Thinking Aloud
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
***
Dear high-class restaurant in...
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...
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...
Vintage Entrepreneurship… In More Ways Than One
Every Saturday afternoon, a flea market magically materializes around Planet Fitness' Far East Square branch. Unlike the more glamorous weekend flea market at Clarke...
Ten Reasons Why Entrepreneurship Is Like Marriage
1. Finding the right partner, with the same ideals and vision, is critical. Otherwise it can be disastrous.
2. You have to register with the...
Innovation Is Nothing New
It's true - but I didn't say it. Pitch Johnson and Reid Dennis did, here in this amazing video clip about the history of...
Flowers for You, Sir?
Every year, around this time, an entire cohort of entrepreneurs are born overnight.
These enterprising folks capitalise on the law of supply and demand, taking...