November 25, 2005
ARRVEE SHOW..here i come!
On my way to Louisville, Kentucky for the largest Recreational Vehicle show in the world. An annual event where all the major RV makers, distributors and dealers congregate. Its an amazing collection of superb vehicles for your life.
Well after my European whirlwind trip this week, it'll be nice to be on wheels instead of in the air! The leisure industry is a prime target of ICP Solar's consumer products division and its an industry that is largely neglected by major solar companies who (perhaps rightfully so) are busy supplying European grid-connect systems which pay back money. Have yet to meet an RV that'll send money out the faucet...
Sass
Posted by sass at 09:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2005
On that solar power train to Munich....
So I'm on a train in Germany and can no longer count on both hands the number of homes I see with solar panels on their roofs.
Now Munich isn't exactly "beach" weather, yet the use of solar around these parts is amazing. No surprise, when we wonder where all the solar supply in the world is going, its due simply to incentives and a greater concern for the environment.
Yet these panels were covered by snow! I can think of no better a testimonial for our new thinfilm slates than consumers who have suffered getting virtually no power from crystalline modules due to coverage, such as snow.
The fact is that power in solar is like power in a stereo. The true rating in a stereo is what you can listen to without that terrible distortion taking over. In solar, its what power the meters say you are getting, not the label on the back.
Aveederzein,
Sass
Posted by sass at 01:54 PM | Comments (1)
November 19, 2005
SunPower SunPower make me a match..
If you know Fiddler on the Roof, you remember that it continues "find me a find, catch me a catch"...
The reference suits this week's IPO of Sunpower which jumped over 50% after day one of trading.
A division of Cypress Semiconductor, Sunpower offers a 20% efficient solar cell in a black color which integrates better into building facades vs the blue color and less efficient polycrystalline cells. Although slightly more costly to produce, the Sunpower product is capturing more and more market share as evidenced by their skyrocketing sales.
It all comes back to the discussion about what will shake up the market. Higher efficiency or lower cost...and the answer is clearly..both!
Sunny regards,
Sass
Posted by sass at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2005
Man in the glass
A gem of a poem which was just sent to me:
~ The Man in the Glass ~
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say
For it isn't your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass
You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you're a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
He's the fellow to please - never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear to the end.
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.
Posted by sass at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2005
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!
Yes we all remember at some point hearing a european announcer of a football (or is that soccer) game yelling GOAL with all the power in his lungs for as long as he can.
There are many different goals in life as I witnessed today at yet another goal cultivator seance. The goal cultivator program, created by Dan Sullivan has helped in just 90 days achieve 3 of 5 goals (well, the beginning of achievement) I had set for myself.
Introduced by Mitch Joel and hosted by Barry Pascal (a great coach if i ever met one), today's session brought to my mind the fact that the whole circle in which I am now engulfed was brought to me by Howard Firestone and has radically changed me and my life as a result. So a big public thanks to Howard, yet another of my "guardian angels" helping me protect myself from...me!
If you've never been involved in such a process, I highly recommend it. Not only could you become a better CEO, father, husband, friend and colleague, but you'll understand that no goal is too high, it's always just a matter of time and will.
Someone asked Einstein why he was giving the exact same exam one year after next in a university where he taught. "Wasn't that too easy?" he was asked, to which Einstein responded "the questions are the same, but the answers have changed". To all of you who have the same questions, you'll only find the answers within yourself, and expect them to change over time.
Sass
Posted by sass at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2005
Tormenting Tennis Tales
Today was all about tennis. My three sons participated in a tennis tournament at the club we are members at and I played one solid hour of play with my 8year old daughter Emma.
The three boys had made it to the second round (one to the third) prior to today and we only hoped that whether they won or lost, they would simply do their best. Well the good news is that having watched them play, I know they all did their best. I was going to report as "bad news" that they all lost, but I remembered something that my dad once told me.
We have a wonderful uncle (great-uncle to me) named Fahmi. Fahmi was once telling my Dad about his successes when he was interrupted with the following "Uncle, don't tell me about your successes, tell me about your failures". What wisdom that was then and remains today. The revelance struck me as I saw my three sons eliminated (some worse than others) in rapid succession. What I hoped was that in defeat, they had learned something about themselves and their opponents, to use in future such encounters.
