Meanderings of a Lost Soul

BLINK

Prometheus Unbound
By N. Mark Castro



In Edith Hamilton's version of the Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek Τιτάν, plural Τιτάνες) were a race of powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. The Titans were twelve from their first literary appearance, in Hesiod, Theogony; pseudo-Apollodorus, in Bibliotheke, adds a thirteenth Titan Dione, a double of Theia.



The six male Titans are known as the Titanes, and the female as the Titanides.



The Titans were associated with various primal concepts, some of which are simply extrapolated from their names: ocean and fruitful earth, sun and moon, memory and natural law. The twelve first-generation Titans were led by the youngest, Cronus, who overthrew their father, Uranus ('Heaven'), at the urgings of their mother, Gaia ('Earth').



The Titans later gave birth to other Titans, notably Rhea, and the sons of Iapetus — Prometheus, Epimetheus, Atlas, and Menoetius.



The Titans preceded the Twelve Olympians, who was led by Zeus.




And among the Titans that ever lived, none can be greater than the contribution of the Titan 'Prometheus (Ancient Greek, Προμηθεύς, "forethought"), who is chiefly honored for stealing fire from the gods in the stalk of a fennel plant and giving it to mortals for their use.



Zeus was enraged because the giving of fire began an era of enlightenment for Man, and had Prometheus carried to Mount Caucasus, where an eagle by the name of Ethon (offspring of the monsters Typhon and Echidna) would pick at his liver; it would grow back each day and the eagle would eat it again.

Such was the Fate of creatures -- even Gods -- that intervened the affairs of men: To give so much ... and be punished for it.



And comes now the vision of P.T. Titan Indonesia ... to PROVIDE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN REACH ...



Everyone knows how grossly, nay, obscenely expensive internet connection is in Indonesia, whilst in other parts of Southeast Asia is practically given for free. With this premise in mind, there is then a need to distribute internet technology, including its latest application the wireless broadband (much faster) connection. And so deriving Asian technology for Asians, PT. TITAN INDONESIA was thus incorporated, together with its local affiliates and partners, PT SISPRO (an Indonesian software development company); and its licensing partners.

With an infusion of initial capital outlay of US$57,000,000, TITAN has set out to provide various computer products and computer thermal products such as: CPUs (from various brand partners, CPU & VGA Coolers, H.D.D coolers, System Blowers in comprehensive solution of cooling systems in different applications of PC systems. On top of that, there are various computer software and hardware products, including peripherals. With its recent launching, TITAN has likewise introduced the newest design: the superior water cooling kit(case), with a combined water and air-cooling system in the world that would enhance the performance of CPUs and reduce heat problems, while operating at minimal noise levels. These cooling systems are necessary for your computers as we connect you worldwide: from your seat through our towers. Your CPUs might not withstand the heat of what TITAN is set to produce in this whole country.

More than that, however, TITAN has invested its resources on research & development that would soon introduce its wireless broadband solutions, giving Indonesia a 512 connection, unlimited usage, wireless connectivity, all for the price of US$ 20.00.

Imagine that possibility now becoming a reality.

          

Starting late this month, TITAN will yet again embark on its mission to wire the whole of Bali. TITAN will start implementing the installation of its tower sites in Bali upon the release of its 2nd phase of funding for US$250,000.

My negotiations during the whole process had been very difficult, at times, fragile and volatile; yet in the end, each party had a common vision of uniting the whole country, cyber as it may be. For now, however, TITAN provides its IT CONSULTING services in Mall Ambassador.

          

TITAN Chief Operating Officer and Asia-Pacific Director Menchie R. Marquez.

POWERHOUSE LADIES:

TITAN Chief Operating Officer and Asia-Pacific Director Menchie R. Marquez with her friend CNN Executive Producer Indonesia Kathy Quiano.

          

TITAN Chief Operating Officer and Asia-Pacific Director Menchie R. Marquez with CIRCLE ONE Customer Care Manager Jon Kudera and CIRCLE ONE Chief Operating Officer Adri Tanzil.

TWO MEN AGAINST ONE WOMAN.

WINNER.

WOMAN.

WHAT A STUPID QUESTION

          

Asia-Pacific Business Development Director / Corporate Communications Director ... ME.

          

Providing Customer Care & Staff Orientation

          

Checking out software and hardware products with partner PT SISPRO.

BRIEF HISTORY

Barely a year ago since the idea came about, I had no intrinsic knowledge of the technology other than its commercial application. Through the earlier inception of TITAN, I was asked to help its incorporation and so decided to call in my network and put forth its full weight.

