When they buy a company that did invent something, they create an incentive for the next inventor to form a company and sell out to Google.
Most inventors want to invent, not create companies. Inventing doesn't pay very well, but if you can hold out long enough, you can make it big. At least that's the mythology.
For the last 20 years or so, I've worked at places that needed card key access, but the card just unlocked the door.
Make the door open itself after authenticating and authorizing. You should be able to put the card key in your hip pocket, and get through the door w/o touching it.
Not only will you be able to go though the door with both hands full, but you will be cut the transmission of diseases.
I've seen projects at many places where once the sales guys have cleared their cheque, nobody keeps tabs on what it really cost to deliver what was sold. And I know for a fact that in many places, it ended up costing more in the long run than the revenue.
Most places are like this, but even if they put in a control like "Check Clearance + 90 days", the salespeople can adjust things so that they don't go south for 90 days. Remember, good sales people are master manipulators. Sales will always maximize its own benefits, if you try to rein them in, great sales people will just leave for another company that pays better. (If we follow the article's author's advice, we'd just fire all those pesky sales people, since they're in it for themselves, not the good of the company)
If you can give him his own domain where he heads a small department, you could still get almost 1000 units of value from him, but keep him away from everyone else. This would also keep him from starting a competing firm.
The writer is simply pointing out that just because someone provides a near-superhuman performance early on in a company does not mean the company owes them any loyalty: Once their usefulness has passed, kick them out the door.
And then they go on to a competitor and design a better product.
Microsoft has been known to crush competitors just by hiring away all their best engineers. They get millions in salary, but don't do anything at MS except watch their former employers die.
Instead of firing your Brilliant Jerks, better to put them to pasture where they can't do any harm, throw them some oats, and see if anything comes of it.
Since they are all doctors, it seems that any of them could have stepped up the the plate and done what he did. Perhaps not as effectively, so revenue might be a little off, but so what, if it makes it a better place to work.
If you are running a startup, and you fire your star designer, you have better be able to coast for a long time on existing products. It's like a rock band firing the lead singer/writer. Yes it's been done, but mostly you're going to fade to obscurity.
"That's doesn't suck" was apparently high praise from Mr. Jobs. Many have described him as abrasive.
The thing is, Mr. Jobs set the goals. If he pissed people off and accomplished his goals, Apple made money.
It's more important that everyone's goals are aligned. I'd fire someone whose goals were 180 degrees apart from mine any day, whether they were a jerk or not. It's just easier to fire the jerk.
In the article, he doesn't demonstrate that firing the jerk early would have stopped the "poaching employees, helping competitors and starting legal battles" If they had fired him too early, the missing revenue might have doomed the company anyway.
I define Brilliant Jerks as specialized, high-producing performers. They are not, however, brilliant business people
Seriously, he's never met a brilliant jerk MBA business guy? He needs to get out more. Many business types are jerks, some are even very talented and smart.
Will the rulemaking process start on time, or will a TSA dog eat the proposed rule in late March and force further delay?"
For the answer to this, just ask if there is any penalty to any decision maker at the TSA sufficient to motivate them? If so, it will start on time. If not...
I'm sure SceneTap will start selling a similar service to "mask", a user, and tell them where the best bar to go is to *not* get hit on. Just like the telephone company publishes a directory, and charges people to *not* be listed.
Make an app that can tell me what pheromones are floating around. Using predictive technology that knows how hot the user is how hot the appropriate sex at the bar is, and how hot the competition is, the app could determine, to great precision, how likely you are to get laid.
B.t.w. There really was a 50's science fiction short story about an inventor that made just such a device, although you had to carry it into the bar, it wasn't remote. (Don't remember the name or the collection)
I would think that Toyota could figure out how to make the engine/generator a swapable unit, so that people could just buy a hybrid without it. Then you put in a 3rd party battery configured to the same space as the engine/generator, et viola, a pure electric vehicle. (Perhaps it is, and they are just not advertising it)
I'm really not sure what you're talking about with your "Two, separate, operations" but assignment and comparison are definitely related to regular people. If you tell someone that something is being made the same as another they assume the two things are equal.
