Yelling about marketing

Vegas!

2010-11-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

I am in Vegas for a while, working on an online gaming project and continuing on with the startup that can not be named. Town's changed a lot since I lived here previously, and maybe not for the better. There's a lot of empty houses and the grifters seem a lot more desperate. Still, good econ. tidings on the horizon, and rumor has it that I'll be here through the end of the year before heading for greener pastures.

Cooking!

2010-09-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Got a budding Emeril or Julia Child in your brood? Or maybe you just want your kid to know how to chicken-fry everything in the kitchen.

Sparky,what you're looking for is my mom's new book.

On the shelves at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764145614/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=07H6YY0ZJ9PKZFDQQQTB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Life in the country

2010-08-29T02:46:00.001-07:00

Pulled up at the compound earlier and startled a mother deer and her fawn. The mother jumped over the fence, but Junior didn't make it. Mom's out back eating grass now, while the fawn is staggering around the front looking confused.

Recognizing that I shouldn't anthropomorphize the animal kingdom, I feel guilty. It's possible I wouldn't have prospered in the 19th century despite my high scores on Oregon Trail

Hello Austin employers

2010-08-24T02:29:00.001-07:00

I been healthyin' it up lately. Getting out before eight, and getting some breakfast on before a real long run around the neighborhood. I'm not going anywhere, just straight-up running. And if you wanted to spend an hour or so working on a metaphor about how running around the neighborhood not going anywhere was like the job search, well, that'd be two of us. I've got the frustration meter at about a 96 right now. I could be talked into going higher.

So almost 500 resumes later, I can't help but notice that I send these applications and carefully crafted cover letters out, and then spend the rest of the day staring at my inbox and making follow-up calls. Some of you have neglected to write back with your own awesome ideas about what I could do for employment.

People!

I'm not sure what my return on investment is with the enormous time sink of applying for jobs, It's clear that something is going on with how people find employment. I mean, think about it. Is there anyone who reads this who doesn't know brilliant, talented people who can't seem to get untracked? Someone who does everything right, has the skills and credentials, and then can't even get an auto-reply, let alone an interview.

So I know-unlock the animal within, find the hidden job market, send letters, network network network, blog, tweet, create a careful construct online and get people to think that your avatar is just the most employable thing ever.

I even had one person tell me in all seriousness that Farmville networking was the best way to find employment. I said no thanks to that mess. I read the Grapes of Wrath in eighth grade, and I think digital Joad Brothers ends in tears.

I've rewritten my resume so many different times that I'm not even sure I recognize myself in the bullet points anymore. I'm done doing that.

So here's the thing, people. I actually know what I'm doing around sales, marketing, new products et al. You name the business problem and I've probably worked on it. Extensively.

I've got some fancy educational credentials, if you like that kind of thing. And if you're still reading this post (hi Mom!) and think that you maybe want hear a little more about why I can help you with your project, assignments, sales, then by all means, get in touch. I've made things happen everywhere I've gone and I'm not letting something like a resume scanner stop me.

A marketing note

2009-10-20T16:56:00.001-07:00

Sustenance for the math-starved children in your life. AKA my mom's new book. http://tinyurl.com/ykoxzgy

In addition,,,

2009-08-04T18:13:00.001-07:00

As an alternative to 1200 page bills that no one has actually read in totality, perhaps we should allow insurance companies to sell in any state they wish, prevent state legislatures from deciding what must be covered, and allow insurance portability.

Insurance companies would finally be forced to compete on price and service. And how could that be bad?

Single payer or individual buyers?

2009-07-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

So everyone else has a health insurance plan. And while I think that a single payer system is unlikely to actually occur, there are some potential improvements that would be useful for Congress to focus on.

· If people are going to be forced to buy health insurance ala Massachusetts, then let people buy across state lines-a national market encourages pricing efficiencies and restricts the amount of political influence that can get bought at the state level. Illinois, we’re looking at you here.
· Give poor and working class people tax credits (vouchers) to buy insurance.
· De-couple health insurance from employers-the associated corporate savings would have a salutary effect on the unemployment rate.
· Greater access to pre-existing health savings accounts for use on less immediately necessary procedures-cosmetic dentistry and the like.

So that’s what I think-in general, I think incremental change is lot more likely to not produce dislocation among people who can least afford it-Medicare recipients, the mentally ill, and folks unfortunate enough to have rare yet serious illnesses.

Next time, we’ll talk about how the single purchaser system is going to stifle innovation and the knock-on effects around the world.

We interrupt this program,,,,,

2009-05-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

A brief marketing message, before I go back to building AnotherNail and spending 16 hours a day on the laptop.

