Steve Job Commencement Speech at Stanford U

"I was fired from the very company I created… and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

When I was born, my biological parents gave me up for adoption.

That moment — even though I couldn't remember it — left a mark that never fully faded.

My adoptive parents gave me love, warmth, and stability.

But inside, a quiet voice kept asking: Why wasn't I enough to be kept?

That question became my engine.

That pain — my fuel.

I was determined to build something so meaningful that the world couldn't look away.

At 20, in my parents' garage, I co-founded Apple.

No investors. No safety net. No plan B.

Just an idea — and an obsession to make technology beautiful, simple, and human.

For a while, it worked.

Then life flipped the script.

At 30, I was forced out — fired by the same company I had built from nothing.

It felt like exile.

Like being thrown out of your own home. 💼⚡

For months, I wandered in the dark — humiliated, angry, lost.

But somewhere in that emptiness… a spark reignited.

I started again.

From zero.

I built NeXT — and bought a small animation studio that would soon become Pixar.

And while I was rebuilding, life had a strange way of coming full circle:

Apple bought NeXT — not to hire me back, but to buy the technology I'd created.

That's how I returned.

This time, stronger.

Wiser.

Free from the need to prove — driven instead to create.

Together, we launched the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone.

We didn't just design products — we redesigned how people live, dream, listen, and connect.

Behind every headline was a man once rejected, adopted, and fired —

who refused to let any of it define him.

🍎📲

Because sometimes the greatest breakthroughs are born from heartbreak.

Sometimes the fall is what gives you wings.

⏳💥

"Life will hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.

Because what feels like an ending… might just be the start of something extraordinary."

— Steve Jobs

Being mysterious: do you want to share a secret?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

  Air of mystery (do you want to know a secret?)

       In sales platform, they sell mystery boxes and many fall for this.

      People go for mystery and intrigues and hence the prevlance of such shows novels and books

      We want to be kept on edge and be in the world of mystery and unknown.

     Hence the 11th missing herb for KFC, the secret formula for Coca Cola

     Hence in ads, dont reveal all.  Leave something for imagination   

     Make it a striptease.  Dont go for full brochures but fliers or ads that are teasers asking customers

     to want more.

    But personally I find the ads that asks something in return for more info more annoying especially

    if the competition is high.   Some companies are not so domanding.

   What do you do with your ads?   Selling benefits before mentioning price is a way of putting mytery

   in your presentation

      

     

The old book I read regarding increasing revenue by x %, and reducing cost/expenses by y% can increase profits by z%

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

We tried to recompute the GP on an important service and these were the things we did:

     1.  Mechanized the operastions saving xxxxx per unit

     2.  Raised the price by 20% true mark up ( x/0.80

     

The mechanization could increase the intake of customers by 20% and that means a lot

The GP could be a cool 8 numbers and double that of GP on plots wherein we gain only P5,500 per plot

So the things on the following are correct:

    1.  God is in the details

    2.   The box by Gettner re Amazon pain before on packign boxes on employees knees.  It was

           solved by common sense solution of packing on a table

    3.   Post on Elon Musk on wrong frequency which pointed out to a deformed aluminum part which

          could have caused another Space x disaster

    4.  One of the traits of an entrepreneur isi being process oriented

    So find the bottleneck in the operations, what causes the delay:   it could be lack of server in FB, or             slow processing of credit card.

Paul Getter posts and ideas seen at FB

Paul Getter the internet marketing nerd

These are some of his post at FB and we can learn a thing or two from him.  The theme is just being unusual, thinking out of the box, or a purple cow.

It is the focus of most strategist.   Do nothing exotic about your business model.  Just make an outstanding unique product or ad, to be the  most preferred and saleable 

product in the market place

And profiting from you mistakes

1.  THE BAD PEN  (a recurring theme in his writings)

      A bad pen in the batch can be your best teacher.   It teaches you to make a better product.    It can be your free consultant to improve your product and hence your company

2.  The MISSING KEY

     One day, Andrew Carnegie the steel business magnate found out that they could not start the factory because they could not find the KEY  to the warehouse Then Andrew c ordered the

     unthinkable -  destroy and stop having a lock from thereon.   What was the lock and key for -  to prevent the 1% possibility of theft.  What then was the solution:    better system, better

     process to stop the theft .   The key could not be a bottleneck for running a multimillion project.   There has to be a better way.  How many times do we find bottlenecks in the business

     that should not be there and stop the business.  Find and remove them

3.  The spotlight switch

     This is about the concert of Bayonce that experienced a brown out.  The team of Bayonce was prepared and anticipated this.    And the concert was a success.  And a PR was created:

     to highlight the  team of Bayonce -   " Bayonce concert proceeded despite brown out"   A great team, a great singer   Turn a misfortune a disadvantage into a uniqueness, a shining moment, a 

     stand out

4.   The empty table 

       The story is about Steve Jobs returning to Apple.   Apple was on verge of collapse and bankruptcy  after he was fired and other CEOs took over including Sculley, whom he recruited from

       Pepsi Cola but fired him   Steve looked at the list of the plethora of products  And initially Steve Jobs said nothing.  But he cleared the table -  removed the other non performing products and

       left just four.   More products line:    1.   Create confusion and chaos    2   Dissipate resources and management thinking and energy.  3.   Destroys focus.

