Hector A. Ruiz

MBA, Project Manager, Tennis Player, Musician, and Author of "How to Destroy a Country"

Author: hectoraliruiz Page 14 of 15

Dumb and Dumber

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On September 10, 2012

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

Up until 1994, the name Jim Carrey was virtually unknown to the world. He had starred in a couple of sitcoms that had mixed reviews and had a few appearances on the Letterman show. Jeff Daniels on the other hand was a relatively household name, mostly due to his wonderful performance perceived from Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” and other roles in Arachnophobia, Checking out and Love hurts. Suddenly, Jim Carrey scored big with back-to-back comedy hits Ace Ventura and The Mask, and Jeff Daniels also scored big in the action thriller Speed. Shortly after, both of them found themselves reuinted under the firstt Farrelly Brother’s movie Dumb and Dumber, a comedy that tells the adventures of two friends travelling cross-country America.

With the exception of one scene which foresees Jim Carrey’s talents venturing into drama, there is not a single serious moment in Dumb and Dumber. Right from the get go you can tell you are on for a product of marvolous creativity. The first scene features Jim Carrey’s character “Lloyd Christmas”, confusing a woman’s Austrian accent with an Australian accent. After she dumps him, we get to see the initial credits: “New Line Cinema PREZENTS”, “In ASSOCIASHUN with Motion Picture Corporacion of America”.

The movie follows Lloyd travelling across the country from Rhode Island to Aspen, “California” with his friend Harry, in order to return a briefcase left at Rhode Island’s airport that belongs to Mary Swanson -a one time passenger of Lloyd’s limo driver part time job-. The rest of the movie is a series of hillarious situations that feature the selling of a dead parakeet, picking up of peruvian hitchhikers, freezing your tongue against a ski-cart, an accidental murder of a mob hitman, killing an owl with a champagne corch, borrowing thousands of Dollars in exchange of “I OWE YOU” notes and let’s not forget “the most annoying sound in the world.”

It his hard to pick who is the Dumb and who is the Dumber, and it is even harder to pick who is the brain in this entire operation -if you can call it that way-. Although there are brief flashes of clever actions, the overall common sense and rationality the two characters have is just way below any known psycological standards. My three favorite moments are:

  1. Lloyd exiting one of these 24 hour gas station quick stores and saluting a couple of bystanders with the expression “Hey guys! Whoa… BIG GULPS HUH??! Well, see you later!”
  2. Lloyd mentioning to Harry (referring about Mary) that: “If I know her well as I think I do, she’ll invite us right in for tea and strumpets.” I was a kid when I watched the movie and I remember thinking something like “Did he just say tea and trumpets?” I consider this one of the the most overlooked, subtle, and underestimated jokes in the entire film, along with…
  3. Harry’s: “She gave me a John Deere letter.”

After D&D, the Farrelly Brothers kept making successful movies, gaining a huge fanbase world wide, however in my opinion, none of the movies were able to surpass Dumb and Dumber. A sequel has been announced in the next years, with Carrey and Daniel reprising their roles, which makes me wonder: what kind of dead animal will Lloyd end up selling this time?

HR

Vertigo named Greatest Film of All Time

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On August 3, 2012

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

Sight and Sound Magazine just finished compiling votes from movie critics and directors, with results showing that experts selected Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo as the Greatest Film of All time, surpassing Citizen Kane, which was chosen in the same poll the last time it was taken ten years ago.

Here is the top 10 finalists with a brief description of the film and my opinion about it:

1. Vertigo

(1958, Alfred Hitchcock). A very complex film that wasn’t appreciated in its own time, but ever since has built its reputation as the greatest movie ever done. Hitchcock tells the story of Scotty, a retired detective who falls in love and becomes obsessed with the wife of one of his friends, who has asked him to follow her. Vertigo deserves to be in a top 10 list, and it certainly is in mine.

