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Chris Holman welcomes back Tom Kelly, President & CEO, Automation Alley, Troy, MI. Q. Thanks for coming back to talk about Project DIAMOnD. We've had you on several times this year to talk about Project DIAMOnD but we understand that you got some very good news related to additional federal funding last week – can you tell us more about that? Yes -- Project DIAMOnD just received $1.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was allocated to us by the state of Michigan. The funding was announced last week by the Michigan Infrastructure Office. In addition, to that, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced that it would contribute $475,000 in new funding and Automation Alley will also contribute $125,000 in new funding. So, in total, that's an additional $2.5 million. Q. That's great news. Can you tell us how you are going to use this additional funding? Until now, we have been funded by Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties – but our goal is to expand our network of connected 3D printers to companies across the state. This investment represents an important first step in our vision of scaling Project DIAMOnD statewide to empower small- and medium-sized manufacturers across Michigan. This additional funding will support the expansion of Project DIAMOnD to 100 small and mid-sized manufacturers. We have also committed to using a minimum of 40% of the funding for companies in disadvantaged or underserved communities across the state. Participating companies will have access to the Project DIAMOnD Digital Transformation Program – which opened earlier this earlier this year – and expert assistance at the Project DIAMOnD Digital Transformation Center (DTC) in Auburn Hills. Q: Can you remind our listeners what that Digital Transformation Center is? Of course! It provides companies access to industrial 3D printing equipment, training and support. The new Digital Transformation Center (DTC) is supported by Geofabrica, an Auburn Hills, Michigan business that specializes in the development of custom 3D printing systems and processes for industrial applications. Through the DTC, Project DIAMOnD companies will have access to additive manufacturing courses, a team of experts, and access to additional 3D printers to test and make products. Q: Let's take a step back – can you remind our listeners what Project DIAMOnD is? Project DIAMOnD stands for distributed, independent, agile manufacturing on demand. It is an initiative powered by Automation Alley and funded by Oakland County, Michigan. Project DIAMOnD was developed in October 2020 to help Michigan manufacturers accelerate their digital transformation. It was initially funded with $10 million from Oakland County and $2 million from Macomb County. We used that funding to distribute 300 3D printers to small- and mid-size manufacturers at no cost, and to teach them how to use them. Q. If I recall correctly, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed her support earlier this year at the Mackinac Policy Conference for the work that Automation Alley and Project DIAMOnD are doing – is that correct? Yes, that's correct. We held a press conference with the Governor at Mackinac back in May. At the time, she expressed support for our plan to expand statewide. Last weeks' announcement builds on the governor's vision to expand the “Infrastructure for Innovation,” shared technology and resources that entrepreneurs and businesses can leverage to grow in Michigan. We are very thankful to Governor for her support and for the state for its support. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/
In this riveting episode of The Horns Over Hoops Podcast, host Sal-Bass is joined by a special guest, Q from the "Let's Talk Bulls Podcast," to dive deep into one of the most talked-about trades of the season. The Chicago Bulls have traded defensive stalwart Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for rising star Josh Giddey. Join Sal-Bass and Q as they break down every aspect of this blockbuster deal. They'll explore the immediate and long-term impacts on both teams, analyzing how Caruso's defensive prowess and leadership will fit into the Thunder's young roster, and how Giddey's playmaking and potential can rejuvenate the Bulls' backcourt. Key discussion points include: The Bulls' Perspective: Why did Chicago decide to move on from Caruso? How does Giddey fit into their current lineup and future plans? What does this trade mean for the Bulls' playoff aspirations? The Thunder's Angle: What does Caruso bring to the table for Oklahoma City? How will his veteran presence influence the Thunder's young core? What can we expect from OKC's new defensive schemes with Caruso on board? Player Analysis: A deep dive into the skills, strengths, and weaknesses of both Alex Caruso and Josh Giddey. How do their playing styles compare and contrast, and what unique attributes do they bring to their new teams? Fan Reactions: Insight into how fans from both sides are reacting to the trade. Are Bulls fans excited about Giddey's potential, or are they mourning the loss of Caruso's grit and hustle? How do Thunder fans feel about adding a seasoned defender like Caruso? Future Implications: What could this trade mean for the future of both franchises? Are there potential ripple effects in terms of future trades, team chemistry, and overall strategy? Don't miss this in-depth analysis as Sal-Bass and Q provide expert insights, statistical breakdowns, and passionate opinions on this game-changing trade. Whether you're a Bulls fanatic, a Thunder loyalist, or just a basketball enthusiast, this episode is packed with everything you need to know about the Caru-Show's new chapter in Oklahoma City and the promising addition of Josh Giddey to the Windy City. **
GSM is proud to release its 2023 pride album.Including new, unreleased tracks and featured artists!Track List:1. Guy Scheiman, Diego Santander & Greg Gould - Private Dancer (Intro Mix)2. Guy Scheiman & Hanna Goor - Hot Stuff (Club Mix)3. Guy Scheiman & Q - Let's Dance (Club Mix)4. Guy Scheiman Feat Michal S. - Lost In Music (2023 Club Mix)5. Guy Scheiman & Veronica Bravo - Tears (Rafael Barreto Remix)6. Alex Ramos - Fire (Club Mix)7. Tony Moran, Guy Scheiman & Suzanne Palmer Praise Up (Jackinsky Dub Mix)8. Guy Scheiman & Inaya Day- High Energy (Nick Harvey Reconstruction Mix)9. Guy Scheiman & Veronica Bravo - Tears (Leanh Club Instrumental)10. Guy Scheiman - Turkish March (Club Mix)11. Guy Scheiman - Istanbul Trip (Club Mix)12. Liran Shoshan And Ray Papito - My Heart Will Go On (Intro Club Mix)
Q: Let's say you could have an alternative attachment for the end of your arm that you could switch out with one of your hands, what would you pick? For more from us, try here: www.youtube.com/wolfouttv
