Lately I keep hearing stories about how employees got screwed because start-up management were very secretive about the companies stock options. In this economy, a lot of start-up are struggling. VC firms have the upper hand in negotiation. In a lot of cases, the deal terms are very unfavorable to existing stock holders as well […]
Entries from September 2009
Don’t get screwed! Stock option questions you should ask before you join a start-up
September 29th, 2009 · 5 Comments
Tags: Recruiting & Job Hunting · Start-up Success
Business lessons from Steve Jobs
September 25th, 2009 · No Comments
I just read a great Steve Jobs interview article on Fortune.com. I have to share with you my notes. On choosing strategy: "We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants.” On demanding reputation: “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” On Apple’s focus: “Apple is […]
Tags: Build a Company · Innovation · Learning and Growing
Is Amazon Fresh the future of grocery shopping and more?
September 23rd, 2009 · 2 Comments
“Not Webvan or Homegrocer.com all over again. Grocery delivery is extremely low margin. It’s not going to work.” That’s my initial reaction when I first heard about Amazon Fresh, amazon.com’s grocery delivery service. But, Amazon Fresh has really impressed me. Amazon Fresh started to deliver grocery in limited number of zip codes in the Seattle […]
Tags: Company Analysis · Innovation
Back pain
September 22nd, 2009 · No Comments
This is serious. My colleague Jack was having severe back pains. It was so bad that he had to take a week off. He told me that the most valuable possession in his house was his Zero Gravity The Perfect Chair . If he had to give everything away, the chair would be the last […]
Tags: Health
Is team work overrated in corporate environment?
September 11th, 2009 · No Comments
When I was an impressionable college student, I bought into the notion of "team work". As a computer science student, I did many projects in a team environment. I tried hard to be the team player, was willing to sacrifice for the team, and never hesitated to take on tedious tasks for the team. Professors, […]
Tags: Corporate Ladder · Frustration@Work
Don’t get stuck
September 9th, 2009 · No Comments
I met a very unusual shuttle driver last Thursday. It was time for me to bring in my car for a regular maintenance service. Like many auto repair shops, this particular auto shop provided a shuttle ride to where I worked while they worked on my car. The shuttle driver was a lady in her […]
Tags: Frustration@Work · Learning and Growing
How to overcome writer’s or blogger’s block
September 8th, 2009 · 5 Comments
I’m the biggest critic of my own blog writing. Sometime I really struggle to put together blog posts. But, I also set the goal for myself that I would like to make at least 3 posts a week. Lately I’ve tried a few “tricks” to overcome writer’s block. Although they don’t work all the time, […]
Tags: Tools & Tips
Is product management being marginalized in your organization?
September 1st, 2009 · 3 Comments
In the past few weeks, I keep hearing the same complaint from hard-working and stressed-out product managers: product management is being marginalized in their companies. Case #1: The company is run by sales people. It’s extremely deal driven. The company is doing well. Closing deals. Sales people are becoming more powerful as a result of […]
Tags: Frustration@Work · Product Management