Re: (response to Keith) Re: [biofuels-biz] Biofuel Business Plan Group Kicking Off Projects NOW
I agree with most of what Haken says, You have been talking about it for weeks, what about starting it. confucous says the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. - Original Message - From: Hakan Falk [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 11:43 PM Subject: Re: (response to Keith) Re: [biofuels-biz] Biofuel Business Plan Group Kicking Off Projects NOW Dear Andrew, I have been an entrepreneur for the most part of my active live and started quite a few businesses and if you adapt your ambitions, goals and methods as you go along, it could be a valuable contribution. I have been actively involved in businesses in more than 14 countries and have some points for you, apart that you should listen carefully to Keith and think about what he is saying, 1. A business plan is a map that from its start is very rough and needs to be adjusted all the time. The old joke about military who says If the map does not fit with the terrain, follow the map, is disastrous for business. Therefore I would talk more about adaption than alignment. I do not know how much experiences you have from early startup phases, but recognize that you have participated in business planning and have experiences. 2. It is knowledge, enthusiasm, energy and stubbornness that creates new businesses and markets for them. Values that are a prerequisite for any ground breaking work. It is very few large companies that can live with entrepreneurs, the only one I have close work experiences from, was ITT, when Harold Geneen was still in charge. By the way, I was shocked by his language the only time I participated in a meeting with him, very American. What made ITT was its decentralized structure and at the time the best flexible planning, budget, accounting and follow up system. 3. Entrepreneurs are very much like artists and if you are a gallery representing artists, you need to be humble, supportive, show patience and respect for the work they do. To represent artists is an art in it self. I could go on forever to talk about starting up a business and all the things that happens, but the three points above are most important. I think that your goals of helping is better served by a number of business plan templates, flexibility and adaption. Rather than standard planning and alignment. It could be a very valuable help for many and can also result in strength of a loosely knit interest organization. Hakan At 01:44 PM 12/23/2002 -0500, you wrote: Keith, Thanks for your candid feedback and good ideas. Before I address your specific points and questions, let me try to clarify that the basic motivation for forming this group as I see it, through a hypothetical: On the consumer side, if I am in New York and I'm interested in questions like: a) how my kid can ride to school in a cleaner bus b) who in NY city government can I call to demand that she ride to school in a cleaner bus c) what vehicle I can buy TODAY that can be more environmentally friendly d) why the local staff of my favorite environmental organizations don't support biodiesel e) what the heck is the connection between fossil fuels and the destruction of my downtown skyline last year f) what local businesses should I patronize that are running environmentally friendly vehicles ... it is currently quite a time consuming and daunting task to find those answers, and most people with jobs and families simply aren't going to. I think we can assist people in educating themselves on local/regional-specific level, and grow our political consituency and the market demand for BD, as a result, and in turn effect greater change. Similarly, on the business side, if I am in New York and I want to start a local environmentally and socially-responsible energy business, I'm trying to assess questions like: a) what are the local market opportunities are and who (fleet owners, building managers with boilers, etc.) controls them, b) what is the local tax/incentive situation c) who is already in the business locally that I might partner or have to compete with d) how I can get effective local PR done to help my fledgling local business grow, etc.? Or if I own a local business with a vehicle fleet and I have heard of this thing called BD but don't know where to get it, I want answers to questions like: a) what my range of choices of suppliers would be b) what the difference between buying BD from soybean oil from World Energy and buying from someone that has processed recycled oil from Chinatown restaurants would be etc. In all these cases is quite difficult to find reliable answers in context to locally-specific questions such as these. The result is fewer businesses, less economical supply, less awareness, and less demand (in no particular order). There is room, and I would argue a need, for some coherence and centralization
(response to Keith) Re: [biofuels-biz] Biofuel Business Plan Group Kicking Off Projects NOW
Keith, Thanks for your candid feedback and good ideas. Before I address your specific points and questions, let me try to clarify that the basic motivation for forming this group as I see it, through a hypothetical: On the consumer side, if I am in New York and I'm interested in questions like: a) how my kid can ride to school in a cleaner bus b) who in NY city government can I call to demand that she ride to school in a cleaner bus c) what vehicle I can buy TODAY that can be more environmentally friendly d) why the local staff of my favorite environmental organizations don't support biodiesel e) what the heck is the connection between fossil fuels and the destruction of my downtown skyline last year f) what local businesses should I patronize that are running environmentally friendly vehicles ... it is currently quite a time consuming and daunting task to find those answers, and most people with jobs and families simply aren't going to. I think we can assist people in educating themselves on local/regional-specific level, and grow our political consituency and the market demand for BD, as a result, and in turn effect greater change. Similarly, on the business side, if I am in New York and I want to start a local environmentally and socially-responsible energy business, I'm trying to assess questions like: a) what are the local market opportunities are and who (fleet owners, building managers with boilers, etc.) controls them, b) what is the local tax/incentive situation c) who is already in the business locally that I might partner or have to compete with d) how I can get effective local PR done to help my fledgling local business