Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness

I read a blog post yesterday that really caught my attention.  It highlighted a list created by Don Yaeger, former editor of Sports Illustrated.  Don has put together a list of "Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness".  While we all aspire to be great, Don has hit on traits that separate the great from everyone else.

I read this list and thought of people I admire.  It is the best list of attributes of successful entrepreneurs, athletes and business executives I have ever read.  I thought I would share the complete list with you here... it is well worth the read.  Maybe you see some of these traits in yourself or someone in your life...

Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness

How they think:

1. It’s personal
They hate to lose more than they love to win. People that aspire to greatness know that defeat just isn’t an option.

2. Rubbing elbows
They understand the value of association. I always say that we become the people that surround us. Those of us who are aspiring to greatness, it is our job to rub elbows with the right people and to learn what makes them successful and what keeps them going. In turn, it is up to them to help us better ourselves. And if you can’t change the people around you, then choose different people to be around. Think about it.

3. Believe
They have faith in a higher power. It is proven that a strong spiritual commitment, and a strong belief in faith is linked to a positive outcome. In our current economic state, always remember the power of a positive mind-set and the importance of belief in beating the impossible.

4. Contagious enthusiasm
They are positive thinkers… They are enthusiastic… and that enthusiasm rubs off. When you’re trying to work through your challenge-professional or personal – do so with the belief that the best is yet to come. Stay positive.

How they prepare:

5. Hope for the best but…
They prepare for all possibilities before they step on the field. I am an eternal optimist. But I am also a realist. When I enter into any situation, I am excited about the possibilities it may bring. But I also know that there are a lot of variables beyond my control. So I contingency-plan.

6. What off-season?
They are always working towards the next game… The goal is what’s ahead, and there’s always something ahead. if you visualize where you want to be and work backwards from there, you can always be moving the ball forward.

7. Visualize victory
They see victory before the game begins. Positive visualization is a proven ingredient of a successful outcome.

8. Inner fire
They use adversity as fuel.One thing in life is certain… none of us gets through without adversity. What matters is that we find the strength to work through it. When we are knocked down, it may take hours, days, weeks, or months, but we need to get back up. For me, I’m at the point where challenging situations invigorate me. I’m mentally tough enough to embrace the adversity heading my way, overcome it, and learn from it.

How they work:

9. Ice in their veins
They are risk-takers and don’t fear making a mistake. Failure is one of our greatest teachers. I’m amazed at how much risk-tolerance I have acquired. But it’s the one component that enables me to keep growing. If I stopped to think about how much I have on the line, I would be paralyzed.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career,” NBA legend Michael Jordan, who was known for his late-game heroics in addition to six national titles, once said. “I’ve lost almost 300 games – 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”

10. When all else fails
They know how – and when – to adjust their game plan. Flexibility and adaptability is essential to survival. I wrote a previous column on this exact topic… the ability to shift when everything around you is shifting too.

11. Ultimate teammate
They will assume whatever role is necessary for the team to win. Individual accomplishments are important, but the sum is always greater in value than the individual parts. How much do you step up to help those around you? When others around you thrive, you thrive as well.

12. Not just about the Benjamins
They don’t play just for the money. It’s never about the money. And if it is, it’s about the wrong thing. The money will come if you follow your passion… if you become a part of something bigger than yourself. As a business owner, I view our profits as a catalyst to build a greater organization.

How they live:

13. Do unto others
They know character is defined by how they treat those who cannot help them. One of the greatest sources of satisfaction is helping others, from a truly altruistic standpoint. We all have something to give… our time, our experiences, our compassion.

14. When no one is watching
They are comfortable in the mirror… they live their life with integrity. I always tell my kids… “What matters is not what you do when everyone is watching. What matters is what you do when no one is watching.” Your ultimate accountability has to be to yourself.

15. When everyone is watching
They embrace the idea of being a role model. As leaders, we have an obligation to promote positive leadership, and demonstrate the positive influence we can have on others. Our actions shape those coming behind us.

16. Records are made to be broken
They know their legacy isn’t what they did on the field. They are well-rounded. A legacy isn’t what you took from this world. A legacy is what you leave behind.

Now go out and accomplish something!

Tom Cuthbert

"The World is a Complicated Place, Hobbes"

I really miss Calvin and Hobbes.  For years I enjoyed reading them to my son and laughing together.  Today the cartoonist, Bill Watterson is retired and my son is reading Fantasy Football stats!

Calvin represented the boy in all of us.  He was inquisitive, fearless (to a point) and adventurous.  I enjoyed his imagination and certainly saw some of me in Calvin, and Calvin in my son.

Hobbes is the quintessential calming influence.  The imaginary tiger was both a friend and counselor.  Together they made a great team and got into (and out of) more trouble than I ever did!

The comic below is one of my favorites.  Often times, Calvin and Hobbes dealt with 'big picture' issues in a simple way.  Live life for a few years and you realize the world is a complicated place.  There are definitely days when I would have loved to take Hobbes advice and just "take a nap in a tree and wait for dinner."



I hope this holiday season your world can be uncomplicated.  Enjoy the little things and appreciate the blessings of life.  While the world may not be as simple as black and white, it is an awesome place when filled with the color of life.

