tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20563220538702330972024-03-13T04:43:07.555-04:00Evening WalkErdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-2560629241345028872011-11-02T13:53:00.000-04:002011-11-02T13:53:28.207-04:00Pumpkin Horseman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PXzG8vK2-ZMJVEizjfw8fM4F_PTvExfuNbGMgbhhox-rOtS0qp75XhfiSPueTkRua7EY3zYwixQnYbv2qM764-O9ExB9Nd2Hshyphenhyphen5KMNgHTogCPnld8LknhqpporqFKXenuYyWmU1__c-/s1600/pumkin+rider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PXzG8vK2-ZMJVEizjfw8fM4F_PTvExfuNbGMgbhhox-rOtS0qp75XhfiSPueTkRua7EY3zYwixQnYbv2qM764-O9ExB9Nd2Hshyphenhyphen5KMNgHTogCPnld8LknhqpporqFKXenuYyWmU1__c-/s320/pumkin+rider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Isn't this a cool way to keep up with the Halloween tradition? I love it when people take this one extra step to something fun and special.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-66528895890298901452011-10-31T11:31:00.002-04:002011-10-31T11:36:47.132-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHjBJBQ1M7WM7tAjFdyL7gDF10wLiQxfy5mNlPbwTEx1HsPngaLpPyrHekUAxwCmLHtKdI8qXT-iu6I8HqHet6fS2aVYrvx8BRsjv05xDoRBoR8aKDQjwZGkw3T4PZxmluXz_YoeAkBwX/s1600/zipcar+electric+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHjBJBQ1M7WM7tAjFdyL7gDF10wLiQxfy5mNlPbwTEx1HsPngaLpPyrHekUAxwCmLHtKdI8qXT-iu6I8HqHet6fS2aVYrvx8BRsjv05xDoRBoR8aKDQjwZGkw3T4PZxmluXz_YoeAkBwX/s320/zipcar+electric+car.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>And that's how monumental changes occur. One parking lot at a time.<br />
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On another note, isn't it an interesting case of innovation when a company that thoroughly disrupts one market follows it up by disrupting another? Zipcar: redefined urban transportation and now it's in the avant-garde of electric car adoption. Netflix: movie rentals, online entertainment delivery. Apple: personal computing, music, mobile.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-285921037823523832011-10-26T11:55:00.001-04:002011-10-26T11:57:11.030-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxgFR7U8TXPj5UYtdB8l2f0xilwr6MaiijSwSwG19yCWGjL9O8Imd9hX1MPBDX6xglOuitNZI7A0spcmC2jBJXKnXMbC38LAabp6llKDtwSms8KwnVxXieNG9heqFxZyQNSiZ8gJ7WV5c/s1600/awesome+guitarist+in+harvard+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxgFR7U8TXPj5UYtdB8l2f0xilwr6MaiijSwSwG19yCWGjL9O8Imd9hX1MPBDX6xglOuitNZI7A0spcmC2jBJXKnXMbC38LAabp6llKDtwSms8KwnVxXieNG9heqFxZyQNSiZ8gJ7WV5c/s320/awesome+guitarist+in+harvard+square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This street musician in Brattle Square last weekend was awesome. He was standing on an Oriental rug, his Birkenstocks off and his white socks patched with colors of rainbow. He had his eyes closed and his body swinging back and forth. He felt free. And his music was great. He was totally awesome.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-19968512007677039692011-10-25T11:34:00.000-04:002011-10-26T11:58:18.533-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSetGI67E4AoKsMDXlm03UY78YLIueScQSW3Vh5pjXq6CWnskJR8npBVsOWs44GtiP0WKxeoI3FwhUO1U3DAcSF_aL8aEGBVGFnvYNJwA8BOFXMN9P4TWl1rbtMkIZxVHsIm-C4c2hjvo3/s1600/huge+yard+sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSetGI67E4AoKsMDXlm03UY78YLIueScQSW3Vh5pjXq6CWnskJR8npBVsOWs44GtiP0WKxeoI3FwhUO1U3DAcSF_aL8aEGBVGFnvYNJwA8BOFXMN9P4TWl1rbtMkIZxVHsIm-C4c2hjvo3/s320/huge+yard+sale.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Loved this sign. If you're going to have a huge yard sale, why not have a huge sign about it? The union of message and the medium.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-48688807860469314382011-10-24T11:41:00.000-04:002011-10-26T11:57:36.219-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighGfuKir2uN0GH0L7pYZd_A4Pt5ajfCkJQ9G5dsRt3726uhq-Nh9s1_hHdJ7ugAMEywh7JCT_LOLshFulyKdVAbpARn21f2Dv7wgg7xGFCcetm-I8W0a9QeFBKzNdF2eqnL9vG9vwey5h/s1600/the+poster+that+doesn%2527t+go+away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighGfuKir2uN0GH0L7pYZd_A4Pt5ajfCkJQ9G5dsRt3726uhq-Nh9s1_hHdJ7ugAMEywh7JCT_LOLshFulyKdVAbpARn21f2Dv7wgg7xGFCcetm-I8W0a9QeFBKzNdF2eqnL9vG9vwey5h/s320/the+poster+that+doesn%2527t+go+away.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>A few days ago I stopped by the office where I used to work two and a half years ago. Walking past my old cube, I noticed that the M.C. Escher poster that I put up was still there. Felt like I never left.<br />
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Memory, an antiquated notion in the today's workplace, lives on.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-85513457571310615592011-10-17T17:32:00.001-04:002011-10-17T17:42:25.668-04:00I made a pleasant discovery at a recent wedding of a friend. That friend went to great schools, traveled to far and interesting places, worked for important organizations, and did meaningful things. But he came from humble beginnings and had to earn it every step of the way.<br />
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And in his wedding came together his friends from every step of his way. They came from many different places, and they do different things and lead different lives. I realized that, wherever he went, he reached out, threw himself in, built lasting friendships and cherished them for years ahead. <br />
