Things to do in San Diego

We like it when friends make recommendations - find them more useful than any guides.
Thanks Wendy!

you HAVE to go to Extraordinary Desserts.

http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/locations.htm - the Little Italy location.

There is no better dessert place in the USA than that. Also great for afternoon snack and coffee/tea/hot cocoa.

Try to stay in La Jolla. It's pretty central and you can walk around in La Jolla Village, La Jolla Shores and it's beautiful if the weather isn't rainy. A bit more expensive since it's nominated as the most beautiful beach in the continental USA.

Yelp is good for restaurant recommendations - lots of new places have opened and I try new ones every time I go back to see my family.

To visit, good for kids:

- World Famous SD Zoo 

- Wild Animal Park is also great, take the tram ride and it's kind of like a safari

- Legoland

- Carlsbad Outlet Mall (more high end) or San Ysidro Outlet Mall (near the border, regular brands) - GREAT shopping of brand names for cheap

- Balboa Park - must walk around to see the history/culture

- La Jolla Shores beach walk

- go to Coronado to see Hotel del Coronado and the beaches around there

That's a good start :)

Advice for entrepreneurs building web apps

Fred Wilson's Principles... Great advice! Especially #4
Source : http://bit.ly/qEuRvd

1. Speed is not only a feature -- it’s a requirement.
2. The application has to be useful instantaneously. Even if you are building a service which requires days of use before getting to the heart of its features, give the user something right away.
3. The service must have a personality, with a unique style.
4. Do one little thing very well. Less is more, specially at the beginning.
5. The service should have APIs so that others can add more value to your service.
6. Make your application personal -- allow users to personalize the service to themselves.
7. Make the URLs self explanatory so that they can be more easily discoverable.
8. Similarly to 7, make your service as discoverable as possible, both for SEO and social media.
9. Your application should be clean, and get users started fast.
10. Being playful is extremely important. If possible, make your application a game.

Asian?

Quote from Christopher - Filed for possible application: "What???? You got a B??? You're not a Bsian!!! You're an Asian. What is the matter with you???"

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51 ways to become a better entrepreneur

Great advice in general too!

http://bit.ly/aTLOWd

Make your point faster

In my re-post series...

http://marketing.theladders.com/career-advice/5-ways-make-point-faster-better

Make your point faster and better. Some of the points I liked

1. Articulate ideas in plain language.

The less jargon you use, the more engaging you become. 

Watch those long and cumbersome sentences. 

Don’t spew one idea after another. 

Keep your message lean, low-carb and free of nonessential words. 

2. Hanger words

Use “vocal hangers.” These conversational hooks attract people’s attention by building excitement around what you’re going to say next. Examples include: The secret is… Here's the deal… Let me ask ya this… Here’s the best part… Think of it this way… Yes, and here’s why… Here’s my suggestion… And here’s the difference… The question I always ask myself is… I have one observation and one question — are you ready?

The secret to using vocal hangers is to pause ever so slightly before you deliver the goods. This heightens the level of anticipation and energy into the conversation. What’s more, the more you use them, the more you’ll internalize them. The more you internalize them, the more natural they will sound. The more natural they sound, the more they will become part of your lexicon. The more they become part of your lexicon; the more people will begin to expect them. And the more people begin to expect them, the more they will pay attention when they hear them.

3. Stories trump resumes.

Lesson learned: Facts are retained – stories are retold.Which one are you using to prove your point?

Delivering bad news

Seen on a linkedin board by Jenny Feng. Absolutely true.


"Inevitably, at some point in our careers, we have to be the bearer of bad news to our customers (or even our manager). It happens to everyone, but the key here is how to deliver it without causing a permanent rupture. MarketeersClub.com offers these recommendations to handle it:
1. Lay it out quickly: Get the news out in a timely manner to the people who need to know it. Don’t hide the facts or exaggerate anything.
2. Have a plan of action: As soon as the bad news has been conveyed, disclose how you plan to address it. Show that you have a good grip on things and how you will rescue the situation.
3. Leverage the relationship: Talk about how your relationship with the person being given the bad news (or between your companies) has been strong and with their support you will resurrect it despite the current setback. Ask them for advice based on their experience in similar situations."