Why December is one of the most important months for Analyst Relations Work

One would think that with Christmas and other holidays, that December would be a slow month for analyst relations.  In reality it could be if you are a slacker, but it has worked just the opposite for me.  My whole year can be won in the prior December.  Yes, I look at many things as winning and losing, it’s the competitor in me that won’t go away.

A good hunter once told me that the harder he works prior to hunting season to prep for the hunt, the better his luck is.  On a really good year he gets accused of being really lucky, when in fact he worked harder that year.  So it is with working with the analysts (I guess this is any job really, but I work in A/R).  If I get my plans in order and schedule the beginning of the year with good kick off meetings, it’s amazing the results that occur, just lucky I guess? 

Here is the other thing I’ve noticed.  I have easier access to the analysts (except those who have to sell or close contracts which is a December time suck) as a lot of the other programs are doing the above mentioned slacking or holiday partying, or something which allows me in the door.

I’ve noticed that the analysts are planning their year, or at least the first part of the year also.  If I am working with them, they will at least consider my area as something to write about.
From the analyst side, there can be time left over in a group contract that I can access at the end of the year.  It is a benefit that I’ve used more than once and intend on using.  I’m not proud.

So I do celebrate Christmas, and I usually do take time off (use it or lose it), December is one of the most valuable months for me.  It can determine my “luck” for the following year.

Happy Hunting.

My battles with cellphones to prove if they’re waterproof

For the third time, I’ve drowned a cellphone. I’m wondering if it is subliminal hate for the Sprint (lack of) service that I routinely get? Anyway, this time it actually survived.

Here is my history of cellphone death by water torture. The first phone went fishing with me and wound up in the bilge. That one didn’t survive.

They next one, my Jack Bauer phone went into the aquarium when we moved, scratch another one.

Since I knew I was dumping Sprint at the end of this contract, I wasn’t going to spend much on a new phone so I bought a Samsung A640. The inevitable happened, it got left in my jeans and got washed this weekend. I figured another suffers the proverbial water death sentence.

Low and behold, I let it dry out because I didn’t need it over Thanksgiving and I turned it on to find out it works! For now at least. The screen is a bit fuzzy and the pictures aren’t too clear, but I didn’t use the camera much anyway, mostly showing off my dog. I can’t bear the thought of giving Sprint any more money than I have to.

Maybe Samsung should market this to scuba divers? How about to clumsy and forgetful cell phone abusers near water?

Things I’m Thankful for today

1. God and my faith, which keeps me going and sane in the toughest of times.

1. My Family, even though I lost my Mom this year.

1.5 What Thanksgiving really is by Wolf Howling.

2. The Surge is working, and the violence has dropped. and the comments by the clowns.
3. Breakthrough’s in stem cell research so that the sanctity of life can be preserved.

4. That I live in the country - not in the city, where one can truly understand what taking care of the environment is and having to actually do it, not reading about what other people are trying to make it out to be.

5. The 2nd Amendment may get to keep it’s teeth.  

6.  Kathy says it better than me (again), No Thanksgiving without Gratitue, No Gratitude without Grace.

7. I live in the USA.

8. Hunting and Fishing

What accent am I?

Well, it’s gitten to be from the South, cause I say things like “might outta” or “fixin to”, but the accent quiz pegged me from exactly where I’m from, Florida.

What American accent do you have?Your Result: The West     Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you’re a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The South
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast

Gratuitus Porsche post of the Day - The Pink Pig 917-20

This Porsche was an aerodynamic experiment for Le Mans.  Driven by Willi Kauhsen and Reinhold Joest, it didn’t finish due to a wreck.  I spoke with Kauhsen at the Rennsport Reunion and he said he said it drove fine in the stint right before the wreck.  History notes that the downforce caused brake failure, but Kauhsen said there were no such problems.

This is a one of a kind car with a unique paint scheme of the various pork cuts in German.  It was raced by the Martini racing team, but in this color, thus the pink pig.

Vintage Porsche Picture of the Day - 917 Lang Heck, the Hippie Car

I went to the Porsche Rennsport Reunion last week. I saw roughly half a billion in Porsches from the 50’s to brand new. I’ll be posting a few pictures I took, just because.

The Hippie car, actually 917-LH (Lang Heck or Long Tail) raced by the Martini team to second place in 1970 at Le Mans by Willi Kauhsen and Gerard Larrousse. It went 240 MPH down the Mulsanne straight, pretty good for 37 years ago. Cool car, cool paint job.

Paul Tibbets, Hero

It’s been a week now since he died, but his life is still worthy of remembering. This is a man who loved flying had to make a huge sacrifice, and knew the consequences of his action. He led the team of the Enola Gay, when they didn’t even know their mission until well into the training. Blackfive, a mil-blogger thinks this is one of the top 5 or 10 events of the 20th century.

First, the US troops had to take Tinian Island, at a cost of many lives on both sides. The bomb had to be delivered by the USS Indianapolis, at the cost of many US lives. Then, he had to execute the plan which would have him live the rest of his life with the death of 80,000 Japanese, and the fact that he saved the lives of 2 million soldiers on both sides because the dropping of “little boy” forced the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanese. The Japanese were willing to fight to the bitter end as evidenced by their defense of Okinawa documented by Tammy Bruce:

And they had reason to fear. You know how we cringe, appropriately, at the over 4,000 troops lost since the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq. In the one month battle for the Japanese island of Okinowa, the United States and our allies (the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) suffered these stunning casualty numbers:

12,513 dead or missing,
38,916 wounded,
33,096 non-combat losses,
79 ships sunk and scrapped,
763 aircraft destroyed

Tibbets had to do what he did, a soldier’s responsibility when war is both hell and tough.

