In Japan, "I Lohas" (Coca-Cola) became the market leader (in a very competitive market space) in 2 weeks with selling the same thing that everyone else is selling... only slightly different. By giving a feeling of "Im kind of recycling - saving the Earth on my terms", the product has been hugely successful. Here is more on the campaign (link).
Entrepreneurship and The Great Financial System Swindle
If you haven't still fully understood whats going on in the world of economics, then take a look at those videos.
If you think this is another "great story", then look here also: http://www.my2012.4t.com/index_1.html
The documentary itself is quite an eyeopener and I've found myself watching it many times thinking if the system was created out of extreme form of ignorance or the worst evil in a human form. History only knows, but sadly our generation has to deal with the consequences.
Looking back at 2009, where countries like Iceland, Latvia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria etc etc already went literally bust, one can only guess that the next wave is around 2-3 years time away, as nothing was really solved this time. The monetary system works exactly as it used to and obviously the banks got a lot of more power than ever before. Just to stress this again, entire COUNTRIES of people went bankrupt.
The system to slave people for the bank works like a Swiss clock. Economy goes down due to it's cyclical nature, a lot of people loose their jobs, cant pay back loan, property goes to bank, economy goes up for a while, a new bunch of people take a lot of loans and buy houses, bank resells property to the new kids against a new loan, economy goes down again, more people cant pay back the loan, more property goes to the bank etc etc. It's not a zero sum game and in the end of the day, the few on top win the prize (or already won actually).
In this context also, think now about the concept of Micro-Credit Lending, I get the creeps honestly... poorer become poorer and I've seen some pretty poor people... On top of that the average micro loan is given out probably with 20% to 30% interest rates. Sounds more like "I don't have anything, but I am willing to give my life to the bank in exchange of debt" deal. Back when I was a kid, that would have been awesome cartoon material for "The Devils New Adventures" :D
Not to be the chipsy on the street corner, but I can see a new potential era of socialism evolving after the next economic downturn, like previously in the history. Unfortunately the Nazis and Soviet Union systems didn't really nail it, so the "ordinary" person might just be better off with securing a gun, bunker and a years stock of canned food :D
So What...
I believe this topic is important for 3 reasons to understand:
1. If you're a banker, maybe you want to reconsider your career choice... No disrespect at all (we're all part of it), but probably your talents would be better in use somewhere else and not working directly to feed the machine. Unfortunately its too sexy to work for a bank nowadays, so Ill leave you with an alternative of a picture to memorize (Who said Farming is not Sexy?):
But jokes aside, there are other banking systems than you commonly might have not known, for example: http://commongoodbank.com.
Unless... :) you are one of those guys who own the ECB and US Federal Bank and just enjoy the game (possibly some major Karma debt involved!)
2. Though its a good idea to make peace with the thought that we are all part of a clever system. If you're not a banker and do something you truly Enjoy, by all means spread the Love. There is nothing more beautiful than a person who really enjoys what he/she does and it has a tremendous affect on the surrounding people. The energy we create with enjoyment and a fulfilled life is far beyond any swindling and financial genius.
OR
3. Work the system and earn as much money as humanly possible to posses a truckload of someone else's "debt" and lateron make some good use of it. To me, entrepreneurship seems like the only moral way to play the system... Time will tell :)
If you think this is another "great story", then look here also: http://www.my2012.4t.com/index_1.html
The documentary itself is quite an eyeopener and I've found myself watching it many times thinking if the system was created out of extreme form of ignorance or the worst evil in a human form. History only knows, but sadly our generation has to deal with the consequences.
Looking back at 2009, where countries like Iceland, Latvia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria etc etc already went literally bust, one can only guess that the next wave is around 2-3 years time away, as nothing was really solved this time. The monetary system works exactly as it used to and obviously the banks got a lot of more power than ever before. Just to stress this again, entire COUNTRIES of people went bankrupt.
