Blog Interrupted

I start with an apology for taking so long between posts – and I have an excuse. See, we are raising money to start this new company called Better PLC. After years of fighting for budget allocations, I forgot how much fun it is to actually go convince investors that your idea has enough merit that they should put their money, and much more importantly - their trust in you.

It is somewhat funny that everyone I talk to has heard about this new company we are trying to create, but no one really knows what we do. In every meeting I discover new ways of achieving the ambitious goal we have set for ourselves, and people really get energized about the idea. It is one of those giant small ideas that I truly believe can make a big difference in this world.

I had a conversation yesterday about all these software entrepreneurs who are moving into clean-tech. My view is that we all see a giant market ready for disruption, bursting ripe from years of very little investment. Put that with a group of people who made enough money not to be enticed by easy money, but looking for a real mission in life and you get some really interesting artifacts happening. It is almost as if the entire silicon valley is going through a mid-life crisis – but instead of looking for a new fast car (we now have our official fast car – the Tesla), we are all looking for a calling. I saw it at TED this year; I see it everyday with so many great ideas.

The people I met over the last 75 days on any part of the world are just amazing in their passion, and drive for a better world. Some solve energy issues, others education, healthcare, food, water – all problems that can really touch life. I am at awe with some of the scientists that I met; all have much bigger goal than to start a small company, or bring a new product. I personally stopped just seeing the problems in the future; I see an ocean of opportunities. 

I get people coming at me from every corner asking how do they sign up for our mission, before they even know what it is we’re going to do. When we share the vision with them you can see in their eyes that they all find their calling. I missed that sense for such a long time, it is just refreshing to be back in it. It is not that SAP was bad for me - it was a great home, it is a great company. It is just so easy to get sucked in to the daily grind of large corporate politics, that makes you lose that sense of big mission, your purpose and your sense of direction for what’s right and what’s wrong.

In any case, I promise to share this weekend some of the things that popped up on my radar over the last few weeks. I gave a few presentations, on both enterprise software and clean tech – in particular a presentation in Israel last week – which I will bring into a series of blog posts. So stay tuned next week…

shai

Comments

[Dr. Wilfried Ehrensperger]

Hi Shai,

If you need bed and breakfast near Walldorf,
you are wellcome to my "castle" for free. Perhaps, my sons and me can add some good ideas to your's and our both missions.

Perhaps seeing you for Barbecue 2007 by us....

CU
/W

[Amir Idan]

Sounds awesome! Keep us posted. And yes, I'm one of those people, asking where do I signup. Would love to work together again.

[JC]

Powerful - the convergence of paths bringing people together where we can apply our talents to achieve meaninful purpose and results for the world. Revenue growth, better margins, launching new products, etc. is all very interesting, but it somehow feels empty.

Compelled by something, it took me about a month of strange seemingly random actions to end up here reading your blog and today seeing what I just said to my wife and brother-in-law 24 hours ago.

I don't know what Better PLC is, but there is something leading me on this path and I know it would be the right thing to do.

When you're ready, I'm interested (marketing or operations). I am gamefully employed in software (interestingly SAP is our biggest customer) but I am looking to use my energy and talents for something more meaningful.

Where do I sign up?

Cheers

[shai porat]

hi, shai,

could you pls send me your privet e-mail adress, as i would like to aproch you in person.

thank you,

shai porat

[Amiram Saban]

Hi Shai,

Your blog is getting more interesting with each post...can't wait for the next one about Better PLC.

Thanks!

[paula stout]

Hi Shai...
I've been watching from the sidelines, but thought it time to speak up. Interesting blog.

BTW, I have several friends from my political days that I think it is time for you to meet. If this is a good time for you to widen your circle, drop an email. I will happily make introductions. best. paula.

[JM]

Hi shai,

is this your initiative ? If yes: respect!

Found in the internet:

'Located in Palo Alto, California, Better PLC is a start-up company
still in stealth mode, which is focused on scaling deployment
non-hydrocarbon powered cars through a combination of infrastructure,
pubic policy and financial frameworks. The company establishes and
manages a multi-year transformation mega-project that drives complete
transformation at the scale of city to country.'

Regards
JM

[Ben Bakhshi]

Shai, can you recommend some reading for us to check out?

[Mark Dalton]

Hi Shai,

I think you are right, this is an enormous opportunity at a historical point of convergence. Are there opportunities to invest in your project?