I called in two investors, COO Menchie R. Marquez to infuse additional funds for the Philippine operations of TITAN Brigandine Tech., Inc., and she called in another investor to assist in its capital expenditure. TITAN, at the time, was still only distributing INFOTXT, a software product that is effective for bulk SMS, provided there is an unlimited SMS available in local operators.

Realizing that TITAN would need more than its focus of operations, I called in my cousin to synergize his company --- SPEER TECHNOLOGIES, INC. -- a system integrator and telecommunications engineering company. After much business advisory of TITAN's potential, SPEER TECH agreed to carry TITAN; offering its prestigious Makati offices as the base of operations for TITAN.

With expansion in mind, I advised TITAN to focus its corporate attention towards Indonesia, where the potential of market growth is imminent. The initial negotiations provided a positive result for Titan's positioning in the market, since it was by then carrying the wireless broadband technology and various applications of my cousin's company. And after some initial setbacks, I have managed to bring the group together -- both funders and partners for Titan's incorporation in Indonesia.

My parent company, PT Bunda Global Pertama, has a sister-company PT Sispro which saw the viability of a Joint Operation and eventual Partnership with Titan Brigandine Tech., Inc. It didn't take long before that partnership became a reality.

And now, expanding affiliations are currently being negotiated for the Bali Project. Foreign Investment House PT. Aliga has joined in the bandwagon to provide the funding for PT Titan Indonesia's operations, dividing its corporate goals and functions:

1. wireless broadband solutions
2. software & hardware product developments
3. IT Consulting
4. business development

Naturally, I head the Business Development for its domestic and foreign partnerships. They say that the true mark of a successful entrepreneur is in always having great satisfaction in the union of various groups, diverse ideas, and even opposite beliefs.



I can't say I complain.



For right now I find great solace and much excitement in the anticipation of my next trip to Bali for the implementation of Titan's wireless broadband solutions.



Do I take credit for providing Indonesia with a much-faster and much-cheaper wireless connection?



Hell No.



I'm no fool. Just remember the last fool who claimed any credit for such drastic evolution ... Prometheus' liver is still being torn apart as I write this.




Besides, the people who have come together for this vision have much more expertise in running the show. One thing I learned early and paid for dearly in life is that is that if you want anything done on this planet ... let a woman do it.

And so the process had been gut-wrenching yet simple: there are those who make it. And there are those who don't.

In a span of less than a year -- merely a BLINK of an eye -- I had managed to set up two major companies: INFINITI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE and PT TITAN BRIGANDINE TECH. INDONESIA.

2007 promises to be a more exciting line-up:

• Expat Trails TV Program
• President's Business Institute Sales Management Series
• Media Consulting Services for Millennium Hotel
• Telcom Distribution
• In-Flight Airline Magazine

I'm wet with excitement.

So ... can dreams become a reality?




If you're with me ... trust me,



Yup, yup, yup ...

Ambir's Deal

So here's the deal:



With economic globalization, companies are growing by mergers and acquisitions in a bid to expand operations and remain competitive. The complexity of such transactions makes it difficult to assess all risk exposures and liabilities and requires the skills of a specialist advisor.




Robert hired me to provide the psychological structure of his clients, chief among them, Ameon Mergers & Acquisitions Group (AMAG), which helps identify potential problems surrounding the deal, and through innovative transaction products, develop and deliver the all-important solutions. Using a platform of due diligence, AMAG takes a detailed look at newco or target acquisition to identify problem areas which could lead to price influencing factors or which, post transaction, could hit the balance sheet of the target company.





Their services are broadly grouped around the following key areas:

    * Pre-Acquisition Due Diligence

      Identification of hidden and potential liabilities, unreserved claims, and cash-flow implications, as well as major gaps in the target company's current insurance and employee benefits programs including pension fund valuation and transfer

    * Integration

      Assistance with the identification of the skills and resources needed to ensure a smooth integration

    * Pre-Closing

      Design of post-completion insurance and benefits programmes before the transaction date to take advantage of enhanced coverage and competitive pricing

    * Post-Closing

      Ensuring the recommendations highlighted in the due diligence reports are implemented


These services are available to the private equity community and major corporates involved in M&A activity.


