Pomp & Surkanstance

04 December 2010

EPNW: Are your employees living up to their potential?

In this episode Bobby Bakshi explains that unless your employees are fully engaged, and inspired, by the mission of your company that they will only be living up to a fraction of their real potential. It's the mark of a true business leader that they can find ways to have each team member play to their unique strengths, and strive to achieve excellence. Luckily, these management skills can be learned and there are lots of new tools that make it easier than ever to uncover the hidden talents of your staff.

You can check out Bobby's ideas for building inspired work teams here:
http://resonantinsights.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

03 December 2010

Job Search Tales: Know thyself and the job will follow

In this episode Teresa Dahl explains how finding a good job requires a good dose of self discovery and positive attitude. If you aren't confident in yourself, or what you want, why should an employer feel good about having you on the team? Focussing on the companies, roles, and managers, that fit you well may limit the over-all options but actually increase your chances of landing a job by allowing you to put in the quality effort of networking and research needed to land a job. It even pays to be honest, telling employers what you really believe your strengths and weaknesses are. No one trusts a person who says they are perfect.

You can find out more of Teresa's ideas about careers here:
http://dahlassociates.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Please contact Michael if you are interested in being a guest on "Tales from the job search trenches" podcasts. Michael would like to discuss your job search strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it with you.

02 December 2010

Job Search Tales: A resume is only the beginning

In this episode Kelly Harrington explains that although a resume is a necessary component in a job search, it is not sufficient to open doors or land jobs. Resumes just don’t work as well as they used to. Increased competition from mass unemployment and automated resume processing tools at employers often result in resumes just going into a black hole. Yes, build a good resume, but don’t spend a lot of time obsessing about it (even professionals disagree on the best styles), and DO NOT rely on it to get interviews.

You can check out Kelly’s ideas about job searches and building careers at:
http://careermaxgroup.com/

You can find information about creating great resumes here:
http://theresumethatgetsresults.com/

EPNW: Pressing the flesh in Seattle: There is no substitute for face-to-face networking to

In this episode Ralf Wiebeck shares his insights on how networking events (like the ones he organizes) can be the key to finding leads and growing businesses. Don’t spread yourself too thin… It is better to keep going to the same networking events month after month, establishing firm relationships, than to keep going to new meetups every week. It’s not the size of your rolodex that counts, but the quality of the relationships you have with the people you know.
In this episode

You can find out, and sign-up for, the business networking events Ralf (and his wife Amy) host every week in Seattle here:
http://www.meetup.com/Casual-Business-Professionals/

EPNW: Social media - It's Where the Market Is

In this episode Neal Schaffer explains that marketing through social media may take a lot of effort, but that every business MUST take advantage of it. Social media is where customers are spending an increasing amount of their time, and no company can ignore that. Even better, social media provides opportunities for business intelligence and lead development that never existed before. For an example, Neal shares tips on how LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool when properly utilized. Not all social media venues will work well for all companies, but a good marketing strategy, tailored to your business needs, will pay off handsomely.

You can check out more of Neal's social media marketing advice at:
http://windmillnetworking.com/

01 December 2010

This Week on Bear radio: The message from Ireland is clear – debt write-downs must be avoid

The Irish bailout by European nations and the IMF is following the same pattern we’ve seen throughout the entire financial crisis. In this episode we discuss the fact that whether it is consumer mortgages or sovereign debt issues, the response has been the same over the last few years – do anything and everything to avoid making lenders take a loss. Banks will lower monthly mortgage payments for struggling borrowers for a year but actually tack the difference with what is actually owed to increase the over-all loan balance. Governments will bail-out corporations so that bond-holders don’t have to suffer the indignity of a loss. Who cares if the borrowers will re-default later down the road, just so long as no one has to recognize the loss in the here and now.

This show is sponsored by:
Charlesfund

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

24 November 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Investment advice for time travellers – hindsight isn’t everything

In this week’s episode we discuss how investing can be difficult even with the benefit of a time machine and perfect hindsight. We also discuss the jitters in the European debt markets, Irish political instability and the recent volatility in municipal bonds. As if any more proof were needed, our commentators point out that the recent run on deposits with Allied Irish Banks despite the fact it had been given a clean bill of health by regulators earlier this year underscores the fact that policy makers lie.

