In many situations, the standard tie has become de rigueur, and so commonplace that it is generally only noticeable in its absence. This is not something that can be said of the bow tie.
Imagine you’re going to a job interview. If you wear a tie no-one will take note of it (unless you’re a lady). It’s simply what you do. A bow tie on the other hand, says a number of things about you, and makes you more memorable.
An instructional flow chart to help live a better life.
(click to embiggen)
I’m thinking I need to artify this and make it into a t-shirt. Drop me an e-mail if you’d be interested in one.
Dear Sir or Madam:
You may not be aware but liquids are capable of flowing through holes. If you place a container of liquid in such a manner that its opening is below the level of the liquid, the liquid will flow through that opening.
Please take a moment to consider the implications of this, and discuss them with your coworkers, as some of them are apparently unaware of this fun fact. Yesterday, one of them placed a carton of cream on its side, with the opening below the level of the fluid inside. As a result, we now have cream all over the bottom of the fridge.
A smart developer I respect recently asked my why I didn’t just register my domain names through my hosting provider. I hoped he was joking, that he knew why this was a horrible idea. He did not, and I know some other smart people who register domains with their hosting providers. Education is needed.
The problem is simple: conflict of interest. Should you ever decide to switch to a different hosting provider it’s in their best interest to prevent you from moving your domain. Why? Because if you point it to some other hosting provider you stop having to pay them.
The edges Sandy were upon us last night and Dachary commented about how I wasn’t taking the storm too seriously. It’s true. I’ve been pretty chill about it. But here’s why: we’re adventurers, and are pretty much good to go on a worldwide adventure at a moments notice, and it turns out that our “life on the road” kit makes a pretty damn good disaster kit too.
If the power goes out we’ve got a JetBoil propane stove with a backup canister. If we run out of propane we’ve got the multifuel stove and spare gasoline. If we run out of gasoline we’ve got oil. If we run out of oil we’ve got some alcohol. We’ve got a pretty good first-aid kit (including sterile needles and syringes and splints). We’ve got a little camp food and we’ve got a bad-ass water purifier that can filter out things as small as viruses (Brita’s can’t dream of this) so I wouldn’t be too bothered if I had to go suck up water from puddles on the street.
Once again, I’d like to pick your brain.
I’m working on an “Interview Worksheet”. It’s a simple form that you’ll fill out while interviewing someone, and prepping for an interview with them. There is, of course, a section for questions you want to ask them, one for taking notes during your discussion, and one for the common “How would you rate yourself on skill X” questions. But, I’ve also got a section where you can quickly rate the person on various attributes that you tend to look for.
My mother was an incredibly talented artist. For most of my life, she made here living teaching private students, and getting them ready for entry into art colleges.
Once upon a time a student of hers got her a present. It was a Horse-hair calligraphy brush, a solid ink stick (add water and rub), and an instructional book on Chinese calligraphy.
She was very worried about giving the gift though. She didn’t want to instruct a teacher she greatly respected by giving her an introductory how-to book. But it was a gift from the heart, and one she believed my mother would enjoy.
It’s really important, not to talk about what your product is.
Nobody Cares.
Talk about what the customer feels, wants, dreams of, etcetera.
That’s what they care about.
– Amy Hoy
Speaking on the Ruby Rogues Podcast #72
See also:
“Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.” - Francis Bacon, Sr.
I contend that the best thing you can do to improve your entrepreneurial skills is to practice thinking like one. What follows is my favorite technique for doing just that, and if you choose to emulate it, I guarantee you’ll end up with more business ideas to work on than you every imagined you had in you.
See also:
So, you’ve decided you want to try keeping an Entrepreneur’s Notebook, or maybe you already do, but want some tips on making it more useful. Excellent. What follows are the techniques I’ve found to be most useful in my entrepreneurial notebooks. If you’ve got some tips of your own, please drop me a note or leave a comment.
