Archive for the 'Blog' Category



I couldn't agree with Bill more

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That sense of patient urgency, whereby you are yourself, working steadfastly towards what’s required.

 

July 15th, 2015

From a books internet to a television internet

The web we need to save is a post by Hossein Derakhshan, who is an Iranian-Canadian blogger who was jailed for 6 years, around questionable charges. Finally pardoned, he returned to the internet and he shares some thoughts on how it’s changed.

Indeed, when I started this blog, you sought and discovered new bloggers, content and shared them through posts.

Now, the internet pushes content to you, via feeds. Scrolling a feed is analagous to watching tv, as you spend more time with it more content comes to you.

The Stream, mobile applications, and moving images: They all show a departure from a books-internet toward a television-internet. We seem to have gone from a non-linear mode of communication — nodes and networks and links — toward a linear one, with centralization and hierarchies.

The web was not envisioned as a form of television when it was invented. But, like it or not, it is rapidly resembling TV: linear, passive, programmed and inward-looking.

When I log on to Facebook, my personal television starts.

This, is, to me indicative of the internet becoming mainstream as a media channel. To his point, it’s turning the internet into a television channel, rather than a book based internet.

It’s compelling read, challenging and provoking. Let me know what you think, I’m still mulling it…

July 15th, 2015

The trend of microskills

Fueled by companies like General Assembly & SkillShare I’ve noticed a bit of a trend: training for microskills.

People going out, proactively (or paid by employer) learning a few niche skills that help them do their job better.

They don’t need a whole degree, a certificate, just how to improve their presentations, or learn the latest updates in PhotoShop.

This knowledge, is often unregulated, informal but matches a practical skillset or need. General Assembly & SkillShare just offer the platforms to match the supply and demand.

 

July 14th, 2015

A difference in culture, the cost of time

Reflecting on my Time post from 2011,  one thing I’ve noticed in terms of cultural differences between the US and New Zealand is how time cost is viewed.

For private companies in the US if they can speed up time to a goal with money, they’ll do that.

In NZ it’s different people wait a little longer. Two sides of the coin.

 

You might infer that time is less valuable in NZ, but that’s not the case, it’s just different approaches to business.

The opportunity cost is less as the competitive landscape isn’t as deep. In the US, you have direct competitors, then indirect competitors who can launch in to your space overnight, you’re not fighting on 2-3 fronts, you’re fighting on a dozen.

Underpinning this the pay off is a lot larger, if you can make that move before others, you get a jump on the market.

I’ve found it quite curious and insightful, so thought I’d share for those I know on either side of the Pacific.

 

July 9th, 2015

The habit of collecting

A valuable habit I’ve developed over time, is collecting things.

Collecting little ideas, designs, ways of saying things, quotes, lists, blog posts, notes.

Anything that for some reason keeps my eye, almost like a digital scrapbook.

It’s now at this point, that’s really paying dividends, that cool product tour page I saw a few years ago – bam Evernote still has that, or the speakers I like, over on Pinterest. Or the hiring notes I have from our first employees (nuts).

But the most valuable thing about the collections, is when I can share them, mix them up, take inspiration from all sorts. I really like that. It makes my work now even better than what it would have been – if you don’t yet have this habit, give Steal like an artist a read, it’ll help bring to life what you can do with your collections.

..

ps

One thing I haven’t cracked, is digitising a decade of notebooking. Now my notebooks aren’t always insightful but they transport me back to a moment instantly, what was I thinking then?! If you have any experience with this or ideas, I’d appreciate it. -Ben

 

July 8th, 2015

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