Life Putting - Dan Putt

Archive Page 2 of 33

Venture Voice show 48 - Frank Addante on Time

Published on April 30, 2008 in business, future and goals.

Great quote from the most recent Venture Voice by serial entrepreneur Frank Addante:

The biggest asset that I have is my time. I have to think about how to best invest my time. As a VC you can always raise more money. you can always get more money, hire more people…But you can never get back your time. I look at time as an investor having a finite asset….I’m not going to take my time and waste it.

I have to admit that time really does not enter the equation for me when making a decision all that often. I more or less think of it and treat it like an infinite, not finite resource. The truth is it is our most precious and most limited resource. I need to value my time more.

Venture Voice - podcast on entrepreneurship, venture capital, business

Vote for Best Warren Buffett Bite of All Time

Published on April 30, 2008 in business.

Yes, I love Buffett and I especially love Buffett quotes. Some his best:

“We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.”
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
“Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1″
“Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.”
“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”

Vote for Best Warren Buffett Bite of All Time - Warren Buffett Watch - CNBC.com

“You’ve got to find what you love”

Published on April 29, 2008 in Uncategorized, business, mom and personal.

I’m sure I’ve written on this speech one, two, or ten times already but for some reason it resurfaced this morning for me. I thought about it a little differently today. Steve pleads eloquently in the speech for us to blaze a path of passion in our lives:

Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

But this morning it hit me: I don’t really know what this looks like or certainly not what this feels like. I’ve heard “follow your passion,” in about a million different ways, but the truth is this notion is really abstract for me. It’s like someone telling me “be a billionaire.” I might have some image in my head of what that may look like, and perhaps some ideas of what it may feel like, but ultimately I know almost nothing about living like a billionaire. The same is true for me when I hear people say “follow your passion.” I don’t know what that means, what that looks like, or where that is. So how do you get directions when you don’t know where you are going?

You get lost. I really want so badly for someone to sit me down and say “go there, do this,” but unfortunately this won’t work. It wouldn’t work for anyone. It reminds me a lot of the story my mom told me about learning to ride my bike. I tried to learn at a very early age, and I was determined to get it very quickly. I didn’t want to screw around with the process, I just wanted to ride. So after an hour or so of falling, I lost it. I screamed at my mom to just “tell me how to balance.” I felt that learning to balance was something you could be told how to do, as if my mom was holding the secret over me for her own enjoyment. That obviously was not the case. You have to feel your own way, fall a few (dozen) times, until it clicks.

The same is true for “finding what you love.” You can’t follow a recipe for success (although there is an enormous industry built on the premise that you can). There is no “one size” fits all here. But there are themes. I think you can read about, meet with, learn from those who apparently have found their way. I’m really interested in talking with and meeting more people who have “found what they love.” I know they can’t tell me how to do it, but perhaps I can learn a few tricks of their trade. This isn’t some ancient secret hidden from us all, this is something real people are doing everyday. I’m going to find my way, I figure I just might have to fall a few (dozen) times. It can’t hurt to talk to some people who already have their balance.

Dealing with bad news

Published on April 1, 2008 in grieving, links, mom and personal.

There was an article in the WSJ this morning about supporting loved ones when they find out they have cancer. I immediately had opinions on the article because I remember my own experience very clearly with my mom. I remember cleaning out my college apartment when she called me to give me the news, and I think my immediate reaction was somewhat selfish. I reacted in a way I thought was right for her, I put on the “you can do this, you can fight this,” hat. I was so absorbed in reassuring myself that I was completely unaware of what my mom needed at that moment. Now I certainly won’t beat myself up for that because it was a really difficult thing to go through, but I think the article brings awareness to an important issue: how to offer support in a way that works for the person with the difficult news, not in a way that works just for you.

From the WSJ article:

“Loved ones don’t know what to do, and they don’t want to make a terrible error,” says Marisa Weiss, an oncologist and founder of Breastcancer.org, a nonprofit organization. “This fear keeps people from doing anything.”