Try telling a carpenter that measuring a piece of lumber is the same as cutting it. Yes, after you cut a board at 6 feet, you expect it to be 6 feet, but you might measure it anyway.
Here's an article that references a paper about this problem. Basically after teaching a group of incoming CompSci students 56% hadn't been able to form a mental model of how assignment worked, and of those that could, some had a wrong model.
The same in Australia, but really it's just words.
Really? I though that actual taxes were still flowing from Canada and Australia to England to help pay for the royal family. Or do Australian taxes only pay for royal visits to Australia?
Even if it's just a small amount, isn't some tax money forceably taken from some people less well off than the royalty, and given to the Queen and crew just because they were born into the right family?
A network's value grows exponentially with the number of nodes. The US postal system is codified into the constitution because of this. e.g. Since "everyone"* can get a USPS address, the legislature can make laws that say sending a piece of mail is sufficient to pay a bill or notify someone.
If everyone* can get internet access and it's easy enough for anyone to use, then governments and people can fulfill their legal requirements for notification by setting up a website, or posting to one.
B.t.w If you eat, you are involved in agriculture. Most agriculture takes place in rural settings.
*For sufficiently large definiations of "everyone".
How exactly does that happen? why are two such liberal left leaning countries currently sat with governments that lean so far to the right?
Both countries have figured out how to use the political system as a dumping ground for their more annoying and vocal citizens. Can stand your neighbor? Convince him to run for office and go away. (Probably not a great policy in the long run, but it eliminates the immediate problem.)
Education so they don't get knocked up in the first place. I'm not sure how you address famine by increasing the rates of overpopulation.
Increased certainty.
By making family planning realistic, and less of a crapshoot, 3rd world women don't have to have as many babies.
Subsistence farmers have always had to maximize the number of children in order to survive.
"then" is not a valid keyword in too many though. In all seriousness though, if you want conciseness in your programming language (I certainly do) assignment and equality comparison are probably going to be similar because they are closely related concept.
That's the problem with teaching the concept. Assignment as a concept isn't the same as comparison to regular people.
Imagine a set of letter slots. Assignment is putting a letter into a slot. Comparasion is looking into that slot. Two, separate, operations. You don't even need eyes to put a letter in the slot, but to read that letter does.
B.t.w. I was writing in pseudo-code, not a real language. Most BASICs have a "then" keyword. Some require the "LET" operator to do an assignment, some don't.
Assuming your fine with unpromotable, how are you with 'must be on call 24/365'?
I've lived it, the one thing worse for your stress then taking a promotion you don't want, is having 'them' put the worst air thief in the organization into the position to punish you for not taking the promotion. Now you have to manage the manager and the team without any authority just as self preservation.
That's when you take a lateral, a job that you can do, but pays the same, either within the same company, or a new more exciting employer.
Going from a bad job to a higher position that you can't do, isn't healthy. But, if you are close to retirement, and can stick it out, the promotion might get you there quicker.
Basically, when faced with "Damned if you do", "Damned if you don't", choose the option that pays the most. However, if and only if you are comfortable, think long and hard about a job that pays more, but makes you unhappy.
Slashdot Mirror
When they buy a company that did invent something, they create an incentive for the next inventor to form a company and sell out to Google.
Most inventors want to invent, not create companies. Inventing doesn't pay very well, but if you can hold out long enough, you can make it big. At least that's the mythology.
as experience seems to suggest... the goal is the opposite of what is projected..
Not trying to be a troll, it just so much anymore the end result of claims is the opposite.
Given the fuzzy nature of philosophy and ethics, the goal of this institute is most likely to employ philosophers and ethicists.
Actually solving any problems will be left as an exercise to the readers.
