How Intuit Innovates by Challenging Itself

How Intuit Innovates by Challenging Itself

by Hal Gregersen  |   12:00 PM February 6, 2014

We know that questioning can trigger innovative thinking. But the key—and challenge—to truly changing the status quo is identifying the right question. In a collaboration to determine just how disruptive leaders find these compelling questions, Professor Clayton Christensen and I conducted nearly 40 interviews with renowned global leaders. Read more of this post

Scaling Up is a Problem of Both More and Less

Scaling Up is a Problem of Both More and Less

by Robert I. Sutton  |   8:00 AM February 7, 2014

Huggy Rao and I like to refer to scaling challenges as the “Problem of More” because they always involve getting some existing seed of excellence to take root in more people and more places. The language of “more” pervades discussions of the topic. Ask any group of executives or nonprofit leaders about scaling, run a web search on “scaling” or “taking to scale,” pore over articles, cases, or research on the topic, you’ll find the dominant words and phrases have to do with addition and multiplication: grow, expand, propagate, replicate, amplify, amass, clone, copy, enlarge, magnify, incubate, accelerate, multiply, roll it out to the masses, and so on. Read more of this post

Develop Strategic Thinkers Throughout Your Organization

Develop Strategic Thinkers Throughout Your Organization

by Robert Kabacoff  |   9:00 AM February 7, 2014

In study after study, strategic thinkers are found to be among the most highly effective leaders. And while there is an abundance of courses, books, articles and opinions on the process of strategic planning, the focus is typically on an isolated process that might happen once or twice per year. In contrast, a true strategic leader thinks and acts strategically every day. Read more of this post

CVS’s Lesson: Carpe Diem

CVS’s Lesson: Carpe Diem

by Paul A. Argenti  |   2:12 PM February 7, 2014

When CVS/Caremark announced that it would forego some $2 billion in sales of tobacco and related products recently, CEO Larry J. Merlo stated that: “We came to the decision that providing health care and selling cigarettes just don’t go together in the same setting.” What he did not say, however, is how that laser-like focus on the company’s strategy also turned reputational risk into an opportunity. CVS is now one of a small group of companies that have realized that their reputation is the most valuable asset they have and that building a stronger reputation by avoiding risks to that reputation can create a significant competitive advantage. Let’s look at how these companies are protecting their reputation and brands while enhancing and realizing strategic value from them. Read more of this post

It’s only a matter of time before Netflix tramples HBO globally

It’s only a matter of time before Netflix tramples HBO globally

By John McDuling @jmcduling February 7, 2014

image001-21image002-5

We’ve long argued that Time Warner Inc doth protest too much in its attempts to distance HBO from comparisons to Netflix. But separating the premium channel’s earnings results from its other businesses, which the company did for the first time this week, seems to actively encourage it. Read more of this post

It’s a good thing Pandora didn’t listen to that nonsense about “failing fast”; the company built and serviced a 70 million-person monthly user base, grew to a half a billion in revenue, and went public

It’s a good thing Pandora didn’t listen to that nonsense about “failing fast”

By Max Nisen @MaxNisen February 7, 2014

Many entrepreneurs and tech companies laud the idea of rapidly trying new things and failing fast. But it’s a luxury that most companies can’t afford as well as a waste of time, according to Pandora CTO Tom Conrad. Read more of this post

Heenan Blaikie’s lesson for Bay Street: Change or die; Heenan Blaikie’s sudden demise is a much-needed wake-up call for Canadian law firms, which are chasing too little high-dollar business

Heenan Blaikie’s lesson for Bay Street: Change or die

Drew Hasselback | February 8, 2014 7:00 AM ET

Ralph Lean was enjoying his time at Heenan Blaikie. It was a cosy perch that kept him busy, enabling him to work his Rolodex and, more importantly to him, stick it to anyone who thinks that 68-year-old lawyers are past their best-before date. He aimed to work well into his 70s. He had arrived at Heenan Blaikie just eight months ago, having left his previous Bay Street firm because he had reached mandatory retirement age for an equity partner. Read more of this post

‘It is raw, it is surprising’: How McDonald’s gross McNugget video is becoming the new marketing standard

‘It is raw, it is surprising’: How McDonald’s gross McNugget video is becoming the new marketing standard

Armina Ligaya | February 8, 2014 7:30 AM ET
image001-20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0BwSul2Es

A stark glimpse at how chicken parts, skin and seasonings ground in an industrial-sized steel blender into a pulpy, beige goop eventually become McNuggets has been dubbed marketing genius — but it certainly wasn’t pretty. Read more of this post

Imbalances in hormones causing aging; , we can theoretically get young if we can make the telomere recover by applying growth hormones

