Open Coffee Postscript

April 30, 2013 by 12 Comments
open coffee april

I had another awesome time last Saturday morning at the April Edition of Open Coffee. Here are some of my thoughts and observations on now holding four of these formatted mixers. 1)  The Sharing Continues to Amaze Me My colleague AR told me that she plans to write a thesis about how the growing Filipino entrepreneurial community is debunking the notion of Filipino crab mentality. You can see this is in action in Open Coffee. In the pitches, you will see people will share business plans, ideas, and plans to people they do not know. (and unlike in "formal" pitching venues, there is no "prize" save for the learning. What's magical is that the audience reciprocates - sharing their own insight, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ANNOUNCEMENTS, Life in a Startup, Wunderkinds Tagged With: ,

The Software Guru: On Refuting Peter, Premature Startup Culture, and Change for the Next Generation (Part 2 of the Joey Gurango Series )

April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Software Guru, Joey Gurango of Gurango Software

In one of his blogposts, Peter, refers to the concept of the Argonaut from the book, Start-up Nation. What are your personal opinions on the contribution of the Argonaut to a Philippine Startup Nation?  Joey: I think the Philippine Startup scene is about 10 years away from being labeled as mature. A lot of my colleagues, maybe including Peter, might say that we’re on the cusp, about four years away from being a mature startup scene, I don’t think so. I actually don’t agree with some of the assumptions  [Peter] is making on the Philippines as a Startup Nation and the impact that you can make on it. For me, it’s almost like saying that the Philippines is a mature democracy, but how far … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mentors, TAKE THAT LEAP!, Wunderkinds Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Use Consulting as a Bridge Between Corporate and Startup

April 18, 2013 by 6 Comments
stepping stone

I had a great lunch meeting today with a very talented friend who's been working in corporate for nearly two decades already. During that span, he's built impressive credentials and has worked on different projects in his chosen corporate function. "I'm at that point Peter where I'm at a crossroads in my corporate career. If I leave my company now, I can apply for department head in another firm, but then what? I'll be looking at a future of just jumping as department head from one company to the other?" (I was at that same crossroads before, so I could really relate to what he was saying.) A common friend of ours who was managing her own lucrative consulting practice was asking him if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: GETTING STARTED, Life in a Startup, TAKE THAT LEAP! Tagged With: , ,

30 SLOTS LEFT FOR OPEN COFFEE. GRAB EM NOW!

April 18, 2013 by 3 Comments

Typically, most of the slots for open coffee get scooped up 2-3 days prior to the event. This time, half of the slots are already filled, with a full 10 days before the event. So if you want to attend, don't walk, RUN to fill this form up. Remember, the April OPEN COFFEE event will happen at Bo's Coffee at Bonifacio High Street at 9:30 am on the 27th. See you there! … [Read more...]

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APRIL OPEN COFFEE NOW BREWING – TO BE SERVED ON THE 27th!

April 12, 2013 by 11 Comments
JGL open coffee banner

WHAT: APRIL OPEN COFFEE WHEN: Saturday, April 27, 930 AM WHERE: Bo's Coffee, Bonifacio High Street HOW MUCH: Just buy a cup of coffee as a form of thanks to Bo's for hosting us For those who missed the last Open Coffee (which included this part), you just HAVE to join us for the next one! As usual, the level of generosity, idea-sharing, energy, learning and overall do-goodery are expected to be at awesome levels. For the reservations for this one, I'm going back to Googledocs, as it seems to have a lower flaker rate and we can ask for more information from you (to help us improve JGL content). Do reserve a seat NOW by clicking HERE. Limited seats. … [Read more...]

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How to take your consulting/freelancing gig to the next level

April 11, 2013 by 11 Comments
one thing

I know quite a number of freelancers and consultants, engaged in a variety of services: design, HR Consulting, programming, writing, training, fitness, and so on. These guys are cool - they are able to live the dream of being their own boss and at the same live comfortably. Some of them are perfectly content with their lifestyle and current circle of clients. I remember one of them telling me recently: "Why should I complicate my life getting more clients?" (For me, this is awesome.) Some of them though, want to expand and are constantly seeking ways to do so. Some have opted to hire an employee or two to help them grow. Maybe more. If you are among the latter category, this article is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: GETTING STARTED, STARTUP ADVICE, TOOLS AND RESOURCES Tagged With: , , , ,