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Life changes, we move places, we do new things, we meet new people. But what a wonderful thing it is to hold it all together through the years. Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-10422386062477983482011-10-17T14:32:00.000-04:002011-10-17T14:32:59.772-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTT_cv2NyuQaxmRtf6b7_XDvpowPxxwYuSFctPHAT-hNKIRdszImSJtaDSUpwYH0_FCmP1XtNrVkaUtWlkrvdHd8F08pna5eoHTMQLNgkeoERVuichsNsf6kZKalirgTnkigiI3_Kkbsg/s1600/time+magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTT_cv2NyuQaxmRtf6b7_XDvpowPxxwYuSFctPHAT-hNKIRdszImSJtaDSUpwYH0_FCmP1XtNrVkaUtWlkrvdHd8F08pna5eoHTMQLNgkeoERVuichsNsf6kZKalirgTnkigiI3_Kkbsg/s320/time+magazine.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>What an apt description of our time.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-87516535317464477612011-09-21T11:27:00.000-04:002011-09-21T11:27:58.090-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AsuWunTU07BmDVNCLrdqH69rFQ4dJRl8j1WWVeVULfqy5pemuYD0q_FMksM0QKJDIGscAhI7pyMObbGEStyDbKVC4SMFFx_tefPaPW06f6B-GWl6cBC8fq_YrYoHhhyphenhyphensmA5goy5K2QAc/s1600/Startup+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AsuWunTU07BmDVNCLrdqH69rFQ4dJRl8j1WWVeVULfqy5pemuYD0q_FMksM0QKJDIGscAhI7pyMObbGEStyDbKVC4SMFFx_tefPaPW06f6B-GWl6cBC8fq_YrYoHhhyphenhyphensmA5goy5K2QAc/s320/Startup+Ad.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>I think this is a really creative ad for a startups event on campus. Hats off to the creator. Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-9777948690476379152011-09-18T00:42:00.006-04:002011-09-18T23:14:57.936-04:00Risk, Magic, and Taking Care of Your PeopleThe <a href="http://t0.mit.edu/">t=0</a> festival was a lot of fun today. The current MITER executive, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/ShambhaviKadam">Shambhavi Kadam</a>, played a big role in organizing it. I think she did a great job and made MITER proud of the spirited exploits of one of our own.<br />
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Here are my two quick thoughts from the event.<br />
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When my friend and fellow Sloanie Tyler Spalding went on stage to demo his startup, he had two colorful balloons in his hands. As soon as he got on stage, he volleyed them into the audience and off they went bouncing from one person to another. Tyler then told the story of his startup, <a href="http://styleseek.com/">StyleSeek</a>, a clothing recommendation and shopping platform for busy men who want style. Their tagline sums it all up, <i>Style Without Effort</i>. They are in closed beta now, but the way it works is you pick a few pictures out of different displayed, the engine does the rest and suggests clothes you'd like. <br />
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When Tyler pulled up the site and asked the last person who had the balloon to come on stage and give the engine a go, I went uh-oh. Risky, right? What an easy way to get embarrassed and get sent back to the proverbial drawing board. The stage guest, picked completely at random, looked at the pictures and selected those he liked, click and the engine's hourglass starting humming. You could feel drum roll in the air. But would you know it, boom, to everyone's complete astonishment the engine produced recommendations that included the <i>very shirt and pants</i> that the person had on. There was silence for a moment and then came an eruption of laughter. Magic. <br />
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A moment to remember. But there's no way it would have happened without risking the unbearable agony of embarrassment. Tyler has spent the better part of his final year of business school, plus the entire summer after, working dawn to dusk on StyleSeek. He sat next door to my startup Ubiquitous Energy during the E Center summer incubator and I could see him every day painstakingly optimizing the engine. It paid off. <br />
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So what is magic? It's risk plus almost obsessive preparation. And that, my friend, takes you to magical places. <br />
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Finally, and this is my second thought, when the event concluded there were tables put up with trays of burritos for people to congregate around and enjoy. One of my friends, who's the founder of a super promising startup, grabbed a stack of burritos and headed for the exit. He bumped into me and, showing the stack, smiled and said, "Going back to the office. This is for my team. They are still coding there and I need to take care of them."<br />
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It felt great hearing that from a fellow entrepreneur. A burrito for your teammate on a Saturday evening is a small gesture, but it matters big time. It shows how you treat your own. Every successful startups sees a good share of struggles along the way and to go through them you gotta have loyalty, which in turn only comes when you take care of your people in things big and small.<br />
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So take care of your people and the rest will take care of itself.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-5183030818517793212011-09-17T13:22:00.001-04:002011-09-17T13:23:59.295-04:00Entrepreneurs Hall of FameI don't know how exactly it came about, but sometime last spring some chatter broke out at the <a href="http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/">E Center</a> about creating the Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame. It really seemed like a humorous, leisurely brainstorm at first. "Hey, I have an idea, why don't we have sidewalk starts honoring entrepreneurs, just like Hollywood celebrates its own?" People tweeted back and forth about it for a few days, had fun, and then we all moved on to other fun brainstorms. <br />
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Or so it seemed. A group of <a href="http://entwof.org/about/trustees/">local leaders</a> made this idea their mission. And here we are: the Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame is now a reality, with Kendall Square emblazoned with commemoration of Bill Gates, Bill Hewlett and David Packard, Bob Swanson, Mitch Kapor, Steve Jobs, and Thomas Edison.<br />
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Here's a <a href="http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/news/join-us-entrepreneur-walk-fame-kendall-square">link</a> to the inaugural video. Check it out and check out the stars in Kendall Square too, especially when you want to have a sports night at the newly opened Champions bar.<br />
