the tippe point

Nikolas Laufer-Edel's Blog: Being Productive

Tue, 03 May 2011 04:48:34 -0700

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…

Over-thinking

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:35:51 -0700

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.

Interactive Education

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:50:35 -0700

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.

They did it once already ...

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:17:00 -0800

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?"

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:37:17 -0800

“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.

50% off ... everything?

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:54:34 -0800

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.

What's your problem?

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:37:00 -0800

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:

Education vs. Experience

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:29:00 -0700

“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.

JJ Bean - "why no Fi?"

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:08:00 -0700

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 …

What happened to Google Wave?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:22:22 -0700

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.

"Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like..."

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:32:11 -0700

““Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm.””

- Peter Drucker

Gmail Tip - Synchronized Signatures

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:54:52 -0700

If you:

have more than one “from” address connected to your Gmail or Yahoo account, and
use Google Chrome, or are thinking about using Chrome,

then this tip is for you.

I operated with one default signature for a long time. You can get by, but if you have a few positions that you juggle and are constantly corresponding with different groups of people, it is nice to be able to have a signature that corresponds to each respective role.

Rather than manually changing it every time, there is an great little Chrome extension that allows you to have multiple HTML signatures that correspond to different “from” addresses. Check out Autopen. If you change your “from” address when composing a message, the extension will automatically change your signature for you.

Take a look at an example from my Gmail account. This is my “Default” signature:

Then, when I change my “from” address to my Hoopla account:

The natural difficulty with browser extensions for web-based applications is that they reside on a single computer rather than within the application itself. With Autopen, however, they allow synchronization of signatures. Of course, you need to have the extension installed on the computer, but once you do, you just need to login and click “Sync” and you will have all your signatures delivered right to your email client.

This is just another yet another handy feature that allows Gmail to get one step closer to replacing multiple email accounts entirely. Plus, it make emailing a lot more efficient if you juggle accounts and signatures. If you combine this with some of my tips from my Gmail Tips post, you can turn Gmail into a virtual Outlook or Mail client!

Subconscious Decisions

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:28:14 -0700

The puck had barely touched your stick for a millisecond before you realized it was in the net.

Even though you were in a hurry, you paused for just a second with the door handle in your hand to let the elderly lady through first.

It was a dark shade of yellow, and before you realized what was happening you were through the intersection, unscathed.

We make subconscious decisions every single day without hardly a thought. Before we can even fully consciously comprehend what happened, it’s over and we are left with the results.

Subconscious decision making is largely habit. When left without time for the brain to process an event, the body simply does what it is used to doing. It completes what we have taught it to complete over many years.

While this is great for menial tasks and tasks for which we have taught our body positive habits, it is extremely detrimental when our habits happen to be negative or dangerous. The first two examples above are great - scoring an awesome goal and being polite at a doorway. The third one, however, is also a subconscious decision that is very habitual. What do you usually do when you see a yellow light or those flashing “Prepare to Stop” signs? Like most people, if you’re close enough to the intersection, you’ll accelerate a tad and get through with plenty of time. But what about when you’re a bit further than that?

Photo credit: fazen

Many habits last because they don’t cause any problems. Rather, problems haven’t been caused yet. Is that really worth the risk?

Everyday, think about developing positive habits that, in turn, positively affect the surrounding environment. It will pay off in the long-run, and eventually, in the short-run as well.

I love Vancouver. I have seen a decent portion of the world and...

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:53:00 -0700

I love Vancouver. I have seen a decent portion of the world and I have become enthralled with the wonders of other cities, but Vancouver will always be my home.

Dear Vancouver.

Top 3 - Vancouver's views

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:57:00 -0700

Over the past 2 years I have discovered our beautiful home in an entirely new way. Growing up in Coquitlam, I rarely made it downtown, much less to the other areas of the city. Now, after 2 years at UBC, I can proudly say I’ve explored almost all of Vancouver’s best districts and destinations. I’m no longer a tourist in my own city and I’ve grown to love it even more.

I wanted to put together a Top 3 of my favourite things to do in Vancouver. This will be a few different blog posts of various types of Top 3’s - there’s just so much!

I’m going to start with views. Vancouver has one of the most amazing skylines in the world (the water and mountains help) and there are certainly some great places to see the beauty of the surrounding environment.

