Lost you

It is indeed the saddest moment of my life , this current moment
I lost my father , today 15th of December
I have always knew that we all die , but I have never though of losing you.

You rest in peace father , but , I just lost my peace ...
I do remember when held my hands taking me through stairs , saying ,  Oh Khalid enthusiast, take us to the glory ... with inevitable translation bias
This - no means - has been written here as part of the ETR requirements , however he was an excellent entrepreneur , in fact, he was the , and will be the best
entrepreneur in my eyes. He created multimillion company from 5.3 USD worth, given to him when he was 16 years.
I have no other official blog, but I have a Facebook , that is right ! , but I don't regret having all of this sadness, just because you are the  source of it . I don't want to receive all of those "likes"or "dislikes". I just want to be alone , with what i have from memories with you ....
Please forgive me that you dies while I was pursuing MY dreams , you died while I am 5000 + miles from you.... but you are close to me until I die for the second time ....

Salam (Peace)

I am left with five months to be done with my masters. The contents of this course has forced my to rethink what my priorities are. This is because I, and many young graduates, used to think that a person who is at the beginning of his/her career should concentrate on getting into a leading company. Now, I am thinking that I person could be way more successful and small companies, startups, family owned companies or even those companies lacking the organizational structure.

Standalone or internal?

 My personal goal was always and still to be a self-employed businessman running his own a company. That said, I am revealing one my of problems, One of my biggest weaknesses is that I have no specific and/ or unique passion, even career wise, I have no specialties. I cannot imagine my self just concentrating on something and building a career around it. I am the best person who has applied: “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Could it be because I did not find what I really like up to know, or is it something else? I really wish I knew.

The good news is, I think I am getting closer to what I might like:

Because I have no real specific career passion, I can be good in management consulting firms, or generalist venture capitalist. So, my next career preference is to work for the least structured company in my country in which you can find huge bureaucracy pressure in almost companies, or one of the international management-consulting firms, which operates there. A third option is to work for the only venture capital firm that I know of in my country: http://www.amwalalkhaleej.com/aboutus.htm

The last option is the least probable, since, looking at their few employees’ profiles, they are very experienced and, in most cases have worked for highly ranked consulting firms for years.

Sorry for talking advantage of such assignment to reflect so personally!

Can IP really provide protection (Networking Event)

having a Intellectual Property rights can provides huge advantages for individuals, organizations , and start-ups. I would say that this is correct as long as you have the patent at hand. Howver , I dout that it provides any ptotuction given the fact that getting patent approved takes tepeically 3 to 6 years. It also may costs up to 40 thousands dollars.
These information are take from  Jeffrey Duquette, Esq., (Mirick O’Connell, LLP) who happens to be WPI alumi of Class of 1991, Mechanical Engineering during his take titled: Understanding and Navigating the IP Landscape - An Intellectual Property Overview" on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
as part of the Collaborative for Entrepreneurship & Innovation venture programs.
His talk was about how the Intellectual property (IP) refers generally to a group of intangible assets which can have a significant impact on a company's operation and growth. This workshop explored the different types of intellectual property protection available - patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets - as well as ways in which to identify and protect your company's IP.
As curios as I could be , is as depressed I was when I knew that getting the patent is costly and time consuming task. This adds to the already high presser on entrepreneurs and start-up owners because some time - if they are lucky enough - they are capitalizing on the possibility of getting an IP to attractive investors to fund their ventures.
again , if it takes 3-6 years to get IP, then what should entrepreneurs do throughout all those years beside working to get the IP aprroval?
and who and how that idea can be protected in that gray time period?
and how entrepreneurs can even fund the approval process?
If I have good amount of money , I will create a company that is a sort of Venture Capital only for the purpose of funding inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs during the IP approval process. What do you think?

The 20 Most Innovative Startups In Tech

the following link contains the 20 most innovative start-ups in tech:

http://www.businessinsider.com/20-innovative-startups-2011-11?utm_source=%23frankguillen&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=FrankGuillen+Buzz#

Personally , I think , at least 50% of those are not going to fly. However , all of those have made it successfully to raise some money which is surprising, but, what is even more surprising is that how innovation can be in one of the simplest form possible.  That is taking something that we all know , and put it in a different use , probably tweak it a little.
In all those innovative start-ups , there was notthing that is completely new. This is such a great news for all of us, since being innovators and entrepreneurs know has become closer. Closer in a sense that one just needs to use whatever is already available to put in a better use.
The best example is illustrate this is to look when the use of check list in industrial setting started vs when it started inside the operation (surgery) room in hospitals!
 

Where are customers in the mind of corporations?