The most important lesson I felt they learned today....learning how to lose. Winning gracefully is not quite as difficult as losing gracefully. Respecting your opponent and congratulating them for a job well done is a difficult thing for adults, never mind a 10 year old child.
I juggled between watching them on the other courts and playing with Emma. Emma had not a care in the world. She was just so happy that the once-a-week hour which I had booked at the club was consecrated to her because her brothers were all busy on other courts. We had a great time, she hit some fabulous shots and I just relaxed watching my girl simply enjoy the attention she exclusively had (a rare thing in a house of 4 kids!).
We certainly don't wish our children many failures in life. But I wonder if it isn't in the definition of the term that we also can't find more wisdom. How can losing be winning? Perhaps it has more to do with the term of time within which we define the game.
Sass
Posted by sass at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2005
Competitive Cowboy Crumbs..
How would you deal with a competitor who gallops around the market telling people that you were going down, when in fact it was he who applied for creditor protection this year? Or that you lost a customer to them, when in fact that did not happen?
My take on competition is that the truth comes out in the end. If you have competitive claims to make, that is fair game. But beware that you'd better be making such claims for the right reason and with backup to prove what you are saying is true. It's OK to show your dishsoap cleaner does a 50% better job, yet it must be based on fair testing and demonstrations. How many times do we wonder if the hand is putting less pressure on the wash cloth which is demonstrating the losing competition in a commercial? In fact, I believe that these types of "subjective" comparisons backfire on the company paying for those spots.
What do you get by claiming your competition is in financial trouble? You may put some doubt in the customer's mind about them, but if time goes by and that competitor of yours is still around, what does that make you? Reliable, ethical, moral, truthful? Or None of the above?
In the consumer end of the solar industry, the marketing megabucks don't match the megawatts and there is no certification yet required in major markets. This means that false comparisons and dubious power claims are more prone to happen simply because they can. When a manufacturer specifically excludes marine or RV environments from their warranty, yet a dealer tries to cover that up by claiming to take up the warranty, is that fair competition? Or is it perhaps "smoke", based on a calculated risk that people won't claim their solar panels 10 years down the road, or that the dealer will by that time be off selling encyclopedias to unsuspecting old ladies in Arizona? In that case, the retailer is left holding a large bag and we all know that with Sarbanes-Oxley, retailers must ensure to be toeing an ethical line lest their public parent companies be taken to the mat for false accounting of warranties.
The truth will always make the cowboy cookie crumble, and yet it can take time to come out. Patience is a virtue. I hope the cookie is chocolate fudge. They're my favourites.
Sass
Posted by sass at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2005
Run Forrest Run..
Life is indeed like a box of chocolates, and we didn't know what would happen until we bit in and launched last week.
The child is now one week old. It's already at position #2 out of over 2million google pages when you search "solar chargers". Time to help the child see that business is like a never-ending hurdle race. We're over the first one and must prepare for the next if we are to be the ones to keep on racing for people's hearts (which for many wearing jackets is not far from their wallets!).
Refreshingly simple. That's what the new SunseiTM line is all about. Click here for our most recent newsletter.
Seeking the inner child,
Sass
Posted by sass at 04:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2005
Two steps forwards, one step back...
Seems like some of the so-called "disruptive" technologies that have been announced recently are going to take a while before coming to market. A number of players focused on thin-film will eventually shake this market up.
This is part of the evolution of an industry. We see new players come in and some exit. Those exiting tend to be in the part of the value chain that is unprotected from shortage of supply at the moment. Those entering are newbies bent on changing an industry.
As change is the only constant, we shall surely hear more news in the coming months. Meantime, silicon suppliers are turning up production in response to demand so we should see relief in this century :) from higher silicon prices. The market does not seem to have been scared off by up to 19% price hikes. The momentum for solar is set. There's no looking back...
Sass
PS. I spoke about this and other neat solar topics on a podcast again with Ben Kenney of thewatt.com. You can listen to Episode 40 (even without your ipod at this link).
Posted by sass at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2005
How Suite it is..
I went before a grade two class today to talk to them about solar energy. My daughter Emma's eyes lit up when I walked into the classroom. The kids were all so full of wonderment as we talked and went through all the things you can do with solar energy. I showed them how to make a solar oven out of a pizza box. They asked me how a pump could work by solar if there was water inside because they were taught that water and electricity were dangerous together.
