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Business Magazine Shortfalls

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Anthill Magazine, an Australian-based publication, has been in steady production since September 2006 and, as an entrepreneur my hat’s off to Anthill’s founder and publisher James Tuckermann, who earlier this year transitioned to a mostly-online commercial model, while the magazine itself still physically appears a few times each year.

Anthill now publishes a series of themed daily e-mails and acts as a sort of aggregation blogging site for a number of contributors. It also has a number of annual awards: Cool Company, 30 Under 30 – and an Innovation Index.

And I really respect what James has done and is doing, so it was with a split conscience that I clicked on the recent survey link and added my two cents worth. And – on one level because there’s a case of Shiraz in the offing – decided to be clear and concise in my feedback, AND willingly assign my name to it.

Which was, simply, that if James’ intention on founding Anthill was to counter a perceived “dryness” in Australian business media, amassing a collection of blogs on “contemporary” business topics (SEO, SEO, SEO + social networking) doesn’t automatically make a good business publication.

In fact, it seems kind of like a lazy way out – and hence my summation that Anthill fails to live up to its potential.

I’m not for a minute suggesting that I’ll be awarded the prize case of Shiraz (although I’d gladly give it a good home), and I know that in a resource-starved business environment accepting the multitude of  blogged contributions from SEO swaggerers and business coaches might be of some use to the broader SME market. but to me that isn’t business, it’s just providing online advice outlets to self-promoters. Who might as well (and usually do) have their own blogs anyway.

What’s lacking in the Australian business media is any sense of business journalism aimed at the innovation sector. Seeking out good stories, not just publishing yet-another “cool” list or ghost-writing OpEd pieces. I’ve run my own businesses, generating software IP and real revenues, for more than 7 years now – and I can say without any sense of self-deprecation I have learnt literally everything I know from listening to the war stories of fellow entrepreneurs. Not their product pitches, not their VC-endearing confidence-speak, just the stories about how and why they took or were forced to take the directions they did.

In this country it seems that you have to massively fail in a ball of flames, be a property developer, or have a mining lease somewhere to get anything written about you in the business press. Or be able to brag about your SEO prowess.

Look at Andrew Denton’s ability to get stories out of ordinary people with extraordinary experiences, and compare that to what you see on current affairs programs, and you’ll appreciate the contrast I’m talking about.

I really wish Anthill or someone else would pick up this opportunity to provide business journalism; James clearly has so much potential – I just wish he would follow his own mantra.

And James, if you’re reading this, I really meant what I said – I’d willingly give that Shiraz a good home!

Posted in Brisbane, Social Networking, Venture Capital | No Responses »
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Rattlesnakes at the Powerhouse

Monday, November 9th, 2009

I can now add another to the “artists I’d always wanted to see play live” list: Sue & I saw Lloyd Cole play an acoustic gig at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Saturday night, in what was a really enjoyable show. I was going to qualify Cole as being “lead singer of 80’s band The Commotions”, but was clear from his two hour set that there’s very, very much more in his repertoire and career than Rattlesnakes.

Played with a brief intermission – “Go get a drink, I’ll be back in 15 minutes” – the two sets were ostensibly divided into newer stuff (first set, with one notable exception) followed by a fair mix of old and new in the second set. The notable exception came just after he explained that “you’ll probably not know any songs in this first set”, just as he broke into a thoughtful rendition of Rattlesnakes, his monster hit from 1984.

Irony was clearly not lost on the man, as he went on to explain that he wasn’t so depressed these days, but carrying an extra 5kg gave him just the right amount of self-loathing to perform the melancholy melodies of his youth!

In the second set his well-crafted ballads were interspersed with cheers of recognition for Lost Weekend, Cut Me Down, Perfect Skin and other well-known Commotions songs. He seemed to be more comfortable in the second set, largely (we think) due to the absence of an unfortunately drunk female heckler who had interrupted parts of the first set. But a great show, a terrific venue, and an incredible artist and songwriter.

