Whatever the price I understand their excitement. Newspapers and magazines have been waiting for years now to cash in on digital content. What’s held them back, is that until now, we haven’t been able to experience their online material as we do with print. We want to lounge with a digital magazine, without peripherals. We want to consume media at the breakfast table, on the subway to work, at the park. We want to flip pages with our hands. The iPad presents a platform where this possible and does so with style.

One criticism of the iPad is that it’s a content consuming device rather than a content creator. This detail, however is perfectly alright with the newspaper and magazine companies-providing content, after all, is their game. But, the game has changed. Newspapers and magazines must challenge the status quo and rethink how to deliver content. This means the end of the daily, weekly, monthly subscription models towards a continuous publishing standard, fresh advertising integration techniques, communal reading features, and customized dynamic content.

Sports Illustrated gets the idea (thanks Troy for sending this my way):

For now, the iPad is dependent on how the content providers set up. It’s a huge opportunity and one that could push the newspapers and magazines out of the red and into the black.

One of the best things about the Web today is the widespread availability of fantastic free content.

Case in point: “What Matters Now,” a free ebook released the other day by Seth Godin. The ebook is a collaboration of over 70 great minds riffing about ideas to think about in the New Year.

This ebook will not only provide inspiration, but will introduce you to some remarkable thinkers whom you may not have heard of before. Such as…

Download it here. Don’t forget to share.

We were talking today in class about the shift that needs to happen in the entrepreneurial process between discovery (creativity) and exploitation (focus).

Most of the class is clearly stuck in the discovery phase. We love talking about different ideas, being creative, and dreaming big.

The exploitation phase isn’t as much fun. It’s real. You need choose one idea and forgot about everything else. It’s about executing.

Without focus your ideas will remain just that, ideas.

As entrepreneurs we must identify the change period in a project life where we shift from discovery to exploitation. Make sure that you communicate this change to your team and ensure that you have executors on board. Make progress. Get results.

For tips on improving your productivity while maintaining creativity in your work check out the Behance company at: www.behance.com.

Vilfredo Pareto

In business we must not forget Paretos principal (80-20 rule), which states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

80% of the output come from 20% of the input.

80% of the profits come from 20% of the customers.

I wonder if this principal applies to a social media marketing strategy?

In Gary Vannerchuck’s new book “Crush It!,” he explains that his social media strategy for tv.winelibrary.com was, at the beginning, to spend 10% of his time creating killer content and 90% of his time interacting with people online (leaving comments on hundreds of blogs with links back to his site). As people started to leave comments on his website he then allocated a chunk of that 90% to responding to those comments.

If Paretos principal applies, 20% of the people Gary interacted with, resulted in 80% of the attention received on his website.

If this holds true, you can save a lot of time by identifying the 20% of people online who will spread the your message the fastest.

The Toyota Prius is actually more damaging to the environment than a H2 Hummer due to its battery, which is made from hazardous material and therefore cannot be disposed of properly. The Prius’ battery does more damage to the earth sitting in a landfill than the emissions of a Hummer do over the course of its operating life.

I have know idea whether or not this information is true, but it stuck nonetheless. Why?

It sticks because the story breaks the complacency of common sense. We are trained to believe that a hybrid is greener than a gas guzzling Hummer. This story disrupts something we thought to have understood.

Messages that are common sense are easily forgotten because we already get it. Uncommon sense is unexpected, and unexpectedness sticks.

• The housing problem in Lund is real and of high concern to the city and the dean of  Lund University
• Sea container single apartment developments represent the fastest and cheapest way to supply new housing to the market
• The non-student residents in Lund are strongly opposed to new student housing developments
• Rent controls and high tax rates in Sweden make it unprofitable for individuals to buy to rent
• A small-scale sustainable housing community would  be well received by the city an university, however, will most likely take years to be realized due to the red tape surrounding development procedures within the municipality

Due to the last three points our team has decided to abandon the project; and we are OK with that.

Any successful entrepreneur will tell you the importance of failing often and failing quickly. It is what you learn from the process of figuring out why you will drop a venture that is important. Failing quickly further allows you to save valuable resources that you will need to put into your next project.

How do you know if it’s time to quit?

Knowing the difference between what Seth Godin refers to as a “Dip” and a “Cul-de-Sac” or “Cliff” is vital to entrepreneurial success. A “Dip” is a temporary set-back in you venture that will get better if you keep pushing. A”Cul-de-Sac” or “Cliff” on the other hand is a problem that won’t go away no matter how much time or resources you put into it.

An entrepreneur must prepare and anticipate dips. She must also be able to analyze the problem at hand and objectively decided whether or not it is time to quit.

Kenton Knowles is trying to solve the housing problem in Lund, Sweden.

Lund is primarily a university town with a population of around 50,000 during the academic year. For years now the demand for housing in Lund has greatly exceeded the supply. As a result many students commute long distances from outside the city and some are even forced to withdraw their admittance.

Kenton’s proposed solution is mini sustainable homes. These portable homes are based on the size of a sea container (2.5m x 6m x 3m) and are completely self sufficient with solar panels for heat and electricity, propane gas for heat backup, water storage on the roof and sewage under the floor. They take up about 2 parking spaces and can be placed anywhere you can get a truck in to deliver and service them. The homes must be serviced every two weeks to fill up the water tanks, empty the sewage, charge the batteries and refill the propane tanks. They can be stacked or combined to yield a bigger unit and are easily customized to match the owner’s preferences.

Kenton has already spoken to the city of Lund, who has shown interest in working with him to solve the housing problem. A possible arrangement may be for the city to allow houses to be placed on city land in exchange for the servicing contract.

To continue the project Kenton needs development money to further the design and build a prototype. Furthermore, marketing and sales strategies need to be formulated as well as a investment model for prospective buyers.

Check out the design sketches. Any feedback on the project is much appreciated!

Next time you give a presentation, tell a story.

Unfortunately, if you’re like me, the reading list builds every week and you simply can’t keep up. Luckily, Steve Cunninham can save you approximately 16,640 minutes of reading time this year. Steve summarizes a business book every week into a 10 minute video and posts them on his blog. Engaging conversation usually follow each post in the form of comments. Check out the reviews at the link below.

http://polarunlimited.com/readitfor.me/

The quality of education in Sweden, by the way, does not reflect the price tag . Lund University, where I attend, is ranked 88th in the QS World University Ranking (2007), and is a leading school for research and innovation in Europe. Of coarse, you’ll have to get in first, and admittance is tough (the Master of Entrepreneurship program admitted only 30 of 1000+ applicants this year). Fortunately, there is a pooled admission system so you can apply for up to four Master programs at different universities by submitting one application. Visit www.studera.nu for more information.