The Queen of the Internet Checks In…..The 42% Factor….The Art of the Hard Choice….Econ Recon: “Profitless Prosperity”?….Is The “Cure” actually the “Cause”?

Saturday, June 6 was the 70^th Anniversary of D-Day: The Allied Invasion of Europe

“This operation is not being planned with any alternatives. This operation is planned as a victory, and that’s the way it’s going to be. We’re going down there, and we’re throwing everything we have into it; and we’re going to make it a success.”

 General Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1890-1969)
Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II

The Queen of the Internet Checks In

Some of the most important people in technology are NOT technologists. One example: Mary Meeker, the world famous analyst who rose to prominence 20 years ago at Morgan Stanley as one of the most astute observers of the internet scene, earning her the sobriquet “Queen of the Internet.”

Now at legendary tech VC firm Kleiner Perkins, her annual report on the current  and future state of the internet is as eagerly awaited as Warren Buffett’s annual missive to his shareholders. If your business is affected in any way by the internet (and whose isn’t?) check out this Bloomberg summary of her remarks and then direct the right person in your organization to the entire 196 slide deck of her research.

The 42% Factor

The number of startups in the past 20 years has been astounding. Most, sadly, fail. What spells the difference between oblivion and success? Bill Gross, is the founder of Idealab, one of the most successful startup incubators and is therefore in a good place to take a hard look at this question.

Gross looked at over 100 Idealab companies and then added to his sample companies that he did not incubate. He looked at the influence of five factors on the success rate of startups: Ideas, Teamwork (execution and adaptability), Business Model, Funding and Timing. One factor accounted for 42% of startup success, nearly as much as all the others combined. This seven minute TED video provides a quick summary of his research and  the single biggest reason why startups succeed.

Even if you’re not in “startup mode”, new products, planned market entries and acquisitions are likely to be subject to these factors as well….and if you have a friend planning a startup, share this with him or her.

The Art of The Hard Choice

Somebody once said decision making is the only truly creative act. Most decisions are inconsequential, but many are not and deserve a well-defined process to avoid negative outcomes..

A former deputy director of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center and FBI’s National Security Branch, Philip Mudd, lays out a sound process in “The HEAD Game: High-Efficiency Analytic Decision Making and the Art of Solving Complex Problems Quickly.” Check out this one page overview of Mr. Mudd’s five step decision making process.

Econ Recon

“Profitless Prosperity?” ITR Economics CEO Brian Beaulieu recently posed a question to one of the many industry groups he addresses annually: “Are Your Ready for the Rise?” This 90 second video will help you think about the current expansion, avoid “profitless prosperity” and  prepare for the 2019 recession he’s long been predicting…as well as some pointed advice as to what to do if you’d rather not play! Reminder:  If you really want  to be ready for 2019, check out the ITR Summit to be held in Chicago on June 19.

Is the “Cure” actually  the “Cause”? Income inequality promises to be a defining issue in the 2016 Presidential Campaign. Some serious candidates will maintain that redistribution holds the key to eliminating income inequality. Dr. Brian Wesbury, in his latest “Wesbury 101” video makes the case that the supposed cure for inequality may in fact be its cause.