      Application in marketing;    the first 5 seconds is important.  If it cant be explained in 5 seconds, then you cant sell it.      If the ad cant stop the eye of the scroller in 5 seconds it cant sell.  

      Empty table enables focus, focus, focus

     The successful billionaires are those who focus on one industry or product.   Or activity.   Conglomerates

       are long gone  So who are most successful:   Warren Buffett Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg for               staying focussed.   Most successful ads are 7 words, some say it is 15 words.  Too many tend to               confuse

     Again same thing:   from nothing to nothing.  (Pay Pal  -   Peter Thiel)

5.  Inside out

     This is reverse thinking, this is about stand out.    This is about clothing     Abercombie fitch  Other clothing focussed on things that are visible -  outside.   Fitch focussed on logos and

      graphics in the inside.   They built identity inside and out.    The bigger the logos sign the bigger the sales.   Sales fettered out when they changed the strategy.  

     So the product must be presented what it does inside -  the body, the label, not what it does outside   It is one approach.

6   Lost luggage

     Thsi happened to Southwest, Herb Gallagher airline  One time it kep losing luggage.   It could not  afford that bad pr bad customer service.   So Herb athered its ground crew and staff and conferred

      on how to address this issue and they were able to solve this at a minimal cost.  From pure team work and cooperation.

    ( A negative into a positive)

7.   From missed call bug to an opportunity.

     There was a bug that existed in a Motorola phone model.  There was a buzzing sound in case there was a missed call  It was a bug.  Motorola did not solve this and use this bug aa a distinguishing

      feature.   Turning a glitch, a bug into an advantage

      (disadvantage into advantage)

8.   Less talk, less mistake, less talk more of mystery

How do you treat subordinates? Does good human relations and camaraderie apply

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

HR practitioners and new business leaders often mistake that being lax and friendly to the staff -  being lax on work standards and loan is the key to successful business management.   Often these individuals like me in the beginning fall flat on their faces.

Sooner or later the staff:    leave

Personnel management becomes difficult because of this system.

We need to have a system rather than personnel relationship

Business models: how companies make money and sometimes they are hidden

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

I saw this post at SocMedia regarding a driving school.  The other schools were charging P34,000 and others lowered this to P24,000   Still no takers

One enterprising driving school entrepreneur offerred the course for free.    But will require a P24,000 deposit for safety of car being driven (to cover repairs just in case.  

1.   The refund of the deposit can be given back at the end of the course;

2.  P5,000 will be given as reward  for safe driving at the end of two years. and P10,000 can be given at the end of 5 years if the studdent is accident free

3   How can the driving history be tracked?   By selling insurance to the student bought in bulk,   The driving school gets a 40% gross margin on this as com.

4.  By tying up with car companies and dealers for com by referring students for services and sales

Crafty isnt it?

Forthcoming glut in the heavy equipment business coming soon or is now happening?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Our group is canvassing for the purchase of light excavators to mechanize our operations (to further systematize and save money -  enough of providing jobs.    They abandon us in difficult times and costs are uncontrolled  in the age of AI)  We noted yards chock full of inventories and perhaps more are coming  .Perhaps the demand for these was high when large budgets and lot of projects were being dished out by DPWH.     Hence the big excavators.

But now DPWH has stopped bidding projects while investigation are ongoing.  The govt contractors are not getting any bids approved, no project implementation.  No new equipment needed.   For the private sector, the condo and subdivision sectors seem to have excess inventories.     Its going to be sad fort these equipment and construction materials supplier.

Halting of bidding on govt projects.

Slower revenue collections, slower GDP growth seen due to DPWH corruption news

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

DOF BIR sees slowdown in collection due to corruption mess

The country's purse holders see slower revenue take due to on going investigations primarily the DPWH ghost projects over pricing.   It spells slower economic growth and our country failing to meet its target.

Its no time to despair.  We have to work harder.  Those in the govt must ferret out the offenders and punish them return death penalty to plunder to put a stop to this large scale thievery.

We the rest of people who work hard for progress must focus and be not  distracted.  

Why USA will continue to be the last superpower?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

The thesis of the post is that being a superpower is determined by the land on which is sits on.  And the land has to answer these difficult questons:    1.  Can it feed its people,   2.  Doest it have access to the major oceans for trade,   2.  Can it defend itself.   

USA seems to have answer to the three.  China has only an access to one ocean and is even threatened by Philippines, Taiwan, and Asean countries.    Russia's access to the Atlantic means it has to be friendly

Japan has access to only the Pacific;  Germany only to the Atlantic.    UK ceased to be a world power when Germany was able to invade it from the skies.   

ICTSI 's Razon certainly helps countries become major superpower.       Subics deep seaport helps PH not only in trade but in defense.   

Despite all the stories about huge debt, declining quality of life, the author suggests that USA will continue to be a major superpower.     It can feed its people,  it has access to two major oceans for trade and it can definitely defend itself with its huge arsenal.    