Where are customers in the mind of corporations?
the answer is simple : they are in the market there and corporations are working their best to target them. Some may think that corporations are targeting them by offering them their products. Well, that is right , but some corporations are targeting customers in a way that they are shooting them and their innovations. This can be in a form of "we know what the customers want" or late customer involvement in the product/service development , if any.
the numbers mentioned in MIT paper regarding the consumer-centered-innovations are shocking , for example , in UK, individual spends money on R&D 140% more than the corporations do on R&D !
I consider this demand changing the R&D from usually a division of most of the companies to something that is far different.
I strongly believe that we are in a time where organizations that does not keep their customers heavily involved in all the business's stages, they are far from being stable and are deemed for failure.
Ideally , when 2 persons are thinking together, the outcomes should be better than when only one person thinking about the same thing , but that when not taking all the inter-people destructive forces into considerations. Because we people are not that good at cooperating and exchanging thoughts , some times individuals' R&Ds are able to easily beat big corporations' ones.

Who is LetusLearn fist costumer?

The education process has two major parts, the learning and the accreditation. LetsLearn will assume the learning part by providing a global tool that serves as a source of exchanging knowledge between knowledge seekers. It is a free website that connects similar-interest field-mates virtually to address academic difficulties and share ideas. It also serves as a tool to form study groups. Once you create your profile and state your current course/s or interest/s, then our unique matching system will search our database and recommend people with similar academic interest. Once matched, our unique learning tools will make things easier for your courses by helping each other, forming study groups and even global project teams.

Since we are based in Massachusetts, I suggest we start in this state, based on the following facts:

·      A quick internet search for statistics of Mass schools revealed that there are 1831 organizations falling under the public schools  umbrella below, there is the source:

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavId=

·      There are more than 100 colleges in Mass

·      Mass area is perfect for start up. Moreover, what is the first state when it comes college ranks? In other words, if we can be successful here, it will work for our benefit since we can leverage having the best colleges in the world in Mass, which can be considered a lead in the global education industry 

Leadership Style, ENTP

I have been chosen to attend EDAD "Preparation in Arabic"program that was organized by Mckinsey and Company in Boston , during this year. One of the thing they requested us to do , even before the program started is to go online and take the MBTI questionnaire. They made sure to tell every participant that this is not meant to be part of the recruitment or evaluation processes.
MBTI reports tell you your preference for each of four pairs:

• Extroversion or Introversion E or I
• Sensing or Intuition S or N
• Thinking or Feeling T or F
• Judging or Perceiving J or P1

If there was nothing valuable than knowing my self "knowing my type" , I would still consider that weekend program as one of the best in my life.
I knew what I really like, specially when dealing with others , and how I can be more effective by modifying what I do to others and allowing others to know me and deal accordingly.
MBTI has a pool of 16 personality type, I was ENTP type.
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another1.

This is one of the many reasons that I really would like to join Mckinsey as it is a firm that truly provide its employee with what they really need to be at their peak , then challenge them.
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http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp

the future of humanity ... and payements

interesting article but needs your relaxed & imaginative mind , Would that change the entrepreneurship environment  ? how? 

http://blogs.cisco.com/financialservices/on-the-future-of-humanity%E2%80%A6-and-payments/

to me , it is dramatically changing everything , and the way to do everything. One like me , full of energy and hopes to be engaged in the so many opportunities in the part of the world where I came from, might be that happy when reading such article. This require that entrepreneurs have a working knowledge of the IT and IS (Information Technology and information System), I have NONE.

that in mind, I am just curious how wide, or narrow the horizon for the people who are not IT and IS savvy in the coming era? we will wait and see ..

Riyadh Startup Weekend (Networking event virtual attendance)

I was a amused when following - although wirelessly -  the Start-up Weekend in Saudi Arabia, Riyad ..
it is a free 3 days program for young entrepreneurs to gather , exchange ideas, form teams , get guidance from experts in a competition environment, where in the final day , "Friday , since the weekend in Saudi Arabia is Thursday and Friday".
First, I was happy because of the event being in place,  in away that hopefully can help young entrepreneurs fulfill their needs of ourcue their dreams , regardless of wither they fail or succeed.
Second, it is full of youth, from both initiators, planners , organizers and participants. However, I noticed there was no Joint Venture Capitals, banks, investors and alike...
This movement along with all what is going on in the entire Middle East area is promising , of course after things settle down, Looking at the young populations in that area, it is dominated by youth.
going back to my country Saudi Arabia , with so many investment opportunity and interest free loans provided from the government and other non-profit agencies.   On top of this,  it is a tax free country , this is really charging me with a huge momentum to go back home as soon as possible and indulge in those opportunities equipped with all the knowledge I am getting from WPI.

comment on New Research Study Uncovers Product Innovation Challenges Facing Consumer Goods Manufacturers article

the article can be found at this link:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-Research-Study-Uncovers-bw-1046211944.html?x=0&.v=1

First , we need to be smart enough to know that there might be a bias in this study , "author bias" as they call it in the academia world. This study has been prepared by two bodies , one of them is a software solutions provider, this should be clear from the first recommendation they provided ( Information gaps that undercut new product investments), this by no means that I am saying this study is not valuable.

