Interesting video regarding  a small cancer research lab that is utilizing open-source sharing and crowd-source sharing to speed up the development of cancer drug treatment production including the research to start several pharmaceutical ventures. Interesting stuff…

Networking is a crucial part to entrepreneurship.  It is often a “who you know” business and industry (if you can call ‘entrepreneurship’ an industry…).   Getting creative may be needed, especially if you are attempting to jump the proverbial ‘line’, striving to meet a much bigger player than yourself.  The below video shares how one gentleman landed a job by getting creative. Now most of you are likely not looking to land a job but the concept is still an interesting and creative way to meet people your looking to connect with!  Check it out:

Getting creative doesn’t always pay off and if you are too creative, it could backfire, but hey, just another risk of the game! read the article from Bnet here.

Malcolm Gladwell shares his thoughts on the importance of passion and attitude in regard to business success.  Do something you are passionate about!!!

eSolar, an Idealab company founded by Bill Gross, is working to introduce and expand its solar-thermal energy solution around the world.  One question I have is what the land-usage efficiency is. That is, how much power is produced per square foot of land it takes up.  This may not be a huge factor as they could simply be built in inhospitable desert climates where land and space is not nearly the concern of local placement.  Just a thought though… if anyone knows more about it, comment and fill me in!

A common thought used when describing the entrepreneurial life is “entrepreneurs like to take risks”.  Well, my friend, the fact is that NO ONE LIKES RISK.  Why would they? The reason some are willing to deal with risk is in hopes of greater reward.  It is the reward they like, not the risk.  Now, the risk may bring a level of exhilaration but ultimately that energy is experienced upon success, not failure.

So how could they trade security for risk, isn’t that gambling? The said truth is if you are asking this question, you are likely blind to the fact that they aren’t.  In fact, entrepreneurs often have more security than a regular wage earner.  I mean, think about it. If the company you work for is struggling, who gets fired first, you or the owner? Now don’t mix this up with any publicly traded behemoth who has a board and such with high CEO turnover. The CEO isn’t the owner anyway, its the shareholder.  The owner holds the cards!! They will always be the last to go, obviously.  Typically, the choice for entrepreneurship is simply a choice or exchange of differing risks, not risk v. security.  This doesn’t mean everyone should start their own gig, many shouldn’t nor have the desire to.  It is, however, a reminder that risk exists even within the big company.

Everyone has job security when times are hot, and that is when no one needs it.  Its when struggle comes that we rely on our security and this is exactly when the behemoth has to cut back (as does the small guy).  When you actually need the security is when you lose it! Employee or employer, we all need to heed that point.  As Daniel Isenberg over at HBR said in a recent article discussing a list of questions you should ask yourself:

“I like to take risks” is not on the list. People don’t choose to be entrepreneurs by opting for a riskier lifestyle. What they do, instead, is reframe the salary vs. entrepreneur choice as between two different sets of risk: the things they don’t like about having a steady job — such as the risk of boredom, working for a bad boss, lack of autonomy, lack of control over your fate, and getting laid off — and the things they fear about being an entrepreneur — possible failure, financial uncertainty, shame or embarrassment, and lost investment. In the end, people who are meant to be entrepreneurs believe that their own abilities (e.g. leadership, resourcefulness, pluck, hard work) or assets (e.g. money, intellectual property, information, access to customers) significantly mitigate the risks of entrepreneurship. Risk is ultimately a personal assessment: what is risky for me is not risky for you.

So… do you want to be an entrepreneur? How do the risks line up for you?

Well, many presenters and pitchers (of ideas that is) have a love affair with keynote or powerpoint.  Sometimes, though, this fetish leaves our presentations wanting and adds pointless “clutter” to the audience experience in the presentation.  One master of the presentation is good ol’ Steve Jobs.  His use of keynote is simple, clean, and powerful, often by leaving nothing but a blank slide on th screen.  That’s right, sometimes its just a nice clean background and thats all.  Other times, its one phrase or a number that he then explains.  It is not meant to compensate but to accentuate.  It is not meant to distract but emphasize and focus.  He often uses pictures and no text at all… Check out the iPad intro:

Sean Silverthorne made the following points regarding the application of Steve Jobs style into our own presentations (get his article here):

1. Does each slide convey just one idea?
2. Are images sometimes used instead of words to convey those ideas?
3. Do the slides make use of empty space?
4. Does the deck sometimes disappear, leaving nothing between you and your audience?
5. Have you minimized bullet lists, distracting effects and eye charts?

Think about these, the next time you are creating your big pitch.  You may use powerpoint but don’t abuse powerpoint…