Tag Archives: new ideas



A Javascript CMS

March 19th, 2014

A few years back, we had this insight at Y&S that in the first 90 days of a new client we weren’t consistently getting the same data.  The reason for that was the process of getting tracking code installed.  In those days nobody had Analytics installed – over time this was less of an issue.

The reasons they weren’t often installed were:

  • It sometimes took a few revisions to get the code in all the right places, or tracking correctly.
  • IT Departments would sometimes stall saying it took too long (15 minutes) to install it or raise security concerns.  This slowed us down whenever we needed to put additional code like conversion tracking.

So what we did is came up with the idea of Javascript CMS, you would install one piece of javascript, everywhere.  And then over time we could add extra code, depending on the page.  We however kept running into security concerns around multiple pieces of javascript and detecting the URLs.  So we parked it for a while.

Others clearly had the same insight as within a year there were multiple players and Google released Tag Manager – what they’d done is made a few compromises to get it worked.  But hey it worked!

Our learnings from that were that we were confident of the insights, we needed to scratch up on some of our development skills to crack some of these bigger problems.

I share this story, as people do forget that behind every project that gets a green light are a few which didn’t and it’s not often because they’re bad ideas, it’s for a whole bunch of other reasons.  You just need to stick with it and realise this process of creating new things is one of ups, downs, sideways but the process creates new ideas… just not every one.. .so stay committed to the process because it does work.


How can you be more creative?

June 10th, 2010

Creativity is like getting fit, often you need to nurture it to be more creative.

At a basic level, creativity is creating new links between existing ideas. The Wikipedia definition is excellent:

“Creativity is the ability to generate innovative ideas and manifest them from thought into reality. The process involves original thinking and then producing.”

So how can you be more creative? It’s all about creating new patterns, but here are some ideas:

  • Mix up your inputs: how & where do you absorb knowledge, new ideas, conversations?
  • Watch different tv shows
  • Meet the crazies (new people)
  • Wear different clothes
  • TRAVEL! Travel to places where people live completely different lifestyles
  • Read lots of books, and different kinds of books, include magazines, blogs in that mix
  • Listen to podcasts, radio, interviews, TED videos
  • Drive a different way to work, everyday, or walk a different path (or cycle, bus etc)
  • Express yourself! Start a blog, do some painting, take up an artful sport, photography.  You don’t have to share it with the world just do it.
  • Learn a new language
  • Attend different conferences, meetups, network & meet people
  • Do the YES experiment, say yes to all social opportunities which pop up for a period of time
  • Learn new skills! Take an art class, join a kayak club
  • Question everything, you’d be surprised what you learn and how quick
  • Invest in alone time, reflection, time to be quiet and relax
  • Do tastings! Of food, art, culture
  • Get a journal, draw ideas down, write them, scribble, tear our pages, stick them on the wall.  The mere act of pen to paper stimulates new thoughts & action, pushing through your existing ones.
  • Share ideas! Let them go and get new/better ideas.

Go, try one of them, get creative! If you think you’re boring, I bet you’re not, we’re all creative in our own ways – just give something a go.


Jumping ship, only to climb back aboard

February 9th, 2010

I think we’ve all done it before.  Forseen some fundamental shift so jumped ship.

However once we jumped ship we realised no one else had.  Or that it looked like anyone would.

It suddenly gets quite lonely as Leadership typically is.

So what do you do? You climb back aboard…. only to find everyone is preparing to jump ship!

If only you’d stuck with your gut and held your position. It’s ironic huh?

When charging  trust your gut, others are likely to come around soon enough, especially when you realise you’re leading them.


Fundamental Assumptions

May 14th, 2009

Fundamental Assumptions are what I question almost everyday.  

So what if it’s always been done that way, doesn’t mean we should continue.

Things change.

What I find is that going to the complete opposite yields not only greater understanding but the opportunity to tackle a problem in a way that hasn’t been attempted before.

Also no one else is doing it… which means you should at least give it a shot.


The worst that could happen

February 11th, 2009

You have an idea but are afraid to pursue it.

What’s the worst that could happen?

The worst is never as bad as you think.


Destroy Something

October 28th, 2008

Sometimes you need to destroy, abolish, smash, obliterate an idea, a project

Just so you can unlock the new possibilities.

Retaining old systems, structures, ways of thinking hinders the move forward.

Thinking inside the square that has already been created stimulates limited thinking, lower horizons.

If you have an idea, something you want to move forward with and there are barriers in the way.

Get rid of them completely.  Destroy them.  Remove them from your systems.

I am constantly destroying something, this didn’t work, flag it, be dynamic and keep moving.

For example I regularly delete old blog drafts, it frees up space for new posts and directions.



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