The system to slave people for the bank works like a Swiss clock. Economy goes down due to it's cyclical nature, a lot of people loose their jobs, cant pay back loan, property goes to bank, economy goes up for a while, a new bunch of people take a lot of loans and buy houses, bank resells property to the new kids against a new loan, economy goes down again, more people cant pay back the loan, more property goes to the bank etc etc. It's not a zero sum game and in the end of the day, the few on top win the prize (or already won actually).
In this context also, think now about the concept of Micro-Credit Lending, I get the creeps honestly... poorer become poorer and I've seen some pretty poor people... On top of that the average micro loan is given out probably with 20% to 30% interest rates. Sounds more like "I don't have anything, but I am willing to give my life to the bank in exchange of debt" deal. Back when I was a kid, that would have been awesome cartoon material for "The Devils New Adventures" :D
Not to be the chipsy on the street corner, but I can see a new potential era of socialism evolving after the next economic downturn, like previously in the history. Unfortunately the Nazis and Soviet Union systems didn't really nail it, so the "ordinary" person might just be better off with securing a gun, bunker and a years stock of canned food :D
So What...
I believe this topic is important for 3 reasons to understand:
1. If you're a banker, maybe you want to reconsider your career choice... No disrespect at all (we're all part of it), but probably your talents would be better in use somewhere else and not working directly to feed the machine. Unfortunately its too sexy to work for a bank nowadays, so Ill leave you with an alternative of a picture to memorize (Who said Farming is not Sexy?):
But jokes aside, there are other banking systems than you commonly might have not known, for example: http://commongoodbank.com.
Unless... :) you are one of those guys who own the ECB and US Federal Bank and just enjoy the game (possibly some major Karma debt involved!)
2. Though its a good idea to make peace with the thought that we are all part of a clever system. If you're not a banker and do something you truly Enjoy, by all means spread the Love. There is nothing more beautiful than a person who really enjoys what he/she does and it has a tremendous affect on the surrounding people. The energy we create with enjoyment and a fulfilled life is far beyond any swindling and financial genius.
OR
3. Work the system and earn as much money as humanly possible to posses a truckload of someone else's "debt" and lateron make some good use of it. To me, entrepreneurship seems like the only moral way to play the system... Time will tell :)
The Loneliness Business
In many ways we live in a world of extreme blindness and despair. Marketers and admen have created a world of constant craving for more and the feeling of unrest when a human being is bored.
We can make you look desperately for a moisturizer when your skin is dry. We can tell you you're a fat looser, a misfit of the community while living with your mom and being 30. We can kill whales and make it look good. We can agree you to get lung cancer while looking fashionable. We can make you think buying love while sending your sister to Fiji. Most of all, we can make you feel good when your down, so you will get addicted. Advertisement is the best man made drug you have ever tried and never realised you're buying.
First off. What is Loneliness?
Life is very lonely, lets get this straight. You are all alone out here and nobody understands you. Let me stress this again, there is NOBODY in this world who really understands YOU, nobody. You can think of this as negativity, if it pleases you, or open yourself to a totally different realm of self by accepting that simple truth. Accepting lonely will make life a wonderful journey.
We can try to understand each others words at an intellectual level, but it is a very narrow perspective of life what we are able to put into words, and it always misses the single most important thing - the real comparative experience. Sure, one might think, when I have had done skydiving and you have done skydiving then we have something common to share, but the brutal truth is that the sharing goes only as far as words. Verbalizing is like looking at an amazing sea of vast variety with binoculars. One can never understand another on the deepest level.
That beign said, loneliness is ok. It is our most natural state of being and it is a good idea to accept it, otherwise you can find your life like a hamster running a constant wheel of trying to fulfill a well marketed hole with no bottom. Back many years ago, obviously marketers figured it also out - when you bring people away from the one thing that is truly inspirational in life, lets call it the loneliness state, then the human mind will be a perfect zombie to sell stuff to and will feed himself out of the everlasting desire to ask for more. Thus a model was created, where economy is built on the constant desire of people to fullfill themselves with goods they dont need and being restless when there is nothing "to do".
