Monday, October 08, 2007
Jewelry Savvy: What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know
Ken Gassman writes about Jewelry Savvy: What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know by Cynthia Sliwa/Caroline Stanley + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullMazalUbracha.asp?id=28097
Can Blue Nile Keep Sparkling With Diamond Jewelry Focus?
Doug Tsuruoka writes about the online seller of diamond rings + their customer base (according to analysts 70% men) + the commodotization concept and other viewpoints @ http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=17&artnum=1&issue=20071002
The Blow-Up Artist
John Cassidy writes about Victor Niederhoffer, stock market (winner/loser) wizard + his interpretation (s) on everything related stocks, valuations + other viewpoints @ http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10/15/071015fa_fact_cassidy?printable=true
Useful link:
www.dailyspeculations.com
It's an interesting site on investments + strategies based on theory/practice + one could also use the concept for learning gemstone pricing because there are parallels + speculators who are knowlegeable and know their product (s) tend to make spectacular mistakes/make money as well.
Useful link:
www.dailyspeculations.com
It's an interesting site on investments + strategies based on theory/practice + one could also use the concept for learning gemstone pricing because there are parallels + speculators who are knowlegeable and know their product (s) tend to make spectacular mistakes/make money as well.
The Byzantine Empire
Economist writes about the fluid and perpetually evolving relationship between the competing influences of classical Greek learning, Greek Christianity and popular Byzantine culture + the brilliance of Byzantine art + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9900058
Hilarious Shockers
Robert Rosenblum writes about Steve Gianakos and William Anthony + their unique paintings and drawings + humor/shock + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1593
Selling Diamonds
(via Diamond Promotion Service): 44. Cut. Most diamonds have inclusions, and a tinge of color; so those with better clarity and color command premium prices. It is the opposite with the last of the Four C’s. Most diamonds are perfectly cut; so any deviation from that precision detracts from the price.
If two similar diamonds are placed side by side, and one is less brilliant and fiery than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. A careful examination of that stone will show that its facet angles and proportions do not match those of the perfectly cut diamond. So it cannot command as high a price.
There is a slight price differential in the shapes of finished diamonds. A marquise, for example, may cost slightly more than a round diamond of the same size and quality because it takes more time and skill in the cutting process. In general, however, it is not possible to lay down hard and fast rules about price differentials in relation to different cuts because each stone really has to be judged individually. In the very small diamonds, full cuts cost more than single cuts of the same size and quality.
45. Any customer has a wide range of diamonds available to him for any price he wants to pay. If he is primarily interested in size, he can get a larger diamond if he is less demanding in color, clarity or cut. If he demands top color or top clarity, he will have to accept a smaller diamond at the same price. If he demands both top color and top clarity, he will have to settle for a still smaller diamond.
Diamonds of comparable quality, whether they are small or large, have the same brilliance, the same beauty. Therefore one forfeits nothing but size when choosing a smaller diamond over a larger one. It is just as meaningful, just as eternal.
46. Treated diamonds. A recent development in diamond technology, starting after World War II, is the changing of a diamond’s color by irradiation.
The natural color of a diamond is determined by its atomic structure, which can be responsible for the absorption of parts of the light rays passing through it. When that structure is modified by the bombardment of neutrons in a cyclotron or atomic pile, the absorption pattern changes and the diamond changes color. The new color is apparently permanent, because the earliest stones that were treated still retain their colors. Treated diamonds are not radioactive; the radiation emanating from them is less than from a watch with phosphorescent hands and numerals.
Although any diamond can be given a new color by irradiation, the treatment is usually given only to off-white stones toward the bottom of the color scale, because they can be more valuable as good yellows or greens, for example, than as lesser quality whites. A treated diamond can be as beautiful as a natural diamond of the same color, but it will not command the same price. Furthermore, it will always be identified as a treated diamond when offered for sale.
47. Imitations. In all probability, the first diamond imitation appeared not long after the first diamond. Imitation diamonds have been made of glass, quartz, beryl, zircon and a number of synthetic minerals. Many years ago, imitations may have been designed for fraud; now they are advertised as frankly fake stones.
Imitations have no re-sale value. Nor to they have a long life-span. Unlike diamonds which are forever, imitations have a short-life span, not in excess of four years. Due to softness, imitations lose their sharp edges and shape.
