Special Forces, Entrepreneurship - Team First, Always by E.M. Burlingame Though I played a year of football in high school, for the most part those sports I participated in growing up were solitary, distance running, skiing and later triathlons. Later in life this led me to approach all endeavours, whether business, personal or athletic, as individual sports to be … [Read more...]
So You’re an “Operator”: How Exactly Does That Benefit My Investment?
So You’re an "Operator": How Exactly Does That Benefit My Investment? by E.M. Burlingame This article first appeared in The Havok Journal 9 September 2016 Having 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 … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Group Think Kills
Group Think Kills by E.M. Burlingame Equally 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...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: The P.A.C.E. Business Plan
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: The P.A.C.E. Business Plan by E.M. Burlingame 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 … [Read more...]
The Personal and Professional Pros and Cons of Rewards Credit Cards
The Personal and Professional Pros and Cons of Rewards Credit Cards by Scott Faith Rewards are the main ways in which credit card providers can differentiate themselves and attract more business. Obviously enough, some rewards cards are better than others. If you don’t know which one to choose, you can take a look at the top best rewards credit cards according to Money … [Read more...]
Credit Cards and the Veteran Lifestyle: Blessing or Curse?
Credit Cards: Blessing or Curse? by Scott Faith If you're a veteran, or any American for that matter, should you regularly use credit cards? The obvious answer is "yes." But many personal finance experts or financial websites will tell you to stay away from credit cards simply because it adds to your debt and can make you do impulsive purchase. But if you look closely, … [Read more...]
The Special Forces ODA as a Startup Team
The Special Forces ODA as a Startup Team by E.M. Burlingame As an investor in startup companies there is always a difficult balance to be maintained, with respect to what are decisions management must make alone and my role as investor, adviser and often board member. This is due primarily to two constraints, namely my availability for any single company in our portfolio, … [Read more...]
Jon Stewart Is a Ridiculous Hypocrite—A Note from a Veteran About the 9/11 First Responder Bill Charade
Jon Stewart Is a Ridiculous Hypocrite—A Note from a Veteran About the 9/11 First Responder Bill Charade by Mr. Twisted By now I’m sure many out there have seen the former comedic talk show host, Jon Stewart, lamenting the attention given to 9/11 first responders while giving testimony to a Congressional hearing. If not, here’s the rundown on his passionate … [Read more...]
What’s Wrong with Huawei Seeking $1 Billion from Verizon for Patent Infringement?
What’s Wrong with Huawei Seeking $1 Billion from Verizon for Patent Infringement? by Matt Trevathan I disembarked my plane to fill my lungs with the thick, humid air of Guangzhou. Although it was still early morning, the heat was just to the point of “oppressive” as my undershirt began soaking up the sweat to provide some good old southern air conditioning. But I wasn’t in … [Read more...]
2nd Rule for the Counterradical
Rule #2: “The people possess far more intelligence than is currently developed.” Even the least educated and inexperienced individual can grasp incredibly complex concepts and ideas if provided in the context of their own cultural background and societal experience. The, not-so-very-liberal, liberal radicals who’ve so successfully assumed near absolute … [Read more...]