But...How do you market Loneliness?
Back in the good old days (or in "wild" category countries still), you went to a guy with: "Friend, my best friend of all times, also known as BFF, take my good advice and buy my cattle. You will become more powerful in our village and the folks (man thinks of folks=women) will adore you for your riches. Why leave money lying around if you can make it grow. Imagine a seed that has not been planted into soil my friend, what good is it to you. More cattle will help you become a more powerful man in our village and earn more respect".
In Translation:
- You need more, because it makes you a greater man.
- More stuff = You will have bigger chances of surviving in this world. You will be more popular among females, thus having greater chances for reproduction.
Well now... we have mass media delivering such messages in the speed of light and tons of it every day. Here is a little taste for you. Pay attention how cool is to spread misery, when youre lonely and the desire for understanding!
In Translation:
- Its cool to crave for somebody and its not ok to be lonely and accept it. Seek for somebody who understands you and you will find happiness.
So whats the point?
When a consumer is at that stage, where he feels it is very ok to spread the message of his misery, always seek to escape the lonely in exchange for happiness and pollute the world with piles of shameless verbal shit, marketing becomes very easy. Especially goods like movies, music records, apparel, alcohol, cigarettes and luxury sales will increase manyfold and instantly. After all, you dont want to look lame and lonely. Its about fashionably lonely and spreading the news "I feel like shit today, nobody understands me".
Lets have another example...
In Translation:
- "I just want somebody to Love"
- "I dont need nothing else, I just need somebody to Love"
Again, crave for understanding, because we have an assumption that people in Love understand each other, which is almost never true. Love, in 99% of the cases is just fear of being lonely, fear of not being able to reproduce in this world. Think about the moment what we call "in Love" and the fact how desperate that moment is. It is a very narrow one sided street, where a person has become literally blind by fear. Hardly, it has to do anything with actually caring about the world or anybody else besides yourself.
Were all Doomed?
In one hand, all of this makes me quite sad, at the same time, it defines What value can I really bring to this world. Step by step, open myself to the world and accept lonely and all there is, then person by person, support others to become aware. Life is wonderful experince.
We can make you look desperately for a moisturizer when your skin is dry. We can tell you you're a fat looser, a misfit of the community while living with your mom and being 30. We can kill whales and make it look good. We can agree you to get lung cancer while looking fashionable. We can make you think buying love while sending your sister to Fiji. Most of all, we can make you feel good when your down, so you will get addicted. Advertisement is the best man made drug you have ever tried and never realised you're buying.
First off. What is Loneliness?
Life is very lonely, lets get this straight. You are all alone out here and nobody understands you. Let me stress this again, there is NOBODY in this world who really understands YOU, nobody. You can think of this as negativity, if it pleases you, or open yourself to a totally different realm of self by accepting that simple truth. Accepting lonely will make life a wonderful journey.
We can try to understand each others words at an intellectual level, but it is a very narrow perspective of life what we are able to put into words, and it always misses the single most important thing - the real comparative experience. Sure, one might think, when I have had done skydiving and you have done skydiving then we have something common to share, but the brutal truth is that the sharing goes only as far as words. Verbalizing is like looking at an amazing sea of vast variety with binoculars. One can never understand another on the deepest level.
That beign said, loneliness is ok. It is our most natural state of being and it is a good idea to accept it, otherwise you can find your life like a hamster running a constant wheel of trying to fulfill a well marketed hole with no bottom. Back many years ago, obviously marketers figured it also out - when you bring people away from the one thing that is truly inspirational in life, lets call it the loneliness state, then the human mind will be a perfect zombie to sell stuff to and will feed himself out of the everlasting desire to ask for more. Thus a model was created, where economy is built on the constant desire of people to fullfill themselves with goods they dont need and being restless when there is nothing "to do".
