Tag: Mark Zuckerberg

A sliver of hope

I still remember the hype surrounding Google IPO !

Now with Facebook, it’s a deja vu.

Anything to stir up and to enliven.

We need hope when housing is still in the slump!

We can do better!

Simply because are wired with survival instincts. One man’s success will trigger a chain of similar success. Innovation tend to cluster. Ours is one of those times.

Best of times, worst of times.

Let’s measure up.

Draw from that deep corner where inspiration and aspiration are stored.

It’s in us to make it and to make it big.

We are not dead weight.

Each of us can think, feel and love.

The last can move mountains by its sheer motivation.

So love your Dad (Happy late Fathers Day), your boss, your co-workers and most of all, your customers.

Once they know they get the service they deserve, there is no stopping then.

In its darkest that we can see best, whether a tiny of sun ray or a sliver of hope.

Vietnam goes “social”

Mark Zuckerberg is here for Christmas vacation.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/16933/facebook-s-ceo-visits-vietnam.html

Perhaps he would find a striking difference between the way people celebrate the Holidays here as opposed to Northern California.

In the US, the joke is “if you got tired of the Turkey, you can always order Chinese”. McDonald’ s and KFC‘s are closed.

One culture withdraws to nuclear-family gathering.

The other (VN) pours out to the street, Buddhists and Catholics both.

Someone mentioned that during the celebration of Buddha’s birthday, the Catholics here reciprocated by joining the throng on the streets as well.

Golden Rule.

I learned in cross-cultural classes that the hardest distance to cross is the last few inches (between two people).

Here in VN, in internet cafe,  people log in to connect via social media to friends far away, but are oblivious to the next person.

We have evolved as species who use technology as a hyphen (send me an in-mail, text me, call  me, drop me a line).

Back in the feudal age, people used accessories and ancestry to class-ify people (Bovary – Gastby).

Now we got algorithms doing the match-making and recommending.

“4 friends in common”, so?.

The Web speculates that Mark is here to “push” Facebook in this untapped market.

True or not, he would find plenty of food stalls to choose from, instead of  Chinese take- out on this very day.

I can’t explain the loneliness single people experience in the States, especially up North (like Maine or Massachusetts).

In fact, America (the band) did try to capture this in “this is for all the single people, thinking that life has passed them by”.

Here, besides having food stalls open at any time, people celebrate Christmas wholeheartedly and wholesomely.

I got back from visiting my cousin on the outskirts of Saigon. The bus began to pull into the station, but the Christmas music was so good that  I  wanted to listen till the end of Sad Hymn… while outside the temperature would put Arizona’s and Austin’s high heat to shame.

People here survived many wars (my cousin’s husband was declared missing-in-action for more than 36 years). But life moves on as shown in her ensemble of  children, grandchildren etc… And yes, people love music, their secret sauce in patience in suffering.

The end of the bus line, normally sweaty and unpleasant, became bearable because of pipe-in music.

Steve McQueen the King of Cool, often portrayed Prison break rebels. The moment he was put back into solitary confinement, his prison mates would toss him a baseball glove and a ball. There, in the dark, he would throw the ball, creating rhythm and routine. Survivors know what it takes to pass the time. That same 24 hours could be an eternity to those who don’t know how, or a brief blip from eternity’s perspective.  Let the clock tick toward year-end. Vietnamese already went out and bought their 2012 calendars.

Now, this came from a people who fought Dien Bien Phu manually, and their “American War” with low tech. Now, social media want to make a splash here. Let the game begin. See who is more connected and how enriching the experience will be for a country bent on education. Facebook might sell, but I doubt that frozen turkeys will even for Christmas (my friend called last night at 3AM thinking I was still up to join him at a noddle stall). Go figure! Merry Christmas Mark. Make sure you post relevant and engaging “Like” about Vietnam.

Sur le pont

Oakland Bridge that is. The one got fixed by a China-based sub-contractor.

Now, down the dock and downtown, Occupy pledges to stay for the long haul.

Gertrude Stein once said of Oakland: “there is no there, there” (hence, no center to be occupied.)

When crossing that bridge, I thought of New York City (sprawling California only has a few thriving city centers such as San Francisco.)

Mark Zuckerberg mentioned that he would have liked to start again in Boston (too cold for T-shirt?), perhaps due to its proximity to Harvard.

We all grew up and felt attached to a certain place, whether it’s a city or  a village.

What drives our decisions often comes our sub-conscious: a graceful face or a soothing sound. For instance, when I listen to classic rock, I am transported back to high school even though geographically it’s an ocean apart.

I am sure it was similar with the Greatest Generation, when they saw something French (WWII) or Baby Boomers, when they saw “War” (e.g. associating War in Afghanistan with War in Vietnam).

