Many of you know I’m working on my new startup Inside.com.

I’m pre-launch and loving it!

You can follow the project: https://angel.co/inside and http://www.twitter.com/inside. The beta will be this summer and launch in the fall (fingers crossed).

It’s going amazingly, and it feels like everything I’ve built in my entire life -- from Silicon Alley Reporter to Engadget to TechCrunch50/LAUNCH to This Week in Startups -- have all lead up to this.

[ If you want more of my startup emails signup here: http://launch.co/email ]

Over the last two weeks I showed the early designs to five of the most important, intelligent and savvy people in our industry. They were all blown away, with all but one asking to invest on the spot. Awesome.

Feels like I’ve got a winner on my hands -- which is a great feeling. You know when you have the stone cold nuts in poker and you just can’t wait to flip your cards and show the rest of the world? Yep, that’s where I’m at right now. If you don’t play poker, just imagine that you’ve fought really hard to win and there is a big pile of chips in front of you and they’re all yours -- you simply need to show your cards.

Stone. Cold. Nuts. Baby!

This is one of my favorite moments of a startup, and there are six rules I have for when you are pre-launch that I thought I would share:

1. Sell the promise: There are two ideal times to raise money for a startup: before your launch and when you start your hockey stick growth curve. Before you launch you’re selling the promise of your vision--which is unquantified. This is a great thing for the founder because the investor doesn’t have any metrics to put on the product. After you launch? Oh no, they might study the stats and think “this is not trending well.” That being said, I’m not raising money.

2. Tell people you’re not raising money: When you ask for money you get advice, so go out and ask for advice and you’ll get money. I’ve been holding the line that I’m not raising money, but let’s be honest: we’re all raising money if it’s the right person who adds massive value.

3. Get tons of advice and write it down: I’ve been taking a ton of notes during and after meetings with smart folks. I ask them very short questions and record the answers: ‘what do you think?,’ ‘what your favorite part?,’ ‘what’s your least favorite part?,’ ‘would you use it? how?,’ and ‘who do you think would have awesome feedback on this?’ That last part is great, because then you can get a warm intro to that person. “Oh, you think Michael Moritz would dig this? Perhaps you can intro me?’ Boom! This advice is going to come in handy down the road.

4. Double blind your design: The world is design driven right now. The best products are the ones that look the best AND that solve a big problem. So, if you’re going to launch I suggest doing a double-blind design. Give two freelance designers your product spec and have them show you two different worldviews based on it. I’ve done the first and I’m actually studying dribbble.com and behance.net looking for a second set of mocks. This will cost $2k to $10k but is well worth it.

5. Take your time: We’re giving ourselves a ton of time to test and get the product right. We’re not doing the public lean startup MVP thing. Nope, we know we have a killer product and we’re doing all kinds of hidden, private MVP things (like buying Facebook traffic in a Midwest city and sending 1,000 folks to a hidden page). We want it to be perfect. It won’t be, but we want it to be so we’re going to give ourselves a lot of extra time.

6. Plan for a big launch: You get one launch so you want to take your time and you want to launch right. Right now I'm collecting a ton of emails and Twitter followers and NOT talking to any press. As we get closer to launch, I’ll start giving little clues and then asking you to join an exclusive beta. For best practices on this process, study what MailBox App did with their reservation system ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mailbox_(app) ) or check out LaunchRock.

Anyway, that’s all I got on pre-launch.

Oh wait, one more thing ... I need a favor!!!

In order to get it done, I need to add three people to our team. I hope you’ll help me by forwarding this around:

1. Lead developer / VP of Engineering: Someone who can lead a team of six awesome developers and designers. You’ve built a large, scalable project before and you lead by example. You code yourself and you keep yourself up to date on all the latest technologies. You’re indefatigable and you want to win. We are a python/django shop.