21 November 2010

Linked:Seattle makes the news!

Wow! Our Linked:Seattle meetups were written up in the Seattle Times. Our monthly gatherings may have started as just an ad-hoc experiment this summer, but they have grown so much they are getting attention from the media.

http://bit.ly/lsintime

This article does a great job of discussing how Linked:Seattle meetups can be useful for job seekers, but it’s useful to point out that our gatherings tend to be very broad, drawing in business professionals and entrepreneurs as well as those seeking employment. Actually, this is what makes our group so unique (and useful).

When it comes to meetups and social networking, be sure to check out the video Susan J. Moore and I made with advice on how to make the most of networking events.

NOTE: Click here for a list of all the Linked:Seattle radio show recordings. You can also check out my own "Entrepreneurs Northwest" podcast shows (http://bit.ly/epnwfeed).

19 November 2010

Job search tales: The brand of you - take charge of your image on the internet to help your career

In this episode Stephen Rose explains how everyone has a brand (or image) on the internet, whether they want one or not. The oft-told advice to watch what you say on the web is certainly important, but Stephen suggests that social media provides an opportunity for everyone to develop their career (and find jobs) by purposefully building their brand. A resume is just not enough to find a job anymore, your career will depend on how you are perceived on the web. Stephen recommends creating your own blog as the place to start with managing your brand, allowing you to show your expertise and to serve as a tool for making connections.

You can follow Stephen on twitter here:
http://twitter.com/stephenlrose

Here is the IT Pro community Stephen manages at Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/springboard

SEP Radio: Can agile methodology be applied to all software development projects?

I’ve been involved with software development for many years and very rarely have I ever seen “agile” process methodology work out. Could this be because of the nature of the software development projects I tend to specialize in or is it just that none of the product teams I have worked with understood agile methodology properly? In other words, are there some software projects where agile methodology will never work due to the very nature of what the software is? Listen to experts from the Software Engineering Productivity group on LinkedIn discuss where it makes sense to use agile methodology.

Our guests include:

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Software

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

17 November 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Is perception really reality when it comes to economics?

In this episode we discuss whether market perceptions of weakness in Ireland (or other nations) can force defaults. We also discuss how Quantitative Easing by the Federal Reserve is already backfiring with rising interest rates and a falling dollar. The show closes with a chat about the re-emergence of debtors prison in the United States.

This show is sponsored by:

Charlesfund

13 November 2010

EPNW: Putting it on the line – social media success comes through expressing yourself

In this episode Chris Pirillo explains how business success through social media requires putting your personality out for all the world to see. Bland content, lacking in personality, won’t go very far in a world crowded with media. Chris also tells how the quickest way to get people following you is to start following others, and joining in their conversations. The art of marketing through social media is a messy one, but with a willingness to lay things on the line and actually talk with people on-line can lead to success.

You can check out Chris' web site here: http://chris.pirillo.com/

12 November 2010

SEP Radio: Client-side PC apps - an endangered species?

With the huge efforts being put into web and mobile apps these days it would seem that client-side PC software has become an endangered species. Is anyone out there still writing NEW client-side applications? Listen to experts from the Software Engineering Productivity group on LinkedIn discuss the future of client applications.

Our guests include:

Listen to internet radio with Software Engineering on Blog Talk Radio

NOTE: Practical Software is the official podcast for the Software Engineering Productivity group on Linked:In. You can listen to other episodes of Practical Software.

EPNW: The entrepreneur transition doctor is in

In this episode Michele Mattia talks about how her own experience of transitioning to becoming an author, speaker and life/business coach from the tech industry mirrors what many people are going through these days as they try to re-define themselves as entrepreneurs. There are no miracle cures for successfully transitioning to entrepreneurship, but it’s hard to go wrong to start by following your passion.

