The Frog in the Well Part 1: Bias Issues in Decision-Making


Decision Making

A very colorful component of the Chinese language is what are known as “chengyu” (成語) which are four character maxims that pithily express philosophical, moral and practical insights.  There are thousands of these maxims that can be applied to all types of situations.   One well known chengyu is “jing di zhi wa” (井底之蛙) which literally […]

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March 22, 2019

Building Sustainable Business Momentum


Theory

Rhythm and momentum are important components of business success and failure. Starting from the comments of the famous Japanese swordsman Musashi Miyamoto on rhythm, this article explores the dynamic of direction in business and sets forth practical steps that companies can take to strengthen and maintain business momentum. Musashi Miyamoto and the Concept of Rhythm […]

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March 15, 2019

The Hidden Value of Longevity


Theory

When valuing corporations there is a tendency to heavily weight present performance on the ground that the past is decreasingly applicable and the future is increasingly uncertain. Yet as demonstrated by the Lindy Effect there is a good argument that longevity should be taken into consideration as an important value component. A 50 Year Swordsmanship […]

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March 13, 2019

Capital Raising Bright Side and Dark Side Myths


Capital Raising

As with anything in life, it is easy for the capital raising process to devolve into an inescapable labyrinth of our own perceptions about the strength of our business model, investors and markets, regardless of whether or not those perceptions match reality. At all times on the capital raising path, we must be on guard […]

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March 8, 2019

Fail Fast or Stay the Course: When to Change Strategic Direction


Theory

You have spent a lot of time and resources on a project that has not generated expected results.  Should you cut your losses and abandon the project or ramp up the commitment until it works? While there are different ways to evaluate whether an initiative should be stopped or continued, the most important thing is […]

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March 5, 2019

The Transforming Company: Rethinking Corporate Roles in the Digital Age


Theory

The Internet and mobile communication technologies have brought about major changes in company organizational structures and operating realities. The changing nature of work and economic conditions in the Digital Age provide a great challenge and opportunity to completely rethink traditional corporate roles and relationships. When the Scottish-American engineer Daniel McCallum set forth corporate roles in […]

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February 26, 2019

Becoming the Target: Focus and the Japanese Art of Kyudo


Training

In a world with so many constant distractions, it is extremely challenging to fully focus on a single task.  In kyudo, the art of traditional Japanese archery, a major goal is achieving such a state of complete focus that it is essentially impossible to miss the target.  Lessons from this ancient art form are applicable […]

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February 21, 2019