While that’s the worst mistake you can make, experts say, there are a number of other slip-ups. Well-meaning friends and family members often ask inappropriate questions, such as the patient’s prognosis. They offer theories on why their loved one got sick, give unsolicited advice or insist that “everything is going to be just fine.”

That was certainly the case for my mom. She chose to deal with cancer in a manner that shocked and maybe even frustrated a lot of people: She didn’t want to talk about it. She wanted to have life just go on, she wanted to more or less ignore its presence as much as possible. And she wanted everyone around her to do the same. She didn’t want to be a “sick person,” she just wanted to be her usual self. She didn’t want to go to support groups, she didn’t want to have people call her out of the blue to offer words of encouragement, she just wanted to feel normal. This approach included not fully knowing the details of her illness. She chose instead for the doctors to treat her as they saw fit, but to keep her in the dark. She not only wanted to feel normal, she wanted to maintain a very positive attitude. This really drove people crazy. Actually at times it even drove me crazy. “How can you not know what you’re up against,” some people would say. But that wasn’t their question to ask. It was my mom’s.

From my experience, the best advice:

In general, experts say, you should take your lead from the person who is sick. If she wants to talk about her illness, then listen. Don’t be afraid of emotions. “Being there, listening and being supportive is a powerful role,” Dr. Weiss says. “If the person feels comfortable crying in front of you, be honored, because you fulfilled a really important need.”

I broke that bit of advice many times. I once had a bunch of my mom’s friends send her letters of support. She was not happy about that to say the least. I missed what was most important to her in her fight…the feeling of normal. I struggled…how could she not want words of encouragement from so many that love her? Because normal life provided her the encouragement she wanted. Extra attention from others made her feel sick, more vulnerable. I didn’t understand then. I do now.

In retrospect I hold a tremendous amount of respect for my mom’s approach. It had to be SO hard to not know the details (especially for such an inquisitive person). The unknown is a scary thing, especially when it relates to your health. But there’s even more genius in her approach. Not just because it allowed her to stay positive, and not just because it empowered her mind to think she was healthier than she actually was, but because it was ultimately HER way of dealing with it. Not mine. Not Tom’s. Not her friends. Hers.

Dealing with bad news is hard enough, offer support to someone as they need it, not how you think you would.

Scattered

Published on March 31, 2008 in business and personal.

Despite many attempts over the last few years of my life it seems like I’m more easily distracted. With growing reliance on my cell phone and email (and my email on my cell phone), it seems I have less and less moments where I’m really alone with my thoughts. Despite being aware of it, I generally respond immediately to the buzz of my Blackberry. My gmail is open literally all day, even though I am well aware that email is the ultimate distraction. Actually email may be my ultimate addiction. I love my google reader. I love my twitter. Basically, I’m overstimulated. Way overstimulated, to the point where I don’t really feel like anything I work on gets the time and attention it deserves.

I found this great blog post over at Information Arbitrage where he talks about the same thing (I feel the same way, except for the wife / kids part, I’m not quite there yet…):

If there is one thing I am, it’s overstimulated. Too many activities. Too many obligations. Too many e-mail. Too many social networks. Huge emphasis on my wife and two boys; coaching, playing, living, loving. Which leaves time for - recovery, maybe. Something has got to give. I love to read; I don’t read enough. I love to write; I don’t write enough. I love art; I don’t see enough of that, either. I love meeting interesting people; I do some of that but would enjoy spending more time with really cool people I can learn from. Bottom line: my attention is very broadly scattered and I hold it all together (most of the time), but I feel like I should be happier and more satisfied given my tremendous effort in all areas.

This, especially in tech savvy crowd, is very common. I realized yesterday in my computer / email sabbath that during the week, I have less than 10 minutes a day in silence (and this 10 minutes is HARD..I’m working on it Jerry). The rest of the time my brain is flooded with information. Constantly. WSJ, phone calls, blogs, phone calls, twitters, IM’s, occasional meetings, the occasional book and emails. Lots and lots of emails. Does any of this stuff actually do anything to improve my life, to move me closer to my life’s goals? It don’t think so. So how can get my brain / thoughts back?

