Category Archives: Business

Pay People To Insult You

Posted on July 8, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Here in California, nobody sends anything back at restaurants.  Even when the food is terrible or prepared totally incorrectly, most people refuse to send it back.  This isn’t a regional phenomenon either.  Even in New York, the bastion of speak-your-mind-straight-shooters, … Continue reading →

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How To End The Lockouts

Posted on July 6, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Seth Godin is a smart guy.  You know how I know?  Not only does he have great insights and produce great work in his chosen field, he offers great insights into all sorts of different things. For those who don’t … Continue reading →

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Steal This Idea: Matching Buyers and Sellers

Posted on July 5, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Today, most marketplaces are extremely competitive, and markets for some goods are near perfect.  But, these marketplaces still rely on competition, pitting parties against each other.  What if we could use the abundance of information we have on consumers and … Continue reading →

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Picking Partners

Posted on July 3, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A partner needs three things: intelligence, energy, and integrity.  If they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two. – Warren Buffett I’m never surprised to learn of a partnership’s demise when I know, hear, or … Continue reading →

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Hacking Hollywood

Posted on July 2, 2011 by AJ Kessler

(Photo: vlastula) Will Smith is, at least according to legendary screenwriter William Goldman, the only real movie star left in the world.  Why?  Well, he’s the only lead actor who seems to guarantee a $150 million gross at the box … Continue reading →

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The World’s Most Valuable Skill

Posted on July 1, 2011 by AJ Kessler

It’s not the ability to pick stocks or spot market trends.  It’s not the ability to sniff out which wells will produce oil or which methods will cure cancer.  It’s not the ability to mange people or leverage their talents … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Law, Negotiation, Photography, Rationality, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Passion Does Not Cause Success

Posted on June 30, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Nearly everyone I went to law school with was there because they hadn’t figured out what they wanted to do with their lives.  It wasn’t that they were passionate about law, or putting bad guys away, or freeing the innocently … Continue reading →

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How To Make Good Decisions

Posted on June 29, 2011 by AJ Kessler

There are a lot of people who seem to have miserable luck and tough lives.  They end up with significant others that cheat on them or leave them.  They make bad investments or get caught up in scams.  They have … Continue reading →

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Violently Execute

Posted on June 28, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week. General George S. Patton Most successful people spend a lot of time planning.  But, at a certain point, your plan is good enough.  … Continue reading →

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When Precision Is Detrimental

Posted on June 27, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Precision is generally good.  It generally feels good.  I’ve used camera lenses that have been precisely machined and mated to particular camera bodies.  They’re about as perfect as can be and they were a joy to use. Peter Drucker famously … Continue reading →

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Use Terrible Singing To Strengthen Relationships

Posted on June 25, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Everyone likes to be thought of, to be recognized, and to be remembered.  When’s the best time to show some appreciation for those people you care about?  Holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, are fine, but eminently forgettable.  Everyone calls or … Continue reading →

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Entrepreneurs: Learn From Artists; Artists From Entrepreneurs

Posted on June 24, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A lot of artists have problems shipping work, myself included.  It’s scary.  An artist’s work is the most intimate reflection of his own taste, views, and values.  Putting work out into the world leaves an artist vulnerable to critique, criticism, … Continue reading →

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Entrepreneurs are Artists

Posted on June 17, 2011 by AJ Kessler

How did Michaelangelo sculpt the Pieta?  How did a deaf Beethoven compose his famous 9th Symphony?  How did Van Gogh paint Starry Night?  Where did these things come from?  According to Steve Blank: They’re visions.  And founders do the exact … Continue reading →

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Children: Master Behavioral Economists

Posted on June 15, 2011 by AJ Kessler

People like Dan Ariely and BJ Fogg have made careers studying and explaining behavior and how to influence it.  People who master these skills have massive success.  Dealmakers like Scott Boras and Richard Lovett have made hundreds of millions of … Continue reading →

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How To Make $1 Billion In One Summer And Get Whatever You Want

Posted on June 13, 2011 by AJ Kessler

The lights dim, just a little bit, in that cavernous, air-conditioned hall.  This is my favorite part.  There’s so much promise and intrigue.  It’s impossible to feel let down.  That familiar lime-green image flickers to life, letting the audience know … Continue reading →

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