Star Wars-like Vehicles and Batcars

Now and then the internet coughs up a hidden treasure that makes you doubt your eyes. And Star Wars suddenly seems so out old-fashioned. I am talking about an experimental vehicle built by an Italian-born aircraft designer for the Sovjets. It's a vertical landing, amphibious airplane that looks like it just stepped out of a Star Wars movie. The one that plays the main role in a story set 10,000 years after Darth Vader.

And given the CES 2016 taking place this week in Las Vegas, more of these strange vehicles are surfacing. An all electric Batcar for the masses by Faraday Future, to your very own person-drone from the Chinese manufacturer Ehang. The future is here and remains exciting.

STARTUP-founders can have the best idea or team, but sometimes they screw it by saying the wrong things when it counts most: at a VC pitch. I prepared a lengthy list on things a startup should NEVER say and another one of what startups should say. Both lists come with explanations and examples how to do it better.

Articles I wrote or liked about STARTUPS:

1. Enterprise Garage: What Startups Should NEVER Say During a VC Pitch
2. New York Times: Uber’s No-Holds-Barred Expansion Strategy Fizzles in Germany
3. Telegraph: Europe could produce a Facebook – and the Google of healthcare
4. Enterprise Garage: What Startups Should Say During a VC Pitch

Pretty confusing for many is how Silicon Valley companies lose so much money, but then have such a high valuation, and in the end they kill off traditional industries.. Google had been losing money for a long time until they found a way to make money. Uber raises billions and billions and spends more money than it earns. And Tesla is still not profitable, but its stock prices are going through the roof. To explain this and why it makes sense is the topic of my latest article that introduces you to the Silicon Valley Mindset.

Articles I wrote or liked around SILICON VALLEY MINDSET:

1. Enterprise Garage: Tesla is losing money, and why this is good
2. TechCrunch: Real Solutions For On-Demand Worker Classification
3. Business Insider: 17 things people in Silicon Valley forget about the outside world
4. Wired: 2016 will herald the end of Google (sort of)

Certain world regions have an image problem due to local conflicts or governments that have other things than the well-being of their citizens in mind. But we forget that good and engaged people are everywhere. 5,000 of them came to Cairo in Egypt to change the Middle East and the World. This is what makes me hopeful for the future of these regions, the people, and us. Like-minded people with a passion for a better future for societies are everywhere.

Articles I liked around INNOVATION:

1. <re/code>: 5,000 Geeks, Entrepreneurs, and Innovators Came to Cairo to Change the Middle East and the World
2. Huffington Post: Intrapreneurship: The Launchpad for Entrepreneurship
3. Quartz: You probably know to ask yourself, “What do I want?” Here’s a way better question
4. The Atlantic: The High-Stakes Race to Rid the World of Human Drivers

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser - of which you may never have heard before - is a great example. A great example of how forgoing testing your idea brings you certain failure. This vehicle that was supposed to traverse the Antarctic failed as soon as it touched the Antarctic snow. Neither the tires had enough grip, nor the engine was strong enough to get even over the slightest elevation, and it's overall clumsiness made it a colossal failure. But read more about this vehicle here.

Links I liked around DESIGN THINKING:

1. CME Group: Design Thinking as an Innovation Process
2. New York Times: ‘Design Thinking’ for a Better You
3. Enterprise Garage: Design Thinking [Video]

NSFW - Forbes 10 Under 10 Influencers in Tech

Today's NSFW - internet lingo for Not Safe For Work - is a hilarious take on Forbes lists of influencers. The difference here is: the ten influencers are under ten - years. And the interviewer suddenly feels veeerrrrryyyy old. The biggest fear of a 10-year-old? That there is somewhere a 6-year-old with a better startup eating his or her business lunch.

Watch the video here.

Eat healthier lunches!

Mario