Q: Let's begin with the key finding. According to your survey, 94% of India CEOs, as against 88% last year, feel that global growth rates are poised to increase, while 99% of India CEOs believe India's economic growth will improve over the next 12 months. What, in your opinion, would drive this growth given the current uncertainty? Ans: Continued support from govt has been key for the positive sentiments Benign interest rate policies also adding to confidence Consumption numbers have also kept pace with economic recovery With improved capacity utilisation, revival of capital cycle expected India CEOs optimistic because of how the country has weathered the Covid challenge Q: 89% of India CEOs are concerned about health risks. With that in mind, how will the new Omicron-led waves in India and other countries of the world impact the economic recovery that had started, both at home and in the world at large? Ans: Most India CEOs will look at Omicron as a short-term, transient challenge Economy was affected significantly by the second wave of Covid. There were supply-side challenges, labour issues etc Omicron will not impede prospects for 2022 Q: 77% of India CEOs are worried about geopolitical conflict. With that in mind, what are you hearing from CEOs on the current geo-political situation and what is its impact on business? Ans: If interest rates starts going up in the West, pullback of capital from India could impact stock market and consumer sentiment and thereby consumption in India Economies of the world getting aligned under two broad blocks could create opportunities for India India is robust on the services side and will benefit if it can pick-up on the manufacturing side As has become the common wisdom thanks to the experience of the past two years, whether or not CEOs across India are justified in their optimism will be decided by the severity of the ongoing Omicron-led wave and our success or failure in preventing another round of strict lockdowns and curfews. Watch video
Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new disaster preparedness app is about to be deployed in seven Vancouver Island communities. Pilot projects will be launched in the Village of Tahsis, District of Tofino, City of Parksville, Town of Qualicum Beach and City of Nanaimo next month. Preparations are underway to bring the project onstream in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Dr. Ryan Reynolds and team of UBC researchers created the Canadian Hazards Emergency Response and Preparedness Mobile App (CHERP) to help communities create preparedness, communication, evacuation and on-the-day emergency response plans for local hazards and potential disasters. “The initial version that I built as part of my PHD work was pretty slim compared to what we have today,” said Reynolds. A thorough list of details makes it possible to individualize plans for every household. For example: Do you have mobility issues? Or medical issues? If you live in an apartment, what floor are you on? Is someone in your household menstruating? Or incontinent? Do you have pets? Reynolds traces the origins of the CHERP App back to his study of how 450 Port Alberni residents responded to the tsunami warning triggered by the Alaska earthquake of Jan. 23, 2018. While the vast majority of residents evacuated the area within an hour of the alarm being sounded, there was some confusion. A number of people didn't know if they were in the inundation zone. There were traffic jams as vehicles sought to reach higher ground. The reception centre was not ready to receive evacuees for almost an hour. Reynolds concluded that more detailed information was needed in the community's emergency planning. “The Strathcona Regional District was one of the first groups to reach out for us, so we've done a pilot for the village of Tahsis,” he explained. While everything from small to large communities are in the program so far, Reynolds says he has yet to work with an island. The Capital Regional District has expressed an interest in this for the next phase of the program. “It is a very different look to evacuate the city of Nanaimo than, for example, Quadra Island – where you have either local boats or personal boats to use, or you have to deal with the ferry,” he said. “We can't make ferries go faster, that is up to other groups, but we can at least help people to be prepared to be on those ferries a little more quickly.” Q/ Let's suppose that either Cortes or Quadra Island wanted to go forward with this program, what would be the cost? Reynolds said the program does not charge communities for the app, but they would need to provide the necessary information. (This includes any associated costs, like collecting data.) “Assuming that we are able to show this is working and is actually useful to residents, I think we will be able to start looking at alternative edge communities,” said Reynolds. “Bringing them in so they are no longer edge, making them equal citizens within our app.”
In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach Klempf interviews Lissette Gole the head of automotive retail at Google. Lissette discusses the latest developments from Google including their dealer playbook and how they help dealers sell more cars online. Some of the questions asked include:Q) So let's get started, and for those of us listening, talk about your career path into automotive at Google? Follow Up - For those unfamiliar with Google's offering for dealers, talk to me about how Google enables dealerships' digital presence? Q) 2021 has been a roller coaster of a year for dealers; talk to me about what you observed from your lens at Google on the way dealers shifted and changed their inventory/brand marketing on your platform? Q) Why is a “customer buying experience” so important post-2020? Q) Google (Feb 2021) published its Dealer Playbook; what are some of the most exciting takeaways in this guide? Q) Let's move on to what some of the most successful dealers are doing differently when it comes to marketing their dealership and inventory? Q) What advice do you have for a new dealer when it comes to getting started developing a winning Google strategy? Q) Two auto trends have taken mindshare last year (2020), and wanted to get your thoughts on them: online dealers like Carvana and Vroom, who have gone public, and subscription services for automotive. What are your thoughts on these two trends? Q) Can you share some areas Google is focused on in the future in terms of automotive? Download the Google Playbook for Dealers - https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/digital-transformation/auto-dealer-guide/Listen to our other podcast episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcastRead the transcribe of this episode: https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/lissette-gole-head-of-automotive-retail-at-google-on-used-car-sales
In this episode of the Used Car Dealer podcast, Zach Klempf interviews Ilana Shabtay the Director of Marketing at AutoLeadStar and a podcaster herself on the Inside Auto Podcast. Ilana discusses with Zach how dealers have adapted their marketing of used cars, best practices and not-so-good practices with dealer marketing, and other hot topics in the used car marketplace. Some of the questions asked include: Q) 2021 was been a roller coaster of a year for dealers, talk to me about what you observed from your lens at Auto Lead Star on the way dealers shifted and changed their inventory/brand marketing? Q) What are some of the most common dealership marketing mistakes you have seen this year? Q) Let's move onto what some of the most successful dealers are doing differently when it comes to marketing their dealership and inventory? (ex- Case Study or dealer your team has worked with) Q) What advice do you have for used car dealers when it comes to getting started developing a winning marketing strategy? Q) Why is a “customer buying experience” so important? Q) Two auto trends have taken mindshare last year and wanted to get your thoughts on them: online dealers like Carvana and Vroom who have gone public and subscription services for automotive. What are your thoughts on these two trends? Q) What are your predictions for the rest of 2021 and what's coming down the pipeline? Q) Futures question, what are your thoughts on EV vehicles and their impact on the traditional dealer model? (Saw your podcast w/ Matt at Shift Digital on this subject) Q) Lastly, what is Auto Lead Star doing that uniquely helps market and sell used cars? Listen to our other podcast episodes: https://www.sellyautomotive.com/podcast Read the transcribe of this episode - https://blog.sellyautomotive.com/blog/auto-marketing-with-ilana-shabtay-of-autoleadstar