I would liek to challenge tha following qute:
"The good news is that solutions to these challenges are within nearly every company’s reach". I guess this is under estimating the challenge to be providing an innovative product. This, by definition, is contradicting with simplest innovation principles. In other words , if everyone of us is able to provide an innovative product , then we must have understood innovation incorrectly.

Losing Steve Jobs

I have to admit that I did not expect that I will feel sad the way I felt when they announced that Steve passed away. I could not find anything to reduce this sadness except that now I have to work harder to replace his empty chair ..... I mean it 

Stop annoying me by mails, and please stop cutting trees

It all comes to wither customers will find what they need or companies will search for what they need regardless of the different names: inbound or outbound marketing. My thought is, it is not either black or weight, for a start up company, they need good amount of outbound marketing for people to know that there are different providers for the thing they are looking for, once a given company has been know in the market, then I see that the outbound marketing get ineffective for various reasons. First, people are subjected to a huge amount of marketing materials that causes headache, and the best evidence is that people are willing now to pay for ad-free radio!

Another reason is that it is not environmentally friendly specially considering the amount of papers consumed in mail-in adds for example, it is huge, and soon there will be movement to stop such irritating behavior of sending unwanted add to people direct mail boxed.

Third, consumer’s behavior is greatly shifting, being able to make smarter purchasing decisions due to the availability of needed information through INTERNET. One can spend 10 minutes to evaluate all of a given product or a service by clicks, where hundreds of reviews are already in placed details other consumers’ experiences.

At the end, you cannot fool the consumers any more, all what you can do is that you really concentrate on providing what he/she needs, then, and only then, he/she can easily finds you.

Customer Relationship:

The effort made by Apple should be difficult to see when a person see how Apple computer users (and others) are in love with all apple products, even if those people don’t won any of apple products. In shorter words, Apple customers are very loyal and it is clear since they pay much more money to own purchasing them. Apple’s customers have a higher switching costs than all in the same categories, in the field of iTunes , I really know no real competition players yet.

Customer cerements

High-end Mass market

Channels:

Internet (through Apple website), Apple stores, and retailers

Revenue Streams:

High-volume content revenue

Offer:

 Music over the Internet that can be download at anytime, anywhere.

Key activities

Apple has Hard and soft ware products, coupled with excellent marketing and sales forces. Actually this excellent is shown throughout the Supply chain management

Key resources:

·      Great collection and extensive  /up to date content.

·      Agreements

·      Itune software

·      And above all, Apple brand 

I think of Apple as the gold standard when excellence to be measured for companies that has physical products. This is a result of all the integrated effort in all department of this firm. Yet, what I belive is the strongest is the strategic management has has fully digested their business model , not even that , but , they added adaptability to it ...

Strategy and the internet

I see Internet is the media through which almost all business are to done through. It is like the traditional market meaning. As the Sutherland mentioned , it is not an option any more . It is a matter of a survival , can you imagine a bank without an online service?. However, this view can be turned upside down , by looking at Internet as chance not as a change. For example , Internet has changed the way procurement done. Nowadays , almost each company has equal access to all providers , which -in general - better than the old way of doing procurement business.
just s minor hint for all company , if you still serving customers like those you used to serve before 30 years , then ok you can just ignore the internet , but I know you know that people now are different , then you should do the business as the way people likes you to do

TRIZ is the QUIZ

      I tried to the best of my knowledge , all of it ( I am engineering background) , but I could not get 1 millimeter ahead of understanding the what is TRIZ about. I tried to explore the website , but no progress. Either i am at higher level that I cannot understand trivial things, or I have lost all the knowledge I gained in my studies, or - and probably the case - I have explored it at a late hour when I am supposed to be in my bed.

That was my way of saying it is very complicated 

Fist Blog in ETR 500 , actually it is he first ever!

            I used to think that innovation can partially means freedom from structured steps and procedures. This thought ignites, still raising a lot of questions when reading materials like the ones required for this assignment. If innovation / creativity is about throwing old ways of doing things and “experimenting” doing them in new (better!) ways. If that is being agreed upon, then how can a structured way (whatever it is called) leads to innovating a new products, services and or spaces. I have to be honest and reveal my fear that I have when I am about to taking any form of training in Innovation and creativity. This fear is that I am going to lose the natural innovative approach and thinking (I have the right to claim that I naturally innovate)