Larson Research Institute

Live life with joy and passion

Owen — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:34:53 +0000

“People don’t talk about the soul much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is a cold comfort on a winter night, or when you’re sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you’ve gotten back the test results and they’re not so good.

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over Seaside Heights, a life in which you stop and watch how a red tail hawk circles over water or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes.

It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kid’s eyes, the way a melody rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of live.

Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby’s ear. Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy.

And think of life as a terminal illness. Because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.”

~Anna Quindlen | Graduation Speech | Villanova 2002

Ideas are a dime a dozen – Get feedback on yours

Owen — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:34:50 +0000

Maybe your name is on my list, it’s a short list with the list heading, “2010 IC TDS.” It is a breeding ground of ideas, a jumping off place outlining concepts from people I know and people I might like to know better.

Sometime, over the course of the last year or two, you & I have may have talked on the phone about an idea [TDS] “That Doesn’t Suck.” I intend no disparagement, I classify my own ideas into similar categories. Ideas are everywhere, you hear them and develop them on a regular basis. When I receive an [IC] “Incoming Call/Contact” from someone who shares an idea TDS,” I add them to this list.

So maybe that’s “How,” the how you got on this list, ” but what about the “Why?” Why, at this particular point in time am I mentioning this? After all, you may be thinking, I haven’t talked with this guy for months. The Why is because you said what almost every entrepreneur, or aspiring entrepreneur, says when they have an idea. “Please don’t tell anyone about it.” (I know you said it, I have a little check box on my sheet to keep track)

I always agree, of course, that’s my role in this sleigh ride. If I didn’t agree to keep quiet, never mention anything, never speak of this ever again; well, I’d be breaking some super-secret, inner-circle, clandestine code of anonymity and silence which, if violated, would rip at the very fabric of our existence. Should this unwritten code ever be violated, it could move your idea forward to become something that exists in reality as opposed to…, well, I mean what you know.

I have been there, this is nothing new, I have a file cabinet full of NDAs to prove it. Nobody wants their idea snatched from under them, but the best way to ensure that does not happen is to take action. A friend on FB posted a quote this morning from Henry Ford, he states, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that an airplane takes off against the wind, not with the wind.” The unexplored part of Ford’s quote is this: Simple mathematics applies when flying an aircraft, Take-offs = Landings. You can’t have more of one and less of the other, they must equal each other or something has tragically gone wrong.

Concepts & ideas require initiative, that’s the Take-off part. However, they also require a Landing.

At some time, at some point, you must land that plane, so continuing Ford’s thought; you can’t land a plane into a strong headwind, believe me I’ve tried. The plane will hang in the air like a kite on a string. If, when this happens, you don’t start talking to the tower in an effort to determine alternative runway options, that headwind will slam you into the ground like a stone falling from a cliff. (this, by the way, would be considered a failed landing)

I received the following email from Naeem Zafar this morning. He speaks to the fear of reveal issue, but also includes some other nuggets. One of which is, “No company [or person] ever goes into production [or implementation] with the original concept.” I couldn’t agree with this more.

One more quote, this one by George Patton ~ “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” I’m sure ole blood ‘n guts wasn’t thinking about how he was going to develop, produce and market his latest gizmo via the internet, but the underlying premise remains the same.

Make it a Great Day!

Owen

~If not today, when?~

Naeem’s note:
————————————————————–

Dear Owen

There are many misconceptions about this topic. Many entrepreneurs that I talk to are afraid to reveal what they are working on. They are afraid of idea getting “stolen”. They talk about filing patents and insist of signing confidentiality agreements. Please allow me to shed some light on this topic.

How open should I be?

New entrepreneurs often have similar questions like: if I talk to people, how will I keep my idea secret; should I have them sign a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA), what should and shouldn’t I talk about?

Your idea has three components: What problem do you solve, how you solve it and who do you solve it for?

The benefit to talking about WHAT problem you are solving to as many people as possible far outweighs the risk of anyone just running away with your idea. What you do is not the same as “how” you do it. Only talk about the “How” of your idea with relevant people. Look for reaction and feedback and allow it to shape your thinking.

I get this question all the time when I am advising entrepreneurs. If your idea is so simple that, that as soon as you mention it, everybody will steal it, then maybe it’s not such a good idea. Ideas are a dime a dozen. The difficult part is the execution, how to make it correctly, how to fulfill it, how to sell it, and how to support it. The advantage of getting meaningful feedback far outweighs the risk of an idea being stolen.

