In addition, I do an Entrepreneur Journeys series on how people build their companies, their trials and tribulations. This series has already led to 3 books that are generally quite well received. You can read reviews and discussions on them online.

As for my career, I was the founder and ceo of 3 companies, and have worked for myself my entire career.

Eg, if you spend all your time talking – how will you learn anything new? Yes, your blog speaks for itself:
1) a book on positioning…but, it’s golly gee difficult to figure out WHY I’d read your stuff on positioning, from your home page, vs anything else available…even after reading your bio (here) and your blog (perhaps 20 pages) I don’t know what companies you founded (did they sell? go public? were you CTO, CEO, CIO, etc? – given your academic background, it’s a toss up between CTO / CEO for me, personally).

2) If I wasn’t trying to get to know your work better…would I be asking questions? Sharing my perception *of* your work? Nope, I’d simply ignore it, not make comment #1, and move on. Clearly your writing is reaching people…I see the latest book is bought with “tribes” of Seth Godin fame. I’m sure you read his stuff, ya?

Ironically, the latest post on his blog deals with (perhaps…) the issue you are having with my comments, about ‘customers’ being always right. Well, thing is I haven’t bought your books. But as I’m in a market where unlike silicon valley, it’s not overflowing with digital gurus…well, I’m casting about for strategic insights, things to learn, etc. Thus my commenting here.

But…well, it seems like rather than take feedback when it’s offered, you’d rather claim that your work is “as good as it gets”, which smacks of arrogance…but, I don’t know you, so I’m reading thing wrongly for certain.

However, personally, I’m going to take this as a lesson in my own work: when somebody comments on something, takes the time to leave their name, etc…the last thing I should be doing is looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth and instead, seeking to sharpen my own business acumen :)

I believe, those who know my work think of me as one of the most committed proponents of entrepreneurship.

I suggest you get to know my work better before abusing me.

2) I see tetris, I see apple / palm…alibaba…

3) Ah, one such as you said: OrangeSoda.

Personally, I think you just proved my point…your blog, part of IDG tech network (per your footer)…and, most of the air time you are giving out to large, established companies. I can get that cr@p from a trillion outlets (new york times, techcrunch, wall street journal, etc).

You aren’t putting your blog where this article is…and, it’d be a good thing if you did. Shoot, *13* such stories makes a novel???

Per a post (sorry) on TechCrunch from an academic…less than 1% of successful job creating businesses take some form of VC….so, 13 is a tiny fraction of the available firms you could be profiling and you know, helping to “bootstrap our way back from the brink”.

Sucks when people have a platform and don’t follow through, but, I commend you for taking at least a step in the right direction…and, I’ll be watching to see how you follow through on your own advice :)

You should check my site and see how much airtime I give to entrepreneurs and their stories.

And perhaps you should also check out the book. It profiles 13 such entrepreneurs in detail.

Thanks, Sramana

We’re beating (consistently) companies which have raised anywhere from $5 million to $25 million+ in funding…it’s not whether you raised money (or not) it’s how you play the game…

…take the first commenter, here. My take? Doomed to failure. Why? Ning, the site hosting his cr@p social network, is also doomed to failure. WordPress multi user = same set of features under your complete control…need distributed login? Use openid, you don’t need Ning.

Growing up, my dad imported clothing from Bali, Indonesia…I didn’t get a master’s degree, but, I have the first four year degree in my family from more than three generations.

More than half the employees in the US work for small businesses…to me, that was the stat you *should* have opened this article with, for it to have some teeth. When you put it that way, with California’s unemployment at 12.2% in August…shouldn’t we be paying MORE attention in the media to showcasing a bigger variety of small, non funded business that have a shot?

You have the expertise, the platform and the knowledge to see the difference between some spammer on ning and a guy running a site that was listed as a top 20 social network, per comScore, in June.

So…lemme make this challenge to you: I know of almost a dozen highly profitable, self funded sites like mine…are you willing to give us all some air time and help build the economy, as you just said in your article?

OR is this a crap fluff piece with no real meat? (which, to be truthful, it reads as such). No offense.

Here’s to boot-strappin’!!!!

Thanks,
Johnny

I believe you are correct. I feel compelled to share with the MedTech-IQ professional network, dedicated to the 3C’s of “Content, Community & Collaboration” in translating emerging medical technology from “Laboratory to Market”, at http://medtechiq.ning.com/. See link at: http://medtechiq.ning.com/profiles/blogs/guest-blog-bootstrapping-our

Conrad Clyburn
Founding Partner
The Clymer Group, LLC
Owner/Operators of the MedTech-IQ Professional Network
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
(301) 404-9128 (direct)
cc@clymergroup.com