I couldn’t help but think of Doctor Mumford, and his effective methods of helping people find their own answers, during my conversation with Michele. I’ve always wished I could find an sympathetic, yet helpful, Dr Mumford in the real world, and now I have.

You can check out Michele’s web site here:
http://www.michelemattia.com/Home.html

10 November 2010

This Week on Bear radio: The recent Bitcoin bubble and the psychology of jumping back into high risk investments

In this episode of the Optimistic Bear show, marking our first anniversary, we discuss the recent collapse of the Bitcoin bubble, the “prosperity certificates” of Canada’s William Aberhart and the history of failed currencies. We also delve into the psychology of bubble investing, and propose some theories as to why investors seem so willing to get burnt with the same bad investments again and again. Lastly, we explore Harry Brown’s 16 golden rules of financial safety.

07 November 2010

EPNW: Zen and the art of making money

After 30 years of being an entrepreneur in the banking business (starting no less than 3 banks) Jesse Tam shares the principals he has learned about making money. In this episode Jesse explains that getting to know one’s own values, and motivations, is the first step on the path to wealth. Understanding the true “value” of money is a philosophical journey that everyone has to take on their own path to success. Life may not be fair, but with Jesse’s tips each of us can carve out our own bit of happiness.

04 November 2010

Self re-invention through social media: the case study

In this episode Bob Fine recalls how unemployment led him down a path of discovering the power of social media, and a new world of possibilities leading to setting up conferences around the world. It sounds a little like déjà vu, seeing as how I’ve gone down this same path myself.

Now Bob has even put together a book highlighting experiences of numerous people who have re-discovered themselves, and found opportunities, just like Bob.

You can check out Bob’s book here at http://thebestofsocial.com/.

03 November 2010

This Week on Bear radio: What does the rise of Republican power in congress mean for the economy?

With election results coming in from across America today, we discuss what impact change in congressional leadership will have on the economy. In this episode we also ponder whether the Republicans will regret their victory if the Great Recession has a double dip. Politicians may have relatively little impact on the economy, one way or the other, but they get the blame when things go wrong as well as acclaim when there is prosperity.

You can check out our special guest Chaster Johnson's unique investment fund, run by the investors themselves at Charlefund.

01 November 2010

Making the most of Linked:Seattle meetups

Michael Surkan and Susan J. Moore discuss how a little preparation can turn the large Linked:Seattle meetups into successful social networking events. Whether you are an executive, professional, entrepreneur, job-seeker or recruiter, Linked:Seattle meetups offer one of the best ways to make valuable connections to help with your business or career needs. Anyone can join Linked:Seattle (http://bit.ly/LinkedSeattle).

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the upcoming meetup. You can check out the attendee list, and RSVP yourself here:
http://bit.ly/lsmeetup

A special thanks to Greg Palmer for producing this excellent video.

NOTE: Click here for a list of all the Linked:Seattle radio show recordings. You can also check out my own "Entrepreneurs Northwest" podcast shows (http://bit.ly/epnwfeed).

29 October 2010

SEP Radio: Is multi-threaded coding just a pipe dream?

Multi-core computing has been around for years yet many apps only work on a single core. Even processor intensive activities like DVD ripping and encoding are done in single threads with most apps. It seems as if there are only a minority of apps where companies decide that the market benefits from better performance merit putting up with the pain of multi-threaded development. Is multi-threading something developer just do in the software they write as a matter of course, or is it just too difficult to justify the cost? Listen to experts from the Software Engineering Productivity group on LinkedIn discuss the future of parallel computing.

Guests include:

EPNW: Smelling the roses - how to succeed in sales by slowing down

In this episode Travis Brandt explains how sales is a process that can’t be short-circuited. As stressed as entrepreneurs might be about getting that next paying customer, shortcuts to sales will only lead to disappointment. Small businesses don’t have to resort to Glengarry Glen Ross type sales strategies to be successful, but tenacity and a methodical approach will lead to results. We also discuss how poor products and pricing are just excuses for poor salesmanship.

