A good risk manager doesn’t aim for zero risk. Zero risk is zero innovation, and zero innovation is high risk.
I was fortunate to be invited by Technology Alberta to attend the Singularity University Summit several weeks ago in Edmonton. SU is all about exponential tech and what’s, perhaps surprisingly, possible now – from AI and citizenship to cleantech and medical records. The full slate of talks are now available here, but start with SU Chair for Entrepreneurship Pascal Finette’s excellent closing keynote for a great overview.
What incredible animation! By Anthony F. Schepperd, set to Blockhead‘s groovy The Music Scene.
It’s hard enough to build and grow a startup company, but it’s pretty much impossible when facing internal headwinds. Sheer will alone cannot overcome the dysfunction of absent, arrogant, and quarrelling founders. It’s called founder drama and it’s a more common fate for startups than one might think. There are warning signs to beware of:
Our first date was at Eau Claire Market in Calgary. We wandered by the Bow River, easily slipped into comfortable conversation, and then later sat on the grass and talked some more. A middle-aged woman randomly walked by us, spotted a four-leaf clover nearby, picked it and gave it to Abby with a smile. She took a couple more steps, spotted another four-leaf clover in the grass, picked it and casually handed it to me. And then simply walked off, leaving us awestruck.
They say there’s a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a four-leaf clover. It’s 1 in 100,000,000 to find two, and probably 1 in a bazillion to find two on a perfect first date. As superstition goes, “A person who finds one will meet a future lover on the same day.” Lucky me, I did.