A diamond substitute will not fool a trained diamond expert. No matter what it is, its hardness is far less than that of a diamond; therefore, it cannot be cut with precision, polished for permanence, nor made resistant to scratches and other damage. Some imitations, such as synthetic rutile, strontium titanate and yttrium aluminum garnet, have a certain metallic brilliance which lasts for a few years. None has the lasting beauty of a diamond.
Some excellent designers have used skillfully chosen imitations in well-designed pieces of jewelry, even in engagement rings. But these remain expensive costume jewelry, without the value or the symbolism that the diamond gives precious jewelry.
48. Recutting. Both the value and the beauty of an ‘old’ diamond can be enhanced by recutting. The process is much the same as original cutting; but it’s faster, and therefore not as expensive.
Before Tolkowsky’s establishment of the ideal proportions for diamond, cutters conserved as much original weight as possible. There are round diamonds in the old European and old miner cuts that are thicker than modern stones and look ‘sleepy’ by comparison. Although as much as 40 percent of the weight of an old diamond may be lost in recutting, that loss can be more than offset by the gain in beauty and value if the stone is sizeable.
There are such other old cuts as the rose and the cushion. Recutting these to ideal proportions can entail a greater weight loss than recutting old miners. Because there is an antique charm to such cuts, it is frequently wiser to capitalize on that feature and to leave them as they are.
Conclusion
These pages have not answered all the questions a customer can ask about diamonds. But they do answer the principal questions of fact.
However, customers can also ask questions that are prompted by hearsay, questions of fiction. Here are some examples.
Aren’t diamonds unlucky?
If they are, there are millions of unlucky people in the world. Stories of unlucky diamonds are based on coincidences; and coincidences can be used to prove anything under the sun.
Aren’t diamonds over-priced?
The retail prices of diamonds give a fair return to everyone who has worked with them, from the mine to the jeweler’s counter. Demand sometimes sets unusually high prices on unusual diamonds, like the million dollars plus that Richard Burton paid for that diamond for Elizabeth Taylor; but any price that’s met as a matter of choice cannot be an overprice.
Aren’t some diamonds destroyed to keep prices up?
No. Only in times of severe recession are some diamonds temporarily withheld to keep the market stable, thus protecting those who own the diamonds and those millions of people all over the world whose livelihood depends on them. Diamonds have never been destroyed to keep them off the market; they are too precious and too hard to find.
Aren’t diamonds controlled by a monopoly?
There are literally thousands of independent businessmen engaged in diamond mining, cutting, wholesaling and retailing. The Central Selling Organization in London is the selling agent for mining companies and governments which produce about 80 percent of the world’s rough diamonds and its prices are followed by the producers of the other 20 percent. But the price of diamonds at the rough stage is only a small fraction of the retail price of diamonds.
If two similar diamonds are placed side by side, and one is less brilliant and fiery than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. A careful examination of that stone will show that its facet angles and proportions do not match those of the perfectly cut diamond. So it cannot command as high a price.
There is a slight price differential in the shapes of finished diamonds. A marquise, for example, may cost slightly more than a round diamond of the same size and quality because it takes more time and skill in the cutting process. In general, however, it is not possible to lay down hard and fast rules about price differentials in relation to different cuts because each stone really has to be judged individually. In the very small diamonds, full cuts cost more than single cuts of the same size and quality.
45. Any customer has a wide range of diamonds available to him for any price he wants to pay. If he is primarily interested in size, he can get a larger diamond if he is less demanding in color, clarity or cut. If he demands top color or top clarity, he will have to accept a smaller diamond at the same price. If he demands both top color and top clarity, he will have to settle for a still smaller diamond.
Diamonds of comparable quality, whether they are small or large, have the same brilliance, the same beauty. Therefore one forfeits nothing but size when choosing a smaller diamond over a larger one. It is just as meaningful, just as eternal.
46. Treated diamonds. A recent development in diamond technology, starting after World War II, is the changing of a diamond’s color by irradiation.
The natural color of a diamond is determined by its atomic structure, which can be responsible for the absorption of parts of the light rays passing through it. When that structure is modified by the bombardment of neutrons in a cyclotron or atomic pile, the absorption pattern changes and the diamond changes color. The new color is apparently permanent, because the earliest stones that were treated still retain their colors. Treated diamonds are not radioactive; the radiation emanating from them is less than from a watch with phosphorescent hands and numerals.
