We're approaching our state primary for Governor here in Massachusetts. All the commercials I've seen simply tell how each candidate will cut taxes taxes taxes. "I'll cut the gas tax." "I'll push to roll back the income tax." "I'll cut all taxes." I can't help feeling...
Business
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How do you charge for your products or services?
I just read a great article on the difference between a consultancy and a body shop. The author does an excellent point of laying out how perverse the incentives are at a body shop that charges time + materials, versus a consultancy that is very clear about providing...
Fantasy football costs business $1.1 billion/year. NOT!
Reading Fortune Magazine's "Leading Indicators" in the September 4, 2006 edition, I ran across this tidbit: $1.1 billion. Projected value of work hours used for playing fantasy football this season. The player (there are 36.8 million of 'em in the U.S.) earn on...
Thinking ahead. How far? And how certain?
At a recent physical exam, my weight was a tad above what I want it to be (probably all muscle, but you can never be too sure). So I went web surfing a bit about weight gain trends and found an article proclaiming that obesity is becoming a world-wide problem. It...
Focus days are heaven!
Too much to do? Use a focus day to take care of the big stuff.
How much privacy should businesses guarantee?
Privacy isn’t just about hiding what you do. It’s about confidence that your information can’t be falsified, forged, or misused.
Investors warn against eliminating guidance… especially if they have no talent.
Investors say it's a bad idea for companies to stop giving quarterly guidance. I think investors are just flat-out wrong. Quarterly guidance certainly distorts management decision-making, so we know it's bad for the companies. It's good for investors because it...
Ballmer announces Microsoft’s “Multicore strategy” … which sounds sadly like pathetic flailing…
Steve Ballmer has announced that Microsoft will be following a multicore business strategy going forward. His horribly strained anology, likening Microsoft to a parallel computer processor, suggests that Microsoft will be tops in lots of businesses at the same time....
Facing Facts – Some simple math can uncover surprising business results!
Get out your pencil and paper for this podcast. In it, I show how you can use simple math to uncover fundamental truths about business practices. We look specifically at how much it makes sense to overwork people, and I leave you with a surprising challenge about whether discounts are the bargain they seem to be.
Wisely using technology can free your productivity
Hi, all. As I write this, I'm about to leave for a 10-day vacation camping far from civilization. No cell phones. No laptops. No internet connection. Just a chances to be away and in another world for a while. If past experience is any guide, I'll come back refreshed,...