Facebook and the future of search

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Posted on November 21, 2010 · Filed under: Macro

One of the things that the film ‘the social network’ has done is raise a lot of controversy over the valuation of Facebook. Most people who are not in the web space find it astonishing that a company that young which has barely turned a profit is valued at a whopping $25bn! I am one of those believers that Facebook will become the biggest technology company in the world surpassing Microsoft, Apple – both of which have market capitalisations over $200 Bn – and yes even Google (who lags a bit behind with a market cap around $190 Bn) Here’s why.

First lets take a step back. On the face of it companies like Apple, Google and Facebook have little in common other than great tech people and fanatical users. But fundamentally they are enablers of the same thing: allowing people to communicate in easier and better ways and accessing information more readily.continue reading »

Why startups fail – Part 1

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Posted on August 19, 2010 · Filed under: Enterpreneurship

Ask someone – especially an accountant, management consultant or an MBA (God forbid NOT all three in one) – “why do startups fail” and in all likelihood they will give you the text-book answer: “because they ran out of cash”. Wow, thanks! Glad to see your $180k education taught you something dude! It’s a bit like asking a doctor “how did he die?” and get a reply “because his heart stopped beating!”

The question of course is “WHAT leads to that point?” Ask them again and they will probably say “Ooooh.. you mean the causes that led to that ?! RIGHT. Bad cash management? Gotta be it”. Imbeciles!continue reading »

PPH in the Wall Street Journal

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Posted on August 18, 2010 · Filed under: PeoplePerHour

We had a fantastic piece published in the Wall Street Journal yesterday – you can read it here

The piece features on of our US freelancers – Todd Browndyke based in Dallas – who juggles 9 ½-hour days as a senior Director for a marketing agency, two kids, studying part-time for an MBA and does freelancing on the side working nights and weekends on our site PeoplePerHour.com

Now that’s some schedule! And I thought I was busy!

Read the full article and the blog post online.

How the public sector is trying to bullsh** us !

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Posted on August 16, 2010 · Filed under: Macro

Today we’ve had two national newspapers – the Guardian and the Telegraph – both cite research released by PeopelPerHour.com on how the public sector is overspending.

The research was based on a request we put in to every council in the UK back in February to disclose the amount they spend on web-related services which under the Freedom of Information Act they are obliged to provide (yet only 70% of them did!). We then compared those figures with the spend of companies in the private sector running similar sites (or in most cases much more sophisticated).continue reading »

What defines entrepreneurs

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Posted on August 15, 2010 · Filed under: Enterpreneurship, Leadership

After almost a year and a half of absence (and fans screaming and shouting for my return of course !! J) I decided to revive my blog, the URL now changed to my name and the full one no less (seeing as I have such an easy and memorable name!)

I don’t know where to start in my effort to summarise the last 18 months or so. So much has happened. My last post was December 2008 which was one the toughest of tough times my company – PeoplePerHour.com – has gone through, and therefore one of mine. Which may be why my blogging fell in the back burner – or no burner at all as it may be.continue reading »

The move to a cottage economy?

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Posted on February 18, 2008 · Filed under: Enterpreneurship, Macro, PeoplePerHour

Something interesting is happening in the world today. Whilst the first big step in technological evolution – the industrialization of the early 20th century- pulled masses of people out of their cottages and organised the workforce around large centralized institutions, the second wave underpinned by Information Technology revolution is seemingly reversing that trend and driving people back to their ‘cottage’. How is that?

Let’s take a few innovations that have become integral parts of our personal and business lives. Relatively recent yet ubiquitous innovations – the internet, social networks, the PC even and the mobile phone, or more lately the blackberry – what do all these have in common other than a few microchips? They are increasingly making us more connected, more mobile, more interdependent yet more independent in terms of how where and when we work. And ultimately more in control of our own time and space. So is this rendering the traditional office as we know it obsolete?continue reading »

The make-up of entrepreneurs

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Posted on December 22, 2007 · Filed under: Enterpreneurship, Leadership

One question I have always been fascinated by is what drives people to greatness? What compels certain people to take risk while others take comfort in security and complacency? The easy answer is: money. But is it?

Maurey Klein wrote a great book called “The Change Makers” which digs into the lives of some of the entrepreneurs who have shapes the 20th century. From Thomas Edison, to Carniege, Bill Gates and Sam Walton.. Klein unravels the deep-rooted drivers that are behind the relentless drive and unfathomed ambition of those people that led them to greatness.continue reading »

A re-emergence of Marxism ?

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Posted on December 21, 2007 · Filed under: Enterpreneurship, Life, Macro

In a post cold-war era, where capitalism reigns as the dominant force of globalization, never has there been a time where we were in as much control of our own labour as we are now – the very cornerstone of Marx’s Communist Manifesto that argued against capitalism as a force that oppresses workers and denies them the freedom of their own labour. And yet, in a capitalist society where free markets are the driver of economic growth and distribution of wealth, we are now blessed with technological tools that allow us to very simply “be in control” – Marx’s dream albeit in a capitalist society. Is this a paradox? Or is it a convergence of what use to be seen as two opposing school of thoughts? I say – neither.continue reading »

Outlook on world instability

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Posted on December 21, 2007 · Filed under: Life, Macro

Are we on the brinks of World War III? With the US losing its ground power is being shifted from the West to the emerging economies of the East. China looks set to become the new superpower. Unfortunately, as proven by history, a major shift like this has never occurred without war.

1) A weakening USA

The USA dictates much of what’s happening in the West. Here are the main drivers behind its decline:continue reading »

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