PhilMur's thoughts on biz/tech/money/life

A couple of quick things here…

1) I have decided NOT to do a series on Atlas Shrugged – I will instead be writing a post or two about it after I’ve finished the book — I’m reading the book too fast and enjoying it too much to stop and write something every chapter or two.

2) Multiple people have told me my blog postings are too long. I am going to try and shorten them. T.S. Elliot once said “I would have written a shorter letter if I’d had more time.”

3) I updated the lease vs. buy spreadsheet from my blog posting on leasing the other day to correct some errors. The link to the download on that page now downloads a corrected file.

4) I’m soliciting name ideas for a permanent title for my blog. Doesn’t have to contain PhilMur in the name even though philmur.com will continue to be my domain name. PLEASE DROP NAME IDEAS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW…

Thanks-
Phil

What is this blog, “PhilMur’s thoughts on biz/tech/money/life” all about??

It started first in my mind, as a way of keeping track of my own thoughts and information I’m gathering on an ongoing basis.  Many of those thoughts are about business, technology (which I love!), money, and life.  It is my thinking and work in those areas that I will discuss here.

I am a student of business — not the best student in the world, and certainly not the most knowledgeable, wisest, or most articulate. Nonetheless, I love learning about business and I love telling about what I learn. Completion of my MBA a few years ago taught me how to learn about business, even though one of the first things I learned was how much more I had to learn! So, this blog will serve as a place for me to place my thoughts on business in general from time to time.

As for technology, I come from a high-tech background (web design, and an ISP firm both in the mid-90′s), with a 10-year hiatus into a very different industry — construction subcontracting with some light manufacturing. I always tried to apply technology into the work environment in a practical, helpful way. I have learned (the hard way) that technology is only valuable if people actually use it. It should not get in people’s way, it should enable them to be more efficient, creative, and productive than old-world technologies (think calculators, manual bookkeeping, faxing, etc.) would allow them to be. Now (in 2009) I find myself back in technology, running the finances and operations of a small dot-com start-up based in Austin, TX. I am glad to be doing it and excited to grow and contribute in the industry.

Again, this is a personal blog but is profoundly influenced by both my business and personal experiences.  In my roles in business over the years, I am typically working with the finances of the company in some way, shape or form every day.  It is interesting that the average person probably only spends an hour or so a week looking at or thinking hard about financial issues — opening bills, paying bills, spending money, etc.  On the other hand, I spend most of every day working on financial matters.  That means that in just my last 3 years of work, I’ve likely spent more time in the topic than most people spend in 50+ years of adult life.  I am not necessarily any wiser about money than the average person because of that, although I would like to think that along the way I am learning from my own mistakes and the mistakes of others.  And so, I hope to capture thoughts, ideas, and resources related to these issues.

My foremost thought about money and its connection to life is this:  Life should not primarily be about money.  We give it power, though, when many or all of our decisions are made with money as a primary driver in those decisions.  Some individuals do not like dealing with money or even thinking about it.  I suppose that approach can be freeing in a way, but it can also lead to mismanagement and poor stewardship.  Others spend too much time constantly worrying about money — what to do with the resources they have, or worrying about not having enough.  There has to be a happy middle there where one seeks to be a good stewardship with his or her finances for the purpose of moving beyond money issues, to the other matters in life that money simply facilitates.  For example, if you have money in your checking account, you shouldn’t spend excess time fretting over putting food on the table the next week.  Or, if your car or house is paid for, this frees you of worries about repossession, declines in its value, or your ability to sell them in the near future if needed.  There is a place for risk-taking, of course, but I would argue that most people’s money worries are self-inflicted.

So, there it is. A group of discussions on several overlapping areas with which almost all of us interact. I hope that you enjoy the discussion.

I am looking forward to receiving your feedback and comments.

Respectfully,
Phil Murray