The U.S. has a lot of catching up to do.  Corporate tax rates are nearly twice as high as Sweden’s!  How could a country known for socialism, ABBA and IKEA sofas with names like Dagstorp speed ahead and slash rates below ours?   Blame President Reagan, sort of.  When Reagan slashed taxes in the 1980s, most foreign finance ministers thought it was a loony joke – a Marx Brothers routine without the cigar and greasepaint eyebrows. 

But then the U.S. launched … Continue Reading →

“Get me one style of bed and call it ‘heavenly.’” That was the brilliant instruction of Barry Sternlicht in 1998. Sternlicht was serving as CEO of Starwood Hotels, which at the time included stodgy names like Westin and Sheraton. Under Sternlicht’s leadership, Starwood created the chic W line and then reinvigorated the upscale Westins.

The “Heavenly Bed” provides, not just a good night’s sleep, but a textbook case of successful branding strategy and brand extension. You may have noticed recent … Continue Reading →

I gave money to Mike Tyson.  I admit that I paid to see his one-man show directed by Spike Lee at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles.  I wasn’t alone, of course.  Sugar Ray Leonard sat in row A, and Evander Holyfield, who tasted good to Tyson in 1997, sat across from me in row F.  And then there were a few thousand others, cheering and laughing at the mostly self-deprecating show.

What do we make of this spectacle?  And … Continue Reading →

Take this 1-minute survey. Help researchers at Cambridge University figure out what makes you tick.  It’s entirely anonymous.

http://bit.ly/ZIigw3

 … Continue Reading →

Is this the way the Euro ends — not with a bang but with Cyprus?  EU officials are writing an instruction manual on how to destroy an economy, with a sudden wealth tax on Cypriot bank depositors.  This is almost unimaginable – the EU dictating a confiscation of wealth from 6.75-9.9 percent, depending on the size of the bank account. The EU tried to pacify the Cypriots by assuring them that they will instead get equity shares in those jittery … Continue Reading →

Several weeks ago, I discussed the great RCA leader David Sarnoff, who in the 1920s and ‘30s, figured out how to get a new invention called radio into homes, cars, theaters and trains.  Today Boeing’s embarrassing lithium battery problem makes me think of Sarnoff again.  Clearly, the 787 Dreamliner was not ready for prime time when it started flying in 2011.  Sarnoff would’ve given engineers more time to get it right.

In Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office, … Continue Reading →

What ever happened to “Peak Oil?” I once delivered a commentary on NPR’s Marketplace arguing that our real problem was “peak people,” not peak oil. We need more engineers who can figure out how to safely extract stuff.  The earth isn’t hollow.  But with our faltering education system, our children could become “hollow men” (and women) devoid of critical thinking skills (thank you T.S. Eliot).

But the peak oil prophecy blundered by misunderstanding markets.  Everybody now knows that the … Continue Reading →

“What business am I really in?”  That’s the classic question that many CEOs forget to ask.  Too many define their business too narrowly.  They don’t understand why their customers buy from them.  And they end up in bankruptcy court. 

For example, Kodak thought it was in the film business and didn’t see digital cameras until it was too late.  Most Kodak customers weren’t devoted to film; they just wanted to see sharp images.  Tower Records thought it was in the … Continue Reading →

Get ready to pop the cork and celebrate an anniversary in economic policy.  On January 25, we reach the 12^th anniversary of Federal Reserve Board Chair Alan Greenspan’s stern warning:   the Federal budget SURPLUS is rising so high and so fast, Congress faces a frightening task.  What do we do with all the extra cash piling up in Washington?  He warned that the 10-year surplus would hit nearly $6 trillion and would stay in the black long after 2030! … Continue Reading →

Here’s my recent appearance on Bloomberg TV arguing for a rebound in Mexico’s economy, and offering a dismal  forecast for U.S. fiscal cliff discussions.  President Obama demands more “stimulus” spending in any deal with Republicans.  Letting politicians spend tax dollars on stimulus is like throwing your keys to Lindsay Lohan and asking her to parallel park your car.  It just doesn’t work out.… Continue Reading →