Every Family’s Business by Tom Deans
a process…that keeps the family members in the business focused on the goal of selling the business at some point–selling the business at the highest price to the highest bidder, giving preference to cash and without prejudice to whether the buyer is family or an unrelated third party. The stock of the business must always be understood to be for sale. Sale of the stock takes primacy over any consideration of family employment. And family employment will not alter or distort the value assigned to the stock.
Book Review – The New Capitalist Manifesto
I’m a big fan of Umair Haque’s blog (and have always gotten a kick out of the fact that the blog is on the Harvard Business Review site—they aren’t usually this radical…) Anyway, I had been dying to read his new book The New Capitalist Manifesto. There were some great ideas here…Like his explanation of [...]
A Seat at the Table/For CEO’s and CSO’s by Jackie Bassett and Daniel Rothman
While protecting customer data must be of highest importance, the opportunities around strategic application of that same customer data to enhance the business was the most interesting angle for me in the book.
Reading List – Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
Pink makes the case that in modern America, personal fulfillment — Motivation 3.0 — can be a stronger motivation than material reward. This explains why financial rewards for behavior may backfire (extrinsic motivation). The opportunity for freedom/autonomy (Google’s corporate policy of allowing 20% of employee time to work on whatever they want), greater mastery of the skills required for the job and purpose, and gaining a real understanding of why we’re doing what we’re doing may provide real motivation, what Pink calls intrinsic motivation. Lots to think about here for businesses and non-profits.
Reading List – Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steve Johnson
reading list Johnson has written other well-received books and this one has created quite a buzz. It’s a little dry, even with the many stories, but there’s no question it contains lots of interesting takes on innovation, inventions, and process. For example, Johnson detected patterns of innovation and analyzed their origins: How most innovative ideas [...]
Superfusion – How China and America Became One Economy and Why the World’s Economy Depends on it
Karabell traces the origins of this economic dependency between China and the U.S. with stories and examples. His original point of view regarding this interdependence does not offer solutions to the U.S. problem, but does provide an entertaining version of how we got here.
Valuation for M&A – Building Value in Private Companies by Chris M. Mellen and Frank C. Evans
While this may not be the type of book you would sit down to read for pleasure, I can certainly recommend that participants in the value creation and M&A space familiarize themselves with the concepts and practice within. This is a business course in itself. Very dense and rich in content.
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
Levitt and Dubner look back in history and at today’s modern life and tackle issues like how oil replaced whales, beating polio, how doctors spread infection by not washing their hands enough, the slow acceptance of seat belts, monkey prostitution, and finishes with a solution to global warning that is neither expensive nor difficult.
Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms by Jeffrey Bussgang
He describes the inner working of venture firms and what they look for: a strong business proposition, a good plan, solid and experienced management and, these days, some proof of concept, usually with revenues.
Intangible Capital review by Jeremy Phillips
It’s much more fun to read than the rather solemn title suggests, combining strands of history, economics, management, metaphor and common sense, personal experience and anecdote. It’s also a monument to the metamorphosis of management and asset management philosophies from the age of bricks and mortar to the world of the internet.