Although any diamond can be given a new color by irradiation, the treatment is usually given only to off-white stones toward the bottom of the color scale, because they can be more valuable as good yellows or greens, for example, than as lesser quality whites. A treated diamond can be as beautiful as a natural diamond of the same color, but it will not command the same price. Furthermore, it will always be identified as a treated diamond when offered for sale.
47. Imitations. In all probability, the first diamond imitation appeared not long after the first diamond. Imitation diamonds have been made of glass, quartz, beryl, zircon and a number of synthetic minerals. Many years ago, imitations may have been designed for fraud; now they are advertised as frankly fake stones.
Imitations have no re-sale value. Nor to they have a long life-span. Unlike diamonds which are forever, imitations have a short-life span, not in excess of four years. Due to softness, imitations lose their sharp edges and shape.
A diamond substitute will not fool a trained diamond expert. No matter what it is, its hardness is far less than that of a diamond; therefore, it cannot be cut with precision, polished for permanence, nor made resistant to scratches and other damage. Some imitations, such as synthetic rutile, strontium titanate and yttrium aluminum garnet, have a certain metallic brilliance which lasts for a few years. None has the lasting beauty of a diamond.
Some excellent designers have used skillfully chosen imitations in well-designed pieces of jewelry, even in engagement rings. But these remain expensive costume jewelry, without the value or the symbolism that the diamond gives precious jewelry.
48. Recutting. Both the value and the beauty of an ‘old’ diamond can be enhanced by recutting. The process is much the same as original cutting; but it’s faster, and therefore not as expensive.
Before Tolkowsky’s establishment of the ideal proportions for diamond, cutters conserved as much original weight as possible. There are round diamonds in the old European and old miner cuts that are thicker than modern stones and look ‘sleepy’ by comparison. Although as much as 40 percent of the weight of an old diamond may be lost in recutting, that loss can be more than offset by the gain in beauty and value if the stone is sizeable.
There are such other old cuts as the rose and the cushion. Recutting these to ideal proportions can entail a greater weight loss than recutting old miners. Because there is an antique charm to such cuts, it is frequently wiser to capitalize on that feature and to leave them as they are.
Conclusion
These pages have not answered all the questions a customer can ask about diamonds. But they do answer the principal questions of fact.
However, customers can also ask questions that are prompted by hearsay, questions of fiction. Here are some examples.
Aren’t diamonds unlucky?
If they are, there are millions of unlucky people in the world. Stories of unlucky diamonds are based on coincidences; and coincidences can be used to prove anything under the sun.
Aren’t diamonds over-priced?
The retail prices of diamonds give a fair return to everyone who has worked with them, from the mine to the jeweler’s counter. Demand sometimes sets unusually high prices on unusual diamonds, like the million dollars plus that Richard Burton paid for that diamond for Elizabeth Taylor; but any price that’s met as a matter of choice cannot be an overprice.
Aren’t some diamonds destroyed to keep prices up?
No. Only in times of severe recession are some diamonds temporarily withheld to keep the market stable, thus protecting those who own the diamonds and those millions of people all over the world whose livelihood depends on them. Diamonds have never been destroyed to keep them off the market; they are too precious and too hard to find.
Aren’t diamonds controlled by a monopoly?
There are literally thousands of independent businessmen engaged in diamond mining, cutting, wholesaling and retailing. The Central Selling Organization in London is the selling agent for mining companies and governments which produce about 80 percent of the world’s rough diamonds and its prices are followed by the producers of the other 20 percent. But the price of diamonds at the rough stage is only a small fraction of the retail price of diamonds.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon is one of the best-liked Academy Award winning American actor + I love his movies + (via wikipedia) his personal quotes: the ones I like -- Death ends a life, not a relationship; I won't quit until I get run over by a truck, a producer or a critic; Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure; If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball; It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy, and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is; Nobody deserves this much money - certainly not an actor; Stay humble. Always answer your phone - no matter who else is in the car.