You can find more of Travis’ sales tips on his blog:
http://www.travisbrandt.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

27 October 2010

This Week on Bear radio: The US health-care dog wagging the tale

In this episode we discuss how stories of abuses in the American medical system are egregious, and shockingly easy to find. However, such atrocities of over-billing and fraud are actually a symptom of a deeper problem: the lack of a free market with responsible customers.

20 October 2010

This Week on Bear radio: No investment strategy works 100% of the time

In this episode we discuss how even the best investment strategies, founded on the most exhaustive historical data sets, can still go horribly wrong. No trend lasts forever. Even theoretically reliable seasonal cycles can throw investors for a loop.

You can check out our special guest Chaster Johnson's unique investment fund, run by the investors themselves at Charlesfund.

15 October 2010

PS: Say goodbye to common code-base for mobile platforms

In this episode the development team at gist.com, and their partner sensobi.com, discuss the challenges of developing for mobile platforms. The iPhone is still a must, but it now impossible to ignore Android. For some applications the Blackberry is a must as well. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to mobile cross-platform development. Both Gist and Sensobi have found that it is important to use native features to build the best app possible for each device rather than trying to target the lowest common denominator in the hope of having a transportable code-base.

You can check out more details of our guests here.

Steve Newman, CTO Gist.com - www.gist.com/stevepnewman
Steve Orth, Sr Mobile Developer, www.gist.com
Ajay Kulkarni, Founder & CEO, www.sensobi.com
Andy Cheung, Founder & CTO, www.sensobi.com

NOTE: Practical Software is the official podcast for the Software Engineering Productivity group on Linked:In. You can listen to other episodes of Practical Software.

13 October 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Pick your poison – investing requires taking a stand

In this episode we discuss how there is no such thing as a “safe” investment, and that people have to pick which economic scenario they believe in since no asset will perform well in all circumstances. We also talk about the crisis with mortgage processing, with shoddy paperwork and robo-signing. It’s hard to feel sorry for either the lenders or their delinquent borrowers. It’s just unfortunate that we will all pay the price of an exacerbated real-estate downturn as the mess slowly gets cleaned up in the years to come.

You can check out our special guest Chaster Johnson's unique investment fund, run by the investors themselves at http://charlesfund.com.

09 October 2010

Casting the first stone...

I may be bearish on real-estate (and have been since the early 2000s when I sold my home), but I don’t blame anyone for the housing bubble, or its collapse. It’s not the fault of evil bankers, fraudulent real-estate agents or incompetent regulators. Neither was the bubble the fault of homeowners cashing out equity or hoping to build a nest egg.

Instead, I believe that the credit bubble (of which housing was just one part) is simply the result of broad societal shifts in optimism and pessimism. One can no more complain about these generational patterns of sentiment than they can the ebb and flow of ocean tides.

The thing about manias is that nearly everyone is caught up in them, whether they wish to be or not. The president of an investment bank MUST play along with the same risky investments as other investment banks or they will find themselves fired by investors who are displeased that their bank is making lower profits than its peers. Ratings analysts have to play along, using optimistic assumptions, or they will find that competing agencies (who are willing to use rosy estimates) get all the business. Politicians who appoint rigorous regulators will find themselves voted out of office by the masses who are upset that the regulatory agencies are giving the companies they own shares in a hard time.

Property appraisers who use conservative valuations will find that no one brings them any appraisal business. During a mania even consumers are forced with having to either buy at irrational prices or sit out of the market for what could be decades. That’s not to mention the peer-pressure that results from seeing friends, family and associated get rich by participating in the feeding frenzy. It’s a strange soul who can stay emotionally everyone they know is telling them they are fools for not taking advantage of the great wealth generation machine sweeping the land. Even retirees relying on poorly funded pension plans had a role by putting pressure on fund managers to take risks that jeopardized what meager funding there was.

No, I don’t blame the lowly mortgage holders who took out zero interest loans with balloon payments. The simple fact is that everyone in society played their part in the great credit bubble of the last 20 years and thus no one in particular deserves the blame. To put this in perspective, what we have witnessed with the great credit bust of the early 21st century is nothing more than the playing out of a generational cycle of social attitudes which oscillates between fear and prudence to unbridled optimism and a willingness to shoulder risk (also referred to as a Kondratieff wave).

