Few weeks ago, in Never Quit!, I discussed Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 hours Outlier theory, the concept it takes 5 years of research and diligent effort to master a domain. This pursuit however, mastery of a domain, is never a straight or obvious path regardless whether one possesses natural talent, is highly intelligent and highly motivated or any combination of the three. To … [Read more...]
Small Business Survival: Preparing Before an Emergency
Small businesses are the heart of the American economy, but many small businesses aren’t ready for an emergency or disaster.An article published on smallbusiness.com states that “only 37% of small businesses have a formal disaster preparation plan.” The Institute for Business and Home Safety claims that one in four businesses never reopen after a disaster.Small … [Read more...]
On The SpecOps Battlefield, And In Business, Don’t “Believe,” Know
Only two types of confidence exist: the artificial and the real. The first is the far more common of the two, arising from either a need to feel accomplished when not or from a need to feel strong when weak. Conditions even those with real confidence feel at times. The difference between those who remain with artificial confidence and those who possess real confidence is … [Read more...]
Nike, Levi Strauss, and LOUD NOISES
Nike, Levi Strauss, and LOUD NOISES By Gregory DrobnySo we just watched the collective heads of nearly everyone explode over this whole Nike/Colin Kaepernick story—one which I said years ago confuses me because I just don’t see what the fuss is about. Once again I’m baffled, given a few pertinent realities that I feel compelled to shine a light on.First, and perhaps … [Read more...]
So You’re an “Operator”: How Exactly Does That Benefit My Investment?
As a business investor, why should I care if you were an Operator? by EM Burlingame first published on 9 September 2016Having recently ended active duty service with Special Forces (SF) to return to the private sector and to backing startups, we have so far brought in four management teams composed of former Green Berets (GB), to lead our startups, while assisting 9 … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Accidental Leadership
In Far Eastern philosophy, there exists a very ancient concept, “The student becomes the master, the master becomes the student - 學生成為碩士，碩士成為學生.” While this has remained with me more than four decades now, most of that time I thought, “yeah, yeah, yet another undecipherable, Yoda-like, statement out of Asian mysticism.” Even after having diligently studied martial arts from … [Read more...]
Plastic “Bullets:” Isn’t That A Really Bad Idea?
Plastic "Bullets:" Isn't That A Really Bad Idea? by Scott FaithI read with interest a recent headline touting a revolutionary "plastic bullet." Could such a thing actually be done? Given the marvels of modern science, I supposed it was a possibility. After all, people have experimented with a number of different types of bullets, including ice. But given the extreme … [Read more...]
Veteran-Owned Business Success: An Interview with Spartan Blades
Mark Carey and Curtis Iovito know a few things about taking risks to achieve success. The retired NCOs from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) started Spartan Blades, LLC over eight years ago after leaving high-paying contracting jobs. Since then, Spartan Blades has risen from a small start-up to an internationally recognizable brand of knives that recently won American-Made … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: The P.A.C.E. Business Plan
To quote one of my more colorful and influential Special Forces instructors during the train up for SF selection, who we will call ‘Mike’, “Have a plan. And have a plan for your plan... because you are ignorant and your first plan sucks.”In the old days of Silicon Valley it was required to have a detailed business plan before pursuing external investment. However, in … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Group Think Kills
Group Think Kills by E.M. BurlingameEqually on the battlefields of war, startups and politics, group think kills. There is no more destructive force than everyone at the table thinking the same way, interpreting the intelligence to mean the same thing.Particularly when information is incomplete, when the truth is something quite different, or when an enemy is actively … [Read more...]