Nikolas Laufer-Edel's Blog: Being Productive -
Get into the grove and stay there
- Avoid interruptions by scheduling blocks of time where you turn off notifications (phone, email, etc…) for at least an hour at a time.
- Be healthy (eat well, sleep, and sweat) to keep your mind sharp.
- Surround yourself with people that make you smile.
- Build a…
There are many theories, concepts and ways of thinking out there that encourage people to be more positive. From the “What the Bleep Do We Know” Law of Attraction to neuroscience brain processes, many ideas strive to suggest that positive thinking influences our bodies, mind and overall selves for the better.
Then, many people try to cut these ideas down and prove their lack of scientific foundation or lack of sufficient empirical evidence.
Great. Who cares? If the idea encourages people to be more positive, just leave it alone. Detailed scientific journals can do what they want, but personally discounting people’s beliefs around positivity is extremely counter-productive.
We’re all trying to be better people and being more positive is a great first step.
After watching the below TED talk last week, I was reminded of my high school study sessions for Math/Physics and other largely quantitative courses. I would use a website (I forget the name) that the school district subscribed to with live tutors, a “whiteboard” and a text chat on the side of the window. I would draw out the equations/graphs I was having trouble with and the live tutor would walk me through the question.
Aside from helping or teaching my friends, this was literally the best method of studying I have ever employed. And until now, I completely forgot about it.
In the TED talk, Khan suggests that lectures should be dealt with outside of the classroom and that the classroom should be used for interactive learning, whether that be facetime (I feel like it’s okay to write that as one word now …) with the teacher or working with peers. I realize now that what Khan is suggesting is exactly what I was craving in high school - I tried to satisfy that craving with the live tutor website and by working with friends outside of class.
I hope the education system realizes that this is not the “future of education” but the fundamental definition of education.
Why did Apple spend so much time on Garageband during the iPad 2 announcement today? They revolutionized the music industry once with iPods & then with iTunes and they are ready to do it again. Except, now they’re on the other side of the table. Sure, it may not seem that strumming on a virtual guitar is going to be a game changer, but as usual, don’t underestimate Apple, and more importantly, their target market with such releases. I’m also excited to see what other apps will be released that harness the new capabilities. Producing music already had low barriers of entry; Apple just lowered them further. I can’t wait to see what this will really look like. It all starts on March 11th!
“Do I need a passport to get on the ferry?” — A friend of mine on our way to the island. I realize I take our country’s travel opportunities for granted.
A little while back Groupon announced a new platform called Groupon Stores. Essentially, merchants will have their own page on Groupon’s site where they can post their own deals at any time. What does that mean for us? Well, at any given time in the highly competitive consumer goods market, consumers will be able to find their desired product for at least 50% off. In other words, if this is rolled out on a large scale, Groupon is effectively cutting the market value of consumer goods in half.
What’s even worse for businesses is that 10-50% of the discounted price goes directly into Groupon’s pocket. Is that all? Nope. The merchant will only receive credit for those deals that are redeemed (aka only when they incur costs).
If I’m in one of Groupon’s target market industries of, say, Spa services, I’m worried. I just saw my unit revenues get slashed between 50-75%.
Of course, it’s not that clear cut and I’m certainly overstating the immediate consequences. That being said, the “social buying” frenzy is making a dent on the economics of consumer goods and it is definitely worth exploring further. For more details, check out Business Insider’s article here and Groupon’s merchant page here.
Since elementary school we’ve been trained to be solution-oriented. Homework, writing, everything we do has been centered around finding the solution to very simple problems. Then in high school, and unfortunately, again in University, we are always presented with a range of problems and are trained to learn how to find the solutions.
Now, I do not mean to discount the value in being solution-oriented. Solving problems in an effective manner is a valuable skill. But in today’s complex world, I would argue that the most valuable skill is actually finding the problem to begin with.
When I say problem, I mean the right problem. Our society is great at identifying problems - problems are everywhere! What we are awful at is actually finding the root of the problem and framing it in a solvable way.
I would argue that we should be taught from the beginning to look at problems framed in an incorrect, overcomplicated manner and be asked to simplify, re-frame, simplify again, and THEN solve the problem.
Most complex problems have relatively simple solutions. Let’s focus on simplifying the problem before finding the solution. It will save us all a lot of time.
UPDATE: Eric Berlow does a great job of explaining a similar thought around complexity vs. simplicity in his short TED talk:
“The difference between education and experience. Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.”
- Pete Seeger
Over the past few years, I realize my focus has largely been on education. As it should be. One without the other is not a university degree.
But this year my focus is on experience. The education is important, but it’s a foundation. It’s in the background, supporting my endeavors.
It’s time to refocus from the fine print to the headline. I need to learn, not memorize; think, not repeat; and most importantly, do, not contemplate. There is no fine print in life.
Earlier today, JJ Bean published an article on their site explaining their decision keep their cafe’s wifi-free. In short, the article explained that they believe in face-to-face interaction. Rather than entering a cafe littered with laptops and smartphones, hearing only typing and the occasional “ding” of an incoming email, they prefer their customers to be greeted by good friends and conversation.
Photo Credit: INeedCoffee
While it does sound like a beautiful concept, I immediately thought it was a fluffy attempt to explain a cost-saving strategy. Internet can be expensive, and outfitting all stores with routers and enough bandwidth to satisfy your average wifi user is a large undertaking.
Of course, JJ Bean will argue that they really do believe in their vision and that cost has nothing to do with it.
While I am now actually inclined to believe JJ Bean, it is irrelevant. What matters is that JJ Bean has taken advantage of a market without many differentiating factors and created one of their own. A while back, cafe’s with wifi were rare. The locations that had it did quite well and attracted a certain niche of people. Then, that increased traffic interested other coffee shops. Before long, almost every cafe in Vancouver had wifi of some sort.
But JJ Bean is on to something. They are not “that cafe without wifi,” they are “that wifi-free cafe.” By framing their decision as a positive rather than a negative they are targeting a forgotten market - cafe goers that are there for the environment and the people. I don’t care if they are trying to save money or if they truly believe in the original cafe environment (or both). They are differentiating themselves through what the market would consider a deficit, and in such a saturated market, this innovative approach is commendable.
I think there is a huge opportunity for JJ Bean to become an industry leader in a very unexpected way. Now, it is up to the marketing department! And, of course, keep the good coffee coming …
Photo credit: Doghouse Diaries
Remember Google Wave? I actually still use it quite a bit, but only for collaborating with a few close friends on projects. Nothing beyond that, because if you’re like most people, it passed by quite quickly.
Should we be expecting a major overhaul soon that will bring a tsunami? Or will it simply just wash up on shore? Maybe more solidified business applications? Only time will tell.