Tammy goes on to say: “12,513 dead in one month. For one island. Yes, invading Japan would have been a human bloodbath beyond comprehension. The dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved truly countless lives, on both sides.”

Paul Tibbets talks about the Hiroshima bombing

What is truly sad is that he had to request that he didn’t have a memorial service or that his remains not be in a marked grave so that the deranged wouldn’t have either a place/time to protest or a site to desecrate. Sad, but he understood the consequences and the way of the anti military crowd that exists.

That we have had such men in over the course of history that were willing to fight rather than “negotiate” or appease are the reason that we live in freedom and prosperity. For those who wish to dissent, it is hero’s like Tibbets and others who were willing to stand up to the oppressors that you have the ability to protest and speak freely, in English….. rather than Japanese or German.

SWG Analyst Connect, the review

This was a good event to get the top Software Analysts and the top IBM executives together to hear what IBM has to say.  There are some upsides and downsides to this.

First, it is a logistical exercise just short of Desert Storm.  I’ll give kudo’s to the team lead by Monica Wells Grace who may be the best planner I’ve ever met.  It’s why I asked her to join me when I ran the meeting a couple of years ago and I’m glad she got the spotlight.  There were many other team members, but since some asked that they not be mentioned on the Internet, I’ll just say they did a great job.

Steve Mills continues to amaze me with his deep knowledge of endless subject, even mentioning Angstrom width on chips.  At an investor meeting, his comments affected Oracle’s stock price…how’s that for being influential.  Judith Hurwitz describes it from an analyst perspective .

The 1:1’s were good for me as the analysts knew what we were doing and could piece together the various groups and strategies.  The breakouts were good discussion’s of the various area’s…I’ll link to them at some point to see what the others said as I was in the ISV briefings with my new GM, Jim Corgel who did a great job with ISV and Developer Relations.

We have a speed dating session for analysts called speed jamming.  I think the jury is out on this after talking to the the analysts.  Most want more time than was allowed as they are just getting into the meat of their subject when it’s time to change.  That’s the analyst opinion.  For me, it’s short enough that it forces a followup if needed, so it accomplishes the get together part of our job.

The tech labs and Innovation center were a nice touch.  Any issues were well covered by alcohol and food.  I have to admit, I didn’t go to see them as I was in conversation with both analysts and IBM’rs.

The good part of this meeting for analysts is that they get direct access to the top executives of IBM and can ask them anything.  The bad part of the meeting is that the analysts get direct access to the top executives of IBM and can ask them anything.  This gives us the chance to either shine or shame.  I know of one analyst who will post that we are silo’ed between divisions, a fact of life for a company with individual P & L’s and 90+ billion in revenue.  It’s a fact of life.  We did note together that when the divisions do align, it is like the death star, very effective.

Most came out with a more positive view of what we are doing and where we are heading, because we have a good plan and lots of good people working on lots of good projects.   We have a better acquisition strategy and better middleware strategy than the competition.

We are IBM though and it’s tough to perceive us as hipsters for those who’ve been around for a while.  That is something we have to overcome.  Conversely, it is a source of comfort for others.

I’ll close by saying what I heard from the analysts about the SWG analyst relations team from virtually every analyst who commented on this.  We are one of the hardest working group that cares about the constituency.  We know our jobs and do it well according to them.  kudos to Sarita for that.

All in all it was a good event, and I’m glad it’s behind us.

Jack Bauer finally defeated, but only temporarily

By a writers strike, not by bad guys, torture or terrorists….or dui’s.

While I’m generally glad about the writers strike, so the blowhard actors can see what they are really worth without someone doing all their work for them to pretend they are someone else (called acting), I am bummed that 24 is on hold.

Just when it looked like there would be a good season, this had to happen .

I just hope it’s worth the wait.

It’s off to the SWG A/R Briefing

After months of planning and managing schedules, travel, egos and issues, tomorrow kicks off the SWG A/R analyst briefing.  The top honcho’s from SWG and the top analysts from the industry will get together for the next two days to dive deep into the strategy, products, past, present and future of both IBM and the industry.

No one pulls punches, we give ourselves, the competition and sometimes the analysts a going over.  They in turn give us the hard questions, fair is fair.

One interesting dynamic for me here in the peanut gallery is that Steve Mills is the king of SWG.  Normally, the other brand leaders of various levels are the star of their show, but at this meeting, there is only one leader….and all know it.  The respect for hierarchy is very interesting after watching the lieutenants order the troops around, until the general shows up.

I’m bringing my camera and hope to share the goings on.

For me, it’s going to be all about SaaS.  We have a strategy, and it’s competitive.  It will be the topic of interest for a Chat with the Experts session as well as a GM breakout session that the partnering group is hosting.  It will also be in the Lotus session.

For now, it’s off to the airport, I’ll be checking in later this week to report back.