grow, etc.? Or if I own a local business with a vehicle fleet and I have heard of this thing called BD but don't know where to get it, I want answers to questions like: a) what my range of choices of suppliers would be b) what the difference between buying BD from soybean oil from World Energy and buying from someone that has processed recycled oil from Chinatown restaurants would be etc. In all these cases is quite difficult to find reliable answers in context to locally-specific questions such as these. The result is fewer businesses, less economical supply, less awareness, and less demand (in no particular order). There is room, and I would argue a need, for some coherence and centralization of information and sharing of resources and experience, particularly when local issues and experiences bear on national and international issues and vice-versa. There needs to be a bridge. That does not have to be a scary corporate thing, and a group of a few dozen volunteers trying to put up a central information resource online and acting as local information gatherers does not a Redmond Monster make! :) Keith wrote: Um... I think I'd contest the idea that that would be unlike other biofuels lists. That you don't see any central organization or overt coordination doesn't mean that it doesn't achieve specific goals. Indeed it does, but not by marshalling people in any way, and that's as it should be, IMHO. It's very open, as in Open Source, and as opposed to Microsoft, but Open Source has achieved rather a lot, and so have the biofuels lists, and the very uncoordinated biofuels movement. Absolutely-- these lists are fantastic, and are making a huge difference! They are not focused on a single specific project however, and this new group is. It's neither better nor worse nor competitive. Just more specific. I'm afraid I see this rather as yet another biofuels list. I'm a little sceptical on a few counts. Your outline below entails a lot of people doing a lot of work, and sustaining it. And they won't be working at their own ideas on their own account, they'd be following someone else's plan, someone else's vision. What would be their incentive to do that? Unless you pay them. A lot of this work won't Yes there is a lot of work to be done, but I think we can all sense on these lists the power of community. When a lot of people are willing to share resources, the workload falling on any individual does not have to be so daunting. I disagree with the idea that group members won't be working at their own ideas on their own account, and that there is any need to incentivize us beyond the difference we can make in our respective communities. Yes I have laid out an idea and a plan and an invitation to begin it, but I hope, and in fact am counting on, the project being defined and developed far more by the community carrying it out than by any specific ideas I had off the cuff at the outset as one of the first members of the community. I'm simply committed that we see BD information and resources gathered and shared globally at a local/regional level in an organized fashion, because I believe that will make a difference. We'll see! :) be replicable from country to country, or even from region to region within a country, I'm not sure much of anything
Re: (response to Keith) Re: [biofuels-biz] Biofuel Business Plan Group Kicking Off Projects NOW
Dear Andrew, I have been an entrepreneur for the most part of my active live and started quite a few businesses and if you adapt your ambitions, goals and methods as you go along, it could be a valuable contribution. I have been actively involved in businesses in more than 14 countries and have some points for you, apart that you should listen carefully to Keith and think about what he is saying, 1. A business plan is a map that from its start is very rough and needs to be adjusted all the time. The old joke about military who says If the map does not fit with the terrain, follow the map, is disastrous for business. Therefore I would talk more about adaption than alignment. I do not know how much experiences you have from early startup phases, but recognize that you have participated in business planning and have experiences. 2. It is knowledge, enthusiasm, energy and stubbornness that creates new businesses and markets for them. Values that are a prerequisite for any ground breaking work. It is very few large companies that can live with entrepreneurs, the only one I have close work experiences from, was ITT, when Harold Geneen was still in charge. By the way, I was shocked by his language the only time I participated in a meeting with him, very American. What made ITT was its decentralized structure and at the time the best flexible planning, budget, accounting and follow up system. 3. Entrepreneurs are very much like artists and if you are a gallery representing artists, you need to be humble, supportive, show patience and respect for the work they do. To represent artists is an art in it self. I could go on forever to talk about starting up a business and all the things that happens, but the three points above are most important. I think that your goals of helping is better served by a number of business plan templates, flexibility and adaption. Rather than standard planning and alignment. It could be a very valuable help for many and can also result in strength of a loosely knit interest organization. Hakan At 01:44 PM 12/23/2002 -0500, you wrote: Keith, Thanks for your candid feedback and good ideas. Before I address your specific points and questions, let me try to clarify that the basic motivation for forming this group as I see it, through a hypothetical: On the consumer side, if I am in New York and I'm interested in questions like: a) how my kid can ride to school in a cleaner bus b) who in NY city government can I call to demand that she ride to school in a cleaner bus c) what vehicle I can buy TODAY that can be more environmentally friendly d) why the local staff of my favorite environmental organizations don't support biodiesel e) what the heck is the connection between fossil fuels and the destruction of my downtown skyline last year f) what local businesses should I patronize that are running environmentally friendly vehicles ... it is currently quite a time consuming and daunting task to find those answers, and most people with jobs and families simply aren't going to. I think we can assist people in educating themselves on local/regional-specific level, and grow our political consituency and the market demand for BD, as a result, and in turn effect greater change. Similarly, on the business side, if I am in New York and