Banner
Yes, We’re Living Inside A Simulation

...

Reporting Live From The SmartZero City Conference, Taipei

What are sustainable cities, and can we build them? I put my Institute Fellows’ decades of experience...

Something Happened In Silicon Valley

...

Lost In Austin - The Evolution Of An American City

       The book is author Alex Hannaford’s lament about changes in Austin...

User picture.
picture for Hontas Farmerpicture for Hank Campbellpicture for Wes Sturdevantpicture for Helen Barrattpicture for Steve Donaldsonpicture for Patrick Lockerby
Fred PhillipsRSS Feed of this column.

After a dozen years as a market research executive, Fred Phillips was professor, dean, and vice provost at a variety of universities in the US, Europe, and South America. He is now Visiting Professor... Read More »

 Blogroll
Ten Commandments For Tech Companies

Ten Commandments For Tech Companies

Oct 14 2012 | comment(s)


1. Thou shalt not screw thine early adopters. They made thou what thou art, even showing patience with thine inattention to upward compatibility. Yea, though they paid high early prices, thou hast refused them free upgrades. Now as they glance at their boxes of obsolete connectors, power sources, software and disk drives, they plan to make their next purchases from thine upstart competitor.
Social Engineering

Social Engineering

Jul 26 2012 | comment(s)

Prior to World War II and dating back to the 1890s, the phrases “social technology” and “social engineering” carried strong connotations of central planning. This became particularly true in the Soviet Union, where the terms appeared in various tracts.
Taking Headhunters To The Woodshed

Taking Headhunters To The Woodshed

Jun 06 2012 | comment(s)


I started a new job this spring. After a long search in a tough market, I landed my dream job as a senior professor and administrator at a top research university – a university that did not retain a headhunter for its search.

Talks at other schools had progressed to first or second interviews before fizzling, and they fizzled due to the ineptitude of the universities’ search firms. The headhunters deserve a whipping, and this column administers ten lashes.
Why The Future Of E-business Is R-business

Why The Future Of E-business Is R-business

May 07 2012 | comment(s)

I make the case for replacing business executives with robots.*† This is no smart-ass slur on the intellects of executives. A transformation of business soon will be upon us. In the transformed enterprises, robots will take on more and more business decisions. Humans will retain a smaller but still crucially important role.

The argument involves ‘real options’ and ‘agency theory.’ Explaining them is simple, though lengthy. So let’s get started, using an illustrative example:
An opportunity requires Rineu Corporation to invest $10,000 now, with an assured first-year cash flow of $6,000. The second-year cash flow is uncertain with a 50-50 chance of either a $15,000 gain or a $5,000 loss.
Money For Startups: Endangered Specie?

Money For Startups: Endangered Specie?

Feb 13 2012 | comment(s)


For innovative and high-tech startups that need financing, a worldwide drought is in the offing.

Coming shortage of equity investment

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor reports a surge in early-stage entrepreneurial activity worldwide in 2011. Over 12 percent of US adults started a business in that year, compared to less than 8 percent in 2010. Entrepreneurship increased in three fourths of the developed countries GEM studied. Even in China and other countries where entrepreneurship was already high, entrepreneurial participation jumped 25% in 2011 [Klein].

Some reports show US venture capital funding 22 percent above 2010 levels [Bigelow]. Other news stories paint the Austin VC market as hot. And yet...
The Flying Professor -Part II: Before you leave home

The Flying Professor -Part II: Before you leave home

Jan 12 2012 | comment(s)

Part I listed often-overlooked things that when taken along make your trip comfortable, safe, and productive. Part II looks at tasks you’ll find helpful to do before leaving for the airport. As before, I do not get kickbacks from any products mentioned.

Twelve to 24 hours before departing for places exotic: