Sunday, April 19, 2009
There's nothing to see here...
This blog has been pretty dormant, but only because I've been so busy on the neboweb blog: Visit the neboweb blog and read the latest
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
We're all above average and do more than our share.
I've often talked about the fact that 80% of drivers think their in the top 30%, and everyone thinks their kid is above average. Apparently there is a technical term for this. It's called unconcious overclaiming (hattip to: Gretchen Rubin). Basically everyone overestimates their own contributions and underestimates others.
In Gretchen's post she brings up the fact that overclaiming leads to resentment. What an obvious, but valuable insight. If you think you're carrying the load you tend to resent others contributions. Just imagine the implications this has on tax policy, or even your relationships with a significant other.
What's the solution? Perhaps, it is a greater sense of humility and grace towards others contributions.
Often overclaiming is merely a matter of ego and wanting to take credit for something. But, how often does the desire to take credit get in the way of getting something accomplished.
Benjamin Franklin said one of the most important lessons he learned was that you can get a lot more accomplished if you let others take the credit. Make you wonder if that had something to do with how he was able to start a fire station, build a hospital, found a university, create the first US library and is considered a founding father of the US (not to mention the rest of his accomplishments).
In Gretchen's post she brings up the fact that overclaiming leads to resentment. What an obvious, but valuable insight. If you think you're carrying the load you tend to resent others contributions. Just imagine the implications this has on tax policy, or even your relationships with a significant other.
What's the solution? Perhaps, it is a greater sense of humility and grace towards others contributions.
Often overclaiming is merely a matter of ego and wanting to take credit for something. But, how often does the desire to take credit get in the way of getting something accomplished.
Benjamin Franklin said one of the most important lessons he learned was that you can get a lot more accomplished if you let others take the credit. Make you wonder if that had something to do with how he was able to start a fire station, build a hospital, found a university, create the first US library and is considered a founding father of the US (not to mention the rest of his accomplishments).
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The 100 to 1 Rule
Luke Sullivan was an author that changed the way I approached marketing & advertising. His book "Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads" is the best book on copywriting that I've ever read.
Recently while working on copy for the next version of the neboweb site I started to get frustrated about the quality of the headlines I was concepting. Then I remembered his one piece of advice. Write 100 headlines for every 1 that you want to use.
Even Luke Sullivan realized that persistance trumps talent.
Recently while working on copy for the next version of the neboweb site I started to get frustrated about the quality of the headlines I was concepting. Then I remembered his one piece of advice. Write 100 headlines for every 1 that you want to use.
Even Luke Sullivan realized that persistance trumps talent.
Monday, December 29, 2008
It's not about the hours.
Seth Godin recently posted on the infamous "10,000 hours" that Malcom Gladwell mentions in the book "Outliers" -- his point is that the 10,000 hours to become an expert doesn't seem to hold up.
Couple comments on this. This seems to be a common misunderstanding of the orignal research completed by Don Norman. It's not enough to just do something for 10,000 hours and become an expert at it.
It takes two additional components for the hours to be meaningful -- it requires deliberate practice & objective feedback. Deliberate practice means that you're challenging yourself to improve, correcting errors and practicing at an appropriate level of difficulty. Objective feedback means that you have an understanding of what good and bad is. I would bet that 1,000 hours of deliberate practice is worth more than 10,000 hours of rote repetition.
Also, Seth seems to equate expertise with commercial success. Is Britney Spears an expert at singing, or is she a marketing success that happens to sing? There seems to be a difference. 10,000 hours rule is for people that want to master a craft that can be practiced. And in these cases the research is solid.
But, the reality is that there are exceptions. Picasso didn't practice 10,000 hours, but he was a once in a century talent when it came to painting. Cezzanne easily practiced 10,000 hours. He only became an expert through deliberate practice of his craft. His early paintings sucked.
There are always exceptions to every rule, but if you want to rise to the top your field in your chosen craft -- 10,000 hours isn't a bad goal to set, but what's just as important is the quality of your practice. Are you challenging yourself to improve, or merely repeating what you're good at?
Although, I do agree with Seth on one core point -- 10,000 hours doesn't necessarily equal success.
Couple comments on this. This seems to be a common misunderstanding of the orignal research completed by Don Norman. It's not enough to just do something for 10,000 hours and become an expert at it.
It takes two additional components for the hours to be meaningful -- it requires deliberate practice & objective feedback. Deliberate practice means that you're challenging yourself to improve, correcting errors and practicing at an appropriate level of difficulty. Objective feedback means that you have an understanding of what good and bad is. I would bet that 1,000 hours of deliberate practice is worth more than 10,000 hours of rote repetition.
Also, Seth seems to equate expertise with commercial success. Is Britney Spears an expert at singing, or is she a marketing success that happens to sing? There seems to be a difference. 10,000 hours rule is for people that want to master a craft that can be practiced. And in these cases the research is solid.
But, the reality is that there are exceptions. Picasso didn't practice 10,000 hours, but he was a once in a century talent when it came to painting. Cezzanne easily practiced 10,000 hours. He only became an expert through deliberate practice of his craft. His early paintings sucked.
There are always exceptions to every rule, but if you want to rise to the top your field in your chosen craft -- 10,000 hours isn't a bad goal to set, but what's just as important is the quality of your practice. Are you challenging yourself to improve, or merely repeating what you're good at?
Although, I do agree with Seth on one core point -- 10,000 hours doesn't necessarily equal success.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Rejection
I'm used to being told, "no," but it never gets any easier.
Two weeks ago I got invited to come to NYC to meet with Seth Godin to discuss an opportunity to spend six months working closely with him on what he termed an Alternative MBA.
Seth Godin was one of the first authors that I really devoured when I got into marketing. His insights always seemed clear & applicable. I remember spending days reading the archives of his blog. "Purple Cow" & "Permission Marketing" really effected me. And while I felt some of later books could be repetetive and a little heavy on anecdotes; I still consider him one of my favorite marketing-focused authors.
So with an opportunity presenting itself I booked a ticket for that upcoming monday.
When monday came, I hopped on a plane on at 6:00 am and made my way to NYC. After a 2 hour delay and a 2 hour entire flight sitting next to a crying child, I headed to the ASU loft where I was staying for the duration of my 3 day trip. App State has a place on E 24th & Park that alumni can sleep at for only $35/night, and since I was already sacrificing a lot for this trip I decided to stay at the loft for monetary purposed despite the communal arrangments & hostel-like atmosphere.
That night I went to bed quite early, and had a night of fitful sleep (communal sleeping is completely dependant on your bunkmates).
At 5:30 am I got up, readied myself and headed to Grand Central Station to take the 6:53 am train to Hastings-on-Hudson. Once there I met all the other applicants. It was a diverse group with some pretty remarkable people. Most were young, many were idealists, and almost all were looking for a new direction in their lives.
The meeting that morning was interesting. It included group interviews with everyone interviewing each other, and a one-on-one interview with Seth. Having interviewed with him many years ago for an internship I knew what to expect. 3 minutes one on one is all you get. He makes decisions based on his gut instinct when it comes to hiring and has always felt interviews are only there to confirm your initial impressions.
The details of the meeting and the program I can't go into (I signed an NDA), but he was basically looking to create a peer-learning environment of smart & focused individuals looking to change the world.
That afternoon several of us shared the train back to NYC, ate lunch & then went to the MET. It was snowing and a bit surreal to be traipsing around the city with people who I'd only met that morning. Conversation flowed easily even though everyone was exhausted.
We all parted ways and made half-hearted promises to keep in touch even if we didn't make the final cut. Out of the thousands of responses we were the final 20 people, and we all knew that it was likely that only a few of us would get the chance to take the next step.
Although, I wasn't even sure that the opportunity would really be worth the sacrifices I'd have to make -- I still wanted the chance to participate. It would provide a confirmation that Seth Godin thought I was remarkeable enough to take me under his wings, share his experience and teach me what he thought was important. I still remember the disappointment from the original rejection letter when I applied for an internship with him many years ago after I felt like I botched my phone interview.
When I opened my email this morning, and got the email that essentially said -- "It's not you. It's me." -- those feelings came back strongly.
So, tomorrow I go back to the real world and as the feelings of disappointment pass. I'll start to laugh again.
Two weeks ago I got invited to come to NYC to meet with Seth Godin to discuss an opportunity to spend six months working closely with him on what he termed an Alternative MBA.
Seth Godin was one of the first authors that I really devoured when I got into marketing. His insights always seemed clear & applicable. I remember spending days reading the archives of his blog. "Purple Cow" & "Permission Marketing" really effected me. And while I felt some of later books could be repetetive and a little heavy on anecdotes; I still consider him one of my favorite marketing-focused authors.
So with an opportunity presenting itself I booked a ticket for that upcoming monday.
When monday came, I hopped on a plane on at 6:00 am and made my way to NYC. After a 2 hour delay and a 2 hour entire flight sitting next to a crying child, I headed to the ASU loft where I was staying for the duration of my 3 day trip. App State has a place on E 24th & Park that alumni can sleep at for only $35/night, and since I was already sacrificing a lot for this trip I decided to stay at the loft for monetary purposed despite the communal arrangments & hostel-like atmosphere.
That night I went to bed quite early, and had a night of fitful sleep (communal sleeping is completely dependant on your bunkmates).
At 5:30 am I got up, readied myself and headed to Grand Central Station to take the 6:53 am train to Hastings-on-Hudson. Once there I met all the other applicants. It was a diverse group with some pretty remarkable people. Most were young, many were idealists, and almost all were looking for a new direction in their lives.
The meeting that morning was interesting. It included group interviews with everyone interviewing each other, and a one-on-one interview with Seth. Having interviewed with him many years ago for an internship I knew what to expect. 3 minutes one on one is all you get. He makes decisions based on his gut instinct when it comes to hiring and has always felt interviews are only there to confirm your initial impressions.
The details of the meeting and the program I can't go into (I signed an NDA), but he was basically looking to create a peer-learning environment of smart & focused individuals looking to change the world.
That afternoon several of us shared the train back to NYC, ate lunch & then went to the MET. It was snowing and a bit surreal to be traipsing around the city with people who I'd only met that morning. Conversation flowed easily even though everyone was exhausted.
We all parted ways and made half-hearted promises to keep in touch even if we didn't make the final cut. Out of the thousands of responses we were the final 20 people, and we all knew that it was likely that only a few of us would get the chance to take the next step.
Although, I wasn't even sure that the opportunity would really be worth the sacrifices I'd have to make -- I still wanted the chance to participate. It would provide a confirmation that Seth Godin thought I was remarkeable enough to take me under his wings, share his experience and teach me what he thought was important. I still remember the disappointment from the original rejection letter when I applied for an internship with him many years ago after I felt like I botched my phone interview.
When I opened my email this morning, and got the email that essentially said -- "It's not you. It's me." -- those feelings came back strongly.
Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything. -- Kurt Vonnegut
So, tomorrow I go back to the real world and as the feelings of disappointment pass. I'll start to laugh again.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
It's not a phenomenon. It's a movement.
As most people know, I've been a supporter of Barack Obama's campaign for president since he gave his announcement speech in Springfield, IL. (http://www.barackobama.com/2007/02/10/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_11.php). It was a speech that spoke to the disillusionment that myself and my generation feel towards the political status quo, and an invitation for all of us to work together to remake the world we live in.
However, I'm not speaking purely as a supporter in this post. I'm merely making some observations about what some see as an odd phenomenon of a campaign. A few of my family members have called recently expressing amazement that Obama has been able to overtake Hillary Clinton in the early primaries. A few have caught his soundbites, a few have even watched highlights of his speeches and they often say that his rhetoric is too lofty and non-specific. They question his chops and experience. They wonder why he's not more specific in his pronouncements, but I think this is precisely why he is succeeding...
There is a place in politics for establishing the grand themes of an election. These create the narrative and backbone of your candidacy. Campaign speeches are not policy speeches. Campaign speeches are meant to inspire, provoke, and allow you to connect with a candidate on an emotional level. They are not meant to be laundry lists of policy ideas. They are meant to encourage your support for a given candidate. To make you feel like you have a part in this process that so often seems removed from the reality of our every day lives.
It seems interesting to me that at the point in which Obama's campaign sagged (especially in media attention) was during the summer. This coincided with his emphasis on policy specifics and issue-based pronouncements. His speech to automakers in Detroit regarding fuel consumption, and his speech to the Council on Global Affairs in Chicago regarding his vision for a Foreign Policy & Security -- while detailed and important got limited coverage.
The truth is that politics is much like advertising. First you must establish your message and your brand. Barack Obama's message is that he wants to unite Americans to tackle the difficult problems were facing and transcend partisan gridlock. His brand is hopeful, energetic and most importantly authentic. My generation (those under 35) have grown up in an age of inauthenticity. We've been blasted with advertising since we were out of the womb and have a sixth sense for pandering. So when we see someone who is honest about their past (even the unflattering aspects), who takes stands on unpopular issues despite the potential consequences (eg. Iraq War circa 2003) and who avoids the standard political gamesmanship of attack politics -- we take notice.
This approach has also created a mobilization of volunteers that is unprecedented. Thousands log on to his website every day and use his online phone banking system to call their local peers to keep everyone informed of the campaign. Speeches and articles are distributed, events arranged and a community is built. As we saw in Iowa, the result of this mobilization is unprecedented turn out.
People under 35 were never lazy. They were merely disillusioned with a poll driven politics that smelled of political calculation, and reeked of inauthenicity. They needed someone to organize them under a positive cause and teach them how to reach out and organize their peers.
Who better for this task than a former community organizer who had to overcome the hardcore disillusionment of the poorest communities in Chicago and convince an alienated populace that they could make a positive difference in their lives if only they were willing to stand together united as one.
While the pundits act suprised and others just now take notice -- this is not something that happened over night. This is a movement that was built through the hard work of thousands of volunteers and inspired by a Candidate who has never forgotten who he is or how hard the challenges are that stand before us.
However, I'm not speaking purely as a supporter in this post. I'm merely making some observations about what some see as an odd phenomenon of a campaign. A few of my family members have called recently expressing amazement that Obama has been able to overtake Hillary Clinton in the early primaries. A few have caught his soundbites, a few have even watched highlights of his speeches and they often say that his rhetoric is too lofty and non-specific. They question his chops and experience. They wonder why he's not more specific in his pronouncements, but I think this is precisely why he is succeeding...
There is a place in politics for establishing the grand themes of an election. These create the narrative and backbone of your candidacy. Campaign speeches are not policy speeches. Campaign speeches are meant to inspire, provoke, and allow you to connect with a candidate on an emotional level. They are not meant to be laundry lists of policy ideas. They are meant to encourage your support for a given candidate. To make you feel like you have a part in this process that so often seems removed from the reality of our every day lives.
It seems interesting to me that at the point in which Obama's campaign sagged (especially in media attention) was during the summer. This coincided with his emphasis on policy specifics and issue-based pronouncements. His speech to automakers in Detroit regarding fuel consumption, and his speech to the Council on Global Affairs in Chicago regarding his vision for a Foreign Policy & Security -- while detailed and important got limited coverage.
The truth is that politics is much like advertising. First you must establish your message and your brand. Barack Obama's message is that he wants to unite Americans to tackle the difficult problems were facing and transcend partisan gridlock. His brand is hopeful, energetic and most importantly authentic. My generation (those under 35) have grown up in an age of inauthenticity. We've been blasted with advertising since we were out of the womb and have a sixth sense for pandering. So when we see someone who is honest about their past (even the unflattering aspects), who takes stands on unpopular issues despite the potential consequences (eg. Iraq War circa 2003) and who avoids the standard political gamesmanship of attack politics -- we take notice.
This approach has also created a mobilization of volunteers that is unprecedented. Thousands log on to his website every day and use his online phone banking system to call their local peers to keep everyone informed of the campaign. Speeches and articles are distributed, events arranged and a community is built. As we saw in Iowa, the result of this mobilization is unprecedented turn out.
People under 35 were never lazy. They were merely disillusioned with a poll driven politics that smelled of political calculation, and reeked of inauthenicity. They needed someone to organize them under a positive cause and teach them how to reach out and organize their peers.
Who better for this task than a former community organizer who had to overcome the hardcore disillusionment of the poorest communities in Chicago and convince an alienated populace that they could make a positive difference in their lives if only they were willing to stand together united as one.
While the pundits act suprised and others just now take notice -- this is not something that happened over night. This is a movement that was built through the hard work of thousands of volunteers and inspired by a Candidate who has never forgotten who he is or how hard the challenges are that stand before us.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
New Getty Images Website
Just got an email. Looks like getty images is getting a brand new site.
Now sure when it's going live, but check out the preview below.
New Getty Images
Overall the site is a success. The AJAX search box on homepage is a bit forced, but forgiveably functional. The larger images and new width are more suitable to today's landscape. The new search interface actually seems to take some cues from istockphoto (which getty acquired last year).
I'm not sure it will dramatically improve my user experience, but I think it's a solid iterative upgrade. Design is freshened up and there are few usability tweaks.
I give it a 8/10 ;-)
Now sure when it's going live, but check out the preview below.
New Getty Images
Overall the site is a success. The AJAX search box on homepage is a bit forced, but forgiveably functional. The larger images and new width are more suitable to today's landscape. The new search interface actually seems to take some cues from istockphoto (which getty acquired last year).
I'm not sure it will dramatically improve my user experience, but I think it's a solid iterative upgrade. Design is freshened up and there are few usability tweaks.
I give it a 8/10 ;-)
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