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I hope you do dream to have your star there too one day. Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-46689003482179779552011-09-07T11:07:00.000-04:002011-09-07T11:07:59.194-04:00This summer the MIT Entrepreneurship Center recorded a few videos of local entrepreneurs sharing a piece of advice. Our startup was based out of the E Center this summer and so I ended up being in one of the videos. Thought I'd share. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurZycgpl616EFG_S2wpS5GeVru457rZKm_taBksf_uzD4rgutb8zd3-Lacg25qrOhXhnz-NyfspF1oulVxRSsz52eN-7QcBl3wnzn4UobhlfCcVasc1O38qqUYi9ULWCHQ8hIds0fLD13/s1600/delar+van+sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurZycgpl616EFG_S2wpS5GeVru457rZKm_taBksf_uzD4rgutb8zd3-Lacg25qrOhXhnz-NyfspF1oulVxRSsz52eN-7QcBl3wnzn4UobhlfCcVasc1O38qqUYi9ULWCHQ8hIds0fLD13/s320/delar+van+sand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Talk came to boxing practice. The key to boxing was speed, he said. Your hand must shoot out and shoot back with just as much strength before you even notice. When you're punching a bag, if you're really fast, the bag will jump up, not swing. Up, not sideways. "Anyone can get a bag to swing," he said, "It's just like pushing it, that doesn't hurt."<br />
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I've punched a bag a couple of times in my life. Naturally, I wanted it to swing, trying to hit harder and make it swing farther. For all I know, I could have punched it a thousand times more without ever realizing that the "jump", not the "swing", was the goal.<br />
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And so we often go through with things, shooting for the swing. Sometimes all the difference in the world is the luck of one brief conversation. <br />
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Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-18885672754486738942011-09-03T23:50:00.001-04:002011-09-03T23:55:45.097-04:00MITER's 1st Board MeetingLast Thursday the MIT Entrepreneurship Review held its first board meeting. It was a lively reunion of MITER's comrades after the summer break. The summer was an eventful one for us all. Chris Pirie had defended his PhD thesis the day before. Roozbeh Ghaffari had seen his startup MC10 seize new heights and raise a new round of funding. Kevin McCarthy took strides in his research of the dark matter, bringing closer the day when our team will be cheering for him at his PhD defense. Dante Cassanego had a great experience working for a school district in Boston as part of Education Pioneers. Yvonne Chung took the less beaten path and worked at Bain. Rob Lemos (who is on the screen of the laptop) and I graduated from Sloan and started new chapters in our entrepreneurial lives.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1jCrkh8pu3fIVqAB_x83gvWwmC4ZXX7cPsG-AE_S0jjlMS79jezYfzALmeTtIPN2BVf9rxOyWMo7-ZnrGspGw1QMRUdUl6UVYmNvPW4QAhsE7GcCTzdXc4K_dQYQ4GyaFY2vdytvjAa1/s1600/MITER+1+September+2011+-+First+Board+Meeting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1jCrkh8pu3fIVqAB_x83gvWwmC4ZXX7cPsG-AE_S0jjlMS79jezYfzALmeTtIPN2BVf9rxOyWMo7-ZnrGspGw1QMRUdUl6UVYmNvPW4QAhsE7GcCTzdXc4K_dQYQ4GyaFY2vdytvjAa1/s320/MITER+1+September+2011+-+First+Board+Meeting.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The mission of MITER's board is to maintain our focus on the vision of becoming the most regarded publication at the intersection of entrepreneurship, science, and technology. A very important part of this job is maintaining and growing MITER's strong sense of community and friendship.<br />
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I am happy to report from board meeting #1 that there's been no love lost. <br />
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Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-82286993572114875862011-06-27T11:26:00.002-04:002011-06-27T11:27:59.313-04:00MITER Dream Coming TrueWhen we started MITER a little less than two years ago, we wanted to build a tight community of bright minds who were on their way to make big things happen at the intersection of science, technology, and entrepreneurship. This dream is now coming true.<br />
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A few days ago members of the MITER team received this wonderful email from MITER co-founder, Rob Lemos. <br />
<blockquote>"<i>Hey Everybody,<br />
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The amazing reputations of our writing core continue to astound us! Shreerang Chhatre was featured in The Economist's most recent Technology Quarterly!! If you get the chance, pick up a copy of the June 4th Economist to see a description of his technology, pilot and an interview with him. Way to go, Shreerang!!!<br />
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Truly I say, it is because of all the great work that you all do that gives MITER it's prestige. So the next time you're cursing your lab, remember how important your work and research is to what we as a team are doing. Every one of us is truly part of something special! We are changing the world!</i> <i><br />
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Enjoy the summer and keep writing!</i> <i><br />
<br />
Rob Lemos</i>"</blockquote><br />
Certainly, we can't take credit for Shreerang's work. But we should be absolutely thrilled to have been able to attract someone like Shreerang to our team. It makes me excited for what's in store for MITER and our community in the years to come.<br />
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Almost forgot, here's the link to The Economist article: <a href="http://econ.st/kZgI3u">http://econ.st/kZgI3u</a>.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-42915943810921877282011-05-20T01:13:00.000-04:002011-05-20T01:13:55.307-04:00MIT 100k Finale 2011Last week was the MIT 100k finale. I went to the event last year, had a lot of fun, and certainly wouldn't have missed it for the world this year. It's clear that it's become one of the key end-of-year festivities at MIT. <br />
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The 100K organizers did something new with the competition this year. They opened it up to the world at large through a new <a href="http://www.mit100k.org/contests/youpitch/">YouPitch</a> video pitch contest. Great idea. This is the pitch that won it:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WfONrpgSX0s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Isn't it really cool? And isn't it inspiring how talented some people are and how much fun creativity they bring to the world around? <br />
