No sales tax. That’s a good beginning. Friendly people who believe in “service.” That’s good. And the trees. They’re everywhere — big and gorgeous. They make een factories look charming. It’s cheap — but then any place is cheaper than the east coast, especially New York.
The best thing might be the fact that it’s just a great place to start a new business.The place seems to be brimming with opportunities and plenty of money to fund everyone’s latest idea.
It’s pleasant tootling around the Wilamette Valley, eating in small towns and eyeing the incredible vistas.
The wheat field is bright yellow. For some reason, the camera can’t capture the field’s awesome color.
A little about Intel. My friends inside Intel tell me Intel’s success record on buying businesses and launching new products is 3%. That means when Intel buys a new business, the chance of it not being around in 5 years is 97%. Ditto for new products INtel launches.
Intel is abysmal compared to Apple.But its record is not uncommon for big technolcgy companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Motorola.
Intel lives off one product — the x86 chip, and latest iterations. It’s the one that goes into Windows PCs and now Apple Macs.
You somehow wish that Intel (and other big technology companies) would stop with their “diversification,” concentrate on their knitting and send their excess money back to their poor suffering shareholders. But it’s not to be. Management retains the fantasy that their next move will be the magic bullet that makes them the next Apple.
There are many Steve Jobs out there. But he (or she) wouldn’t — in a year of Sundays — work for one of these monsters.
I thought of all this when I read Intel’s press release this week on their latest miserable financials. Here are a couple of excerpts:
Harry Newton who loves the story of the Oregon wine business. Apparently 25 years ago, there were no vineyards in the Wilamette Valley. Now there are over 250 of them. The Valley now makes some of the best wines in the world, I’m told. (I don’t drink the stuff.) These guys give chutzpah a whole new meaning. Or maybe it’s just great marketing. You can visit these wineries for “tasting.” If you like the stuff, you can buy it. If you don’t buy it, they charge you up to $20 a visit person just to sip the samples. Apparently, that’s an American marketing invention. Wine tasting is free in France. … But what do I know? I’m the designated driver.
We’re on our way back tonight, to “enjoy” the east’s heat. Here’s it’s 70.
When your picture has more white than black (everything is always 18% gray for the camera), you should over-expose your picture. For example when you are taking picture of snow, over-expose. Conversely, when taking a picture where there is more black than white, under-expose the picture. Example, a person in front of a dark wall. Alternatively, you can always use a gray card (you have one, don't you?) and exposure lock to it and then just point to the scene and click.
Harry, the pearl district is a great place to have a home similar to how you now live in NYC. One of my daughters clients is Dolly Lemelson (http://invention.smithsonian.o… who owns a beautiful penthouse suite there. She has other clients who love live there too. There are so many trees downtown it is almost like a park.. Plus, Portland needs your money!! :~)
<<friendly believe=”” in=”” people=”” who=”” “service.”<br=””>
Yeah, but I hear that the consumer in Oregon cannot pump their own gas. Service that you pay for, whether you want it or now. That's the law. </friendly>
I think that's the union made it that way. Same in New Jersey.
Indeed it is the law. And the kids who pump your gas and wash your windshield expect a tip.
Interesting comment about Intel, Cisco et al and their acquisition productivity. 'Bout the same as return on Venture Capital.
What is also interesting is the comparison to Apple – who has not followed the philosophy of innovation through acquisition – but focused on developing an internal culture of innovation that has produced the best results in the industry.
M&A stimulates the market, but does it add value to customers and investors (other than the investors of the acquired company)?
That's ALL in the management. You let Cisco or Intel buy Apple, Apple will fail as well. Compare John Sculley and Steve Jobs, same company, different management. One is an asshole the other is a genius.
Actually, I have heard from people who have worked for him that Steve Jobs is a major league asshole to work for. A genius yes, but still an asshole.
Here we only care about the investment returns. If the stock goes up, the CEO is a genius, if the stock goes down, the CEO is an asshole. Working for which CEO is irrelavent. Mr. Newton is searching for the perfect investment, not the perfect CEO.
Absolutely true. Further, all perfectionists are difficult to work for.
Not the same as venture capital. They expect and get a much higher return — typically over 10%.