2. Citizen Kane 

(1939, Orson Wells). An almost perfect film about the media, manipulation, individual achievements and an unexplained death with a confusing hidden message. Like Vertigo, Kane also received mixed reviews and was not well understood when it was released. Today, it is a mandatory lesson in film school, and also holds up to the title of greatest film of all time if you would want to rate it over Vertigo.

3.Tokyo Story

(1953, Ozu Yasujiru). I have this film in my library but I haven’t seen it yet.

4.La Regle du jeu

(1938, Jean Renoir). A great film based prior World War II that explores the bourgeois life in France. The film is directed by Jean Renoir -son of the famous painter Auguste Renoir- and it’s by no means short of the quality of art his father produced.

5. Sunrise: A song for two humans

(1927, F.W. Murnau). I have this film in my library but I haven’t seen it yet.

6. 2001: A space oddysey

(1968, Stanley Kubrick). Arguably the most complex film in any “Greatest movies” list. An exploration of our past, present and future, using the most basic feelings of human nature portrayed by Kubrick’s vision.

7. The Searchers

(1955, John Ford). I may offend someone by saying this, but I differ on The Searchers being on the list. Although thematically different -but in the same genre- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is the better movie. The Searchers is strong and is definitely the best western ever made, but The Good, The Bad and The Ugly transcends in being much more than just a western.

8. Man with a movie camera

(1939, Dziga Vertov). I may offend even more people by saying this, but up until today I had never heard anything about this film. I will do whatever it takes to obtain it and watch it.

9. The Passion of Joan of Arc

(1927, Carl Dreyer). A true masterpiece of cinema. Its value has greatly increased after it was believed to be lost forever after a fire destroyed the master negative. Even after several attempts of reassembling it using outtakes, its director -Carl Dreyer- passed away believing it could never be recovered. Renee Falconetti gives the performance of a lifetime portraying the heroic french in her final days, being imprisoned, tortured and executed.

10. 8 1/2

(1963, Federico Fellini). Fellini’s masterpiece. A very emotional and capturing film, with amazing performances by Marcelo Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale. Visually stunning, compelling and philosophical, 8 1/2 stands on top of as a unique film. There is no waste of ink every time it is included in a top two list of greatest films ever made.

Sight and Sound also released a subset of the top 10, which was generated from votes casted only by directors:

1. Tokyo Story: mentioned above.

2 (tie) 2001: A space oddysey and Citizen Kane: mentioned above.

4. 8 1/2: mentioned above.

5. Taxi Driver

(1976, Martin Scorsese). There is so much to say about Taxi Driver, it is unfair to summarize it in a simple paragraph, so I will just say that it does deserve to be in a top 10 list, even if there are eleven films.

6. Apocalypse Now

(1979, Francis Ford Coppola). Apocalypse belongs to the quartet of elite Vietnam films: Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick), Platoon and The Deer Hunter. I honestly believe that Apocalypse and FMJ are in the same level, therefore choosing one over the other is unfair.

7 (tie) Vertigo and The Godfather

(1972, Francis Ford Coppola). I do not quite understand how can one have a top 10 list and not include (or vote for) The Godfather.

9. Mirror

(1975, Andrei Takorskiy). A stunning film that will stick in your mind forever. Expressive, artful, meaningful, tearful, personal: perhaps the most emotional film ever done.

10. Bicycle Thieves

(1948, Vittorio di Sica). I have this film in my library but I haven’t seen it yet. I intended to watch it with my Italian ex-girlfriend, but we broke up.

For those of you wondering, this is my list:

  • 8 1/2
  • 2001
  • Airplane!
  • Citizen Kane
  • Das Boot
  • Fantasia
  • Mirror
  • Persona
  • Pulp Fiction
  • Taxi Driver
  • The Godfather
  • The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
  • The Passion of Joan de Arc
  • Vertigo

You will notice two things: the first one is my addition of Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940, Walt Disney), which is a movie that tells the story of our lives in such a subtle way, it has yet to be fully appreciated and treated the way it deserves. The second one is that my top 10 list is does not contain 10 films. I purposely do this, because I don’t really believe in 5’s, 10’s or 25’s lists. I just rate films in levels and those are the films I believe have the highest rank and are positioned in the highest league of film making and cinema.

