Apple in 1984

I’m deeply impressed by this video… and by the fact that the leader of the PC revolution, 25 years ago, is the same one as the current leader in the mobile internet revolution.

I recommend the part where Steve Jobs reads a letter he received from the VP of Marketing at McDonalds congratulating him for his strategy (minute 5:33)

I suppose this video is even more shocking when you are born after 1984…

fk the real world

I recommend this video I found in David Reche’s blog.

It’s interesting and fun: David Heinemeier (the Ruby on Rails creator) talking about the real world, ideas, execution and his tips in starting a business (not a startup!).

Some of my notes:

Fact: nobody knows the future.

- It doesn´t help trying to write it down in a paper

Business Plan: if you have to write it´s probably too complex

They’ll tell you “You need documents, DOCUMENTS, DOCUMEENTS!!! otherwise you´re not a real business”

- His Business plan: package up a product that people want enough that they want to pay you. Take profits home and enjoy.

Say NO

There’s not rockstars, what we have is a rockstar environment: we allow people to be the best they can be. We break the fundamental rule of all business policies: we assume that our employees are not liars or stupids. We try to hire reasonable people in the first place

Fuck doing a startup. Start a business!

umbele means “future”

I attach a letter shared by Xavier Sala-i-Martin in Facebook.

Para una tierra feliz y pobre

Recuerdo que mi primera gran impresión al llegar al Senegal (os hablo, como los abuelos, del año 68) la recibí al constatar que la gente reía con frecuencia. Creía hallar un pueblo agobiado, con las orejas gachas y el rabo entre piernas, ¡y los tíos reían cada dos por tres! Pues no veo yo en qué consiste la juerga, pensaba. Aquí hay hambre, enfermedades, mortalidad infantil, inmovilismo económico, cerrazón política, analfabetismo, sin hablar de todo lo demás (uno se sabía al dedillo los datos estadísticos que hacen al caso). ¿Dónde están, entonces, los lamentos y la tristeza congénita de los desamparados?
Lo bueno del caso es que, ni las estadísticas mentían, ni la alegría era falsa. Sencillamente, era una tierra pobre pero feliz; o feliz, aunque pobre.