February 2012
2 posts
“Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right”
– Ani DiFranco
Thanks to Eric Ries and Steve Blank, the Lean Startup movement provides an amazing set of tools and principles for building a company in an agile manner. Everyone on our team has read and internalized their work; it’s a pre-req. We love it and reference it often. That said, one...
Make progress, not perfection... and more
I was talking to a friend today who’s thinking about leaving a big software company to do a startup. He asked about my experience getting going over the past couple months, and specifically what I’ve learned about how best to build momentum when everything is in a highly ambiguous stage. Here are the three things I told him…
1. Make progress, not perfection: There’s too much to do. No surprises...
January 2012
4 posts
Don't play for overtime
Achieving, succeeding, “winning” - whatever you want to call it - isn’t easy. The only guarantee is that it’ll never happen if you don’t give it a chance.
It was ten years ago that the Patriots won their first Super Bowl. The final drive was legendary. Worth re-watching (here), certainly for any sports lover, but also for anyone interested in the desire,...
“If it weren’t for the people, the god-damn people’ said Finnerty,...”
– Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano
Emotion detection based on phone usage →
Proof from Samsung that there’s still so much opportunity to do amazing, new things with our devices.
December 2011
4 posts
Just like riding a bike, kinda
I’ve watched and admired the “Way Back Home” Danny MacAskill video many times. It’s simply amazing. Then there’s this earlier, 2009 video. Also amazing. But better, because of the segment from 0:25-1:20. I won’t attempt to describe what he’s trying to do – just go watch it …
It’s really cool to see him go through the process of trying something new. He fails,...
yongfook: Design is Horseshit! →
yongfook:
In direct response to: http://designerfund.com/infographic
I’ve created products / services in the past that have garnered praise for their design. I love good design in all forms - copywriting in particular fascinates me. I’ve never called myself a designer.
Here’s my pitch. This…
Goodbye Microsoft
After 6+ years, 4 jobs, and 1 cross-country move, today was my final day at Microsoft. Honestly, I never thought it’d be this long. Joining a large, established company wasn’t something I’d ever considered prior to April, 2005. But after being a part of a number of really small, early stage companies for 11 years, I landed in Redmond following the Groove Networks acquisition, eager to try...