The questions asked with the innocence of a child are often those that lead to our greatest creations. But today, it was one of my greatest creations that reminded me of the importance of protecting her innocence. It just doesn't get any better...
Sass
Posted by sass at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2005
Le Sunshine Spa
OK, so get this. I received a call from a friend a few days ago complaining that my dog was going to a "spa" and she hadn't been to one in years. I was totally ignorant about what was going on so I called my wife to find out if our dog, Sunshine, was really going to a "spa".
To my amazement, I found out there exists such a thing as spas for dogs. Oh my! What is it? A place where they cut their hair, their nails and check crevices I won't mention. And this is called a spa?
I think we should all relabel solar panels as "battery rejuvenators" and double the price. When a place where all they do is clip, snip and snoop can charge outrageous prices to make your dog into your idea of "pretty", then there really must be a sucker born...and I guess that would now be ME!
Sass
Posted by sass at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2005
Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz....
...and you know the rest of the jingle!
It's like the day after the one before. What a relief! With a few glitches (will all be fixed in the coming days) our website launched yesterday at 1PM ET. We've received a number of reviews, and they are overwhelmingly positive. What we hope is that we give people an experience like no other in solar and from that you, our customer, gains the confidence to partner with ICP whether as a reseller or consumer.
In fact the most critical person (constructively of course)has been my wife. Being the Victoria's Secret and other fashion online shops guru, she took a look at our site and gave me a few good hints on how to make it more enjoyable. Now if you were me, would you take that advice?
Sass
Posted by sass at 07:17 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2005
Sunsei Solar Power Sunshine is rising...
Well, we are finally at the start line my team and I have been looking forward to for a long time.
After months of strategizing, investigating, developing and now preparing to deliver a new brand, new products, new website and even many changes within our company... we made it. The start line to this "F1 race" was always defined by me as November 1st. We now have the best car and the best driver. Our pit crew is ready to handle the onslaught of added business and just today, we injected the gasoline into the engine required for this race. Leadership doesn't come cheap and this exercise has demanded a lot. Yet, it is so overwhelming that the largest influx of investment ever in our history has just been secured to ensure we now deliver on the great promise and expectation we are about to create.
Imagine changing so much in so little time. No doubt it created much anxiety along the way, but I think you'll agree that the new ICP "gets it".
We'll soon know if we get the consumers to whom we have been listening attentively for many months and now structured our offerings according to their lifestyle and needs, rather than simply what the technology can do.
We'll soon know if we get the trade customers who told us that delivery, quality, distinction and margins were of tantamount importance in growing business together.
For the first time in the history of our solar cell factory, it's at full capacity! There is no secret formula except to say that we are now targeting customers who have the highest standards for specifications. They have discovered that our gospel is matched by our product quality. The development and factory team in Wales deserves huge kudos and I am personally grateful for their continued efforts and success.
And so today (sometime during the day because not all internet service providers pick up the new site at the same time) we turn on a tap at ICP SOLAR or SUNSEI SOLAR websites, and wait to see the results. I feel like a father in a birthing room. I can't do the mechanics, the baby is not inside me, but man can I savor the moment that baby comes out and gives new meaning to our corporate vision and future life. The change is not simply philosophical either!
We have also opened a webstore, similar to the AppleStore. While some may say that this is competing with our own customers, nothing is farther from the truth. The webstore is more like a mechanism to give us further consumer insight into our products. Imagine launching a new item, shipping it to a distributor (30 days), they then sell it to a dealer (30 days) who then sells it to a consumer (30-60days). It could therefore take up to 120 days before we'd know that our new products had an issue. We simply could not afford that. So the webstore gives us direct and immediate feedback on new products, while also helping to pay for the website investment (huge!) that we have obviously made. And while the ICP site was sending just a few hundred visitors to other sites, our retail partners get MILLIONS of visitors each month. So you can see that the effect is negligible on the retail side yet its very important on the side of complete customer service. Nevertheless, we'll also be improving our "FIND A DEALER" section in the coming weeks as more and more pick up the new SUNSEI line. Besides, we'll never undercut our retail-partners. Now THAT would be suicide!
To Mitch Joel and the Twist Image team, thanks! You've given so much to get here (and put up with a lot too!).
Sass
PS> Special thanks to Howard Firestone for the intro to Twist. Life will never be the same!
Posted by sass at 04:34 AM | Comments (3)