DISQUS

Unfortunately not. The problem however is not with Amazon. I have got a lot of other books from them in the past. The problem is with the sources for this particular book. Anyway, I have now asked a friend coming from the US to get a copy for me. Thanks for the concern.

Jonathan, I finally gave up! Amazon regretted its inability to send the book to the country of my residence! I can not figure out why! Just about every instituitional investor in the world is beating a straight line here, but Amazon's suppliers do not want to send! Amazon themselves have sent a number of books earlier to me and are willing to send two other books that I wanted, but not this one!

Both the links give "the server not found" message. Shall buy it off Amazon. Thanks.

Jonathan, I am not able to access the book through the link given. I wish to purchase one copy. How can you help?

I wouldn't be quite so hard on Americans. Who can resist the temptation of buying viagra substitute at some ridiculously low price, delivered by mail to your doorstep? No embarrassment nothing!

Another major factor, is that the USA offers the biggest market for spammers! There are people who buy offers sourced via spam mail. This is, I am told, the highest in the USA.

Jonathan, this may be of interest to you. There is a particular piece about Rowling being a fan and regular visitor to the blog but "wants to draw a line" that is curious!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/04/14/row...

This formula is as applicable to running organizations as well. Enough and more has been written about staying with one's core competence. Unfortunately, the focus gets diluted when things are not working out well enough in the early stages of a start up and one starts looking for ways to stay afloat. Such reminders then are very necessary.

I am glad that you posted this article. The change is very refreshing and brings out a different you. Perhaps, next April, you should take the risk and come up with something that will have us wiser and laughing later. Looking forward to your post of the wordcamp.

Ben, thanks for the response.

What the CEO can do, is to consult/discuss with, the employee on his field of expertise, give him the resources to implement what he needs to achieve, monitor his progress regularly, intervene at need to review his requirements of resources, remove obstacles if any, get him to participate in collective decision making, implementation and above all, give him dignity.

I have learned from bitter experience, one major defect of the employer that is likely to happen with a high flier - abdication. That is why I have put in the need to monitor his progress. This is vital. Some of these self motivated employees can and do get carried away with their own sense of indispensability and can cause a great deal of harm, and till their reliability is proven, you need to monitor them. This also establishes connectedness which is a great motivator.

Connectedness, constancy of that connectedness without interference, plenty of encouragement and accepting mistakes as part of the learning and growing process,but clearly communicating that repetition will not be acceptable; and above all, treating the employee with his or her dignity intact, will be the way to go about it.

No Ben, I must disagree. While it is true that a lot of motivation must come from within, if your recruitment has been right, you would have already hired a self starter. It still is the responsibility of the employer to find what will motivate the employee to perform at his peak levels and provide that. I however agree that money plays a much lower part in the package that consists of the various elements of motivation.

All the best for the show.

It is a waste of time, counterproductive and saps your energy which can be better spent trying to find someone else to fund your start up. Such disappointments are part of the game for an entrepreneur who should take it in his stride and keep moving.

The concept is very good and I look forward to seeing the history of blogging soon. I shall shortly visit How To Split An Atom too to check out the site.

Thank you Ben.

Yes, this is a very serious issue for many people who use the SL to make a living. It is perhaps childish to many like me, who visited SL and gave up, but there are others who are in dead earnest. This whole issue can snow ball into a big issue and as Jonathan hints at, it can possibly happen only when there is a mass exodus.

To get people to join you itself is a big problem when you are a start up. The people who join, are usually the type who want to enjoy the excitement that a start up provides. They already have a vested interest to see the start up succeed. They would automatically work much harder than if they were to work in an established set up.

The problem is calling such committed workers as workaholics. They are most likely just wanting to see the starting problems solved and get the business on strong footing.

Very good post Ben. A lot of thought provoking ideas and observations.

And in the meanwhile, I shall wait with bated breath!

Hi there Jonathan, nice to be back. Have been away on some other more important family chores.You will see more of me again.

My problem is nowhere near as big as yours is. I am interested purely for academic reasons! Any technology bashing amuses me!

I think that it is a great presentation. Some of the ideas are just what young entrepreneurs need to learn about from some one like you and I bet they went away from the presentation with more optimism than when they came in!

This is a dilemma faced by all business people. Most failures are due to getting bogged down with day to day details, and not giving the business the strategic thinking that it deserves, primarily due to lack of time, and surprisingly enough, being comfortable in the day to day management.

As a consultant, you will be the first to advise your client to delegate. If it is possible in the start up, why this golden rule cannot be followed is beyond me. If it is a one man operation, the only answer to your question is to play for time to get out of the day to day matters by recruiting some one else to do it and then take off to do what you need to do.

Could not agree more. I wish Alain all the best. I am sorry i am unable to contribute as I am already deeply involved in a MCV in India.

This should do the trick. All the best.

I am a consultant to a start up with similar problems. They came looking for me when they realized that somethings that they could not do, needed to be handed over to a professional. At no great additional fixed cost, they have solved the problem. Both of us understand that I need to train them, and my association with them,is only temporary.
You may wish to do something like this.

What do I think? What you have shown is amazing. I did not know that such a thing existed. With technology at your command and a willingness to test, you cannot go wrong. In an earlier post we had discusses the business start ups and it was mentioned that after the business has been launched, it is all about innovation, constant, unrelenting. You have got it right. All the very best to you Ben.