About this Episode Time Stamps Q&A About our Guests In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Dana Guerrero, licensed clinical social worker and mediation and yoga instructor. Annette and Dana discuss strategies to help manage the tough emotions we are all facing in the ongoing climate of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dana offers tips on how to cope with decision fatigue, plus simple breathing techniques and self-care routines we can easily incorporate into our day. Skip to: 02:41 How do you work with individuals? What kinds of areas or why do folks come to you? “I've really worked with people on regulating emotional responses to their circumstances, to the way they listen to people, the way they function in their job, the way they respond to crisis” Skip to: 04:18 Anxiety, stress, uncertainty, depression, these are all emotions and states of mind that many people, most people are probably experiencing in some degree and some in a very heightened way this year with all of the challenges. Can you talk to us a little bit about some ways that people can address both sides of those kinds of range of feelings? “Just spend maybe five breaths, breathing in and breathing out, and literally saying to yourself, ‘Today is going to be okay.’” Skip to: 08:53 Are there any ways that these folks can combat self-doubt in decision-making? And not just school leaders, but really anyone in that decision-making seat, how can they combat that kind of doubt that creeps in? “The biggest practice is literally self-forgiveness…practicing flexibility of mind, but also standing firm once you do make a decision.” Skip to: 12:28 As you said, everyone is making critical decisions right now. Those who are coping with that of hanging in the balance of either not having a solution per se or receiving criticism for the decision or solutions that they present; how do you advise on that? “It is important to have some go-to people. Some go-to people that are in your world, and some go-to people that are maybe outside of your world that you respect. They're not in your every day.” “We will not make people happy all the time, including ourselves. And we just have to get used to that and feel comfortable with that, and also have a certain amount of humility to always look at and review what we're doing, why we're doing it, who we're doing it for, and to humbly rework it if we feel that we're going in a direction that we're not right, or we need to stand up for something.” Skip to: 15:47 What are some reminders that you might tell people to kind of take that time and how to tune into the fact that they need that time? “The one question that I ask myself and I even ask my kids is, how am I doing? … Actually say, ‘Hey, kids. I have never been in a global pandemic before and I've never parented you through this. How's it going? Are we doing okay here?’” Skip to: 20:07 What techniques or practices would you offer to someone when they are overwhelmed by their emotions or circumstances? Skip to: 23:55 “One last thing I want to do with you, open your eyes, look around the room. Just notice the shapes and the colors around the room. And then just for a moment, close your eyes and just feel, feel your body and space, and open your eyes.” Q: Let's start by, if we could, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you work with individuals? A: Sure. By trade, I'm a licensed clinical social worker, and I have a family studies background. I studied in the good old state of Pennsylvania for four years in Mechanicsburg, and then I got my graduate degree, my MSW from NYU. NYU has a very clinical program in social work, so I was really trained from the beginning to be a therapist, which is what I always knew that I wanted to be. We were trained in object relations theory. It's basically a psychodynamic approach, understanding a person within the context of their relationships in t...
About this Episode Time Stamps Q&A About our Guests Resources One in five individuals has a learning difference or attention challenge. While these individuals are in many cases just as capable as their peers, they face obstacles, stigma and misconceptions that others do not. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Attorney Meghan Whittaker, the director of policy and advocacy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities. They discuss how virtual learning has impacted students with learning disabilities, signs that parents should look for to identify learning disabilities, how students of color are disproportionately impacted and NCLD’s Our Time, Our Vote campaign. Skip to: 00:49 Can you tell us more about the National Center for Learning Disabilities? “When we talk about learning and attention issues, we're talking about disabilities that affect areas like reading, writing, math, attention, processing and executive functioning in students.” “We accomplish our mission by empowering parents and young adults by transforming schools and advocating for equal rights.” Skip to: 02:06 How is COVID-19 and virtual learning impacting students with learning disabilities? “When school's closed abruptly in the spring and students were sent home, that was a major disruption in the routines that they were used to, it was a disruption in the relationships that they had developed with teachers and with other students.” “Students who didn't get those required services through their IEP are likely going to be struggling even more to keep up with their virtual instruction, they may not have the accommodations that they need.” Skip to: 05:04 With students learning from home in so many instances right now, what are some signs that parents can look for that their children might be struggling with a learning disability? “I definitely encourage parents to pay attention to signs of struggle, and those signs will differ based on the age of your child or the subject that you're talking about.” “The important thing here is partnership with schools. It's really important that parents now in this new role of not just caretaker, but kind of assistant teacher at home that they partner with teachers to really understand what's going on.” Skip to: 07:31 Can you tell us about the resources that you recently released to recognize some of these early signs in younger children that might not yet be identified? “I think that the importance of looking at these early signs can't be understated. The brain is malleable, so the earlier we can identify issues the better, because learning and attention issues are brain-based disorders.” Skip to: 09:49 Students of color are disproportionately impacted by identification for special education. Can you tell us more about this and how schools can prevent this from occurring? “So inappropriately placing children into special education can actually cause harm, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds.” Skip to: 13:25 In the 2016 election, only about half of eligible individuals with disabilities voted, we know that from the data from that election. Can you tell us about the, Our Time, Our Vote campaign that NCLD organized this year and what's that about? “So civic participation is at the heart of the disability rights movement, so NCLD has worked to ensure that people with learning disabilities are engaged, informed and prepared to participate in civic life and voting is one part of that equation.” Skip to: 15:30 How can school leaders and community members advocate for individuals with learning disabilities? Q: Let's start by understanding your organization a little bit and some of the objectives. Can you tell us a little bit more about NCLD? A: So, the National Center for Learning Disabilities is a nonprofit advocacy organization, and we work to improve the lives of the one in five who have lear...
