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12/19/08: OnPerformance Weekly

12/12/08: OnPerformance Weekly

11/21/08: OnPerformance Weekly

11/14/08: OnPerformance Weekly

11/07/08: OnPerformance Weekly

Calendar

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Thank You Mr. Madoff

Nick Burkholder

Much is being made of the Madoff Affair. I sometimes have trouble remembering how to pronounce names but not with MadeOff. I'm sorry for his children.

Bernard Madoff may have created the biggest Ponzi scheme in history but everything in history trends to the biggest because of inflation and population. Madoff's success was based on testimonials. Important people recommended him to other important people who so wanted to get in on even that which seemed too good to be true.

The Madoff Affair should serve as a stern reminder that whatever is too good to be true, is bad and fallacious. And that important decisions should not be based on testimonials; important decisions should be based on performance. This is also an opportunity to introduce you to our business, which is formally launching on January 5, and what we intend to do and how we intend to do it.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Harder Times

Nick Burkholder

These are harder times than we've become accustom to and as with anything else, are exacerbated by uncertainty. At times like this it's good to remind each other of that which we know, but perhaps because they are so simple and fundamental, we forget:

1. Things are never as bad as they, or the media make them seem.

The economists that we listen to (and remain reassuringly consistent regardless of the news) tell us that the markets will begin to improve in February and that the stocks don't fall unless people buy. And people buy because they are convinced that stock prices will increase.

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Approach for All Times

Nick Burkholder

We all respond to the seasons. We savor the summer; it is an easy time, good for vacations and slowing down even though we soon start complaining that it could be better. We reluctantly accept and then cling to fall; knowing that it's not so bad in light of what we know is sure to come. Then there comes the point when we can't put off preparing for winter and are forced to find the time to get ready.

We still ignore the impending winter until the last possible moment and before stoically accepting the inevitable. We give in, brace for the bleak and cold and just endure all hunkered down and somehow doing whatever it takes to survive the harsh winter. In time we can start to relax and obsess over every little change declaring them indicators of spring and the relief it will bring.

We respond to the economic seasons in much the same way. We initially savor the economic summer and gorge on the excesses of the good times. Ultimately we get selfish and wish for even more. We do everything we can to ignore impeding economic freeze until it touches us and then somehow endure whatever it takes to survive. After some time at the bottom of the cycle we look for the signs of improvement in every economic indicator.

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Friday, November 14, 2008

What Can Be

Nick Burkholder

I've never had an original idea in my life but greatly enjoyed learning from others and trying to put their lessons to work.

I knew nothing of what had become of Neil Armstrong after he came back from the moon until I heard him speak. I suspect that most people would seize the opportunity to see him because no one can top what he did. He's a real super hero - he even has a super hero name. (I used to suspect that one of the reasons NASA picked him was his name.)

Neil Armstrong didn't come across as a super hero. He described himself as a "white socks, pocket protector nerdy engineer." The nerd that walked on the moon went on to speak of why engineering was his life's work: "Science is about what is; engineering is about what can be." It was a compelling message for any of us that are interested in making things better and became one of the two fundamental concepts that drove the development of OnPerformance.

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Friday, November 07, 2008

Not Overrated

Nick Burkholder

Thank you for reading the first edition of OnPerformance Weekly.

We've always had issues with the obsession for talent so we ordered a copy of Talent Is Overrated as soon as we heard the title. Our take on talent has been that it is secondary to performance and if you ever want to see an adult cry, just ask a high school or college coach to speak of the most talented players they ever knew. Invariably you will hear tales of extraordinary ability, then their eyes will get misty and they will speak painfully of those who could, but didn't. Talent is potential, performance is what counts.

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