2014-02-07 17:44

Imbalances in hormones causing aging
image001-18According to the doctor who specializes in anti-aging, there are around 11 theories on why people get old. Among them, telomere theory, antioxidant theory, neuro-endocrinology, and calorie restriction theory are the ones most actively studied.By Yoon Ja-young
Dreaming of living to be 120 may no longer just be that with the development of medicine and a generally healthier populace. What matters more is how to age healthy. Dr. Lucia Chung, who runs Palm Springs Seoul Clinic in Cheongdam-dong, a branch clinic of the Palm Springs Life Extension Institute in the United States, says anti-aging treatments aim at enabling a healthy life after retirement by restoring balance within our body. Read more of this post

‘Line’ ㅡ two-edged sword for Naver

2014-02-06 17:05

‘Line’ ㅡ two-edged sword for Naver

Firm hires Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan for IPO
By Kim Yoo-chul

image001-17

Naver, Korea’s dominant web portal, has reported impressive earnings for 2013 thanks to robust performance of its free mobile messaging application ― Line. Read more of this post

Horrific corruption: A public servant pocketed as much as 5.8 billion won of taxpayer’s money by stealing the personal data of more than 100,000 citizens held by the government

2014-02-06 17:18

Horrific corruption

A public servant pocketed as much as 5.8 billion won of taxpayer’s money by stealing the personal data of more than 100,000 citizens held by the government. Surprisingly, the official, surnamed Choi, mobilized his brother, daughter and other relatives in this ugly case of fraud. Read more of this post

GS E&C to sell assets to ease cash shortage

2014-02-07 16:25

GS E&C to sell assets to ease cash shortage

By Yi Whan-woo
GS Engineering & Construction (E&C) plans to sell its luxury hotel operator to secure capital and ease a liquidity shortage, the company said Friday. Its debt ratio reached 276.9 percent last year.
The construction arm of GS Group is the biggest shareholder of Parnas Hotel with a 67.56 percent stake. Read more of this post

Would You Lie for Me? If we do not recognize the extent to which our suggestions and actions are likely to affect others’ behavior, we may be careless about the things we say and do. We may fail to speak up for what we think is right

Would You Lie for Me?

FEB. 7, 2014

By VANESSA K. BOHNS

WHAT is the chance that you could get someone to lie for you? What about vandalizing public property at your suggestion?

Most of us assume that others would go along with such schemes only if, on some level, they felt comfortable doing so. If not, they’d simply say “no,” right? Read more of this post

Blazing Trails in Brain Science: Dr. Thomas R. Insel’s twisted path to his role as director of the National Institute of Mental Health is a tour of where psychiatric science has been, where it’s going and why

Blazing Trails in Brain Science

By BENEDICT CAREYFEB. 3, 2014

image001-16

Launch media viewer

Dr. Thomas R. Insel is the longest-serving director of the National Institute of Mental Health since its founder left. Lexey Swall for The New York Times

BETHESDA, Md. — The police arrived at the house just after breakfast, dressed in full riot gear, and set up a perimeter at the front and back. Not long after, animal rights marchers began filling the street: scores of people, young and old, yelling accusations of murder and abuse, invoking Hitler, as neighbors stepped out onto their porches and stared. Read more of this post

Rest, Reflect, Repent: Is the flight from risk a mere moderating of recent raging expectations, or a grave portent?

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Rest, Reflect, Repent

By KOPIN TAN | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

Is the flight from risk a mere moderating of recent raging expectations, or a grave portent?

History repeats itself. Apparently, so do financial markets, because the withdrawal of the Federal Reserve’s easy-money stimulus is provoking a drama we’ve seen before.

You’d think bond prices would droop with the Fed cutting back its third — and biggest — bond-buying program, but the opposite is happening in 2014. As was the case when the first two rounds of quantitative easing ended, bonds have sprung to life, while the yield on 10-year Treasuries has shriveled from 3.03% to 2.68% in five weeks. And while the Standard & Poor’s 500 pulled back just 5.8% before buyers stepped in last week, more than half of the stocks within the index had already corrected more than 10% from their recent peaks. Read more of this post

McDonald’s Opens in Vietnam, Bringing Big Mac to Fans of Banh Mi

McDonald’s Opens in Vietnam, Bringing Big Mac to Fans of Banh Mi

By MIKE IVESFEB. 7, 2014

HANOI, Vietnam — When Nguyen Hoang Anh and Nguyen Thi My Hao started dating, the 23-year-olds agreed to disagree about food: Mr. Anh adores Western-style fast food, but Ms. Hao mainly eats pho, a popular noodle soup, and other northern Vietnamese foods she has loved since childhood. Read more of this post