2. Front-end developer: You wants to break new ground in UX and have a product that’s used everyday by everyone (which is what we’re building!). You’re someone who appreciates what Qz.com, Flipboard, Circa and Medium.com are doing with their interfaces. You’re lightning fast and you have an opinion about what makes a great product.

3. Versatile developer: You can get frontend and backend work done, and you’re an unstoppable machine when it comes to ripping through the roadmap. You like to be judged by your work.

4. Acqui-hiring: I’d also consider acqui-hiring a team of developers in Los Angeles if you know one.

If you’re any of these folks, ping me... I want you on the team. jason@inside.com

If I wind up hiring someone you forward to me, I’ll give you a “pass for life” to my LAUNCH Festival, sushi in a major city or a Knicks game (and I get good seats typically, since I got the hook up!).

:-)

all the best, @jason

Photo: Potowizard/Shutterstock.com

Posted by:

Jason Calacanis

Congrats! Your first day at a new job can either be the first day of the rest of your life… or the first of a series of endless“Groundhog Day” experiences, where every day feels the same and your new job quickly seems just like the old job.

To make sure that doesn't happen, here are ten things to do differently and help you stand-out:

1. Behave as if you’re still being interviewed.

Once you’re hired it’s natural to feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s easy to assume you belong.

After all, they hired you, right? You’re awesome! And the company is brilliant for having recognized your awesomeness. High five!

Not so fast. Sure, you got hired, and in fact you may be awesome, but you haven’t actually done anything for your new company yet. All you've really shown is that you can get the great new gig.

Now you need to prove you deserve it.

Think of your first thirty to ninety days as an extended interview. Show up every day thinking you need to prove you deserved to be hired. You'll work harder, work smarter, won’t take anything for granted… and in short order you will prove you belong.

2. See your manager as a person you help, not a person who tells you what to do.

Yes, in theory, your manager gets to tell you what to do. In practice, that's probably not why she hired you.

Here’s a better approach: Your manager has things she needs to get done. See your job as helping her get those things done. The more you help her achieve her goals and targets the more highly you will be valued.

Plus you’ll find it’s a lot easier to work hard when you feel you’re helping someone instead of obeying them. And you’ll enjoy your work more too – it’s a lot more fun and an infinitely more rewarding to help than to comply.

3. Build relationships based on performance, not conversation.

Great companies with great cultures welcome new employees to the fold. Other employees go out of their way to meet and get to know you.

That’s awesome, but work still involves work, not just conversation. Be nice, be friendly, be yourself – but always remember that the best working relationships are based on respect and trust, and respect and trust are based on actions and performance, not just on words.

Prove yourself. Pitch in. Help out. Follow through. Meet every commitment. Earn the respect and trust of others and you will build truly great professional relationships.

And you’ll build some great friendships, too.

4. Go the extra mile early – and often.

Early on you probably don’t have all the skills you need. You probably don’t have all the experience. You probably don’t have all the contacts and connections.

But you can have the willingness to work extremely hard.

Work hard and everyone around you will forgive a certain lack of skill and experience. They’ll know you’re trying – and sometimes, at least for a while, that’s all that matters.

5. Spot the high performers and mimic them.

Every organization is different, which means the key attributes of top performers in those organizations are different, too.

Maybe the top performers work more – or different – hours. Maybe relationship building is more important than transactional selling. Maybe flexibility is more important than methodology.

Pick out the top performers and study them. Figure out what makes them tick. How they approach problems. How they make decisions. There’s no need to reinvent the high performance wheel; save that for when you are a top performer and want to go an even higher level.

6. Think three moves ahead.

Great chess players think many moves ahead. The current move builds a base for future moves.

You can do the same at work. Think about where a task might lead you. Think about how you can leverage your current responsibilities. Think about what skills you can learn, visibility you can gain, connections you can build… every task, every project, and every job can lead to a number of great possibilities.

Think of your current duties as one piece in a puzzle, a puzzle that you get to put together and ultimately build.

