Bill Bishop’s The New Factory is a worthwhile 10 minute read for entrepreneurs. The author suggests that traditional business models, which focus first on products and services, are vulnerable in the new economy. The new factory, as the author calls it, is about choosing your customers first, and a big idea that draws them in.… Continue Reading

“OH, HOW BLESSED YOUNG MEN ARE WHO HAVE TO STRUGGLE FOR A FOUNDATION AND BEGINNING IN LIFE.” John D. Rockefeller “HE SAYS THE BEST WAY OUT IS THROUGH AND I AGREE TO THAT, OR IN SO FAR AS I CAN SEE NO WAY OUT BUT THROUGH.” Robert Frost “WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY BECOMES THE WAY.” Marcus Aurelius Source

The Economist is out with a first class post on Barrick Gold founder Peter Munk. Munk’s tale How a former refugee from the Nazis made and lost several fortunes Apr 19th 2014 | From the print edition YOU can’t be right all the time. In a 1995 profile of Peter Munk, the founder of Barrick Gold,… Continue Reading

I was a daytrader for many years and it almost killed me. I made money by making profits on my own money and also taking a percentage of the profits for the people I traded for. I traded up to $40 or $50 million a day at my peak. I did this from 2001 to… Continue Reading

US Oil Sands (USO:TSXV) has closed its previously announced, oversubscribed $81 million financing and has added a changed lineup of all-star energy entrepreneurs to its board of directors.  USO raised the money from three main strategic investors, Blue Pacific Investments, Anchorage Capital Group and Spitfire Ventures.  Blue Pacific nominated Serafino Iacono (highly successful Colombian resource entrepreneur… Continue Reading

Andrew Ross Sorkin’s Dealbook (The New York Times) is out with a new article on the latest betting scheme being proposed by Wall Street; a market to buy and sell real financial interests in entertainment stars.  Fantex Holdings announced today that it will open a marketplace in the US where investors can trade an interest in the… Continue Reading

Here are the rules: I’ve been at zero a few times, come back a few times, and done it over and over. I’ve started entire new careers. People who knew me then, don’t me now. And so on. I’ve had to change careers several times. Sometimes because my interests changed. Sometimes because all bridges have… Continue Reading

One time the Federal Government Shutdown came into an apartment I was sharing with a bunch of roommates. It tied us all up and blindfolded us and made us do things to each other. It made us call it “Ted” but I don’t really know if that was its name. Another time I was riding… Continue Reading

It is not easy for me to be honest. I grew up thinking I had to lie to people to get them to like me. I needed to somehow be someone I wasn’t in order to burn away invisible scars that I was sure everyone could see. I thought I had to, for instance, get… Continue Reading

Another good sign for the resource equity markets; Paul Matysek’s Goldrock Mines (GRM:TSXV) quietly raised $9.24 million by way of strategic investment by Austral Gold (AGD:ASX) consisting of units at $0.80 per share (with an $0.80 warrant).  This represents a 51% premium to yesterday’s closing price.  After closing, Austral will own approximately 15% of Goldrock.  Austral’s… Continue Reading

On June 3, I released “Choose Yourself!” and I put on the very first page an offer that has never been put in a book before. I offered to pay people back if they proved to me that they bought the book and if they can also prove that they read the book within the… Continue Reading

I’m breaking all the rules. I’m at a silent retreat for the week. No talking! My wife is two doors down. She said to me before we went silent for the week, “put your computer on airplane mode.” It’s in a beautiful area. There are paths and trees and birds and flowers and benches to… Continue Reading

I will tell you. Step one. Figure out an area that is “hot”. For instance, Facebook marketing is inning one. Better tests  for personalized diagnostics of age-related diseases is in inning one. Understanding the root causes of depression is in inning one. Combining mobile with social is in inning one. Self-publishing your book and marketing… Continue Reading

Blogging is a FREE and PRICELESS way for firms to communicate with investors, in addition to serving other business development functions (Sales/Marketing, HR, etc). Difference Capital’s Tom Astle is writing for the tech, healthcare and media merchant bank that raised $50 million this week. Astle’s entries educate investors, drawing from his 20+ years experience in the technology research… Continue Reading

I stopped a ten million dollar robbery last week. For various reasons, including Claudia is slightly worried I could get killed, I am changing all of the names. All of the other details are intact. A few weeks ago, a guy claiming to be related to Middle Eastern royalty, (call him “M”), had a representative… Continue Reading