[M]ost people actually "go out of their way to reject brands they once embraced, brands they now associate with their less sophisticated, former selves." Al Reis is good for a quote on this one: "When a guy gets promoted, he doesn't get a more expensive Chevy," says Al, "He buys a BMW."
All of the best things we've ever done from the financial perspective took many, many, many years to happen. That doesn't mean we're going to get them all right, it's not like every one of these new things is going to work out. But if you're not prepared to work hard at things for many, many, many years, you're probably not prepared to be in the technology business. I think that's what most VCs sort of had to learn again, after the Bubble. Most startups are going to have to work at something for many, many years to get the concept, get it right, refine it enough, build a real business.
To me, the biggest problem in business (and in communities, and in schools, and churches, and in marriage, and in nearly every social situation) is lack of trust. And trust can only come when people know your motives. And that can only come when people really know each other.
Finally...as you've probably guesses, I've started skimming several marketing oriented blogs. There seems to be a recent emergence of them; no doubt the same trend is taking place for other non-technical professions: management, accounting, law (though there were plenty of those early on), HR, etc. What's interesting to note is the "WOW! THIS IS SO COOL!" type of posts that are cropping up on most of the marketing blogs. It's just like when the first wave of blogger came to head and got all excited.
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