Now that the credit bubble has been pierced we are beginning the painful process of restarting the great cycle all over again.

07 October 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Currency devaluation as the next magic cure to economic doldrums

In this episode we talk about the growing popularity for currency devaluations around the world. Japan is just the most recent nation to get on the bandwagon with threats to intervene in currency markets to keep the yen down. Ironically, we discuss how it is strong currencies which often lead to the best outcomes.

29 September 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Are renters throwing money away?

In this episode a guest from California asks if renters are just throwing money away. We discuss how bullish sentiment is at extremes by some measures, even though the recent stock rally is anemic and within the same trading range we’ve seen all year. Our conversation also turns to how the very fact the Federal Reserve is considering a SECOND round of quantitative easing demonstrates that it’s power over the economy is limited (i.e. otherwise a second attempt wouldn’t be necessary).

24 September 2010

This Week on Bear radio: No idea is too wacky in the bizarro world of central banking these days

In this episode we suggest some more crazy ideas the Federal Reserve can consider to stimulate the economy. Since central bankers seem so willing to consider absurd policy measures these days we thought we’d help by sharing some doozies. We also talk about what impacts a deeper recession might have on the tech industry, hos spending would change and how which companies would win or lose.

15 September 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Deadbeat lending is sweet when someone else guarantees the loan

In this episode Doug Eberhardt joins us to talk about the credit bubble of the last decade, and how those who made risky loans (which clearly couldn't be paid back) may not have been so dumb after all. In many cases there were implicit guarantees on bad loans. Why not invest in Greek bonds if you know that Germany would never allow a default for fear of wrecking the Euro? Why not invest in Fannie Mae bonds if you know the Federal Government would never allow such a critical part of the financial system to default?

In addition, we discuss how investing in Gold is a good idea for security but not as a path to wealth.

You can check out Doug’s web site for more insights on deflation and advice in gold investing.

11 September 2010

job search tales: Making the most of networking events

In this episode, Paul Anderson shares his strategies for getting the most out of networking events. There are numerous social mixers and gatherings for professionals to attend, but you need a plan to really benefit from them. The work starts before you even go to a networking event by 1) picking the right events for you and 2) going prepared with goals and research that will allow you to be effective. Paul also offers strategies for how to strike up conversations, and kindle relationships that will help achieve your career goals.

You can find out about Paul’s ideas and career strategy courses here:
http://prolango.com

NOTE: Please contact Michael if you are interested in being a guest on "Tales from the job search trenches" podcasts. Michael would like to discuss your job search strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it with you.

10 September 2010

job search tales: Grades alone aren't enough to get a job

In this episode Dan Hallak shares his experiences helping college students plan their careers, helping them develop strategies to build portfolios, and industry contacts, long before they graduate. It's not good enough to just have good grades anymore. College grads have to have a focussed career strategy. Luckily, Dan explains how colleges offer great resources to help both students, and professionals in the broader community, develop career strategies. Students can even "double-dip", using their course-work as tools to build those all critical relationships with the business world.

You can check out more about the career services offered by Dan, and his colleagues at Bellevue College here:

http://bellevuecollege.edu/careers/

08 September 2010

Mosques and Burning Quarans: Legality v. Respect

After sympathizing with both views on the proposed mosque two blocks from ground zero, Thomas Sowell has proposed a perspective which I can fully support. It should not be illegal to create an Islamic center near ground zero, but it is profoundly insensitive of the Muslim community to even consider it.

Ironically, there are vehement calls for the Floridian pastor to show respect for Islam by not burning Quarans on September 11th. Unless those demanding that he not follow through with his plans are also pleading that the Muslim community similarly show respect by not building the proposed community center in New York, they are hypocrits. Some have even gone so far as to say that there may be vengeful killings of Americans in the middle east in reprisal for the Quaran burning in Florida. If this happens, it is merely a confirmation that there is a lack of tolerance among muslims and a dual standard.