1) Spanish Banks

The first that comes to mind is Spanish Banks Beach. More specifically, right at the bottom of Blanca at NW Marine. The view all around from this spot is beautiful, and most importantly, is great all year round. It’s just as awesome to see the sunset reflect off the downtown skyline as it is to see the winter snow covering Stanley Park. If it’s a clear day or night, I’ll generally take this detour on the way back to UBC just to take a quick peek at the skyline. It never gets old!

Photo credit: ozonetragic

2) Fraiche Restaurant

Speaking of the skyline, Fraiche has a stellar view from the opposite side of the city. Nestled in the hills of West Vancouver, Fraiche is a fine dining restaurant with a great wine list. I’m not going to lie, it is expensive, but it is one of those restaurants you go to once a year (or two years) for a special occasion. You can follow the view of the Lions Gate through Stanley Park all the way into downtown and beyond. The daytime view of the water to the west is stunning, and as the sun sets, you get to watch the city light up below.

Photo credit: barabanov

3) The Mill Marine Bistro

I’ve walked by this location many times before finally grabbing drinks with my good friend Raul. They had some great beers on special, but the view really made the experience. The patio looks out all the way across the harbour to North Van, with a great view of Stanely Park as well. During the Olympics, this was one of the best spots in the city to see the Olympic rings on the water! (see below) Because of it’s location, some of the servers will tell you that the tourists might have put this one on the map for Vancouver! It’s popularity has grown exponentially as of late and for good reason. It’s a great place to hang out after a seawall walk or a boat adventure (there are a few boat rental locations right on the harbour). As with the other 2, it’s a perfect view day or night!

Photo from Mill Bistro’s website

Vancouver’s views are a perfect fusion of natural and manmade beauty - from the downtown skyscrapers to Stanely Park. These 3 spots provide just a few of the thousands of amazing angles of our city.

We want less features. Wait, what?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:52:31 -0700

When it comes to programs and apps, updates are constantly delivering “what users want.” And generally, “what users want” is interpreted as more features, updated features, more connectivity, etc, etc.

These sound like good things, and occasionally, they are. But when you break down every successful program and app ever made, they were created to address a fundamental user need or want. Unfortunately, among all the innovation and additions, that fundamental purpose can be lost.

There are two huge examples: Facebook and Gmail. Facebook was created to stimulate online connectivity among peers at Universities, providing a forum for communication. It then expanded to other market segments, growing at an exponential rate. Now, my even my Grandma is on Facebook. I’m not kidding.

However, It is not the size that is the problem. It is the attempt by Facebook to accomodate every want of every user in these market segments. There are apps, games, photos, videos, tagging, and even a marketplace. Of course, with all that data comes a lot of responsibility, and we all know what happened recently in terms of privacy.

Facebook is trying to be everything, when really, it is designed to connect networks of people and provide a forum for communication. If that was still at the core of Facebook’s purpose, I personally would find it a lot more useful. Instead, it is saturated with all of these other side projects that do not connect to the fundamental need it originally addressed.

Gmail, on the other hand, has taken a very different approach. Google, just like Facebook, was addressing a fundamental user need: a simple, effective online email application. When it was released, it was as barebones as possible. It was lacking in many areas, but it caught on almost immediately. I think I even paid a friend $5 to receive a Gmail invite!

Gmail was simple and it worked. Now, Google has added hundreds of features to Gmail. Everything from Multiple Inboxes to Undo Send to Themes, yet it is still addresses it’s original purpose brilliantly and generating just as much buzz (pun intended) as ever!

Why have Google’s additions to Gmail been effective whereas Facebook’s have caused chaos? It’s simple: they’re optional. Sure, technically you don’t have to subscribe to all of Facebook’s features either, but you experience all of the side effects anyways. As for Gmail, they have allowed users to use absolutely every feature possible, yet still send a perfectly legible and effectively simple email to another user that employes no features whatsoever.

Of course, Google is no stranger to providing for a fundamental need. Hopefully Facebook can learn something from Google’s experience on the web and make their way back to their roots.

"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has..."

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:20:34 -0700

“In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn’t last—only in people’s memories and in their hearts. That’s the beauty and sadness of it. But that’s life—beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life.”

