Friday, October 05, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
New Blog at http://meetkendall.com
Check out my new blog on http://meetkendall.com. You'll find all the latest happenings and ideas over there...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Commoditization of Starbucks?
As reported in the Wall Street Journal article on February 24, Starbucks' Chairman Howard Schultz sent a recent 800 word memo to executives at the company entitled "The Commoditization of the Starbucks Experience."
Howard, you are being too hard on yourself and the company. Starbucks is creating a world-recognized brand in a segment that has seen little innovation. Though your shops may have lost some of their atmosphere, consumers still depend on Starbucks for the perfect cup of coffee everytime.
While travelling, I seek out Starbucks and on my Lexus' GPS system, it is the only coffee company that I think may have stores in every city I visit. Try searching for a Tullys in Florida! Starbucks should continue to focus on product innovation and expansion, not necessarily on bringing the stores back to an earlier time when local grinding spreads the aroma in the stores.
Store designs, too, aren't bad. Though some people in the Seattle area are rebuking the Starbucks experience, in most other locations it continues to be the best brand around. The "romance and theatre" you so passionately write about is all good and well but we need Starbucks and we want to explore new products. Look to innovate but don't be so hard on yourself...it isn't all or nothing.
Howard, you are being too hard on yourself and the company. Starbucks is creating a world-recognized brand in a segment that has seen little innovation. Though your shops may have lost some of their atmosphere, consumers still depend on Starbucks for the perfect cup of coffee everytime.
While travelling, I seek out Starbucks and on my Lexus' GPS system, it is the only coffee company that I think may have stores in every city I visit. Try searching for a Tullys in Florida! Starbucks should continue to focus on product innovation and expansion, not necessarily on bringing the stores back to an earlier time when local grinding spreads the aroma in the stores.
Store designs, too, aren't bad. Though some people in the Seattle area are rebuking the Starbucks experience, in most other locations it continues to be the best brand around. The "romance and theatre" you so passionately write about is all good and well but we need Starbucks and we want to explore new products. Look to innovate but don't be so hard on yourself...it isn't all or nothing.
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Reagan Strategy for Iran and Syria
The title for this opinion appeared on page A18 in the Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, December 20, 2006. The opinion is one of the best I've read on what to do currently in our volitile world. However, I believe the strategies opined in this article are not only good for Iran and Syria but they are fundamentally good foreign policy.
The article describes four policies adopted by Reagan during the cold war and aptly points out that the same can be used today. They include:
Regime acceptance. The U.S. refrained from activities aimed at destroying the Soviet regime it was seeking to influence, while vigorously denouncing its political and moral legitimacy. Let's allow Iran to choose their leadership and deal with it accordingly.
Limited linkage. Negotiations on human rights, arms control, regional issues and bilateral relations were pursued without linkage to Soviet conduct, enabling negotiations to proceed while the U.S. responded firmly through deeds. Can you imagine doing this with China or North Korea?
Rhetorical restraint. Reagan vigorously criticized the Soviet system and its behavior, but promised to never "crow" when the Soviets agreed to U.S. proposals, enabling Soviet leaders to aoid being seen as captulating to U.S. demands. How about Lebanon here?
Self-interest. U.S. negotiating policy was based on convincing the Soviets to act in their own best interests. Free democracies are the best known models to date. Let's continue to convince others that these strategies are good for them.
If these policies were adopted as our standard for foreign policy during netotiations with the only other super-power during the cold war, surely they can work during our crisis of world terror.
The article describes four policies adopted by Reagan during the cold war and aptly points out that the same can be used today. They include:
Regime acceptance. The U.S. refrained from activities aimed at destroying the Soviet regime it was seeking to influence, while vigorously denouncing its political and moral legitimacy. Let's allow Iran to choose their leadership and deal with it accordingly.
Limited linkage. Negotiations on human rights, arms control, regional issues and bilateral relations were pursued without linkage to Soviet conduct, enabling negotiations to proceed while the U.S. responded firmly through deeds. Can you imagine doing this with China or North Korea?
Rhetorical restraint. Reagan vigorously criticized the Soviet system and its behavior, but promised to never "crow" when the Soviets agreed to U.S. proposals, enabling Soviet leaders to aoid being seen as captulating to U.S. demands. How about Lebanon here?
Self-interest. U.S. negotiating policy was based on convincing the Soviets to act in their own best interests. Free democracies are the best known models to date. Let's continue to convince others that these strategies are good for them.
If these policies were adopted as our standard for foreign policy during netotiations with the only other super-power during the cold war, surely they can work during our crisis of world terror.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
We Nabbed a Term Sheet!
I use the word "we" loosely here but one of the companies where I serve as an advisor nabbed a term sheet last week. The company has invented a brilliant software application in the compliance space (you know, Sarbanes-Oxley stuff!), it's been in business for about a year and a half, and although it has only brought in $100k in revenue, it has a terrific pipeline of business with some of the biggest names in business today. The company is poised to close a $5 million series A preferred financing round with one venture capital firm for a 50% share of the company in early November. It ain't no YouTube but if they were all that easy, none of us would be writing blogs!