Bibles have been burned by Muslims, and Christians have not reacted by killing Muslims. Nor have the people currently decrying the burning of the Quaran spoken out against the bible burnings by Muslims. If there are truly two separate Muslim communities, radically violent extremists and peace-loving, then it would be helpful to hear the peace-loving side publicly decrying the violent side.

In matters of principle, we should be consistent. Respect for others often extends beyond the letter of the law. The Muslim community should refrain from building their community center near Ground Zero for the same reason that they feel the Quarans should not be burned by the pastor in Florida. Each side stands to gain respect only if they demonstrate it themselves. Above all, the United States government should, if anything, entreat both sides to be respectful, and fund neither. By funding the mid-east trip of the 'Ground Zero' Imam, and openly supporting the Islamic Center while criticizing the Quaran-burning, our government is fueling the flames of intolerance by applying a flagrantly biased dual standard.

This Week on Bear radio: Does perception make reality?

In this episode we ponder whether perception alone drives economic trends. Special guest, fund manager Chaster Johnson, challenges the Optimistic Bear's view that the financial system bail-outs not only worked but have benefited more than the fat-cat executives at banks.

Check out Chaster's unique investment fund, run by the investors themselves at http://charlesfund.com.

03 September 2010

Support Linked:Seattle

02 September 2010

EPNW: Look ma, it's TV on the internet!

Traditional media firms may be moving at a glacial pace, timidly trying to find their way in the Internet age, but not www.revision3.com. In this episode of Entrepreneurs Northwest Jim Louderback explains how his startup is already profitably offering internet TV, producing it's own content and developing sponsors from companies big and small. Better still, Revision3 is able to offer sponsors actual viewership guarantees.

01 September 2010

The art of the delayed write-off

This information from a bank insider does a great job illustrating how much flexibility banks have in avoiding write-downs on their books with non-performing loans. It goes a long way to explaining why many lenders have been so incredibly tardy in foreclosing, and taking possession, of properties with delinquent loans.

Many people don't understand the magnitude within the banking industry to "Kick the Can" or "Extend and Pretend". We see a lot of this within the industry.

Banks with existing balance sheet issues (nonperforming loans) really don't want to recognize more loan issues because it could force the FDIC to close them down.

In that light, a bank can take a commercial real estate loan or a business line of credit having issues and do a 3 month extension at loan maturity or change loan payments to interest in an attempt to give the borrower with more time to work things out or bring more capital to the table.

It's not uncommon for a bank to do multiple extensions in the mode of working out a loan with principal reductions over time. I've been in the situation where extensions have lasted 1-2 years. In normal recessions, extensions have worked quite well because borrowers could take equity out of their house or sell stock market assets to cure the loan.

In my estimation, if every bank had the collateral of all loans accurately appraised and each loan’s loan grading was finely tuned for an expected loss based on financial performance and collateral values, the number of essentially bankrupt banks in this county would increase by a factor of 4-5 from the current level.

In other words, there is a potential pool of 2000-3000 banks that would be on the FDIC radar's for getting closed.

This Week on Bear radio: What makes a bear market politician?

In this episode we discuss the attributes of bear market politicians and identify the MOST successful bear market leaders of all times. It takes a different message and personality type to thrive in politics during challenging economic times.

31 August 2010

SEP Radio: Fed up with the "cloud"!

Cloud computing is popular, but it's no panacea. Listen to our expert guests discuss the pitfalls of cloud computing, which applications just won't work well in virtualized environments, and how it takes planning from the ground-up to reach success.

27 August 2010

SEP Radio: Living in a 64-bit world: making apps work with 64-bit OSes

Windows developers Anna-Jayne Metcalfe, Inbar Gazit & Sushil Sapre talk about their experiences with developing software for 64-bit OSes. In a world where 64-bit OSes have become standard our guests Anna-Jayne Metcalfe, Inbar Gazit & Sushil Sapre talk about their experiences with developing software that not only runs well in this increasingly common environment, but can take advantage of it as well. Tune in for advice on the issues to consider for making your apps compatible with 64-bit OSes, and hands-on advice in making the transition.

