Comments on: my life is a series of wine flights http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/ For the frivolous-minded only. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:56:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andrew http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-2028 Andrew Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:29:10 +0000 http://www.skunkgal.com/?p=2140#comment-2028 Don't go into banking. You could do so much better. Don’t go into banking. You could do so much better.

]]> By: Jack http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-2023 Jack Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:17:36 +0000 http://www.skunkgal.com/?p=2140#comment-2023 Supply and demand. I assume most people want to be the person running Coca-Cola. A much smaller number want to be the guy that specializes in procurement of corn syrup. That said, I think our companies would be run much better if CEOs had more specialized skills so that they actually understand what's going on in their companies. Dick Fuld, for instance, was a simple commercial paper trader (which is among the least technical of finance fields). He probably still couldn't tell you what a CDO of ABS is. Carl Ichan says the problem is that the guys that become CEOs are the non-so-bright former frat presidents that work their way up the ladder by not rocking the boat and being non-threatening: http://oyc.yale.edu/economics/financial-markets/content/transcripts/transcript-15-guest-lecture-by-carl-icahn Supply and demand. I assume most people want to be the person running Coca-Cola. A much smaller number want to be the guy that specializes in procurement of corn syrup.

That said, I think our companies would be run much better if CEOs had more specialized skills so that they actually understand what’s going on in their companies. Dick Fuld, for instance, was a simple commercial paper trader (which is among the least technical of finance fields). He probably still couldn’t tell you what a CDO of ABS is.

Carl Ichan says the problem is that the guys that become CEOs are the non-so-bright former frat presidents that work their way up the ladder by not rocking the boat and being non-threatening:
http://oyc.yale.edu/economics/financial-markets/content/transcripts/transcript-15-guest-lecture-by-carl-icahn

]]> By: alison http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-2022 alison Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:23 +0000 http://www.skunkgal.com/?p=2140#comment-2022 why does it feel as if all the narrow people are gonna get jobs? why does it feel as if all the narrow people are gonna get jobs?

]]> By: Tom Harkin http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-2021 Tom Harkin Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:13:39 +0000 http://www.skunkgal.com/?p=2140#comment-2021 I think it's more a matter of some people wanting to be specialists and some wanting to be generalists. I think there's a term for this in the business world, but I can't remember what it is. Basically, the idea is that some people are the broad, big stroke thinkers who dabble in lots of stuff and provide the overall goal and direction for a company, and then there are people who really want to focus narrowly on just one or two things and know those fields/skills really well. The former, rather than the latter, tend to be CEOs. Maybe that's what's going on with the wine. I think it’s more a matter of some people wanting to be specialists and some wanting to be generalists. I think there’s a term for this in the business world, but I can’t remember what it is. Basically, the idea is that some people are the broad, big stroke thinkers who dabble in lots of stuff and provide the overall goal and direction for a company, and then there are people who really want to focus narrowly on just one or two things and know those fields/skills really well. The former, rather than the latter, tend to be CEOs. Maybe that’s what’s going on with the wine.

]]> By: Jack http://www.skunkgal.com/2009/12/my-life-is-a-series-of-wine-flights/comment-page-1/#comment-2020 Jack Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:23:01 +0000 http://www.skunkgal.com/?p=2140#comment-2020 Substitute "work for" with "rip off". Please don't do either of those things. Substitute “work for” with “rip off”. Please don’t do either of those things.

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