My favorite quote is by Ronald Reagan, "Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." Indeed.

Tom Cuthbert

The LeBron Switch is Not About the Number

LeBron James is arguably the best player under 30 in the NBA, I don't think there is much debate.  So when he announced recently that "out of respect for Michael Jordan" he was going to wear the number 6 next year, there were a few eyebrows raised. There are currently 11 other players in the NBA who sport MJ's digits.  (Most notably Marcus Camby and Kevin Martin, least notably Stephen Graham and Jodie Meeks).  So why is LeBron so concerned about the number?  I think it's because he is already thinking of a change of scenery next year and a little spiffing up for the ole brand.

Sure there are huge marketing benefits for changing numbers. You may recall Kobe going from 8 to 24 a few years ago.  That switch pushed him past LeBron in jersey sales.  But in this case, I don't think LeBron is worried about selling gear in the near future.  And with all due respect to both messieurs James and Jordan, it's not about honoring MJ.  If it were, LeBron would realize that Bill Russell, a #6, (11 championships to Jordan's 6) should be honored as well.

I like LeBron and think he is great for the NBA.  But let's get real, changing numbers is not about honoring anyone. It's about positioning for next year and marketing.  LeBron is a brand, and every once and awhile, brands need to be freshened up.  So let's not hide the fact that LeBron is a savvy marketer as well as an amazing athlete.

One other note... I have decided to change my name in honor of Tom Landry (or maybe Tom Cruise, or Tom's Shoes, or TomTom GPS...).  I'm taking nominations for a new name to begin wearing next year.  It needs to meet two critical criteria... first honor someone famous (but not too famous) and secondly, look good on a jersey :)

FKA Tom Cuthbert

Blogging About Blogs

This week, I'll be attending Blogworld in Las Vegas for the first time.  I'm looking forward to the show and interested in learning about the world of blogging and social media in general.  The conference features thought leaders, bloggers and participants from an industry that is still in it's infancy.  For years I have been fascinated with the blogging phenomenon.  Blogs have connected people, spread ideas and information, created 'micro-celebrities' and contributed to the downfall of the newspaper industry.

The term 'blog' is a contraction of 'weblog', first coined by Jorn Barger in 1997 then turned into just 'blog' in 1999.  Today blogs are part of everyday life and a fairly large industry in and of itself.  This week at Blogworld, I plan to learn about that industry and am specifically interested in the sports aspect of blogging.  If you are in this area and will be at Blogworld, I'd love to connect!

I have been blogging now for almost two years on everything from Google to Rascal Flatts.  Much of my focus has been on click fraud and online advertising.  I'm not interested in making money off my personal blog, only sharing ideas, connecting with interesting people and ranting about random topics.  However, blogs have definitely been a vehicle for Click Forensics to share information and reach new customers.

Finding a blog that interests you is easy.  Sites like Technorati allow you to search by topic and find your interests.  (For example my love of the NBA returns these results)  There are several blogs I read everyday including the Wall St. Journal, Bleacher Report, Silicon Alley Insider and ChrisBrogan.com.

Nowadays, setting up a blog could not be easier.  Sites like Wordpress, LiveJournal, Blogger.com and Typepad.  The WSJ Blog recently had a post called "To Blog or Not?".  If you have something to say I encourage you to blog!  It can be therapeutic, entertaining, engaging and even profitable.  Jump in, speak out and blog away...

Tom Cuthbert

Beware the “Bahama” Botnet

By Steve O'Brien, Click Forensics

Just when you thought the fraudsters couldn’t get any more sophisticated … they surprise you.  Click Forensics researchers have recently discovered one of the most advanced sources of click fraud we’ve seen.  We’ve named it the “Bahama botnet” because when first discovered it was redirecting traffic through 200,000 parked domain sites located in the Bahamas.  It has since been reprogrammed to redirect through other intermediate sites hosted in Amsterdam, the U.K., and even San Jose, CA, but the Bahama name stuck.

Interestingly, the Bahama botnet appears to be closely related to the recent spate of “scareware” attacks, such as the one perpetrated against The New York Times digital site just a few days ago, reported by ComputerWorld.  Visitors to the NYTimes.com site were greeted with a pop-up informing them their computer was infected and directed to an authentic-looking site where they could install a program called Personal Antivirus.  Users duped into purchasing this phony software were then infected with a Trojan that gave control of their computer to an unknown third party that we now know to be part of a gang in the Ukraine.

We believe the Bahama botnet is controlled by this same gang, or their neighbors down the street.  More info about the “Ukranian fan club” can be found in Dancho Danchev’s excellent security blog.  We’re pretty sure the Bahama botnet is related to the Ukranian fan club and the NYTimes.com scareware because they each phone back to a bogus “Windows protection” domain located on the same IP address.

These sources were originally identified by the Black Hat community, but we believe Click Forensics is the first to discover the breadth and depth of click fraud being perpetrated by the botnets it controls.  And the botnet is incredibly insidious.