For the last 20 years or so, I've worked at places that needed card key access, but the card just unlocked the door.
Make the door open itself after authenticating and authorizing. You should be able to put the card key in your hip pocket, and get through the door w/o touching it.
Not only will you be able to go though the door with both hands full, but you will be cut the transmission of diseases.
I've seen projects at many places where once the sales guys have cleared their cheque, nobody keeps tabs on what it really cost to deliver what was sold. And I know for a fact that in many places, it ended up costing more in the long run than the revenue.
Most places are like this, but even if they put in a control like "Check Clearance + 90 days", the salespeople can adjust things so that they don't go south for 90 days. Remember, good sales people are master manipulators. Sales will always maximize its own benefits, if you try to rein them in, great sales people will just leave for another company that pays better. (If we follow the article's author's advice, we'd just fire all those pesky sales people, since they're in it for themselves, not the good of the company)
Yes, good analysis.
If you can give him his own domain where he heads a small department, you could still get almost 1000 units of value from him, but keep him away from everyone else. This would also keep him from starting a competing firm.
The writer is simply pointing out that just because someone provides a near-superhuman performance early on in a company does not mean the company owes them any loyalty: Once their usefulness has passed, kick them out the door.
And then they go on to a competitor and design a better product.
Microsoft has been known to crush competitors just by hiring away all their best engineers. They get millions in salary, but don't do anything at MS except watch their former employers die.
Instead of firing your Brilliant Jerks, better to put them to pasture where they can't do any harm, throw them some oats, and see if anything comes of it.
The advantage to putting him to pasture is it keeps this person from starting a competing firm, and stealing you business.
Cray Computer Inc was started this way. Seymore Cray needed his independence, so CDC finanaced him. When Cray made money, they made money.
Since they are all doctors, it seems that any of them could have stepped up the the plate and done what he did. Perhaps not as effectively, so revenue might be a little off, but so what, if it makes it a better place to work.
If you are running a startup, and you fire your star designer, you have better be able to coast for a long time on existing products. It's like a rock band firing the lead singer/writer. Yes it's been done, but mostly you're going to fade to obscurity.
"That's doesn't suck" was apparently high praise from Mr. Jobs. Many have described him as abrasive.
The thing is, Mr. Jobs set the goals. If he pissed people off and accomplished his goals, Apple made money.
It's more important that everyone's goals are aligned. I'd fire someone whose goals were 180 degrees apart from mine any day, whether they were a jerk or not. It's just easier to fire the jerk.
In the article, he doesn't demonstrate that firing the jerk early would have stopped the "poaching employees, helping competitors and starting legal battles" If they had fired him too early, the missing revenue might have doomed the company anyway.
I define Brilliant Jerks as specialized, high-producing performers. They are not, however, brilliant business people
Seriously, he's never met a brilliant jerk MBA business guy? He needs to get out more. Many business types are jerks, some are even very talented and smart.
Worked for Apple Computer Inc.
Will the rulemaking process start on time, or will a TSA dog eat the proposed rule in late March and force further delay?"
For the answer to this, just ask if there is any penalty to any decision maker at the TSA sufficient to motivate them? If so, it will start on time. If not...
I'm sure SceneTap will start selling a similar service to "mask", a user, and tell them where the best bar to go is to *not* get hit on. Just like the telephone company publishes a directory, and charges people to *not* be listed.
Make an app that can tell me what pheromones are floating around. Using predictive technology that knows how hot the user is how hot the appropriate sex at the bar is, and how hot the competition is, the app could determine, to great precision, how likely you are to get laid.
B.t.w. There really was a 50's science fiction short story about an inventor that made just such a device, although you had to carry it into the bar, it wasn't remote. (Don't remember the name or the collection)
Not if you are a Universalist. All religions are correct. Even the ones that say Universalists are incorrect.
... at the same time.
