What to Do if your Startup is about to Fail

A lot of CEOs with less than 12 months of capital left have been asking me for advice about what to do, given the massive economic turmoil we're facing. I thought I would take the time put these various conversations into one email to help those who are "up against it," as we say in Brooklyn. Rock out To This While Reading: Don't Stop Believing Forward To: Startups that are hitting the wall

Click to read more ...

Twyla’s Box: It’s Where Everything Goes

This post by Paul Harrill is a great take on what I’ve been saucily referring to as, “Twyla’s Box.” (Yes, again with the Twyla Tharp book.) I’m sharing it here, because in addition to delivering a thought-provoking slap at the self-abuse of productivity pr0n (“Certainly if you find yourself reading productivity book after productivity book you’re missing the point” [ouch]), it includes a canny synthesis of the overlap between (the best, non-fiddly parts of) GTD and those patterns that seem to help folks like Twyla Tharp to keep making for decades. Nice work, Paul. Loved this (and sorry for arriving so late to the party; I am now subscribed).

Click to read more ...

Neuroscience: What is Brain Plasticity?

Neuroscience has changed considerably in the past 20 years. An example of change over period is the concept of brain plasticity. Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to rewire itself, relocating information processing functions to different brain areas and/or neural networks. Two decades ago, it was believed that brain networks were static after its initial formation period. Now that belief has changed. The study of brain plasticity has profound implications in human learning and behaviour, and as such, for mental health. To better understand this concept, let’s take a quick tour of the human brain, neural networks, and the plastic potential therein.

Click to read more ...

Environment, Future, Solutions - How can Environment Business Australia help you?

Attended an event yesterday conducted by the EBA – ‘Environment Business Australia’ The program was titled ‘Yes We Can’ and provided a resource of information from senior executives on how to build a major climate change action strategy from the business community. The objective they have is to strengthen Australia’s response to one of the world’s greatest challenges whilst building our next era of prosperity. The presentations were diverse and varied with introduction from two main contributors Dr David Karoly, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne; IPCC author; member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists And Nick Sankey, Head of Utilities, Energy & Renewable Solutions, Commonwealth Bank Followed by a panel of nine – with short insights into what we can do. Given Australia has five times the global average of emissions, it is appropriate that we have many more discussions along these lines.

Click to read more ...

Opinion: Innovation and the 20% solution

As IT budgets threaten to follow the same trend lines as financial markets, it's a natural impulse for managers to circle the wagons, concentrate on core projects and put off innovation for another day. Natural, but wrong. For proof, look at what happened after the Internet bubble burst earlier this decade. Sure, that tech bust pales in comparison with the current worldwide credit crunch in terms of overall effect, but if you consider the Internet sector alone, the money drought and corporate failures were pretty stunning.

Click to read more ...