One final item of note: at the bar I was queuing next to Brisbane author Nick Earls, who I was later reminded wrote a novel entitled Perfect Skin – borrowed from, we believe, the title of one of Lloyd Cole’s songs, as befits the man who also borrowed a Go-Betweens title when he wrote Bachelor Kisses. I wondered if he’d ever met the sources of his inspiration, or was just, like us, anonymous admirers in a very contented audience?

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The White Album Concert

Friday, August 7th, 2009

When artists release an album (or a CD), its usually given a name. In 1968 the Beatles released a double album that was significant for its lack of a title, or any graphics other than the band’s name. It came to be known as the White Album, and we were at QPAC last night to see the sold-out White Album Concert, featuring Chris Cheney, Tim Rogers, Phil Jamieson and Josh Pyke.

Musical Director Stewart D’Arrietta performed a similar role when actor John Waters performed the Glass Onion shows a few years ago – a musical tour through the life of John Lennon, and he was clearly well qualified to put the White Album concerts together. The Beatles never performed the White Album publicly – legend has it they were barely on speaking terms through its recording, often working in different studios to complete it – and it took an impressive lineup (3 brass, 5 strings, 2 drummers, 2 keyboardists, 2 guitarists and bass) to recreate it musically last night. But what a sound. And vocally, Messrs Cheney, Rogers, Jamieson and Pyke alternated throughout the evening, combining for only Ob La Di and the encore (Revolution and Why Don’t We Do It In the Road).

Josh Pyke was a revelation – I’m not a fan but his solo rendition of Blackbird (he played the acoustic guitar parts) was superb. Jamieson was kind of non-descript, bringing a sort of faux “lizard king” theatrical presence to his songs. Tim Rogers is certainly one of a kind, and he was absolutely the most animated and theatrically engaging player of the night.

But Cheney….. Chris Cheney was superb.

Getting the good rock songs certainly helped, and his opening with Back in the USSR was insanely good. But three-quarters of the way through the first act (album) his rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps rightly earned a standing ovation. It was insanely good – vocally, and musically the guitar solo just blew everyone away. Eric Clapton was (uncredited) responsible for the original solo, and I think even he would have been impressed by how it was performed last night.

Rogers took Revolution in a faithful performance – all the instrumentation was faithfully brilliant – but none of his songs lifted the way Cheney’s did.

It made us wish that the Beatles themselves, somehow, somewhere, could have performed more of their work in a modern acoustic/technological setting. George Martin’s string and brass arrangements were brilliant, and performed superbly by the players on the night. Lyrically, musically, the Beatles were on their own. They blazed trails that have been the foundation of popular music as we know it. And just for a little while last night one could almost close your eyes and believe it was happening again for real.

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Book Launch: The Dead Path

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Sue and I had the pleasure of attending a book launch last night at Mary Ryan’s Paddington store for Stephen M. Irwin’s The Dead Path. Stephen’s a Brisbane author – and a friend of a good friend – who’s just had this first novel published. The publisher’s spiel compares The Dead Path to Stephen King’s Bag of Bones, and while King was never in my interest space, I have to say that this Stephen’s work is absolutely compelling.

The Dead Path follows the story of a Brisbane man returning home after 17 years in the UK, following the tragic death of his wife. And sees people. Dead people.

Before you say “oh, that’s just like a movie…..” – don’t. It’s original, creative and really well written. Nicholas Close sees re-runs of the deaths of others. Over and over again. But he quickly gets caught up in a real-time battle against the supernatural.

I really enjoyed the author’s brief talk last night, detailing his childhood in Brisbane and the events that led to him finding himself in a position where he could devote his time to long-form fiction, as well as the sequence of events that led him to finding an agent (it seems that in Australia literary agents are the one class of professionals who are less accessible to the outside world than venture capitalists!). I also enjoyed the way in which his main character rediscovers the city of his birth, rapidly progressing but retaining pockets of timeless history – this is a view that many Brisbane-born folks who have spent a lot of time away will appreciate and empathize with.

