ideal time to pause — to reflect. To do […]
Neil’s Blog
Coming up with a really good idea requires some creativity
Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, October 19, 2020 How do you come up with a really good idea? (By the way, if I had a sure-fire answer, I would not be sharing it today). But in the proper spirit of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, let’s look at some sophisticated research, done at the Stanford Graduate […]
The mindset of an entrepreneur can be a hard thing to change
Originally published OCT. 12, 2020, San Diego Union Tribune https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/latest/story/2020-10-12/the-mindset-of-an-entrepreneur-can-be-a-hard-thing-to-change Why is it so hard for people to change their minds when presented with evidence of their inaccuracy? Don’t try to confuse me with the facts, or to put it in the language of the mean streets, “I ain’t backing down.” Unfortunately, this mindset tends […]
Entrepreneurs should master ‘spontaneous management’
Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, October 5, 2020 Spontaneous Management. This is the title of a course taught at Stanford by Professor Christian Wheeler. Look, I’m an expert at spontaneous combustion, but I decided to check in with Wheeler to get some new insights on the other. The subtext of the class is “things […]
Why riding a bike is good for your health and for your career
Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, September 28, 2020 “SANDAG report shows 42 percent increase in bicycle ridership in first five months of stay-at-home order,” San Diego Union-Tribune, September 10. No question, those two-wheelers are everywhere. Me, personally, I ride a road bike, once per week, approximately 28 miles. I ride alone because I like […]
Negotiation strategy means considering key questions
Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, September 21, 2020 I spend a lot of time negotiating. In my world, it ranks right up there with eating breakfast. Recently, over a virtual beer, I was asked “do I have a strategy?” At first blush that seemed like a dumb question, but upon closer consideration, I realized […]