So, I saw this do-it-yourself automotive head's up display and it made me smile. For those of you who haven't kept up on these things, having a display embedded or projected onto a windsheild of a car has been talked about for decades. This low-tech approach is not perfect for all conditions of course. It works great if dynamic data wasn't required and the lighting conditions are right. Even with these limitations, it does remind me that often we overthink solutions when a workable and cheap idea is right in front of us!

Reminds me of the story (perhaps urban myth) that NASA spent millions of dollars developing an ink pen that would write in the zero-gravity conditions of space, all the while believing themselves to be clever and technologically-advanced. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Russian cosmonauts were just using pencils. Whether it is true or not, it is a good reminder that technology should be relevant and add real value.

So, while the folks at the car companies figure out how to put more electronics into our dashboards, I might just print my maps out in reverse next time and try this approach.

Publish a website where the URL is an incomplete sentence. Get people to pay you $1 to have their name on a personalized site to complete the sentence. Make a million dollars. Why didn't I think of it?

Actually, makes me wonder what other sites could be started up in this fashion. Perhaps some of these are real, but here are my ideas:
[name].isajerk.com
[name].iscool.com
[name].isthesmartestpersonIknow.com
[name].blowsmymind.com
[name].hasagreatproduct.com
[name].takesgreatpictures.com
[name].makesmusic.com
[name].isgrateful.com
[name].lovesgardening.com
[name].lovesU2.com

Now, some of these could have more features than a "certificate," perhaps even getting into syndicated web content. The "lovesU2.com" could be linked in to a band fan club or the like. Sounds like a new business opportunity. Anyone? Anyone?

P.S. I learned about this one from Andy Wibbels who is andy.isreallyawesome.com, apparently.

"Interested in learning advanced business concepts, but don't have the time or money for a traditional MBA program? Business schools don't have a monopoly on worldly wisdom - if you care more about increasing your effectiveness at work than a diploma and a few lines on your resume, the 'Personal MBA' is for you." - Josh Kaufman

The Personal MBA is a online community that is reading 33 business books on a variety of interesing topics. I can personally recommend many of the titles and others on my"to read" list. Look at the manifesto for more details.

So, here is a thought. Get a group together at your work. Get your employer to pay for the books and some meals for the group meetings (this would be A LOT cheaper than tuition reimbursement for a real MBA program) and shared your own business school. Classmates could write papers for each other to critique. They could devise their own presentation assignments and reference hand-outs. Doing two books at month (and two meetings to discuss them and present out would take just a little over a year, if you went straight through. I think this could be a lot of fun and a very practical way to broaden the thinking and improve the business acumen of an entire group. You could even print certificates at the end!

If you do this, you can go ahead and call it the "Davis School of Business" if you want.

Writing books are all the craze now-a-days. I've heard that 75,000 books are published each year and it is easier than ever to do it yourself. There are now a host of companies that will allow you to self-publish and print on demand. Some popular ones include Xlibris (owned by Random House), BookSurge, cafepress, or iUniverse. To read on how to approach a project like this, see Seth Godin's Advice to Authors.

I have a friend, Jerry Dawson, who a few year's back published his own book, Sales 101: Princples in Action. I recently asked him about the process and I thought I would share his insights here.

What made you want to write a book?
My sales experiences were varied enough and I thought what I had learned was worth sharing.

How did you go about writing and publishing the book?
The self-publishing process is the same as going through a traditional publisher, except I had total control over the content, length, and organization of the book. I worked with BookSurge, which was purchased by Amazon, which provided great exposure for the book right out of the gate. That said, it is left to me to market ths book. I have been marketing the book mostly by giving copies to friends and associates. The response to the book has been very positive. I spent under $1,000 to publish the book and get the first 100 copies. Although I have yet to turn a profit, the book is selling.

What was the most surprising thing about the process?
Just how hard it was to write the book. I spent over two years collecting my thoughts and writing up small snippets and then hours and hours of editing and re-writing to complete the book.

What advice would you have for other would-be authors?
Only to focus completely on what you are writing about – get a good editor so you don’t waste words – solicit the opinions of others when appropriate – keep it simple.

One of these days I will write and publish a book or two. For now, the ideas go into folders and I blog on. If you are like me, but don't want to wait, you might check out Andy Wibbel's program entitled "Write a Book in 45 Days and Other Ways to Blow Your Own Mind." As he so aptly put it: "shut up and write" and sometimes a little structure is what we need to get us going.

So, that is my advice to would-be-authors. Start already!