The video below shows the botnet in action, caught on film and narrated by Click Forensic’s own Matt Graham, the infected machine will exhibit some really funky behavior.  Clicks on organic search results are redirected through a series of parked domains across a number of top-tier ad providers (search engines and ad networks), eventually arriving at an advertiser unrelated to the original query.  The user is momentarily confused, but likely just performs the search again, this time with easy success.



What makes the botnet so insidious is that it operates intermittently so that the user doesn’t really know that anything is wrong.  Additionally, it can operate independently of the user because the authors appear to be building a large database of authentically user-generated search queries.

[caption id="attachment_718" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Seemingly random clicks discovered through advanced pattern detection"][/caption]

And because the queries come from many different machines (IPs) across a broad segment of the Internet population, it is very difficult to find and identify these clicks as fraudulent.  But these auto-generated clicks were not able to disguise themselves well enough to escape Click Forensics anomaly detection algorithms.  Additionally, large amounts of non-converting clicks were spotted in the data we receive from advertisers.  From there, our team was able to hone in on the source of the Bahama botnet.

The Doctors Are ‘In’

In February of 2006, Click Forensics was just getting off the ground.  We recognized the problem of click fraud was a big problem and that building a solution would be tough technical challenge.

[caption id="attachment_709" align="alignright" width="248" caption="Dr. Tuzhilin with the Click Forensics founding team in 2006"][/caption]

We decided to bring in an expert in the field of data mining and anomaly detection in click stream analysis.  That expert was Dr. Alex Tuzhilin.  Alex spent the day with us at our offices in San Antonio and provided us a road map for the evolution of our approach to identifying invalid traffic.  His contribution to us at that point was essential and provided tremendous insight.  After reviewing our approach he commented,

"Click Forensics has good data and this is a source of their advantage over the search engines. My role is to work with them to refine the scoring methodology to improve accuracy. Their approach is to incorporate as much data as possible to improve accuracy. The search providers simply don't have enough data to have the most accurate approach."

Shortly after Alex visit to Texas, I received a call from the lead attorney representing Lane’s Gifts in their lawsuit against Google.  He said, “Tom, I just hired your Ph.D!”  He told me that the judge in that case had mandated that an outside consultant review Google’s click fraud detection methods and publish paper on the efficacy.  Alex spent many weeks at Google and wrote an insightful paper detailing their approach, ultimately describing it as “reasonable”.  The Lane’s Gift case was settled and Alex returned to his role as a professor at NYU.

Today we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Tuzhilin has joined the Click Forensics Advisory Board.  Few individuals have had more real-world and academic experience in the measurement of online traffic quality and its effect on advertisers.  His work has helped move the industry toward standards and cooperation.  After visiting us in Austin a few weeks ago and meeting with our technology team, Alex said,

“Having firsthand experience reviewing the state of the art in ad network traffic management, I was impressed with the level of technical sophistication the team exhibits and I was impressed with the directions they are going, Click Forensics has played a leadership role in helping the online advertising community to monitor quality of clicks on ads, including identification of invalid clicks. I look forward to continuing to work with the team.”

In additional to Dr. Tuzhilin, we have also added Dr. William Wright, the Chief Scientist at Paypal.  Dr. Wright, a Ph.D. in cognitive science, is an artificial intelligence expert who has built numerous analytical and predictive systems over the past twenty years, including the Falcon Credit Card Fraud Detection System at HNC, the Advanced Fraud Screen system at CyberSource, and numerous adversarial modeling systems for the U.S. military.  After spending time with our team, William concluded,

“Click Forensics has built a strong team of developers using very advanced machine learning and data mining techniques to detect fraud and measure traffic quality, they are pioneering a new area of fraud detection and I’m finding it satisfying to work closely with them on leveraging lessons from my past experience combating credit card and banking fraud.”

One out of every five employees at Click Forensics hold a Ph.D.  Adding the expertise of Alex and William dramatically enhances our ability to meet our goal of providing the state of the art approach to traffic quality management.  I appreciate their contributions and look forward to benefiting from their knowledge in the future.

Tom Cuthbert

Search Engine Strategies SJC Recap

While attendance at SES San Jose was definitely down this year, it was still a great show.  I enjoyed meeting people at our booth and appreciated the hard work of our team pulling that all together.  We met a lot of interesting folks and enjoyed hearing feedback on new Click Forensics dashboard.

The big hit, of course, were the "Stress Einstein" squishys! Who wouldn't want of these guys!  They reminded me of the bobble-heads in "Night at the Museum 2" :)

I also enjoyed participating in a session titled, "Ads in a Quality Score World".   Mike Grehan moderated the panel and both Yahoo (Tomaso Pozzi) and Google (Jonathan Alferness) participated.  WebProNews covered the session and wrote a nice recap.  My presentation is below.

Click to close

Speaker Profile

[slideshare id=1858957&doc=ses0809-090813202600-phpapp01]

The other highlight of the week for me was our Click Quality Council dinner.  We had of 25 executives from ad networks, publishers, advertisers and search engines join us for a great dinner of conversation, networking and fun!

The conversation is always interesting when you have people representing all corners of the online advertising ecosystem.  It was the third year we have hosted the CQC dinner in San Jose and our 13th since the Council was formed in 2006.

Tom Cuthbert