Here is the source of the original poll:

So, what are your top 10 films?

HR

The future of the Euro

By

On July 9, 2012

In General

Ever since I was a little kid, currency exchange has always fascinated me. I was lucky enough to work in banking for a while, and despite me leaving the industry, I still maintain that same level of attraction I had as a kid.

Last week was one of those rare occasions in which a lot of eyes in the financial world turned to a specific currency and wondered whether if “This is it”, as in: is this the beginning of the end? The case I am referring to is the Euro, as for the second time in the last couple of years found itself trading at the rate of $1.22, a value that hadn’t been seen since July 2010.

For several years, $1.22 has been a value informally known as the equilibrium point that signals either strength or weakness. Recent trends in European economics are putting a lot of pressure on those who own the currency, given the fact that they have several elements to worry about in their hands: the faulty Greece bailout, the current issue of Spain’s bailout, Ireland’s and Portugal’s not so great macroeconomic situation, all of this reflecting in a lot of skepticism by investors, banks, and even countries who are beginning to lose faith in the Eurozone.

As always, economists are divided between reasons why the Euro will survive, or the imminent failure of the currency. Also as always, the only one who has the answer is our friend time and no one else. While there has been a lot of pressure in the past days to get answers about the future, personally I do not really see this moment as a crucial moment in the Euro’s history.

If you want to know my reasons, all you have to do is buy me dinner… for a whole year 😉

HR

Strengths in the business world and personal life

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On June 21, 2012

In General

I was having a conversation today with three of my former college professors, and the topic on hand was how do each employee’s strengths and weaknesses play into the work environment in an organization. The conversation centered on how to get the best out of your strengths. You may ask: but what about my weaknesses, do I ignore them? Their answer was Yes.

I remembered last month I was watching the Australian Open, and the sixteen Grand Slam title holder Roger Federer -who also happens to be one of the best players in the history of the sport-, was being interviewed by ESPN’s commentators. They asked him about his training methodology and how do his practice sessions look like nowadays to fix his weaknesses, especially since he is perceived as a veteran in the tour, which means that he may not be focused on improving a certain aspect of his game like his backhand, which has always been considered his weakness. Roger’s answer was an eye opener:

“I don’t really focus on my backhand. I don’t practice much of it in my sessions. I kind of concentrate more on my forehand.” -which many consider not only Roger’s greatest strength, but one of the greatest shots in tennis history-. Roger also added: “I want to practice my forehand because it is my strength, so I want to work on it because it is my greatest weapon. The backhand, I just deal with it during a match.” I found interesting that one of the greatest tennis players of all time had such a surprising approach to his training.

I guess it makes sense when thinking you can exploit your talents when you develop them, and dedicate all your efforts to make yourself a better professional and a better person. Whether if it’s that you are a terrific competitor, you are a relator, an analytical, communicative, responsible, or any other characteristic, the bottom line is that you have a talent inside which is your strength. It is a quality that can make you become a difference in your organization, and can make you achieve that progress and professional growth you have always been looking for. Regarding Roger’s answer about his weakness, I am not sure if I completely agree with dealing with your weaknesses, although I can understand his reasoning.

In the meantime, take your time and get yourself an appointment for an assessment test, so you can find out what strengths do you possess and how can you take advantage of them.

HR

How word of mouth helps your business (and you)

By

On May 9, 2012

In General

Waking through a mall in the city today had me wondering about the different degrees of success stores have -some of them being empty, some others a bit packed-. The question is: what does it take to attract more customers than your competitor?

In the current era where we live in, where information spreads in a matter of seconds across thousands of people, word of mouth has become a very integral part of the marketing process, and while not recognized as a textbook advertising method, the implications it has carries a great importance when talking about the promotional mix. So how exactly does word of mouth work?