I want to start a local environmentally and socially-responsible energy business, I'm trying to assess questions like: a) what are the local market opportunities are and who (fleet owners, building managers with boilers, etc.) controls them, b) what is the local tax/incentive situation c) who is already in the business locally that I might partner or have to compete with d) how I can get effective local PR done to help my fledgling local business grow, etc.? Or if I own a local business with a vehicle fleet and I have heard of this thing called BD but don't know where to get it, I want answers to questions like: a) what my range of choices of suppliers would be b) what the difference between buying BD from soybean oil from World Energy and buying from someone that has processed recycled oil from Chinatown restaurants would be etc. In all these cases is quite difficult to find reliable answers in context to locally-specific questions such as these. The result is fewer businesses, less economical supply, less awareness, and less demand (in no particular order). There is room, and I would argue a need, for some coherence and centralization of information and sharing of resources and experience, particularly when local issues and experiences bear on national and international issues and vice-versa. There needs to be a bridge. That does not have to be a scary corporate thing, and a group of a few dozen volunteers trying to put up a central information resource online and acting as local information gatherers does not a Redmond Monster make! :) Keith wrote: Um... I think I'd contest the idea that that would be unlike other biofuels lists. That
Re: (response to Keith) Re: [biofuels-biz] Biofuel Business Plan Group Kicking Off Projects NOW
Hello Andrew Keith, Thanks for your candid feedback and good ideas. Before I address your specific points and questions, let me try to clarify that the basic motivation for forming this group as I see it, through a hypothetical: On the consumer side, if I am in New York and I'm interested in questions like: a) how my kid can ride to school in a cleaner bus b) who in NY city government can I call to demand that she ride to school in a cleaner bus c) what vehicle I can buy TODAY that can be more environmentally friendly d) why the local staff of my favorite environmental organizations don't support biodiesel e) what the heck is the connection between fossil fuels and the destruction of my downtown skyline last year f) what local businesses should I patronize that are running environmentally friendly vehicles ... it is currently quite a time consuming and daunting task to find those answers, and most people with jobs and families simply aren't going to. I think we can assist people in educating themselves on local/regional-specific level, and grow our political consituency and the market demand for BD, as a result, and in turn effect greater change. Similarly, on the business side, if I am in New York and I want to start a local environmentally and socially-responsible energy business, I'm trying to assess questions like: a) what are the local market opportunities are and who (fleet owners, building managers with boilers, etc.) controls them, b) what is the local tax/incentive situation c) who is already in the business locally that I might partner or have to compete with d) how I can get effective local PR done to help my fledgling local business grow, etc.? Or if I own a local business with a vehicle fleet and I have heard of this thing called BD but don't know where to get it, I want answers to questions like: a) what my range of choices of suppliers would be b) what the difference between buying BD from soybean oil from World Energy and buying from someone that has processed recycled oil from Chinatown restaurants would be etc. In all these cases is quite difficult to find reliable answers in context to locally-specific questions such as these. The result is fewer businesses, less economical supply, less awareness, and less demand (in no particular order). There is room, and I would argue a need, for some coherence and centralization of information and sharing of resources and experience, particularly when local issues and experiences bear on national and international issues and vice-versa. There needs to be a bridge. That does not have to be a scary corporate thing, and a group of a few dozen volunteers trying to put up a central information resource online and acting as local information gatherers does not a Redmond Monster make! :) I didn't have any objection to any of this. Your original idea was fine by me, and it seemed to focus on such local/regional-level issues such as this. It's where you talked of at a local/regional level, worldwide that I saw a contradiction, and I still do, as well as a too-corporate model for the good of local/regional-level initiatives. Keith wrote: Um... I think I'd contest the idea that that would be unlike other biofuels lists. That you don't see any central organization or overt coordination doesn't mean that it doesn't achieve specific goals. Indeed it does, but not by marshalling people in any way, and that's as it should be, IMHO. It's very open, as in Open Source, and as opposed to Microsoft, but Open Source has achieved rather a lot, and so have the biofuels lists, and the very uncoordinated biofuels movement. Absolutely-- these lists are fantastic, and are making a huge difference! They are not focused on a single specific project however, and this new group is. It's neither better nor worse nor competitive. Just more specific. I'm afraid I see this rather as yet another biofuels list. I'm a little sceptical on a few counts. Your outline below entails a lot of people doing a lot of work, and sustaining it. And they won't be working at their own ideas on their own account, they'd be following someone else's plan, someone else's vision. What would be their incentive to do that? Unless you pay them. A lot of this work won't Yes there is a lot of work to be done, but I think we can all sense on these lists the power of community. When a lot of people are willing to share resources, the workload falling on any individual does not have to be so daunting. I disagree with the idea that group members won't be working at their own ideas on their own account, and that there is any need to incentivize Ulp! Don't use these horrible words Andrew! LOL! That's corp-speak, you'll frighten people away! us beyond the difference we can make in our respective communities. Yes I have laid out an idea and a plan and an invitation to begin it, but I hope, and in fact am counting on, the project being defined and
