Akerson doubles down

Last Thursday the CEO of General Motors, a man who sometimes speaks too freely about how he feels about GM's future products and prospects, spoke much more loudly without uttering a single word.

Dan Akerson took $939,900 out of his own pocket and purchased 30,000 shares of GM stock.

I like it. 

Akerson has admitted that he's not a 'car guy.' But my guess he's a money guy. His big bet on GM tells me he has confidence in where the company is heading with his team is in place.

If he wants to make sure his investment pays off, he needs to start by getting the Volt numbers up, make sure the new Malibu rocks, and not get in the way of the Cadillac that's being developed to compete with the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class. None of which are as easy as they look.

As many previous CEOs of GM including Roger Smith proved, it takes more than financial acumen and marketing savvy to run a car company. 

Ultimately it's about the product.

Living behind the curve

Timing is everything and Microsoft just doesn't have it.

At a time when more people are discovering how much better the tablet computer is for personal use, they're launching a new campaign featuring PCs.



I guess I shouldn't be surprised. For all their technical savvy, the folks at Microsoft have always had an uncommon knack for running just a bit behind. The good news is, now they're only a few years behind instead of a decade.

Next

25 years ago I read a column by a creative director who used the expression, “Once it’s done, it’s dead.” in referring to work that was just completed. As macabre as it is, I’ve always liked the expression.

I like it because it says move on.

I like it because it says there’s more to do.

I like it because it says get over yourself.

I like it because it says find better way.

I like it because it says the opportunities are limitless.

I like it because it says start inventing what’s next.

Well, this post is done. Next?