February 2009
1 post
25 Random Things About Arron’s Life on His...
It is my birthday, so here are a few random things about my life:
(You can also find this post on my Facebook profile.)
1. Too many people that I Love and care about have been (or are currently) homeless.
2. One of my good friends was shot twice last year (he did not die).
3. My senior year in High School I had planned on getting a four year degree in Theology, but ended up studying Cultural...
July 2008
1 post
Inverted Reciprocity
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of inverted reciprocity. I have no idea if it is a real term or something I made up. Nonetheless, I’ve been using it to describe a style of negotiation that I’ve witnessed time and time again growing up in Alaska. The concept is pretty simple and can be illustrated by the following story:
Once my best friend’s dad wanted to buy a used car. Now...
August 2006
1 post
Thinking About the Box
“It is really fun to sit and think outside the box, you just don’t want to confuse it with the shit that’s in the box.”
- Walt Kallenberg
Last time my dad was in Seattle we had dinner with my sister, her boyfriend and my uncle Jim. As Kallenbergs usually do, the evening was spent pontificating (i.e. BSing) about life, the universe and the conscious experience.
July 2006
4 posts
Leadership - Tribal Economics Part 2
A few days ago I posted an entry called “Tribal Economics,” in it I talked about respect as an essential ingredient to any group (such as a startup) whose members depend on each other. I put forth that respect isn’t something a person can earn but rather something everyone (and everything) deserves. This got me thinking about leadership. In some ways, leadership is the exact opposite. Leadership...
Tribal Economics
If you know me, you have probably heard me make reference to “tribal economics.” I often use this concept as a way to justify working 18 hours a day in a startup. Tribal economics is the concept that everyone contributes to her or his full capacity, and with that understanding, everyone is taken care of to the extent that the group either succeeds or fails. Please don’t mistake this concept for...
Angels and Assholes
Lately, I have been talking to a lot of angel investors about Localcents. The importance of being able to quickly determine each investor’s intent, interest level and motivation is becoming clear to me. I’ll admit, when it comes to raising capital, I am a rookie . However, I have noticed that there are two basic types of prospective investors. There are those who feel compelled to subject you to a...