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Now onto the grand winner. I was overjoyed to see <a href="http://saner.gy/">Sanergy</a> will it all. To me, there couldn't have been a better team to win it, or at least one that deserved it more. During my two years at Sloan, few things impressed me more than how Ani Vallabhanehi and his team went about building Sanergy into the promising company that it is today. They just kept at it, kept at it, and kept at it. Perseverance and focus at their height. Shortly after winning the competition, the Sanergy team wrote a heartfelt essay telling their <a href="http://saner.gy/2011/05/16/sanergy-an-mit-love-story/">MIT Love Story</a>. Definitely check it out. Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-19620874144550406862011-04-26T12:25:00.000-04:002011-04-26T12:25:00.667-04:00The Big StageChampions League semis kick off today - an opportunity to be reminded what a great sport soccer is. You can go anywhere in the world and strike up a passionate conversation about the game with a complete stranger and feel like you've known each other your entire lives when you are done.<br />
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Here's to soccer:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NYdeEdL5BeM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-87535760837395302232011-04-10T12:55:00.001-04:002011-04-10T12:58:26.842-04:00GlobalizationMan, globalization, a tectonic and indisputable phenomenon. Unlike climate change, for example, that's still being swept under the carpet like a dirty little secret by some corners of the political milieu, globalization is taken for granted. Still not a reason not to marvel at it.<br />
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I recently needed to find out a lot about the telecom business in East Africa. I've never been to Africa before, I've never met people who have been in the telecom business there, and unfortunately, at the moment I know very few people from Africa. <br />
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Doesn't matter. I called a friend in San Francisco, who's done a lot of work in East Africa, and within a couple of hours I had a dozen conversations planned with businessmen, policymakers, and academics in the region. Just within a couple of hours. <br />
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And that's not even the most fascinating thing. Every contact made had a spirit of goodwill, trust, and desire to help between people who were thousands of miles apart and have never met before, and probably wouldn't have otherwise. Absolutely fascinating and inspiring. Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-33364227660645030122011-04-04T01:39:00.001-04:002011-04-04T01:41:25.540-04:00Maniacally Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8xEWwPEUhEOjRGnbBVU9CuL_CQT2bSdbmWUiZWcxB3zw0j_2b_orEbgRj5TqAdSgPfRzM-nI0cLKjJkpCFlj7zVBUcjFO7X2wJ5IsSF9k5zmXkTicHsgX11fONBY_awfmk_ofm3GLGYC/s1600/earbrass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8xEWwPEUhEOjRGnbBVU9CuL_CQT2bSdbmWUiZWcxB3zw0j_2b_orEbgRj5TqAdSgPfRzM-nI0cLKjJkpCFlj7zVBUcjFO7X2wJ5IsSF9k5zmXkTicHsgX11fONBY_awfmk_ofm3GLGYC/s320/earbrass.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>On Saturday I visited an Edward Gorey exhibition. To be perfectly honest, I didn't know who Edward Gorey was before I went there. But there was an air of pilgrimage at the exhibition, like people were there to pay a personal tribute to an icon - they weren't just random passersby like me. I could soon sense why. <br />
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Gorey's art seemed to have a loud message, an important one too. It was unsettling, so foreign, and yet so true and personal, so mystifyingly reminiscent. Always seeming within reach, the message always slipped away. True art. <br />
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I noticed something else. Edward Gorey was a maniacal practicer. He practiced, and practiced, and practiced, and practiced some more. Pages after pages in his sketch books show object after object drawn in many varieties of ways - slight perspective change here and incremental improvement there. One by one in a thousand steps of mastery, they are the unsung heroes of genius. The final act of art - the reminder of what it takes. <br />
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What's in your sketch book? <br />
Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-3467171928820836382011-03-31T11:05:00.003-04:002011-03-31T11:07:12.479-04:00Knowing Something Very Very Very WellI'm always impressed by people who know a certain topic to a remarkable depth, people who can teach about a topic in such a crystal clear way that you won't ever forget it. Such people uncover the magic for you, so to speak, making you appreciate the intrinsic importance of that topic and its complexity, and inspire you to study this topic further. One such person is my Sloan classmate and MITER colleague Jim Schuchart. He knows pricing to a tee.<br />
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About a month ago we both were working with our business plan competition teams through the night at the <a href="http://ecenter.mit.edu/">MIT E Center</a>. Our team wondered how to quantify the value of our product and then derive the price. At 2AM, we pulled Jim in and he proceeded to deliver nothing short of a State of the Union Address on pricing, which I remember to this day. This week Jim published a <a href="http://miter.mit.edu/">MITER</a> article called "<a href="http://miter.mit.edu/article/four-missing-steps-pricing-pro">Four Missing Steps to Pricing Like a Pro.</a>" If your startup is scratching your head about how to price our product, start with this article. Here's a preview, but do go and read the full piece. <br />
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<br />