There was so much information available via the internet in gaining advice on current "market terms" that by the time the term sheet arrived, we knew pretty much what to expect and what to ask for without talking to any attorneys. Raising capital is a delightfully enjoyable process. More on this deal as we move towards the close and any news of Company 4.0 nabbing a term sheet will be posted when it arrives!
There was so much information available via the internet in gaining advice on current "market terms" that by the time the term sheet arrived, we knew pretty much what to expect and what to ask for without talking to any attorneys. Raising capital is a delightfully enjoyable process. More on this deal as we move towards the close and any news of Company 4.0 nabbing a term sheet will be posted when it arrives!
Google to buy YouTube for $1.6 Billion - GOOG a $2,000 stock?
The WSJ Reports that Google is in talks to buy YouTube for $1.6 Billion. YouTube is one of the best things to happen on the internet in years. I suspect a bidding war will ensue and the founders of YouTube deserve every penny. However, I believe the internet potential is just beginning...
Rich Karlgaard reports that Mark Stahlman believes Google can be a $100 billion revenue company with a $2,000 per share stock price. If Google follows the "free software applications for everyone" model, open their API's to the world and begin chipping away at the perpetual software license business, they just might get there. See my previous post for a complete description on this software revolution.
Rich Karlgaard reports that Mark Stahlman believes Google can be a $100 billion revenue company with a $2,000 per share stock price. If Google follows the "free software applications for everyone" model, open their API's to the world and begin chipping away at the perpetual software license business, they just might get there. See my previous post for a complete description on this software revolution.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
The YouTube* Revolution**
*or Google or {insert favorite site here}
**FREE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
Over the last several months, my wife and I have been spending an enormous amount of time on YouTube.com. As 40-somethings, this may seem like both a tremendous waste of time and also a juvenile event. However, the world is changing fast and many of the latest internet sites such as MySpace and YouTube are just the beginning of what I believe will be a huge shift in the direction of the internet, and specifically for YouTube, in video entertainment.
Forbes' October 16 issue features on its cover a picture of Chad Hurley, YouTube.com's Chief Executive and co-founder. The article inside describes the YouTube revolution, something my wife and I have been pondering for months. (see my channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/cafevideo and specifically look for my video titled "The YouTube Revolution"). Perhaps more compelling is the follow-on article in the same Forbes issue called, "The Google Industrial Complex", a terrific piece about the integration of Google's free software into many, many web sites.
Internet tools and software applications, such as Google Maps, Spreadsheets, Calendars, etc. are given away for free to drive traffic to Google, supported by advertising. Social sites, such as YouTube, are in and of themselves free software applications requiring complex storage, retrieval and database design and again, are all supported by advertising. Software widgets and small applications available on Google, though somewhat trivial today, will gain complexity and value, further trumping Microsoft's proprietary approach to software sales and distribution. I believe in the future your company's CIO will be contemplating freeware for your ERP applications (like accounting, distribution and manufacturing), all supported by advertising. Just imagine your CFO running a Profit & Loss report on a system hosted by Google, paid for by Coca-cola, and placed next to Solitaire on his home portal page.
If you're tired of watching television, check out YouTube or try integrating Google maps to your blog. You'll be amazed at how quickly you will find something you like...and you may just start your own channel!
**FREE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
Over the last several months, my wife and I have been spending an enormous amount of time on YouTube.com. As 40-somethings, this may seem like both a tremendous waste of time and also a juvenile event. However, the world is changing fast and many of the latest internet sites such as MySpace and YouTube are just the beginning of what I believe will be a huge shift in the direction of the internet, and specifically for YouTube, in video entertainment.
Forbes' October 16 issue features on its cover a picture of Chad Hurley, YouTube.com's Chief Executive and co-founder. The article inside describes the YouTube revolution, something my wife and I have been pondering for months. (see my channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/cafevideo and specifically look for my video titled "The YouTube Revolution"). Perhaps more compelling is the follow-on article in the same Forbes issue called, "The Google Industrial Complex", a terrific piece about the integration of Google's free software into many, many web sites.
Internet tools and software applications, such as Google Maps, Spreadsheets, Calendars, etc. are given away for free to drive traffic to Google, supported by advertising. Social sites, such as YouTube, are in and of themselves free software applications requiring complex storage, retrieval and database design and again, are all supported by advertising. Software widgets and small applications available on Google, though somewhat trivial today, will gain complexity and value, further trumping Microsoft's proprietary approach to software sales and distribution. I believe in the future your company's CIO will be contemplating freeware for your ERP applications (like accounting, distribution and manufacturing), all supported by advertising. Just imagine your CFO running a Profit & Loss report on a system hosted by Google, paid for by Coca-cola, and placed next to Solitaire on his home portal page.
If you're tired of watching television, check out YouTube or try integrating Google maps to your blog. You'll be amazed at how quickly you will find something you like...and you may just start your own channel!
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