Urgent Speed

Focus, Time Management and the Web

Charles M. Schwab was president of US steal in 1901, a position he rose to by impressing his bosses Andrew Carnegie and Henry Frick.  My understanding is Schwab started as a management consultant, and the conversation went something like this:

Schwab: Hey I am a hot shot consultant, hire me.

Frick:  No, we don’t need a consultant to tell us what to do.   We already have a huge list of what needs doing.

Schwab: I know I’m good.  Let me prove myself.

Frick: If you figure out how to get more done, I will pay you what I think your consulting is worth.

Schwab: Give me a week to look at your list and watch your management team.

Frick: Sounds good.  Here is the list.

Schwab (one week later): Work only on the item on the top of your list.  When it’s done, and only when it’s done, move to the next item on the list.

Frick (one year later): Here is a check for $25,000 (a lot of money in the late 1800’s)

I have a feeling Frick, Schwab and Carnegie would have liked NowDoThis.com … if you have internet-attention-deficit-disorder or run a steel mill you might enjoy it.

As with Bandwidth, Memory and Processing, the Cost of Solar will drop to near zero

Last week I blogged about falling solar panel costs.  Several readers theorized offline that the economic downturn might slow production and lead to further panel shortages, thus raising costs and slowing adoption.  Good news.  This morning my friend in the semiconductor industry forwarded me this iSuppli study indicating that prices are expected to fall a record 20% in 2009.  

“In 2009, average prices for panels for new installation contracts will collapse to the US$2.50 to US$2.75 per watt range by the end of 2009, down from the current level of US$4.20 per watt. – iSuppli”

In addition to the advances in solar electric production, we are also seeing advances in power storage, including nano-capacitors.    

All this activity further validates my underling theory: we have seen this game before (CPUs, Memory, and Storage).  The solar game is just like the computer hardware game, and the winners will be businesses and consumers.

So I ask… who are the Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs and Jack Simplot of solar?   

also related: Wall Street and Solar

Electric Lighting – an Alternate History

When a revolutionary new technology is invented, the winning business model is often unclear.  This morning, I was surprised to learn when light bulbs were first introduced, several municipalities did not see the need for home wiring.  Cities including LA and Detroit had ambitious plans to build huge lighting towers that would turn night into day for the entire city. 

I guess that’s one way to solve the last mile problem!  Hats off to Randall E. Stross, and his book The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World.  His book really puts innovation in perspective by documenting the birth of the phonograph, ticker tape machine, electricity and the light bulb. 

Hank Greenberg, Cornelius Vander Starr and AIG

This weekend I read “Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG”… fascinating story, especially if you share my passion for insurance. Some think insurance is filled with people that did not have enough personality to become accountants, but this book should help set the record straight.

Obviously, AIG achieved stellar growth and size (ranked 4th on the Fortune 500 in 2006).  Less well known is the firm’s commitment to keeping excellent managers.  Their primary tool was, until recently, a generous vesting pool set-up by the founder Cornelius Vander Starr.   

The book is as much about Cornelius as it is about Billionaire Philanthropist Greenberg. This book is not some “blow sunshine up your arse” corporate PR job. The author was a senior executive at AIG for years and clearly has been out long enough to have a more balanced perspective.   If you like mogulographies, international business or big egos you might like this book.