"<i>Too often startups take a dangerous route to setting price: just looking at how much it costs to make and how much competitors are charging, and then setting the price in between. The ambitious may even include “willingness to pay” to justify the numbers <a href="http://miter.mit.edu/article/three-failures-willingness-pay" target="_blank" title="Three Failures of WTP">(but we now know better than that</a>). But there is a better way. While costs and the competitive alternatives are certainly relevant inputs to pricing decisions, these companies are missing a critical component of pricing that causes them to leak profits. Top-notch pricing organizations know that understanding and quantifying customer value needs to be at the heart of these decisions.</i>"Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-1622331690543373842011-03-25T20:01:00.002-04:002011-03-26T12:06:08.906-04:00The Treadmill Is Dead, Long Live The TreadmillIt's getting lighter and warmer outside, the buds of spring will be bursting any day now, and for me, that brings a closing chapter of my time at Sloan. Chances are that this is the last time I'm ever in school full-time again, which is an unusual, unnerving, uplifting, and seriously liberating feeling all at the same time. Hopefully, I won't stop learning though. <br />
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Graduation promises a stop (or at least, a pause) to the sometimes maddening treadmill of meeting scheduling. The vast majority of homework assignments at Sloan are team-based, so when you mix that in with MIT's default belief that more (ie, much more) homework is better than less, you're always in the mode of coordinating with three to four people on each of your four to six teams. Finding a time during the day that works for more than two people is usually nearly impossible, so students resort to all kinds of tricks (Skype, divide-and-conquer by email, you-do-this-homework-and-I-do-the-next) and, frequently, late night weekend meetings. Once or twice, OK. But when it happens all the time, not fun, especially when so much time is spent just on coordination.<br />
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But it's been worth it. It's been really worth it. Now that the bootcamp is almost over, I can't speak more highly of Sloan's team-based approach. I don't think I would have gotten to know my classmates just as well without it. Not a chance. Going out together has been great, but actually working with my classmates helped me realize in full just how really really really good they all are at something in particular. It's pretty inspiring and makes me feel enriched at the thought of now having a great resource for almost anything. I loved it. But again, truth be told, I'm glad it's close to being over.<br />
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Although, of course, I'm fooling myself. A new treadmill is just around the corner.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-81526993511006236802011-03-21T19:50:00.000-04:002011-03-21T19:50:17.420-04:00Didn't See That One ComingThe MIT Entrepreneurship Review recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Just thinking about this, my heart fills with pride. We've gone from an idea among many in Bill Aulet's mind to a journal that publishes every day. From a team of three Sloanies to a team of forty students - undergrad through postdoc - from all across MIT and beyond. And from a group of spontaneously gathered volunteers to a tight, yet very inclusive, circle of colleagues and close friends.<br />
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You know what's fascinating about MITER's journey so far? We knew that we wanted to get to where we are now, but the things that truly got us here were completely unexpected. Hence the title, Didn't See That One Coming. Let me explain. <br />
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In the fall of 2009 we recruited our team of Founding Editors. One of them was <a href="http://techtv.mit.edu/tags/5865-miter/videos/5463-christopher-pirie---miter-editor">Christopher Pirie</a>, a PhD student in Biological Engineering at MIT and National Science Foundation fellow. He also had a broad curiosity in entrepreneurship. Needless to say, these characteristics were perfect for MITER. But in the end, they weren't what made the difference. <br />
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Here's what did. Very early I had noticed and started loving just how professional Chris was. He came to meetings on time, he always came prepared, asked constructive questions, graciously offered help, and when he promised something, he'd always do it. As students, we all dressed pretty casually, but Chris often went just a touch above casual. All of this may not sound like a big deal, but over time this couldn't but instill MITER with a spirit of professionalism. Yes, we were a student organization and we wanted to have fun, but we also meant business and weren't fooling around. We started to really pride ourselves for that. Didn't see that coming. <br />
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Then there's <a href="http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/5455-roozbeh-ghaffari---miter-editor">Roozbeh Ghaffari</a>, who also joined MITER as a Founding Editor. We as founders couldn't believe our luck at seeing Roozbeh's application. He had an S.B., M.Eng, PhD, and postdoc - all from MIT - was a co-founder of a life science startup. Why anyone so accomplished would want to join us? We did seriously ponder that question. Well, Rooz just happened to notice a MITER poster somewhere along the Infinite Corridor, and, as he later told us, the liked the word "Review" in our name and so decided to throw his hat in the ring. <br />
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Now, it turned out, Rooz was a die-hard Lakers fan. He was so enamored with his team's Number 8 that we started affectionately calling him Kobe, which always produced nice laugh and giggles and so gave our team the go-to esprit de corps move when we needed it. Just say "Kobe!" and everything's gonna be alright. When the NBA playoffs started, we all really hit it off as friends. Many of the MITER folks watched almost all Finals games together, and my only consolation from the heart-wrenching Celtics loss was Rooz being on cloud nine - well, you can't be too sad about your friend's joy.<br />
