:: MIS Insights ::

Thank you very much for the wonderful offer.

Unfortunately, complications with my other commitments have forced me to pass up on it. While I could try to do everything by working 18 hours per day, I don’t think that would be good for my health, the people I want to be with and the quality of work that I will be delivering.

As one results-oriented person talking to another, such setup is unacceptable. The risk of lackluster performance from a time-strapped person is something that must be avoided - not solved or worked around.

There are two Fernando Mendizabals in the world of IT, but there is only one Jr. I don’t want to break the tradition and ruin the name game.

As my father told me:

The IT community is such a small world. You’ll keep meeting the same people again and again here and there, sooner or later.

So, don’t burn bridges.

Otherwise, you better be a damn good swimmer.

Hopefully, things turn out for the good and we can get to talk about other opportunities six months down the road.

Thanks for being very supportive, I know I can do this because all of you believe in me.

I came across this in Slashdot:

Q: How many Python programmers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: That joke’s not funny.

For the longest time, I’ve always needed (not wanted) a Credit Card. However, without a certificate of employment or an income tax return data sheet, my previous applications for one never got approved.

Six months, four bank accounts with one Metrobank branch and one company later, I finally got a Metrobank VISA Credit Card.

I got my credit card in the mail yesterday. After which, several questions popped up in my head:

Q. What happens if someone uses my credit card illicitly and fraudulently, do I still have to pay for it?

Leo: Yes. Your Credit Card is your responsibility. Someone in company UC got his/her credit card stolen. Within 24 hours, the credit card registered 150,000 Pesos worth of transactions. Poor soul had to pay for it.

Q. What’s the difference between VISA and MasterCard?

Uswitch: Visa and MasterCard are both payment systems, not credit cards in themselves. They rely on providers to issue credit cards using their system.There are no significant differences between them. MasterCard and Visa are the names of the global companies who manage credit cards. They can both be used around the world.

In the end, it boils down to what kinds of systems establishments are using. If you’re going to a VISA-partial country, go get a VISA card. Otherwise…

Q. How will this affect my lifestyle?

Pipboy: [introspectively] Not much. Since I’m just going to use it mainly for online transactions and emergency situations. Part of owning a credit card is knowing the differenct between an Asset and a Liability. Some people, once they get hold (or get lent) money, they think that the money is theirs to spend at will. In that case, credit cards become a liability. However, if one will use it to further a cause that will provide a bigger return on investment, then that’s probably an Asset.

Q. Can I avoid interest if I pay right away?

MetroBank offers an Automatic Debit Arrangement:

The convenience of settling your Metrobank Credit Card bills without having to go to the bank, the ATM or making a call.

I still have to confirm how it works - automatic payment equals no interest. If it does, I’ll see if it’s worth enrolling my card to it - automatic payment equals no credit limit equals very dangerous.

However, if anyone knows the answer to my question above, I’d appreciate your experience and insight

After two weeks of deliberation, introspection and consultation, I’ve finally come up with a decision. At last I can finally sleep.

This is probably the most challenging decision I have ever faced in my life since I was made to choose between Rocky Road and Cookies and Cream when I was in grade school.

More details after the one-week non-disclosure agreement expires.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is God’s plan that prevails.”

I think that’s all I need right now.
A moment of silence.

Serve in Silence.

I had no idea that being an MIS panelist could be so fun. A lot of things change once you’re on the other side of the fence.

Dynamic. Unlike rehearsed speeches that we prepared a year or so ago, being a panelist is more free-flowing than water falling from the Pagsanjan Falls. You get to think more - anticipating the unknown and reacting to whatever the presenting group has said or written down in their report.

Creative. Since it is a project defense, panelists are ordered to attack. However, it’s not about attacks that will cripple the group and send them crying on the way out, its about attacks that will make the group and the project better in the long run. For example, Jonathan had me ask a question to the presenting groups that he got from Sir Gan and Sir Olpoc:

Who are you going to remove from your group [of five], so that the remaining four can still finish the project?

It might not mean much to you right now, but you can just imagine how red the people turned when they were asked the question during the presentation.

One of the presentors told me, “Sir, that’s such a mean question.”

Hehe. I am asking this not to point out the weakest link nor to incite insurrection, but because I want to know how else the group can improve in terms of the internal relationships. It’s not about what’s bad, it’s about what else can be improved.

Learning. I also learned a lot from the experience. My fellow panelists, hailing from different industries, gave business-relevant questions that outlined the fundamentals of project management. For most projects, most concerns are about making sure that the project meets its objectives while working within its constraints (time, quality or cost).

