Thinking Aloud
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Ten Reasons Why Entrepreneurship Is Like Sex
This is the companion list to "Ten Reasons Why Entrepreneurship is Like Marriage", for some lazy and light-hearted weekend reading.
Ten Reasons Why Entrepreneurship Is...
Save Lives In Your Spare Time
I had the opportunity to meet the CEO of Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (SATA) recently. What I didn't realize was that this simple conversation would...
If You Want To Keep A Customer, Try Spelling His Name Right
OK I apologise for yet another customer service rant, but sometimes it gets me when businesses can't get their basics right.
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Dear high-class restaurant in...
The High Price of Failure
I was house-hunting recently - a norm for those getting married ^^ - and was alerted by a property agent to a place in...
Saying No To Your Dream
I just turned down an opportunity to join a start-up company. I know, it sounds like it goes against what I stand for (especially at a...
Upgrading Vs. Sidegrading
In my opinion there are two types of innovation: upgrades and sidegrades. An upgrade is an innovation which sees a discernible improvement over the previous product or...
Can You Outsource Your Company’s Marketing Function?
I recently applied for a senior marketing position in a small consumer electronics company. After attending a series of three interviews, I hadn't heard back...
Game for Entrepreneurship?
Local entrepreneur and CEO of Exoro Pte Ltd, Mr. Alvin Sim, has come up with a unique board game that actually encourages entrepreneurship. Just...
Breaking Customer Promises
I am not a happy camper.
The kopitiam (coffeeshop) near my place, which I frequent very often, is undergoing renovation. They put up a sign...
A High-Flying Business
Not. A man fixes an aircon compressor located outside a Marine Parade HDB flat. The technician puts his full weight on the compressor mount,...
The Cheetah And The Crocodile
It was my first day at the new workplace yesterday, and my boss invited me to lunch with some other members of the management...
The Smallest Things Can Kill Your Business
It's amazing how the smallest, totally unexpected thing can lead to a minor catastrophe like the one we almost experienced today.
Things were humming along...
Learning To Let Go
My CEO, who is also a director in a venture capital firm, made an interesting comment recently. He said that the reason why most...
Not All Product Innovation Should Be A Technological One
Can I ask iris why our buses are falling apart? Between peeling floorboards and deteriorating interiors, travelling on some SBS Transit buses is getting increasingly uncomfortable. ...
Dishes To Make You Happy and Comfortable!
Strange English notwithstanding, the Japanese company that makes these stainless steel dishes do have their focus on the right thing. If you can't read...
What’s the Story, Morning Glory?
I attended the official opening of the Singapore International Storytelling Festival organised by the Book Development Council of Singapore last Friday, and came away...
Helping You Do It Better
I chuckled at the latest TV ad promoting... ahem... sexual performance cream Andro (for men), manufactured by local Singapore startup Lynk Biotechnologies. It's nice to...
Despise Not The Humble
Local soybean products seller Mr Bean is in the running to become Singapore's Entrepreneur of the Year 2007. Its co founders Mr Kang Puay...
When Professional Becomes Personal
It's true and I found it out the hard way - that Singaporeans don't take kindly to criticism, however well-intended.
One of my colleagues, who...
Can the Singapore Education System Produce Entrepreneurs?
Singapore's Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean (and ex-Minister for Education) made a speech at the recent Entrepreneur of the Year Awards held on 11...
Cheapening Your Brand – Or Is It?
Spotted in a deli cum general goods store in Sausalito, San Francisco: wine branded and labelled "Cheap White Wine" and "Cheap Red Wine".
In a...
Uncommon Wisdom On A Ketchup Bottle
Spotted on a Heinz ketchup bottle: Henry John Heinz, who founded Heinz in 1876, said:
"To do a common thing, uncommonly well, brings success."
I think...
Free Samples Can Boost Sales
I recently visited San Francisco and was astounded by the American retail culture. It was simply amazing how vendors were so open in letting you taste and experience their...
A New Kind of Scam?
Recently I received an email I thought would make me rich.
It was from a domain registration company - claiming to be authorised by the...
Three Strikes – And You’re Out?
Here's another customer service rant. You can choose to not read it if you don't want. ^^
My wife and I not quite-so-recently ordered a...
Rich In Name, Poor In Morality
If we thought David Chew and Looi San Cheng were entrepreneurs behaving badly, check out these sickos from New York (in the New York...
Prima Deli Gets No Favours From Local Press
Not only does Prima Deli continues to remain shut throughout this lucrative festive season as it cleans up over the salmonella poisoning incident, the...
Some Predictions for 2008 (Part I)
OK I'm no futurologist or prophet, but I think there's going to be some upcoming trends (and some that are current but will continue)...
Some Predictions for 2008 (Part II)
Image courtesy of www.chezjoel.com
Here're the rest of my predictions, which revolves around the Singapore entrepreneurial scene, for 2008:
3. Less Full-Time, But More Hobbyist, Entrepreneurs
Blame it on our recent...
New Year’s Resolution: Support Local
Go buy a local book at Books Actually instead of Borders.
You'll feel good about yourself.
I've learnt a lot since I started my blog...