Today's HousingWire Daily features an exclusive interview with Bankrate's Senior Vice president and Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride. In this episode, McBride discusses Bankrate's recent survey on refinancing appetite and explains why many homeowners have not considered refinancing their homes. Here is a small preview of today's interview with McBride. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:Q: According to the survey, 52% of homeowners have not considered refinancing their homes. That's a pretty high percentage. Can you explain some of the top reasons they haven't?Greg McBride: That's a very high percentage considering this has been a year of record-low mortgage rates. There are really three reasons that people point to; one is they feel it's not going to save them enough money, second, is they say that the fees or closing costs are too high and the third most common is paperwork. They say there is too much paperwork and hassle involved in the refinancing process.Q: Let's discuss the recently introduced refi fee that will be implemented on December 1. Bankrate's survey determined this fee is now impacting whether or not homeowners are choosing to refinance. Can you expand on this for our listeners?Greg McBride: There's definitely a big outrage factor as far as this fee is concerned. We found that 57% of those who haven't refinanced this year claimed the fee is why they would not refinance, including 42% who said they're much less likely to refinance as a result of the fee. We've seen most lenders reflect this in pricing by tacking on about an eighth of a percentage point to the rate. It's not something that's necessarily going to have to be paid out of pocket via a fee, it's already reflected in pricing. And that pricing is such that we're still seeing record low rates. Yes, it's out there, but it doesn't dilute the benefit of refinancing, given how low rates are today.HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode:FHFA delays refinance fee start date to Dec. 1Mortgage rates break record again, down to 2.72%
How she secured a book deal from her Instagram platform; client case study from Jamie Bailey from @expeditionmarriage Click below for shownotes: https://ruthiegray.mom/secured-a-book-deal/ 7-Day Instagram Story Challenge https://ruthiegray.mom/7-day-instagram-story-challenge/ Featuring pro-coaching member, Jamie Bailey, from @expeditionmarriage on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/expedition_marriage/ Website: https://www.expeditionmarriage.org/ Episode 4: How changing my Instagram strategy delivered clients (without sale pressure) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-how-changing-my-instagram-strategy-delivered/id1511805380?i=1000476417815 Welcome to another episode of the Insta-transformation series, These interview episodes highlight pro-coaching members, sharing their personal triumphs and how they made Instagram work for them. Jamie Bailey is a Professional Christian Counselor and Marriage Coach. Together, with her husband, they run a private practice and a marriage ministry, Expedition Marriage. You can find Jamie in her office, speaking, leading marriage retreats, or teaching seminars. She’s been a wife for 25 years, and is a mom to three adult daughters and two precious grandkids. Jamie has a passion for helping healthy couples continue to thrive and helping hurting couples find the fullness in Christ that they were meant for. https://ruthiegray.mom/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Secured-a-book-deal-on-Instagram-P1.mp4 She secured a book deal on Instagram...but first, the bad news... Q Let’s talk about your Insta-life before. The learning curve was huge, but we wanted to cast our net wider and use Instagram as the launching pad. But we had zero idea how. I played around with format and branding and if you view our IG from the beginning, what you’ll find is an entire page of just a bunch of quotes. From the beginning we wanted authentic followers so we were fine with slow and steady, but it was realllyyyy slow. Q. That’s something I always mention - growth may be slow when you’re building meaningful connections. But what kind of engagement did you have during the days of those golden nugget quotes? A. We got some likes but it was rare to get comments. I didn’t know at that time it was important to engage with people. Q. Did you find that discouraging or were you wondering if you were on the wrong platform? What made you decide that maybe you needed help? A. I wouldn’t call it discouraging, just frustrating putting out great stuff that we know works and it felt like we were spinning wheels. I was constantly creating content and it was a lot of work with little results. Q. When you put all that time into it and you know your content is good, you wonder what you’re missing. What was the key point or time trigger that made you take action to get help? A. I listened to podcasts and started being open to new ideas and knew I needed to invest in learning. Instagram was always intimidating to me. But I started watching you and stepped out and took your story challenge. I remember it blew my mind when you taught us how to change our color page. It opened up a whole new world. Q. What Jamie is talking about is something we referred to in Episode 4 with Cathy Lawdanski - my 7-Day Instagram Story Challenge. There’s a whole new world out there on IG once you add the video aspect and the challenge makes it easy and fun to learn. A. Yes I was loving all the new things on Instagram with stories. And the thing with Instagram is it’s scary to put your stuff out there so that kept me from doing it for so long but in talking with you saying just do it, those little baby steps taught me it was ok and I was relatable. Q. You can delete your stories if you want but you can become so anal that you become frozen and don’t take acgtion. I think after that you joined my Instagram pro membership...
Click here for the best way to keep up with the news and other updates in the face of the censorship: www.NemosNewsNetwork.com/NewsBestselling Book Attacked by MSM: Qanon: An Invitation to The Great Awakening - www.TheBookofQanon.comBuy C60 & More: http://bit.ly/2VUC97HNOTE: any action by youtube.com (or other media or internet firms) to negatively impact the production of this video will be interpreted as a violation of 18 USC 242 and 42 USC 1983, 84, 85, and we reserve the right to file civil and criminal legal action against youtube.com and its affiliates for attempting to suppress this "free speech"; and will also be construed as "conspiracy to aide the crimes listed herein".If you found this content to be of value, please consider supporting my work with any of the options below!
FRANCESCA LOMBARDO on: - Facebook: www.facebook.com/francescalombardoofficial - SoundCloud: @francesca-lombardo HOW I MET THE BASS on: - Facebook: www.facebook.com/howimetthebass - Mixcloud: www.mixcloud.com/HowIMetTheBass 3 QUESTIONS to FRANCESCA LOMBARDO: Q: How did you first get in touch with electronic music? A: I was introduced to electronic music by my uncle on our road trips to Germany from Italy. He used to collect tapes for the trip prior to departure and lecture me and my cousin about the music he would play us and it's origin. Those moments I will never forget and when I listen to those albums he played it still reminds of those car trips like I was there. Q: Let's talk about your mix. What do these tracks mean to you? A: These tracks reminds me of my childhood and some of them are there because my mum or my family used to listen to them. They shaped my musical taste whether I wanted it or not. Some of them came in my life later when I had already left home. However they are all still in my heart and give me a little shiver of memory when I listen to them. Q: Which future projects are on the way? A: I have my album closure this year with a great remix package including legends 808 State and The Orb on my latest single “Call Me Wrong”. I also have a couple of collaborations with one of my favourite producer Hannes Bieger coming out in the next couple of months. More to be announced but taking a short break in between to focus on life and new music creations. I also am really excited about the upcoming releases on both my labels Echolette and Echoe this coming year.
