Monthly Archives: July 2020

07/31/20

Managing Primadonnas in the Real World

I struggled for the right title for this blog post. Primadonnas is not quite the right word, but maybe it is.

What I am talking about is how do you manage groups of sales people, software engineers, or research engineers who are working in a difficult to define environment. This may not be your company, but it is many companies.

What I am addressing is a pool of persons who have a similar talent or assignment, who have differing levels of experience which gives way to different outcomes.

You will recognize this if you make and sell a product; or, if you run a SaaS company which continues to develop its core product while developing a new product; or, if you are a equipment company that has an R & D or product development effort.

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07/29/20

Igor Danchenko — Who Is He?

For the last three and a half years we have been treated to a sexy tale of former British spies, Russian sources, all manner of bad doings by Candidate Trump and then President Trump, allegations of Russian collusion, all types of breathlessly leaked stories by the senior management of the premier law enforcement entity in the galaxy, and a media able to confirm, make up, fabricate all sorts of bad things.

It has been James Bond-esque.

Imagine our surprise to find out last week that the source, the deep Russian source of all of the promised, sworn Russia-based evidence is a Russian emigre who lives in the United States and has forever.

As you may have gathered from the title of his blog post, his name is IGOR DANCHENKO.

Thank God he at least has a Russian name.

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07/29/20

Donald J Trump — President For Life

If you are a moron, you may be enmeshed in a discussion as to the likelihood that President Donald J Trump will seize the reins of power and become our President for Life — shorthand for becoming a dictator.

This is in keeping with both China and Russia, who have both recently anointed their leaders as Presidents for Life. It is a trend. Is this trend our friend?

There are people running about who seem to be normal — my mother used to whisper, “The only normal people are those you don’t know very well” — and even educated.

A few have doctorates. A doctorate does not inoculate you from being a moron. In fact, it may accelerate the condition.

These morons are running about with their hands in each other’s pockets whispering that there is a meaningful chance that President Trump will become President for Life, a dictator.

Some put the odds at 0-10%. [Note: Pretty much everything in the world has a 0-10% probability, including winning the lottery. So, this is no bold statement.]

Some of these particular morons link this to the election coming in 98 days with a scenario in which POTUS Trump does not “accept” the outcome of a loss at the hands of Democrat Candidate Joe Biden and refuses to leave the White House come January 2021..

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07/28/20

The Supply Chain Comes Home From China

The COVID19 episode exposed a critical weakness — the American supply chain (particularly medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing) was grounded so thoroughly in China that it could not serve the United States when it was desperately needed.

China prevented American companies from shipping product manufactured by American companies in China to the US.

Everyone was quick to say — “Bring the strategic supply chain back home to America!” 

Like a lot of good ideas, it requires real action to make real change. How could this obvious strategic move be instigated? Where would the leadership come from? How would it be funded?

I am pleased to report that this is, in fact, happening.

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07/23/20

Operation Warp Speed

It takes 6-10 years to develop a new vaccine from scratch.

Ebola broke out in 2014. Vaccine development commenced. The vaccine was approved in December 2019.

Comes now Operation Warp Speed in which the Trump admin is trying to use advanced management techniques (and some risk tolerance) to urge the private sector to develop a vaccine for COVID19.

The usual cast of characters came out of the woodwork and said, “Can’t be done. Will take at least five years.”

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07/23/20

Tesla and Austin By God Texas For The Win!

Old news already here in the People’s Republic of Austin, but maybe you haven’t heard: Elon Musk has picked Austin By God Texas for the next Gigafactory at which to build the new Tesla Truck.

Hook ’em, Tesla!

Elon had NOT been smoking anything when he made the announcement and he thanked Tulsa, Oklahoma for making a pitch to keep the Austin pitch real.

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07/23/20

Major League Baseball and Dr Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci will throw out the first pitch tonight when the reigning World Series champs, the Washington Nationals, take on the New York Yankees in the first game of an abbreviated 60-game season.

Baseball is back, baby! Of course, there will be NO FANS. No heat in the seats.

Dr. Fauci is the Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and has had a prominent position in the ongoing COVID19 saga.

Some say he has not been pitching straight whilst others say he is throwing straight and hard.

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