GuyW
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7 years ago @ Catarina's World - Bringing Silicon Valle... · 1 reply · +1 points
7 years ago @ Catarina's World - Bringing Silicon Valle... · 3 replies · +1 points
7 years ago @ Catarina's World - How will Africans get ... · 3 replies · +1 points
7 years ago @ Catarina's World - How will Africans get ... · 5 replies · +2 points
The issue of Western (Europe) agricultural subsidies alone would occupy the politicians for many years - there are simply too many votes at stake for governments to abolish them.
My view is that the biggest single problem facing Africa - by far - is the quality of its leadership. There is a tendency for elected leaders to stay in power (Mugabe et al), and to view the country as their own personal fiefdom (or should that be thief-dom?). Yes, we can say that these leaders have been elected (turning a conveniently blind eye to rampant election fraud), but that does not address the issue. There has to be a way that the West (and other interested democratic institutions) can use aid money not just to pour it into already-corrupt governments but to use it effectively as a carrot-and-stick way to ensure that democracy, in a true sense, comes to Africa and it gets the leaders it deserves. This would position the continent to raise itself out of the straits in which it currently finds itself.
7 years ago @ Catarina's World - Is the economy complex... · 1 reply · +1 points
In today's hyper-connected, always-on, instant-info world, reactions are instant and further complicated by having both human responses and computer-programmed responses acting alongside each other, so exaggerating the effect of almost any piece of information.
Just as global warming will exaggerate the intensity of storms, so will this information glut exaggerate the response of the markets.
7 years ago @ Catarina's World - How do you communicate... · 1 reply · +1 points
Too often, presenters get bogged down with the detail on slides and the audience ends up trying to read these - or, as bad, the presenter reads the slides to the audience. Visual aids are key, as is the clear excitement of the presenter in the information being presented. And when all else fails, remember Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule for presentations - no more than 10 slides, 20 minutes or a font size smaller than 30 point...
8 years ago @ Catarina's World - How do digital compani... · 1 reply · +1 points
The key to both, though, is adaptability - be prepared to adapt your plans as things evolve in unforeseen directions (the impact of the iPad when introduced in April 2010 is a classic case here, for example), and learn from your failures, while continuing to innovate.
8 years ago @ Catarina's World - Are you a strategic le... · 1 reply · +1 points
As the saying goes, "The journey of a thousand miles beings with one step."
Don't let your lack of confidence to accurately predict the future stop you taking that first step - build your strategy with the facts you have at hand and be prepared to change / develop it as you go along.
And, yes, innovation - like anything - needs a strategy to succeed...
8 years ago @ Catarina's World - Do you know how to lev... · 1 reply · +1 points
In my case, I've been doing consultant and interim work for 7 or 8 years now and this definitely seems the way of the future - I use my experience and skills in a range of executive and non-executive roles...
8 years ago @ Catarina's World - Dubai branding: Mars next · 1 reply · +1 points
In my view, what the city-state still needs to do to ensure it lives up to its image is to put in place a suitable legal structure that enables people, and businesses, to operate on an equal footing. The damage done to Dubai's reputation during the financial crash of 2008-9 when people fled, fearing automatic jail sentences for falling behind on bill payments is still an issue. I also believe that residency issues should be looked at to encourage further investment.