February 2012
35 posts
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“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and...”
– L.P. Jack from his Education Through Recreation, published in 1932. (via mollyganley)
I’ve always loved this quote - very much embodies how I think about work!
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Besties →
It’s amazing when old friends can mutually inspire each other.
*digital high five to my long time bestie Jameela K.*
jamiekoblinski:
There are not many friends in my life that truly inspire me. Sarah is one of them. She is incredibly eloquent, intelligent and motivated. She is one of the people in my life that even though we don’t talk often, I still consider one of my great best...
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realizingempathy:
The act of making is not about creativity or innovation, but rather a challenge to empathize with others different from ourselves. That other may be a fellow human being, or it could be a character in a story, a piece of wood, or even your own body. We often think we know them, but really… have no idea.
“Everything speaks in its own way.”
– James Joyce, Ulysses (via thegirlandherbooks)
Yup.
anoemi:
Don’t spend too much time considering what you’ve shown yourself to be. Spend equal or greater energy envisioning who you choose to be.
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WatchRealizing Empathy: An Inquiry into the Meaning of Making
Frank Denbow sent this project my way after seeing my re-post yesterday morning on culture and empathy. The concept touches on so many things that I’m currently exploring/working on. I just pledged $50 (and you should, too)!
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that this is only the first Kickstarter project that I’ve...
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“Something as simple as a touch significantly influences our decision-making...”
– Brands Get Physical to Build Trust, via FastCompany
Is it relationship building?
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The Connection of the Details Is What Creates Both...
Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.
The details are details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections. It will in the end be these details that give the product its life.
- Charles Eames
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“The fact that Teach for America — which pays almost nothing and can place its...”
– Wall Street Steps In When Ivy League Fails (via jared)
We want something more.
Clik →
sparkmaschine:
via @sarahjuddwelch
Here is a piece of what I’ve been working on for the past month and half. Kik launched Clik last week!
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“Code doesn’t care where it’s written.” →
Foursquare is a fascinating example of how the way we work is changing. My guess is that part of this remote method’s success is the strength of company culture.
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Branding In Mind
So, is the best way to optimize brand to optimize the person?
kanyi:
Cool article.
We make brand choices subconsciously, algorithmically, and fast (we’re talking milliseconds). And although we can veto decisions once they enter our conscious awareness, consciousness is not the driver of our choices. We’re not irrational – our brain seeks to satisfy our goals and emotional needs in the best...
People Who Get Pins →
Understand the world.
What really matters is someone who gets pins.
…and then make the world.
ashaegupta:
“So, those who like such things can go all the way back to Adam Smiths pin factory and think about all the tasks involved in making pins and how each person could become more suited to that task and learn the ins and outs of it.
However, in the information age I can in many...
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“Stories are like spiders with all the long legs, and stories are like spiderwebs...”
– Neil Gaiman - Anansi Boys. (via impossiblelight)
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“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
– Epictetus
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New Life Goal: Change Culture
This past weekend, I mentored at Startup Weekend EDU. A couple of the groups were pretty amazing, but mostly, I just felt like something was off, like a major point was being missed. Many teams were building small tools, but not something to actually change an industry. Don’t get me wrong, tools are valuable - but it’s not what moves me. Tools are not enough. I’m moved by tools...
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Build Companies to Last →
The ability for a business to make a lasting impact on community depends on its employees’ willingness to see their work as not just a means to an end, but as an end in and of itself…Values are more ambitious than capital.
THIS.
These are the kinds of companies that will ultimately change the world.
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“A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species Homo Sapiens —...”
– Reynolds Price, A Palpable God.
Hmm. That is something.
(via winesburgohio)
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“There are only two industries that call their customers users - illegal drugs...”
– A friend reminded me of this quote recently. The company he co-founded wants their customers to “think with their heart” when making the decision to come on board. This is why they hire “Relationship Builders” instead of BD guys and Evangelists and refer to customers as...
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“Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become...”
–
When I saw Tristan quote the above, I immediately rewrote it in my head for startups:
Watch your thoughts, they become pitches.
Watch your pitches, they [attract] hires and investors.
Watch your hires and investors, they become your team.
Watch your team, they become culture.
Watch your...
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“Regardless of what happens, huge kudos to Tumblr for having the balls to try...”
– This.
Caterpillar Cowboy: I Paid, Now What?