Opportunities abound

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

While recuperating from an eye operation, phone calls come in for new ventures:

1.  A partner from North wants to buy a 2.5 property at P1,000 foreclosed by a bank.  He wants us to enter into a JV.   We can have about  6,000 inventories.  We can sell at 80,000 /per plot   Thats about P480,000,000 estimated sales

2.  A partner in Visayas is proposing a 1.5 hectare property which he plans to buy at 1,200 /sm but which will require about 2,000/sm development cost:   1,000 backkfilling and 1,000 infrastructures.   We can have 3,000 inventory.  We can sell this at P80,000/plot    About P240,000

3.  In Rizal we can have a 2.2 hectare project 1.4 + 0.8.   It becomes an 5 party project:   2 to ROW owners, two to lot owners and us.  We can have about 5,000 plora.  Selling price in the area is about P200,000 and we can sell billions.  Thats about a billion

4.  In another space in in Rizal an adjoining lot is selling to us at P5,000 /sm.   Our counter is JPA.  Or at P2,000 per square meter.     It is good for 5,000 inventory.      Good for  P500,000,000.  

Thats a total projected revenues:  

        P480,000,000

          240,000,000

       1,000,000,000

          500,000,000

Thats 2,200,000,000 total while resting at home recuperating post op from cataract.  I am happy that without going around, these opportunities knock at my door. It is hoped that we can close most of them.  There are still many obstacles to be overcome.  Am proposing a 1% catalyst for those who can close the projects.   

Debt (or excessive use of it) caused the downfall of empires.

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Rome and the Ottoman empires lost their glow due to debt.   Is this similar to the US situation with $37 trillion public debt (due to deficit spending mostly due to wars and war machinery)

The Ottoan empire problem  started when they borrowed  for their war effort vs Russia.   They were screwed by terms favorable to the lenders:   high interest rate, short repayment terms etc.   Which were not matched by tax collection and revenues.  

When they defaulted the European demanded a say in tax measures and collection.    There was capitulation.    There was economic capitulation.   

Could this similar to Philippine situation where the debt of the country has been steadily rising since January of 2025 due to financing of plunder  by top govt official

Does corruption affect the investment climate in the country or buy when there is flood scandal?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

It would seem to be such today with corruption now running into billions.  It was massive.  Other factors could be at play and one of the Cabinet Secretaries disputed the claim that corruption  caused the loss of Php 1.7 trillion loss of market value at PHP.

I would like to remember the old yarn,  " Invest in countries where there is blood on the street."   Black marketeers flourish during war or crisis times.  "  Ji Wei says Chinese.  Opportunities, and threat

We small businessmen have to live with corruption with even the lowest Barangay official demanding as much as P5/sm for a permit, or for his endorsement of a Citiy Resolution.  Without the permit, we cant go into a business.   We have to live with corrupt, dirty officials.   

Location, population stat no longer important in Marketing and Sales?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Right after my hospitalization, somebody viber red me me regarding a property he earlier presented earlier before this event.

I requested that as soon as I am well, I will discuss.  But he kept badgering me and this post had to research that there is all ready an existing  business at the municipality and population is below 50,000

Well since I replied he lectured me on population and location

    1.   That with digital age it is no longer necessary to be overly concerned with location or population;

    2.   He cited that a business leader is engaged in widespread expansion and does not care about

          location nor number of residents

This post after a decade of academic experience and 4 decades of actual business experience still subscribe to the time held business principles of location and demographics.   

There are businesses that are no longer dependent of these:    financial services, computer, cloud, but establishments such as:    housing, retail, banking are site and demographic dependent.

Some notable examples:

1.  A cousin who was head of a regional bank closed down the branch in a Pacific facing town because there are no borrowers nor depositors.   They transferred to a city in Central Luzon

2.  There is a mall in far flung town of this province  (middle of nowhere) which ha no traffic, nor tenants.  Foot traffic is probably zero.   So who needs location and demographics?

Price increase should be accompanied by increase of benefits and features

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

We are finally increasing our price by true mark up formula by end of the month.  We thought that its not just going to be increase in features and benefits to the customers that should include

       1.  Set up

       2.   Features;

              Flowers

              Soc Media posting

               Ceremonies

               Music 

               Food

 

        3.  Operations

             Mechanizing;  obtaining an excavator and dump truck

        TO MAKE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY UNIQUE AND EXCEPTIONAL

             

        3.  Catalysts

             Incentives for our staff to do job well and deliver the features

Our goals are:

       1.  Increase customer satisfaction

       2   Improve margins and profit

       3.  Motivate our staff

Leadership power and strategies for the same; why we cant be equal for all

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Why we cant be equal even for philosophies espousing egalitarianism

There was a story about  a fox who wanted to be a leader.  After a  hunt, he aspires to divide the spoils equally for every one in the team.  But at the end of the day, the leader was ousted by the members who ganged upon him   And tearfully the fox left the team.

Then it was chance of the lion.   The lion say allotted 30% of the catch to him and let the others fight over the 70%.   So the followers, the rest of the team spent time and energy fighting each other

Fot the next hunt, the lion alloted himself 50% of the hunt and left 50% for the rest.  The team fought each other savagely until one was left to deal with him, which was easier rather than fighting all of the cohort.

