The origin of the editor’s mark “TK” is murky. It’s what you write when there’s a fact or addition you’re waiting on. Instead of stopping everything, simply type “TK” and you know you can come back and fix it later. The modern purpose of TK is that there are few words in English … | Continue reading
When Betty Crocker (not her real name) first started selling cake mixes, all you had to do was add water. They failed. But when they changed the recipe and required users to add oil and an egg, sal… | Continue reading
When Betty Crocker (not her real name) first started selling cake mixes, all you had to do was add water. They failed. But when they changed the recipe and required users to add oil and an egg, sales went up. Because people like to feel as though they’re cooking. It made the mix … | Continue reading
It’s frustrating for anyone who leads. If everyone who says that they’re a contributor/member/supporter/fan/long-term customer showed up, huge things would happen. So we spend a lot of time hustling to get the lurkers to take action. Post again! Create more incentives! Dumb it do … | Continue reading
Is cheaper better? Is profit the only thing to be maximized? For its first decade, Federal Express embraced customer service as a marketing tool. They were competing with the postal service, but more than that, they were trying hard to create a habit that turned 25 cent deliverie … | Continue reading
Do you remember all the elements you didn’t used to notice? It might be the way you see typography now, or the tuning of an orchestra. Or the alignment in the mouldings of a house you’re inspecting or the way an engine sounds… (or whether you put a ‘u’ in moulding) Expertise is a … | Continue reading
Lock-in persists. That’s why it’s so valued by monopolists, tyrants and cults. The ability to speak up always creates inefficiency. It’s easier to just shut up and drive. Or be driven. But the ability to speak up is a self-cleaning algorithm. Our freedom to move on, to criticize … | Continue reading
Whenever there’s a speculative bubble going on (or a cultural one, for that matter) life inside the bubble seems rational and normal. And so artists at Miami:Basel are talking about minting NFTs. Not because they understand them (they don’t) or because they provide actual utility … | Continue reading
If today was a holiday in your honor, what would it be about? If we had to examine everything about you, your work, your impact, your reputation–what would be the positive caricature we would draw? What sorts of slogans, banners and greetings would we use to celebrate you and you … | Continue reading
My first computer game design was in 1977–I came up with a version of Star Wars. It was almost nothing like the movie, but it was a pretty good game for something running on a mainframe. The Godfather isn’t a perfect retelling of the book. But it’s a better movie as a result. A r … | Continue reading
Benchmarking involves looking at every element of what you offer and comparing it to the very best element of any of your competitors. So your door handle is as good as the Audi’s, and your b… | Continue reading
Benchmarking involves looking at every element of what you offer and comparing it to the very best element of any of your competitors. So your door handle is as good as the Audi’s, and your brake pedal is as good as the Volvo’s and… It’s pretty tempting to do this. Who wants any … | Continue reading
Whatever “it” is. That’s probably a mistake. People don’t know what you know, don’t believe what you believe, don’t fear what you fear. They’re not equally skilled, equally fast and equally equipped. “If I were you” isn’t that helpful. | Continue reading
Who decided that this was a good way for a group to interact? It’s all the worst elements of synchronous and asynchronous discussion rolled into one. It prioritizes speed of reply over though… | Continue reading
Who decided that this was a good way for a group to interact? It’s all the worst elements of synchronous and asynchronous discussion rolled into one. It prioritizes speed of reply over thoughtfulness, and creates a hard-to-manage non-coordinated sort of discovery and decision mak … | Continue reading
The system is lazy. It focuses on the things that are easy to measure: How fast can you type, what was your score on the test, how many followers do you have? One way to move forward is to learn discernment. You can discover overlooked value by measuring things that are difficult … | Continue reading
A simple approach to learning how to solicit and receive feedback: Begin by showing a well-meaning peer someone else’s novel, painting, design or business plan… You might discover that when you show it to a friend (“here’s a chapter from a novel I’m writing” or “Here’s the logo m … | Continue reading
It’s scary. That’s the point. Pick a date certain. You’re on the hook. Describe a particular type of client, or even choose one by name. Be really clear about the change you seek to make. Put your name on it. Charge a fair price. Assert that you’ve got something to say. Know what … | Continue reading
It probably doesn’t pay to buy your prom dress when you are 12 years old. You’re not sure of the size, not sure of what styles will be like and not even sure you want to go. On the othe… | Continue reading
It probably doesn’t pay to buy your prom dress when you are 12 years old. You’re not sure of the size, not sure of what styles will be like and not even sure you want to go. On the othe… | Continue reading
Technology/science Resources Information For a long time, we had no clue. We didn’t know about germs or viruses. We thought that ulcers were caused by pastrami sandwiches. We went to the barb… | Continue reading