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Three Questions for Evaluating Opportunities and...
Late Thanksgiving night, I sat in a bar and ranted in eloquent french to my friend Malcolm about my frustration in finding opportunities and work relationships (specifically with CEOs) to which I wanted to commit. I believe my descriptive phrase was, “they are all fucking idiots.” I think he found the articulation of my problem humorous, but I definitely did not.
A week later, my...
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January 2012
8 posts
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“Don’t lose the fire you started with. If you’re going to devote the best years...”
– EVERY DAY.
(via Techcrunch)
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Update on my Learning Plan
A few months ago, I committed to a year long plan of learning to hone specific skill sets. I’ve been plugging away, and I’m happy to share that I’m far ahead of schedule. Actually, I am halfway done. Thanks to everyone who reached out to me and offered suggestions, camaraderie and support! However, I have not done a great job of keeping others in the loop of my progress. So, here is my update:...
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“We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a...”
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., April 4th, 1967
This quote makes me think of: collaborative consumption, consumer-ization of enterprise products, individualized learning vs. institutionalized education, market driven individualism.
Things: material goods, systems, institutions, status quo.
People...
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“The truth is learning something new is far easier than actually doing work...”
– Scott Britton, “I’m Reading 850 Books in 2012: Part One”
The hardest thing is FOCUS, determining what it is that you want to master.
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“For individuals, character is destiny.
For organizations, culture is destiny.”
– Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Every situation and decision, in life and in business, shapes us. Align every moment with your culture and character, and even when you feel off track, you will move in your right direction. Further, make sure every...
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“No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future.”
– Author Unknown
Happy New Year!
November 2011
4 posts
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Coffee Meetings Aren't Scaleable. But Warm and...
This is Part Four in a Four-Part Series on Lessons Learned on Scaling. - I’m a maker on a manager’s schedule and extremely dislike all forms of meetings. I like to keep them short, sweet and action-oriented. But this doesn’t apply to coffee meetings, which are often the most valuable part of my day. To be clear, coffee meetings are not scalable - there are only a finite number of people you can...
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Slow Down! Perfect Your Product at Home.
This is Part Three in a Four-Part Series on Lessons Learned on Scaling.
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An entrepreneur confessed to me in a moment of intense anxiety that he had no clue how to deliver on the promises made to investors for growth. Ugh. Double ugh. Again, ugh. Startup-ers need to keep the lights on, but if your business is solid enough, you shouldn’t need to make promises that you can’t keep to lure in VCs....
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Don't Hire City/General Managers. Hire Community...
This is Part Two in a Four-Part Series on Lessons Learned on Scaling. - First, let’s define these roles. City and general managers are tasked with growing the business in a confined market by whatever means necessary. These roles are just short of being a mini-CEO, with the city manager role emphasizing business development and with the general manager role emphasizing operations. Community...
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Don’t chase markets. Let (the supply side of)...
This is Part One in a Four-Part Series on Lessons Learned on Scaling.
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Be reactive when scaling to new markets, and go to where users are banging on your doors. This is quite simple - let your users tell you when they are ready for you, and provide them with the means to do so. Many startups do this informally through recording inbound emails, Twitter outreach, and Facebook polls. Skillshare...
October 2011
1 post
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Four-Part Series on Lessons Learned on Scaling
Let me say, the past few months have been eventful! In August, I transitioned from Catchafire to TaskRabbit’s team as the Founding City Manager of NYC. For the ladies (and gents) who came to the Promise Party that I threw with TaskRabbit in mid-October, thanks for coming out! It was a great party, and I hope that you had a good time. I’m sad to say, however, that it didn’t work out at...
September 2011
2 posts
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My Personal Learning Plan for Independent Study
Over the past month, I’ve developed a year-long Learning Plan for Independent Study. The purpose of this learning plan is to refine my own big ideas and hone a specific skill set. This is not a reading list. This is an interdisciplinary exploration of specific areas of entrepreneurial interest. The lessons learned through this experience will be immediately practiced in my work and ideally...
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5 Personal Goals for the Next 6 Months
Simply said, this past year has been awesome. Life feels like it’s on track. I’ve made great progress in my career and personal relationships. This was just laying a foundation. Now, it’s time to dig deep and build.
Below are my personal goals for the next six months - an adequate period of time to generate results, but not lose interest. These are not necessarily measurable...