Nir’s Note: Gad Saad is a professor of marketing at Concordia University and the author of The Consuming Instinct. He’ll be speaking at the upcoming Habit Summit in April. (You can register here!) In this interview with Max Ogles, Saad discusses the role of evolutionary psychology in modern marketing. Q: Let’s start with a simple question: What is evolutionary psychology?Gad Saad: Evolutionary psychology is applying evolutionary theory to understand the human mind. Evolution is typically used to explain all biological diversity, from how flowers evolved, to how a particular trait of an animal evolves. For example, why does the peacock have its tail that way that it does? The exact same tools of biology apply when we’re trying to understand the human mind. Put simply, evolutionary psychology is the pursuit of understanding the human mind through an evolutionary lens. You can read the Nir and Far blog post on: The Secret Marketing Power of Evolutionary Psychology https://www.nirandfar.com/the-secret-marketing-power-of-evolutionary-psychology/ Nir & Far, a podcast about business, behaviour and the brain by Nir Eyal. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe on iTunes and leave an iTunes review. It will greatly help new listeners discover the show. Please visit my website Nir and Far for other info about my writing, books and teaching: http://www.nirandfar.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nirandfar/support
It’s another Syntax potluck! In this episode, Scott and Wes answer your questions about remote work, AI agendas, motivation, fitness, the future of coding, and much more! Sentry - Sponsor If you want to know what’s happening with your errors, track them with Sentry. Sentry is open-source error tracking that helps developers monitor and fix crashes in real time. Cut your time on error resolution from five hours to five minutes. It works with any language and integrates with dozens of other services. Syntax listeners can get two months for free by visiting Sentry and using the coupon code “tastytreat”. FreshBooks - Sponsor Get a 30 day free trial of Freshbooks at freshbooks.com/syntax and put SYNTAX in the “How did you hear about us?” section. Show Notes 2:03 - Q: I hear you both talk about “state” a lot in your podcasts. And while I understand a little about it, I never understand it in the context you both use it. Can you enlighten us? 6:52 - Q: I have an idea for a project that is suited for web sockets, push text/images/documents to a bunch of users in real time. I just learned about Firebase’s real-time database, and it looks like it would be pretty easy to implement my idea. What are your thoughts, pros/cons, of these two technologies? 10:42 - Q: How’s your fitness going? 12:15 - Q: Let’s say both of you gents were junior developers that had basic knowledge and skills in HTML, CSS and JavaScript but you had all the experience and knowledge of how to best master those skills and where the industry was heading. What would be the outline and focus of your road-map knowing what you do now? 17:22 - Q: Is it worth it to find a remote dev job at an early stage of your career? Considering the stuff I learn from my seniors and other devs on the team, I wonder if I will lose the opportunity to learn stuff from my team members? 19:49 - Q: How do I keep myself motivated in coding? 22:47 - Q: What’s y’all’s opinion on using some obscure (at least in my opinion) features of a language, such as Javascript bitwise operators, in a production app that dozens of other engineers maintain, and will continue to maintain long after you leave the company? It seems hard to read and immediately understand, which possibly makes it harder to debug/refactor in the future. Is it the responsibility of future devs to learn if they don’t know, or should you find a different way to code the solution in the first place? 26:00 - Q: Wes, I keep hearing you talk about working from your Dropbox. Do you sync up everything? Even things like your node module folders? 29:26 - Q: Have you talked about Firefox Developer Edition? It looks like it should be very useful, but I can’t quite make the transition. 32:58 - Q: Hey guys, what your opinion of CSS naming convention methodologies such as BEM? 35:04 - Q: I would like to refer to the question from ep 140 about fronted development possibly dying. I don’t feel satisfied with the answer, so maybe I could state the question differently: With the machine learning being developed rapidly in recent years, will the web change, causing reduction of front-end jobs? Maybe we will just be training smart algorithms and developing them instead? What do you think? 40:32 - Q: How do you deal with anxiety and fear during interviews that might hinder your ability to give the best impression of yourself or solve coding challenges? Links FeathersJS Syntax 020: Fitness, Nutrition, and Losing Weight Syntax 084: Fitness for Developers Syntax 164: A Story About Kanye West and Learning to Code Syntax 140: Potluck - Media Queries × NPM Vulnerabilities × Fullstack JS vs JAMstack × Web VR/AR × Switching Jobs × More! FireBase Slack Dropbox Backblaze FireFox developer edition Brave Wix Squarespace How you can train an AI to convert your design mockups into HTML and CSS How AI And Machine Learning Are Transforming Front-End Development? ××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ××× Scott: Wyze Sense Wes: Arthur on CBC kids Shameless Plugs Wes: CSS Grid Course Scott: Gatsby Ecommerce Course, and Dev Tools & Debugging Course Tweet us your tasty treats! Scott’s Instagram LevelUpTutorials Instagram Wes’ Instagram Wes’ Twitter Wes’ Facebook Scott’s Twitter Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets
I am excited to share the last blog in the autism series! This week the blog will actually be in audio form because it is a special interview with Eric LeBow. Eric is a young adult who has autism that was interested in answering some questions for my readers. Q: Let’s start out by you telling our audience a little bit about yourself. Q: How old were you when you found out you had autism? Q: How does it affect you personally? Q: When younger, what are some signs/symptoms of autism? Q: How do you cope with it? Q: What are some of the misconceptions many people often think of individuals with autisms? Q. What advice do you have for other individuals with autism? Q. What inspires you? Q: When did you decide you wanted to speak publicly about it?
In this bonus episode, we are joined by Kevin Henderson, the head of US operations for Pimax.Q: Kevin, tell us about yourself, your tech history and how it lead to Pimax?Q: Did you ever try in of the early VR machines in the 80s or 90s?Q: Communication from Pimax is a concern, as Spokesperson will be improving communication? Q: Pimax was supposed to ship in early 2018, but it ended up being 1-year later, was there a particular holdup? Q: You mentioned an 8% defect rate, it seems the cable is the biggest culprit, what steps has Pimax done to rectify that and other quality issues? Q: What are Pimax's distribution plans heading into general release? Q: Will the audio strap be shown at GTC? Q: Should we expect parallel or linear development and release of accessories?Q: Will the wireless module require compression, and are Pimax partnering with another company on the module? Q: Has there been any talk with other tracking systems other than SteamVR, such as Mo-Sys?Q: Is there a chance for Pimax to make a tracking puck? Q: Is there any news or updates on lighthouse availability?Q: What is the status of the 8KX, and have you tried it? Q: We assume you have a 5k+, 8k, and 5kBE. Which is your favorite? Q: Can you talk about anything Pimax had to hone in on, such as the lenses, and will there be additional refinements? Q: Let's talk about the Oculus software support integrated into PiTool. Is it Revive or Pimax solution? How will it be supported going forward? Q: Is there a difference in the LCD panels for newer builds vs older builds?Q: Can you update us on the eye-tracking module?Q: Where do you see VR going in the next few years? Not just from Pimax perspective, but industry wide? [Q: The Community likes you, but they still want a Kickstarter update for each SKU, can you give us one? Q: Steve gets corrected on ending on a high-note (regarding delivery) Q: What are you favorite games to play on the Pimax, what do you look forward to playing? Q: What GPU do you use? Q: Do you adjust SS in PiTool or SteamVR? Q: Do you have any concerns of Pimax's unique market window of wide-FOV could close with other hardware announcements like StartVR, Xtal, ect? Q: The floor is yours! Q: Do you think VR displace home TVs, home-cinema? If so, when? Q: Closing Note: We are now streaming live on Youtube when we record the latest episode, audio version will always be made available in podcast form. Also, please keep in mind the live nature of the Roundtable when listening back to the podcast uploade-mail: vrroundtable@gmail.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/vrroundtableFollow us on Twitter @VR_RoundtableFollow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VRRoundtableFollow Gary on Twitter @ReckonerVRFollow Steve on Twitter @Scubasteve2365Follow Anthony on Twitter @VRGameRankingsFollow Chris on Twitter @Virtually_Chris