To make an album of music good enough to make it to the Top 40, it used to cost a million dollars. Now you can do it in your bedroom. To make a commercial for network TV, a minute of footage cost a… | Continue reading
Marketing makes change happen. And for humans, the change is rarely linear. There’s a moment before and a moment after the decision is made. Some people find the moment thrilling, others are … | Continue reading
There’s a mythology around people with famous resumes. Folks who have worked for brands we’ve heard of and on projects that have been successful. We give the benefit of the doubt to som… | Continue reading
The map might be correct, but that doesn’t mean it will work. The sign might be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be effective. We’re surrounded by instruction manu… | Continue reading
“I’d like corn for dinner.” So, six months ago, you’ll need to plant the corn so you can harvest it today and cook it tonight. Or you can drive to the farmer’s market … | Continue reading
“I’d like corn for dinner.” So, six months ago, you’ll need to plant the corn so you can harvest it today and cook it tonight. Or you can drive to the farmer’s market … | Continue reading
Who invented the smartphone? Well, certainly Alexander Graham Bell, Antonio Meucci, Hedy Lamarr and Edison and Tesla had something to do with it. And the folks at Fairchild. And Palm and Cisco and … | Continue reading
Who invented the smartphone? Well, certainly Alexander Graham Bell and Antonio Meucci and Edison and Tesla had something to do with it. And the folks at Fairchild. And Palm and Cisco and General Ma… | Continue reading
Reassurance always runs out. Reassurance implies that the only reason to go forward is because it’s certain to work. Reassurance is futile. Encouragement means that someone sees us, understan… | Continue reading
Reassurance always runs out. Reassurance implies that the only reason to go forward is because it’s certain to work. Reassurance is futile. Encouragement means that someone sees us, understan… | Continue reading
When a client, a boss or an employee makes a special request, it’s okay to get a little bent out of shape. It might cost you extra time or money, it might be a hassle, it might not be deserve… | Continue reading
When a client, a boss or an employee makes a special request, it’s okay to get a little bent out of shape. It might cost you extra time or money, it might be a hassle, it might not be deserve… | Continue reading
Industrial systems thrive on predictability. It smooths out the supply chain, improves efficiency and makes many of the participants more comfortable. Tomorrow is like yesterday, but perhaps a litt… | Continue reading
The easy problems are often an illusion. If they were real and they were easy, they’d be solved already. Difficult problems, on the other hand, stick around until someone with insight, dedica… | Continue reading
It’s not high school. But some of the advice that people are embracing reminds us of those days… Things that everyone tells you that aren’t true: It’s possible to get rich quickly… | Continue reading
The producer of a successful product has a choice to make. If you put a little less in the box, people will run out sooner and have to buy more. If you give people a little more for their money, th… | Continue reading
You might not get it. But as you pursue this wish, you’ll change what you do, what you see, who you connect with and the sacrifices you make along the way. Our wishes change us. | Continue reading
The producer of a successful product has a choice to make. If you put a little less in the box, people will run out sooner and have to buy more. If you give people a little more for their money, th… | Continue reading
A friend is selling his house. Apparently, real estate brokers now have a way of reporting the comments (reviews) from potential buyers at open houses, and he was crazy enough to read them. Of cour… | Continue reading
“Twenty-four ninety-five.” I was on the phone hearing a pitch for a service I needed. I had reached out to a recommended vendor, and was now sitting through a pitch from a salesperson w… | Continue reading
Social niceties are easy to do half-heartedly. But they’re not for us, they’re for the other person. When you show up begrudgingly, it’s not half-hearted, it’s cold hearted.… | Continue reading
When Google or Facebook or Spotify decide what you’ll see next, they’re making a choice. That’s very different from an open platform like “podcasting” or “bloggi… | Continue reading
It’s easy to accept the limits that are implied when someone asks us for advice and feedback. Fix the typos, sure. That’s important. But perhaps you have something bigger to add. A frie… | Continue reading
It’s something I’ve been working on as a full-time volunteer for the last five months. And it’s something that three hundred people are building together. But I say “ourR… | Continue reading
Maybe we don’t want to talk about it. Perhaps we believe that unexamined luck isn’t quite as fragile. Perhaps we don’t want to let anyone else in. It could be that we think that s… | Continue reading
Here’s what’s easy to find: Multiple choice plus effort plus persistence. We’ve been trained since birth to look for small, do-able tasks with boundaries. It seems as though our e… | Continue reading
It doesn’t have to last all day–it could be for an hour or even a month. How would you celebrate it? Who else needs to be part of it? It’s a symbol, a marker, a chance for convers… | Continue reading