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Maximizing profits

In 1999 I bought Jul’s diamond engagement ring from a jeweler named Thomas Broadwin in Palo Alto. He doesn’t have a storefront, just a small office. He works by appointment only. He offers very personal, one-on-one service. So personal that when he learned I had survived cancer he gave me me a ring with an [...]

Adobe keeps me up to date

I got this lovely dialog box when I when to launch Adobe Illustrator last night. As if it didn’t take long enough for the program to start, now Adobe is excited to tell me there are updates to four programs I have never used. None of them are Illustrator. Oh, and the Updater needs updating [...]

Childhood dream of trampolines fulfilled

I’m not sure if I was alone on this, but I spent my childhood feeling the world would be a much better place if there were more trampolines and zip-lines. In fact, I always thought running zip-lines over fields of trampolines seemed like a great idea because you could drop from the zip-line, bounce [...]

Product Review, Pajamas

I had my first product review with Larry and Sergey today. It also happened to be the first annual pajama day at Google. Yes, put those together, and you in fact have:
I was wearing pajamas in my first product review with Larry and Sergey.
I’m guessing there aren’t many people who can say that. Oh, and [...]

On startups - option packages, vesting, triggers, acceleration, and taxes

I’ve had a bunch of questions of late on option packages. Here is what I know on the subject from my direct experience, talking to other experienced entrepreneurs, lawyers, and picking Joe Kraus’ brain. Thanks to Ken Norton and Dave Hodson for their feedback on early versions of this post.
The Basics
While some public companies are [...]

Exit strategy?

Hugh reminds us, using his amazing back of business card art, that whining is not an exit strategy.

You win some, you lose some, you win then lose some

“We were disappointed to hear of Wal-Mart’s decision”
Understatement of the month, made by Phillippe Krakowsky, executive vice president of Interpublic. The statement was made in response to Wal-Mart’s decision to reopen the search for Wal-Mart’s marketing agency. The contract is worth $580 million and was won not two weeks ago by a division of Interpublic. [...]