Business Dumbology

[Guest guest]

A long time ago I would write summaries of books that I read and points learned. I hadn't done this in do long that I'd forgotten completely about it. The idea recurred to me a while back when I thought about a show I've watched often and how I saw it differently each time based on my studies. I'm going to watch it again while keeping notes so over time I can keep track. I'm also going to start with making end summaries of books again, starting simply and expanding over time. Here's an example from the last book I read. Business DumbologyA book about failures in business both private and government/private ventures. Lessons Learned1. Greed is bad. Greed makes people blind to danger and they chase big returns no matter the risk. 2. Ego is bad. Hubris. It causes people and governments to forge ahead when common sense would dictate stopping or trying a new approach. 3. Be wary of fads. Be they social, material, stocks, etc., as they can end badly. Stock bubbles, frauds, must have items, must have programs, etc. often go bust. 4. Be wary of the Charismatics and forceful types. They tend to be con men, frauds, and/or incompetent at their professed jobs. 5. Start small and grow carefully. Starting too big and/or growing too fast can kill. 6. Plan everything, plan ahead. Try to avoid big problems before they arise. Smaller problems will come up, solve them fast. 7. Hire competent and quality staff. Make sure they know the plan and changes that will come up. See point 4. 8. Avoid cutting corners in quality or staff. 9. Avoid panic or giving that impression when one isn't. Don't cut prices in place of better quality or product line. Avoid crazy sales and promotions as they don't work to save companies. 10. Watch your mouth, especially regarding one's trade. An ill timed joke or misconstrued comment can be costly.