Body Language

Let’s say you own a mini store that cells gadgets for cellular phones. You (or your salesman) are sitting at the store doing whatever activity that comes out, like checking your text messages or your email -even though you had just done it an hour ago-. Clients walk by and they notice your demeanor, and while not everyone is a body language expert, one could say there is a fair chance that a random potential customer may feel discouraged of entering your store. People like to be treated nicely, and customers in particular like it when you show an engagement behavior hinting that they will be helped and treated nicely.

Good morning!

Greet everyone you meet with a kind and sincere smile. You don’t want to sound like an alarm clock, but you definitely want to demonstrate a little bit of proactive attitude. I know this is very hard because it is a task that requires endurance and stamina. Out of a hundred people, perhaps less than 30% will respond positively to your gesture, and let’s say only eight will actually engage in business with you. This means that your focus has to be placed on leaving a great impression on those eight people, but who knows how many turns the roads of the others who didn’t enter your store have. They may not have answered you, but seeing how friendly you were to them, they may come back in the future.

Active listening

Now let’s say that someone dropped by your store, responded positively to your greeting and is requesting either information about a product/service or shows interest to buy something. What is taking place at that moment is the beauty of the “Decision Making Process applied to Purchases.” The customer has an unfulfilled need and they are scanning the available options. It can be something as simple as a pin, a new cell phone, a brand new dress, or even professional services. If they do not like what they see on you (or your store), they will walk away. Regardless of whether if you can help them or not, you want them to leave with a positive impression, because eventually they may have the need to come back to you, and after having scanned you before, they will know whether if you are a possible option or not in the near by future.

Be nice, look nice

Another important ingredient is the visual aspect. You want to look good, which means dress nicely, wash your face, smell good, comb your hair, and do everything necessary so that the people you interact with see in you an image or professionalism. People always take kindly to appeal and there is greater chance of attracting customers if you are visually appealing. You don’t have to be Brad Pitt or Salma Hayek; just make sure look nice and bring in that “wow factor.” Combine that with a friendly attitude and a positive body language, and you have a very good combination!

Closing Thoughts

These little details will add up for a positive reaction from your leads, customers an clients. Sooner than later, you will see how more people will want to do business with you. And remember: the more satisfied your customers are with your attention, the more likely they will return the favor with positive recommendations. Word of mouth at work.

Treat your customers just as you would like to be treated.

HR

Are you a workaholic?

By

On April 23, 2012

In General

I was driving from work to home yesterday with the radio on. A couple of hosts were discussing that they had just did in some serious overtime at the station and that led them to think they were becoming “workaholics”, so I wanted to blog a little about this interesting subject.

A workaholic by definition, is someone who is “addicted to work”, in a similar way an alcoholic is addicted to drinking. It is a mental state in which the individual feels he or she must be doing something work related, regardless of the surrounding circumstances or people that are in his or her environment. Now, here I want to state something that is very key, which is: there are people who like their work, but are able to differenciate themselves from workaholics. There is a difference between loving what you do for living, and living your life for what you do. The latter is a typical behavior of a workaholic.

In order to figure out whether if you’re a workaholic or not, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Do you find yourself working over the weekend… every weekend?

It is ok to put in some extra hours every now and then, just to impress your boss and/or colleagues, or just because you may want to have a head start in your upcoming week. However if you are doing this every Saturday and Sunday, then something is definitely wrong. Either you are running short on your week day hours or your workload is not being properly managed, which leads you to become a workaholic.

To solve this you have to do two things: first, ask yourself what does your day work look like. If you are working for 8 hours, then you should be fine with the amount of tasks you have to do. Next, find out what tasks are you doing on the weekend. Checking email? Reviewing briefs? Preparing budgets? Is it something that is absolutely necessary, or is it something that can perfectly be done on Monday?

Do you pass on family and/or social invitations because you have to work?

