Business

Ideas, Execution, and the Rare Auteur

Merlin Mann — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:03:29 -0400

ideas are just a multiplier of execution - O’Reilly ONLamp Blog

Derek Sivers’ short blog post from 2005 has been making the rounds lately — it came to me via Chairman Gruber — and I have to say, I can’t stop thinking about it. I think this is really profound thinking around the fundamental misunderstanding many people have about the value of ideas.

In a nutshell, Derek says ideas are valuable only inasmuch as they can be multiplied by execution. So, if you remember your 3rd grade arithmetic, you can figure out the product of even the most fantastic idea when it’s multiplied by zero execution.

I, too, frequently encounter this attitude of “Sign the NDA! Sign the NDA!” any time someone wants to tell me about their squirrelly idea for making a bajillion dollars on the internet, and I almost always end up saying the same six things to The Idea Men:

Ideas are like assholes and blogs; everyone has at least one. And the cost of ownership for an idea is nil.
Who will this product delight? Why does it delight them more than any other thing in their world today?
What stops Google from replicating your idea — at full scale and with a huge installed base — over a long weekend?
Who is the auteur here? Who in your organization gets to tell everyone else to shut up and follow his or her quirky vision and ridiculous obsessions? These obsessions matter.
Who’s the proven sergeant-at-arms in your group? Does this person have a demonstrated track record for ensuring that everyone else in the group is executing flawlessly on the auteur’s vision?
What will everyone involved give up to become awesome? Alternately, how will you know when this project has failed and should be euthanized?

It’s amazing how many sociopaths are out there dashing around, playing entrepreneur, and yelling into a phone about drilling-down — with what appears to be no idea how to actually get something amazing to market.

They sing themselves little songs and tell themselves little stories over ciabatta sandwiches and Excel, rhapsodizing about their personal Candyland where everybody starts using their goofy product because… just…because. It’s crazy. And it’s everywhere.

As I sit here today, I’m more convinced than ever that:

“auteur * (2x execution) = awesome”

An idea is no more useful than a coupon for a bag of sugar; show me the finished cake, then we’ll talk.

The bottom line is that if you don’t have an amazing, passionate idea and the means to make it superb, you’re probably just a douchebag with an expensive phone. And a stack of NDAs.

”Ideas, Execution, and the Rare Auteur” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on August 11, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

TWiT 133 with Jonathan Coulton and "Rock Bad"

Merlin Mann — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:04:43 -0500

TWiT 133: Jonathan Coulton - Functional And Elegant

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jonathan Coulton, Merlin Mann, Veronica Belmont, Ryan Block, and Tom Merritt
Jonathan Coulton and niche broadcasting, HD DVD finally kaput, YouTube goes down, frozen RAM and more.

Here’s a free, direct MP3 download of TWiT 133.

Man, I really loved this episode. Jonathan Coulton’s music and performances are inspiring in themselves, but as a fellow (albeit, much more modestly successful) “microbrand,” I have huge respect for how he runs the business of his career. (more after the jump, including why we were all on this episode together in the first place)

Jonathan engages his audience actively (on- and off- stage) and he’s crafted an approach to making a career out of entertainment that is nothing short of disruptive. As I said in this episode, it’s my belief that in about 5 years, Jonathan (along with folks like Jane Siberry/Issa) will be seen as Patient Zero in the unravelling of a 90-year-old, sheet music-based business model that’s based on false scarcity and lawsuits rather than engagement and service.

That said, Jonathan is also a terrifically talented writer and performer who knows how to scratch his audience’s itch. I’ll admit that one of the entertainment highlights of my year-to-date involved joining a roomful of ecstatic zombie nerds on Friday night for the singalong of “All we want to do is eat your brains!”

Also, of passing note in this episode, at least to me: since our last visit, it appears JoCo is now not only a Mac nerd (12” PowerBook), but a sometime Inbox Zero practitioner, and a Kinkless fan. (gulp: we need to get him a license for OmniFocus). Welcome to the Mac family, Jonathan!

So. If you haven’t yet had the “pleasure” of seeing why we all happened to be together on TWiT a couple days after it happened: here’s video of our group — which I’ve dubbed “Rock Bad” — failing at the soon-to-be-released Rock Band version of “Still Alive” (despite the yeoman’s work of Veronica Belmont):

Jonathan Coulton performs “Still Alive” in Rock Band from Joy Stiq on Vimeo.

But, you should hear me sing “Don’t Fear the Reaper” in Rock Band: I kill. Drums? Not so much.

Jonathan’s music can be purchased for digital download from a variety of sources including Amazon.com (in DRM-free MP3s) and iTunes (DRM’d AACs).

”TWiT 133 with Jonathan Coulton and "Rock Bad"” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on February 25, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Solving problems outside your comfort zone

Merlin Mann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:04:28 -0400

I sometimes think that one factor in success as a business or as a human being has a lot to do with what kind of problems you’re comfortable solving — and how you get better at addressing the stuff that falls outside that comfort zone.

History is littered with revolutionaries who couldn’t run the country they’d overthrown, Generals who’ve insisted on re-fighting the last war, talented programmers who were promoted to becoming ineffective (and very unhappy) managers, and, of course, there’s the countless companies that just couldn’t make the leap when technology or cultural change rendered their comfy old business model moot.