Full marks too, to Mary Ryan’s continuing support for local authors. The outdoor area in which the launch was held is a stunning oasis in Paddington, and the event itself was wonderful. Irwin’s publisher (from Hachette Australia) announced that the novel has just been sold in the UK, and is “being read” in the US as well, a fantastic outcome for any first-time Australian author.

And after reading the first few chapters last night I’m not surprised. The Dead Path is terrifically written, and deserves to be read. Find it, read it!

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Memo to the QRU – Keep Berrick

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

It’s been a great weekend for a fan of Australian rugby, and rugby in general. While the All Blacks looked off-colour in their defeat of Italy, the Wallabies demonstrated continuing improvement in a solid win over Les Bleus in Sydney. It is also worth mentioning that the Springboks/Lions test was a cracker, both teams demonstrating a very high standard of play before the ‘Boks won in a thrilling conclusion.

On matters closer to home, it is also being reported that Berrick Barnes is still yet to sign with the Queensland Reds for next year, and worse, that the Brumbies are now in the mix for his services.

Barnes had requested that negotiations be put on hold during the last month of international games, but with a brief break now looming before the commencement of the Tri-Nations series, it is thought a decision will be made in the next two weeks. The outstanding issue, apparently, is that Berrick wants to make sure he is comfortable with the Reds management and vision following a review of yet another dismal season, and resulting in personnel changes at Ballymore.

I want to offer one simple piece of advice to the powers at the QRU in order to have a successful outcome to the review process, and to retain their key playing staff: do whatever Berrick wants.

And so it’s clear, I’ll say it slowly: Do. Whatever. Berrick. Wants.

Barnes has demonstrated over the last four weeks that he has so matured as a player and leader that, with quality up front and behind, he will consistently make an enormous impact to a team outcome. No, he’s not had the headlines of O’Connor or Giteau in recent weeks, but both in defense and attack he has been the Wallabies Mr. Reliable. He makes others on the field look good, which is the underlying hallmark of rugby quality.

Phil Mooney comes across as similarly level-headed, and given the depleted playing stocks he has dealt with over the past two seasons, he deserves to be given the unchallenged support of the QRU as coach. And Barnes, given where he is now and what he will learn during the international season, deserves the same.

I’m certainly not privy to the inner workings of the QRU, and while I don’t know Berrick personally, I know several friends of the Barnes family who insist that Berrick is as level-headed and unselfish as his field persona implies. And I do know a bit about running a successful organisation, so here is my advice to the QRU:

Your success – including marketing, player development, sponsorship, and match results – depends entirely on these two gentlemen working in harmony. And being allowed to lead. And as much as Mooney has to have control off the field, Barnes needs to be in control on it.

So firstly, if there are any issues between these two guys – and I hope there’s not – mediate a session where they can sort it out like the rational professionals they are. That being done, rebuild the team and responsibilities around them. It has been wonderfully positive to hear of Digby Ioane’s re-signing – and more credit to his Mum, who cut the deal (I wish more professional footballers would listen to their Mums). And you’ve got Horwill, a Queenslander in the mould of Nathan Sharpe – he’s certainly worth keeping.

Should a staff or board member, or the playing group wish to have input that’s great – listen, take it in, evaluate, but  then do whatever Berrick decides is worth doing. If Berrick wants it, anoint him captain – it was apparent this season that Horwill consults him first anyway. If not, Horwill is very capable in that role, and I don’t think it will diminish Barnes’ impact at all.

Remembering that you’ve got Barnes and Mooney on the same page, the actual management of the team (reporting to Mooney) should then be in sync with Berrick. This extends to support staff, and the entire playing roster.

As a manager you have to face the reality that your only credible roles are to set a vision, and then to put your most talented people in positions where they can achieve success. Berrick Barnes is the real deal – a playmaking inside back of the likes we’ve not seen since Tim Horan or Michael Lynagh, with the leadership qualities of John Eales.

So the QRU: do as I’ve said. Do whatever Berrick wants. And make him stay in Queensland.

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