All of these facts are well known. The questions for those of us who are involved in running high tech businesses are: How long will this situation last? What happens next? When things change, will the situation go back to what we were used to in the late 1990’s, or some other situation? Have the rules changed for winning? Where should we invest? Where should we cut our losses?

As an investor in both public and private equity of high tech businesses, and as a consultant, writer, and speaker on this subject, I have the motivation, time, and inclination to figure this out. As a corporate executive, I’m sure you have the same need to figure this out, but do not have the same amount of time or access to the same resources. So the purpose of this new daily column is to help you make some sense of it all.

My advice and perspective are based on over 25 years in the computer, software, and telecom business, with over 10 years in executive roles (see bio). My advice and perspective are also based on the analysis and theories explained in my book The Slingshot Syndrome, published at the end of 2001.