Lesson learned:

1.  Divide and rule

2.  The term of management for this are:

      1.  Organization chart

      2.  Division of labor

      3.  Compartmentalized communication

      4.  Need to know basis

      5.  Salary scale

       6.  Power and authority structure.

3.  You cant be naive with power and leadership

4.  Read Machiavelli the Prince

5.  Leadership power means you have to keep them oppressed or illiterate

About selling eggs; and strategies for selling

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

There was a FB post on mashabooks about a man selling eggs.  A passer by a girl,  inquired as to how many dozens of eggs he has sold.  He said only one and two hours had passed.   How much is selling price:   $3/dozen.  How much are others selling?   Also the same.

The girl made the following suggestion:

1.  Have two piles of eggs.   One is to be sold at $5/dozen and the other is the regular $3/dozen.    But why increase the price if the $3/dozen cant sell.

2.  The first inquiry came from two pregnant ladies and asked why sell $5 expensive pile.  He said it is organic and the chickens are fed organic feeds no artificial feeds, antibiotics and hormones and good for the babies.     So the ladies bought two dozens each.  And another and another using the same organic good for the body/health talk.  Very soon  the organic eggs were sold out.

3.  For the second pile, the eggs were segregated between  a $3 pile and $2 pile:    the one pile is regular egg, the second pile is the seconds/small size.    Of course the cheaper one sold out and then the regular.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1.  It the system that sells not the price Its the system of:

      1.  Segmenting the market;  divide and rjule

      2.  Giving a customers a choice

      3.   Benefits first before price

2.  People value health not the savings or being cheap.    People will pay premium for their health and longevity

3.  Its not so hard to sell or make money.   Closed mind makes it difficult

4.  You cant enter the market if you are the same as others.  You have to be different and unique

Segmentation makes the segment unique:   features and sales talk.  Talk about the Purple Cow

David Malpass fmr head of WB predicts progress for the Philippines

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Reviewing previous posts gives me happiness and elation

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This post reviewed the posts that have been made over the years.   And it makes me feel so good and proud of what I have accomplished.  These were nice posts:   full of knowledge and critical thinking.  They were aligned with my purpose of finding my gifts and sharing this with others.    Many of the posts are valuable business insight and could have guided others on their path towards business success and start up journey.    No desire for php income.  Others post to get fees for seminars and mentoring.   Others make money on their posts.  

Maybe I am rewarded by business insights on opportunities which come aplenty.  

Or had some followers and viewers from amongst former GSB students.

How much contribution the posts have made to fellow Filipinos (and the rest of the world) I can never measure and tell.  Perhaps its none, or perhaps some.   Or plenty.   

Reviving lending business and making funds earn more -INSTA CASH

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

We had lending business before but for one reason or another the chosen successor neglected this   Then there will be sales where 50% are funds for maintenance.  At the same time we have thousands of customer who can be ripe customers for lending

Hence the insta cash business.  (INSTA CREDIT INSTA UTANG -  Meron na pala East West na trade name)    For most of our buyers nationwide.   Steps:

Launch

1.  We mine our customers data base  say 100 prospects for leads/prospects

2.  Then we approve a credit line for each one depending on the amount of product bought

3.   Amount:   20,000 to P500,000.  Pre approved or approval upon application (in 48 hours after application

 4.  Interest   0.9% up to 1.5% per month  (for relatives and of the principal)

 5.  Product:   Insta Cash

 6.  Channel/platform:    via website or apps, documentation via apps, release via G Cash or Pay Maya

      or FT

 7.  Whats unique:    insta loan, 48 hours time line, available to house relatives;    pre approved for 

       big buyers.  

We would also use this for intra company sbu lending for development, discounting of receivables; and trading of plots where we could earn up to 30-40%.  The  level of assets could be 1.4B in 1 year and our margins could be 12% weighted.    And thats a lot.    No need for additional assets.   All we need is  platform and website and 5 employees

We can earn 9 numbers without resorting to a govt contracting

Financing business is still one of the best way to get wealthy.  No losses in processing or manufacturing or distribution.  All you have to be wary about is collection % and fraud detection among your people

Simply compounding the same amount of asset will triple your business by 300% in 10 years

This post had the following all ready prepared:    Business Model, Business Plan,  Marketing Plan (the job descriptions are all ready enumerated in the marketing plan under people and processes enumerated)

Demotivators, disincentives for the flood control corruption

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Other nations:    Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia rampaged and rioted vs the corruption of their own respective govt.    In Indonesia, citizens protested vs the  $3,000 plus housing allowances of ministers (the equivalent of congressmen here)

Here in the Philippines what used to be pork barrel funds, the PDAF became later the flood control funds amounting to billions not merely millions.  Couple that with scandals showing: 

      1. Nepos splurging more than P700,000 in meals in USA and saying that it is Dads money not that

          of govt

      2.  Bell Helicopters and Gulfstream jets by the Speaker and their cohorts

      3.  Budget insertions

      4.  Ransacking the treasury  for their excess funds to finance the insertions

      5.  Blatant presence of:   congressmen and senators link with contractors, contractors contributing

            campaign funds to Senators

        and blatant lying connected with the above

are clearly demotivators for the citizens and taxpayers, contributing to the lard that the thieves are partaking of.   We work so hard to finance the waste and profligacy of the children of the tibs, and their luxury homes, cars and what have you.   And you question why you pay taxes.   