I tried being more organized with my tasks and time. I struggled. I felt like my todo list was more a running tally of stuff I thought I needed to do a few days ago. I tried the GTD system hoping for that zen like state of productivity and concentration, but realized that adding more systems to my life only meant more distractions. I am still very reactive in my days. Yes I set out with goals for each day, but unfortunately my email flow dictates what needs to be done most of the time. I can’t help but react to the buzz of a new message. Living this way (for me at least) seems to be the equivalent of running on the treadmill. It burns my energy, it wears me down, but at the end of the day I didn’t get too far.

I need to make some changes. I need to limit the email flow. I need to set aside time, at least a little time each day, where I am allowed to just think (walking the dog is the perfect time for this). I need to limit my google reader and twitter exposure to certain times of the day. Bottom line: I need to set some boundaries for these many distractions. I need to set my brain free again. After my break yesterday, where my brain felt so clear, I know it is the right thing to do. Perhaps the real secret to success in the information era is not to gather the most information, but to know how to shut it off.

(this post even felt scattered…sorry about that)

This American Life…on Love / relationships

Published on March 28, 2008 in Links and personal.

Listen: This American Life

I finally was able to listen to this podcast on love as recommended to me by my friend Jerry. It’s really a fascinating episode (the podcast in general is great). The most interesting quote from this show (which sort of confirms my thoughts from the other day):

“Psychologists say that you can only stay in love for 18 months. That’s the limit. After that it becomes something else: admiration, respect, etc. It becomes something else.”

That is the chemical that kicks off that puppy love we all really enjoy only lasts for 18 months or so. From there it is our responsibility to keep growing the relationship.

Listen to it here

VVP gets a press mention

Published on March 28, 2008 in business.

Vista Verde Partners , the investment group focused on Costa Rica real estate I co-founded last year, was recently profiled on alternative investments blog, PERE. I have to say I was pretty shocked when the reporter called me to ask a few questions about the company. Unfortunately the article is behind a registration wall (free, but annoying), but you can read our recap over at the Vista Verde Partners blog (which is rarely updated).

End of shamless plug…

“Tap dance to Work”

Published on March 26, 2008 in business, personal and uniqe ability.

Ok I’ll admit the Warren Buffett posts are probably getting a little old, unfortunately fascination of the moment. There are many reasons to admire and respect a man like Warren Buffett (the man is the self made richest person on the planet and he did give away more than 85% of his net worth to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation), but the thing I admire most about him is that he’s one of those few who found and followed their passion. Or to put it into Warren’s words, he “tap dances to work everyday.”It may be a pipe dream but somewhere in the last 3 years of my life, I’ve convinced myself that there is some sort of path in life I can take that will “click” for me. I don’t want to come across sounding mystical, like there’s some powerful force guiding me towards “my thing,” because I don’t believe that. I just believe that we can find work that touches who we are at the deepest level, work that energizes us, and pulls out the most amazing parts of our being. This is the work that you would probably do for free, but ironically the one where you have the most financial opportunity. This seems to be the case for Warren Buffett. It has never been about money or fame for him. He just was fortunate to discover early on that everything about investing clicked with who he is. A quote from a class discussion Buffett with some students at Emory:

I enjoy what I do, I tap dance to work every day. I work with people I love, doing what I love. The only thing I would pay to get rid of is firing people. I spend my time thinking about the future, not the past. The future is exciting. As Bertrand Russell says, “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” I won the ovarian lottery the day I was born and so did all of you. We’re all successful, intelligent, educated. To focus on what you don’t have is a terrible mistake. With the gifts all of us have, if you are unhappy, it’s your own fault.

