Entrepreneurs unbundle and rebundle
An economics professor and entrepreneur friend of mine always used to tell me that entrepreneurs noticed bundles of resources that could be made more valuable by unbundling, and they noticed unbundled resources that could be made more valuable by bundling. He used to give the example of cars. At some point in time, the combination […]
Learn how to carry the tray
My first job in college was as a server at the Olive Garden. I had never worked in a restaurant before. Unfortunately for me, Olive Garden required everything to be carried on a tray. On my first day, I dropped an entire tray of soda glasses on a customers lap. It was not a fun experience […]
Criticize by creating
There’s always something to be unhappy with. Airport lines are too long. Insurance paperwork is ridiculously complex. Wifi keeps going down. While I appreciate the sentiment in Louis CK’s famous “Everything is wonderful and nobody’s happy” soliloquy, I also appreciate discontentment. It needn’t make your life less fulfilling to be aware of things that could […]
Are you an employee, an entrepreneur, or an entrepreneurial employee?
I meet with a lot of business founders. One thing that is consistent among them is a desire to pass their vision on to someone when they are ready to retire or pursue other things. Some get their children involved for this purpose, but it’s not always a great fit. Many are searching for an […]
Five reasons to apply to Praxis
1. You don’t want to sit in a cinder block classroom for another semester In college, I always took an 8 AM class. Not because I was a morning person, but because it was really nice to doze during that class so I had the energy to play basketball during the break before the next […]
Is Online College a Good Idea? 10 Pros & Cons (Plus a Better Alternative)
The COVID-19 pandemic gave America a crash course in online learning. There were plenty of growing pains—especially at the beginning—but the experience has given rise to a generation of students who see value in the convenience of pursuing an online education. But is online college a good idea? That depends on your particular lifestyle, learning […]
6 Tips When Deciding Whether to Finish College
A lot of bright young people are unhappy in college. They hate wasting money. They hate wasting time. They hate the fact that what they’re getting in return is of so little value in preparing them for career and life. Many of these young people are resigned to push themselves through that one final semester, […]
If you don’t think you’re the entrepreneurial type, read this
“The man who knows how will always have a job. The man who knows why will always be his boss.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Whether you like thinking about business or not, the odds are good that you’re going to spend a considerable portion of your time and energy building a business. The distinction between having […]
If we taught bike riding like we teach careers
Imagine if we taught kids how to ride a bike the way we try to teach them how to have a career. We’d start by showing them pictures of a bike when they’re young. We’d teach them to say the word bike, then spell it, then write it neatly. We’d have them draw a picture […]
Graduating high school isn’t an accomplishment
“Tell me something you’ve accomplished.” A friend said he always has trouble getting an answer to this question. People think and think, and are unable to come up with an accomplishment. He probes a little. He asks if they graduated from high school. Everyone says yes. He asks why they didn’t mention that. ”I just […]
Security is an illusion
Following the status quo won’t automatically provide you with security. Sometimes we compare the risk in our pursuits with the perceived safety of other paths. We imagine those paths to be free of the angst and uncertainty characterized by our own. Many of my aspiring actor friends love to speak of “corporate america” as if […]
The Ideal Praxis Participant
Praxis exists to facilitate young entrepreneurs in the discovery and cultivation of their desires. We want to help them get more than the status quo. Does Praxis only want people who will go on to start and operate their own organization? Certainly not. While it is true that Praxis seeks extraordinary participants, and we will […]
Even jerks can have good ideas
“Learn from everyone, follow no one, watch for patterns, work like hell” -Scott McCloud, The visual magic of comics Successful people know how to separate ideas from idea-givers. That is, they understand the importance of placing praxis above prejudice. In this video from Big Think (it’s less than three minutes long), Robert Steven Kaplan discusses why relationships are essential to […]
Be Radically Practical
There’s an assumption that practical and radical are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Sometimes, the reverse is true. The most practical things can be the most radical. Radical means outside the status quo; something not often done or considered; something beyond the social mores and institutions of the day. Practical means something that’s efficient at […]