In this episode of China Money Podcast, guest Jixun Foo, managing partner at GGV Capital, spoke with our host Nina Xiang, on GGV's new funds, China's travel and education sector, and why Chinese companies have a better record of avoiding "down rounds." Don't forget to subscribe to China Money Podcast for free in the iTunes store, or subscribe to China Money Network weekly newsletters. You can also subscribe to China Money Podcast's Youtube channel or Youku channel. Foo spoke to China Money Network on the sidelines of the 29th Annual AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum in Hong Kong. Q: In April, GGV raised a massive US$1.2 billion across a number of funds, with a first time discovery fund geared for early-stage investments. What are the considerations behind these new funds? A: Yes, the new US$250 million discovery fund is a first, and will allow us to invest in seed and series A rounds, mostly in China but also in the U.S. Our main fund generally invests in late series A, or series B and C rounds, which are our sweet spot. During our 15-year history, we have built a good network of entrepreneurs who we have strong connections with. That is leading us to some early-stage companies. Also, after having backed a lot of successful entrepreneurs, we are getting good deal flows but also seeing serial entrepreneurs who want to start up something new again. These are the factors driving us to raise a discovery fund. Q: U.S.-China is a key element in GGV's investment strategy. If you can divide between U.S. vs. China investments, what are the ratio between the two? A: I guess when we started the firm, we were more U.S. centric. But we have a bottom-up methodology. We are driven by companies and opportunities in the market, not by certain asset allocation guidelines. Q: It seems like GGV has slowed the pace of investment this year, supposedly to around ten deals in 2016, compared to 30 to 40 investments annually during the past two years. Why? A: It really depends on what number you look at. In 2014 and 2015, there were a lot of new start-ups driven by the whole mobile revolution. But we've seen a slowdown in the market and industry consolidation during the past 12 months. But we are still actively investing. It should be more than ten deals this year. In terms of our investment pace, we have gone earlier stage, which means the check size has become smaller. On the other hand, we have also done more follow-on investments. The number you mentioned probably doesn't include our follow-on deals. Q: The increased number of follow-on deals is because the valuations are more attractive? A: It's the companies we know well, like Wish (a San Francisco-based e-commerce mobile app) just announced they raised US$500 million led by Temasek. Q: Has GGV participated in a follow-on investment where company's valuations dropped, in a down round? A: There are a few situations in our portfolio. So far, these are U.S. companies, not Chinese ones. Q: It seems Chinese companies are more capable of avoiding a down round, why do you think that is? A: Chinese companies are more efficient in capital, so they will survive without needing to raise financing. Usually, down rounds are not easy to execute and insiders will resist. In the U.S., it is very much a norm. Chinese companies can control their "burn rate" very quickly, so they will either survive, disappear, or get bought out. A down round is usually a sign of weakness. Are investors prepared to back a company whose valuation is going down? You really need to understand the risks. It's easy to ride the momentum, where everyone is fighting to get in, that's an easy sale to an investment committee. But if you go to your investors and say "I'm going to invest in this company in a down round, and it's a great deal," that's much harder. Q: Let's move on to some of your key portfolio companies. Iwjw, a Chinese online real estate agency,
Aprende ingles con inglespodcast de La Mansión del Inglés-Learn English Free
If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome!With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level. In this episode: How to avoid personal questions Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Congratulations to Beatriz Asensi Gallardo on passing the FCE exam! You are an FCE girl now! Listener Feedback: RafaelReza, tú lo haces bastante bien lo de pronunciar español, sin embargo a Craig si, que le cuesta un poco más, y no acabo de entenderlo porque a veces he oído los años que lleva Craig en España, ¡y son muchos! Creo que alguna vez habéis dicho que lleváis desde 1998....a veces pienso en ello y me imagino viviendo en Inglaterra tantos años y (creo) que hablaría inglés como un nativo....(bueno, tampoco estoy muy seguro de ello) os pido perdón, porque la mayoría de las veces os escribo en español, pero, aunque os lo entiendo todo....no soy capaz de "colocar este rollo" (get this out/across) en inglés....Bueno, espero que Craig no se moleste con mi comentario y si fuera así, le pido disculpas por adelantado...Un saludo afectuoso, Rafael Hi Craig and Reza,How are you doing? I'm Pepe Calvo, a 51 years old (51-year-old) self-taught English student. I started to learn English on my own in my mid-forties and thanks to the Internet and the help from podcasts like yours I think I'm getting it. From the beginning I also started to practise with English natives, who are retired and live nearby, and it was tough but now I'm really proud to be able to follow a conversation more or less fluently. I don't spend any time studying, nor do I do exercises and things like that, I think the key is to listen to English - the more you can, the better, and in addition, speak, read, write and watch (documentaries are my favourites) in English as much as you can. I call it "my little linguistic immersion" and I think it works, doesn't it?Nowadays, I am listening to your podcasts but I'm not up to date with them yet and I'm wondering if you’ve already got the ‘dulce de leche’ recipe, have you? If not, it is the least I can do for you to express my gratitude. It is really easy, my mom used to make it when I was a kid, here you are: https://cookpad.com/es/recetas/129294-dulce-de-leche-con-leche-condensada-en-olla-rapida Thank you very, very much for your generosity sharing your work for free, it is a great help for people like me, I really appreciate it! I live in Tortosa, not too far from you, if there is something more I can do for you, you only have to ask. Listen to you soon! Compound adjectives The journey lasts 3 hours - It's a three-hour journeyIt's a 10 kilometre trip - The trip is 10 kilometresHow to avoid personal questions How to avoid personal questions What kind of questions, and in what kind of situations, could be difficult, inappropriate and/or embarrassing? Filling in a formapplying for a service or product (online or face to face)meeting someone for the first time and making small talkjob interviews (to deflect - desviar) Are the following expressions “Asking a personal question”(Q) or “Responding to a personal question”(R)? Why do you ask? (R)That’s got nothing to do with you. (R)I know this is a bit personal, but... (Q)Can I ask you a personal question? (Q)That’s rather a personal question. (R)I hope you don’t mind me asking, but…(Q)I’m afraid that’s none of your business. (R)I’d rather not answer that (if you don’t mind). (R)I know this is a bit nosey, but…(Q) (nosey = entrometido/a, indiscreto/a, 'meter las narices')Mind your own business! (R) SHOWS ANNOYANCEI don’t mean to pry, but….(Q) - (to pry - entrometerse)I’m sorry to say I’m not prepared to answer that. (R)No comment. (R)I don’t want/wish to comment on that. (R) If you don’t mind m, I’d like to ask....(Q) Would it bother you if I asked…(Q) I’ll understand if you don’t want/wish to answer, but…(Q) I’d rather you asked me something else. (R) Forgive me for asking, but…(Q) If it’s not too personal,...