I’m amazed by his gratitude for his life. You don’t have to be a billionaire by the way to be so lucky (won the ovarian lottery…great). Another great quote showing his humility and gratitude:

I had nothing to do with my own success. My father was a securities broker and after the Great Crash, he had no one to call. Consequently, I was born in 1930 in the United States during the time of one of the greatest capital markets. I was born with the wiring for capital asset allocation. I had the right wiring at the right time. Temperament is a large part of my wiring. I was naturally good at it, and I used some feedback to develop it better. There is nothing to be arrogant about. Gates says if I had been born earlier, I would’ve been some animal’s lunch. I can’t run, I can’t climb. I’d be talking about allocating capital and the animal would think, “Those are the kind that taste the best.”

I also love this quote:

“I have so much fun that it’s not work. I get to do what I want, where I want – on a boat, wherever.”

It sounds to me that Buffett would agree with the notion that the best investment you could ultimately make is in yourself. Take the time and spend the money to really find the path that works for you. It may take a few stops and starts, but the pursuit is worth it.

Relationships: they’re work (in a good way)

Published on March 25, 2008 in mom and personal.

I had a long talk with my sister this morning about relationships and it reminded me of something my Mom used to tell me: relationships (of all kinds) take work. I’m amazed really at how easily people forget this (myself definitely included). Expecting a relationship, whether between you and your significant other or your friend or sibling or children, to just be great all the time without any effort is crazy. It’s the same as expecting to be in tip top shape physically without ever going to the gym. It just doesn’t happen. Yes, some people are more naturally gifted and can stay more physically fit without any work just as some relationships just naturally click better than others, but those are the exception and not the rule.

I consider myself lucky to have an amazing girl like Julie in my life, and we do get along very well. Actually I think we have a pretty good relationship. It is not perfect by any measure, but I the foundation is good..we love each other and we like to be around each other. I just realized recently that life had done its part to dull things for us. It’s not that things got worse, it’s just that we stopped putting effort into the relationship. I try to spend at least an hour a day on my body at the gym, but recently I have not even spent that much time deepening my relationship with her. Now we both are very busy, and it is hard when we finally connect around 9pm after a long day to do much other than talk a little and watch some tv. I suspect this is the case for lots of couples, and I can only imagine it gets more difficult when you have kids. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why we have recently felt a little distant, why things don’t feel like they did when we first got together. It’s not because we don’t care for each other, and it’s not because we don’t work well together, it’s because we’re not putting in any effort. Relationships, good ones, take work (movies are wrong).

If you’re spending more time on your blackberry writing emails than you are talking with your significant other, it’s only a matter of time before things “don’t feel like they used to.” I’m not saying you have to give up everything else in your life, I’m just saying you don’t expect to get washboard abs by avoiding the gym so why do you expect your relationships to just be great without any effort?

How do you start working on it? I’m not sure exactly, but talking is a pretty good place to start. Ask them what’s on their mind, what’s going on their life, what they like, what they want from the relationship…and then see where it goes from there.

I know this is a subject most people don’t like to talk about (guys especially), and I think that’s the problem. It was on my mind, so I posted it…

My Starbucks Idea

Published on March 20, 2008 in business and stocks.

My Starbucks Idea

The reviews are not good, but I have to say like where they are going here. Not so much for the consumer side of things (all of the ideas on there are fairly obvious…free drink on my birthday, free drinks for every 10 coffees, etc), but because of the new Partner only idea section. As a starbucks shareholder (don’t worry, I am a recent shareholder so I missed out on the -50% performance over the last 12 months), I’ve been reading Starbucks Gossip for the last few weeks to get an inside glimpse at operations. The site is basically a Starbucks Barista community and through the comments I have see countless good ideas from employees on how to cut down on waste, increase customer satisfaction and quality, as well as improve sales. I, for one, think the potential benefits of tapping the wisdom of frontline people far outweighs the costs of setting up the site. I’m a big believer in Howard Schultz, and I think he’s made the right move here.