My mom has published her latest book, Science Wizardry for Kids. It’s a very attractively illustrated book of science experiments for kids & is receiving rave reviews. An excellent gift for science minded children-given how much velocity self-esteem based education seems to have, Mom’s book may be all the science education many kids receive anymore. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/p6v9n6

2009-04-23T09:05:00.001-07:00

A fascinating, in-depth look at the finanical crisis in Iceland from Michael Lewis: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/iceland200904

AIG bonus bill

2009-03-19T14:30:00.001-07:00

Think the economy's bad now? Wait till the world gets the message that American business is subject to retrospective bills of attainder.

AIG

2009-03-18T01:43:00.001-07:00

There's a lot of outrage in the press about the bonuses being paid out to AIG employees. I think this focus on the bonuses is to miss the larger picture.

At this point, AIG is 80% owned by the federal government, the common equity is long since destroyed, and whatever one thinks about the process, this is by no means a liquidation or ordinary bankruptcy proceeding.

AIG has received billions from the feds, which then go right back out to pay creditors. Had AIG defaulted on its obligations in an ordinary bankruptcy proceeding, it's entirely likely that their creditors would have had to apply for bailout money of their own.

From this perspective, it's probably smart to think of AIG as a pipeline for the feds to distribute money without taking official ownership stakes in the subject institutions. This point becomes particularly important when one considers the tens of billions of dollars paid out by AIG to non-US banks.

So given that AIG is essentially a shell through which the US government is moving funds around the world to preserve order in the financial system, the tempest over the bonuses is a search for a scapegoat.

We have a choice with the AIG people, many of whom are absolutely crucial to winding down their trades. We can refuse to pay them what they are legally entitled to by act of Congress. Or we can treat them badly. Do both, and they will quit. And their insider knowledge of these trades will be gone. Who replaces them then and unwinds the trades? The SEC? The government?

In short, when you buy a white elephant like AIG, there's a lot of manure that comes with it.

Hello again

2009-03-16T13:31:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. Well, ok, Mom. And maybe a couple of folks who surfed in from Twitter. I've taken some time off from the blog and likely killed any momentum I had going, but I'm back and blogging away.

I've been on the road for a while, am currently working on a startup venture that I'm really excited about, and have been dealing with some serious health issues that are hopefully in the rearview.

So stand by for further posts on economics, news, my startup adventures, and maybe even something about marketing here and there. Lastly, if you happen to be or know of a Drupal designer looking for work on an interesting 2.0 startup, please do get in touch.

An aside on bailouts

2008-12-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of good arguments for and against the Detroit bailout. This post will not contain any of them.

If I were either the incoming or outgoing president, I'd give long and careful consideration to raising WIC and food stamp benefits to address the costs associated with food price inflation over the last few years.

The advisability or morality of corporate bailouts aside, one is left to wonder what purpose Western-style representative government serves if not to protect and assist poor children.

Tax collection?

Diamonds produced from Tequila

2008-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Pure genius or a brand extension too far?

"A method of producing synthetic diamonds using tequila - Mexico's favourite alcoholic drink - has been discovered, scientists there say."

Linked from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7725815.stm

Watching for Signs of Progress

2008-10-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Calculated Risk compiles some excellent indicators for the road ahead:

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/10/credit-crisis-watching-for-signs-of.html

Bailout, round 4

2008-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Another component of the problem:

Junk mortgage originators, not necessarily fraudulent, pool loans that have either zero or very minimal down payments.

The loans are carved into tranches and compliant rating agencies rate the tranches at AA or higher. These tranches are more attractive to banks and produce more paper income than the bank originating a safer mortgage by itself.

The credit agencies profit from higher fees, the banks have to keep less capital on hand to offset what should have been lower graded securities, and everyone profits from regulatory arbitrage. Certainly not the only reason for the continuing credit issues, but a useful example of how poorly crafted regulations and spotty enforcement lead to actual problems.

Iceland

2008-10-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Some links regarding the truly amazing crisis playing out in Iceland:

Near-bankruptcy: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081007/Iceland_bankruptcy_081007/20081007?hub=TopStories

UK uses anti-terrorism laws to freeze 6.8 BN in Icelandic assets. Also, Iceland, a founding member of Nato, is likely to lease/sell military bases to the Russians in exchange for 4.5 BN: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2008/gb2008109_947306.htm

For sale on Ebay. Bid level at 31.00 USD at time of posting. Bjork not included: http://cgi.ebay.com/Iceland-Predator-Country_W0QQitemZ320309633199QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item320309633199&_trkparms=72%3A141739%3A166%3A265%3A12240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Google adds anti drunk dial tool

2008-10-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

A cell-phone firm in Australia did a similar thing to try and stop drunk dialing a few years ago. I think the real value-add is to team the Google service up with http://www.hollywoodiscalling.com/

That kind of crossover service could take the drunk dial to some truly awesome places. Horrible, to be sure, but you'd have to expect some amazing comedy when a frustrated drunk unleashes Larry Holmes or Horshack on his unsuspecting ex-girlfriend.