(Q) Let’s change the topic, (shall we?) (R) You’ve got some nerve asking that! (R) SHOWS ANNOYANCE That’s for me to know (and you to find out - SHOWS PLAYFULNESS) (R) Practice: I know this is a bit nosey, but how much money do you earn? - Let's change the topic, shall we?Forgive me for asking, but are you married? - I'd rather not answer that if you don't mind.I don't mean to pry, but how much do you weigh? - Why do you ask? Perhaps we should move on to another topic.I hope you don't mind me asking, but how much rent do you pay for your flat? - Why do you ask?I hope you don't mind me asking, but have you ever taken drugs? - No comment!Forgive me for asking, but how much did you pay for that shirt? - Let's change the topic.How old are you? - Let's change the topic, shall we?I know this is a bit nosey, but who did you vote for in the last election? - I'd rather not answer that, if you don't mind.Have you got a boy/girlfriend?Do you fancy anybody? / Do you have a crush on anybody?I know this is a bit personal, but how many people have you slept with? - I'd rather not answer that, if you don't mind.Did you sleep with her/him last night? - Mind your own business!!How do you make your humous so tasty? What's your secret recipe/ingredient? I don't want to pry, but what size trousers do you take? What size are you? (to have a crush on someone - encapricharse con alguien) Thank you to Mamen for sending audio feedback on our sponsor, italki. Discussion: Are there any other questions that you don’t like answering? vague - vago/a, impreciso/a ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to tell us about a time when you were asked a personal question. Send us a voice message and tell us what you think. speakpipe.com/inglespodcast Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: The Past Perfect tense (simple and continuous) with special guest (and published author) Mike Hardinge Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'
In this episode of China Money Podcast, guest Fritz Demopoulos, founder of Queen's Road Capital and co-founder of Qunar Inc, speaks with our host Nina Xiang. He explains his investment thesis of investing in "platforms", who he sees as the future disrupters of the established Chinese Internet giants, and what he learned from a failed start-up that he invested in. Don't forget to subscribe to China Money Podcast for free in the iTunes store, or subscribe to China Money Network weekly newsletters. You can also subscribe to China Money Podcast’s Youtube channel or Youku channel. Q: Last time when we talked, you forecasted industry consolidations in China's tech space. This year, it really happened in a large scale with multiple major mergers. What are the driving forces behind these deals? A: First of all, some large conglomerates decided to "buy", instead of "make" certain businesses on their own. Historically, a lot of Chinese companies have decided to make and build things themselves. Moving forward, we will see more buying as they realize they can't do everything. Also, it used to be that every Chinese technology company was fighting each other for a long time. But now people realize you don't have to fight to win. You can actually partner and combine with others to win. Many experienced entrepreneurs in China has developed an acute sense of responsibility to shareholders, a stronger sense of managing different viewpoints, which is leading to some of these deals as well. These deals should have happened earlier, but never did because of interpersonal issues. Q: The mergers will continue? A: I think so. The cost of capital will continue to inch up. Valuation will probably be flat except for one or two super hot companies. Entrepreneurs may have to think twice before they burn a lot of money on margin initiatives. They need to be disciplined on how they achieve their objectives. Q: Which sectors will this wave of merger deals impact? A: It's going to be in every sector. One joke goes like this: If there are four or five competitors in a category, there will be a hundred competitors in China. Naturally, this will lead to more combinations. Just to name a few, online gaming, medical technology, financial technology, and P2P lending could all see more merger deals. Q: Let's focus on the online travel sector, an area where you have had lots of experience. Queen's Road Capital has backed two start-ups in online travel, Tripping.com and GetYourGuide. What is your investment thesis here? A: Both start-ups are in two of the hottest categories of the travel business: vacation rentals and local activities. Tripping.com aggregates vacation home rentals globally. It works like a Qunar for Airbnb type of accommodation offerings. Most of the travel distribution companies today focus on air tickets and hotels, but there is another massive category where travelers spend a lot of money, which are local tours and activities, such as buying a ticket to the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum. GetYourGuide aggregates the information and deliver to consumers in a timely fashion. There are three categories in the travel business that offer the best opportunities: China, vacation rentals and local activities. These two start-ups are in the most promising sectors. Q: What are the challenges you see in these two start-ups trying to scale up? A: On the demand side, getting customers to use your services is always a challenge. The travel sector is very competitive. Many companies are fighting for the same customers, so it's very expensive to acquire users. On the supply side, working with this disparate pool of homeowners and local activity providers is also a challenge. For example, GetYourGuide are dealing with thousands of local activity providers. It must make sure the services are consistent with its brand and deliver availability information to users in a timely fashion.
In this episode of China Money Podcast, we feature guest Kevin Parker, CEO of New York-based investment management firm, Sustainable Insight Capital Management. From 2004 to 2012, Parker was the global head of Deutsche Asset Management, which managed US$750 billion as of January 2012. Parker shares his thoughts on the growth of sustainable investing, explains why China is setting the global environmental policy this year, and how China is likely to lower the cost of electric vehicle productions going forward. Read an excerpt below, but be sure to listen to the full interview in audio, or watch an abbreviated video version. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free in the iTunes store. Q: Let's start with something fun. You own and have run a bio-dynamic winery in Southern France called Chateau Maris Cru starting from the late 1990s. What's the best and the most difficult part about running your own winery? A: The best part is drinking (the wine), of course. After a career on Wall Street with a telephone in one hand and sitting in front of a computer and moving money around, (it's nice) to make something tangible. Something that people can taste, feel and enjoy. (Our) winery has been bio-dynamic, or organic, for 17 years. Being a sustainable farmer for 17 years gives me certain credibility (to discuss sustainability issues). But it takes about seven years to convert a vineyard away from the use of pesticides, fungicides and synthetic chemicals to a completely natural approach. You see that the soils really come alive. Being a New Yorker and naturally impatient, it taught me something about time and patience. Q: You left Deutsche Bank at 2012, and Sustainable Insight Capital Management (SICM) started operation in February 2013. Tell us some background of your company? A: Back in the early 2000s, many organizations such as the Carbon Disclosure Project, Investor Network Against Climate Risk, popped up to focus on sustainability. Today, there are signatories representing over US$90 trillion that have signed the carbon disclosure principles. There are almost US$40 trillion who have signed the United Nations' principles for responsible investing. Our research shows that managements who are focused on sustainability outperform their peers (financially). But markets are inefficient and are not accurately pricing this factor. Therefore, SICM was founded to capitalize on this opportunity. We believe that the reallocation of capital based on sustainability principles is the only powerful source large enough to solve our environmental problems. We are an asset management business with the backing of two prominent investors in the sustainable investing field. One is The Kresge Foundation; the other is a family office from Palo Alto, California. Currently we have about US$120 million under management. Q: Is it a traditional asset management business? A: At the moment, it is. But on our list of things to do is to introduce alternative (investment funds) as well. Q: Your firm just published a report, in which it forecasts that China is going to set the pace of environmental policy this year. How? A: I think China has been underestimated in terms of the (impact) of its environmental policy. China has created enormous problem for itself. In the theory of the tragedy of the commons, one of the players has to realize that the path they are on leads to their own destruction. Because China has the biggest problem, it leads to a necessity of leadership. Q: And China is investing a huge amount right now. During the 12th Five-Year Plan, the environmental protection sector in China is going to reach RMB5 trillion in market size, and it will grow at about 15% to 20% a year. Are these reasonable projections? A: We haven't looked at China specifically. But globally, it is around US$1 trillion a year (of investments in this sector) required. But during the last several years,