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We couldn't have planned for Rooz being a Lakers fan and a basketball aficionado. How could we? But that bonding that it provided was extremely important for MITER. After spring, MITER, as a student organization, went into a summer lull. However, that spirit of togetherness that we had spontaneously and unexpectedly created carried us through and allowed MITER to pick back up quickly in the fall. Without it, it would have been incomparably more difficult to get MITER restarted in the fall. <br />
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In the middle of last year <a href="http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/5453-kevin-mccarthy---miter-editor">Kevin McCarthy</a> joined our team as Copy Editor. He was a PhD student in Physics and just got interested in what were doing. It was great to have him on the team because we loved having students from different departments. But Kevin's job wasn't glamorous. Essentially, he was correcting grammar and fixing typos. An MIT Physics PhD fixing typos?! <br />
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And yet Kevin did do the job, always on time, always with quality, and what's more, always with enthusiasm and genuine commitment. Kevin's attitude fostered a sense within MITER that we're in this together, that no job is too small, and that if you want to do something great, roll up your sleeves and be OK with foregoing glamour. As MITER expanded, there couldn't have been a better person than Kevin to step in as a Managing Editor, which also gave MITER a strong internal sense that we are an organization that rewards hard work and commitment. <br />
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<a href="http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/5473-nathan-trujillo---miter-editor-">Nathan Trujillo</a> joined MITER at the same time as Kevin did. Nathan was on my core team at Sloan and I had been trying to recruit him for several months. All of us at MITER wanted Nathan to join because he was both a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA, a great educational combination for the kind of publication that we were. But what we didn't realize was that Nathan was an absolute stickler for quality. He hated typos and he hated when things on an article page wouldn't look right. And I soon realized that he was like not because he had some high believe in quality, but because he just was like that and that he actually got physical pains in his stomach when things on the page didn't look right. And so he went and fixed the typos and misforms, not because he wanted, but because he had to. I can't stress enough just how important that was. Even though we were a student organization and had some typographical leeway, Nathan's attitude brought to life our desire to be a high quality publication. Not by design, but by lucky accident. <br />
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In addition to Chris, Rooz, Kevin, and Nathan there have been many more MITERites who have made MITER a success, because of some unique, wonderful, and totally unexpected qualities. They are all gems, and one day I will tell their stories too.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-59216617648104703992011-03-12T20:41:00.002-05:002011-03-12T20:41:54.879-05:00Happy Birthday, MITER!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqBGfQQcNZ43xtxh83gMSsxvxcQJzXrETEHww60rG-sTNNbkBD8RZFGsn0Sc-8R44KJffgjBfuxaeNo-879tr3veSoPi6fnfqtzPS8dN1zQEaVYhpagndOXmSiy4LdhkEC2FB_ziWrmYP/s1600/miterpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqBGfQQcNZ43xtxh83gMSsxvxcQJzXrETEHww60rG-sTNNbkBD8RZFGsn0Sc-8R44KJffgjBfuxaeNo-879tr3veSoPi6fnfqtzPS8dN1zQEaVYhpagndOXmSiy4LdhkEC2FB_ziWrmYP/s400/miterpic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Last Wednesday, March 9th, was the one-year anniversary of the MIT Entrepreneurship Review. The image above was the profile picture on our Facebook page on launch day - a wonderful memento. My mom may frown upon that, but MITER's birthday was more special to me than my own birthday. To me, my own birthday is my celebration of coming to this world; MITER's birthday is my celebration of making a difference in it. <br />
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My two fellow travelers at MITER - Rob Lemos and Yvonne Chung - have written their perspectives on MITER's anniversary. They are genuine, interesting, and inspiring, and they made me realize once again what an incredible strike of luck it is to be working with such outstanding people. <br />
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Read them when you get a chance. You'll like them. <br />
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<a href="http://miter.mit.edu/article/happy-birthday-miter">Happy Birthday, MITER</a> by Yvonne.<br />
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<a href="http://miter.mit.edu/article/startups-suck">Startups Suck</a> by Rob.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-69642131560591821492011-02-21T21:58:00.005-05:002011-02-21T22:13:55.713-05:00Complementary Skills, Consistent Values<div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBv6HDu0SY6389Vieo9YBVrwEmUqOQmntLlyPb6mXYFe8SoJ7wvcOJ6iH3YmS45jWIJaKuQ61Ic0vaHPIVD3djXUPpkH7e1axUFw_HpXjD5kkQ5fe3BdR6FHlVuZIVIMUYpXk_l2Ppiwe/s1600/k2+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7dysmqbET6NjMOaXunl-PV5WP_lgPxVLVZXBZqP27Sq1Wm2yqNp1fTzXF5iT9yfFKfSOAZT5tGA1kzpLBIq4kwO18oDHrvQGw3ilMq0K845OzRwP-6RS3Rv-BGg6wZqfk5uqKuj2l1FM/s1600/Bishkek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7dysmqbET6NjMOaXunl-PV5WP_lgPxVLVZXBZqP27Sq1Wm2yqNp1fTzXF5iT9yfFKfSOAZT5tGA1kzpLBIq4kwO18oDHrvQGw3ilMq0K845OzRwP-6RS3Rv-BGg6wZqfk5uqKuj2l1FM/s320/Bishkek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I grew up in a city where you could always see mountains on the horizon. The bustle of the city and the overwhelming equanimity of the mountains poses a beautiful, unforgettable contrast on a bright summer day.<br />
