A mysterious (but seemingly genuine) opportunity

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Roy Hann - 14 Oct 2008 20:43 GMT

I just got this email today, from a well-placed acquaintance, passing on
an opportunity that greatly exceeds my ability to execute. If anyone
reading this meagre outline feels they might have the right background,
I'd be happy to pass on your email address.

> I've been approached by an investment company, based in Chicago,
> that wishes to invest in some "database technology". They wanted to
> know if I would be willing to do some kind of evaluation of the
> technology in question (I'm not), or if I knew anybody else they
> might approach for that purpose.
>
> I had a phone call with the person who contacted me and I learned
> that the "technology" in question is in the Data Warehouse arena and
> involves translating SQL queries into some "multidimensional
> database" notation, to take advantage of some possibly novel storage
> architecture. The guy I spoke to was a lawyer who had found my name
> [...] by Googling "database" (!) and had bought [my book], which of
> course was impenetrable to him.

I have already verified that this is nothing to do with the
Transrelational Model; the lawyer had never heard the term or the name
Steve Tarin.

My reply-to address won't work, so if you don't feel like putting your
hand up in public, email me at coddbotherer at googlemail dot c-o-m.

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Roy

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Bob Badour - 14 Oct 2008 22:28 GMT

> I just got this email today, from a well-placed acquaintance, passing on
> an opportunity that greatly exceeds my ability to execute. If anyone
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>>technology in question (I'm not), or if I knew anybody else they
>>might approach for that purpose.

The requirement of "some kind of evaluation" is rather vague.

>>I had a phone call with the person who contacted me and I learned
>>that the "technology" in question is in the Data Warehouse arena and
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> My reply-to address won't work, so if you don't feel like putting your
> hand up in public, email me at coddbotherer at googlemail dot c-o-m.

Doing any kind of coherent technical or theoretical evaluation of
anything "multidimensional" would be very difficult and probably
wouldn't help them in any case if their question is "Might this thing
make money?".

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DBMS_Plumber - 15 Oct 2008 01:43 GMT

> > The guy I spoke to was a lawyer who had found my name
> > [...] by Googling "database" (!) and had bought [my book], which of
> > course was impenetrable to him.

Run. Away.

Run. Away. Fast.

How fast? Can you go any faster?

Lawyer+Google+technology+evaluate=Flee!

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Roy Hann - 15 Oct 2008 05:58 GMT

>> > The guy I spoke to was a lawyer who had found my name
>> > [...] by Googling "database" (!) and had bought [my book], which of
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Lawyer+Google+technology+evaluate=Flee!

As a rule of thumb that's not bad advice. But on the other hand, if
this really is a lawyer attempting to do "due diligence" for a real
investor, he *would* have contacted the person who asked me if I'd be
interested. I am fascinated but I also know my own limitations.

If you think you might be able to make a good job of something like
this, which might include helping the client establish your terms of
reference before you ever do any kind of evaluation, then it should at
least be worth talking to the guy.

Contact me offline at coddbotherer at googlemail dot c-o-m for a bit
more background if you like.

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Roy

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