A naive dream is that it’s possible to go on a long bike ride–and enjoy the journey going downhill in each direction. Newton had it right… you’re going to need to go uphill … | Continue reading
When your ideas are spreading, when your work is remarkable, when your organization has built a social ratchet that works, one of the side effects will be a significant social media presence. Peopl… | Continue reading
A trigger prompts a cycle. And a cycle might go on longer than it should. The first spoonful of ice cream can trigger a cycle of binge eating that you regret later. The silence of walking into an e… | Continue reading
Fewer than 1% of our population works hard to divide us. To pit people against one another for their selfish aims. These are the pundits, divisive politicians, media companies and short-term trolls… | Continue reading
That’s the actual title for my new book. Or maybe it’s, “people like us do things like this.” It’s technically called, “This Is Marketing.” It’s abou… | Continue reading
Capitalism is fueled by choice. It’s choice that drives suppliers to do better work, because they know you can pick a competitor. Choice moves power from the supplier to the customer. Softwar… | Continue reading
Capitalism is fueled by choice. It’s choice that drives suppliers to do better work, because they know you can pick a competitor. Choice moves power from the supplier to the customer. Softwar… | Continue reading
No one ever gets talker’s block. No one wakes up in the morning, discovers he has nothing to say and sits quietly, for days or weeks, until the muse hits, until the moment is right, until all… | Continue reading
It’s certainly possible. But it’s unlikely you could learn to ride a bike by watching a lot of videos about it. Or teach a toddler to walk. In fact, it’s unlikely that you could l… | Continue reading
We all say that to ourselves. The question is: when do you say it? Do you say it when you're being rejected, failing, stuck, panicked, overwhelmed or alone? Or do you say it when you're e… | Continue reading
When you see someone walking down the street with new sunglasses on, do you stare at them? Really stare at them, from every angle? If you're fortunate enough to have a selfie with President Ob… | Continue reading
Culture is changed by design, and design by culture. There are things that look ‘right’, and others that don’t. We notice the mistyped word, the straight quote, the lousy kerning.… | Continue reading
We find knowledge (and express it) by dividing the world into grids and segments, and explaining how this organization works. The periodic table is a useful construct. Useful constructs are replica… | Continue reading
In the traditional world, most things are organized so you can find them when you’re looking for them. That’s why you keep your tools in your tool chest and the forks in the silverware … | Continue reading
Not as a way to make big dollars (blogging didn’t do that either). But as a way to share your ideas, to lead your community, to earn trust. Podcasting is a proven technology that is still in … | Continue reading
Not as a way to make big dollars (blogging didn’t do that either). But as a way to share your ideas, to lead your community, to earn trust. Podcasting is a proven technology that is still in … | Continue reading
Landlords are notorious for having a bias toward raising the rent. They’re in it for the long haul, they’ve seen downturns before, and while they’re quick to raise rents in good t… | Continue reading
Raising too little. And raising too much. The typical go-go small business goes out and raises $200,000 or $400,000 in equity, usually from friends, family and amateur investors. Maybe a bit more o… | Continue reading
If you want to cherry pick to make an argument, no doubt, you'll be able to find some cherries. And if you want to pick a fight, no doubt you'll find someone (or something) to have a figh… | Continue reading
Doom is inevitable. Gloom is optional. Gloom has no positive effects on ameliorating doom. Doom happens. Gloom is a choice. | Continue reading
Road 1: I can learn from you and make things better Road 2: You’re an important customer and I can bring empathy and care to this moment to strengthen our relationship Road 3: I can teach you… | Continue reading
If you want a process to go faster, it's tempting to focus on the straightaways. Get your delivery drivers to go faster on the highway. Get your development team to take fewer breaks during a … | Continue reading
Based on how much time we spend staring at the mirror, grooming our social media, tweaking our book cover… you’d think that there’s a correlation between the last few hours of twe… | Continue reading
Everyone hated the traveling salesman. That’s because he came to town, said whatever it took to make the sale, and then left. In 1900, Sears saw a market opportunity. Their catalog had more v… | Continue reading