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When I moved to Boston I would often look at pictures of mountains to bring back memories of home. That's how I got interested in mountaineering and the stories of people who climb the world's tallest peaks. This week I've read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/K2-Death-Worlds-Dangerous-Mountain/dp/product-description/0767932501">K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain</a> by Ed Viesturs, a book that my classmate and kindred spirit, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/stumblefeet">Max Jahn</a>, has graciously lent to me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhexEQiaS4dO0-gKmb103cYdbi3udGf4WEId2Q_zyCGJz8cSHpSF2nyY5KmKbvyxh88otiqm_CpTzdtL3u3ahcH6b8sOPJHAu08ZeJAcMS69cmjKPS3Zwff0MKL7vJTQDJGzLUjooxe2MT/s1600/k2+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhexEQiaS4dO0-gKmb103cYdbi3udGf4WEId2Q_zyCGJz8cSHpSF2nyY5KmKbvyxh88otiqm_CpTzdtL3u3ahcH6b8sOPJHAu08ZeJAcMS69cmjKPS3Zwff0MKL7vJTQDJGzLUjooxe2MT/s320/k2+book.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5CzgHwFraLN-mqhqHVFm8VDrCOkhfsiWt644SoodrzLchd-c17f71h_wBaA30k2NB3pYR3MjJNBfBsiieEmICTuoj4i9We7la690NfvF4ndOENj9p0Wsn0WCdZ9sHJOsB4qArNCylAns/s1600/k2+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Ed Viesturs has gone to the top of the world's fourteen tallest mountains -- no small feat, considering that one in four climbers who summit K2 dies on the mountain. In opening his book, I expected to find a suspenseful epopee in praise of the achievement. Instead, I found a caution:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"<i>The most important lesson I learned from that beautiful and dangerous peak was a blunt one: Don't ever do that again, if you want to stay alive. Listen to your instincts, and follow them.</i>"</div><br />
Up high on the mountain after hours of climbing and with bad weather looming, Ed and his partners needed to decide whether to push on for the summit or instead camp and wait, possibly never getting the chance again to summit the mountain. Climbing books say that this is the most difficult decision a climber ever has to make. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"<i>As we trudged slowly upward in silence, I started calculating. Five hours to the summit, three back down to here - what are conditions going to be like hours from now if it keeps snowing? It was then that the knot started to form in my gut. As I later wrote in my diary, I was wondering, "What to do? The prudent thing is to turn back, but we kept going. Stupid? Probably. This is the worst part of climbing big peaks. Spend tons of $ & time to get to this point & you're faced with this decision.</i>" </div><br />
Then came the following exchange:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"<i>Scott and Charley obviously weren't going through the same kind of agonizing appraisal. When I finally stopped them and asked, "Hey, what do you guys think?," Scott answered, "Whaddya mean?" and Charlie seconded him: "We're going up!</i>" </div><br />
Ed Viesturs continued:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"<i>I knew I was making the greatest mistake of my climbing life. And yet I kept going.</i>"</div><br />
The party reached the summit, but the dramatically worsened conditions led to a very dangerous climb back in a horrid whitewash of snow and wind. The climbers did make it out alive, but were they lucky -- they were at a near cruising altitude of planes for sixteen straight hours. Ed Viesturs summed up the incident:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"<i>I sat down in the snow outside our bevy tent. At that moment, I felt no happiness whatsoever at having climbed K2. Instead, I felt only anger at myself</i>." </div><br />
The Scott that Ed Viesturs mentioned above was Scott Fischer, and they never climbed together again. In the book, Ed Viesturs said that had turned down further opportunities to climb with Scott Fischer, because of their different attitudes on risk, which could be a life-altering difference on an 8,000er. Even though they had been great teammates in every other respect, that one difference was enough to dismiss being partners again. Scott Fischer later died in the infamous Mt. Everest tragedy in 1996. <br />
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Now, entrepreneurship isn't as dangerous as climbing K2. But Ed Viesturs' tale should be a telling one for entrepreneurs. It's commonplace to hear that teams should be diverse and partners should complement each others' skills. But this also begs the question of what should be the same. Indeed, what are the important areas, beyond the obvious, where business partners need to exhibit uniting similarities? <br />
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Risk profile seems to be one such important area. It's the foundation of so many highly consequential decisions -- the very decision to start a company is, to a great extent, a function of one's risk profile. Risk tolerance also influences the strategic decision of whether you go for broke to try and build a blockbuster or settle for something smaller, but more viable and secure. Your risk profile impacts whether you take money from investors now or wait and work toward a better deal tomorrow. Many, many important decisions.<br />
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Perhaps, the motto should be: Complementary Skills, Consistent Values.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-72641084025847735012011-02-21T15:55:00.009-05:002011-02-21T20:03:48.188-05:00Would You Want Kobe As Your Co-Founder?Last night, as I was following the NBA All-Star Game on Twitter, a couple of tweets by ESPN writers caught my attention:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"<i>Kobe cruising toward MVP after dunk on LeBron followed by 3, even if he seems fairly determined not to collect assist #2 at any point.</i>"</span></span></span></div><br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">No surprises there. Assists records appease aficionados, but MVP trophies define history. And Kobe knows that. </span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"</span></span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Told Blake Kobe nearing Wilt. Blake: Should I tell him? Me: You think he doesn't know? B: Probably right. He checked record book on way in."