4 MW Solar PV, Southern California, May 2012

Our first SoCal utility-scale solar PV power plant that has been a few months in the making that was brought online on a Friday afternoon in May 2012.  I have to say, turning on projects that start delivering electricity to the grid from clean sources, is the funnest part of the job.  It is addicting.  Many more megawatts to come!

No view, like the birds eye view

Here's a video of my first flight over San Francisco, on a perfect clear and warm day, May 5, 2012.

(minute 2:50 to 5:50 are my favorite views)

     

Run, One Stride at a Time

To the whole world! Get out there and run! It is absolutely possible to run and run and run injury free! Get out there, and take me with you! Read the article and read other running books on the joys and benefits of running.

Chere here for NYT article: The Once and Future Way to Run, 11/2/11

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/11/02/magazine/100000001149415/the-lost-secret-of-running.html

Water (Focus) puts out Fire (Stress)

For all those people out there who may be feeling overwhelmed: "just focus."

Just as water puts out fire, focus puts out stress. Try to recall the last time you were in a crisis. Remember that focus you had? Well, that is real focus. It's not easy to reach. But when you do, you forget about everything else and do one thing at a time, and you do it well because you know that it's what you are supposed to be doing. We can only truly do one thing at a time.

David Allen says it best:

"...most teams work best in crisis. Simply because it gets them focused, it gets them galvanized. High performance doesn't come from crisis. Rather it comes from the focus that crisis forces you to have. High performance people and organizations tend to be the people in organizations that know how to get that kind of galvanized focus before crisis forces them to...

...the truth is, when you are in your zone (when time disappears), you are not feeling overwhelmed. If you really are doing what you really know that you need to be doing at any point of time, there is no sense of being overwhelmed. You can only do one thing at a time, so it's either half empty or half full: you either feel crappy about all you are not doing or you feel perfect about the one thing you are."

- David Allen -

Connect, Join and Balance through Yoga

I finally tried Yoga for the first time last night, after more than two years of living in San Francisco. I am glad I did and will be adding it to my weekly running and core exercise routine. While I continue to truly learn and understand yoga, last night was a great introduction into what it can mean and become. There is great learning achieved when connecting, joining, and balancing one's mind and body as you detach from the world around you for at least just a few hours a week - I highly recommend it!

Most importantly, I wanted to share a quote that I heard during class, and it relates to a question I've asked my self in that past: "Why do people work?"....well, here's part of the answer....

"Always you have been told that work is a curse and labor a misfortune. But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, and in keeping yourself with labor you are in truth loving life and to love life through labor is to be intimate with life's inmost secret." by The Prophet

TheRelay - A Must Do!

If you like to run, this is a must-do! You get to experience California at its best!

You run through some of the most wonderful landscape the state has to offer with great people, and for a great cause. I rant at 7pm through vineyards with a sunset through the hills, at 4am next to a river under the starts, and then at 1pm starting in the woods and finishing by the beach in Santa Cruz. I can't wait for next year!

My Results:

Leg: 12, Type: Hard, Miles: 4.8, Pace: 07:40 min/mil, Start: 7:19PM PST

Leg: 24, Type: Mod., Miles: 5.9, Pace: 07:55 min/mil, Start: 4:17AM PST

Leg: 36, Type: Easy, Miles: 6, Pace: 07:11 min/mil, Start: 1:21PM PST

TheRelay.com

Igloo

I learned how to build an Igloo this weekend to snow camp near Carson Pass, California. It is an incredible experience. It was still cold but it gave us shelter for the storm we got over night.

Que viva the Inuit people!

Click here to see video

Solar Photovoltaic Sunset

California sunset over my first Solar PV investment in distributed energy generation. Aerial photos coming soon.

Failure and Imagination

A must see or read speech from J.K. Rowling at Harvard on the fringe benefits "failure" and the importance of "imagination" in life.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Happiness Diagram

Ultimate happiness comes from 5 sources. But remember: "Happiness is not a goal"

Why are we irrational sometimes?

Just wanted to recommend a book I just read: "Sway" by Ori and Rom Brafman. It's a quick read that I picked up in the airport between flights.

The book is essentially about the sub-merged mental drivers (undercurrents) that can undermine rational action (i.e. make us behave irrationally). For example, why do we drive crazy sometimes just to save a few seconds? Why can't we sell a falling stock? Or why can't some people get out of domed relationships?

In summary, they explain 5 psychological undercurrents that cause this irrational behavior:

1) Loss Aversion (Desire to avoid loss): People don't like to lose and thus may not know when to cut their losses or know how/when to lose. It's okay to lose; you can make it up on the next one. Don't dig yourself into a bigger hole. Don't get caught by this fear of loss, it can make you lose a lot more. Have a long term view. e.g. Running a yellow light to save a few seconds, in the long-term, has absolutely no major impact in your life.

2) Commitment: This is about our reluctance to alter a plan or action that clearly isn't working because it has always worked for us in the past. Let go of the past, be open. Ask yourself: If I were to walk into the situation, fresh, would I still be pursuing this strategy?

3) Value Attribution: This is when we judge a book by its cover (i.e. diagnosis bias). We all have different lenses we see things through. Perceive someone or a situation beyond your initial impression. Take time to test your intuition -> learn about something or someone -> make a tentative opinion -> test your opinion -> give it time to sync -> and then finally make a final judgment.

4) Fairness: As humans we want something to be fair. Our decisions are driven by our convictions and emotions, that’s why sometimes we make bad decision. This factor is even more important when a decision affects other people. The key here is to weigh things objectively, not involving our emotions or moral judgment. When it does involve others, make sure you involve them in the "process" and keep ongoing two-way communication.