If you make serial numbers or passwords, don’t use 0 or o or 1 or l. Simply skip them as options. If you want people to remember something, don’t mix letters and numbers together. If yo… | Continue reading
A never-ending stream of pictures. People who are prettier than you, happier than you, more confident than you. Weddings that are fancier than yours was, with sun-dappled trees, luscious desserts a… | Continue reading
Joseph Beuys didn't make pretty art. When I was 12, I saw an exhibit he had at the Guggenheim in NY. As its centerpiece was a 3,000 pound block of lard, wrapped in felt. It was bizarre, it sme… | Continue reading
Is there something you do every day that builds an asset for you? Every single day? Something that creates another bit of intellectual property that belongs to you? Something that makes an asset yo… | Continue reading
There are 88 keys on a piano. 64 colors in the big box of Crayola. You can’t own a key and you can’t own a color. But once you start combining elements, the possibilities go way up. The… | Continue reading
… is not the same as low price. The price is obvious. It can be seen from a mile away. But value is more subtle. It often needs to be experienced to be understood. The price is the same for e… | Continue reading
If we stop going, we stop learning… and If we're not willing to keep learning, we should probably stop going. | Continue reading
And now is the best time. If you're doing something generous, if you're building something worthwhile, if you're making an important ruckus… Do it today. You don't need mo… | Continue reading
Originally the work of lawyers, it’s a concept that’s spreading, aided by the immediacy and unfiltered nature of social media. In short: When you use contradictory excuses/statements to… | Continue reading
Yes, it's true that your hammer has a wooden handle. But throwing it in the fireplace to get a few BTUs out of it is a huge waste. The same thing is true of your reputation, of the relationshi… | Continue reading
A mistake is something you learn from… you did it wrong, you’ll do it better next time. A marketing failure is a mismatch between what you built and the market. And a problem is an invention waitin… | Continue reading
Once a computer (or a player piano) begins to do a task, part of the appeal goes away. Yes, the goods or services might be identical, but the story we tell ourselves about what they took to create … | Continue reading
The leap at the swimming pool is obvious indeed. Ten steps up the ladder. The wait at the end of the board. The moment in between not-diving and diving. The leap is clear. We can see it and we can … | Continue reading
The internet began as a way to connect private networks. First it was university researchers. But then, as email kicked in, it was a tool for private conversations among people who knew each other.… | Continue reading
The candidate thinks, “I really need this job.” The hiring manager thinks, “I’m tired of this, I really need to fill this job.” As a result, the candidate says what he… | Continue reading
The candidate thinks, “I really need this job.” The hiring manager thinks, “I’m tired of this, I really need to fill this job.” As a result, the candidate says what he… | Continue reading
You rarely have the chance to quickly alter the culture of a group the way you do when you organize a retreat or a meeting. So many of the variables are within your control, and the outcome is ofte… | Continue reading
Some people find a thrill in going under the rope and skiing on the cliffs or other terrain outside the ski area. They'll tell you that the runs are better. But if the ski area extends the bou… | Continue reading
If you’ve ever joined more than three people on a Skype or Zoom conference call, I hope you’ll appreciate these tips, and perhaps share them: Sit close to the screen. Your face should f… | Continue reading
Apple became the first company to be worth a trillion dollars. They did that by spending five years single-mindedly focusing on doing profitable work. They’ve consistently pushed themselves t… | Continue reading
The new Samsung phone has a hardware button on it that goes straight to their digital assistant. The good news is that adding a hotline/dedicated button/clear signpost is a dramatic and effective w… | Continue reading
For a hundred years, we organized the means of production. How do we get the right people, the right machines, the right materials and get this thing built. Many of us still do this. It’s imp… | Continue reading
When someone tries to engage you with a pitch that’s simple, visceral and more direct than you’re used to, it may be that their vitriol is hiding the fact that they’re afraid. We … | Continue reading
When a project appears to be in limbo, in a permanent holding pattern, where sunk costs meet opportunity costs, where no one can figure out what to do… Cancel it. Cancel it with a week’… | Continue reading