Let’s start with a simple question: What kind of work do you like doing? Go ahead, answer it in your head. I’ll wait. … Did you just describe what you like working on? Or who you like working with? Or maybe you veered into what you like accomplishing or who you like working for? If so, you’re not alone. Nine out of 10 leaders, when asked this question, end up answering a completely different one. Here’s the thing: the dictionary definition of “work” …Continue reading
I was a guest on the “Are We There Yet?” podcast. We dove deep into several topics close to my heart: The future of life on Earth, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, leadership, and more. Have a listen and let me know your reaction! Legendary technologist, product visionary, and leadership coach Tigger (Charlie) Kindel winds through the challenges and choices his team made during the early development of Amazon’s Alexa; where AI fits in the continuum …Continue reading
Once you get to the point in your career where you realize a) you’ll be just fine financially (because your resume kicks ass), b) your company doesn’t give a sh*t about you, and c) you know what the Right Thing to do is, act like a volunteer.Continue reading
Last month I offered “office hours” to anyone who wanted to chat with me. It was an experiment to see a) if interesting people would reach out, b) if I could be useful to these people, and c) if I’d be exposed to domains where I could spend more of my time in the future. All three hypotheses have turned out true. Thank you to all of you who utilized this so far! I still …Continue reading
CBTO = Customer + Business + Technology + OrganizationContinue reading
The concept of a Merit Badge comes from the Boy Scouts. The idea is that a scout can only earn a particular merit badge (actually a patch that gets sewn onto a vest) by demonstrating mastery of the skill or ability defined by the badge. For example, a scout would only receive the “Firemanship” badge by clearly demonstrating, repeatedly, the ability to start fires without matches. Merit Badges can come in all sizes. A small …Continue reading
The first thing I ask people who are looking for a new job is “What work do you want to do in your ideal job?” It is interesting how few people answer this question. Almost everybody wants to answer different questions like “What do you want to work on?” or “What kind of work environment are you looking for?” They respond with answers like “I want to work on a small dynamic team with other …Continue reading
A Job Decision Matrix will help identify what is actually important to you in your career (and life). Gaining clarity on what is important to you, right now, will help you identify new job opportunities, avoid wasting time on job opportunities that are not right for you, and make a job decision with conviction. This blog post is one of my oldest on leadership and by far the one I’ve gotten the most positive feedback …Continue reading
Most people think about their career trajectory as being like a bell-curve or that of a cannon ball fired from a cannon. Something like this: For 99% of all successful people, this is completely the wrong way to think about it. For that other 1% (the Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerbergs of the world) it might work. For the rest of us, there’s a mental model that will help keep you sane, help you appreciate …Continue reading
Why Nobody Can Copy Apple
Horace Dediu has written another brilliant piece titled...
The Job Decision Matrix
A Job Decision Matrix will help identify what is actual...
Path To Green
A Path To Green (PTG) is a clear, crisp, and complete s...
You are Thinking of Your Career Trajectory Wrong
Most people think about their career trajectory as bein...
The 5Ps: Achieving Focus in Any Endeavor
Always have a plan. Always. A great, simple, framework...
STOP 0xC2 aka BAD_POOL_CALLER Blue Screen and bad memory
My computer bluescreened with a STOP 0xC2, BAD_POOL_CAL...
Merit Badges – A Mental Model for Success
The concept of a Merit Badge comes from the Boy Scouts...
Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit
Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit Leaders are obligate...
Tenets
Tenets are a few carefully articulated guiding principl...
Work Backwards From The Customer
At the 1996 Microsoft Professional Developer Conference...
Customer, Business, Technology, Organization (CBTO)
CBTO = Customer + Business + Technology + Organization
Retail Pricing, Markup, and Margins
Tom’s Hardware is generally really solid. But they shou...
One-Way and Two-Way Doors
Effective decision-making starts with understanding; in...
Paying Developers is A Bad Idea
The companies that make the most profit are those who b...
Be a Great Reader
When an organization has a culture where the written wo...
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