You’re right. If you’re swinging for the bleachers, you often have to look past the blemishes. In this case, though, I was only looking for a double or triple – I still looked past the blemishes. Shame on me.

You’re so right about the management stuff. Even though I suspected a couple of issues, I discovered a different order of magnitude once I witnessed how tings were done. Still, I should have asked more questions.

The best lessons are the most painful ones. Right? . . . Right?!

You’re right. If you’re swinging for the bleachers, you often have to look past the blemishes. In this case, though, I was only looking for a double or triple – I still looked past the blemishes. Shame on me.

You’re so right about the management stuff. Even though I suspected a couple of issues, I discovered a different order of magnitude once I witnessed how tings were done. Still, I should have asked more questions.

The best lessons are the most painful ones. Right? . . . Right?!

All so true. The thing is, it’s not like there was one or two, there were a dozen that I could see. I looked at each one individually and chose to dismiss it without ever thinking about the flags as a group. *That’s* the stupid part. AND, I should know better, it’s not like the first time you ignorantly and stupidly take apart a Stromberg carb while ignoring the fact that there are 42,000 vacuum lines connected to it.

All so true. The thing is, it’s not like there was one or two, there were a dozen that I could see. I looked at each one individually and chose to dismiss it without ever thinking about the flags as a group. *That’s* the stupid part. AND, I should know better, it’s not like the first time you ignorantly and stupidly take apart a Stromberg carb while ignoring the fact that there are 42,000 vacuum lines connected to it.

And markets are either very competitive, very small, or non-existent. Free enterprise feels about big, empty, fast-growing markets the same way nature feels about a vacuum.

But the mentality of the management team is important: I don’t want to invest my money in something where the people involved don’t consider the success of the venture the most important thing in their lives. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find that out before you write the cheque.

And markets are either very competitive, very small, or non-existent. Free enterprise feels about big, empty, fast-growing markets the same way nature feels about a vacuum.

But the mentality of the management team is important: I don’t want to invest my money in something where the people involved don’t consider the success of the venture the most important thing in their lives. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find that out before you write the cheque.

We are not wired all that logically. As a kid I remember the arguement that people made for NOT wearing seatbelts, everyone seemed to know someone who “was miraculously throw from the vehicle to safety”, this completely overlooks the unlikely occurance of highly unlikely impact vectors, a windshield or side window that was suddenly no longer there, no objects to hit once you are flying from the vehicle, and somehow landing such that you don’t snap bones, your spine or skull. Hey while we’re at it, let’s jump out of a plane without a parachute, a few people have done this and survived…

We are not wired all that logically. As a kid I remember the arguement that people made for NOT wearing seatbelts, everyone seemed to know someone who “was miraculously throw from the vehicle to safety”, this completely overlooks the unlikely occurance of highly unlikely impact vectors, a windshield or side window that was suddenly no longer there, no objects to hit once you are flying from the vehicle, and somehow landing such that you don’t snap bones, your spine or skull. Hey while we’re at it, let’s jump out of a plane without a parachute, a few people have done this and survived…