- Sherie Rene Scott

Music Industry Moving Forward - Werewolves of Creston

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:33:13 -0700

Over the past few years we have seen Vancouver, along with many other cities across the world, experience a huge rise in concert traffic. Artists I never thought could sell out the Coliseum, GM Place, the Orpheum, etc, have been able to do so with ease. Today on the radio I heard shows announced at GM Place for this December!

This is largely due to the rapidly changing music industry. I hear it first hand from my uncle (an independent Canadian country music recording artist) all the time - records are not selling (at least, not in stores), there is no music video industry on TV, and radio spins are not paying what they once did, nor are the stations supporting local artists nearly as much.

Of course, in some ways this is good. Copyright infringements and moral arguments aside, the new challenging nature of the industry pushes artists to innovate and find new ways to get their product out there and generate revenue. And for a lot of artists, the revenue stream that replaces platinum album sales is ticket sales for concerts.

It’s great to hear artists live and actively promoting their albums across the world. But I generally walk away from a stadium concert quite disappointed. It’s normally a mediocre production with an attempt at a temporarily heightened energy level that myself and 17,000 other people just stood and watched.

I want to see the music industry get even more personal. A few nights ago myself and some friends went to The LIbra Room on the drive. We had the pleasure of hearing the Werewolves of Creston perform live. They played an incredible, energetic set in the small, quaint bar with around 30 people. What’s more, during their break, they walked around and chatted with the patrons! I had a great conversation with their lead singer about musical theatre.

I don’t know how much money they made, but I know that it generated a lot of positive energy about their band from myself and my friends, as well as many others in the venue that night. At one point, we had all agreed to buy their CD’s if they were for sale! I know for sure I have never thought that for a moment at a stadium concert.

It was the personal connectivity we gained with the band that really made our experience, and hopefully, that is the direction the music industry is moving. Of course, I’m not suggesting that any of the huge names today would ever play a 30 person venue, but they do need to interact with their fans (and potential fans) in a more personal way to find true success. Through social media, online networks, and revenue generators such as live performances, musicians have a challenging but rewarding path ahead.

Sweat the Small Stuff

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:18:00 -0700

The small things in life may feel insignificant. A minor group project, one of hundreds of final exams, or an administrative task at work. While it may be true that one can get away with a mediocre level of effort the majority of time, that doesn’t matter. The point is that positive change and development can occur when applying a large level of effort.

When going through these motions, it is common to experience the “10-years-down-the-road” syndrome. In 10 years, will this matter? Will I remember the outcome? So far, those are fair questions. It is the subsequent thought process that is problematic. Since it won’t matter in 10 years, it doesn’t really matter now.

Not true. The small things can make a huge difference. They can make THE difference, and oddly enough, they can provide the solutions to huge problems.

As Rory Sutherland illustrates in the following TED talk, it is time to start taking the small things seriously. What he doesn’t touch on is that paying attention to detail is a habit. It comes with practice. If you delay, it simply becomes harder and harder to master. I am starting today - join me?

The New York UN-CityPass Top 5

Sun, 16 May 2010 17:46:00 -0700

I know I’m on a bit of a New York rampage, but I love the city too much to stop talking about it already!

We all have to do the tourist-y things when we travel to new cities. It’s almost a rite of passage. “You haven’t been to New York unless you’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building.” While I would argue that’s not necessarily true, I too have visited the top of the extremely popular tourist destination. Tourist attractions are there for a reason - sure they’re cash cows, but they are neat and most of them are worth seeing.

But what about the REAL parts of cities with strong tourism industries? Where is the REAL New York that the locals frequent and tourists don’t even know about? Well, I may not have hit those places yet, but in my visits I’ve definitely been to a few places that you won’t find in every guide book or on any hotel tour. Here’s my Top 5 “UN-CityPass” places to visit in New York City.

1) The Apollo Theatre

Broadway is great, and in some cases, off-broadway performances can be even better. But it doesn’t get any more grassroots than Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Harlem? Isn’t it dangerous? Well, sure, if you go in the middle of the night walk down poorly lit streets. But that’s true of any city. Harlem is a beautiful historic neighbourhood that cannot be missed.

