Hogmanay Post or New years Eve

A thought for the New year and a day of reflection.

I received a couple of comments on my previous post of the 28th and I do not have an answer for the crisis in Scottish Industry I do have a few comments to make on what I see as a route forward for Scotland. I will post on that next week. But for Today's post it will be short but I hope helpful for some, at this time of year where the last sands of the old year run away and the new sand of the coming year gets ready to start it's journey, I have a story to tell I found it in a book by Viktor Frankl, so it is not an original thought but it may help you to get your mind focused on whats really important for the future. We are Human because we are seen to be human in the eyes of others, if we did not interact with other Human beings who would there be to see our Humanity ?

The ECHO:

A Son and his father are walking in the mountains, suddenly, the son falls , hurts himself and screams; "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears a voice repeating, somewhere in the mountains: "AAAhhhhhhh!!!" curious , he shouts out "Who are you ?" He receives the answer "Who are you" And then he shouts at the mountain "I admire you !" The voice answers "I admire you!" Angered at the response he shouts "Coward!" He receives the answer"Coward! "He look sto his father and asks whats going on? The father smiles and says:"My son pay attention" Again the man shouts "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised but does not understand. Then his father explains "People call this the echo, but really this is life. It gives you back everything you say or do, Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world create more love in your heart. If you want more competency in your team, improve your own competency. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life,Life will give you back everything you have given to it. Your life is not a coincidence.Its a reflection of you!".
From Viktor Frankl "Finding meaning in life"

All the best for the new year friends and may you have a happy life.


Slainte

Gordon

The Future of Industry in Scotland

A short rant on the future of Industry / Employment in Scotland


I have worked in Venture capital backed Industries for over 12 years and I have seen the impact on Industry in Scotland and North America. The thought model goes like this for most of the folks involved in starting companies...and I am not saying that it is a correct or wrong way of thinking

Get an Idea>Product>service
Get a few mates to work on it with you
Get some VC money
Prove your Idea
Get someone to buy you or in 5% of new companies go for an IPO
Cash out and retire-do it again - become an Angel Investor and spend your time listening to pitches from guys and gals looking to start there own company

Cycle time 3 to 7 years


To build a sustainable Industry base in Scotland this model is not going to work, Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise need to wake up and smell the coffee, there strategy will not build a sustainable industry base, it has been aligned with the VC mentality of quick in/ out and gone and if you don't meet the profile your done....they do a PV on you and pull the cash a year or to into the programme ( This sometimes needs to be done...but it's done as a last step not deriguer). The Venture Capital Industry has it's place in the overall scheme of things and an important one but it is the Government that is responsible to help build a sustainable industrial base and help give jobs to it's people as is the same in any country.

We need to get back to building good old fashioned companies the grow slowly and organically these can utilize the low cost manufacturing bases around the world or the same priced low cost service industries as an extension of themselves to bring there idea to the market, bringing in revenue and jobs, not in huge numbers as the Silicon industry did or the coal industry but in small clusters of high skilled enterprises.


I hope to see the Scottish Government get there act together, they have some good guys working for them but they need to get the correct mission, not cuass but build a better Scotland....


Would love to hear from some folks on this matter...


I hope you have a great new year...you are the only one that can make it so..


Slainte

Gordon