Useful links (via www.imdb.com):
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Tuesdays with Morrie (1999)
"Chicken Soup for the Soul" (1999)
Inherit the Wind (1999) (TV)
The Odd Couple II (1998) .... Felix Ungar
Puppies for Sale (1998)
The Long Way Home (1998) (TV)
12 Angry Men (1997) (TV) Juror #8
Out to Sea (1997)
"The Simpsons" (1 episode, 1997)
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson (1997)
Hamlet (1996) Marcellus
My Fellow Americans (1996) President Russell P. Kramer
A Weekend in the Country (1996) (TV)
Getting Away with Murder (1996)
Grumpier Old Men (1995) John Gustafson
The Grass Harp (1995)
Grumpy Old Men (1993) John Gustafson
A Life in the Theater (1993) (TV)
Short Cuts (1993)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) Shelley Levene
For Richer, for Poorer (1992) (TV)
JFK (1991)
Dad (1989)
The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988) (TV)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (1987) (TV)
That's Life! (1986)
Maccheroni (1985)
Mass Appeal (1984)
Stars Over Texas (1982) (TV)
Missing (1982)
Buddy Buddy (1981) Victor Clooney
Musical Comedy Tonight II (1981) (TV)
Tribute (1980)
The China Syndrome (1979) Jack Godell
Airport '77 (1977)
Alex & the Gypsy (1976)
The Entertainer (1976) (TV)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
The Front Page (1974) Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson
Wednesday (1974)
Polizia ha le mani legate, La (1974)
Get Happy (1973) (TV)
Save the Tiger (1973)
Avanti! (1972) (Italy)
The War Between Men and Women (1972)
Kotch (1971)
The Out of Towners (1970)
The April Fools (1969)
The Odd Couple (1968) Felix Ungar
There Comes a Day (1968)
Luv (1967)
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
The Great Race (1965)
How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
Irma la Douce (1963)
"The Dick Powell Show" (1 episode, 1963)
The Judge (1963) TV Episode
Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
The Notorious Landlady (1962)
The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960)
Voyage en ballon, Le (1960) (voice)
The Apartment (1960) C.C. 'Bud' Baxter
It Happened to Jane (1959)
"Frontier Justice" (1 episode, 1959)
The Three Graves (1959) TV Episode
Some Like It Hot (1959)
"Playhouse 90" (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Face of a Hero (1959) TV Episode
The Mystery of Thirteen (1957) TV Episode
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
"Goodyear Theatre" (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Disappearance (1958) TV Episode
The Victim (1958) TV Episode
Voices in the Fog (1957) TV Episode
Lost and Found (1957) TV Episode
"Alcoa Theatre" (5 episodes, 1957-1958)
Disappearance (1958) TV Episode
The Days of November (1958) TV Episode
Souvenir (1957) TV Episode
Cowboy (1958)
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
Fire Down Below (1957)
"Zane Grey Theater"
Three Graves (1957) TV Episode
You Can't Run Away from It (1956) Peter Warne
"Ford Star Jubilee" (1 episode, 1956)
The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1956) TV Episode
My Sister Eileen (1955)
Mister Roberts (1955) Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver
Three for the Show (1955)
Phffft (1954)
"The Ford Television Theatre" (1 episode, 1954)
Marriageable Male (1954) TV Episode
It Should Happen to You (1954)
"The Road of Life" (1954) TV Series
"Campbell Playhouse" (1 episode, 1953)
One Swell Guy (1953) TV Episode
"Medallion Theatre" (1 episode, 1953)
The Grand Cross of the Crescent (1953) TV Episode
"Lux Video Theatre" (1 episode, 1953)
The Ascent of Alfred Fishkettle (1953) TV Episode
"Armstrong Circle Theatre" (2 episodes, 1951-1953)
The Checkerboard Heart (1953) TV Episode
Last Chance (1951) TV Episode
"Robert Montgomery Presents" (2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Dinah, Kip, and Mr. Barlow (1953) TV Episode
Mr. Dobie takes a Powder (1952) TV Episode
"Kraft Television Theatre" (5 episodes, 1949-1953)
Snooksie (1953) TV Episode
Duet (1953) TV Episode
The Easy Mark (1951) TV Episode
The Fortune Hunter (1951) TV Episode
Whistling in the Dark (1949) TV Episode
"Heaven for Betsy" (1952) TV Series
"The Frances Langford-Don Ameche Show" (1951) TV Series
Newlywed (1951-1952)
"Danger" (1 episode, 1951)
Sparrow Cop (1951) TV Episode
"The Web" (1 episode, 1951)
Cops Must Be Tough (1951) TV Episode
"Pulitzer Prize Playhouse" (1 episode, 1951)
The Happy Journey (1951) TV Episode
"Studio One" (2 episodes, 1949-1950)
The Wisdom Tooth (1950) TV Episode
June Moon (1949) TV Episode
"That Wonderful Guy" (1949) TV Series