As for the Apollo, Amateur Night has been running almost every Wednesday night since 1934. It is a forum for new talent to showcase their skills in front of an audience that will not take any BS. They’ll rub The Tree of Hope for good luck as they head on stage. The performer will remain on stage if there are enough cheers from the audience, but as soon as those “boos” start resonating, they will be pulled off stage. It’s all up to the audience! Tickets are reasonably priced, too.

Amateur Night at the Apollo has been the kick start for the careers of talent such as Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and many more.

2) Hell’s Kitchen

Located just west of Times Square between 34th and 58th streets, one would think that Hell’s Kitchen would be a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, it has remained quite a local centred district, at least until very recently. The city, thinking that perhaps the name was a deterrent, has tried to rebrand the district under the name “Clinton”, but all the locals will tell you that it will always be known as Hell’s Kitchen.

The area is home to some of the best diners and restaurants in the city. In the past I have eaten Thai, Mexican, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and American cuisine and loved all of them!

With its proximity to Times Square, it is a perfect dinner destination before a Broadway show or just a night out on the town. Some of my Hell’s Kitchen favourites include:

Sangria 46 - Spanish
Pam Real Thai - Thai
Jing - Chinese

3) BROOKLYN

Photo Credit: Philipp Klinger

Again, please put all your preconceived notions of the area aside. If you go to New York and don’t make it into Brooklyn at all, you are seriously missing out. (If you’re feeling really ambitious, go for the Brooklyn for Life foursquare badge)

My favourite tourist-y Brooklyn (or technically, DUMBO - down under the manhattan bridge overpass) experience consists of a few destinations. If you can, try to go in the later hours of the evening.

Grimaldi’s Pizza:

Consistently rated the number one pizza in New York City (if not by a rating service, definitely by the locals), Grimaldi’s has one of the last remaining coal brick-ovens. Amazing taste and reasonably priced, you can’t miss their unique pies. Walk up to their prep area to check out their ingredients and technique!

If you go during peak times, be prepared to wait in line for a bit. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Sure, it’s not gelato, but it’s more about the view than the ice cream with their location. After Grimaldi’s, head towards the water about half a block. It’s basically right under the Brooklyn Bridge on a pier with an absolutely stunning view of the Financial District and up the Hudson River.

Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Overpass

Head back up Old Fulton street towards the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge and you’ll find a pedestrian staircase. Most people know about the bridge walk, but few actually make it out to the bridge. Trust me, it is absolutely worth it. It provides a stunning view of Manhattan from a very different angle, and if you time if right, you’ll see the sun setting behind the Financial District. The bridge is probably one of the best places to snap landscape shots of the city skyline. Just remember, DO NOT walk in the bike lane. The bikers will literally hit you. Heads up!

4) Alphabet City

This area is unknown to most tourists, and if known, it is avoided as a result of it’s location and reputation. Alphabet city is located on the east side on the “letter” avenues (Avenue A, B, C and D) between Houston and 14th. (PS - Houston pronounced like HOUSE-ten, not like the American city).

It is traditionally very bohemian and is the set for the broadway musical and movie Rent. There are lots of cool shops and cafes, as well as Tompkins Square Park, home of the 1988 riot. It’s a great area to spend an afternoon with a ton of New York history.

5) Harlem Gospel

Photo Credit: HS NYV Tours

And, back to Harlem! I have been to two gospel services in Harlem and have been absolutely blown away both times. The churches in Harlem take Sunday mass very seriously, so plan ahead if you want to attend a service. Call ahead to ensure they welcome visitors, dress up, bring money for the collection, and be prepared to clap your hands! Believe me, it will be everything you imagine a gospel service would be.

If you’re hesitant to attend a service alone, there are a lot of tours that will take you, although they might not be able to get you into some of the more exclusive churches.

My favourite church so far is definitely the Abyssinian Baptist Church on Odell Clark Place.

So that’s the top 5! There are so many it was difficult to nail down just five, but I promise these will enrich your NY experience. There’s so much more than TSQ and the Empire State - this is only the beginning!

My last piece of advice - take a day and just walk. Whether it’s through the Upper East Side (beautiful residences and private schools) or Greenwich Village (awesome shops and cafes), you’ll definitely run into something that you wouldn’t have with a tour guide/book. Have fun!