American went abroad (unless they defected to Canada and stayed) and came home a different person e.g. Hemingway in Europe, or Hanoi Jane/Joan Baez back from Vietnam (Diamond and Rust). They have a changed view of looking at the world, at materialism and spiritualism, at family and country.

I still remember a striking title by Alan Paton “Cry my beloved country”.

Being immigrant, we lost our sense of patriotism (of the land we left). Yes, we voted and outsourced (to politicians) our freedom every four years, just like we outsourced the fixing of the Oakland bridge.

They in turn appropriate what part of the budget that goes to defense. Then men and women in the uniforms are deployed, many might not come back (offshoring the fight).

The closest thing we have to patriotism these days  is to watch Gen Y protest, 3 years after the Wall Street and Detroit debacle.

Our sons and daughters’ generation is at stake.

They have been told to stick to the screen and stay out of trouble.

When the internet connection got cut off, or their dorm rooms vacated, they turn indignant.

Not even Facebook can keep them in. This time, it’s Occupy Everything, except for the old job.

In Iowa, our Maytag man got laid off by the very sturdy machine he helped created (the quality and longevity dilemma).

Things got cheaper for a while, before interest rates kick in and push up the price on clothing, tuition and housing (rent).

What can be digitized and commoditized will be.

Our problem (high costs) = someone else’s opportunity (low labor).

Si tu n’existait pas. If we could disappear somehow (telepathy), there wouldn’t be such a big problem.

In fact, studies showed a decline in immigration population in Southern States.

One of the banners in Cannes this week is “people before finance” (in French).

Ironically, Cannes enjoys the showing of movie stars more than politicians’.

Conversely, stars couldn’t help crossing-over to politics (Some have likened Occupy to Flower Sixties with Peter w/out Paul and Mary).

I am glad the digital generation finally got off their PC chairs and hold up some signs (of protest).

No one expects them to pour gasoline over themselves (as I once eye-witnessed the burning monk doing just that).

Just get out and see the world as it is. The real should trump the virtual, since what’s out there is crueller and colder than what’s in our head and on the screen.

Just try to cross that Oakland bridge with windows open. Then you might discover, as Gertrude Stein did, that “there is no there, there”.

Clothes and costumes

Just about now, we start thinking Halloween costumes.

We have tried on cotton, polyester, paper, fur, animal skin (leather) and raw meat.

At work, the dress code has changed as well since IBM went “soft” (ware).

Gone are the blue suit, white shirt and red tie. Who wants to upstage their CEO’s at Facebook, Google, and Apple (turtleneck).

So the working men are out shopping for “casual”.

And the sales clerk adapts: “Do you want the I-pad carry-on with it?”

Salesmen are facing an identity crisis. Gone are the 50’s hats, and the 80’s suspenders.

Now, with robot wrestlers, robot cops and robot ads (pop up), the next outfit will probably be Star Wars’s.

Clothes don’t make men (appearance matters, though).

But it certainly goes along way to buff up what’s already there (or cover up some tattoos ).

If I were to choose, I would pick Mission Impossible for this Halloween.

In fact, they did just that at Dancing with the Stars last night.

First, it’s Hollywood that set the standard (for music and fashion).

Then, TV followed in (dancing) step. Finally, we saw tie-in merchandise and toys.

Hopefully, the raw-meat-as-outerwear trend doesn’t catch on (Bruce Willis appeared with a raw-meat toupee on Letterman’s Late Show).

In fact, the go-casual trend fits right in with the digital generation.

Poor dry-cleaner chain! (who needs their T-shirts dry-cleaned).

Now, even brief cases and PCs  don’t sell. Just sleeping bags,  T-shirts and tablets.  Campus life forever at Google Plex. No clear break at Facebook’s Timeline. One infinite loop in the here and now (A/C, 24/7 news cycle and global office with backroom in the Cloud).  There is talk that Mark Zuckerberg will be the next Steve Jobs (after all, they both were on TIME magazine cover). In other words, the (turtleneck) long sleeves has just been replaced by the short sleeves. Just don’t skateboard in every time you launch a product (Google). Gaga would have preferred to be carried in, inside an egg, with hatch opened. Ham and egg breakfast-wear.

Selling rain gears on sunny day

I still remember watching “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg“, a French musical film.

Of course, more umbrellas are sold when it rains. But when it “never rains in Southern California“, how would marketers manage?

The answer: rain making. And yes they did!

I was sitting on the top bleacher of Sea World, San Diego. And there they were, selling rain gears on a bright sunny day.

Those merchandise sold like popcorn. Even had the Sea World logo on them.

The catch: so you don’t get wet when Shamu splashes water all over you (supposedly a VIP treatment).

