@jack in MEL 💬 🐜 đŸ’« #54

@jack in MEL 💬 🐜 đŸ’« #54

22 May, 2018

It’s lovely to be around so many inspiring activities happening seemingly fast. What an age to be living in!

Let’s get into it ~

@Jack Came to Visit.

It was delightful to hear Jack Dorsey‘s (CEO Twitter & Square) fun & humble insights yesterday. Here are the outtakes ~

* Point of sale (POS) systems [have the potential to] organise your business – e.g. as a cafe if you move the biscotti jar and the POS shows sales have increased then you know this new layout works.

* @jack watches the team dynamic now a lot more than hiring the best/top people (he referred to a sensational engineer in early stages of Twitter who was often negative though also understood Twitter’s end to end system so if he left they wouldn’t be able to bring the system back. After he left the system did indeed go down and three others rose up to sort it …& became leaders). He now hires for team dynamic and looks for how individuals support each other. He still doesn’t always get it right.

* “Identify the things you believe in then have a lot of patience around building the things you believe in”

Good to also hear him talk about helping to bank the “unbanked” and Square’s involvement in blockchain tech (this article provides more info).

[Think you’ll like this KP. Thanks for the invite Will. Great to see you Matt 🧱 ]

Thanks for the photo @Phoriamedia

Creating Connections.

While the “Lost Connections” title didn’t draw me in, I’m rapt by this book [Thanks L.]. It refreshingly challenges many aspects and perspectives of western society, combines this with experts’ insights, data and a respectful, calm suggested approach to realistic improvements. These quotes show the breadth and depth of the insights.

I’m more than half-way through and it’s in my top 3 books. Whoah!

The bonus of the Audible book is the author is highly engaging and the content flows easily into the next topic. It’s an audiobook that I’m drawn to keep listening to and not wanting it to end (this doesn’t always happen). Oh and another bonus is that his voice is like Jude Law’s 😉

If you’re interested in ways to enhance your life, read it.

And if you’ve friends dealing with / who’ve dealt w depression it’s worth reading to review and reframe your perspective on it. Reframing depression. It’s about time.

> 1 True Calling.

Emilie Wapnick’s “Why some of us don’t have one true calling” is excellent! By her definition I’m a “multipotentialite”. Have a watch – you may be too!

This talk is a wonderful way to empower those you know (send it to them!) who thirst for learning and don’t mind having ‘beginner’s mind’ often.

[Thanks Merv!]

What (online) has delighted / fascinated me / had me think ~

If you’re enjoying this then people you know may too. Hit forward!

I’m in catch-up mode on all the videos from NYC Crypto week & also the Boring update – what did you enjoy?

We’re doing some interesting B2B sales and growth hacking experiments at Serversaurus. I’ll include links here from what works. #CrashTestDummy 😉

*High fives!*
Sam

Voice Assistants 😎 😍 👌 #51

Voice Assistants 😎 😍 👌 #51

10 Apr, 2018

Double Your Estimates.

Early in my career an experienced Project Manager gave me advice that I still use: when estimating, come up with how long it’ll take then double it – that’s the number you give others. It’s surprising how often it works and how a simple equation reduces stress.

Here’s an example: you’re asked to finalise a presentation. In your mind you quickly work out that it should take you about a day. Say it’ll take 2 days.

Part of the reason it works is that it’s simple.

It recognises that the future can’t always be predicted in the moment: you may want to do something else that comes up, people may need longer to review, or a multitude of other things. It provides an opportunity to deliver early and remove unnecessary stress on those around you.

Delivering early is fun.

Curious?

OK, I know. It was only two emails ago that I declared my favourite book of the past ten years. It’s still true. This one, A Curious Mind, by Brian Grazer is nipping its heels!

Brian Grazer is an ultra-successful Hollywood Producer who promotes the role of curiosity in enjoyable and successful lives. In his twenties he deliberately met a new person each day and he explains how his 35 years of ‘curiosity conversations’ have informed so much of his work. He surprised me by talking of how he manages through curiosity: that through honestly asking questions people are empowered.

I particularly enjoyed his honesty and application of curious questions when working with actors who’s job it is to manipulate you in to believing them…

He also suggests we don’t recognise curiosity highly enough. I agree.

Let me know what you think if you read it. I’m …curious.

Thanks Caleb for the recommendation!

🎉🎉2 years 🎉🎉

The next of these emails will signify my having done so for 2 years.
Let me know what you’d like to read in celebration. Toot toot!

Be amazed.

So much is changing in the housing market [thanks Fred]:

Great reads / listens

  • Search “Burniske” (the author of CryptoAssets) on your podcasts app and many will come up. They’re probably all good. This one is a great extension to the book and also a summary of crypto assets book. [1 hour listen]
  • For the creatives ~ [thanks Nick]
    “the best way to thrive in your creative life is to pretend like you’re in Groundhog Day…”

For you / your CEO

  • If you’re wanting to quickly get up to speed on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Robert Scoble & Shel Israel’s The Fourth Transformation is a good overview. If you’ve already watched a few videos or followed VR & AR commentary, I suggest not much will be new to you. I liked learning about headsets picking up autism in children (and the potential for saving a lot of confusion).
  • Check out these fascinating comments on the current state of Voice Assistants:

Waving from an Autumnal Melbourne,

~ Sam

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