Life has to have a certain balance and ventilating through other activities helps you clean your mind from the day to day work responsibilities. What good is it to live in an luxury apartment with swimming pool if you use it twice a year -on Christmas and on Independence Day, and only because everything else in town is closed.

The more you begin to get involved in non-work related activities, such as interacting with your social circle, the more you will appreciate the value of your spare time and the value of doing something different other than work.

Do you find yourself finishing your work and immediately going to bed and waking up and going straight to work?

Sleeping is one of the greatest pleasures in life, so why deprive yourself from it? Research has determined that over a third of the Earth’s population does not have a healthy sleep routine, for a variety of reasons -one of them being stress from work-. The human brain works exactly like any engine: after running at cruise control for most part of the day, you should cool it down before switching it off, just like in the mornings you should to warm it up before going at full speed.

The healthier your sleep is, the more efficient you will become in your work, which will likely lead to better management of hours and increased productivity during those hours. Also, make a note of how many times have you fallen asleep with nothing in your mind, and compare those times to the occasions you fell into bed thinking about tomorrow’s meeting.

Do you keep in touch with your co-workers after work hours?

It’s ok to have co-workers friends, but chances are that if you hang out too much with your co-workers, you will inevitably find yourself talking about work. You must be able to draw the line and separate your spaces. If you like your coworkers and want to become friends with them, then do something where there is little to zero chance of you having any work related interaction. This will develop a friendship between you and them, and you will be able to add them to your social circle without affecting your work relationship.

Another option you may have is to hang out with your friends or family. Having a nice night out with someone who you like to be with only to enjoy the pleasure of their company is a wonderful feeling. Next time someone from work calls or emails you after work hours or the weekend, just be polite and say “I’m currently with my family (or friends), I’ll talk to you on Monday at the office.”

————-

This is of course a very brief discussion about an interesting topic. In the end, some people just like to work and do nothing else. If you are one of those, then simply enjoy what you are doing, but keep in mind there is a universe of fun things available to do out there. If you are one of those who feel they are putting too many hours in to the job, try to follow a few of my ideas, give them a try and hopefully you will feel a lot better in no time.

HR

Unbelievable coincidence or Sample plagiarism?

By

On April 4, 2012

In Music

Last weekend my girlfriend stayed over with me at my place. We stayed up late playing cards (a game that may be called strip poker), and talking about everything and nothing. We always like to come up with new creative ideas to have fun, and eventually started playing this game in which we would both be blindfolded, and would have to guess the name of a song playing on a YouTube playlist (a game that may be called strip YouTube). At one point we both wrongly guessed the name of one and we were left startled and in disbelief that we had missed it considering our knowledge of music. It was an instrumental song that shared a remarkable similarity with a very popular and well-known rock song from the 1990s.

After removing our blindfolds, we were surprised that the name of the song was “The Last Time” by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, with the writing credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I thought to myself the same thing you are probably thinking as you read these words: “I don’t remember The Rolling Stones having an instrumental song.“

It turns out that in 1965, Andrew Oldham being the Stones’ manager -and a musician himself- embarked in a series of sampling projects of some songs of this clients, one of them being an early song of theirs called “The Last Time.” He adapted into an orchestra version resulting in the product that you just listened to. Now, which famous song of the 1990s sounds exactly like this? That’s right: thirty years later, The Last Time is now known as the “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve. The only noticable difference between the two pieces are Richard Ashcroft’s lyrics.

A few months after Bitter Sweet Symphony’s release and eventual success, Andrew Oldham and Allen Klein -the owner of the company that owns copyrights of all The Rolling Stones’ early songs-, noticed the coincidence and filed a suit against The Verve. Ashcroft and company alleged that they had requested permission to use a four-bar sample of the song. Needless to say, the court ruled in favor to the Stones, hence today the songwritting credits of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” read Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Richard Ashcroft. A few years later, Keith Richards was asked to give his opinion on the matter, to which he said: “I’m out of whack here, this is serious lawyer shit. If The Verve can write a better song, they can keep the money.”