Will you work still hard to contribute to the largesse that these people are plundering?

Finding opportunities in existing businesses

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

There are many things that one can discover while looking at existing business and one need not look further:

     1.   Relaunch of other m....ial business that current employees have not looked into

            Establishing a separate entity

      2.  Lending operations for existing customers online.   Also as investment, deposit

       3.  Fund transfer business

       4.  Recurring business for maintenance and remembrance

You cant find opportunities in existing business much less pick up on the road the profits that can be had.

Lame alibis and excuses by many subordinates is not conducive to growth and professionalism

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This post has encountered a lot of management material professionals and even rank and file who have not overcome the habit of bringing in trucks of alibis and lame excuses.  Not accepting responsibilities and worse of all throwing back the responsibility on the approving parties.

    1.  The design was approved by the boss:    but did the employee inspect the quality of the outcome

          or was present in the implementation.   And oftentimes, they did not

    2.  We cant do this because....

     3.  Some do not understand PERT cpm and think linearly.  One gets ahead of others.  Not system

          or simultaneous tasks.   So they will not touch permits unless this task is complete

Excuses will not make you grow and do not expect promotion with this type of behavior and mindset. 

Focusing on the now - why its not healthy for the business

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

For personal growth and mental health, thats the advice to focus on the now because the past and future burdens your psyche with so much mental baggage.

However for business, if you focus on the now:

     1.  Now becomes the past, the future becomes the present;   thus focusing on the present

           makes your business a past tense.

     2.  Now means therefore:   old business model, key process and manpower and may be uncompetitive

     3.  If you are real estate company that means soon you willl be out of inventories, and pretty soon

            you have nothing to sell.  If you do not produce new inventories, you will soon be out of business

If you do not innovate, you will stagnate, and others who overtook you will not only make you eat the dust but will bury you 6 ft underground

This happened to company this post used to lead.  The children took over and they stagnated.  We were the prime movers and leaders in the industry.  Now we are the laggards.  How said

Whats the most important subject did you learn from your MBA studies?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Is it strategy, financial management, marketing?

Early on in my career as a businessman, right after MBA, and fresh from stint as a marketing guy in a Filipino pharma multinational, we decided to put up a business.   And this post was frantic on what essential skills and knowledge must I be prepared with to handle the unknown task ahead.  Was it strategy, HR, marketing, finance or operations?    No.

I weighed things  and said it was Entrepreneurship.   I had only one book on the subject and it was even based in USA and not with practical PHL examples.  Thats all I had.

And there was this Regional Head of a computer company  who decided she will marry and reside in USA.  She will put up a business.  What skills will she need?    Entrepreneruship.  And thats what I taught at GSB.

Thats what you need as a start up -  knowledge of ENTREPREURSHIP

Leadership power: how to stay on top leading the team: people above you, beside you and below you

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

There is a book being peddled at the social media that promises to solve difficulties in leading people  Some mentions:

     1.  Being strict rather than being lax in the beginning;

     2.   Do not concentrate power and authority in few hands;

     3.   Job rotation

     4.  Establish competition:

              1.  Keep on hiring

              2. Challenge the team members to be competitive with other team members or other departments

              3.  Practice career paths while you maintain your won

      5.  Setting examples:  both negative and positive rewards. 

There is a book from Matsushita that says:    Iron hand, velvet gloves.  Be affable in dealing with people bet be strict in enforcing processes and policies

There is such a thing as management prerogative:

1.  The management and the leader has the moral authority to lead;   They are the ones who holds the authority over jobs, pay and promotion.   So it cant be shy or timid in imposing disciplien

2.  I encountered this when we were dealing with KMU union that struck our company.   I became tentative in handling discipline and my boss an MIT grad, said No  It is business as usual, even with  a CBA the staff are mandated to respect the labor laws.   We have our lawyers.  Even if they have NPA -  armed vanguards.    We still provide the jobs and we deserve equal protection the law

3.  Sampolan.  Latayan ang kabayo para madala kalabaw.  A harsh rules execution done in public for all to know will discourage future trouble makers.  As the Romans did with public crucifixion, or the Germans firing squad for the Jews

Protecting business and business deals - why security NDA Non compete clauses are important

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

We have stories about companies getting under or being slowed down by competitors getting in their board.  Like Samsung a primary supplier for Apple, who learned their secret and made their Samsung phone faster and better than Apple or Google executive sitting on board of an Adroid company and later on applying the technology to their Google product.

Stories are replete of these events and I see for myself events or stories that surround our business deal

For example in contracts making and drafts, the other parties try to obtain hard copies of the agreements and very clearly they do not understand the deal.  Why.? Such contracts are expensive to order from a law firm and eventually they will learn to use this to expand their business, and or get a better deal from future partners.   

Or that conflict can arise because some other parties got wind of the deal.  And they can oppose the deal in offices of the regulatory bodies

So better include:

NDA  -  "This transaction is private and confidential, and contents of this document and negotiations being conducted shall not be revealed to the public and/or 3rd parties without consent of the future contracting parties"

IPR  "  This document and the contents herein are the intellectual property of the owner and shall not be used without the author's /owner's written consent.  

