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Brief break in Boston

Posted: 19 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

We landed early in Boston this morning which gave us the rest of the day to walk round and take in the sights. Compared to Kansas City, Boston is beautiful! Much more like cities back home with lovely architecture and plenty to keep us entertained. It's back to the grind very shortly so it was nice to have the day to wander around. Next week sees a jam packed timetable at Harvard and MIT where i'm sure we'll have our work cut out!

Here are a few pics from this Sunday afternoon walking the streets of Boston.

A few snaps from in and around KC

Posted: 18 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

Photos from in and around Kansas City.

The weather at -10 and two days later +20!! (taken in the same place)

Lessons from MIT

Posted: 18 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

Yesterday saw the last lecture at the Foundation. A great session on 'Marketing' from MIT's head of Entrepreneurship Bill Aulet. He opened with stating the importance of solid foundations:

The end of Part I

Posted: 15 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

This is our last week in Kansas City, the program here is winding down and it's nice to find the pace slowing somewhat. A good chance to collect my thoughts for a few days and start to plan, organise and start implementing the things i've learned. It's been an information overload but i'm psyched. Here's a glimpse of daily life in the 'Lab'.

The Price of start-ups

Posted: 12 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

Two quotes from Ramana Nanda, a professor of finance at Harvard Business School:

Learning Curves

Posted: 09 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

It's almost midnight, i'm still in the 'Lab' at the Kauffman Foundation having just finished a 7 hour brain storming session after lectures and have just sat down to do the reading for tomorrow's lectures. It's an article from the Harvard Business Review entitled "The Sales Learning Curve" - thats about as far as I got before my mind started to wander.

True Value

Posted: 08 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems
Today sees a small break in the usual hectic schedule and gives opportunity for us 'Global Scholars' to participate in whats known as the 'Benjamin Franklin Club'. It's a series of talks focused around the importance of being well read and so speakers talk on literature they find particularly important or inspirational. I'm going to read a few excerpts from a book I simply can't praise enough. Dale Carnegie's 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'.

The early bird

Posted: 07 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

I was introduced to a new concept today, 'The working breakfast'. Now to those with many years in the working world under their belt, the idea of doing work and eating breakfast at the same time may not be new at all! However, being fresh out of a typical 'student' lifestyle, I expected to find the experience greatly unpleasant! I was pleased to find, however, that my new attitude to work embraced the concept and I pushed yet another limit to my capacity to learn. Here's a little snap from the 'working breakfast'.

Private In-securities

Posted: 06 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

A little late night reading. Nothing like a hundred pages on finance to help me get to sleep on a Sunday evening!

Craig'sList of how to SELL well

Posted: 03 February 2012by Alistair Shepherd / Global Ocean Energy Systems

Yesterday saw Craig Wortmann (http://www.salesengine.com/) deliver an excellent day of lectures on the importance of selling and how every entrepreneur needs to know how to sell and how to sell well.

I came away with a huge appreciation for this often neglected area of business. He instilled incredible excitement in me and my ideas for business. Sales is a psychological game for peoples people. It makes or breaks your business and ultimately brings in that all important revenue.