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I hate most interviews, and I think everyone else does too.

This interview is different.

Interviews suck because posing twelve canned questions leads to shallow, uninsightful, unactionable answers. Interviewers don’t ask penetrating, useful questions; no one cares where you grew up. You want to learn from interesting, thoughtful people, not read a biography.

So I’m starting the Uncommon Interview:?Five questions that solicit deep answers with actionable advice, examples, and insight. Answers in paragraphs, not one-liners. Depth, not breadth. (Leave a comment and tell me if you want more of these.)

Let’s get started.

Peldi got 100 product reviews in the first six weeks after product launch and raked in $800,000 in the first 12 months of operation. That should get your attention!

The first Uncommon ..read more

Last fall, I went to Cancun for the first time and saw why this vacation area is so popular. The sun always shines, the beach goes on forever and most hotels offer unlimited food and drink as part of a package deal. And if you get tired of lying around, you can hop a bus and see fabulous Mayan ruins.

Now, of course, the H1N1 flu has made us all steer clear of Mexico and the federal government is warning us not to go there for “non-essential travel.”

But what if your trip is already booked and paid for? Do you have the right to a refund if you cancel?

U.S. airlines and tour operators are being lenient with travellers who want to change their plans, says ..read more

If you read blogs about marketing small companies, you’re inundated with “social media” advice about why you need a blog and a Twitter account and everything else.

Even my 90-year-old grandmother who doesn’t own a computer and reads my wife’s healthy cooking blog on print-outs asks “What’s Twitter?” because she read about it in the New York Times.

Still, most people and most businesses don’t think they need a blog.

In the next five minutes, I’d like to convince you that you have?to jump into the world of blogging and Twitter and Facebook.

Back in the late 1990s….

(Ew, don’t you cringe when you hear the phrase “back in the late 1990s?” Here comes a tale of hope and of disappointment, of “paradigm shifts” and of ..read more

Not long ago, 80/20 mortgages were so commonplace and many home buyers were using them to buy homes with no money down.  Today 80/20 are essentially so nonexistent that is does not matter if you have a perfect 850 FICO score, you still will not be able to find an 80/20 mortgage.  For better or for worse, these loans are no longer being offer to any type of borrower.

If you are wondering “What is an 80/20 mortgage?” let me explain.  An 80/20 mortgage (also called piggyback loans, tandem loans, nothing down mortgage, etc.) is (was) a mortgage for 80% of the purchase price with an additional mortgage for the other 20% of the purchase price, for ..read more

The idea of diagramming you own personal finance network to show the relationships between your financial accounts is such a great idea.  I was inspired by Jim at Bargaineering to create my own financial network map.  Being a systems/software engineer by profession, I can’t believe I never though of the idea myself, but I think its a great tool for understanding your own financial accounts.  In the past, I’ve often had to do some financial maneuvering to transfer funds between accounts electronically (like when I went away to college and did not have a physical bank located in my city), and this is a great way to see how you can make transfers more efficiently and more.

..read more