Now, one snag wrinkled their present Global Business Units where the partners weren't willing to give in and was hoping to hedge on the shares for a much higher price. It was a stalemate that was costing the company millions of dollars on a daily basis. Robert pulled me in to provide the psych structure in order to make damage assessment as to whether he'd stay right through or pull out all together. After carefully providing my observational analysis, which was purely cognitive at that point, I decided to sent the data I've collected to a dear friend in Asia. I asked him if he was willing to provide his views on the subject, considering that he was the only business negotiator I knew who could always pull a rabbit out of a hat. This was one of those.


He mulled about it for a couple of days and told me that the board's collective reluctance could be influenced by their own medical condition, after all, the whole business hinges on the application of medical solutions for research and delivery. One by one he outlined to me how Robert's group could pull out the medical data of the board without violating their privacy. There were nine board members.





Board Member 1: Look for anyone who bites pencils, he'll throw it, and that contains his DNA sample which you could test for verification. It's garbage. That's open.


Board Member 2: Pull out the coffee mug which contained a lipstick. That's a contested property, available for the partners' review, filled with samples.


Board Member 3: There would be an in-house clinic. Pull the file for all the sick-leaves and juxtapose it with their own medical file and find out which area he or she has been lying.


Board Member 4: Toilet. Find out what he reads, what he does, how long he goes. Another public domain free to derive any DNA sampling.


Board Member 5: Tail the s.o.b. and find out what other ties he may have elsewhere that prevents him from selling out at the present price. Chances are he's got inside information.


Board Member 6: Based on the psych make-up, this woman's having an affair. Not with a man, a woman. Find out who her Ellen DeGeneres is and confront them in a social setting. The thought of such an information leaking out would be far more important than the deal.


Board Member 7: This old man's senile and the threat of hauling his ass for a competency hearing would devastate the last thread of dignity he's been trying to hold onto. Chances are it's the same threat given to him by the board that's why he's sticking it out.


Board Member 8: An uptight virgin. Forget her. Her vote doesn't count.


Board Member 9: Pull out the medical condition of his grandchild.



So each step we pursued in a very secretive fashion and realized that just by the threat of such publicity made the whole board return to the table and within two weeks they were able to iron out all the financial obstacles.


Was it a blackmail? No. Not one shred of a threat was ever given unto them. The mere fact that they knew someone was after those records made them realize that there was no way they could stop it and so had to yield and return to the table. It's a gray area, true, but tell me which area in the world right now that's not gray?


What went Bob's way was our friend's crucial role in supplying the steps by which we could acquire those information. It takes a genius bordering on madness to come up with such evil ideas. You could only thank God that that devil was on your side. No wonder he's the best when it came to hardball negotiations because it wasn't too long ago when he pulled out something on us that made us all line up like those children called in by the Pied Piper.


My God, I fear for the fate of anyone who crosses Norwin Mark Castro.





Vaya con dios,


Ambir Scheyles, M.D.

Listerine

When my business partner Jed started talking about Elevator Pitch and asking me to come up with one, I figured, why the heck's does he want me to record a Barry Manilow song? Did he want to play this in the building elevator?

Then I realized, damn ... he wanted one of those Listerine ads where the guy is practically doing a French Kiss to a potential investor or boss or whatever Brokeback Gay Mountain idea they could come up with next.

So here's a business lesson for you corporate peasants out there:

http://jedmarcaida.blogs.friendster.com/jeds_world/2006/08/the_elevator_pi.html

The Elevator Pitch (lessons in business)

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch (or elevator speech) is a brief overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The pitch is so called because it can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (say, thirty seconds).

The term is typically used in the context of an entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist to receive funding. Venture capitalists often judge the quality of an idea and team on the basis of the quality of its elevator pitch, and will ask entrepreneurs for the elevator pitch so to quickly weed out bad ideas.

As a businessman looking for a foreign investor I made a fatal mistake of not preparing my elevator pitch. Yesterday I met an American Venture capitalist who made it big, one of his company went public. I had one minute to get his attention and i failed.. miserably. I was used to making a formal presentation but was caught unprepared to the most basic stuff a businessman should know by heart. Anyway these are the type of lessons that will go a long way in making us better in our field. The consolation was that this american thought that we have a good idea, average at least and he will look us up next year when he comes back. Knowing myself, this will be another chip in my shoulder and this will add to my driving force. I love to prove people wrong and this guy will just be added on the list.

 

- 0 -

I'm happy that Jed has learned his lesson and is out on a quest to prove people wrong about him. So to your newbies out there, here's a little something to help you out:



Barry Manilow
By N. Mark Castro

Imagine that you're making a sales call on your biggest prospect, someone you've been trying to get to see for months. Their offices are on the 37th floor. And, as you're getting on the elevator in the lobby, in walks the Vice President who is responsible for making the decision to buy your product.

