All you have to do is look around to realize just how many choices we still have. What to eat, who to speak to, what to do for a living, what to learn, what to say, who to contribute to, how we interact, what we stand for…
The safe and comfortable path is to pretend that we're blocked at every turn.
But most of the turns, we don't even see. We've trained ourselves to ignore them.
A habit is not the same as no choice. And a choice isn't often easy. In fact, the best ones rarely are.
But we can still choose to make one.
October 24, 2017
Some work is best shipped when it's done.
Most of the time, though, we produce useful, important work on time. When it's due.
If you're having trouble shipping, it might because you've hesitated to put a date on it. "Soon" is a very different concept than, "11:00 am".
If it's important enough to spend your day on, to pin your dreams on, to promise to yourself and others, it's probably important enough to guarantee a ship date.
October 23, 2017
The math has changed.
It used to be, you paid money to run an ad. A little piece of media, bought and paid for. The audience came with the slot.
Today, of course, the ad is free to run. Post your post, upload your video. Free.
What to measure, then?
Well, one thing to measure is attention. How many likes or shares or views did it get?
But if you're going to optimize for attention, not trust or results or contribution, then you're on a very dangerous road.
It's pretty easy to get attention by running down the street naked (until everyone else does it). But that's not going to accomplish your goals.
When Oreo gets attention for a tweet or Halotop for a horrible ad, they're pulling a stunt, not contributing to their mission.
Yes, the alternative is more difficult. It doesn't come with a quick hit or big numbers. But it understands what it's for. An effective ad is far more valuable than a much-noticed one.
October 22, 2017
Critics are eager to pick apart complex decisions made by others.
Prime Ministers, CEOs, even football coaches are apparently serially incompetent. If they had only listened to folks who knew precisely what they should have done, they would have been far better off.
Of course, these critics have a great deal of trouble making less-complex decisions in their own lives. They carry the wrong credit cards, buy the wrong stocks, invest in the wrong piece of real estate.
Some of them even have trouble deciding what to eat for dinner.
Complex decision making is a skill—it can be learned, and some people are significantly better at it than others. It involves instinct, without a doubt, but also the ability to gather information that seems irrelevant, to ignore information that seems urgent, to patiently consider not just the short term but the long term implications.
The loudest critics have poor track records in every one of these areas.
Mostly, making good decisions involves beginning with a commitment to make a decision. That's the hard part. Choosing the best possible path is only possible after you've established that you've got the guts and the commitment to make a decision.
October 21, 2017
If you have a safe place to sleep, reasonable health and food in the fridge, you’re probably living with surplus. You have enough breathing room to devote an hour to watching TV, or having an argument you don’t need to have, or simply messing around online. You have time and leverage and technology and trust.
For many people, this surplus is bigger than any human on Earth could have imagined just a hundred years ago.
What will you spend it on?
If you’re not drowning, you’re a lifeguard.
October 20, 2017
Announcing a two-day workshop in my office for 8 people.
I define publishing as the work of investing in intellectual property and monetizing it by bringing it to people who want to pay for it. The world of publishing is changing fast, and I'd like to help a few publishers make a difference.
Publishing can include music, books, conferences and other experiences and content. The ideas may change, but the work of publishing at scale has much in common across all fields.
[Update: We've had more than 1,000 applications, so I'm going to close the form, thanks.]
Here's a quick FAQ:
Who's it for? Thoughtful leaders who are committed to publishing in a new way, making a difference and contributing to our culture by bringing out work that matters (and supporting those who make it). We're particularly looking for a mix of people with experiences and dreams that fall outside the mainstream in terms of background, posture or credentials. I think publishing is a profession, and I'd like to help others that do as well.
How much does it cost? I'm not charging a fee. Running a workshop is a powerful exercise, and I'll probably learn as much as you will. You'll need to pay your way here and find a place to stay, so I figure you'll have some skin in the game. Not everything is about making a profit. Maybe we'll even change a few lives.
Can you do it remotely, or turn it into something bigger? Not right now, sorry.
What do you know about publishing? Well, I've been publishing books, software, music, courses and even action figures for more than thirty years. Here are some highlights. This seminar follows on from the SAMBA, the FeMBA, the Agenda session and other intensives I've hosted over the years.
If you're interested, please apply right away. The deadline is really soon, and we never admit the last four people who apply to anything we do.
October 19, 2017
Assumption: Some people love what you do. They love your product, your service, the way you do your work (if that's not true, this post isn't for you. You have a more significant problem to work on first).
So, how to understand it when someone hates what you do? When they post a one-star review, or cross the street to avoid your shop, or generally are unhappy with the very same thing that other people love?
It's not for them.
They want something you don't offer. Or they want to buy it from someone who isn't you. Or they don't understand what it's for or how or why you do it.
Some of these things you can address by telling a story more clearly, some you can't.
Either way, right now, they're telling you one thing: It's not for them.
Okay, thanks for letting us know.
I got a note yesterday from a recent grad of the altMBA. He said, "I have to say that the value I have gained from this group far exceeds anything I could give back, and please know that it is rippling out and will affect many more than just the people that went through the program. Thank you…"
We put together this short video about the impact that this 30-day workshop is having on the thousands of people who have gone through it. I'll be talking a little bit about how and why we made it via Facebook Live today at 10 am NY time.
The next available session is in January. Tomorrow is the last day for First Priority applications. The application takes about fifteen minutes.
There are no tests.
If you're ready for us, we're ready for you.
October 18, 2017
Somewhere, someone is doing something that got your attention, inciting you into action. Somewhere, someone is:
- Taking your share
- Wasting an opportunity
- Cutting ahead in line
- Suffering at the hands of bully
- Invading your territory
- Announcing a deadline
- Sharing breaking news
- Disrespecting your tribe
- Going hungry
- Whispering juicy gossip
- Misinterpreting your words
- Not being offered an opportunity
- Libeling a cause you believe in
- Living with loneliness
- Promising a shortcut
- The victim of cruelty
- Being cruel
- Giving something away
- Picking winners
- Asking for help
Which of these is your kind of urgent, a chance to take umbrage or perhaps, a call to action?
Which one turns our heads, gets our attention and breaks our rhythm?
We notice what we care about and work hard to ignore the rest. You can change what you care about by changing what you notice.
October 17, 2017
Price is a simple number. How much money do I need to hand you to get this thing?
Cost is more relevant, more real and more complicated.
Cost is what I had to give up to get this. Cost is how much to feed it, take care of it, maintain it and troubleshoot it. Cost is my lack of focus and my cost of storage. Cost is the externalities, the effluent, the side effects.
Just about every time, cost matters more than price, and shopping for price is a trap.
October 16, 2017
