Dear son, As you embark on your career and join the workforce, allow me to offer you some advice. First, remember the secular values you were brought up on: think for yourself, question everything, don’t follow the herd, be true to your core morals, believe only in the disprovable, don’t follow false idols, respect others, …
My newly published poetry collection, Synapse Juice: Poetry for the Inquisitive Mind, is now available on Amazon. I dedicated it to my source of inspiration: free, untethered time. I wrote it on planes, trains, cars, and buses, where the rare and tranquil purity of thought fostered distilled creativity. Here’s a taste: Cradle to Grave Most …
Flying above the weather, I can only admire the technology that keeps me aloft. It affords a unique vantage point, enjoyed by only a fraction of the billions of humans ever to roam the earth. The pristine setting and wide-angle perspective remind me of the time before starting work on a new product. Traveling down …
Fear is real. It may instinctively paralyze you or prompt you to fight or run away. In some situations, none of these reactions will get you very far. Being an executive involves making decisions that are not for the faint of heart. I’m constantly evaluating competitive threats, technological challenges and partnership risks. Some of the …
The bookcase in the picture has been our my house for the longest time, and every visitor is impressed. I designed and built it after being inspired by a leaning bookshelf I saw at Centre Pompidou in Paris. Getting the shelves to dovetail into each other was an intriguing challenge. It is made of painted …
If there were an Ig Nobel prize for product management, they should award it to product managers who march blindly toward failure. Those who toil endless hours (and have others do the same) to build a product that no one needs or that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. After all, this great resource …
Why is Silicon Valley so successful? How long will its reign last? Answers usually include deep-rooted engineering culture, cross-pollination through talent mobility, and funding availability. Other oft quoted – albeit lesser – reasons include the business-friendly regulatory environment, the fair weather and the power of the Silicon Valley brand to attract innovators. Here’s an alternative …
Many years ago in a land far far away there was a radio station broadcasting from a ship anchored beyond the territorial waters. The Voice of Peace was forced to broadcast offshore because the Israeli government chose to forbid NGOs from going on air. It was operated by Abie Nathan, an activist and a pilot who …
I can clearly remember the day I first watched a video playing on a color LCD screen. It was many years ago, on my brand new Windows 95 laptop. When I first turned it on it started playing a cheesy 70’s song covered by Jimmy Cliff. That catchy tune brightened my day and left me …