Comments on: No Comment, You Wimps

by: Mandy S.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:54:17 +0000

When times are tough - rise above. I like this tale and all entrepreneurs should see this! Thanks!

by: September

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:53:19 +0000

I am very nearly in the same situation as the man described, but my “funds” have always been difficult for me to discern. I am not certain I deserve precisely the problems I have, but that’s not the primary issue. It never really is.

To live a life of both pleasure and service is what most people do. When pleasure becomes more visible to others than ones services, we might begin to seem unpleasantly vulgar.

Illness can cause harm to ones demeanor. Illness begins long before we might seem to be unpleasant to others, but a sickness is sometimes the cause of unpleasance, even though it goes undiagnosed.

Good fortune with Shadowrun! I look forward to playing it, should it come about. I hope Mr. “Hedge-Fund” improves his health and stabilizes a good approach to the world, to people.

by: Lauren

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:34:46 +0000

I remember those days, Rob. You handled yourself pretty well.

by: Rob Campbell

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:41:44 +0000

Years ago I was fortunate to have Bob Metcalfe (founder of 3Com and an amazing entrepreneur) on my board of directors. We were faced with a particularly difficult cash flow squeeze and some at the table started talking about soft landings… VC speak for winding down a business. This was a conversation that I was unwilling to have. Afterwards, Bob took me aside and told me that “Entrepreneurs don’t have soft landings… They auger in with both hands on the throttle!” You have to believe.

by: Steve Buerkle

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:08:29 +0000

This is a valid criticism as it’s obvious this guy wasn’t meant to manage something as volatile as a hedge fund. Anyone operating in a hostile environment has to have the innate ability and willingness to adapt and evolve. Through painful (but also often joyful) experience in 6 startups, I’ve learned that the kiss of death is to be consumed by self doubt. Always have a Plan B and always realize and assume that you perceive only a piece of the greater reality. After 5 software/Internet startups, I realized that the playing field has too many players and not enough capital (at least on the East Coast). I completely switched my focus to renewable energy and couldn’t be more pleased. In addition to learning that Darwin was right - evolve or die, I also learned to compartmentalize my fear so that my focus isn’t compromised.

by: Hoyet Andrews, III

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:22:04 +0000

People typically respond to the pressures of life in different. I don’t really find this gentleman’s reaction to the pressure of life strange at all!

In my opinion, what Stewart has pointed out with respect to this gentleman’s present state of being is typically the reactions and results that comes to those who feel invincible because their success in life or their riches accumulated, dominate who and what they are. Giving them the false sense that they are in charge of directing their footsteps in life, and it’s this false sense of ” an individual controlling their destiny”. that when all Hell breaks loose, and they no longer feel in control, that they morph into this walking vegetated state with hopelessness and despair.

One needs to recognize that they are not necessarily or in any way even entirely in charge of their life, and certainly if they let riches, fame and glory skew their view of the responsibilities we all have in this life, to God, and to others, the results of calamity coming into our lives will always result in the state of being which has manifested itself in this gentleman. I would hope at some point in time Stewart, that you would share the comments from this blog to your gentleman friend…. I’d be interested in His observations and comments.

Bottom line, we are not in charge! God is and has been, so take it from one who has had to go through the school of hard knocks to come to this reality point, Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the charge to every man, woman and child!

by: Alecco

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:35:04 +0000

Is this an “America, F*** Yeah!” kind of parody post, or are you really an a******?

by: Fred

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:10:56 +0000

“Frightened mother” sounds sexist. Besides, a frightened mother bear would rip your head off and eat part of it.

by: Rob Herrington

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:09:04 +0000

Just another battle. I do remember some of the 70’s:

Paying $3.50+ a gallon for gas and at times not being able to get it.
Converting my sales fleet to crummy diesel vehicles from Pontiac so that we could buy black market fuel from farmers that had no road tax.

Grain prices spiking that drove land prices through the roof. Result: planted too much grain and grain prices dropped causing land value to sink in value forcing land owners to be upside down in there loans. (sound familiar)

Made a $100K+ selling straight commission and took home less that 30K…… real income tax…. kind of like what the democrats want to do again………

Borrowing short term money from my local bank and paying 22.5% APR and able to make money.

Something about Savings and Loans…… but not clear on that…..

Ah…. the good old days………

by: Ron Leong

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:34:24 +0000

Unfortunately, many of the casualties of this current crisis will be people like this hedge fund manager and others who are not prepared or equipped to survive the stress and pressures of dealing with market turmoil or provide the proper leadership to ride out, if not benefit from a downturn. The wimps will crumble in this market and the strong will survive, if not get stronger. Leadership is a risk-based function, and as we all have experienced, things rarely go smoothly even in good times. It’s important in these times of uncertainty and market turmoil to provide sound and smart leadership. Your team will look upon you to be strong and to provide proper direction, strategic shifts and sound judgement in responding to this crisis. Now is not the time to cower or hide. Now is the time to be strong and to provide the proper leadership to lead your team into battling this current crisis and to survive as a smarter, more experienced and possibly stronger organization. These are times to get that mad gleam in your eyes and to be on top of the situation rather than becoming a casualty.