What it takes to be a billionaire

Perhaps trite, definitely another pebble in a mountain of commentary, but watching The Social Network movie last night taught me that to make a billion dollars takes more than just brains, it takes commitment. Obsession would be a better word. What Zuckerberg had to do to his friends (possibly apocryphal - but I think not) to get ahead was stark. He chose to do it, you could say, but he also wanted to do it for the purity of what he was doing. A lot of people called him an asshole. A lot of people came to take what he built (and he did build it, which is what matters). And he just chose to ignore them in favor of telling the truth. Screw everyone else.

The result was a good thing - facebook is a revolution - but the cost to Zuckerberg was high.

I was reminded of stories of Sam Walton, who made his money through willingness to take prices lower. I was also reminded of Steve Jobs, who was obsessed with building a sexy product - and thus birthed an intuitive interface that, I think, really drives the value of Apple.

So I look at my comfortable life and wonder where my obsession will come from. It could be from disgust with waste and it could come from a desire to stand tall in the books of history. But really, I know where it will come from - it comes from a desire to shape my own existence (and that of those I care for) - and I believe if you're not ahead of things, you are behind them. And if you're behind, it's only a matter of time before they come to bite you in the ass.

So where is my obsession - I'll tell you - it's the price of health care. It's disgusting, but to change it will take ruffling a few feathers, aka a little creative destruction.

Time and commuting

Having just spent the weekend with my brilliant father whose mind is sharp as a knife, even if his demeanour is obdurate like a stone (he's a professor - I hear universities make you like that), I wanted to walk through a quick calculation of the cost of commuting.

Let's say the average person drives 30 miles per hour and 12,000 miles a year and, to make it easy, earns $50,000 after tax. Plus the average cost per mile (according to the government) is $0.50 which bakes in things like insurance, maintenance, gas, etc. Now, for the costs part:

The major buckets of cost are (1) time lost and (2) money spent

(1) 12,000 miles at 30 mph = 400 hours

- That's equivalent to nearly 17 full days (no sleep, no eating) on the road

- That's 10 normal weeks of work or $10,000

(2) 12,000 miles at $0.50 is $6,000

Together, the average commute costs $16,000 per year.

If you could shave 10% off your commute time, it's worth $1,600 a year. Where to put it? Into your home at $133 for every 10%. Live closer to your work. It's as simple as that.

Centered leadership

The following article from McKinsey Quarterly is what I truly believe business should be about - it should be about making your own world, and therefore by proxy, the worlds of those you lead, that much better. I think there is a zen to the world of business, and with insights like these, I think I can find it:

How centered leaders achieve extraordinary results

The key points are that to truly succeed, one has to find meaning in one's work, engage with the job/ take risks, connect with your employees and leadership team, frame the world in a positive light (I couldn't agree with this more), and manage one's energy. This list is fantastic.