Culture Isn't Costly →

betashop: Behind the Scenes: How Fab Raised $40 million with a lot of data and not much pain →

betashop:

Let’s face it, fundraising can be a real pain in the ass for the entrepreneur.

It takes up a ton of time that can be otherwise spent managing the business.

Sure, it’s a necessary evil, but it’s also typically a big distraction.

It’s also a lot like dating. You have to go on a lot of first dates…

Everyone should watch this interview. At least once!

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— Creative people are both thinkers and changemakers. They are, somehow, the next doers for a better world.

What I Learned From An Experiment in Creative Living

— by Chase Jarvis

Holstee’s Mike And Dave Radparvar Are Doing What They Love, And You Can Too

Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming →

Generating rafts of good ideas is Ideo’s business. Here’s how this world-class product-development firm keeps the lightbulbs blazing bright.

— Linda Tischler, Fast Company

Generating New Business Model Ideas: 4 main ideas

Business model innovation is not about looking back, because the past indicates little about what is possible in terms of future business models. Business model innovation is not about looking to competitors, since business model innovation is not about copying or benchmarking, but about creating new mechanisms to create value and derive revenues. Rather, business model innovation is about challenging orthodoxies to design original models that meet unsatisfied, new, or hidden customer needs.

So, 4 main ideas:

• Ignore the status quo
• Forgot the past
• Stop focusing on competitors
• Challenge orthodoxies

— Business Model Generation, by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

Think long term, but it’s always day 1

Entrepreneur Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer Inc., died this wednesday at the young age of 56. It was a sad day for millions of people around the world.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius. Steve Jobs was an example not only for designers, developers, and CEOs, but for everyone else as well. He built a culture, a lifestyle, a different way to think. Over time, Apple and its products became symbols for a set of values and beliefs.

What made Steve Jobs so special? For most people, he was the first one to focus on design and users at once. In fact, there are currently more than 500,000 applications listed on iTunes. Moreover, he started a new style of job and inspired others. So as a designer myself, thank you Steve!

Personally, I think he reminded us that the ones who see the world differently are also the ones who change the world. 

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

— Think different, Apple.

Looking back, I didn’t realize how much he impacted our lives. Somehow, I didn’t even realize how much he impacted my own life and job until now…

The sad news about Steve Jobs reminds me of a book I read two months ago called: “Delivering Happiness - A path to profits, passion, and purpose” from Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. In July 2009, Zappos.com was acquired by Amazon for $1.2 billion. It was the “largest acquisition in Amazon’s history”.

After this acquisition, Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO for Amazon, made an 8-minute video about Amazon and Zappos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hxX_Q5CnaA). In this video, he recalls what he has learned from the mistakes he made while launching Amazon.com and how he figured out the right solutions. According to Bezos: “Think long term, but it’s always day 1”.

So no matter what you have in mind for tomorrow, no matter what you plan to start today, always tell yourself: “Think long term, but it’s always day 1”.

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish” — Steve Jobs (2005)

#thankyousteve

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

— Steve Jobs