The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949)
"Suspense" (1 episode, 1949)
The Gray Helmet (1949) TV Episode
Useful links (via www.imdb.com):
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Tuesdays with Morrie (1999)
"Chicken Soup for the Soul" (1999)
Inherit the Wind (1999) (TV)
The Odd Couple II (1998) .... Felix Ungar
Puppies for Sale (1998)
The Long Way Home (1998) (TV)
12 Angry Men (1997) (TV) Juror #8
Out to Sea (1997)
"The Simpsons" (1 episode, 1997)
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson (1997)
Hamlet (1996) Marcellus
My Fellow Americans (1996) President Russell P. Kramer
A Weekend in the Country (1996) (TV)
Getting Away with Murder (1996)
Grumpier Old Men (1995) John Gustafson
The Grass Harp (1995)
Grumpy Old Men (1993) John Gustafson
A Life in the Theater (1993) (TV)
Short Cuts (1993)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) Shelley Levene
For Richer, for Poorer (1992) (TV)
JFK (1991)
Dad (1989)
The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988) (TV)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (1987) (TV)
That's Life! (1986)
Maccheroni (1985)
Mass Appeal (1984)
Stars Over Texas (1982) (TV)
Missing (1982)
Buddy Buddy (1981) Victor Clooney
Musical Comedy Tonight II (1981) (TV)
Tribute (1980)
The China Syndrome (1979) Jack Godell
Airport '77 (1977)
Alex & the Gypsy (1976)
The Entertainer (1976) (TV)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
The Front Page (1974) Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson
Wednesday (1974)
Polizia ha le mani legate, La (1974)
Get Happy (1973) (TV)
Save the Tiger (1973)
Avanti! (1972) (Italy)
The War Between Men and Women (1972)
Kotch (1971)
The Out of Towners (1970)
The April Fools (1969)
The Odd Couple (1968) Felix Ungar
There Comes a Day (1968)
Luv (1967)
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
The Great Race (1965)
How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
Irma la Douce (1963)
"The Dick Powell Show" (1 episode, 1963)
The Judge (1963) TV Episode
Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
The Notorious Landlady (1962)
The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960)
Voyage en ballon, Le (1960) (voice)
The Apartment (1960) C.C. 'Bud' Baxter
It Happened to Jane (1959)
"Frontier Justice" (1 episode, 1959)
The Three Graves (1959) TV Episode
Some Like It Hot (1959)
"Playhouse 90" (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Face of a Hero (1959) TV Episode
The Mystery of Thirteen (1957) TV Episode
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
"Goodyear Theatre" (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Disappearance (1958) TV Episode
The Victim (1958) TV Episode
Voices in the Fog (1957) TV Episode
Lost and Found (1957) TV Episode
"Alcoa Theatre" (5 episodes, 1957-1958)
Disappearance (1958) TV Episode
The Days of November (1958) TV Episode
Souvenir (1957) TV Episode
Cowboy (1958)
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
Fire Down Below (1957)
"Zane Grey Theater"
Three Graves (1957) TV Episode
You Can't Run Away from It (1956) Peter Warne
"Ford Star Jubilee" (1 episode, 1956)
The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1956) TV Episode
My Sister Eileen (1955)
Mister Roberts (1955) Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver
Three for the Show (1955)
Phffft (1954)
"The Ford Television Theatre" (1 episode, 1954)
Marriageable Male (1954) TV Episode
It Should Happen to You (1954)
"The Road of Life" (1954) TV Series
"Campbell Playhouse" (1 episode, 1953)
One Swell Guy (1953) TV Episode
"Medallion Theatre" (1 episode, 1953)
The Grand Cross of the Crescent (1953) TV Episode
"Lux Video Theatre" (1 episode, 1953)
The Ascent of Alfred Fishkettle (1953) TV Episode
"Armstrong Circle Theatre" (2 episodes, 1951-1953)
The Checkerboard Heart (1953) TV Episode
Last Chance (1951) TV Episode
"Robert Montgomery Presents" (2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Dinah, Kip, and Mr. Barlow (1953) TV Episode
Mr. Dobie takes a Powder (1952) TV Episode
"Kraft Television Theatre" (5 episodes, 1949-1953)
Snooksie (1953) TV Episode
Duet (1953) TV Episode
The Easy Mark (1951) TV Episode
The Fortune Hunter (1951) TV Episode
Whistling in the Dark (1949) TV Episode
"Heaven for Betsy" (1952) TV Series
"The Frances Langford-Don Ameche Show" (1951) TV Series
Newlywed (1951-1952)
"Danger" (1 episode, 1951)
Sparrow Cop (1951) TV Episode
"The Web" (1 episode, 1951)
Cops Must Be Tough (1951) TV Episode
"Pulitzer Prize Playhouse" (1 episode, 1951)