Thanks,

Mark

[CB]

Hello Shai, I know you from seeing at you a couple of SAP Teched’s, I always found your presentations inspiring.

I am glad to see that you are getting some traction, in a new direction that you have chosen for yourself.

I left that SAP-Software scene a couple of years ago.

I currently work in programming with Ruby on Rails, the primary goal of ROR is to get the FUN back into programming, this issue has been drastically underestimated in the past. Many developers are taking this point very seriously, because it has a huge impact on productivity. Sun Microsystems, for example, is rolling out Jruby.

Personally, I am following the discussion around Clean Cars, or Cleaner Cars, with intense interest.

I think an important intermediate step are Superclean Diesel-Electric Hybrids, with Solar Panels. With this technology it will be realistically possible move beyond the 100 mpg barrier. The established automobile industry is dragging their feet on the issue, they need disruption to move forward. In this new technology area the Software is the key. What needs to happen is a convergence of Cutting Edge Technologies, currently the established industry is not positioned, and not structured to leverage all the new innovative developments.

I am looking forward, with a lot of interest, about the direction that you will take.

Regards,
/C

[Eric Snyder]

I know a man that has all of what you seek. His goal since he was a child was the Nobel Prize. He has a very simplistic emission device that is easy to install taht sends toxic emissions to zero in any car.

He has produced a non-toxic battery that charges instantly. It can be used as easily in a car as it can your cell phone. Imagine, no landfills loaded with toxic batteries.

Can ceramics hold a charge? I say yes they can.

[JB]

Dear Shai,

Congrats on what promises to be yet another innovative and inspiring endeavor. As a long-term fan of yours (and follower of your career) I wanted to share a trend that I've seen recently. I'm a technology recruiter. The trend I've noticed this year is that SAP is bleeding talent. Talent that is walking out of their door each day. This is not the "normal" attrition related to travel woes, etc. but these resources are solid, tenured employees that are leaving with institutional knowledge. What's even more unusual is that they are opting to "spend the summer coaching my son's little league" rather than departing for a competitor. The concensus is to leave SAP simply because of SAP. Perhaps all strive to achieve something "better and bolder" as with what you are doing these days and you are once again a trailbrazer. However, while this flood of talent all contend that SAP is a decent place of employment, they also maintain that the workplace has changed noticeably since your departure and mostly because you had always prided yourself in attracting the best. I've heard about unfit and overworked managers that have no time for their people and whole product lines that are on continuous life support. Considering this trend in turnover along with SAP’s recent admission to wrongdoing at Oracle, and it sounds a little like SAP is challenged with supporting an ethical place of employment these days.

From where I stand, it looks like you took the high road in your timely departure to pursue such a commendable quest. I commend you for your passion to do the right thing.

Regards,
JB

[Avner Falk]

Shalom Shai,

In connection with your exciting electric-car project for Israel, having dealt with the Israeli authorities on this issue since 1971, I have considerable information on this subject. If you wish to have this information, you may wish to call me.

Kind regards.

Avner

Warm regards from Jerusalem.

Dr. Avner Falk
6 Caspi Street
93554 Jerusalem

Home and office telephone 972 2 673 3543
Mobile telephone 972 54 429 3229
Fax 972 2 673 7617

[P.]