More economics doom n' gloom anon. Problems in Iceland, the potential collapse of the European Currency Union, and why credit segmentation really really matters.

My prediction: We'll all need a drink or two by the end of the week and drunkenly getting Horshack to call folks is only going to sound smarter and smarter as the month goes on.

Bailout, round three

2008-10-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

This blog is rapidly turning into my thoughts on the macroeconomic crisis, a shift in focus which would likely amuse my econ professors no end.

In any event, the current macro crisis has real-world implication for marketers and business. Just among my friends and associates, businesses from jet brokerages to bike shops are experiencing significant issues as the credit crunch dries up liquidity and with it their room to maneuver.

It's an aphorism that small business drives the American economy. If so, we'd better hope that the (very) small sample of my friends is not representative of the economy at large.

As for marketing, I think times of fear are also times of opportunity. The current crisis strikes me as an excellent time for working on brand awareness. In times of flux, people change their buying behaviors and are rather likely more receptive to new messages as they seek information. In short, when times are tough, marketers should be aggressive-not just to preserve market share, but also with an eye toward expansion.

In semi-related blog news, I'm going to try and jazz up the format here, especially with links. If you've got a favorite marketing site or are also blogging, please mention it in the comments or email me.

Bailout, round 2

2008-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of people, I've been all over the place on this subject. I'm not crazy about the absence of moral hazard in any government bailout, but am/was concerned enough about the financial health of the system to see the Paulson bailout plan as a necessary evil.

Even absent a bill, the market and the dollar rallied yesterday and stabilized today after a dip in the morning. Always remembering that the street may be anticipating a bill to be passed and building that expectation into prices, this seems like unadulterated good news that may mitigate the provisions of any bailout.

New regulations from the SEC regarding accounting valuations for assets likely played a huge role in today's market action-nice to see the government effecting positive change for once. I think the next (small) step is to ban teaser rate mortgages, as it's hard to see them as anything other then financial traps for the unwary and uneducated.

However, none of this positive news should be seen as reason to avoid the bailout altogether. We can pay for this problem with a recession and associated high unemployment or we can pass a version of the Paulson bill, which may not even be big enough, terrifying as that prospect is. The time to effectively deal with the mess around Fannie and Freddie was in the 1990's or in the post-Enron time period.

What I'm most concerned about are the inevitable riders to the bailout plan. For every salutary idea like patching the AMT, there's Dodd and Frank attempting to lard up the bill with literally billions for nebulous housing justice trusts.

It's this kind of thinking that got us into a regulatory situation where the net effect of Sarbanes Oxley is an obsession with the minutiae of document retention, instruction manuals, training sessions and other non-helpful procedures. In the meantime, not one government regulatory agency seemed to notice that the whole idea of tiered capital was no longer valid and that leverage ratios were through the roof.

My (entirely merited) shot at Chris Dodd and Barney Frank aside, this crisis is one of the few non-partisan things to come out of Washington in some time. If you're railing about bandit CEOs, or banging the drum about how the CRA act is solely responsible for this crisis, then I will politely submit that you are over-indexed on partisanship and should instead concentrate on how we're going to get out this crisis instead. It's that bad

Credit crisis

2008-09-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

As I write, the market is staging a mini-comeback from yesterday's debacle. The inter-bank loan rate has tightened up though, so I guess there's still a chance that we may all end up driving to California in a Model T to pick grapes.

On a more macro level, I see that the dollar has gained against the pound and that US Treasury 30-year notes took a substantial gain yesterday. Continued asinine government intervention may well derail us yet, but I'm hopeful that these macro signs indicate that the dollar's value will stay reasonably strong.

Given this stabilization in the markets, I hope that Congress and Secretary Paulson take some more time to hammer out a deal that the world is going to have to live with for decades to come. Beyond any bailout, I'd like to see a plan that addresses the underlying issues that created the bubble. The particulars of any plan are likely less important than whether the plan succeeds in rebuilding market confidence. A robust regulatory framework that assures the general public that this won't happen again is also crucial, but I'm much less sanguine about Congress' ability to agree on goals for such a regulator, never mind actually building a new agency or division from scratch.

In short, for those of us pursuing startups, I think it's reasonable to expect that the credit crunch is going to fuel a venture crunch in which money becomes even harder to come by.

Yelling about marketing

2008-09-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello. How are you? Welcome to yelling about marketing, where I guess I won't be doing any actual yelling. Instead, I'm going to write about marketing, post links to news items, and generally refrain from abusing my friends email accounts with these things. Now they can pretend they read my blog and everyone's a winner. Everyone.

So, welcome to my blog. Hello to friends, surfers, Mom, and other assorted folks. Hello to the first fifty people who read this. Stop by and say hello. I'll even wave back.

Person 51? I'm happy you're here and all, but I will probably have gone back inside by then.