The view from the other side…

…still includes a lot of voetbal…

I’m a little sorry that I forgot to bring my oranje window flags to flutter along the top of the car as I whiz through the broad green hills of the Dutchy of Barrington.

England – Algeria is tomorrow (the Brits should win), and the Netherlands will play the Japanese the next day.  I won a (Danish) beer from a Nordic friend last week, and am hoping for similar good fortune Saturday (although maybe not for Japanese beer).

Meanwhile, I’m adjusting to the the week in Cambridgeshire, remembering which side of the road to drive, not saying Dank u wel  to clerks, and feigning interest in open garden days and latin bird’s names.  It’s nice to get together with colleagues and catch up on business and technology news, and fun to see what the students have synthesized from their research projects.

We’re preparing for an investor pitch at the Oxford Venturefest next Tuesday.  CamStent was shortlisted among the top 10 startups for the Best of British Innovation Award, and my CFO and I hit the marks during the dry-run for an advisory panel.  They complemented me on being ‘bouncy’; I think it means “likeable and enthusiastic even at 10 am”.  My catheter samples arrived in time for the presentation, and it’s nice to have a tangible object to sell rather than just a drawing in my slides.  ‘Just so I don’t twirl them around too much…

So, this week, I’m trying to hold to Seth Godin’s Simple five step plan for just about everyone and everything

1. Go, make something happen.

2. Do work you're proud of.

3. Treat people with respect.

4. Make big promises and keep them.

5. Ship it out the door.

When in doubt, see #1.