7. Find a way to stand out.

We have remarkable employees at HubSpot. We feel they have a super-power that makes them stand out in some way. Maybe they’re remarkably smart, or remarkably creative, or remarkably resourceful, or remarkably successful... each of our employees stands out in some special and unique way.

Work hard to be known for something specific. Be known for responding more quickly or following up first or always offering to help before you’re asked. Be the leader known for turning around struggling employees or creating the biggest pool of promotable talent or building bridges between different departments.

Pick a worthwhile mission – one that truly benefits the company and other employees – and work to excel at that mission. Then you’ll stand out in the best possible way.

8. Create your own project.

Succeeding and even excelling at the projects you’re assigned is expected. Excelling at a project you create yourself is exceptional.

The key is to take personal risk with a new project (while making sure the company and your colleagues shoulder most of the risk).

For example, we had a member of our sales team believe passionately in building a partner channel. It wasn't an area that anyone on the exec team was particularly excited about. But, he did it anyway. He did it on his own time, working late, trying different things… and ultimately figured it out. He is now running one of the fastest growing and productive teams in the company. He has also helped create the model for how experiments are run and managed at HubSpot.

I know what you’re thinking: “Wait. He did it on his own time?” Yes, he did. He decided to prove himself. If he had failed, there was little cost to the company so really there was nothing to lose.

But for him – and the company – there was a lot to possibly be gained.

You don’t have to wait to be asked. You don’t have to wait to be assigned. Pick a side project where, if you fail, there’s no harm and no foul, and take your shot. You never know how it will turn out… and what it will do for your career.

9. Find people to help.

You’re new. People are supposed to help you, right?

Right. And wrong.

You can start helping people now. If you see someone struggling and you don’t know what to do, say, “I’m new so you may have to tell me what to do… but I would love to help you.” If you’re in a meeting and someone else was assigned a seemingly overwhelming project, stop by later and ask if you can help. Even if you’re not taken up on it, the offer will likely be appreciated.

Or volunteer to help in an area you’d like to know more about. Work in sales? You could volunteer to help your marketing team create a new piece of content. Work in marketing? You could help your engineering team do some user testing on a new product.

Just make sure you don’t become the guy who helps others but doesn't get his own stuff done.

No one likes that guy.

10. Never forget why you were hired.

Yes, you want to learn and grow. Yes, you want to build a career. Yes, you want to feel happy and fulfilled.

And yes, you were hired to help advance the goals and mission of the company.

It’s possible to fulfill your goals and the company’s goals. Make sure you do. That way you and the company win – and isn't that what the employer/employee relationship should be all about?

Posted by:

Dharmesh Shah

Making the Most of Your Career

by MARISA WONG on APRIL 26, 2013

LinkedIn’s Influencers shared stories of their best career mistakes this week: Newyorker.com editor Nicholas Thompson got fired from “60 Minutes” — in less than 60 minutes. Golden State Warriors owner Peter Guber fired Jeremy Lin before he became a superstar. And Accretive Solutions CEO Richard Moran accidentally hit the “Reply All” button. (See more best mistakes here.)

It’s proof that career paths can be unpredictable. Yet you can still hone and guide them — and learn from your mistakes. These three presentations from the past week touch on just that.

1. SAP social strategist Todd Wilms, who has 20 years of leadership roles at companies like eBay and PeopleSoft under his belt, shares the top 10 lessons he wishes he’d known at the start of his career. They’re good reminders to keep for any stage of your career!

10 Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned In My 20′s from Todd Wilms

2. You’ve probably been told dozens of times to follow your passion. How many people actually do it? One of the world’s greatest cricket commentators started his career in engineering and management before deciding to pursue his dream. Here’s a look at his career journey:

Tales of great careers – Harsha Bhogle from MeraCareerGuide.com

3. This presentation is written for product managers and developers, but the advice applies to all. Check out these six tips for leveraging your career:

Career development in software product development and management from Ty Ahmad-Taylor

What career advice do you have? What’s your best career mistake? What lessons can you teach others? Share them on SlideShare!