The Happy Journey (1951) TV Episode
"Studio One" (2 episodes, 1949-1950)
The Wisdom Tooth (1950) TV Episode
June Moon (1949) TV Episode
"That Wonderful Guy" (1949) TV Series
The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949)
"Suspense" (1 episode, 1949)
The Gray Helmet (1949) TV Episode
The Business Of Software
Good Books: (via Emergic) Michael Cusumano's The Business of Software subtitled: What Every Manager, Programmer, and Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive in Good Times and Bad may be for computer geeks, but in my view there are many parallels + the concept (s) could be used/modified for selective application (s) in other business ventures to become successful. I enjoyed reading it.
From the book’s description:
The world's leading expert on the global software industry and coauthor of the bestseller Microsoft Secrets reveals the inner workings of software giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Netscape and shows what it takes to create, develop, and manage a successful company -- in good times and bad -- in the most fiercely competitive business in the world.
In the $600 billion software industry it is the business, not the technology that determines success or failure. This fact -- one that thousands of once glamorous start-ups have unhappily discovered for themselves -- is the well-documented conclusion of this enormously readable and revealing new book by Michael Cusumano, based on nearly twenty years of research and consulting with software producers around the world.
At the heart of the book Cusumano poses seven questions that underpin a three-pronged management framework. He argues that companies must adopt one of three basic business models: become a products company at one end of the strategic spectrum, a services company at the other end, or a hybrid solutions company in between. The author describes the characteristics of the different models, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and shows how each is more or less appropriate for different stages in the evolution of a business as well as in good versus bad economic times. Readers will also find invaluable Cusumano's treatment of software development issues ranging from architecture and teams to project management and testing, as well as two chapters devoted to what it takes to create a successful software start-up. Highlights include eight fundamental guidelines for evaluating potential software winners and Cusumano's probing analysis, based on firsthand knowledge, of ten start-ups that have met with varying degrees of success.
Here is an excerpt from the book.
From the book’s description:
The world's leading expert on the global software industry and coauthor of the bestseller Microsoft Secrets reveals the inner workings of software giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Netscape and shows what it takes to create, develop, and manage a successful company -- in good times and bad -- in the most fiercely competitive business in the world.
In the $600 billion software industry it is the business, not the technology that determines success or failure. This fact -- one that thousands of once glamorous start-ups have unhappily discovered for themselves -- is the well-documented conclusion of this enormously readable and revealing new book by Michael Cusumano, based on nearly twenty years of research and consulting with software producers around the world.
At the heart of the book Cusumano poses seven questions that underpin a three-pronged management framework. He argues that companies must adopt one of three basic business models: become a products company at one end of the strategic spectrum, a services company at the other end, or a hybrid solutions company in between. The author describes the characteristics of the different models, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and shows how each is more or less appropriate for different stages in the evolution of a business as well as in good versus bad economic times. Readers will also find invaluable Cusumano's treatment of software development issues ranging from architecture and teams to project management and testing, as well as two chapters devoted to what it takes to create a successful software start-up. Highlights include eight fundamental guidelines for evaluating potential software winners and Cusumano's probing analysis, based on firsthand knowledge, of ten start-ups that have met with varying degrees of success.
Here is an excerpt from the book.
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