Be sure to check out:

Inbar Gazit’s Linked.NET user group
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe’s blog
Sushil Sapre’s engineering company, Xoriant

25 August 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Greedy civil servants

In this episode the Optimistic Bear rants about how the public sector employees are now paid MORE than private sector counterparts and that there is no way to save the unfunded civil service pensions.

18 August 2010

This Week on Bear radio: 1987 déjà vu and the bubble in Treasuries

In this episode we discuss how markets are following an eerily similar path to 1987. In addition, we talk about whether the rally in treasuries is going to crack as well as the growth in the barter economy and private currencies like Bitcoin.

You can check out more about the new private currency, Bitcoin, here:
http://www.bitcoin.org/

16 August 2010

SEP Radio: RIP: The death of .NET?

Software engineering experts Grant BlahaErath and Richard Minerich join me to share their thoughts on the state of the .NET development platform today and where it is headed. Do the added costs of licensing proprietary technology still make sense in a world with increasingly mature open source internet platforms?

You can check out Grant's latest venture here:
http://fizzik.com/

You can also take a look at Richard's blog:
http://richardminerich.com/

11 August 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Neither bull nor bear, just trading the trend

In this episode Steve tells how his strategy of trading trends allows him to make money in both bull and bear markets. The trick is to have the discipline to stay with a system. Stop listening to the pundits, just follow the trend and adhere to a system.

You can check out Steve's trading ideas here:
http://brooklynborntraders.com/

10 August 2010

PS: Thinking small as the path to software engineering

In this episode, Michael Vax shares his strategy of keeping his software under continual use in a production environment to keep a agile engineering environment. It takes a re-thinking of software development, but by doing work in a series of very short, modular, sprints it is possible to improve quality and get direct customer feedback to avoid wasted effort building the wrong thing.

You can check out Michael's blog on efficient software development here: http://www.getelastic.com/

NOTE: Practical Software is the official podcast for the Software Engineering Productivity group on Linked:In. You can listen to other episodes of Practical Software.

PS: The language matters

In this episode, Richard Minerich tells why the language developers use can have a huge impact on their productivity. New high level languages, like F# (one of Richard's favourite languages), free engineers from much of the traditional drudgery leading to faster development cycles and better quality.

You can read more of Richard's ideas here: http://www.atalasoft.com/cs/blogs/RickM/

NOTE: Practical Software is the official podcast for the Software Engineering Productivity group on Linked:In. You can listen to other episodes of Practical Software.

PS: Software engineering productivity: more than just a measurement

In this episode, Timothy Fong explains how measuring software engineering productivity is not just a matter of counting lines of code. What good is it to release a bloated piece of software on schedule that is never used? Before you can even talk about productivity you have to first define your business goals.

You can write timothy at tim.fong@opshub.com to ask for a white paper on 3 principals to using metrics for large scale agile.

NOTE: Practical Software is the official podcast for the Software Engineering Productivity group on Linked:In. You can listen to other episodes of Practical Software.

04 August 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Kit Kitredge shows the way with deflationary frugality

In this episode we discuss how changing consumer preferences, and product substitution play a key role in the deflationary process. Already we see people downsizing their expectations, taking in boarders to their homes, and switching to lower priced substitutes for all kinds of things. It’s starting to look at lot like the Kit Kitredge movie, set in the 1930s. We also talk about how surprising it is to see how long the process of de-leveraging and mal-investment purge is taking.

28 July 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Gold as antidote to uncertain times

In this episode Doug Eberhardt explains how gold should be a part of every portfolio, providing safety in both inflation and deflation. Additionally, Doug compares the deflationary experience in Japan to what is happening in the US. Our panelists also discuss how there is no economic theory that adequately explains why nations with increasing money supplies (like Japan) can experience deflation.

You can c heck out Doug’s web site for more insights on deflation and advice in gold investing.

