Month: October 2009
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Standing In Line Behind Yourself
Ever open the fridge, pull out something and wonder if it’s spoiled, decide not to eat it and put it back in the fridge, as though next time you’ll decide differently? One of the books (“Brain Rules” – I’m pretty sure) I read recently discussed being careful how we make our first decisions because we…
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Books Worth Reading: Getting Real
As we start doing more exploration into what makes a good web based applications, I’ve starting doing more reading on how to visualize data graphically and create a clean interface. The guys at 37signals.com have grown quite a reputation for their applications. They have a book called Getting Real that is available in several forms…
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Experiences versus Possessions: Stories Matter
We communicate with stories because they are richer experiences and objects or things. I found this study interesting because it actually helps demonstrate the difference in regard to the impact of buying an experience versus buying an object. When things go wrong, it has a bigger impact, but it also has a bigger impact when…
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Three Loci of Confidence
Recently, I read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”. It presents two loci for peoples confidence and self-esteem. The first is confidence that comes solely from the self — the ego. It depends not on the actions or views of others. The second is confidence based on the view of others, living for their approval while they…
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Leading with Faith
One of the areas I have been wrestling through in the last several years, is observing how people lead in the face of uncertainty. There are certainly some people who take the course of “Deactionary Dreamers” (The Path Of Delusion). In spite of the uncertainty, they tell people what they want to hear. For a…
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Starbucks VIA Missing Out
I’m sure you’ve either heard or seen that Starbucks recently announced their new product, “Starbucks VIA” which is an instant coffee that is supposed to taste just like their brewed coffee. They are charging $3 for a 3-pack, and $10 for a 12 pack. They have almost completely redecorated their store so that it’s impossible…
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Missing Experiences That Never Occurred
For some lighter reading, I have recently been reading “Ender In Exile” by Orson Scott Card. If you haven’t read, “Ender’s Game”, I highly recommend it, this book is really just filling in a little more in the story line and the more I think about it, is allowing Card to express some of his…