Fair enough protection.

A competitor was planning to sell his adjoining property to us and wants to get hold of our financials and process.  Should we give.   I said no.   What would you do?

Would a non compete clause be enough?

For emplyees, the three clauses they say cant keep the employees from squealing on you.  Others prescribe keep on improving, Keep on innovating.  

Those closest to you can destroy you; the only thing that destroys steel is rust

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This post this morning was mad and was complaining about a relative whom she hired take care of her hobby, business.  Her costs on an input doubled, one of her pets died due to negligence.   And the daughter was having difficulties also because of the increasing feed costs could not pay her salary.

This was in addition to the niece hired by wifey who could not give me the link to the work assigned for almost half a year.  Was clearly not accountable and irresponsible.  

Coupe this with my experience that my brothers and sisters removed from the board of the company used to head and which I organized.

We have an sil being a project officer.  I am beginning to believe that:

      1.  He does not know his job, the outcome of contracts being substandard

      2.  He is ill trained to be  project officer because even contract administration lacks the 

            necessary pre qualification and specification documentation, and even inspection

      3.   He cant comply with the following:   attendance requirement, minutes submission and

            observance of timelines/deadlines.

So be careful of relatives.   In my case, they destroyed me, and my daughter.   Of course you have to hire those who can defend take care of business.   And the theory is that relatives will care for you.   But most of the time they are the ones who are jealous and the truth about Cain and Abel persists up to now.  

If you have one existing;

     1.  Clarify rights:  ownership, voting rights

     2.  There must be strong leader to weaken those who have loud voices

     3.   Familial relationship and business relationship must be made distinct and  seprate

Keeping your eyes on the ball; staying focused and determined

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

We were in a business negotiation for a project.  And the major initiator or the project who invited us to support her:   as adviser, as engineers marketing and management lost focus as to what she would be;   a project owner or a broker.  In the deal she was brokering.  Despite agreeing on a partnership with the owner., since we arrived at her place/that of owner:

    1. She had the document initially drafted as partnership changed to a Contract to Sell.  And then

         said she was in COI since she would receive commissions

    2.  In front of the principal, the document which was reviewed prior by her was shot down and criticized

The project/deal is on the verge of being lost, because of the shift in focus.   If she wanted the deal to be that she would be an owner

A reminder of the original thrust/goal must be reviewed and this party must keep eyes on the ball if we are to succeed.   We do not collapse under the adversary pressure.  We must be strong by sticking to the original objective/goal

Crafting a vision or a system for amassing wealth. (not academic work or paper work)

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Is it the vision that really matters in creating a business that will succeed.  Most strategies mention VMOKRAPI.   V is for vision.   This was mentioned by  Gino Wickman    in the Book "Traction "

But street smart guys would laugh off that paradigm and insist on having a system for making money.  Vision is only for bookish, academician who receive salaries but do not know how to make money on the street.  

And that means having a sharp eye on what sells, and what customers really want and being smart enough what makes money for the firm.  Sometimes it is the ancilliary things that are not noticed that makes the most money   For instance, we were struggling on how to make an operation make money:  there were a lot of equipment, personnel and complex process needed.  But people who were doing maintenance work were said to be raking in as much as  P300,000  per month doing simple maintenance work for our customers.    We make only 1/3 as much  So we plan to integrate that service with us.  Why let outsider makes more money than us in our own territory.  

So what could be the PHP money making schemes (strategies) or systems

1. First find out what the majority of the Class DE and market  want or need if you are going for volume or   what premium services the  top tier client want (where price does not matter)   We know of a business here in Laguna making tons of money by rebuilding cps in US under insurance of $100.00 a year.     So maybe a phone is insured for 5 years yielding  $500.00 for the insurer.   The cp conks out and they rebuild for $90.00 and sells the same say for $120.00.  There could be hundreds of thousands CPs being serviced by this firm

     Where is value most created that is not being fulfilled now.  Find recurring needs and wants for 

      existing customers as maintenance agreement for computers, laptop

     

     1.  Say in gasoline stations, the  repairs, routine service such that:  quick cheap oil changes

           firm such as Rapide are sprouting.   Kasi, peripheral business lang for oil companies. Their focus

           is on oil and lubricants

     2.  Still on gasoline stations, they make more money on running the real property as free parking

           lots but as malls:   leasing front stores for groceries and fast food

     3.   Car dealers make more money on repairs and parts such that they are instructed to upsell on

            expensive parts:   ECU fuel injectors to the detriment of pockets of car owners.  Or for 

             once a lifetime battery change for an EV, or the charging stations.  

     4.  For non life insurance, the thickest market with all the floods, is AOG for cars.  (Acts of God)

     5.    The freemium model   as in Google:   free Google mail, maps, drive but make money at You

             Tube lots of it.   So you can sell P1  airline ticket for the 1st 1,000 or up to 5,000 buyers but                     make money on rest of 200,000 or so who will flood your website for such a free ridiculous                     almost free offer

     6.  Membership cards, privilege cards.   Now it is a common knowledge that frequent flyer points                 are  asset of airlines

Exploring financial Ledger demaine (engineering)

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Seen in book being sold as a guide for money making.