There was another similar case that occurred in the 1990s -1997 to be more precise-, when the band Nerf Herder was questioned for writing a very famous theme song…

…that contained a very similar melody as the one heard in “Codo” a Austrian pop song from the 1980s that was very popular in Europe, written and performed by a band called D.O.F.

…is quite similar to this song.

Nerf Herder denied having heard of D.O.F. before. This means one begs to ask: what are the chances of a band of 1990s California teenagers being familiar with an Austrian pop bands from the 1980s? Is it an unbelievable coincidence or sample plagiarism?

I’ll let you decide.

HR

Marketing a Viral Video

By

On March 25, 2012

In General

Browsing YouTube these days is a fascinating experience. You can find anything you can imagine: funny, unfunny, terrible, excellent, helpful, bogus, cooking recipes, music lessons… its universe is so big, today I was wondering if there is a way to quantify all the total views of all videos in youtube. I am sure the number would be so huge I don’t think there are enough servers to compute it (well, maybe yes).

Having a bit of experience in Marketing, people always ask me about Viral Videos. Much has been said about the “key tips” or “how to” produce a good viral videos, with most available online articles pointing the obvious facts: “keep it simple”, “be natural”, “use SEM” and “play with fantasy and reality.” I believe there is more to this art.

The first thing that I believe a YouTuber has to ask himself is “Am I interested in having this video become viral?” If the answer is “Yes”, then person has to create a plan of action that will implement several steps to improve the probability of having the video reach tons of hits in a decent time frame. Let’s keep in mind that it’s very hard to see a video go viral in less than a year. Sure there are “accidental successes”, but generally speaking, it’s a hard milestone.

About five years ago I came across a video called “Castlevania II Angry Nintendo Nerd Review” (or something like that, the name has changed now ever since). The video was a satiric review of all the odd situations and challenges the game Castlevania II had compared to other videogames of the same genre. The YouTuber who produced it -known as the Angry Nintendo Nerd- has now become a famous name, posting more of these rants against both videogames and movies. His first videos had a decent to minimal production value. They were done in a way that the message intended to be transmitted was delivered efficiently. Questions like “Am I saying the right thing“, or “Am I showing the right angle“, didn’t seem to be part of the production equation. That is why his videos felt like a genuine natural expression of his feelings. I believe this is one key element that will allow you to win followers: be genuine.

Instructional videos are another way to generate a viral video, and it’s actually one of my favorites. It is tough though because of two factors: a) you have to be very good in the area you are providing instruction (and compete against existing ones), and b) you have to have decent production values. Depending on the instruction, higher production values may have an edge, though it’s not quite mandatory: there’s a user called patrickJMT who explains math in videos where all he does is film his hand writing on a piece of paper. His drawings aren’t exactly artful, but they aren’t sloppy either, they’re decent/good. His lighting is good and his voice’s tone is good too. More importantly, the examples he uses are perfect, which makes up for a wonderful product. One of his videos has 140,000 views: it is a simple math video of derivatives.

The other group of viral videos is the actual segment of people who upload their videos with the goal of becoming viral. These are the videos I believe follow to the tip each one of the basic recommendations everyone share: “Be yourself”, “Don’t try to force being funny”, “SEO, SEM.” These clips require a lot of effort and dedication, as well as practice and perseverance.

In all, the marketing of a viral video cannot be summarized into a list of tips where the YouTuber must be able to identify the core competencies of their product. Once this is done, then the path will be clear to let things flow naturally, and see the results happen as time goes by.

HR

Seven key factors a great leader should have

By

On March 10, 2012

In General

Throughout contemporary history, there have been thousands of great articles discussing leadership and organizational behavior. In today’s entry, I will add from my experience what are some of the most important factors one must pay attention to when considering executives for leadership positions.

