EMBA Survival

Rice business plan competition

This is one of the reasons I'm entering the Rice Alliance business plan competition:
http://www.wallstrip.com/2007/11/16/11-16-07-wallstrip-chat-robert-kalin/

Draw your own conclusions.  Here's the scoop: http://alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC.asp

I have other reasons, you know, like boredom.   Cheers.

MBA Summer Internship

https://sjobs.brassring.com/EN/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?jobId=51804&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=5018&JobSiteInfo=51804_5018&GQId=0

Capital Group, my employer, currently manages over $1.3 trillion in assets.  This is a fantastic opportunity for a future Equity Analyst / Portfolio Manager:

Title	Equity Analyst - Summer Intern
AutoReqId	4993BR
Functional Area	Investment Research & Management
Work Location	London, England Los Angeles, CA (Downtown) Tokyo, Japan
Full Time / Part Time	Full Time
Position Description	This position is specifically posted for 1st Year MBA students. If you are NOT a 1st year MBA student, please do NOT apply to this position. Feel free to apply to other available opportunities with The Capital Group Companies. The qualified summer intern in the equity research area will analyze and begin to understand companies in an industry or area with the objective of producing an investment recommendation on the securities of those companies. You will analyze economic, financial, and industry trends as well as interview company managements. You will be guided in your work by a research analyst although the expectation is that you will be largely self-directed in your approach and conclusions. You will have an opportunity to learn more about investment management generally and about the people and process of research at Capital specifically.
Hiring Criteria	We seek bright, highly motivated and disciplined individuals who: 1) are capable of directing their own independent work effort in a friendly cooperative but largely self-guided environment; and 2) thrive on a heavy diet of research, analysis, writing, and business travel.

market turmoil - conversation with a trader up 4x norm

A friend of mine works at Kershner Trading in Austin.  I had a chat with him on Friday:

me: how is the credit crunch and the downtick rule change affecting traders like yourself?
halfdeadcat: oh my gawd it is so awesome
halfdeadcat: though, i've made most of my money long in the crashes
me: the market has been very volitile; i'm sure that's a good thing
halfdeadcat: get a low entry buy on a someone's panic out and flip it a few minutes later
halfdeadcat: heck yeah it is.  the whole office is making bank
halfdeadcat: I've already made twice as much this month as i have every made in any previous month here
me: congratulations!!!
halfdeadcat: thanks. and august is normally the slow month
me: oh, that's right, summer slowdown
halfdeadcat: yeah.  all the traders in ny head to the hamptons
halfdeadcat: it can't last though.   all those manhattan trophy brides are used to 3 weeks vacation in august
halfdeadcat: all those guys aren't getting laid right now
me: lol, mind if i tell the folks in my MBA program about this and name-drop your firm?
halfdeadcat: sure
halfdeadcat: feel free if they are interested in that sort of thing
me: i would think kershner would benefit from attracting some of the best and brightest from jones
halfdeadcat: point them our way

They are always open to new people, and they are very open-minded about their backgrounds.  Not everyone can trade, but good traders can come from all different walks of life.  Oh, and for the math-challenged; the 4x vs. twice comes from I chatted with him halfway through the month.  Could you go work for them and make 7-figures?  Yeap, it is possible.

Cows, Trucks, and Trailers

Today was the road trip home to San Antonio along I-10 for about 180 miles.  Giddy up, y'all.  There's not a whole lot in between, except cows, trucks, and trailers.

Cows:

Trucks:

& Trailers:

Now doesn't that sound like a great Country & Western song?  There's no doubt in my mind that I could drop out of business school and score a smash hit song called, Cows, Trucks, & Trailers.  Yep, that's one of many 7-figure ideas that I'm going to leave on the table here for you.  Even though I could easily execute on this one, I'm not going to because it wouldn't make me happy.  There's a huge difference between success obtained that aligns with your convictions / affinities and something you just do for the money.  I'd be happier in poverty than I would be as a rich man who got there by doing something that he didn't believe in.  Even though I can come up with some hilarious lyrics to a C&W song (not fit for print here) I'm  going to let this idea pass. Ideas are cheap, and I'm going to hand out plenty of them.  The bottom line for me is I just don't like country music.  For some reason, it evokes images of lip hair, armpit smell, and genital warts.  I realize that's a pretty strong indictment, but please don't be offended or take it as a judgment.  It's just not my thing, that's all.  But I digress.  The real point of this post is to say that I'm going to try not to drive back and forth between Houston and San Antonio very often.