January 2012
6 posts
Teams are trail mix
Individuals can be boring, but add them to a team and wow! You’ve added flavor to the mix. Just a few key ingredients and suddenly it’s magic.
Keep your team as bare-bones and simple as it can be. You don’t need much variety, just a few good nuts.
“Writer’s block isn’t hard to cure. Just write poorly. Continue to...”
– Seth’s Blog: Talker’s block
Mistakes
Two reasons you are making mistakes.
1. You are taking risks. Keep it up and keep learning.
2. You aren’t taking good notes. Stop repeating mistakes. Do better.
Reasons you buy iPad
You want iPad. Friends want iPad if you have iPad. iPad make friends good.
iPad loves games. iPad really like Angrybirds.
iPad also love netflix and for 4-year-olds. iPad good babysitter. Promise.
iPad make you look trendy. Also make you look rich.
You buy iPad, you be happy. Promise.
- love iPad
“Don’t be afraid to use quick, temporary solutions. Both the problem and the...”
– Today’s Solution vs. the Best Solution — The Startup Daily
“It is better to be wrong than to be vague.”
– Freeman Dyson
December 2011
2 posts
“Google won’t help you if no one wants to read what you’ve got to say.”
– The First Rule of Copyblogger | Copyblogger
When To Use a Bluetooth Headset
Never.
November 2011
1 post
Email Overload
Here are a few tips for dealing with email overload (Nothing ground breaking, but a good reminder for myself).
Send less. Does every email need a reply? Does it need to be long and detailed?
Use the phone. Live conversations allow you to switch topics quickly, cover more ground, build rapport, or defuse confusion. 10 minutes on a phone may save 4+ emails.
Slow down. Quick response time can...
September 2011
1 post
Don't Overthink It: 5 Tips for Daily... →
If you’re wrestling with a difficult decision, consult a friend or colleague who’s been in your situation before. Their insight will likely be significantly more valuable than almost any research.
August 2011
1 post
4 tags
The Russians Used a Pencil: The New Home Button on... →
russianpencil:
I was suspicious of the mocked-up design of the new iPhone 5 as seen on This Is My Next back in April, but recent rumors are making it hard to ignore. While several of the design changes are somewhat expected (thinner body, tapered edges, etc.), the new home button is utterly fascinating.
July 2011
1 post
This data shows exactly how I use my iPad. Guess... →
iPad Usage Patterns Differ From Other Platforms - Mac Rumors
June 2011
2 posts
“Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the...”
– Dieter Rams
(Spotted in his new book, As Little Design as Possible).
(via russianpencil)
The Complete Flake’s Guide to Getting Things Done →
The Plan in 7 Reasonably Painless Steps
When you’ve got something to do, figure out what you really want to get out of it.
Do the pivotal technique. Think about what you want, then get clear about where you are right this minute. Notice the difference.
Figure out the next action.
Do what you feel like.
Rinse, lather, repeat.
Start a compost pile for ideas, notes, plans and insights.
Stick...
May 2011
1 post
The Russians Used a Pencil →
There is an old joke, or urban myth if you look at it another way, that goes something like this:
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface, and at...
April 2011
17 posts
I Choose
I choose to make decisions that I will be happy about tomorrow.
I choose to value my time, planning to use it in ways that achieve my goals.
I choose to look for bad habits so I can nip them in the bumhole.
I choose the people I surround myself with, because they will rub off on me for better or worse.
I choose to become the person I want. Everyday.
“The quickest way to kill creativity is to put people in roles that don’t...”
– Six Secrets to Creating a Culture of Innovation
5 Manifestos for Art, Life & Business →
What a good list of good lists.
“Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.”
– John Maeda, Personal Manifesto
“Mass taste is rarely good taste”
– Seth Godin, Personal Manifesto
“The greatest innovations appear to come from those that are self-reliant....”
– Seth Godin, His Personal Manifesto
“Everyone is a marketer, even people and organizations that don’t market. They’re...”
– Seth Godin, his personal manifesto
“Creativity is subtraction.”
– http://newspaperblackout.tumblr.com/
I got stuck in personal branding hell
Cole Farrell sent me a great article that helped me out.
