If you could taste words, most corporate websites, brochures, and sales materials would remind you of stale, soggy rice cakes: nearly calorie free, devoid of nutrition, and completely unsatisfying.

I'm generally risk averse, and most great entrepreneurs I know are as well.

When you spend time with potential customers, you get to hear about their struggles firsthand. You see their eyes light up with excitement or darken with confusion. You learn things you would never find in a survey, database, or questionnaire. You learn why people buy.

Wouldn't you rather live 10 years in a bowl of ice cream than 100 years in a bag of rice cakes

Unlike a goldfish, a computer can't really do anything without you telling it exactly what you want it to do.

A diverse customer base helps insulate you; a few large accounts can leave you vulnerable to their whims.