Old habits die hard, they say, and especially bad ones. But to this, I only have one word to say: NLP.

You may find this incredible to believe, but NLP is more than enough to get rid of bad habits that continue to plague your life. Smoking is an addiction that started out as a habit, so you can definitely kick it out of your system with NLP as well. Even your love for junk food, your tendency to swear in front of the children – all of these can be solved with NLP.

In fact, I’m going to shock you even more and say that with NLP, you will only have toswish them away and they’ll be gone for good. Try performing the following steps and you will see for yourself why I have so much faith in NLP.

Step 1: The Crime Scene from the Past

Images are everything in NLP, which is why I keep telling the people who come to me for advice to hone their imagination in creating visual messages. Your mind is your own, something that no other can peek into so you definitely shouldn’t be shy about thinking what you need or want to think when practicing NLP.

To swish your bad habits away, you need to start with The Crime Scene – a vivid picture of you at your worst because of your bad habit. If drinking is what you want to get rid of then picture yourself alone in your room with bloodshot eyes as you drink the last drop of beer from the twentieth can you’ve consumed for the night.

It’s essential that you make it clear to yourself this image is a part of the past. It is something that happened before and you are determined to keep in the past. With this NLP technique, you’ll get what you want!

Step 2: The Desired Scene from the Future

Place the crime scene from the past inside a snapshot. At the back of this snapshot is yet another photo – this time depicting the future you desire. Think of something you would want to enjoy – something you couldn’t enjoy because you were drinking too much too often. It could be that you have a token in your pocket from Alcoholics Anonymous – proof that you’ve been sober for five years. Picture yourself looking great and happy because you were finally able to show up for one of your child’s performances in school – something you couldn’t do in the past because you were always struggling with a hangover in the past.

Step 3: Swish It!

Now that you have these images in your mind, slowly count one…two…three and then have those pictures quickly switch places! Now, you have the photo of the future up close and the picture from the past sent to the back of your mind, where it truly belongs. The future photo has become your present – just like that.

If it helps you believe the speed in which you can eliminate habits, you can also imagine a “swooshing” or “swishing” sound as the photo of the future replaces the photo of the past and becomes the picture of your present.

And just like that it’s done!

This simple, (yet powerful), technique works extremely well as I guide my clients through this in a private session. Their bad habits can literally “disappear” overnight!

Go back and really follow these 3 steps…and let me know how you go! Practice this first thing in the morning tomorrow and you’ll definitely start the day right 

Take care,
Richard

This enzyme CAUSES stubborn body fat

This enzyme CAUSES stubborn body fat

I've mentioned this problem in past newsletters, so if you're a long time reader, you might know a bit about this topic... but I want to explain how this works a bit more and how serious the problem is these days...

The problem I'm going to describe here can actually cause "feminization" issues in men (more chest fat, reduced testosterone, etc), but can also cause hormonal disorders in women too.  And it also causes the other problem that everybody hates...more stubborn abdominal fat.

Let's start with the enzyme I mentioned in the headline... it's called aromatase enzyme in your body.  Aromatase is the enzyme responsible for converting androgens to estrogens in your body.  This is a normal process and increases with aging in your body.

Unfortunately, we are being exposed in this modern world to certain chemicals (such as pesticides, plastics, petro-chemicals, and other chemicals in our food and water) that over-stimulate the actions of aromatase, thereby causing hormone imbalances for both men and women.  These aromatase-stimulating chemicals can cause excessively high estrogen levels in men (with accompanying issues of body fat, chest fat, and feminization), and other estrogen-dominance issues for women too.

The easy way to think about it is that we want to minimize our exposure to aromatase-promoting chemicals and maximize our intake of anti-aromatase compounds found in certain foods, herbs, spices, etc.

