Dear First-time CEO of a Startup, I know it’s intoxicating. Take a breath. Maybe you’re 26 with a killer idea that melts Facebook- and Yelp-like functionality into a travel app. Or you’re 40ish and finally – after shelling out a fortune for that MBA with the promise of a career catapult – getting the chance …more
Seeking Alpha delivers one of the best bargains in the communications business. Complete the registration form, and hear Seeking Alpha’s equivalent of “open sesame” – free access to thousands of transcripts discussing the financial performance of public companies. In spite of scripting that would impress the World Wrestling Federation, weird “storytelling” can still surface in …more
Years ago we resigned a big brand account in the consumer electronics space. I tried to be diplomatic about the reason with the head of PR: requirements of the assignment changed, not a good fit, yada yada yada. She wasn’t having it. Finally, I explained the core issue: “You don’t need a PR agency. What …more
It’s been almost a year since I attended a leadership training session at an offsite for our Asia Pacific management team. The Center for Creative Leadership headed up the conference, and I kept a journal throughout the session. I refer to its content frequently. Given that I’m still thinking about the lessons, I thought a …more
There’s a certain “cycle of life” in business. Companies are born, struggle, grow … and grow some more. Then the decline sets in, which typically culminates with the company dying, merging or being acquired. This keeps the investment bankers busy, befitting the thousands of transactions that take place each year. This also means thousands of …more
This post has nothing to do with storytelling techniques. No pithy remarks about a Malcolm Gladwell essay. Nor does it offer a fresh take on public relations or social media or how to appease the search engine gods. The post has everything to do with communications. Specifically, it touches on the most basic form of …more
I’ve been considering this question since August 22, 2011. That’s when The Financial Times column, “Chief Googler’s ‘amazing’ clichés are dull and void” appeared. Lucy Kellaway took Larry Page to task for his poor communications on the Motorola acquisition. Channeling high school biology, she dissected the following statement from Page phrase by bloody phrase: “Together, …more
I write a bi-weekly column on Silicon Valley for the Korean newspaper Electronic Times. Here’s my latest column (before translation) on the quest for engineering talent when demand far exceeds supply. “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys Don’t let ’em pick guitars and drive them old trucks Make ’em be doctors …more
This post doesn’t exactly fall under the storytelling umbrella. I figure a rogue post every now and then keep things interesting. Which serves as my segue into the client-agency relationship. PR agencies disdain the “V” word. Calling an agency a vendor is akin to a slur against the principal’s mom. Agencies want that partner mantle. But I’ve …more
