Bio and Interests: Avi Sachs

Avi Sachs — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:06:09 -0500

Avi Sachs, M.B.A., a senior Executive Coach, is a managing director of North Bearing Consulting Group, LLC. He brings over a decade of coaching expertise in the areas of leadership, cross-cultural communication, career development, work-life balance, business and technical management in high-tech environments and personal growth. Avi guides executives and managers in strengthening their leadership presence and developing the relationships, collaboration, trust-building behaviors and visionary thinking that produce results.

Bio and Interests: JD Rucker

JD Rucker — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:34:46 -0500

I am an Internet entrepreneur who works with several companies. Currently, I work with TK Carsites, Media Caffeine, and other high-profile clients. My primary service is complete Internet marketing that includes search engine optimization, social media marketing, and reputation management.

Under the Radar Conference: Live from the Internet

David Lidsky — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:47:14 -0500

One of the cool things about tech conferences these days is that they "walk the walk," if you will, and showcase the power of new technology as well as let you meet the people bringing it to you. So if you want to check out today's Under the Radar event and you're not in Mountain View, California, you're not left out.

10 Web 2.0 Ideas that Failed

Rachel King — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:57:42 -0400

The Web is an extremely fickle place. A Web service can be hot today, and dead in the water tomorrow. While there's no true science for determining exactly what makes one stick while another languishes, there's a lot to be learned after one fails. Considering a startup? Here are 10 recent failures to add to your case studies.

How Many Calendars Do We Need?

Can Russell Simmons Unite the Hip-Hop Community on The Web?

April Joyner — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:51:00 -0400

Recent Web 2.0 technology has enabled surfers to choose from all the news feeds, multimedia, and applications the Internet has to offer to create their own start pages. Web surfers in the urban community, however, might need help finding more specialized content -- at least, that's what Global Grind, the recently launched startpage aggregator, is betting on.

Power Play

Anya Kamenetz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:15:12 -0400

Pacific Gas & Electric proudly calls itself the "greenest big utility in America." The California company has relatively low emissions, thanks to a mix of hydro and nuclear power. "We're investing in renewables like crazy," says Robert Parkhurst, PG&E's earnest, bespectacled environmental-policy manager. "We're trying to walk the talk here." But PG&E has struggled to meet a state target of 20% certified renewable energy -- wind, geothermal, solar, biomass -- by 2010; it's currently delivering just 12%.

The Success of Kayak.com

Robert Levine — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:58 -0400

In late December 2003, two of the men who invented the Web travel business caught up at dinner. Over nouveau American cuisine, former Travelocity CEO Terry Jones and Steve Hafner, who had just resigned as EVP of Orbitz, talked about their successes and -- as the wine flowed -- their regrets. "We congratulated each other," Hafner recalls, "but we also discussed why we didn't enjoy using our own products."

When Eight Figures Simply Won't Do

Chip McCorkle — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:53 -0400

Caffeinated, Aggressive & Brash, Esq.

Mark Lacter — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:52 -0400

"I suspect we're hated," says John Quinn, flashing a small but satisfied smile. Quinn is exaggerating, but not by much. He's the lead partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, an offbeat Los Angeles -- based law firm that has been stepping on a lot of white-shod toes in its ascent to -- some might say assault on -- the highest stratum of the elite corporate legal community. "It's sort of a mix of disdain and jealousy," says partner Patrick Shields.

Oakley's Post-Apocalyptic Headquarters

Alissa Walker — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:46 -0400

Directions to Oakley headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California, read like coordinates to a secret rebel base: Turn on One Icon Drive. Pass the abandoned motocross ramp. Take a right at the helipad. And we're the 400,000-square-foot gray fortress at the top of the hill. Yeah, the one with the giant cylindrical spikes protruding from it. There's a torpedo out front. Can't miss it.

Myspace, the Sequel

Ellen McGirt — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:39 -0400

Chris Dewolfe, the lanky, shaggily hip CEO of Myspace, is holding his last meeting of the day from a prone position, a collection of long limbs stacked on a tiny red love seat. The early evening powwow, taking place in the cramped office of his senior communications director, is interrupted when I come crashing in to say good-bye.

The Web's 10 Most Unusual Social Networks

Ellen Gibson — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:15:09 -0400

.htmlTrying to meet people on MySpace or Facebook is like participating in one of those office gift exchanges: you have no idea what you're going to get. Witness the rise of niche social networks, where hamster enthusiasts, mustache lovers, even lonely farmers can find kindred spirits to commune (and sometimes sleep) with. Want to post photos of yourself in zombie makeup to an appreciative audience? Are you obsessed with making predictions -- about just about anything? Read on to find a site for people just like you.

