Comments on: It Was Drink or Swim

By: Meat, She-Pimps and Ethical Quandaries | Exile Lifestyle

Meat, She-Pimps and Ethical Quandaries | Exile Lifestyle — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:42:18 +0000

[...] I joke. We laugh and ask the waiter to recommend a good bar nearby. We end up going to one that I know pretty well and ordering some Fernet and [...]

By: Jonny | thelifething.com

Jonny | thelifething.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:15:51 +0000

So when is the company being launch?

By: Vinay

Vinay — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:58:07 +0000

great idea colin! we have the same issue in Sydney… altho there are regulatory issues around taxi’s giving preference. Even tho in the real world they have a preference for scantily clothed women, technically they are not allowed to.

What I am more concerned with, is if you knew that you were gunna be locked down in a bar due to bad weather (I am assuming it was still open) why didnt you just get hammered and enjoy yourself?

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:27:49 +0000

I completely agree that this is an excellent mindset to have, always thinking in terms of potential business opportunities. Open up any Sky Mall magazine on any airplane and you’ll find 200 pages of ideas that clearly come from entrepreneurial thinking individuals acting on a random, yet useful, idea they had.

I’m happy to have come across your site and looking forward to hearing more!

By: Colin Wright

Colin Wright — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:55:38 +0000

@JD: Thanks! Everyone comes at entrepreneurship from a different angle, so don’t worry if geeky misadventures are not your style

@Alejandro: Ah, sounds like there are some ground-level business people running around in Mexico City, spotting opportunities and taking advantage of them (to everyone’s benefit). Don’t worry, I didn’t get sick…I was just sick and tired by the end of the night!

@Greg: I totally hear you. It’s a blessing and a curse in that it helps you quickly figure out better ways of doing things, but at the same time it’s hard to appreciate anything that’s less than perfect sometimes. I’ll keep on enjoying things as much as possible and sharing what happens with you folks!

@Nate: Thanks, brother! Usually the thing that holds people back is that little voice in the back of your head that whispers “but if it’s a good idea, surely someone would have already done it” to which you can only reply “maaayyybbbeee” and move on with your day. The trick is to realize that even if someone has thought of it before, they clearly haven’t DONE anything about it, and the majority of the battle is just taking that extra step. You’d be amazed by how many opportunities are out there – low-hanging fruit waiting to be plucked – simply because everyone who has noticed it before has assumed too much.

@Kristin: Thanks chick! Great idea, by the way. Let me know when the umbrellaflask goes into production and I’ll snag one for myself.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:43:11 +0000

Fabulous. Bars should also sell umbrellas. My latest idea for Seattle: an umbrella with a handle that’s actually either a flask or a coffee mug, something to keep you both dry and warm

You, sir, inspire me endlessly. I look forward to learning more about being an entrepreneur from your sometimes unfortunate adventures!

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:59:47 +0000

What a great idea you have come up with. Follow through with that and you can spend the rest of your life partying in BA! And I absolutely love your stories, you sure have a way of finding yourself into interesting situations. I’m always coming up with ideas, but never really follow through with them. Not really sure what holds me back.

By: Greg Rollett

Greg Rollett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:31:31 +0000

Your story is essentially how I go about seeing everything as marketing and the missed opportunities they present. Every business, restaurant, poster, skyscraper, etc all come into my mind with a “if I did that I would have…”

You do have some great stories man. I hope you keep enjoying your time and doing as much cool stuff as you can.

By: Alejandro Reyes

Alejandro Reyes — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:28:42 +0000

I’m simply amazed by your quick thought. You really spotted the opportunity for a great business.

Here in Mexico City, there is some similar services as the one you talk about. Also if it’s raining a lot of people comes out of nowhere to offer you a plastic bag cut to be some kind of mini-raincoat for 5 to 10 pesos. It’s something you would like to see. I’ll try to get pictures.

Still I hope you are ok and not as sick as your writing sounds.

By: J. D. Bentley

J. D. Bentley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:02:09 +0000

I would have been happy to read this story even without the lesson at the end. The things you’ve gotten into since the move are always fascinating to hear about. But, yeah, that makes me wonder if I’m ‘entrepreneurial’ enough. I suppose I need to cultivate an attitude of constantly looking for opportunities. What you came up with was pretty genius and pretty quick. One day I hope to attain some of your geekdom.