I typically don't add to these threads but I was really intrigued by Recruiter JB's comments. At first I couldn't see how his experiences as a recruiter related to these postings but then I re-read it and put 2 and 2 together with my own personal experiences last month. So, I felt I should share my experiences as I have been seeking a new challenge. I interviewed for a position with SAP last month. It started with a somewhat non-descript job posting on one of the normal recruiting sites. I'd originally thought that SAP were being foxy by writing such an empty job ad or that a recruting agency (sorry JB) must have done a poor job. But I learned otherwise during the interview process. First red flag: the department I interviewed with had a lot of openings and apparently it had been that way for quite a while. There were vacant cubes everywhere and across many different job titles. The employees that I spoke to seemed nice enough but admitted that they were concerned about how management had avoided filling the vacancies and that others were in the process of leaving. One of them confided in me and told me that it was probably a ploy to downsize. At that point I purposely stopped myself from passing judgment and tried to keep an open mind. But after passing through the initial phases of the interview it got a little freaky. What I came to learn is that several layers of management were included in these vacancies. Another red flag. So I was even more intrigued to find that this meant that I would interview with the big cheese, a "senior vice-pres" that was sure to enlighten me about this unique opportunity. Sorry to say that this is where SAP gets their freak on as a Germany company. It was like talking to a poorly constructed ATM. Completely unfriendly with hands folded over the chest and socially disengaged from the world. Visions of a warped Dilbert scene came to mind. The walls of SAP in Silicon Valley were a Bavarian castle and the ATM wasn't daring to leave them. I'm not sure it heard a word I said. It was too busy trying to convince me how SAP will compete outside of the ERP market. I must preface these next comments by explaining that I have many Europen friends so don't take this the wrong way. But business is business here in Tech Town USA. As the ATM talked I couldn't help but think how bizarre it is to have a company like SAP in Silicon Valley. The machine was German. It led a large team of people but only a few non-Germans resided in the Bay area offices. Now, that in itself is not a problem for me but the dismal, machine-like impression this made was worse than bad. The ATM seemed pretty high up on the corporate totem pole. It came across as technically knowledgeable yet unable to communicate using proper English. It rambled on about "dee market" and "dare objectives" to the point where I nearly laughed as I had images of a German Elmer Fudd popping into my head! To sum it up, I see where JB is coming from and I'm also sure that this is not the image that Shai built for SAP. I walked away shaking my head in disbelief yet to my surprise I actually received an offer from them. This may be an indicator of how desperate SAP is to attract talent in Shai's absence but they need to work on putting their best foot forward if they are to be successful and the ATM won't cut it. While this may have been an isolated case with an obviously crippled department, one must ask how a Little Bavaria full of ATMs can survive here in Tech Town without Shai's influence. Circling back to JB's comments, I'd speculate that those jumping ship are doing so for a reason even if they aren't saying so. JB, perhaps we could talk. I'd
like to avoid wasting my time like this in the future. For others that read this, take it for what it's worth and hopefully it helps you.

Cheers, P.

[Pasha Wolya]

Pasha Wolya

[אריק נינארי]

מר אגסי
אני מייצג חברה אוסטרית בענף מתקני בחינה לרכב, שפנתה אלי בידיעה שחברה עולמית באוסטרליה מעונינת להשקיע כספים במחקר של רכב "ירוק" אם יש לך ענין , אנא התקשר איתי על מנת שאוכל לקשר בינכם.

אריק נינארי רמת השרון
טלפון 03-5494330 050-7989764

[Rich Kerr]

I would love to sign up, but what can we all do to help?

I think an economical way to replace and charge batteries is a long term key to the success.

Let me know if there is anything to be done.

[Richard Marks]

Shai,
We should talk about what your specific goals and objectives are both short and long term. Since you are located where the venture money sits, I think we can help each other.
Your journey is going to be a long and difficult one. It takes a lot more than a good idea. Ask Tesla who is already 9 months late and still counting.
Let's talk and please visit my website and read my blog at http://EcoVElectric.blogspot.com
Richard

[shmlik vrotzlavsi]

הי שי מאוד מעוניין להצטרף לפרויקט שלכם בארץ.
איך ניתן ליצורקשר עם מישהומאנשי הפרוייקט?
בברכה
שמואליק
054-2888559

[Idetrorce]

very interesting, but I don't agree with you
Idetrorce

[Haim Brandstetter]

Dear Shai

We have just now filed a patent application for an innovative fuel cell, supplying high surge currents despite low energy-to-weight ratio and a correspondingly low energy-to-volume ratio.
The proposed fuel cell is suitable for vehicles, as it aptly provides the high electric power required by vehicles.

The proposed fuel cell is based on an inexpensive technology, and, except for using hydrogen and oxygen, its concept is very different from the AFC, MCFC, PAFC, PEMFC, SPFC, DMFC.

This proposal is further to your looking to build a series of electric car concepts and prove technical feasibility of various ideas which will serve as prototypes for your car and battery manufacturers.

Sincerely,
Haim Brandstetter
Tel-Aviv, Israel
Tel. 0573-110157

[acillograsops]

Make peace, not war!

[Garri]

Shop online safely and securely where ePassporte Visa Cards are accepted.
Send and receive funds between ePassporte Account Holders instantly

[Ron Gross]

Shai: Please forward contact information regarding BetterPLC.
Thanks, RG