Micro Venture Capitalists - Filling the Funding Gap

Francisco Dao — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:07:25 -0400

It used to be that venture capitalists either went big or went home. If the investment wasn’t $1.5 million or more, the deal just wasn’t interesting to them. Unfortunately, this often left early stage companies facing a funding gap between what they could raise from family and friends and the big money the VCs wanted to invest. Angels helped fill the gap, but this still left limited options for the entrepreneur looking for money in the $250K to $1.5 million “no-man’s land.”

10 Web 2.0 Failures

Fast Company staff — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:00:37 -0400

Business model: RSSCalendar enabled users to create RSS feeds from Outlook and iCal calendars. Lookout Software, L.L.C. purchased it on eBay in October 2007, carrying it on as a similar service.

Why it failed: If people aren't ready for RSS -- both Forrester and Pew report that only 5-6% of the U.S. population actually use it -- then they're not ready for an RSS calendar.

When Performance Reviews Underperform

Mark Goulston — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:57 -0400

Many people suffer from performance anxiety when it comes to giving or receiving employee performance reviews. By inadvertently colluding to get through the process as quickly and painlessly as possible, managers and subordinates squander a great opportunity to positively affect performance, productivity, and results for their company, as well as help both the manager and the subordinate succeed individually.

These observations come as no surprise to either manager or subordinate. So why the avoidance?

There are a number of reasons:

Shifting Gears at 105 mph -- Without Flying off a Cliff

Karen Post — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:54 -0400

If you've just joined us, Oddpodz is a new online community for creative doers and problem solvers. Founder and branding expert Karen Post, who writes a regular column for fastcompany.com, brings you the play by play of a startup brand. Check out more on FastCompany.com.

To Grow Your Firm, Put the Brakes on Bad Habits

Keith Ferrazzi — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:52 -0400

To err is human, to knock it off is divine.

We all have habits that hold us back in the workplace because they make it difficult for colleagues to respect us and to enjoy working with us.

You may already be aware of some of your issues. (Two of mine are avoiding necessary conflict and talking over people.) But you may have no idea how problematic these behaviors are for your colleagues.

The New Guy

Keith Ferrazzi — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:46 -0400

You're likely going to have a new co-worker soon -- maybe several of them. Whether someone new steps into your workplace or you're changing jobs yourself, the introduction of someone new into the workplace is like the arrival of a present. Everyone wants to peel back the wrapping and see what's inside. Over the years, I've learned a few important principles.

Obscura Digital's High Def Projections

Elizabeth Svoboda — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:35:27 -0400

Obscura Digital's downtown San Francisco digs are like an alternate universe dreamed up by someone who's been mainlining Pixy Stix.

American Apparel's New Image

Rob Walker — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:06:45 -0400

Dov Charney was naked from the waist down.

Bio and Interests: Ian Hilliard

Ian Hilliard — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:46:15 -0400

For over 15 years I have been a Business Technology Consultant and Project Manager helping business’s of all sizes with technology strategy, selection, development and implementation.

The technologies I work with all centre on e-business performance, productivity and competitive business gain such as; CRM, Intranets, Extranets, Business Portals, Social Networks, e-Commerce and Browser/Web based applications.

Bio and Interests: Donald Boucher

Donald Boucher — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:07:44 -0400

Coming Soon: Nontrepreneur Nation

Bernard Moon — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:18 -0400

Coming Soon: Nontrepreneur Nation

How parenting and education are killing American entrepreneurship and innovation

Despite how U.S. students continue to lag far behind those in Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan in math and

Silicon Moon@Fast Company

Bernard Moon — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:59:31 -0400

About startups, technology and life in Silicon Valley

Bio and Interests: Bernard Moon

Bernard Moon — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:48:30 -0400

Bernard is Vice President of the Lunsford Group, which is a private holding company consisting of entities in technology, media, research & consulting, health care, investment boutique and real estate. Previously, he was Co-founder and VP of Business Development at GoingOn Networks, a social media platform for companies and organizations. He led the initial product development where BusinessWeek recognized the GoingOn platform in their "Best of the Web" list for 2007. He continues to serve as an advisor and also

Client	Opponent	Issue	Award
The six Yosemite/CLN Trusts	Citibank N.A.	Postbankruptcy, Enron refused to pay off its credit-linked notes because it claimed Citibank, which issued the notes, was complicit in its failure. The notes' holders went after Citibank.	Citi, Enron, and the trusts reached an agreement that scored $2.1 billion for Quinn's client.