Local search is hot! Real estate is hot!

Saw this intersting article  in the Seattle PI about a new start up from the founders of expedia and hotwire. They're starting a company called zillow -- and focussing in on the real estate market.

I love the quote ""We haven't quite figured out how we are going to fit," he said. "But we are very excited about the size and depth of the pond we are fishing in." -- This is Richard Barton talking about Zillow -- but I could say the same about Judy's Book. It made me smile.

My dad -- Burt Sack -- dies in a plane crash!?

Around 11PM one evening in 1999, I got a phone call from my mother -- she was hysterical -- "your father's dead, your father's dead -- his plane has crashed". I listened with disbelief and horror. Was it true? "Turn on CNN-- he's dead. a plane has crashed." Sure enough, I turned on CNN and there was that red banner text at the top of the screen indicating a breaking story was occurring. A plane on route to Zurich (which was where my dad was headed) has been reported to have crashed that eve. That was all the information available at the time.

As I stayed on the phone with my mom, CNN was the lifeline of information.  I determined fairly quickly that my mom had -- jumped to the worst possible outcome on insufficient information -- a well known personality trait. That said, the limited facts of the situation did leave one (i.e. me) with the uneasy possibility that this breaking story was going to affect my life. Despite that unease, I distinctly remember at that time thinking he can't die -- I'm not done with him yet. Which really meant that I wasn't done saying all that I needed to say to him.

The story got weirder before it got better. CNN announced that the plane that had crashed in Nova Scotia had originated in either Boston or NYC. That gave my family 50-50 odds of waking up the next day with a living father.

I got on the phone with my brother Larry -- we tried to get first hand information by calling Logan Airport. That attempt was a good try -- but unsuccessful. Suddenly, CNN reported a correction to their story. The plane was headed to Geneva and not to Zurich. Ahhh. Our good news was someone elses tragedy. Just like that -- the nightmare ended. It was a 3.5 hour dress rehearsal for a day that I hope doesn't come for a long time....the day my father dies.

That nightmare was a wake up call. I had to resolve my relationship with my dad.  Time was urgent. 

I've made a concerted effort to work on my relationship with burt sack -- my father. And for the most part -- I feel I've been successful. My relationship with my father has improved a lot.  I've told him a lot of things that I've needed to say -- and he's heard me. He's told me a lot of things that he's needed to say -- and I've heard him.

So why am I writing all this tonight?! Well, I just want my dad to know that I love him and appreciate him. He really sacrificed a lot of himself to be as good a father and provider as he could. In particular, tonight, I appreciate the fact that my dad put me -- and my 3 brothers through college. That was a big gift and a big financial burden. If you're reading this dad -- Thank you. Your hard work is much appreciated.

Andres Rodriguez was right

Andres Rodrigues -- founder of archivas and was one of my partners at abuzz. Great guy. Super talented guy. Great partner....and as such, we had some good fights (the majority of which were healthy and productive) One of the sources of conflict back in 1996-7 was that Andres and Meg had 1 and then 2 kids. He now has 4. God bless them. During the early abuzz days, we worked around the clock and Andres had to leave to be with the family.  I think he felt guilty about leaving when the rest of the team was cranking away. Occasionally (not frequently) I gave him grief about hours worked. He told me it was totally de-motivating to be managed by "hours worked"; and moreover, that the way to incent smart, talented people (of which he was one) was with (vision and) tasks accompished. He also told me that one day when I had children that I'd understand his situation. I now have 2 children -- my daughter and key man (see previous post)

And Well -- Andres Rodriguez -- you were right on both accounts!

Good news and bad news of VOIP

In order to stop using cell phones in our office, we went ahead and ordered a couple of vonage lines. They were super easy to install. It was great. After the installation I said, that's the end of the telecom industry -- mainly because you don't have to deal with the gross inadequacies of atrocious customer service associated with big monopoly utilities.  However, after a day of using vonage -- it works...but voice quality does suffer. And it suffers to the point of being annoying. So -- for now at least, the telecom monopolies still have a business but no doubt it is under siege!

Cell phone industry = Tobacco industry of the 21st century

We just moved offices at Judy's Book. We've been using cell phones while we try to figure out exactly what to do for an office phone : voip vs. Qwest!?

My partner and I have been using cell phones more and we've concluded that there is nothing good from using cell phones (with or without the ear piece). I personally am convinced that having a microwave in my ear for 4 hours a day is likely to lead to no good. What do you think ?

Do you have any good research sources on this topic?

Benefits of telling the truth to the Board of Directors

I remember in my first company that I spent a lot of time and energy trying to manage the boards expectations and perceptions of me and the company. I'm not nieve enough to believe that these factors don't matter but lately I've been struck by the benefits of accurate honest reporting by the CEO to the board.  The benefits as I see them are:

i) increased assistance and support from the board

ii) greater understanding of the company's true position

iii) increased trust

What do you think? Do you tell your board the truth about what's going on? What really keeps you up at night? If not, why not?

Acknowledgements

We had my father-in-laws 70th birthday last weekend. My wife had sent out letters to his friends asking them to contribute something that they might share at his funeral. I know it sounds morbid...but it was phenomenal. People responded in a big way writing and sending all sorts of things. We spent the evening at a nice dinner going opening all of these unique, loving, acknowleding letters about the unique characteristics of Marvin Albert -- and they are many. He had a fabulous time. We had a fabulous time. It got me thinking that I don't really acknowledge people in my life -- and toast them in the way that I would if they were dieing.  Well, I may use my blog to do that periodically over the next few weeks and see how it goes.  Until then -- Marvin -- Happy Birthday.

It's not competition that hurts

I had a meeting with ignition yesterday and we were discussing small companies issues. We agreed that  many people overstate the threat of competition and the impact of competitive forces on small companies. Really, the issue for a small company is to search for a stream of demand or find a nifty business model that cash flows quickly.  I must admit that we at Judy's book are working to do this ...

Some light cruise reading

My friend Jess turned suggested I read this David Foster Wallace article about his own experience on a 7-day cruise. The article appeared in Harper's Magazine several years ago.  She said "she remembered a really funny article worth (re)reading.  She suggested that I should to read it before I go.  Well I read the first page and it tells the (true) story of a teenager who commits suicide on a cruise ship after a failed ship romance. Very uplifting and funny. The next paragraph is about the despair one feels on a cruise...I stopped reading. I'm feeling nervous about the cruise....and now I have a cold to boot. Oy.

Family cruise

I'm going on a family cruise next week. We're off to Mexico for 7 days on Carnivale Cruise. I've never done a cruise before and have to admit I'm a bit nervous. I would have preferred to go on the 4 day cruise but my wife and the other family we're travelling with out voted me. I'm going to get some dramamine today.

I've had a number of people ask me to blog on this topic because they are curious about cruising...I am curious too...and will keep you posted about the cruise topic over the next week (assuming there is internet access). I wonder if there is wifi on a cruise?

Novocaine

Went to the dentist this AM. I have dental "issues" and all I can say is "Thank goodness for Novocaine". As I lay there drooling and talking to Susan, the dental hygenist, she told me a couple of interesting tidbits:
i) approximately 30% of the population visit the dentist annually. That means 70% visit the dentist only when there is a problem. What's this say about our society and preventive medicine -- as well as the public perception of dentists :-)

ii) Novocaine -- was invented in the early 1800's

iii) The dental hygenist job is contrary to popular opinion -- not to inflict pain

iv) The US leads the world in dental care