American capitalism at its best:  selling ice-cream to Eskimo.

Value-creating.

Young people finally say something: they are “Occupying Wall Street.”

Never too late (if there were to be a double-dip Recession).

The floor has been primarily occupied by the likes of Mr Buffett, who deserves and got a tax-hero medal.

But UBS?

Today’s culture of Wall Street makes yesterday’s Gordon Gekko look like an altar boy.

Greed is good. More greed is better.

At least, Mark Zuckerberg is still seen in his signature T-shirt (the only time he was seen in suit and tie was on Facebook town hall with President Obama).

Now, it’s LinkedIn’s turn to hold a virtual town hall (The Age of Participatory).

Hint: you can send in a lengthier question, at least, longer than 140 characters.

And maybe, promote yourself into a job.

After all, it’s LinkedIn.

I sold school magazines, defunct currency and fax machines when I first started out.

I can always tell when customers are satisfied (after-sales gratitude, or landing my first date after pitching our school magazine).

The decoupling of bankers-borrowers, buyers and sellers have led to current debacle. We need rain makers, not rogue traders. But most of all, we need satisfied customers who will act as evangelists.

The culture of commerce had existed long before technology or currency came along (Silk Road).

Technology only facilitates and accelerates the exchange. By no means it should replace the handshake or  trust-building.

I saw the joy of those people who put on Sea-World ponchos that day. They still had them on when the show was over.

They inadvertently acted as Sea World’s walking bill boards. Now, that’s capitalism at its best: a win-win proposition that is sustainable.

When you are happy, it’s a musical, like “Singing in the Rain” or as I can still recall Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Sea World. In the Last Lecture, Randy recalled his childhood trip to Disney World that had turned career-forming for him. Help people experience, and they in turn,  help you with yours.

Trading down: Gap to Goodwill

You know how good the economy is by seeing how many Hummers are on the street. But we 2.5 per cent growth 1Q 2013, we go from Hummers to Hyundai, from Gap to Goodwill.

With 90% debt level, half-a-million debt per man woman and child, trading down is the least of our worries (Patriotic millionaires asked to pay more tax, instead of token donation of used computers or running shoes for write off).

Meanwhile, BRIC countries push up energy and environmental demand resulting in higher food costs.

Every summer, a bunch of senior citizens died of head exhaustion in their lonely Chicago apartments.

We said Goodbye to Dr Death. You can catch Al Pacino portraying him on HBO.

Here is our near-term play-outs : consumers retrenching i.e. value-shopping (Costco, Wal-Mart), the reincarnation of IKEA (renters nation) and office furniture, DIY online shopping (prosumerism meets e-com). In Micro Trends, the author already noted the return of knitting among teens.

The productivity movement is moving out of high-end enterprise, down to SME and public-sector (right!).

And the return of pig-ear antenna in our living rooms (Archie Bunker).

At the conclusion of President Obama town-hall style at Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered his signature hooded sweat saying “in case you want to dress like me” (the joke in context was that President Obama was the only one who made Mark sweated out in suit and tie).

Japanese business men were asked to dress down to save energy.

If you are familiar with Japanese business protocol, you will know how off-script this is (loosening a tie while partying already was too much. Now they are in Hawaiian shirts).

Brazil, however, has no problem with these new austerity measures: they look at this as a prolonged extension of their Mardi Gras. So much for trading down in post-Recession era.

Just make sure to buy supplies in bulk. And no traveling this summer to ease energy pressures. No wonder online ad spending is on track to double-digit grow. That’s where the action is. And where talents are flocking into, one recruitment tweet (CV) at a time. Even resume email service has disappeared as twitter now takes over. Elevator speech has “traded down”.

Moore’s Law for Tech Giants

If Rip Van Winkle woke up today, he would be surprised to see Facebook. If he had waken up a decade ago, he would have read about Google.And the decade before that, Microsoft.

Except this time, Mark Zuckerberg is much younger than the other founders, dominated the media landscape quicker . And he donated part of his earnings to charity, much earlier (Bill and Melinda Gates took off to India a few Window versions later).

In short, everything (concept to contribution) seems to follow Moore’s Law which was first applied to the speed of chips.

When Microsoft opened its Silicon Valley branch, and Facebook its first summer frat house on the West coast, we know where Mecca for techies is.

One can only hope the rise of Facebook inspire others, despite its floundering IPO.

Tech year, like dog year, ends quickly. It just seems like yesterday, when Bill Gates

tried to size up Netscape, or Murdoch MySpace and WSJ mix.

Today, half of the staff  are clearing their desks, leaving behind half of My Space For-Lease. Moore’s Law is ominous when applied outside of chip manufacturing.