complexify.com

Ed Lewis, founder of Essence Magazine, spoke at the Yale School of Management last week about the challenges he faced as a black entrepreneur in the magazine business. When questions turned to the current competition from Internet-based media, Mr. Lewis stated firmly that print will continue to be around, since "you can't take computers to the bathroom."

With e-paper moving "from sci-fi to marketplace," that day may yet come. For now, however, publishers can take comfort in paper's ability to boldly go where computers don't dare.

(Even distant threats are a big deal on a magazine publishers' time horizon. As Mr. Lewis noted, Money (the magazine) didn't make any money (cash) for its first nine years.)

Posted by complexify at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

William Rosenzweig, founder of the Republic of Tea and a professor at Haas, believes that to be successful, an entrepreneur needs curiousity, courage, confidence, and commitment.

Most ventures start with a seed of discontent, and in Rosenzweig's case, the seed sprouted 30,000 feet in the air. On a flight from Newark, he spoke with his seatmate about their shared frustration of of not being able to get a good cup of tea. By the time the plane landed, he had a business partner and the first sprouts of a business.

Writing is normally the first step in making ideas tangible. Rosenzweig generated a whopping 400 pages of ideas in six weeks. These notes eventually became a book on starting a business, and the advance on the book became the seed capital that funded the Republic of Tea.

Perhaps the most surprising lesson is is that good things can come from Newark Airport. As if a multimillion dollar business weren't enough, Rosenzweig also met his wife at Newark.

(liveblogging from the 2005 Net Impact Conference at Stanford Business School.)

Posted by complexify at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)