08/17/20

Our Lost American Cities

I rise in mourning today to grieve for our lost American cities.

Count me amongst those who find the term “new normal” offputting. I am not the squeamish type, but it grates on my ear.

Not the kind of grating that makes you reach for your concealed handgun, but the kind that shortens a convo and moves you on to the next page of your reading.

One thing that does come to mind as I contemplate a return to “normal”  is there are American cities that have been so indelibly changed in the first half of 2020 that they will never return to their prior greatness.

These are our lost American cities and it is a tragedy of gargantuan proportions.

$50 Walmart Gift Certificate to the first person who can identify this city being burned down whilst the coppers stand and watch. This is a trick, so be wary.

On my personal list of such cities are:

Minneapolis

New York

Chicago

Seattle

Portland

Baltimore

Richmond

Salt Lake City

Austin

If you feel the urge, nominate your favorites and I will publish the revised list. Justify your selections.

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08/16/20

Becoming Comfortable With Discomfort

I get a lot of calls from people who I can tell are uncomfortable with whatever they have called me to discuss. I can feel the vibration coming down the air waves.

A year ago, I ended a chat with a client and he said, “I constantly feel uncomfortable in my role as the CEO of my company.”

I let the dust settle for a few seconds and asked him to explain it. His explanation was perfectly reasonable and he knew exactly how he felt and why. Anybody would have felt the same.

We discussed it and then he asked me, “When does that uncomfortable feeling go away?”

I leaned into the second latte, took a sip, confronted his expectant face, and whispered, “Unfortunately, never. Part of being a leader is being comfortable with discomfort.”

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08/15/20

Middle East Peace — One Step Closer

Comes now the recent rapprochement between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel. But, first, some background, shall we?

Our country has been indelibly marked by the status of peace in the Middle East in four important ways:

 1. We have supported Israel through a series of wars with the 1973 Yom Kippur War almost ending with a tragic outcome that was prevented by direct American military material support.

Had the US not sent replacement tanks to make up battlefield losses against the Syrians in the Golan Heights, the Syrians might have taken Tel Aviv. It was a very close thing.

Prime Minister Golda Meir made a phone call to President Nixon and in that same hour American tanks were loaded onto American aircraft, off loaded in Tel Aviv, and sent into battle with no time to even over paint the American stars. It was that close.

Israel continues to be the most powerful democracy in a region dominated by despots.

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08/13/20

The Cloud of Darkness Versus Joie De Vivre

On the morning of my wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on 1 December 1979, I heard a knock on my door at the Hilton Hotel in downtown.

Rising with the nervous energy one would expect on such a day, verifying it was just after six in the morning, I opened the door to find a courtly Southern gentleman (bride’s side of the family) standing there with a sweating six pack of beer. I wish I could recall the brand.

We shared a beer — meaning we each drank one. I believe he departed with the remaining four, but I cannot recall. I can only inform you that I did not drink them.

The man was wise and felt the need to arm me with his excess wisdom before I married his gorgeous niece.

Amongst the pearls he left behind was this:

“One cannot make oneself happy, but one can prevent oneself from being unhappy.”

The oddity 0f the circumstances under which it was delivered left a lasting impression more permanent than a tattoo.

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08/9/20

Tactics, Political Tactics

Outcomes in life are determined by the tactics you employ with which to grapple with it.

If you were spit out by a military school, as was I, you will learn basic infantry tactics like attacking a hill with a platoon of 50 men employing something called “fire and maneuver.”

Part of the platoon fires whilst the balance maneuvers, you reverse rolls until you are within hand grenade range whereat you fling a few grenades before closing with and killing the enemy.

It is delightfully simple when confronting the idea with pen and ink, but more troubling when done for real.

You will quickly learn that attacking a hill with a bunch of cadets who will have their turn soon enough is vastly different than doing the same thing when someone is shooting at you and your ranks are peopled with men who are having second thoughts about their career choice.

What you quickly learn is that tactics, successful tactics, require action. You will also want to know that the other guy has likely had a bit of instruction on defending a hill.

This will quickly devolve into a classic clash of wills as does much of life.

The one with the better tactics will win the encounter. Winning in the military racket is highly prized and there is actually no substitute for success.

So, now we turn to the issue of the COVID Relief Package and a lesson on tactics.

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08/7/20

#DefundStupid

In all the to-ing and fro-ing in the world, there are folks who want to abolish the police, defund the police, and to reorganize how law enforcement works.

Many of these folks feel a loving, patriarchal fondness for the Black community and speak for them whenever given a chance.

Turns out Black communities can speak for themselves.

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08/7/20

The Pricing of IPOs

Comes now the triumphant case of Austin, Texas based BigCommerce who IPOed at $24/share on Tuesday. It was cause for local pride and a bit of celebration.

But, was it really?

Absorb these facts:

 1. Company comes public at $24/share and nets $216,000,000.

Well played. Bravo! Years of hard work come together. The American Dream is alive in Austin By God Texas.

 2. Stock price closed that day at $72.27/share, a nifty 201% above the IPO price in less than one full day of trading. [Helen, I think we go with the big Lexus.]

 3. On Wednesday, stock opens at $68, rewarding the folks who got a slice of the IPO and the investment bankers who bought the 15% over-allotment, the Green Shoe, for which they paid $24/share.

 4. Stock closed at $91.80/share on that same Thursday. At this price, the company’s market cap is in the $7B range. A lot of value was created for the founders and the venture capitalists who threw in over $200MM to build this baby.

I love the smell of capitalism in the morning.

For those doing the math, confirm that the $24/share to $91.80/share run is a 283% gain. Not a bad performance for two days.

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