Remember and practice these four freedoms:

Freedom of speech and expression

All people, everywhere in the world, should have freedom to express themselves. For a business, with this freedom comes the duty to speak responsibly. Make the points that are true, stand up for what is right. Do not twist and manipulate this dearly won right to hypnotize the public for our own ends. Refrain from flattery and support of those who are more powerful to curry favor.

Freedom of worship

Hold fast to what you believe and use principle to guide your actions. At the same time, remember that others have the same right. Do not force someone to bend a knee and worship at the altar you favor.

Freedom from want

Work to grow and make prosperous your company, but remember that, truly, no one accomplishes everything without help. An uncountable list of ancestors, whether of blood or…

The dress code in my office is business casual, but every once in a while I like to wear a tie. You know…look good, feel good…dress for the job you want, not the job you have…all that good stuff. Actually, there are times I just like to dress up for no special reason. But whenever I do, invariably I hear the same wisecrack from one or more team members: “Why are you all dressed up? Got a job interview today?” My response is always the same: “I interview for my job every day!”

Although I say that somewhat jokingly, there is an element of truth I’m trying to reinforce with my team—every day you show up to work is an interview for your job. In today’s economy you have to continually demonstrate to your employer how you’re adding value to the organization. I’m not talking about approaching your job from a state of fear…

Earlier this week I was talking to an entrepreneur about his new idea. He was selling me hard on how it was such a great idea and that it’d be super easy to sell. I then asked about competitors and who else was in the market doing it. So, I asked, “If you were a buyer, what search terms would you use on Google to find this service?” We tried a half dozen searches and had no luck finding anything related to this idea. Do I believe competitors exist? Absolutely. Could I find anything? No. Without being able to research the idea more by way of competitors, I recommended he assess market demand.

Here are a few ideas on assessing market demand:

• Browse LinkedIn for 50 people with the pain and send them an InMail message asking to talk
• Ask 20 friends for introductions to any of their friends or…

Europe’s highest court this week ruled that a Spanish man can force Google(s goog) to remove a search result that contained financial information he thought was embarrassing. The surprise ruling, which has alarmed free speech advocates, has big implications for tech companies like Google and Facebook, and could fundamentally change how people use the internet in Europe.

Here’s an explanation of what the ruling actually does, what the press is saying and where to learn more.

Who is this Spanish man and what can he remove from Google?

Mario Costeja is a 59-year-old lawyer who sought to remove a Google link to a 1998 news article about an auction, which mentioned that Costeja had to sell his house to pay outstanding debts. The European Court of Justice’s decision means that the news article will remain online but that it will no longer turn up in some Google searches.

Where does the ruling apply and when will it…

Nike has let go most of the members of its FuelBand wearables unit and will stop developing new versions of the device, according to a report by CNET. The tech news site quoted an unnamed person “familiar with the matter” as saying that the firm has laid off 70 to 80 percent of its 70-person hardware division and will not produce a new version of the FuelBand, but will continue to sell the existing version. Some industry observers believe Nike has decided to align itself with Apple, which is expected to launch an iWatch or other wearable device that might run Nike’s Fuel software. Apple CEO Tim Cook is a member of Nike’s board.

Tonight we had a Technology Executive Roundtable event in the new Atlanta Tech Village conference center. Tom Noonan, one of the panelists, made several excellent remarks (as well as memorable ones — ask about the purple shoe). One of his comments really stood out to me: corporate culture drives how you feel.

Think about the following:

• Culture drives how employees feel about the business
• Culture drives how customers feel about the business
• Culture drives how partners feel about the business

Culture is representative of the values and social contracts within the company. Ultimately, culture is about people, and people drive how you feel. As much as business is about numbers and metrics, it’s also about experiences and emotions. The next time you interact with a company, ask yourself how the company’s culture affected how you feel about the business.

What else? What are some other thoughts on culture and how it…