10. Skitch
With Skitch you will never have to hear “it looks fine on my machine” from your developers again. Skitch is a handy little tool that lets you quickly take screen shots or images and annotate them. Nothing is more effective than giant red arrows when you want to point something out. It can also be used as an effective mechanism to embarrass co-workers.
9. An Executive with a Foreign Accent
This asset is particularly useful when properly utilized. It’s like the wild card in Uno, it can be whatever you desire. Want your company to sound really smart in front of the media and investors? Bring in the foreigner. Want to confuse the hell out of people so they will stop asking questions? Bring in the foreigner. Either way, people can’t really understand what they are saying. And when he has outlived his usefulness, you can have him deported!
8. Summize.com & Blog Search
Good or bad, people will talk about you and your company all the time. It’s not really behind your back, but if you don’t know it’s out there it can bite you. Use Google Blog Search and Summize to find out what people are saying, what you they are doing wrong and why you don’t should care. Did you know that I am part of a CIA conspiracy? Damn, I shouldn’t have told you that. Now I have to swallow my cynanide pill.
7. A Clear Card
It’s not available in all airports yet, but the Clear Card allows you to skip through security lines at the airport. No longer are you stuck behind the person that doesn’t understand that a water bottle contains liquid, a belt buckle contains metal, and a pocket knife is indeed a knife. Spend $100 and you will be able to cut the line while watching others endure the TSA pat down. Personally, I like the pat down, but not everyone is as lonely as I am.
6. Food & Drink
Whether it’s closing a big sale or bribing a co-worker, never under estimate the power of food or drink. Client stalling on signing that insertion order? Buy him a couple of beers then casually slip the contract on the table. Developers say it can’t be done? Perhaps a bag of Cheetos can help overcome that “load balancing issue”. I personally carry a ham sandwich and a mini bottle of tequila in my bag at all times, just in case I have to grease the proverbial wheels.
5. Pants
Every entrepreneur should have up to three good pairs of pants. Not shorts mind you. Pants. You never know when you will need them. And when wearing said pants, try to remember to keep them zipped up. I learned that the hard way.
4. Blogging Buddies
I won’t get into who I consider a blogging buddy of mine, but having some people out there to help spread the word certainly makes it easier to launch a new site or promote a stupid blog post. I will tell you that I have Michael Arrington’s cell phone number. I think I have only spoken to Mike a few times on the phone, but that’s not why it’s important. I sell his number to other entrepreneurs in exchange for blog posts about IZEA and fine cheeses for our team. I also like to call him up at 3:00 AM and pretend to be drunk Robert Scoble.
“Miiiiiiiiiiike. Miiikkke. Mikey. Seriously… seriously…I love you like a brother. Stop blogging about me. Love you man. I’m hungry.”
3. Mobile Internet
I don’t care if you get it through your iPhone or a wireless cell card on your laptop, but if you are awake you should to be connected and available. Sure, my girlfriend thinks it’s weird that I browse Digg in the shower, but I know what’s going on in the world before I brush my teeth each day. Oh, and when I say I am “browsing Digg”? Yeah, totally a euphemism.
2. Perseveranaciousness
You may not be called “El Diablo”, but chances are someone at some time will tell you that you are crazy, wrong, or just plain stupid. Remember, few great things happen overnight. If you want to succeed it takes work, strength, perseverance and tenacity. Listen to your critics, adjust as need be, but never lose sight of your goal. Unless of course your goal is to give up meat, because that’s just stupid. Corn dogs are dee-lish! Spam, too.
1. Pepto-Bismol Tablets
Why is this number one on the list? Because it has so many applications. For example :
the hangover after partying with bloggers like Shoemoney or Aaron Brazell, the ten minutes before heading into your board meeting, the moment the site crashes, the moment the site crashes again, reading a proposal to see what a sales person promised a client. A few of the little pink guys can get you through the day and prevent you from losing that precious $5.00 Starbucks.
