Former Intel CEO Andy Grove died last week. I used to run marketing for a microprocessor company named Cyrix in the 90s. We went head-to-head with Grove. He was one hell-of-a competitor. We won a few battles. He won the war. Everyone and his brother talks about changing the world. This[…] Read On
Twelve-hour workday. Feed the dogs. Chicken tacos with black beans and guac (for us, not the dogs). Hornitos margaritas. Marvell’s Agents of Shield and iZombie on TV. Typical Tuesday at the Tobaks. And we are happy campers. In a world full of popular pretentious fanatical phonies — vegans who brag[…] Read On
Facebook envy: Jealousy resulting from the misperception that everyone has a great life but you. It’s actually not Facebook’s fault that we tend to portray ourselves in the best possible light online. Why we do it is another topic for another day. For now, just accept that it’s what people[…] Read On
We’re supposed to learn from the past, live in the present and plan for the future. At least that’s the theory. But we all know that’s not really how it works in practice. We’re becoming more indoctrinated by common dogma and myths and learning less about history and science. We’re[…] Read On
When I was a little kid growing up in New York City, my brother and I were out playing one day and came upon a construction site. Maybe it was a demolished building, I can’t remember. Anyway, there were rocks everywhere. All sorts of different rocks. We were so excited[…] Read On
If you actually have the courage to say what you mean, mean what you say, and stand up for your principles, even when that flies in the face of prevailing cultural norms, will it ever come back to haunt you someday? I really couldn’t say, but if that ever happens[…] Read On
Branding has a branding problem. The advent of “personal branding” and broad substitution of the word “brands” for “companies” have diluted the meaning of this critically important principle for individuals and marketing strategy for companies big and small. Branding is actually about making and keeping promises. A brand tells customers[…] Read On