Many times we say its the capital that counts.  Again we say its the head the capito  Cunning, being smart counts.    (Many would say it is scam)   So this post thinks that many businessmen cross the lines of morality. 

Lets say you were lent P1 million to be returned in a short period of time -  one week to to one month.  How would you do it.?  Of course the long term business planning will not work.  It has to be ingenious.

The book says that this could be the way to do this (but this is fraught with risk and loopholes that could cause you to fail:

1.   First, open a CTD with the bank for one million

2.   Then borrow up to 90% of the  CTD -   P900,000.

3.  Use  the  900,000 to purchase Real property.   (Most would require 30% dp and that means you can acquire up to P2,700,000 real property  )

     Buy a property worth P500,000 cash

     Buy a property with P400,000 dp,  P1,200,000 total

4.  That means now that you now have the P1,700,000  +  P1,000,000  = P2,700,000 total assets.   You are now rich

5.  The big problem is now paying back the 1 million .  Thats where it gets  challenging and sticky:

6.  How.

      1.  Flip the house bought for cash at P1,000,000;

     2.  Or say sell for   P900,000,00, borrow against mortgaged property for P100,000 to add  to P900,000 for 1 million total.  Bur we did not include here:   the interest expense on the loans and the P1 interest.  But the scheme can be learned on how to create something from nothing   From zero to one   And yet many of us struggle on 8- 5 jobs

Boeing 747 making a huge comeback

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Many slip ups and accidents with the 737 and lately the 787 have made Airbus the plane maker of choice of the world.  However the 747 is making a huge comeback for the freight and cargo side of air transport

Airliners have abandoned the 4 engine jumbo jets in favor of the two engine configuration that can carry less passenger but same range.  A two engine plane consumes 700 to 1000+ gallons per hour saving many airlines millions of dollars in fuel charges.   

Two engine has lesser effect on carbon emissions, on noise pollution And is favored in passenger air transport.  But its another story for cargo side of business.   More payload, more flexibility in cargo configuration which can translate to lower cost.   Most of the cargo carried are pharmaceuticals and electronics

More opportunities projects in the North

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Really you should not have a sense of comfort nor stay in your comfort zone.  My mother, the matriarch of business then said that your business should be compact and can be reached within 10 minutes of your waking up.  Had this post complied with this, we would have been out of business decades back.

So in the trip last Thursday these were the business opportunities:

1.  Presenting  LOI for receipt to the owner of the land for a 4.6 project.   We have to show the JPA and CTS

2.  A 4 hectare developed  project owned by a Lendng investor, located in a lst class municipality located next to the queen city of the Province

3.  A 10 hectare property located the bridge of the queen city

4.  A 4.4 hectare project in the Western part of the province.  Just needing to close the paper works  for the right of way.  JPA has been signed.

5.  5 hectare expansion of a 7  hectare mem project near the existing one we have built

5  Funding opportunities:

    1  From a priest who loves projects and business  P5M

    2.  From a govt employee who is looking for investment   P5M

This post hopes to seize, close 80% of these so that 1.  jobs may be created;    2.  towns appearance will improve,   3.  generate more taxes.   4   generate more jobs and employment

Philippines now one of the top BPO hotspots; US politicians move can blunt its progress

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

PHL is now considered one to the giants in the BPO industry.  It brings in about $30 billion a year to the Philippine economy, one of the legs of PHL industry, the other is OFW remittances and the remaining 1/3 are from agri and electronics subcontracting.  

That is about 30% of the PHL gdp.  It fuels a lot of industry:   housing, food and retail, transportation, retails etc.    It is fraught with danger because US wants to bring back job to USA and this includes the call center.     

What would happen to the Phil economy if the BPO were to shrink.   You can see the effect of POGO closure on office and housing rental market.  

Nations on the danger of going under or having economic crisis

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

They are Greece, Saudi, and even Japan.  Let us pray for them.

What is going to be repercussion if they collapse?

Should we be worried about Japan?  Is it karma for them?

How could this happen to Japan?  Japan was my idol in industrialization and sound management






Crisis in Greece due to high debt

Saudi Arabia economy totally dependent on oil revenues is collpsing. The line city is in trouble. The crown prince plan is in shamble

If you are experiencing business difficulties, and challenges, to whom do you go to?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This post was invited for a consultation by a professional running a facility and which is now experiencing financial difficulty:    low revenue, low gp.    Their chairman wanted the firm to declare bankruptcy and/or undergo dissolution  Surely jobs will be lost and investments too.

However the person whom I talked too was in canvassing mood and therefore was in 2nd and 3rd opinion.  I was the 2nd opinion and verbally voiced out some options.    For his 3rd option, he invited a CPA and gave out all the financials.  I hope the said professional, trained only in producing fs, not doing business analysis can come out with something solid to turn around the firm.  Surely, this will take time, and no propert rx can be done.  It will be more of an audit, rather than coming out with rehab/turn around plan

Surely you go a business consultant, an expert  Someone who has run numerous businesses before

Business consultants less valuable than medical consultants?

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This post was a GSB professor and a businessman.  However, the experience with other group of professionals was not very pleasant.   A cousin specialists asked me to accompany  her in business deals.  She however charged my daughter a pf when she consulted the latter.