But...How do you market Loneliness?
Back in the good old days (or in "wild" category countries still), you went to a guy with: "Friend, my best friend of all times, also known as BFF, take my good advice and buy my cattle. You will become more powerful in our village and the folks (man thinks of folks=women) will adore you for your riches. Why leave money lying around if you can make it grow. Imagine a seed that has not been planted into soil my friend, what good is it to you. More cattle will help you become a more powerful man in our village and earn more respect".
In Translation:
- You need more, because it makes you a greater man.
- More stuff = You will have bigger chances of surviving in this world. You will be more popular among females, thus having greater chances for reproduction.
Well now... we have mass media delivering such messages in the speed of light and tons of it every day. Here is a little taste for you. Pay attention how cool is to spread misery, when youre lonely and the desire for understanding!
In Translation:
- Its cool to crave for somebody and its not ok to be lonely and accept it. Seek for somebody who understands you and you will find happiness.
So whats the point?
When a consumer is at that stage, where he feels it is very ok to spread the message of his misery, always seek to escape the lonely in exchange for happiness and pollute the world with piles of shameless verbal shit, marketing becomes very easy. Especially goods like movies, music records, apparel, alcohol, cigarettes and luxury sales will increase manyfold and instantly. After all, you dont want to look lame and lonely. Its about fashionably lonely and spreading the news "I feel like shit today, nobody understands me".
Lets have another example...
In Translation:
- "I just want somebody to Love"
- "I dont need nothing else, I just need somebody to Love"
Again, crave for understanding, because we have an assumption that people in Love understand each other, which is almost never true. Love, in 99% of the cases is just fear of being lonely, fear of not being able to reproduce in this world. Think about the moment what we call "in Love" and the fact how desperate that moment is. It is a very narrow one sided street, where a person has become literally blind by fear. Hardly, it has to do anything with actually caring about the world or anybody else besides yourself.
Were all Doomed?
In one hand, all of this makes me quite sad, at the same time, it defines What value can I really bring to this world. Step by step, open myself to the world and accept lonely and all there is, then person by person, support others to become aware. Life is wonderful experince.
No Facebook Week: So?
Now its been a week with no Facebook and its been quite enlightening :)
Something I noticed meanwhile:
1. I had more moments of peace in the process. Especially the first couple of days, as the pattern of a habit was broken and the mind was not on autopilot. Which lead me to the conclusion that a life full of routine might just aswell mean going to sleep for a long time.
2. I started to become more physical inbetween working brakes. Started stretching properly and noticed earlier when I have slipped down the chair like a decent hip hop star on a sofa... Yo!
3. Facebook is really valuable for 2 things:
- If you want to get a group of boys and girls into an event, then its a lot easier to start an event through FB than calling all or sending emails.
- Its less scary for people to get contacted in social networks, hence its easier for some to start a conversation there at start. Asia in particular is a place where FB is enabling a lot of shyness to dissapear. People are more outspoken in chatting online.
PS: Love to be back in Malaysia :)
Picture courtesy of: http://www.hiphopreport.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/lil-wayne-in-chair.jpg
No Facebook Week
I started an experiment to cut my Facebook consumption. Current stats from my Rescue Time is 3hours 20minutes per week for Facebook and that scared the crap out of me...
To bring it in perspective, thats 200 minutes per week or around 26 minutes per day or 9600 minutes per year or 20 full working days per year. What a waste of life... OR the best thing ever happened to us. I will tell about my experience next week.
I've recently noticed my ever-longing affection for that space so its time to cut the veins and see what happens otherwise :)
I've Been Away
Its been 7 months now since I moved to Malaysia and time has really passed like never before. A very enlightning journey in many different ways. As Im writing every day tons of text, then this blog has been neglected and not sure what the future will bring. In a nutshell what has been happening lately:
- Learning Business. We are truning from a baby into a toddler, revenues are growing and clients delight us with being amazed on what we can pull off in online media monitoring. Investors are interested in us for a buy out. Though, the industry is as sexy as the tech industry has always been, so we are seeing new exciting companies being formed all the time. Some of them have really figured out a lot of problems related to online media monitoring and advertising effectiveness measurement.