An infinite, onmipotent God is big enough to be an Atheist, Baptist, Catholic, Pastafarian, Hindu, Moslem,
When you get to heaven/hell, you get a private heaven/hell, created just for you, with exactly what you expect. So does everyone else.
I would think that Toyota could figure out how to make the engine/generator a swapable unit, so that people could just buy a hybrid without it. Then you put in a 3rd party battery configured to the same space as the engine/generator, et viola, a pure electric vehicle. (Perhaps it is, and they are just not advertising it)
I'm really not sure what you're talking about with your "Two, separate, operations" but assignment and comparison are definitely related to regular people. If you tell someone that something is being made the same as another they assume the two things are equal.
Try telling a carpenter that measuring a piece of lumber is the same as cutting it. Yes, after you cut a board at 6 feet, you expect it to be 6 feet, but you might measure it anyway.
Here's an article that references a paper about this problem. Basically after teaching a group of incoming CompSci students 56% hadn't been able to form a mental model of how assignment worked, and of those that could, some had a wrong model.
The same in Australia, but really it's just words.
Really? I though that actual taxes were still flowing from Canada and Australia to England to help pay for the royal family. Or do Australian taxes only pay for royal visits to Australia?
Even if it's just a small amount, isn't some tax money forceably taken from some people less well off than the royalty, and given to the Queen and crew just because they were born into the right family?
A network's value grows exponentially with the number of nodes. The US postal system is codified into the constitution because of this. e.g. Since "everyone"* can get a USPS address, the legislature can make laws that say sending a piece of mail is sufficient to pay a bill or notify someone.
If everyone* can get internet access and it's easy enough for anyone to use, then governments and people can fulfill their legal requirements for notification by setting up a website, or posting to one.
B.t.w If you eat, you are involved in agriculture. Most agriculture takes place in rural settings.
*For sufficiently large definiations of "everyone".
How exactly does that happen? why are two such liberal left leaning countries currently sat with governments that lean so far to the right?
Both countries have figured out how to use the political system as a dumping ground for their more annoying and vocal citizens. Can stand your neighbor? Convince him to run for office and go away. (Probably not a great policy in the long run, but it eliminates the immediate problem.)
"Invasive" ultrasound can be used to break up kidney stones. Much, much, louder than the imaging version.
Market it as a veterinary device.
Education so they don't get knocked up in the first place. I'm not sure how you address famine by increasing the rates of overpopulation.
Increased certainty.
By making family planning realistic, and less of a crapshoot, 3rd world women don't have to have as many babies.
Subsistence farmers have always had to maximize the number of children in order to survive.
"then" is not a valid keyword in too many though. In all seriousness though, if you want conciseness in your programming language (I certainly do) assignment and equality comparison are probably going to be similar because they are closely related concept.
That's the problem with teaching the concept. Assignment as a concept isn't the same as comparison to regular people.
Imagine a set of letter slots. Assignment is putting a letter into a slot. Comparasion is looking into that slot. Two, separate, operations. You don't even need eyes to put a letter in the slot, but to read that letter does.
B.t.w. I was writing in pseudo-code, not a real language. Most BASICs have a "then" keyword. Some require the "LET" operator to do an assignment, some don't.
Assuming your fine with unpromotable, how are you with 'must be on call 24/365'?
I've lived it, the one thing worse for your stress then taking a promotion you don't want, is having 'them' put the worst air thief in the organization into the position to punish you for not taking the promotion. Now you have to manage the manager and the team without any authority just as self preservation.
That's when you take a lateral, a job that you can do, but pays the same, either within the same company, or a new more exciting employer.
Going from a bad job to a higher position that you can't do, isn't healthy. But, if you are close to retirement, and can stick it out, the promotion might get you there quicker.
Basically, when faced with "Damned if you do", "Damned if you don't", choose the option that pays the most. However, if and only if you are comfortable, think long and hard about a job that pays more, but makes you unhappy.