1. Intelligence: A smart person may likely make smart decisions and come up with smart ideas. They don’t have to be a genius. They have to be someone who reunites multiple abilities that allow them to understand situations and all their implications. Warren Buffett is a clear example of an intelligent man who clearly thinks of all possible scenarios and visualizes the future of his investments.

2. Communication: while not a great spokesperson, a good leader has to be able to effectively practice the process of sending and receiving messages between them and the group of people they is working with. The leader has to be an active listener; speak hard when needed and sincerely when required. The leader must manage the different communication levels that exist. Five time World Series Champion New York Yankee’s Joe Torre, and two time UEFA Champions League Champion FC Barcelona’s coach Josep Guardiola always say the right thing at the right time. They also encourage the team to give suggestions and to speak openly and freely at all times.

3. Authority: by this I do not mean either a loud voice or a commanding tone. It’s as simple as being able to make yourself clear to your group, and delivering punctual instructions that are well stated and impeccably transmitted. Bill Gates does not have either a loud or commanding voice, yet everytime I see him I am impressed, as each word that comes out from his mouth is the product of a rationality that commands authority by knowledge.

4. Efficiency: resources won’t be handed easily all the time, nor there will be full availability of them. Some times leaders will have to deal with shortages and/or incomplete tangibles. Those are the occasions when he or she must step in and use the best of anything and everything that is around him or her to reach the desired objectives. Soft-spoken Darwin Smith was able to turn Kimberly Clark into the giant that we know today by using a completely new business model that required to use tools he didn’t have at the time it was developed. I recommend you to dig into his story, and marvel at how efficient the company became under Smith’s tenure.

5. Fairness: never overestimate the people you work with, nor you should ever underestimate them either. Call-out when needed and reward when deserved. Proper management of balance in a team is critical to accomplish goals. Jack Welch has been known to be a prime example of justice and proper leadership. Bottom line is: be fair.

6. Confidence: if there is one aspect that is a powerful force that can drive you to new levels, it’s the trust and belief that you have in yourself. It comes with a combination of skills that include knowledge, logic and rationale, with what perhaps is the most important ingredient, which is self-esteem. Watch Band of Brothers and see how Richard Winters carried himself and his men through the toughest of situations by simply having the confidence of applying what he knew.

7. Innovation: out of the box thinking and developing strategies to implement the dreams you pursue is essential to set a new standard for your group. Don’t be a conformist; instead settle for new challenges every day. That’s what Steve Jobs did.

HR

Facebook’s IPO

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On February 20, 2012

In General

Almost everyone in the business world should be aware of the upcoming IPO of the social network giant called Facebook, while also wondering what is at stake for the future of the social media giant.

There has been a lot of attention towards this event, similarly to how just about a year ago LinkedIn filled for their own IPO, with the stock price eventually performing exactly as it was expected. Tech leaders Google and Apple have been able to surpass their financial goals over time, allowing them to become part of the greatest public offerings of all time.

Financial goals and expectations put aside, the success of Facebook’s IPO depends more on what their next move will be. Back in 2004 when Google went public, they had already began expanding to other areas outside the core business of being a search engine. They figured Google Ads and began laying plans out for products that are have become part of our lives to most of us today, such as Chrome and Analytics. They also bought YouTube and acquired the license for Google Earth. Bottom line is that Google had many doors open and many opportunities, and they took them.

So what will Facebook do? They can’t buy youtube, they can’t create Google Ads or Analytics, or a new LinkedIn. For now they seem to be pretty much on their own. Since they are now going to be a public company, they have to live up to their investors’ expectations. This means that they will have to set goals and new objectives that keep the company growing. If company growth doesn’t happen, the value of the stock will not rise. So I guess this is where the core of the problem is. The solution may then be either buy other companies, or invest heavily in R&D and start developing new technology products.

It is good to become a public company and to raise money from investors. However this move brings responsibilities that are entitled of being a publicly traded company.

Who knows: in a few years, we may be seeing a Facebook browser, or a Facebook cell phone software. Those are the kind of goals they have to work on from now and on.

HR

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