On a personal note, one of the most powerful things have been the numerous awesome people I have had the honor to meet. Asia is slowly becoming more comfy and I see there is a lot for me to do here still.
- Being an Idiot. We recently had a very fruitful discussion with our Cheif on some of the biggest problems our tech is currently facing and when we again had hit a dead end....
Me: "Uh, this is though. I feel like a pioneer"
Chief: "I feel like an idiot"
Me (after a couple of minutes): "Whats the difference?"
We start laughing and Chief says: "Pioneer starts with a P"
This actually resulted in a brakethrough and we figured out a very challenging problem which will take our service into a totally different level. However when people say R&D is exciting, then only when you have actually figured out solutions. Until the point of really having a valuable idea, its all about bouncing the ball and hoping somebody throws it back, but it is definitely not as easy as a lot of people make it sound. Business is a tough gig in many ways.
- Removing barriers. Ive had a very strong education on what are the norms when we live our lives. And my parents where one of the most liberal ones I have ever known, supported me in every possible way. Which parents encourage you to go to Bangladesh for example? The other side of the coin, what I have recently started to realise, are the useless norms I have created myself since childhood. Like, dont do this, dont do that, its not polite to do this etc etc. Im not saying one should be a Fat Bastard (the awesome character in Austin Powers), but very often these "rules" are totally useless and create this a comfortable veil of safety around you, where you will never be able to live your dreams. Real dreams are often scarylooking and require exactly that kind of behaviour, where your mom would have said "watch out".
Sitting in a plane to Stockholm now and looking forward to seeing parents and friends after a long while. Though, I have the feeling my journey is just about to start in Asia.
- Learning Business. We are truning from a baby into a toddler, revenues are growing and clients delight us with being amazed on what we can pull off in online media monitoring. Investors are interested in us for a buy out. Though, the industry is as sexy as the tech industry has always been, so we are seeing new exciting companies being formed all the time. Some of them have really figured out a lot of problems related to online media monitoring and advertising effectiveness measurement.
On a personal note, one of the most powerful things have been the numerous awesome people I have had the honor to meet. Asia is slowly becoming more comfy and I see there is a lot for me to do here still.
- Being an Idiot. We recently had a very fruitful discussion with our Cheif on some of the biggest problems our tech is currently facing and when we again had hit a dead end....
Me: "Uh, this is though. I feel like a pioneer"
Chief: "I feel like an idiot"
Me (after a couple of minutes): "Whats the difference?"
We start laughing and Chief says: "Pioneer starts with a P"
This actually resulted in a brakethrough and we figured out a very challenging problem which will take our service into a totally different level. However when people say R&D is exciting, then only when you have actually figured out solutions. Until the point of really having a valuable idea, its all about bouncing the ball and hoping somebody throws it back, but it is definitely not as easy as a lot of people make it sound. Business is a tough gig in many ways.
- Removing barriers. Ive had a very strong education on what are the norms when we live our lives. And my parents where one of the most liberal ones I have ever known, supported me in every possible way. Which parents encourage you to go to Bangladesh for example? The other side of the coin, what I have recently started to realise, are the useless norms I have created myself since childhood. Like, dont do this, dont do that, its not polite to do this etc etc. Im not saying one should be a Fat Bastard (the awesome character in Austin Powers), but very often these "rules" are totally useless and create this a comfortable veil of safety around you, where you will never be able to live your dreams. Real dreams are often scarylooking and require exactly that kind of behaviour, where your mom would have said "watch out".
Sitting in a plane to Stockholm now and looking forward to seeing parents and friends after a long while. Though, I have the feeling my journey is just about to start in Asia.
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