niklaus30

My Deepest Darkest Fear Around Shared Ownership

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen A friend of mine is fond of saying that when you start a business, everything has to go right. You don’t have any capital, you can’t get credit, and you don’t have any customers. The conditions have to be perfect for a new venture to work. The same isContinue reading “My Deepest Darkest Fear Around Shared Ownership”

Rinse and Repeat

It’s 8:00 a.m. August 18th 2030 and I’m checking my email. Yet another offer in my inbox to sell us their food company and convert it into a co-op. Of course they want to sell to us. We can pay well for their business and it’s in the seller’s interest to get a good exit. Continue reading “Rinse and Repeat”

Navigating Conflicts for Harmony

Several years ago I came across a business guru by the name of Eli Goldratt (an eccentric guy), who started a movement called theory of constraints. One of Goldratt’s key insights was that most problems stem from what he calls conflicts. He means something specific when he says conflict, namely: two competing needs that areContinue reading “Navigating Conflicts for Harmony”

Big Catholic Families, Al Gore, Goats, and Labor Exploitation

When my wife and I got married she was always amazed at how few preferences I had. She jokes that I would be happy sleeping in a field with a rock as a pillow. I credit that to growing up in a big Catholic family. There was simply no time or money to deal withContinue reading “Big Catholic Families, Al Gore, Goats, and Labor Exploitation”

The Dispossessed

One of my favorites books is “The Dispossessed” by Ursula Le Guin. The story centers on the life and career of a physicist named Shevek. I won’t spoil the story for those of you who might read it, but the tale takes place on an earth-like planet (Urras) and a moon (Anarres). In caseContinue reading “The Dispossessed”