HOW TO STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST (AND 9 OTHER THINGS NOBODY TOLD ME)
I like it. That helps me quite a bit.
I get stuck in an endless loop of “What do I know, what should I write / create…” Since I didn’t know how to let myself *be* myself online, I’d get stuck saying I can’t create *yet*
Read this post -...
Spinning Wheels
My new car has fancy tires. They call them “long run” or something, but it really means super-slick-snow-slider tires. When it snows, this makes even a small task like getting up my somewhat steep driveway fun. The trick is to get going fast enough at the bottom that I can make in the garage; while going slow enough to stop without ramming into the any walls. In preparation for this...
“Design should “make sure that (1) the user can figure out what to do, and...”
– The Psychology Of Everyday Things
Scream Free Parenting [Book Review]
2 Sentence book review:
The concepts of the book are good: Focus inward to calm yourself, provide choice for others, and follow through on your word. I would recommend a change from the “Scream Free” slogan to a more appropriate “Be calm”.
Being part of a small business is more exciting, challenging, and rewarding than I imagined.
“You don’t try to be boring; You are boring because you don’t have a strategy.”
The Elements of Content Strategy →
10 pages in; I’m convinced this book may very well impact my career path for the next 5 years.
“Smaller self-imposed challenges can spark your creative drive in ways you...”
– The Future Of Work Is Play : The 99 Percent
March 2011
2 posts
Use downtime away from your desk to crack big... →
Adam Loving - Software Developer and creator of Twibes Freelance software developer and blogger Adam Loving spends his breakfast time doing free, stream-of-consciousness writing. By taking a few minutes to write freely and brainstorm ideas, he’s often able to untangle gnawing project issues that he can’t get to the bottom of at his desk. When facing a difficult challenge, many of us confine...
“The old adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ cripples us when it comes to...”
– 99% Optimizing
February 2011
6 posts
“The immediate effect of Prayer is not the outcome you are praying for, but the...”
“The noise is so constant, we don’t know how to deal with silence.”
“Intelligence may be the key, but Habits are the sledgehammer. Keep swinging and...”
4 tags
How to Document a Business System
What is a Business System? A routine that helps complete a result with the same quality each & every time.
Growing a business is no easy task. A key factor in successfully gaining and keeping customers is having routines that delivery quality, dependable results.
As your business grows, you may need to hire and train new staff to meet the demand for your product or service. This is where...
“It’s time to start contemplating some guidelines for proper ‘attention...”
– How To Control Your “Check-In” Addiction
If we forget to yell “Time Tunnel approaching”, Dinosaur heads will roll.
January 2011
10 posts
“People can be pushed, but the minute you stop, they stop.”
– Seth Godin
The perfect GPS & calendar in one
I’m still waiting for a GPS that does talks to your calendar. Wouldn’t it be great?
A GPS that has access my google calendar and can show an agenda view with:
How long you have until the next appointment
Drive time to get there
If you are in trouble and won’t make it in time
If you have time to kill, suggest that you grab coffee at the nearest Starbucks
Then, start...
“All organizations are hierarchical. At each level people serve under those above...”
– Theodore Leavitt, author
7 Basecamp Tips for Small Business →
Basecamp is an online tool for simple project management. We’ve used Basecamp for over 3 years to manage projects at SpinWeb. Here are 7 tips we’ve picked up along the way.
“This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for...”
– Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
“There’s a crack (or cracks) in everyone…that’s how the light of God gets in.”
– Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
“Freedom does not come automatically; it is achieved. And it is not gained in a...”
– Rollo May, author
“Tis’ better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone...”
– Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
Eat. Pray. Love.
Sometimes a book turned into a movie still feels like a book. In this case, I’d almost say an audio book with pictures. That’s not a bad thing; I like audio books.
If you missed (or didn’t like the movie), I’d suggest you read the following quotes from the book. Looks like these little jems didn’t make it over. What a shame!
“This is a good sign, having a...
Last week, over dinner with friends, I was asked what my favorite movie was. That’s a tough one; like asking which finger I like the best (I kinda like them all). Most of my favorite movies are quirky, non-linear, or have a clever storytelling device. Here’s a short list:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Memento Amelie Inception Stanger Than Fiction Donnie Darko Fantastic Mr....