Stilgherrian » gaping void

Which rant? Can’t pick!

Stilgherrian — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:43:19 +0000

With no time or inspiration for my own creativity today, I thought I’d just point to someone else’s rantings. But I can’t pick! Which of these best fits the mood of the day?

Quatrefoil’s Just because I don’t have a baby doesn’t mean I’m not tired, a heartfelt whinge from someone who’s chosen to produce something other than spawn. Go girl!
Richard Watts’ call to arms in defence of Aussie English — which I’d certainly respond to at length if I had the energy.
The Gaping Void cartoon immediately below.

As background, I should mention that Sydney had 50mm of rain last night, it’s cold, there’s now a slight leak in the office ceiling and I’m tired.

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Social media and ERP

Stilgherrian — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:04:33 +0000

Speaking of Hugh MacLeod, he’s just posted some interesting thoughts on how social media will affect ERP software. Sounds geeky, but it’s really about how this new stuff will change the corporate world.

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Failure IS an option

Stilgherrian — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:02:52 +0000

Hugh MacLeod has written a great little piece pointing out that bravado about “Failure is not an option” is just stupid. I also like some of the comments from readers:

“Failure is not an option” people are invariably the ones least willing to deliver the intellectual and physical juice to lessen the probability of failure.
“Failure is not an option” people are invariably the same people who said, two paragraphs earlier, that they want bold, risk-taking approaches.

Failure is always an option, which of course you want to avoid, But if failure is inevitable, then fail fast — and then adapt.

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The Three Ages of Slavery

Stilgherrian — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:51:18 +0000

Thanks, as always, to Gaping Void for the insight.

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Random thoughts on being an entrepreneur

Stilgherrian — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:20:39 +0000

Every Monday morning I struggle to make sense of running a small business. It’s not just that weekends are always too short to properly re-charge. It’s mapping out the week ahead and seeing how busy it’ll be. Again. How there’s things I’d like to change — but where’s the time? We’re already flat out working for clients the way we do now, and there’s no time left to implement the changes.

And why am I doing this anyway, when I could have more money and less stress in a “regular job”?

Against this background, it was good to see Hugh MacLeod’s “Random Thoughts on Being an Entrepreneur“. Some which particularly resonate:

1. Everything takes three times longer than it should. Especially the money part.

8. You can either be cheapest or the best. I know which one I prefer.

18. People remember the quality long after they’ve forgotten the price. Unless you try to rip them off.

25. Bill Gates may have a million times more money than me, but he isn’t going to live a million times longer than me, see a million times more sunsets than me, make love to a million times more women than me, drink a million times more fine wine than me, listen to a million times more Beethoven String Quartets than me, or sire a million times more children than me. Money can only buy you so much in this world. Of course, Mr Gates will know this as much as any man alive.

Interestingly, none of those directly match the thoughts I’m having about the business, which are:

The business is doing too many different things. If we want to be “the best”, we can only be the best at a small, focussed set of services.
The folks always saying “Oh, that’s too expensive” will say that no matter how cheap the price.

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Your Place in the Company Heirarchy

Stilgherrian — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 05:21:13 +0000

If you’ve ever worked in a business bigger than 15 people, you’ll known that this diagram is absolutely correct.

Thank you, Gaping Void, for another brilliant observation. What a great way to start the working year!