Remember all ideas have to be chiseled away to become fundable. Your conversations with users and customers will help shape these ideas. No company that I know of has ever gone to production with an idea that they started with.

You can find more of my money-saving tips HERE- the essential guide about legal matters for all entrepreneurs.

To your success,

Naeem Zafar

The Startup Advisor
20 Year Silicon Valley Veteran

If I had a nickel for every time

Owen — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:49:15 +0000

See if you can relate to this; or possibly you have kids that resemble these remarks. ;-)

If I had a nickel for every time during my childhood that I heard, “If he would only apply himself, he would do so much better in school.” I wasn’t a horrible student, but I didn’t make straight A’s by any stretch of the imagination. I [almost] never got into trouble, and that was honestly because I was a grade about the cut of those who did get caught. (gutsy statement considering I’m posting this where a bunch of “kids” with whom I attended school are likely to read it – not to mention a teacher or two). Detention, here I come!

Seriously folks, watch this all the way to the end and decide along the way; do you have entrepreneurial blood in your veins? Do your kids? How about sharing this with the teachers and administration at your kids’ school? And if you need an advocate to intervene on your behalf, gimme a call, I’m easy to find. Take a little action today that just might make a significant difference in a year, or in a decade.

Execution is hard!

Owen — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:13:59 +0000

A common mistake entrepreneurs make is being afraid to share their ideas. They think that they must keep the idea secret. Although that may be a good idea in certain infrequent cases, in general it is advisable to share your idea in order to seek feedback. Executing the idea is a LOT harder than coming up with the idea itself. You don’t have to tell people precisely how you do it, but you should be able to tell people what you do. The more specific you are, the more valuable feedback and trust you are likely to receive.

We continue to give away free copies of Think and Grow Rich (audio version)

A bit of Wisdom from Will

Owen — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:17:48 +0000

I’m still just a little ticked off at Will Smith for naming his son after our daughter. It made the name just a little too commonplace. I called him about it, but so far he hasn’t agreed to rename his son. I’ll keep you posted . . .

Take 10 minutes and watch this all the way to the end – you’ll be glad you did.

Where is the Magic?

Owen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:23:00 +0000

I was thinking… in the “Age of Information,” like we’re in today, why aren’t more people figuring out how to solve their problems.

And I’m NOT talking about you.

Because frankly, I know if you’re reading this right now then you are seeking out information.

I know you are on the path to solving the problems you are currently facing… and once you are ON the path you can never get off.

But what about the rest of the people?

What about the masses of people who will half-heartedly “try” at creating their own life…just to give up. What about them?

And here is what I have found through experience that causes most people to be stagnant in their lives and business.

1. Fear of the Unknown.
2. Lack of belief in one’s self.

Yet here’s the kicker… the lack of belief in one’s self is actually what causes them to fear the unknown.

Because they don’t believe in themselves, they are not willing to try new things. They aren’t willing to put themselves out there, break out of their comfort zone and really “Go for It” without knowing where exactly they might end up.

This fear is CRIPPLING to an entrepreneur.

In fact, it’s almost impossible to be an entrepreneur if you have this fear.

Because SO MUCH of entrepreneurship is about trying new things, taking chances, experiencing life, investigating newer and better ways…

That is literally at the fundamental core of an entrepreneur.

And if anyone is afraid to do that… then being successful is not for them.

JOBS are for them. Jobs will give them the same “day to day” monotony that becomes comfortable or creates complacency.

Jobs will “hopefully” give them the security they are looking for.

But if you want to be an entrepreneur, then you have to be willing to RISK, LIVE, and VENTURE into the unknown.

The unknown is where all the magic happens.

Kevin – An overview of your project requirements

Owen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:31:47 +0000

Climbing the Mountain

Owen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:29:32 +0000

I know for myself, over the years, I’ve lost focus on the task at hand.

What about you? Take a look at what today’s video has to say about “Focus.”

To learn more about training like this and benefit others simultaneously, Click Here.

Add your computer to my LogMeIn Account

Owen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:28:05 +0000

Secrets of Power Negotiating

Owen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:08:56 +0000

To Learn More about Training like this for only $1 per day – Click Here