Review: Tonx Coffee
People always ask me how they can make great coffee. I’ve never had a good universal answer until now.
Thank you Mr. Arment :)
Source: marco
German solar power plants produced a world record 22 gigawatts of electricity per hour - equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity - through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said.
The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022.
They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass.
Germany sets new solar-power record, equal to 20 nuclear plants at full capacity
Impressive, not only technologically but also politically. I wish we had the ability to act similarly here in the US.
An illustrated children’s map of the area where I live, created circa 1934.
BRYCE DOT VC: Suffering As a Competitive Advantage
Athletes are frequently exposed to unpleasant sensory experiences during their daily physical efforts, and high physical and psychological resistances must be overcome during competitions or very exhausting activities. However, athletes are forced to develop efficient pain-coping skills because of their systematic exposure to brief periods of intense pain. Therefore, pain coping is an integral part of athletic training, and coping skills are important features in the development of athletic character.
Despite the media’s glamorous portrails of celebrity founders, I think the ability to suffer through and tolerate pain after others give up, may be the single most important attribute in all of startupland.
In other words: grit.
Source: brycedotvc
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
“Three ex-baristas — including one who happens to be a co-founder of the “Etsy for foodies” site, Foodzie — are the visionaries behind the L.A.-based Tonx. Its goal, in the words of the website, is to deliver “awesome beans every other week” to your doorstep. Tonx works like a no-nonsense mail-order tasting club. Just sign up to get a 12-ounce bag of beans delivered every two weeks. You’ll be billed every month for $38, shipping included, and are guaranteed a rotating cast of fresh coffees, roasted to ship.”
I’ll take it. :)
Source: The Huffington Post
Santa Monica was initially the choice because that’s where the executives live. It makes little sense from any other perspective. Housing is not cheaper, it’s extremely difficult to get to if you don’t live nearby, and it’s not easy to recruit people to the area because of long commutes and no access to the train. Recruiting for companies in Santa Monica now is very much like recruiting for companies in Silicon Valley in the late 90’s - it’s a frenzy of recruiters, deal makers, engineers, and startups all grappling over the same limited resources in a confined area.
IdeaLab, OpenX, and many others do fine outside of the Santa Monica ecosystem.
Information Arbitrage: Board member vs. mentor dynamics
I couldn’t agree more.
…it is critical for CEOs to cultivate a rich set of mentors and advisers to whom they can turn for hard questions and candid insights in a private manner. Building and running a company, especially a start-up, is incredibly difficult and stressful, and it is critical that the person bearing the brunt of expectations have a release valve. It’s just that this release valve sometimes can’t be a member of the Board.
Another good post on this topic comes from Marc Randolph, Netflix cofounder:
The relationship is singular. As CEO, you may have many Advisors, but it would be very unusual for you to have more than a single Mentor. In exchange, I make a serious commitment to you and your company: both in the amount of time I spend with you each week as well as the length of time I’ll stay engaged.
I’ll be proactive and kick your ass whenever I see it needs kicking. (The Advisor will kick your ass too, but usually only when you ask him to).
And not insignificantly, as a Mentor I’m aligned with you – not your investors. If I do receive a stock grant, it’s common not preferred; it vests, accelerates and (ideally) pays out on the same terms as the founders. During fund raising, acquisition talks, or any of the other coming-of-age milestones of a young company, you’ll know for sure that I’m on your side of the table.
Bottom line: my job is to help you be a better CEO, not to watch out for my own interests.
Source: informationarbitrage
Apple’s newest store in Amsterdam (pictured here) has another one of their now-famous glass staircases. This photo reminded me of a comment my girlfriend made at the Upper West Side store: store designers at Apple sure don’t seem to mind involuntarily showing off their underwear. Or they don’t wear skirts very often.
Source: cbowns
I'm Nikolaus Bauman 