After exchanging pleasantries, he asks you, "So, tell me, Mark, just what does your product do that's so different? What can it do for me?"

You've got 37 floors on the elevator to tell this important prospect why your brand is best suited for his company. Where do you begin? With features and benefits? With cost savings? With how great your customer service is? The great warranty? All of the above? None of the above?

This is why you need a loud Barry Manilow "elevator pitch" where you can move your lips and pretend to look smart and hope that he doesn't hear anything you just said about your brand. Or you can strip half naked and distract him. Whichever works.

Of course, it doesn't have to actually take place on an elevator, but being able to communicate the essence of your brand's value proposition (the reason to buy) in just a few short sentences is critical. This is another reason why you must have an Ipod with you at all times.

Developing an elevator pitch for your brand is a difficult, but necessary task. Don't confuse it with a company mission statement or anything like that, either. Your elevator pitch is a short speech on your brand's value proposition — its promise to deliver! It's a like a pop quiz where you must come up with a sensible answer, such as: "We haven't covered that yet in the class, Sir."

It's easy to talk about companies: Ford builds cars and trucks. Nike markets athletic shoes and apparel. Hilton operates hotels but is more known globally as somebody who parties a lot and does a lot of sex videos. But certainly these brands — Ford, Nike and Hilton — are much richer and more meaningful to those who engage them than a simple description about what they do. If they weren't distinctive, then we'd all just buy on price, right?

Here's a hint on developing a value proposition (elevator pitch) for your brand: turn it around and look at your brand from the customer's perspective. Find out what's really important to your target audience. Attach emotions to the discussion, such as: I am sad that Hizbollah did not send money for the Indonesian fighters to join the war. You must figure out how your brand needs to connect. You'll quickly see that there's so much more to a brand than features and benefits.

Making your brand meaningful to customers and prospects means getting its core message delivered in a brief, impactful and memorable manner. It begins with an elevator pitch.

Take this simple "elevator pitch" test!

Does everyone in your organization know what your brand's value proposition is? Can they give the same, meaningful, elevator pitch? There's a simple way to find out: give 'em a test. It's a simple test, really, with just one "finish the sentence" question:

___________________ is a product/service that ___________________.

Try it and you might be surprised at how your team describes your brand to customers, family and friends, suppliers, investors, cats, dogs, crickets. It may be time to develop that "elevator pitch" and make sure that everyone in your organization is in sync.

Or at least be prepared to replace Barry Manilow's music with N'Sync.

 

- 0 -

Seriously though, and I believe I can be for the next 10 minutes, an Elevator Pitch is crucial in giving your client, potential client, investor, angels, aliens, or God an idea whatever it is you're doing and whatever it is you want are asking.

Here's an example for TITAN BRIGANDINE TECH. INTERNATIONAL

Picture this: anything and everything that technology can give to either a person or a company is at his disposal in a one-stop shop at a lower cost without sacrificing the quality of service: from a comprehensive mobile marketing solutions to VOIP, to fleet management, to corporate solutions, to risk management, to strategic business developments, even mainstream and electronic media; practically from inside this very elevator all the way to thy kingdom come.We utilize all these available technological solutions that our global partners have to offer and merge it with our dedicated service that is well established in our vast network.

THAT, in a nutshell, is what Titan Brigandine Tech is all about.

We don't just sell products or rent out services; we provide you with a multitude of business solutions all within your fingertips. We bridge the gap that brings both technology and people closer together ... in the very same manner  by which the mythological Titans brought the fire to the mortals for survival and development ... for  that is exactly what we intend to do because, at the end of the day, we want to be able to say that, once, even for a brief shining moment, we were the Titans of our time.

Dude, How's that for an elevator pitch?

 

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch (or elevator speech) is a brief overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The pitch is so called because it can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (say, thirty seconds).

The term is typically used in the context of an entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist to receive funding. Venture capitalists often judge the quality of an idea and team on the basis of the quality of its elevator pitch, and will ask entrepreneurs for the elevator pitch so to quickly weed out bad ideas.