For Many Older Americans, an Entrepreneurial Path: People in the 55-to-64 age group, one study has found, had the highest rate of business start-ups in the last decade, despite the often difficult task of raising money

For Many Older Americans, an Entrepreneurial Path

By KERRY HANNONFEB. 7, 2014

image001-15

Marilyn Arnold, 66, the founder of Marilyn Arnold Designs, creates keepsakes by converting wedding dresses into decorative pillow covers. Steve Hebert for The New York Times Read more of this post

M&A Funds: Sexy and Steady? The steady increase in M&A activity has many investors wondering how to take advantage of Wall Street’s deal making

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

M&A Funds: Sexy and Steady

By AVI SALZMAN | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

The steady increase in M&A activity has many investors wondering how to take advantage of Wall Street’s deal making. These two funds do it well—but don’t be fooled by the wrapper. These are essentially income funds.

Arbitrage has a risky—even sexy—reputation. In the 2012 film Arbitrage, hedge-fund magnate Richard Gere seduces a mistress, flies on a private jet, and defrauds investors, all in a day’s work. Read more of this post

Why Vietnam is proud of Flappy Bird

Why Vietnam is proud of Flappy Bird

February 7, 2014

by Anh-Minh Do

Flappy Bird, the hottest app coming out of Asia (and possibly the world) at the moment, is from Vietnam. Today, in Vietnam’s startup and tech scene, Flappy Bird marks a major achievement. It’s a moment of pride and triumph for the fledgling community. It’s common to hear someone say “When you ask people about Vietnam, the first thing they remember is the war. I want Vietnam to be known for innovation. I want my product to break that mold and redefine what Vietnam is.” And against the most bizarre and lucky odds, Flappy Bird has done it. Flappy Bird is the most famous piece of Vietnamese software in the world right now. Read more of this post

Master of the Markets: Architect of Intercontinental Exchange, Sprecher conquered Wall Street and the world with a sprawlng empire of trading exchanges and clearing firms.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Master of the Markets

By STEVEN M. SEARS | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

Architect of Intercontinental Exchange, Sprecher conquered Wall Street and the world with a sprawlng empire of trading exchanges and clearing firms.

If Jeffrey Sprecher had built something that captured the public’s imagination, he might be as famous today as Steve Jobs. Like Apple’s late, visionary leader, Sprecher revolutionized a major industry, creating great wealth in the process. But because derivatives exchanges like the Intercontinental Exchange, or ICE, which he founded and runs, fascinate few people outside of the financial markets, Sprecher is largely unknown beyond Wall Street. Indeed, he was unknown to many on Wall Street until ICE, which is based in Atlanta, bought NYSE Euronext, parent of the New York Stock Exchange, last year. Read more of this post

Nielsen has a near monopoly in measuring TV viewership — and a new growth plan; CEO Mitch Barns: “We have products that scale very well.”

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Nielsen’s Measured Approach

By LESLIE P. NORTON | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

Nielsen has a near monopoly in measuring TV viewership — and a new growth plan. Shares could rise 40%.

“Words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality,” the celebrated businessman Harold Geneen once said. That accounts for the enduring popularity of the Nielsen TV ratings system, the flagship product of Nielsen Holdings . Nielsen’s ratings, prized by advertisers, are why the Super Bowl can charge $8 million for a minute of commercials. Nielsen’s enviable client list is topped by customers who’ve used its services for more than 30 years. Read more of this post

Lessons Learned at Harvard: Slammed in the financial crisis, the university’s endowment has been tweaked, in part to add liquidity

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Lessons Learned at Harvard

By ANDREW BARY | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

Slammed in the financial crisis, the university’s endowment has been tweaked, in part to add liquidity.

image001-14

Jane Mendillo has one of the most prominent jobs in the investment world. As the CEO of Harvard Management, she oversees the $32.7 billion Harvard endowment, the largest university endowment in the country. Read more of this post

This Obscure Gas Improves Athletes’ Performance — And It’s Legal For Now

This Obscure Gas Improves Athletes’ Performance — And It’s Legal For Now

THE ECONOMIST

FEB. 7, 2014, 4:57 AM 4,190

XENON is one of the shyest members of the periodic table of the elements. Chemically, it is almost inert, and physically, it makes up only 0.000009% of the atmosphere, so it is not surprising that it was among the last of the naturally occurring elements to be identified, in 1898. Biologically, however, it is not shy at all. In some countries, notably Russia, it is used as an anaesthetic. It is also known to protect body tissues from the effects of low temperatures, lack of oxygen and even physical trauma. In particular, it increases levels of erythropoietin, also known as EPO, a hormone that encourages the formation of red blood cells. Read more of this post

The US Was An Emerging Market In This 209-Year-Old Chart

WILL ORTELINSIDE INVESTING
FEB. 7, 2014, 6:42 PM 2,728 4

It’s easy to forget that business and commerce have been around for a long time, in fact almost as long as civilization itself.