If ever another paneling opportunity comes up in the future, I’ll do anything to be in one again.

I like corn flakes. Do you like corn flakes? I like corn flakes. Corn flakes in the morning, lunchtime, merienda, dinner and even for midnight snacks. It’s something I can keep eating for ten days straight without having internal hemorrhage!

Keep reading to learn more on How to Prepare Pipboy’s Chocolate Cornflake Combo

(Read on …)

The opportunity cost of physically being in one place is the most expensive of them all. An article from BusinessWeek writes:

When you’re out talking to customers and giving speeches, you’re not in meetings talking about nasty little problems

This is the motivation that got me ping-pong-ed back-and-forth from Tandang Sora to Makati twice yesterday. As I mentioned yesterday, my friends and I are on the process of wrapping up on our SEC incorporation - which mainly involved autographs and notaries from the incorporators.

0800 [makati-philair]: Got Ryan to sign his part in the articles of incorporation
1000 [cubao-horseshoe]: Got Franz and his sister, Nikki, to sign their parts of the articles of incorporation
1030 [cubao-horseshoe]: Notarized the forms
1200 [cubao-horseshoe]: Had a diet-wrecking lunch
1330 [t. sora-commonwealth]: Arrived at my MetroBank branch to create corporation’s bank account
1345 [t. sora-commonwealth]: Found out that MetroBank had its prescribed treasurer’s affidavit. It required notarization and signatures from all the incorporators. They said that the generic affidavit generated by SEC’s online registration was incomaptible and therefore, cannot be used.
1350 [t. sora-commonwealth]: Left MetroBank without a bank account after asking why do other branches don’t need such prescribed treasurer’s affidavit and why this wasn’t SAID when I inquired about the requirements two weeks ago from the SAME branch
1400 [t. sora-evelina]: Brainstormed on possible schedule for the next 24 hours of my life.

The original plan was for Franz to have the new document autographed by the signatories living in Makati early next morning. However, that would prevent us from meeting with one of our clients. Therefore we improvised.

1430 [t. sora-evelina]: Coordinated with the schedules of the signatories based in Makati
1500 [t. sora-evelina]: Went to Makati
1600 [makati-pililia]: Picked up Leo
1630 [makati-philair]: Met Ryan
1700 [makati-philair]: Acquired autographs of all subjects from Makati
1800 [manila-binondo]: Wai-Ying. Unlimited dimsum and one rice meal each for four hungry people for a total bil of P765.
1930 [manila-binondo]: Business meeting and one Hot Chocolate Grande at iStarBaksss
2145 [makati-pililia]: Dropped off Leo
2235 [cubao-horseshoe]: Dropped off Franz
2345 [t. sora-evelina]: Dropped myself to bed

While I will do everything to get our company up and running, I will not allow it to get in the way of previous commitments. Doing so would be very detrimental to my reputation, professional code of conduct and of course, conscience.

This is part of a series on the 10 D skills an Entrepreneur should have. I got this from an entrepreneurship book back when I was in college. Yes, college was a long time ago for me - something like twelve months ago. I’ve found it very useful so I’d like to share it with the world.

Dreams

Entrepreneurs have a vision of what the future could be like for them and their businesses. And, more importantly, they have the ability to implement their dreams.

Formulas
When I was in High School, I had a pretty good formula on how to achieve what I wanted in life:

However, sometime during College, my parents asked me, “What do you want to do after college?” This question got me into thinking. A lot of things have already happened to the Philippines since I last devised my formula.

For instance, cut-throat capitalism and the consumerist orientation of society have become more pronounced in our economic society. Just think of how much effort the big Telcos in the country are expending just to get to that one peso in your pocket. Or the offering of high-speed yet sometimes erratic broadband internet connections. Such high-paced quality of life has brought about increased costs of living and job tenure insecurity which no longer fits my trusty formula.

Fragments
That’s when I started to dream about what could lie for me in the future. That’s when I started to see the countless opportunities out there waiting to be taken advantage of. That’s when I saw the potential of the SME market in the Philippines. However, before realizing such opportunities, I first needed a company that would house such business ventures for me. While having a company is not necessary to keep projects from coming in, it is a required first step if we want to start taking in seven-figure projects. This is the first fragment of my dream to be realized.

Ladies and gentlemen, the fun starts within ten days, after our registration with SEC, big projects queued and all.