5) Ignoring Dissenters: This is essentially about not ignoring the "devil's advocate" and taking into account all the evidence. Hearing out everyone only leads to better decisions as every point of view will have been considered. Give a voice to the dissenter.

Be aware of these 5 undercurrents the next time you face a pivotal decision - swim across these undercurrents, not against them!

How to become a VC

I think Fred Wilson, summarizes it well:

“If you want to make top tier returns in the venture capital business….The way you do that is you work for at least 10 years in the industry, getting operating experience, building a killer rolodex, and learning how the business works from the inside. Then in your mid-to-late 30s, you can make the move to the venture capital business, as a partner, not as a wet behind the ears associate who doesn’t know anything other than how to push numbers around a spreadsheet.” -Fred Wilson, a partner at venture capital firm Union Square Ventures

Thoughts on Keys to Success

Here's a list of keys to success that I've gathered from various recent leadership readings, including from Jack Welch, Art Williams, Jim Collins, TED speakers, etc.

1. Winning Attitude. Life is all about attitude, you have to be in the right mind-set to most positively react to everything happening to/around you.
2. Mental Toughness. This will separate you from the pack.
3. Excitement. Bring major excitement to everything you do, pour your hear into it.
4. Dream. You have to believe you can do anything you want; belief is incredibly powerful, you have to believe.
5. Stand For Something. You have to stand for something. This fuels your belief and determination.
6. Make A Total Commitment. It's about that extra ounce of courage needed during tough times; your ability to compete, stand-up and go bat one more time.
7. Treat People Good. This is what ultimately fulfills your life, helping and treating others with compassion.
8. Right Priorities. Personal life, then work life.
9. Pay The Price a Little Bit More. Do a little bit more than others.
10. Be Tough. You cannot quit.
11. Gotta Be A Leader.
12. Do It, And Do It, Until The Job Gets Done.
13. You Can't Do It Alone. You need a team and support.
14. Have Mentors. Your sounding board, keep measuring your progress, people you admire and respect.

TED-ings

• "Success is a continuous journey," Richard St. John, 2-2009, TED [3:55 min]
• "8 secrets of success," Richard St. John, 12-2006, TED [3:30 min]
• "The power of time off," Stefan Sagmeister, 7-2009, TED [17:40 min]
• "The Future of Countries," Parag Khanna, 7-2009, TED [18:53 min]
• "How food shapes our cities," Carolyn Steel, 7-2009, TED [15:41 min]

Strangers, Work, Attention, Success, Slowness, Leadership

Interesting conversations on life matters:

• Strangers - The Importance of 'Consequential Strangers,' 9-7-09, Talk of the Nation, NPR [radio, 30min]
• Work - Why we love or hate our work, 9-7-09, Marketplace, NPR [radio]
• Attention - Horizon of Attention, 9-2009, Human Media, [radio]
• Success - A kinder, gentler, philosophy of success, 7-2009, TED [video, 17 min]
• Slowness - Carl Honore praises slowness, 6-2005, TED [video, 20 min]
• Leadership - Patrick Awuah on educating leaders, 6-2007, TED [video, 18 min]

High-Speed Rail in the US: Dream or Reality?

There has been lots of talk at the Federal and State level about revamping and building high-speed rail in a number of corridors in the U.S. President Obama has already approved $8 billion dollars in funding. If you have traveled to Germany, France, Spain, and Japan, you know what it's like - but is this feasible in the US with it's landscape and car-centric culture? Is it worth the investment?

Here's some food for thought:

• Comparing U.S. Trains To Foreign Lines, 9-4-09, All Things Considered, NPR [radio]
• Traveling on fast trains in Europe, 9-3-09, The World, PRI [radio]
• Obama talks About High-Speed Rail Project, Federal Railroad Administration [video]
• California Edges Ahead In High-Speed-Train 'Race,' 9-3-09, All Things Considered, PRI [radio]
• California High Speed Rail Blog
• High-Speed Rail Skeptic Outlines Position, 9-3-09, All Things Considered, NPR [radio]
• A Hitch For Rail Riders: Getting To Final Destination, 9-2-09, All Things Considered, NPR [radio]
• Some Regions Better Prepared For High-Speed Rail, 9-1-09, All Things Considered, NPR [radio]
• U.S. High-Speed-Rail Proposals, 8-31-09, All Things Considered, NPR

Payment Start-ups with funding in 2009

The financial crisis has increased the interest in "alternative payment" start-ups as consumers (particularly younger generation), merchants, and financial institutions are now more receptive to new payment methods that help cut costs. Further driving this is a shift away from "pay-later" to "pay now" alternatives, increase in mobile commerce and micro-payments.

According to the VCJ, more than a dozen payment start-ups have raised over $200 million in VC funding.

Here's a list of start-ups that have received funding in 2009:

1) Bling Nation

2) 99Bill Corp.

3) GreenDot

4) PayDay One

5) Xoom

6) Vindicia

7) Obopay

8) Century Payment

9) Acculynk

10) enStage

11) FSV Payment Systems

12) Boku

13) OneTxt

14) Revolution Money

15) PaymentOne

The U.S. CleanTech Map

View 101 Cleantech Startups in a larger map

Music: Song about leaving home

I have to share this. I heard a song yesterday by Blick Bassy, a new artist from Camaroon, who moved to Paris to find life as an artist. One of his new songs, "Bolo," really resonated with me because it talks about people who leave thier family/home behind and move to a new country to find a better life. Blick only sings in his local language, Bassa. He was on NPR yesterday, listent below.

(he talks about Bolo starting in minute 6:29).

Chart Of The Day

1/3rd of the top 12 biggest companies (by market capitalization) are from CHINA, even after adjusting for the sharp declines due to the financial crisis.