The Peter Principle

The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter is a highly entertaining and enjoyable book about hierarchies and how people act within the hierarchy. A must read.

In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
- Laurence J. Peter

Jewelers Vigilance Committee Update

If you want to know about countries that have laws in place to prevent money laundering in the jewelry industry, go to www.jvclegal.org for further information.

Heard On The Street

The expertise needed to be a diamond buyer isn't taught at a school. You have to know stones because, to the untrained eye, diamonds look similar and can be very different in price.

Santa Fe Indian Market

Santa Fe Indian Market is widely known as the place where Native American art and culture meets the world. A must visit. Go to www.swaia.org for further information.

Sky Arts Channels

From October, 2008 Sky Arts 1 will feature contemporary shows (documentaries, live rock concerts, etc), while Sky Arts 2 will show opera and other classical art content (fine art programming and dance performances).

Useful link:
www.sky.com

New Business Start-up Trends In India

A new breed of of venture firms in India are focussing on the bottom rung of start-ups (some without even a business plan) tide over their earliest growth uncertainties. Hats off to those VC's!

Useful links:
http://morpheusventure.com
www.erasmic.com
http://opdrage.com
http://ycombinator.com
www.seedfund.in
www.mentor-partners.com

Hedgehogs And Foxes

Hedgehogs and Foxes: Character, Leadership, and Command in Organizations by Abraham Zaleznik is an interesting book on charismatic leaders and their innovative problem-solving skills.

Useful link:
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5970.html

Random Thoughts

There are so many market lessons that one can learn from the Olympics. To me the most important was that that little extra is the difference between success and failure. So often during the year, during a career, one decision, one wrong practice can mean the difference between success and failure. It underlines the importance of total concentration at all times, and constant practice.

- Victor Niederhoffer

How true!