As a businessman looking for a foreign investor I made a fatal mistake of not preparing my elevator pitch. Yesterday I met an American Venture capitalist who made it big, one of his company went public. I had one minute to get his attention and i failed.. miserably. I was used to making a formal presentation but was caught unprepared to the most basic stuff a businessman should know by heart. Anyway these are the type of lessons that will go a long way in making us better in our field. The consolation was that this american thought that we have a good idea, average at least and he will look us up next year when he comes back. Knowing myself, this will be another chip in my shoulder and this will add to my driving force. I love to prove people wrong and this guy will just be added on the list.

 

- 0 -

I'm happy that Jed has learned his lesson and is out on a quest to prove people wrong about him. So to your newbies out there, here's a little something to help you out:



Barry Manilow
By N. Mark Castro

Imagine that you're making a sales call on your biggest prospect, someone you've been trying to get to see for months. Their offices are on the 37th floor. And, as you're getting on the elevator in the lobby, in walks the Vice President who is responsible for making the decision to buy your product.

After exchanging pleasantries, he asks you, "So, tell me, Mark, just what does your product do that's so different? What can it do for me?"

You've got 37 floors on the elevator to tell this important prospect why your brand is best suited for his company. Where do you begin? With features and benefits? With cost savings? With how great your customer service is? The great warranty? All of the above? None of the above?

This is why you need a loud Barry Manilow "elevator pitch" where you can move your lips and pretend to look smart and hope that he doesn't hear anything you just said about your brand. Or you can strip half naked and distract him. Whichever works.

Of course, it doesn't have to actually take place on an elevator, but being able to communicate the essence of your brand's value proposition (the reason to buy) in just a few short sentences is critical. This is another reason why you must have an Ipod with you at all times.

Developing an elevator pitch for your brand is a difficult, but necessary task. Don't confuse it with a company mission statement or anything like that, either. Your elevator pitch is a short speech on your brand's value proposition — its promise to deliver! It's a like a pop quiz where you must come up with a sensible answer, such as: "We haven't covered that yet in the class, Sir."

It's easy to talk about companies: Ford builds cars and trucks. Nike markets athletic shoes and apparel. Hilton operates hotels but is more known globally as somebody who parties a lot and does a lot of sex videos. But certainly these brands — Ford, Nike and Hilton — are much richer and more meaningful to those who engage them than a simple description about what they do. If they weren't distinctive, then we'd all just buy on price, right?

Here's a hint on developing a value proposition (elevator pitch) for your brand: turn it around and look at your brand from the customer's perspective. Find out what's really important to your target audience. Attach emotions to the discussion, such as: I am sad that Hizbollah did not send money for the Indonesian fighters to join the war. You must figure out how your brand needs to connect. You'll quickly see that there's so much more to a brand than features and benefits.

Making your brand meaningful to customers and prospects means getting its core message delivered in a brief, impactful and memorable manner. It begins with an elevator pitch.

Take this simple "elevator pitch" test!

Does everyone in your organization know what your brand's value proposition is? Can they give the same, meaningful, elevator pitch? There's a simple way to find out: give 'em a test. It's a simple test, really, with just one "finish the sentence" question:

___________________ is a product/service that ___________________.

Try it and you might be surprised at how your team describes your brand to customers, family and friends, suppliers, investors, cats, dogs, crickets. It may be time to develop that "elevator pitch" and make sure that everyone in your organization is in sync.

Or at least be prepared to replace Barry Manilow's music with N'Sync.

 

- 0 -

Seriously though, and I believe I can be for the next 10 minutes, an Elevator Pitch is crucial in giving your client, potential client, investor, angels, aliens, or God an idea whatever it is you're doing and whatever it is you want are asking.

Here's an example for TITAN BRIGANDINE TECH. INTERNATIONAL

Picture this: anything and everything that technology can give to either a person or a company is at his disposal in a one-stop shop at a lower cost without sacrificing the quality of service: from a comprehensive mobile marketing solutions to VOIP, to fleet management, to corporate solutions, to risk management, to strategic business developments, even mainstream and electronic media; practically from inside this very elevator all the way to thy kingdom come.We utilize all these available technological solutions that our global partners have to offer and merge it with our dedicated service that is well established in our vast network.

THAT, in a nutshell, is what Titan Brigandine Tech is all about.

We don't just sell products or rent out services; we provide you with a multitude of business solutions all within your fingertips. We bridge the gap that brings both technology and people closer together ... in the very same manner  by which the mythological Titans brought the fire to the mortals for survival and development ... for  that is exactly what we intend to do because, at the end of the day, we want to be able to say that, once, even for a brief shining moment, we were the Titans of our time.

Dude, How's that for an elevator pitch?