</span></span></i></div><br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Translation: Kobe is an intensely and unabashedly achievement-oriented, ultra competitive shoot-first superstar, and everyone knows that. </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">For entrepreneurs,</span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"> I can't think of a more fascinating character to contemplate than Kobe. He routinely makes the toughest shots imaginable, with aplomb, ice-cold expression on his face. Down one with ten seconds left in the game, most fans and players would still want the ball in Kobe's hands. But he's been vilified throughout his career for being a selfish teammate. He's a polarizing figure, to say the least. </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Do you think Kobe would make a great entrepreneur? </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">As basketball fan, I've always tended to dislike Kobe. Because he strives to emulate MJ and to surpass him, which, more than any other player, I secretly feel he can. Because, allegedly, he forced Shaq out of LA, and I've always liked Shaq and his easygoing manner. And lately, because he's won a Finals MVP, which I felt he didn't deserve after a very bad shooting night in Game 7 against the Celtics last year. </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Interestingly, I've always rationalized my dislike as, "Kobe is a bad teammate playing a team sport. Bad combination." But I find it hard to reconcile that with the fact that Kobe is a winner. And isn't that more important?</span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Not that the charges against Kobe are unfounded; I'm just curious to entertain the question. </span></span><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">I suppose Kobe's controversial career could lead one to suggest one of the following:</span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">(1) <i>Measure up, not down</i>. If Kobe was a better teammate, he could have won even more. It's not about the five rings he has, but the seven or eight he could have had, and that's the true mark of a champion. Without Kobe-inspired dissension within the Lakers, the Pistons still could have won in 2004, but not by 4-1. The Lakers could have beaten the Suns in 2006, but Kobe visibly gave up on his team in Game 7. Also, if Kobe wasn't an unabashed gunner and didn't go for 6-19 in Game 4 against Boston in the 2008 Finals, the Lakers might not have relinquished that 24-point lead and consequently the series.</span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">(2) <i>It's the journey, not the destination</i>. Isn't there more to the game than records and rings? Take Steve Nash, for example. He is unanimously loved and admired by players and fans alike and will be after he retires, whether he wins a championship or not. When people think of a true ambassador to the game, they think of Steve Nash. Kobe is likely to be remembered in the annals of sports history as the controversial superstar, respected but not admired. And perhaps, taking a broad view of life, it's better to be loved than feared, better to be happy than satisfied. </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">(3) <i>History is written by the victors</i>. This is the unnerving, but perhaps most useful, conclusion to be drawn from Kobe. Here's what Kobe recently said of his teammate Pau Gasol: </span></span>"Even when [Pau] was in Memphis and he was the go-to guy, he was always very nice. Very white swan. I need him to be black swan." He said the same thing last year, albeit in different words, and the Lakers won it all, with Gasol playing like a superstar.<br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Looks like Kobe likes the image of the black swan, he even had given himself the fearsome nickname The Black Mamba. But so what? He wins games, isn't motivated by anything but winning, doesn't beat around the bush and demands the same of his teammates, works hard like a maniac, always stays in shape, doesn't slack after signing a handsome contract, takes shots with the game on the line and is ok to draw the heat and be the bad guy when things go wrong. Wouldn't you want such teammate? </span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Yeah, many players wouldn't want to play second fiddle to Kobe. But there are also many who'd say, "I know what I'm getting with Kobe. I know that he won't show up out of shape in training camp when I commit to the Lakers for the rest of my career so I can win a ring. I'll let Kobe be Kobe, I'll do my job, set picks, box out and rebound, and we'll win a ring and reap the laurels, and when it's all said and done, I'll have something real to show for it." And there's something to be said for that, isn't there?</span></span><br />
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<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Would you want Kobe as your co-founder? Would you work for him? Would you back him as investor? </span></span><br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"> </span></span><br />
<span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"> </span></span>Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2056322053870233097.post-56976635329414504372011-02-08T11:34:00.001-05:002011-02-08T11:38:23.309-05:00Interview With Hot Potato's Co-FounderAs a story for the MIT Entrepreneurship Review, I recently interviewed Saadiq Rodgers-King, MIT Sloan alum and co-founder of Hot Potato, a startup that brought people together online around live events. This past summer Hot Potato got acquired by Facebook and its original URL now redirects to Facebook. I talked to Saadiq about the acquisition, as well as about when startups should raise money. The story got picked up by The Huffington Post, which itself got acquired yesterday by AOL, probably in anticipation of the deluge of traffic that my story might incite ;-)<br />
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Anyways, if you're interested, you can read the interview <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erdin-beshimov/hot-potato-cofounder-on-b_b_819703.html">here</a>.Erdin Beshimovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07287436646337123156noreply@blogger.com