These days, everybody and their uncle seems to be an expert on social media and networking.  While we’re all talking about Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, not enough is being said about Meetup! Meetup.com was founded in 2001 (long before Facebook!) by Scott Heiferman, Matt Meeker and Peter Kamali.  I first heard about it sometime in 2003.  Most people I knew then were using meetup to connect socially and the groups were unified by a common interest, such as books, games, movies, dinners etc.   I was a busy bay street lawyer at the time and had little time to socialize so after browsing the site a bit, I dismissed it and filed it away. Over the last few years, I [...]

Richard Branson, founder & CEO of Virgin Group, is the definitive brand entrepreneur.  His Virgin empire now numbers over 350 businesses in markets as diverse as travel, health care, media and financial services.  The group’s most exciting project is Virgin Galactic, the company’s move into space-tourism, the pioneering of which has been a long-held ambition of Branson. Biography: Born in 1950 in Surrey, UK.  By the age of 15, Branson had started two business ventures. Leadership Style: Open and Informal.  Famous for his lavish staff parties and generous rewards for high achievers, he also drives the team extremely hard. Key Strength: Instinctive marketer with a talent for spotting opportunities. Best Decision: Making the classic Virgin business a model – buying [...]

I just came back from seeing “The Social Network”. This is not a review of the film but some observations abut the film’s content that may assist entrepreneurs as they build their own enterprises! As this post contains many spoilers about the film’s content, I would recommend that you read more only after you have seen the film. Besides, that will also help you understand the context in which I make my observations. 1. The Winklevoss Brothers: I have no sympathy for the Winklevoss brothers. You cannot copyright an idea. I think, ultimately, the settlement they received was not so much about Facebook ste…aling their “idea” but perhaps because there must have been some importation of intellectual property! The movie [...]