qval blog

Traditional takes a hike for the Boulder business meeting

There are times when throwing on a suit and a tie and meeting in a conference room are appropriate, but often I find offices are a terrible place to do business. As it turns out business is just another part of life, and life is about relationships not projects.

On the day I decided to meet with Ruby guru Ara Howard, it was 75 degrees and sunny in Boulder for the first time in a long time. Ara and I agreed to go on a hike up Mt. Sanitas in in Boulder. Not only is a hike a great way to meet a person, it's also a great way to take the "suck" out of working on a beautiful day.

Here's the video I took at the top of Mt. Sanitas. The video shows that sometimes getting to know somebody means talking about baby carriers, hiking, and dogs. I learned a lot about Ara the person during the hike, and that's what relationships are all about.

Next time you schedule a "business" meeting, think about what you intend to accomplish and then use your open-minded judgment to make a decision regarding the best way to get it done. There are times when tradition rules in business, and there are times when it's 75 degrees and sunny outside and an amazing Boulder hike is calling.

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Bill Carroll

Suck it up! Great Work does not require Great Resources.

[Sunspots] The type edition - (37signals): "‘Sometimes greatness comes from not having resources’

‘To illustrate his point, [Director Doug Liman] recalled a commercial he was shooting for Nike in the late 1990s starring golfer Tiger Woods. Liman noticed Woods bouncing a ball on the edge of a club during breaks from shooting. Liman grabbed a shoulder-held camera and, away from the crew, asked Woods to bounce the balls while being filmed…The shot, which became a classic, was natural, unrehearsed, and driven by imagination rather than millions of studio dollars, Liman said.’"

(Via 37signals.)

The White Stripes, an amazing band, are another great example of embracing constraints. As previously mentioned in the 37signals blog, "The White Stripes embrace restraints by sticking to a simple formula: two people, streamlined songs, childlike drumming, keeping studio time to a minimum, etc."

Embracing and working within constraints can be a wonderful thing if you have the right attitude.

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Bill Carroll

What's a Bank Run?

This morning as I grabbed a cup of coffee and The Denver Post I was quickly drawn to the headline, "Fed acts to avert run on banks." Worried that my $250 in deposits might be at risk, I quickly read the article and realized that they were of course talking of a "run" of a different kind. According to the all knowing Wikipedia, "A bank run (also known as a run on the bank) is a type of financial crisis. It is a panic which occurs when a large number of customers of a bank withdraw their deposits because they fear it is, or might become, insolvent. This action can destabilize the bank to the point where it becomes insolvent."

In the case of Bear Stearns the facts aren't quite "bank run" facts, considering we are talking primarily about mortgage securities and an investment bank. Readers need to know that this is not a federally regulated bank, although the bailout is by the Fed. Yet, I am sure that my 96 year old grandfather would be happy to say "told you so" after reading today's headlines. He has always spread his money around among regulated financial institutions in case there was another "run." Yes, he remembers the 1930s well.

I wonder how much confusion the Post headline, "Fed acts to avert run on banks" caused those less informed about the world of finance. The same impact could have been made with a more appropriate headline, e.g., the Wall Street Journal headline, "J.P. Morgan Buys Bear in Fire Sale, As Fed Widens Credit to Avert Crisis." I get that the Fed avoid a possible wide spread financial crisis, yet "run on banks" terminology is actually what fuels a financial crisis.

Having set the record straight on what a "bank run" actually is, let's enjoy a Jim Cramer rant as he delivers a prediction that, "Bear Stearns is Fine!" -- Tues, 3/11/08.

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Brett Suchor