• Rules from the BABY’s Book on Becoming a Billionaire
  
  

  • Rule #112: If the middle class work ethic has moved upstream, then the slacker society cannot be far behind. Don’t let them catch you.

  • Rule #82: Pick a business that people are dying to get into, and chances are you’ll always have a large market.

• The next generation. Neil celebrates his 29 MBA students for their commitment to their futures.

• This week’s “I wish I’d thought of that idea” Ideas: Designer coffins -- a dying wish … and get hosed with caffeine!

• The BABY’s first steps…Barbara calls on Neil to reflect on earlier businesses.

• Gone in 60 seconds. Venture capitalist, Marco Thompson, advises you to be engaging yet succinct in pitching your business.

• Financial gist or gibberish? Ralph Mayer contends most entrepreneurs can’t articulate how their businesses will make money.

• What makes you so special? Jaynie Smith challenges you to be specific and measurable in setting your business apart from your competition.

Ralph Mayer is president of San Diego Tech Coast Angels, a 250 member organization of high net worth individuals who invest in early stage businesses. The group has invested in more than 100 Southern California companies. Ralph has an extensive background as an entrepreneur and was the founder of Adra Systems, a Boston company that developed and marketed computer aided design work stations and software.

Marco Thompson, Managing Director of Express Ventures, a new early stage venture fund in San Diego, was the founder of Doctor Design, an engineering services firm that grew to $50 million in annual revenues. The company was sold to Wind River in 1996. Marco is a founder and past president of Commnexus, a San Diego organization focused on telecommunications. He holds three patents, has authored a book on high speed memory and has been honored with numerous awards for his contributions to the San Diego technology industry. As an avid ice hockey player and skier, he knows.

Jaynie Smith, the author of Creating Competitive Advantage, has worked with hundreds of CEOs of small and mid-sized companies as a speaker and chair of a CEO group for Leadership Centers USA, an affiliate of Vistage (link to: www.vistage.com), the largest CEO membership organization in the world. Her book contends that most CEOs can’t clearly identify what makes their company unique to their customers—which makes it difficult to both attract and retain customers. The book provides a template for assessing uniqueness in your company and utilizing it to your advantage. It has received accolades from a number of business leaders including David Needleman, the president of JetBlue Airways, who calls it a “must have for a CEO’s library.”