Valentine's Day and Venture Capitalists

I managed to resist coffee, which means that I've been completely drug-free for quite some time now.

Caffeine is a terrible drug and so many people think that it aids productivity, but at what cost?

I don't want my teeth to become yellow, heart to race unnecessarily, and the other issues that stem from protracted use of coffee.

I ate sweets in the morning, which is really bad. Diabetes runs in the family. Tomorrow, I'm going to commit to a gym membership and make sure to run as many miles as possible when I get there. I will also run outside because it's getting warmer in Pittsburgh.

I went to the library and read excerpts from The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home (I'm on the part about revenge...hmm) and checked the time to make sure I wasn't late for the lecture.

In 2013, I strive to be polite and punctual at all times.

Alex Taussig is a venture capitalist that gave a very thorough business presentation on Summer@Highland. Taussig went to Harvard for his undergraduate education, MIT for graduate school, and Harvard Business School.

I love both Harvard and MIT. I have been to both schools several times and have friends who are currently attending or have attended. Follow Alex on Twitter.

The lecture lasted for about an hour, Taussig ended early in an effort to take questions. 

Hate is the most useless of all emotions; success is the best revenge. Being a scholar doesn't pay as much as being a baller.

Modeling is surprisingly useful because it encourages creativity and emotional intelligence. It takes a great deal of courage to get up and start posing for a random stranger. Besides modeling, I've performed in front of thousands with the Majestic Praise Choir. 

I need to work on developing quiet confidence outside of a group setting. It takes skill to become confident in a one-on-one setting. Toastmasters is definitely helpful. Of course, I'm going to get a sponsor. 

Kim Kiyosaki doesn't enthusiastically promote bootstrapping; instead she and her husband, Robert, use other people's money to get rich.

“Only lazy people use their own money….it takes more energy to get other people to invest in your own idea and to make it a success.” –Kim Kiyosaki

There's research indicating that "Keeping up with the Joneses" is worsened by social networking. “The results suggest that greater social network use is associated with a higher body-mass index, increased binge eating, a lower credit score, and higher levels of credit-card debt for individuals with strong ties to their social network,” the researchers wrote. Read more about how Social Networks May Inflate Self-Esteem, Reduce Self-Control.

In the coming months, I'm going to get serious about my grooming, etiquette, intonation, enunciation, elocution, and cadence. As an aspiring businessperson, I must invest in myself. I am a product. And I definitely need to receive more training.

I've already pitched my idea to family, friends, Daniel Karpantschof, Ryan Blair and Jonah Lupton, but lacked the courage to speak with Alex after the lecture, but I will e-mail him in a couple days. 


To be a powerful entrepreneur you must interact face-to-face with people; it's old school, but also the best way to communicate. Entrepreneurship is not only about solid ideas, but also presentation and the ability to stand out. Closed mouths do not receive funding and shy people tend to have a harder time in business.The lecture was not crowded at all and there was ample opportunity to speak up and interact with the speaker.

I also need to network with other aspiring entrepreneurs. It's difficult to maneuver the cash flow quadrant. You're the sum of the five people that you hang around the most, so choose your friends carefully. Employees at the water cooler tend to hang out with other employees at the water cooler. There's a crab in the barrel mentality in most organizations and this stifles progress and innovation. 

I have to admit that my technical skills need serious improvement, in order to build a strong team, I must speak their language. Coding and programming are literally like learning new languages and it takes a great deal of patience and dedication to find a team that is formidable.

I only have one other person that is interested in joining, I need to use my sales skills and knack for presentation to recruit another member. Ideally, it would be nice to have four people, but three will suffice.

Taussig did a fantastic job today and inspired me to take my credentials more seriously. Although Kiyosaki contends school is over-rated; however, I tend to agree with this assertion:

“You can never be over-dressed or over-educated.”–Oscar Wilde

In the coming days I will submit my plan to the three organizations that will likely be able to fund the venture and use the time between submission to improve my skill set.

The lecture was held in the Gates-Hillman Center for Computer Science. After the lecture I went to a study. It's important to support research studies, I know how difficult it is to recruit people to partake in these studies, I used to recruit people.

After the study, I went home and then took a little nap. After the nap, I went to the Waterfront to refill my phone and to go window shopping.
I plan on buying some new clothes this weekend. Appearances do matter after all. There are numerous studies that demonstrate why attractive people tend to get promoted faster, are viewed as more credible, and definitely tend to succeed more than their unattractive counterparts in life.

So, I have many pressing things on my plate: wardrobe, improving skill set, business plan refinement, and last, but not least, improving public speaking ability.