One of our clients is a public radio station. Yesterday, they finished their ten day spring pledge drive. For those in the world that may not know, public radio and television stations in the US have pledge drives (usually twice a year), where they cut into their programming to plead with their audience to send them money. In return, these donors become "members" of the station and often receive a thank-you gift. Along with grants and underwriting, this is how stations make all their money, since they don't allow advertising. Yes, that's right: American media without advertising. Our client's pledge...

Ten years ago today, I signed away 51% of my second software company, Gravity Systems Inc, to a businessman with an incredibly deep gravely voice named Don Van Natta. This time around, I'd been in business almost two years, working for next to nothing to chase my dream of a worldwide interconnected marketplace powered by multi-agent systems. In those days, it wasn't unusual for me to donate plasma once or twice a week just to feed myself. Sure, I could get a good job just about anywhere, but I knew too well what was coming. I'd tell people, "the tidal...