23 July 2010

Linked:Seattle Radio - An insider's view of Microsoft's past and future

Listen to ex-Microsoft employees discuss how the company is addressing the challenges and opportunities before it today, and what lies in store. Is Microsoft headed to genteel decline, or is it about to embark on a new era of growth and technological development? Be sure to check out the Linked:Seattle community at http://bit.ly/LinkedSeattle.

You can also check out an article I wrote about my experiences at Microsoft here:
http://bit.ly/oOUh4

Listen to internet radio with Linked:Seattle Radio on Blog Talk Radio

NOTE: Click here for a list of all the Linked:Seattle radio show recordings. You can also check out my own "Entrepreneurs Northwest" podcast shows (http://bit.ly/epnwfeed).

21 July 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Options expiry shenanigans and summer doldrums

In this episode we discuss the strange way stocks behave on options expiry weeks and whether real action in the market will have to wait till the fall and the end of the summer doldrums. For good measure, we also talk about how recent finance reform legislation does nothing to prevent future financial panics.

14 July 2010

Japan: the picture of a multi-decade bear market

When most people think of bear markets they tend to imagine a relatively short-term affair that reaches a bottom, over a year or two, and then recovers for many years (or even decades) in the future. Bear markets, in short, are just temporary blips as stock markets (and economies) move on to ever greater heights. Japan’s experience with a bear market that is over 20 years old shows that these simplistic assumptions regarding bear markets don’t always hold true.

A close examination of the Nikkei stock index for the last 30 years is a harrowing study in how pernicious, and grinding, bear markets can be. What is perhaps the most shocking is to see that this multi-decade bear market was punctuated by periods of considerable recovery, and growth, which would last anywhere from 1 to 5 years. There were numerous times where the Nikkei rallied 50%, or even more than 100% over a span of several years, only to lose all those gains and fall into a deeper pit.

The persistent trend downward is unmistakable, standing some 75% lower than its 1989 height as of June 2010, but this masks the times where it looked quite convincingly as if Japan was finally turning the corner.

As the United States embarks on its own deflationary journey it is important not to lose sight of what has happened in places like Japan. It is quite probable that America will also see strong rallies, and periods of apparent recovery (lasting for years, in fact), only to see all those hopes dashed as the economy goes into yet a deeper funk to lower lows. Deflation is a slow process and does not go in a straight line.

This Week on Bear radio: The view from North Carolina

In this episode a caller from North Carolina tells us that the economy hasn't hit bottom there, and that from his perspective as a bank loan officer (with national exposure) a double-dip recession is already baked into the cards. We also delve into the profits and pitfalls of tax lien investing.

07 July 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Should congress borrow to fund unemployment insurance?

In this episode veteran Wall Street Banker, Bruce Krasting, joins us to talk about how the recent congressional legislation to extend unemployment benefits by borrowing even more money is the final straw. According to Bruce, unemployment insurance is small potatoes compared to the trillions in stimulus an bailouts that have been spent so far, but the insanity has to stop somewhere. Bruce also shares his view on how deflation is likely to win out in the short term, and his views on how emotion can irrationally drive individual stock prices high or low.

You can check out Bruce’s blog on finance at http://brucekrasting.blogspot.com/.

06 July 2010

Weekly Economics and Finance round-up

The Optimistic Bear discusses the week's economic and financial news with his guests. Is deflation or inflation up ahead? Has the economy turned the corner? What is going to happen to real-estate, commodities, stocks, or gold prices? Tune in to hear a deeper understanding of why things happen in the economy, and what it really means to you or your business.

02 July 2010

Linked:Seattle Radio - Entrepreneurship in Seattle

In this episode Paul Scarpa tells us about the challenges his startup is facing and Jennifer Cabala (of Seattle 2.0) tells us the attributes of successful entrepreneurs. We discuss the pros and cons of self-funding new ventures and the need to have a balanced approach that covers not only engineering but marketing and sales too. Be sure to visit the Linked:Seattle entrepreneurs group.

Listen to internet radio with Linked:Seattle Radio on Blog Talk Radio

NOTE: Click here for a list of all the Linked:Seattle radio show recordings. You can also check out my own "Entrepreneurs Northwest" podcast shows (http://bit.ly/epnwfeed).