In this episode of China Money Podcast, guest Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Menlo Park, California-based venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), speaks with our host Nina Xiang about the history of DFJ's investment activities in China, where he is focused on funding the next big tech companies, his big misses in China, and his views on the next tech bubble that he thinks is coming right now. Read an excerpt below, but be sure to listen to the full interview in audio or watch an abbreviated video version. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in the iTunes store. Q: Let's start with the Macro. Investors, particularly foreign investors, have been concerned about an economic slowdown in China. Do you share that sentiment? A: Even an economic slowdown in China means a growth rate much higher than most of the world. So I'm not concerned at all about a slight lowering of the Chinese growth rate. I actually think that the Chinese economy is one of the most promising in the world. Q: DFJ is closing down its China and India offices. Why? A: We found that we are better off working with affiliates in these countries, rather than (running) DFJ company owned (operations). We have DFJ Dragon, DFJ Compass and DFJ ePlanet in China. We found that trying to make decisions on companies that far away was a very difficult process. We want more local control, so that the local partners can make decisions. DFJ is still very active in China (through our affiliates). It's just that we've made a shift in strategy to make decision-making more local. This does not impact any of our global network (funds), including DFJ Dragon and DFJ Compass. Q: DFJ first entered the Chinese market in 1999 with a partnership with ePlanet Capital, running a US$650 million fund. How did that fund get started? A: I have always wanted to invest in China. In the beginning, we invested in things that seemed to have good government connections. Those didn't work out. Then we started to invest in young, driven entrepreneurs who wanted to make great things happen. Then we invested in Baidu, Focus Media, ePay, Fastweb, Skype, etc. Q: This fund reportedly realized over 30% gross internal rate of return (IRR)? A: We never disclose this information. But the investors are very happy. The IRR would depend on when the investor sold their Baidu (stocks). If they are still holding (those shares), they are doing really, really well. Q: But DFJ ended the partnership, and started DFJ Dragon in 2006. Why did you move on with another partner? A: We had different approaches to venture capital. ePlanet went on to raise their own fund, and we set up DFJ Dragon, DFJ China and DFJ Compass. Q: DFJ Dragon's first fund was a US$200 million vehicle raised in 2006… A: No, it's less than that. Q: Less than US$200 million, and you invested in around 30 companies. What are some proud investments from that fund? Q: YeePay looks very promising. Hudong is exciting too. It's a for-profit Wikipedia in China. Also, advertising network for mobile Donson is growing very quickly too. What's really remarkable about that fund is that…here in Silicon Valley, if we invest in 30 companies, we would expect about half of them to go out of business. But DFJ Dragon only lost one, maybe two companies out of 30. Q: Why do you think that is? A: For one thing, the growth rate in China is providing great opportunities. If their business isn't quite working out, they might change direction a little bit and go after other opportunities. Q: For those companies that didn't work out, what went wrong? A: They tend to be either too early, the founders didn't get along, or they came up with their product and nobody wanted it. So our business is very simple. If the founders are getting along, they keep at it no matter what, don't run out of money, and find a market of customers who they can delight,
In this episode of China Money Podcast, Gary Rieschel, founder of Qiming Venture Partners, shares his thoughts on the Chinese economy, the technological evolutions of the Chinese Internet sector and why he is confident that Qiming will be well within the top quartile performers among China's venture capital firms. Founded in 2006, Qiming Venture is one of the most successful venture capital firms in China, having invested in and successfully listed companies including Jiayuan, ChinaCache and Touchmedia. Qiming recently closed its second RMB fund, raising RMB700 million in merely four months. Gary Rieschel talked to China Money Network in Shanghai. Listen to the full-interview in the audio podcast, watch the shortened video version, or read a transcript summary. Q: Let's start with the macro economy. It looks certain that the Chinese economy will grow at the slowest pace in more than ten years. How has your businesses been impacted? A: The Chinese economy this year will grow slower than in the past, but I don't think that's a great surprise. I think it's a natural evolution as China starts to go to (an economic model) more of a consumption driven, more higher valued-added products in the economy. There is some hesitancy by foreign investors, so you have seen a slight drop in foreign direct investment this year. But I think this is all relatively healthy as China starts to go through a transition. I think what's happening in our business is that you have to be more selective. You are not going to be bailed out of your mistakes by the fact that the market is growing very quickly. In the past for Qiming, we've made approximately 70 investments during the last six and half years. We had less than 10% of the companies fail, which is extraordinarily low for the kind of investing that we do compared to what would have been in the U.S. or other markets. So as our (venture capital) market matures, we expect more failures among early stage companies. In the U.S., somewhere from a third or half of the start-ups fail, but we have been nowhere close to that. This means we have to pick better CEOs, look for more complete management teams, and have a better idea of how technology will evolve. So for example, in healthcare and clean tech, we align ourselves more with government policy initiatives, such as the twelfth five-year plan as the leadership decides how they want the sector to develop. Q: You founded Qiming Venture Partners in 2006. What sets you apart from other venture firms in China? A: In the beginning, our premise of founding Qiming was to combine venture capital investing with operating expertise. Secondly, we are a flat organization. All of our employees who share the same title are paid exactly the same. Lastly, we look at everything from a sector lens. We don't have generalists who do a deal in healthcare today and a technology deal tomorrow. Q: You've been in the IT/internet sector for a long time. Where do you see the best investment opportunities within China's IT/Internet sector? A: The most attractive opportunities are clearly in mobile, and it's clearly the migration of all the services that you do on the Internet, on your PC, on your laptop or desktop, the migration of all those to mobile. People doing more electronic commerce transactions, people doing more monitoring of their life, whether it's keeping track of your steps or your calories, keeping track of your photos, it's more and more moving everything you would normally have had tethered to your desk, and having that with you wherever you want to be. And I think also it's interesting here to see how privacy evolves, and issues around privacy. There is no Facebook in China unless you go through a VPN. But there are other companies that have tried, but I don't think anyone has achieved that yet to the extend of what Facebook has done in the U.S. People express themselves through Weibo on Sina,