William Playfair—who among other things, invented the bar chart—published a book in 1805 which investigated the causes of decline and fall of wealthy nations. Read more of this post

How To Come Up With A Breakthrough Idea

How To Come Up With A Breakthrough Idea

GEOFFREY JAMESINC.
FEB. 7, 2014, 6:01 PM 1,359

You’re stuck. Really stuck.

Scenario 1: You’ve encountered a problem at work, but all your usual tactics can’t solve it. You sense you need a more creative approach, but your imagination isn’t delivering the goods. What now? Read more of this post

25 Horrible Things That Happen If You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

25 Horrible Things That Happen If You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

LAUREN F FRIEDMAN

FEB. 7, 2014, 12:24 PM 123,817 7

In our 24/7 culture, sleep loss is a major problem. Back in 1942, we averaged almost 8 hours of sleep a night — now that’s down to 6.8. (Seven to 9 hours per night are what’s generally recommended.)

Almost 40% of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep a night, a recent Gallup poll found, and an estimated 70 million Americans have a sleep disorderRead more of this post

Bitcoin Implodes As The World’s Most Famous Exchange Halts All Withdrawals

Bitcoin Implodes As The World’s Most Famous Exchange Halts All Withdrawals
ROB WILE

FEB. 7, 2014, 9:11 AM 41,087 53

Mt. Gox, the Japan-based bitcoin exchange, was forced to halt all Bitcoin withdrawals this morning amid an “increase in withdrawal traffic.”

According to a memo on Mt. Gox’s website, “In order for our team to resolve the withdrawal issue it is necessary for a [temporary] pause on all withdrawal requests to obtain a clear technical view of the current processes. We apologize for the sudden short notice.” Read more of this post

A Walk-Thru The First Shadow Bank Run… 250 Year Ago

A Walk-Thru The First Shadow Bank Run… 250 Year Ago

Tyler Durden on 02/07/2014 15:23 -0500

Plain vanilla bank runs are as old as fractional reserve banking itself, and usually happen just before or during an economic and financial collapse, when all trust (i.e. credit) in counterparties disappears and it is every man, woman and child, and what meager savings they may have, for themselves. However, when it comes to shadow bank runs, which take place when institutions are so mismatched in interest, credit and/or maturity exposure that something just snaps as it did in the hours after the Lehman collapse, that due to the sheer size of their funding exposure that they promptly grind the system to a halt even before conventional banks can open their doors to the general public, the conventional wisdom is that this is a novel development (and one which is largely misunderstood). It isn’t. Read more of this post

Jeremy Grantham’s Investment Lessons Learned From “Mistakes Made Over 47 Years” – Chapter 1

Jeremy Grantham’s Investment Lessons Learned From “Mistakes Made Over 47 Years” – Chapter 1

Tyler Durden on 02/07/2014 18:01 -0500

From GMO’s Jeremy Grantham

Investment Lessons Learned: Mistakes Made Over 47 Years

Chapter 1 (the first of several future chapters)

When I was a teenager, my parents had their friends over on most Sundays for a drink. (Actually, it was a 1950’s version of “a few drinks.”) During these sessions I was impressed by the confident expressions of current and future success laid out by my stepfather’s closest friend. His firm was a manufacturer of scaffolding, a  patented easily-assembled variety, for which he was the main international salesman. After two or three years I could stand it no longer and at 16, because my parents did not invest in the market and for lack of a better idea, I arrived at a bank branch in a south London suburb with the bank book from my “home safe account,” which was designed for children’s savings and which I had had for as long as I could remember. Asking to see the branch manager, I surprised and amused him by asking for his help in investing everything in my account – £16. I remember the investment well: Acrow A shares. It was his first experience with investing for a home safe account but he could see no problem and without parental confirmation or any fuss at all did the trade. And so my first commission was paid out. And, by the way, £16 was a lot. I had been extremely frugal. (The exchange rate was 4:1 and $64 of buying power in 1954 translates to about $560 today.) Read more of this post

Presenting China’s Largest Shadow Bank

Presenting China’s Largest Shadow Bank

Tyler Durden on 02/07/2014 18:35 -0500

Submitted by Nicholas Borst via The Peterson Institute blog,

Shadow banks in China come in a variety of forms and guises. The term is applied to everything from trust companies and wealth management products to pawnshops and underground lenders. What surprising is that China’s biggest shadow bank is actually a creation of the central government and receives billions in financing directly from the banks.  Even more interesting, this shadow bank recently pulled off a successful international IPO where it raised billions of dollars. Read more of this post