Author Archives: Eddie Wharton

When I look back on any activity that I’ve done, I always look for ways I could do it better. Usually the first question is: did I do a good job on that activity or do I need to completely rethink my approach? The biggest clue I get is the outcome of the activity. ForContinue reading “Offsetting Mistakes”

The common sense around reading is to only read one book at a time. Some people even insist that books must be read cover to cover. This could be called reading in serial. It is the general way that I read when I was younger. If I started another book before finishing one, teachers andContinue reading “Reading Books in Parallel”

Many people, especially those affected by the information age, fall into the framework of preferring a mediocre option with clear data instead of an unknown option. For instance, projects get funded by corporations when their champion can show reasonable market data and compelling ROI projections as compared to projects with uncertainty. In some ways, thisContinue reading “The Measurability Trap”

I recently spoke with someone who does digital advertising and I told her I probably have not clicked on a banner ad (intentionally) since I was 12. She admitted the same. I consider TV commercials a suggestion to talk with friends, check Twitter or find a snack. Honestly, I find most ads to be un-trustworthy,Continue reading “Advertising Done Right: Trust and Jason Calacanis”

What makes one startup more successful than another? A large part of the answer is team and timing. However, startups should also have a unique insight on the world. This insight is a psychological one or an engineering one. Psychological insights are things Facebook, which exploits voyeuristic nature of social interaction. (on a higher level, FBContinue reading “Startup Success Comes From a Psychology or a Technology Insight”

One of the best reasons to quit your job or drop out of school to work on your startup is that there is no longer an easy retreat. Cortez, according to legend, burned his ships while invading Mexico so that his men would fight to the death knowing that there was no way to retreatContinue reading “Burn The Ships: No Retreat For Me”

At the end of every day, I try to make a list of the things I accomplished. It helps me monitor myself and to make sure that I am producing value instead of finding activities that make me feel “busy”. On days when I felt like I was productive, but realized I accomplished very little,Continue reading “I Want To Stop Passive Media Consumption”

Simple first mover advantage is quickly becoming obsolete, especially in the tech world. Being the first company to push a product out is not significantly more advantageous than being the first person to have an idea (which is not considered an advantage). However, I have observed that the first mover to satisfy a customer willContinue reading “First Mover To Satisfy Customers Advantage”

Last year, I had a networking call where I spoke with a senior professional in the industry I was targeting at the time (investment banking). Let’s call him Tim. Tim was asking me standard questions like “Why banking?”. While delivering a genuine answer, he stopped me and told me that everyone says what I hadContinue reading “We Are Absolutists Living in a Relative World”

As a college senior (sort of, see below), I find myself at a crossroads of career and self identity. I am fortunate to have a few different career options in different fields open to me. Some of the options are corporate and some are startup flavored. Some pay a lot and some pay a little.Continue reading “How I Will Measure My Life”