Expert scientist and author, Ori Hofmekler, in his book "Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat" states: "...it is critically important to eliminate aromatase-promoting substances from the diet including pesticides, herbicides, plastic derivatives (particularly from soft, cloudy or opaque plastic containers), and estrogenic dietary compounds such as those found in soy, clover, licorice, and hops (in beer)" 

Sorry guys about the bad news about beer... but that explains the "beer bellies" you see from heavy beer drinkers.  Just another reason to choose wine or another liquor if you choose to drink.

Mr. Hofmekler continues... "There is growing evidence that certain compounds in food, herbs, and oils can inhibit aromatase activity. Notable natural sources for anti-aromatase nutrients are garlic, onion, passion flower, chamomile, grass-fed dairy, turmeric, raw nuts and seeds, and omega-3 oils from fish, flaxseed, and hempseed".

There you go... protect yourself from these harmful effects and reduce your stubborn fat by loading up daily on the anti-aromatase nutrients listed above!

For the men reading this, make sure to also read this page below for 6 more herbs/nutrients that can protect your manhood, and protect against feminization:

6 obscure herbs and nutrients that protect your manhood 

Even for the ladies reading this, you might want to check that out for your husband or boyfriend!

PS -- if you liked todays article, please fwd this email on to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Robert Louis Stevenson sums up success in terms of
happiness in life:

"That man is a success
who has lived well,
Laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of
children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
Whether by a perfect poem or a rescued soul,
Who never lacked appreciation of the earth's beauty or failed to
express it;
Who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."

--Robert Louis Stevenson

The most practical method for controlling the mind is the habit of
keeping it busy with a definite purpose backed by a definite plan..

Napoleon Hill

When you set your happiness goals, follow the S.M.A.R.T. formula

 S =   Specific
 M = Measurable
 A =  Attainable
 R =  Realistic
 T =  Timely


Specific Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you
want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly
define what we are going to do. Specific is the What, Why, and How
of the SMART model.

WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize,
coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.

WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to
ultimately accomplish?

HOW are you going to do it? Ensure the goals you set is very
specific, clear and easy.

Measurable

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.
Figure out how you're going to measure success, happiness, giving to
others and nurturing yourself.

Attainable

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin
to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the
attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them.
You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring
yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. A goal needs to
stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a
real commitment from you. The feeling of success which this brings
helps you to remain motivated.

Realistic


This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means
"do-able." It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope;
that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the
project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the
organization. A realistic project may push the skills and
knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn't break them.
The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the
moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and
chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these
foods. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Timely


Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, a
year. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to
work towards. If you don't set a time, the commitment is too
vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any
time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking
action now.

The Essentials of Good Decision Making

1. YOU have to decide:
We cannot resolve things because we have not accepted that we have
to decide. Any time you decide you give up something. Decisions
become paralyzing because we are unwilling to sustain the grief.
Basically a decision is to cut away something.  This does not mean
it diminishes your happiness, it means being happy with the fact
that you finally made a choice and you're willing to stick with it
until you succeed.

2. Most critical decisions are made without knowing the
outcome: Think of the mythical stories of the Hobbit,
Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter. Heroes and heroines are reluctant and
almost always do not know the way. Decisions require courage. Life
is a refining process that calls us to be better people. Or we can
avoid the decisions and continue to live our lives drifting along
like clouds in the wind, blown in every direction without a guide
or plan.

3.   True decisions require that we do all that we can to make
them happen.   "Going to any length."

a.    Hoping - beginning to desire to change

b.   Wishing - having a moderate desire to change

c.    Wanting - having a high desire to change

d.   Weathering - committing to make it happen

e.    Going to any length - using every possible advantage for
success.