Another relative a medical specialist likewise invited this to a dinner, talked about their business problem but charges me for the check up

Just the other week end, had talks with another specialist and was seeking ways to turn around his failing business.   But we did not talk about fees.   How come?  He was shopping around.  He did not bother to ask HM ang fees.   His business is in danger of failing without professional help

Spotting opportunities in junk bonds/(Reits) and Steven Wynn

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

Michael Milken, a financial genius back by his boss Joseph at Drexel Lambert found opportunities in junk REIT bonds, and backed  Steve Wynn in his Golden Nugget in Atlantic city.

Such opportunities can exist in the retail (not in subprime mortgage)

      1.  Troubled employees    

      2.   Bad cc record

What must you do as entrepreneur? Focus on 3 things..... and complete this. Elon Musk, Steve Jobs prescribe this, take risks

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

This is the nth time this post heard this;  focus on 3 things to be done in the next 18 hours, the rest is noise.

Dont overstretch yourself, and do so many things at once.   Elon Musk talks about this.

Understanding human psychology when putting up business (am I glad I took up this course)

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

How big is the opportunity?   Seek opportunity.  Is it big enough to reach billions..

Result of mentoring the sbu yesterday

Nation building via learning and being the best in business

After meeting with the maintenance staff and their contribution to the Product aspect of the marketing plan, this post had one on one with the head.  

We discussed:

     1.  Price increase of up to 20% of products and services.  True mark up  1/ 1 - mu x old price

     2.  Price protect:   privilege card

                Premium  less 10% on product, less 15% on funeral and interment service

                                        loan privileges,  no dp, 0 interest on 1 year term,  0 dp.  Good for 5 years

                                        Maximum of 5 availment for each category

             Value:    

                            One lot    100,000 x 10%                P10,000.00

                             IS             35,000 x 15                        5,250.00

                            FS           45,000 x 15%                       6,750.00

                                               Total                              22,000.00   just for P4,950 initial payment'                                                                                                    THATS 400% BENEFIT                 

                Prime        same as above but price protect for at need (mark up of 30%)  good for 10 years.

                                 Holder can opt to refund, but loses all privileges.    Good for 10 years.   

        3.  Raffle:     sbu raffle of 1% of gross sales:  for 500 plots, for gadgets and appliances

                              2026 1% of sales for 1,200 plots  1 vios.  Toyota.   (Huhulugan ng sbu for one year)

                              One lot                     Pre need         100,000 x 10%     P10,000

                              At need protection                                                          30,000

                               IS plot                                                                            22,000

                                                                                                                      62,000!!!

                             THAT's      X  6X BENEFIT FOR P9,500 PRIVILEGE CARD

                             We have not quantified the value of 0 interest, 5 years to pay, loan privileges

            

First Principles and business model, wtdn for business opportunities at the North

1.  First principles:

    1.  You must have higher purpose if you are go to expand business.   Just shooting for money stunts business growth

    2.  Its not about more money:  but building a system, and using your mental capital that counts, that mean more rather than having more php

         

    3.  Money velocity is more important than the quantity of money

  (Kuwento:   In a town where people were indebted to one another.  A wealthy man deposited $1,000 to the hotelier for him to get a great place to stay.  Immediately he paid the butcher who owed him $1,000 for the meat delivered, and butcher paid the farmer, to whom he likewise owed $1,000 who immediately paid the trucker to whom he owed $1,000, wh in turn paid the hotelier to whom he owed board and lodging.   The wealthy man changed his mind and got back his deposit.  Nothing was gained or lost, but the debt was paid)    

 

      Each of transaction increased economic activity but m0ney being utilized is the same.   Money velocity though is x 4

    4.  Love connects matter to persons and persons to persons.  We cant go by the matters, physica and chemistry alone..  You must have passion for life, and for the

         business.  You must be aman for for others.  No love (passion) no big business

    5.  Discipline, knowledge, determination are key ingredients for business success

    6.  You must build a business that is exceptional, that is amazing so that the product sell by itself.  From zero to one.   If you build a me too product, its 0 to n.  A me too business will not last long

2.  Applications/explanations

                                                1.    Higher purpose:   In the service of humanity and others

                                                                        1.  Helping churches

                                                                        2.  Helping needy individuals

                                                                        3.  Education   Foundation

                                                                        4.  Health care -  hospital, meds, assistance (tie with Malasakit

                                                                                                             ^

                                                                                                             ^

                                                                                                             |

                                                                                                             |

                                                2.  Intermediate purpose

                                                                     1.  Generate profits

                                                                     2.  Generate sales

                                                                     3.  Create products and services

                                               3.  Beginnings

                                                                  1.  Scanning opportunities

                                                                  2.  2.  Seizing opportunities   feasibility and business/marketing plan preparation 

                                                                  3.  Seizing

                                                                        1.  Organizing the team recruitment

                                                                        2.  Finalizing ITO  (coding, process flow, having a software)

                                                                        3.  Securing funding agreements

                                              4. Planting seeds

                                                                  1.  Having a dream

                                                                  2.  Having a need

                                                                  3.  Wanting to succeed be wealthy

                                                                  4.  Tired of poverty

                                                               

    3.  Opportunities: