Category: Essays
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Dreaming of A Planet for Every Human
“It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” – Seneca I wish that, in a handful of centuries, our race starts to contemplate the possibility of assigning a planet to every human. In my dream I hope that humans, as a collective being, will be able to expand and conquer a non trivial slice of the Universe. Such magnificent wealth creation will…
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Entrepreneurship a la Gordon Gekko
Cold, ruthless, fearless and merciless. That’s the perfect entrepreneur. Silicon Valley is filled with smart people, but very few real entrepreneurs. Most are either “lollipops” or “wannabees”. Smart kids that want to make a difference and have the guts and intelligence to do so but, in actuality, that’s not enough to build an iconic company. To build companies you have to be prepared to make a lifetime commitment to a life of uncertainty, competition and…
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Clarity as the Quintessential Competitive Advantage
Shakespeare said that “brevity is the soul of wit” to which we might add that “clarity is the soul of relevance”. Clarity is the quintessential competitive advantage, a powerful communication tool that can amplify your marketing message, make the user experience more delightful while boosting revenues seamlessly. But, where and when shall we seek clarity? It is indeed very expensive to polish products until the very last pixel. However, the search for clarity is most…
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The Case for a Global Civic Network
At this point a sizable percentage of the world’s population is familiar with social networks. After the uprising of social networks our lives have become a little bit easier as we now enjoy greater connectivity and have an easier time networking with the people we care about. However that is both the curse and blessing of social networks: they keep us confined to our natural and social silos. When Twitter came out, one of my…
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The New Myspace is a Clear Winner
The new myspace looks and feels like a premium product. I just configured my account a couple of hours ago and so far the experience has been great. A clean and stylish design goes a long way and the myspace product team placed a high bet on a very “classy” design that makes you feel as drifting in a magazine. The music selection is superb (for me it has been better than Spotify so far).…
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Twitter for Tech in 20 Steps
Are you the new tech entrepreneur in town? Can’t quite figure out how to make the most of Twitter? Follow these easy steps to maximize your impact in this massive social network. (Click the image to maximize)…
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Connected But Lonely?
This is a guest post and TED talk about social change in the social network era. Just a moment ago, my daughter Rebecca texted me for good luck. Her text said, “Mom, you will rock.” I love this. Getting that text was like getting a hug. And so there you have it. I embody the central paradox. I’m a woman who loves getting texts who’s going to tell you that too many of them can…