ThisTim.com

Tim Berry, of the blog Up and Running from the Entrepreneur.com blog network, describes what he found from his varied experience in hearing and coaching business pitches as the most effective way to pitch.

Reflecting on his experiences at NVIDIA, Jensen discusses important ideas about starting a business, the economics of technology development, building a culture early in the growth of a company, making tough decisions about markets and competition, and more (via Stanford’s Entrepreneurship Corner).

Interesting presentation by Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter, at TED: “How Twitter’s spectacular growth is being driven by unexpected uses” (via TED.com).

More and more conservatives are calling Obama a socialist, criticizing his heavy spending strategy.  CNN reports:

Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, the only member of the senate to earn a perfect rating from the American Conservative Union, called President Obama “the world’s best salesman of socialism” on Friday in describing his prime time speech earlier this week.

DeMint, a fierce opponent of government expansion, told the CPAC crowd that conservatives might have to “take to the streets to stop America’s slide into socialism.”

His remarks comes a day after Mike Huckabee told the conference of conservative activists that “the Union of American Socialist Republics is being born” with the president’s stimulus package.

“Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff,” Huckabee said of the government bailing out financial institutions.

My question is: so… is the better option just to let our economy slip into another Great Depression, 21st century edition?  Let the auto makers go bankrupt, let the banks become insolvent, let unemployment rise, and just weather the storm until its over? I simply don’t know what steps we should take - we have to do something.  I hate spending beyond our budget, because we WILL have to pay it someday.  And it’s only a matter of time before China stops financing our overspending.  But we can’t let the economy tank.  Hoover’s ‘wait it out’ strategy in 1929 through 1932 let us fall into a depression that lasted a decade long.  Obama is offering a solution that makes sense, and the Republicans aren’t offering any solutions - just angry criticisms.  Where do we go from here?

Great recent interview with Marc Andreessen, who discusses Facebook, Google, the iPhone, the future of Social Media, and more.

So there is this online phenomenon that is attracting troves of people to participate in these online websites.  They all claim to be a part of a revolution called social media, but what is social media anyway?

It is easiest to begin with something we understand – media.  Media is a means for communication.  It involves a content medium – like pictures, sounds, videos, or text – and it conveys meaning and information to an audience.  Sometimes that audience is you, sometimes it’s your friend, or sometimes it’s your crazy uncle who moved to Timbuktu.

Take TV for example – someone decided to make a TV show, chose you as the audience, and sent information to you through a box in your living room.  This is an example of traditional media as we have become accustomed to.  Old media, like TV, radio, newspapers, and even most websites are unidirectional.  They talk at you, not with you.

However, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter represent something different – everyone can make pictures, sounds, videos, or text.  Everyone can convey meaning and information to an audience.  Everyone is an equal player with equal ability to share his or her perspective.  But most importantly – when you say something, people can talk back.  They respond and discuss, and you respond and discuss.  Instead of talking at your friends and colleagues, you actually are talking with them.

This discussion, powered by the Internet, allows people to form online communities around their interests.  These communities have been freed from geographical and other limitations, allowing people to work together in ways never before possible.  This revolution has transformed the Internet into a medium of communities and conversations – social media.

Lao Tzu wrote in the Tao Te Ching:

A leader is best
When people barely know that he exists.
Of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will say, “We did this ourselves.” (Chapter 17)

“[Machiavelli] believed that although some common virtues (e.g. moderation, clemency, chastity, gentleness, generosity, vigor, religion, and devotion) might be praiseworthy, they were not what the real world required.  A person with these virtues would be good - but too good for this world, and a disasterous leader.  Instead, a leader would need qualities like energy, boldness, and shrewdness.” (Perspectives in Business Ethics, Hartman p. 329)

I noticed this interesting contrast in philosophies that is very relevant to business today - Is the most virtuous business leader the most capable, successful business leader?

On February 12th, 175 cities around the world are hosting a local Twestival event, aiming to raise a total of over $500,000 for Charity:Water. One in six people on this planet have no access to safe, clean water, and Charity:Water is looking to change that statistic by building reliable water wells in developing nations.

My team over at CorkShare are helping coordinate the Cleveland Twestival event.  Cleveland Twestival will be at the downtown Harry Buffalo from 6 to 9pm, with $10 presale tickets and $15 at the door.  All you can eat pizza and wings, cornhole tournament, raffle prizes, and a guest speaker from the Cleveland Social Media Club round out the festivities. Come stop by and say hello, eat some great food, and enjoy a great night for a great cause!

Make sure you get your tickets before midnight tomorrow (Monday) to secure the special $10 price!

iJustine’s Charity:Water Video (courtesy tastyblogsnack.com)

O.A.R. - “Shattered”
O.A.R. returns to the music scene with a good rock ballad and more.

Alkaline Trio - “Over and Out”
If you enjoy some punk rock that doesn’t hurt your ears.  For more.

Jupiter One - “Countdown”
Great song from a lesser known band.  More.

Oasis - “I’m Outta Time”
Oasis returns to the scene with a few pretty good songs.  This is my favorite.  For more.

Kid Cudi vs Crookers - “Day ‘N Nite”
This is a remix of Kid Cudi’s hit new song. He’s originally from Cleveland, so check his stuff out. For more music, go to his MySpace or his website.

The Fray - “You Found Me”
I’m excited for The Fray’s sophomore debut, this song is being used in the previews of the next season of Lost.  Check out their MySpace for more.