4. The critical decision in life is to decide to come to your own
assistance.  Ask yourself, "Am I worthwhile enough to fight for?"
It is much more than the will to survive. It is about your
willingness to come to your own assistance. Everything turns on it.
What are the family messages you were told that interfere with
coming to your own assistance? Loyalty to the family secrets?
Not being good enough? Seeking comfort in dreams or the past without
living in the present? Perfectionism? Not deciding simply creates
suffering, prolonged agony, squanders opportunities and talent and
makes you vulnerable for addiction and depression. Life is hard
enough without adding the unfinished.

物理學界的光學大師沈元壤教授

FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1640363687

一個星期是否能過得愉快，能不能做有意義的事情，取決於星期一旱上第一件事，見到的人是否能夠有啓發作用。今天，4月22號，我見到了這樣一位長者，做到與他聊天與學習。這人就是物理學界的光學大師沈元壤教授。沈教授的英文名，Ron Shen,是物理學界內無人不曉的。我在當研究生時，沈教授就已是頂頂有名了。我在今天之前總共見過他兩次。第一次是我的同事Lorenzo Narducci在1981年在費城主辦的「光學雙穩態」會議上，沈教授是發言人之一。第二次是2004年在達拉斯的一會議上見到沈教授。很可惜是那兩次我與沈敎授都沒有深談。今天在清華物理系主任潘犀靈的辦公室內，我們整整的談了一個小時。我們所談的議題包括台灣目前面臨的挑戰與物理學現在的挑戰！這是金錢買不到的享受！

Da Hsuan Feng

Senior Vice President, Global Strategy, Planning and Evaluation

National Tsing Hua University

資深副校長 馮達旋 教授

(全球策略與企劃研考)

國立清華大學

http://my.nthu.edu.tw/~secwww/vicepresident/vicepresident.html

Ir. Dr. Gue See Sew graduated from three universities; Diploma in Civil Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, First Class (Honours) Degree from University of Strathclyde, UK in 1979 and Doctorate from Oxford University with Kuok Foundation Scholarship. 

  

He was the President of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) (2001 to 2003), International Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of APEC Engineer (2001 to 2005, 2007 to 2011), Head Commissioner of ASEAN Engineers Register (AER) (2003 to May 2007) and Board Member of Board of Engineers Malaysia (1993 to 1998, 2000 to 2003). He is the Chairman of the Penang Hillsite Advisory Panel (2011 to 2012). 

  

Ir. Dr. Gue is Founding Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering & Technology, Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Representative of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) to the International Consortium on Landslides. 

  

He holds an Honorary Doctorate in Science (2006) from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland and was awarded The Construction Professional of the Year Award at the Malaysian Construction Industry Excellence Awards 2006, the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Award at the Conference of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations 2007 and Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) Engineer of the Year 2010. 

  

Ir. Dr. Gue is now the Managing Director of G&P Geotechnics Sdn Bhd, a geotechnical consulting firm and Chief Executive Officer of G&P Professionals Sdn Bhd, a one-stop engineering specialist consultancy group with a staff strength of 250. 

  
Ir. Dr. Gue has presented 221 lectures on Geotechnical Engineering. He has also published 108 Technical Papers related to geotechnical engineering in various conferences and seminarsincluding a number of keynote addresses, theme and special lectures. 
Course Outline 
  

  

Session 1: Subsurface Investigation for High Rise Building 

    * Objectives, stages, scope and planning of subsurface investigation 
    * Investigation methods an d procedures 
    * Interpretation of field and laboratory data for design of high rise building   



Session 2: Foundation Design for High Rise Building (Part 1) 

    * Selection of foundation system 
    * Allowable settlement for high rise building 
    * Design of raft or piled raft foundation system   



Session 3: Foundation Design for High Rise Building (Part 2) 

  

    * Design of piled foundation 
    * Interpretation of pile testing results (static load tests, high strain dynamic load tests, sonic logging tests, etc.) 



Session 4: Foundation Construction for High Rise Building 

    * Importance of site supervision for foundation construction 
    * Checklists for foundation supervision 
    * Case histories