Seems like there’s a thread here that’s worth thinking about.

How do you get better at knowing when you’re trying to solve the wrong problem?

It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately as I take what had been mostly a hobby and try to “Go Pro” with it. For me, that’s meant a lot of stumbles around moving from being a one-man show into what may eventually become a small company (who knows?). I’m finding it really challenging to stop solving the problems I’m comfortable solving, and to ask for and accept help with the stuff I suck at or that doesn’t represent the best use of my time.

I think this applies to almost everybody, from the time they’re born, right? You figure out a few things, you do some informal experiments with reality, and then you try to suss out the patterns that won’t get you hit by a car or carted off to jail. But the old patterns almost always stop doing the trick at some point or in some unexpected context. For example, that bawling and tantrum-throwing that got you a hug in kindergarten may not endear you to your company’s board.

The best advice I’ve gleaned so far is to try and stay cognizant of diminishing returns. Just because I know how to do basic sysadmin work doesn’t mean I’m the best person to work on it. And conversely, just because I loathe the idea of becoming a “manager” doesn’t mean I can afford to put off learning the skills forever.

The Question to You

What’s your trick? How’d you learn to start fixing more interesting and unfamiliar problems? Can you think of any particular businesses or people who have (so far) aced the test?

”Solving problems outside your comfort zone” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on October 10, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Amazon launches sale of DRM-free MP3s

Merlin Mann — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:35:30 -0400

Daring Fireball: The Amazon MP3 Store and Amazon MP3 Downloader

Given the Amazon MP3 Store’s audio quality, prices, and user experience, I can’t see why anyone would buy DRM-restricted music from iTunes that’s available from Amazon. And given that Amazon is quite a bit cheaper than iTunes Plus, you might as well check Amazon first. I plan to.

I’m with Gruber — this is a welcome and fan-friendly addition to the marketplace. And, frankly, I’m glad there’s finally somebody out there who can really give Apple some competition in this area.

One thing: I’m surprised that MP3 sales links aren’t yet mixed into regular CD sales pages. That must certainly be high on their TODO list. Because Amazon’s Google juice is strong as hell, and on the day they put “Buy This Track Now” onto a few dozen thousand PR5+ music pages? Well. That may be the day Apple gets to really see what competition in this space looks like.

”Amazon launches sale of DRM-free MP3s” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on September 25, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

NYT: New data on the problems of "multitasking"

Merlin Mann — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:01:24 -0400

Slow Down, Multitaskers, and Don’t Read in Traffic - New York Times

Yesterday’s New York Times front page ran an article pulling together the results of several recent studies looking at how interruptions and attempts to multitask can affect the quality of work as well as the length of recovery time.

Here’s one bit that really grabbed me:

In a recent study, a group of Microsoft workers took, on average, 15 minutes to return to serious mental tasks, like writing reports or computer code, after responding to incoming e-mail or instant messages. They strayed off to reply to other messages or browse news, sports or entertainment Web sites.

“I was surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task,” said Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft research scientist and co-author, with Shamsi Iqbal of the University of Illinois, of a paper on the study that will be presented next month.

And, from a PDF of another of the studies cited (“Isolation of a Central Bottleneck of Information Processing with Time-Resolved fMRI”), here’s a telling snippet from the article’s abstract (yes, most of the rest of it is well over my head):

When humans attempt to perform two tasks at once, execution of the first task usually leads to postponement of the second one. This task delay is thought to result from a bottleneck occurring at a central, amodal stage of information processing that precludes two response selection or decision-making operations from being concurrently executed…These results suggest that a neural network of frontal lobe areas acts as a central bottleneck of information processing that severely limits our ability to multitask.

My own feelings on the myth of multi-tasking are well-documented, but it’s fascinating to see research interest focused in this area — although it’s certainly not surprising, given its potential impact on knowledge workers and the industries that employ them. Again, from yesterday’s NYT article:

The productivity lost by overtaxed multitaskers cannot be measured precisely, but it is probably a lot. Jonathan B. Spira, chief analyst at Basex, a business-research firm, estimates the cost of interruptions to the American economy at nearly $650 billion a year…

The information age is really only a decade or two old in the sense of most people working and communicating on digital devices all day, Mr. Spira said. In the industrial era, it took roughly a century until Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1911 published his principles of “scientific management” for increasing worker productivity.

“We don’t have any equivalent yet for the knowledge economy,” Mr. Spira said.

”NYT: New data on the problems of "multitasking"” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on March 26, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen

Merlin Mann — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 09:05:34 -0500

Productive Talk Comp.: Episodes 01-08 on Odeo

As promised, here’s the single-file compilation of the Productive Talk podcast interviews I did with David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done. The final version’s eight episodes clock in at a considerable one hour and twenty-six minutes, so this should give you plenty to listen to while you’re in line at the DMV.

Some editing misadventures stole the time I’d set aside to write up my final comments on the series, but those will be coming along soon, I promise. In the mean time, as I said in the podcast ep., I want to sincerely thank David, Rick Kantor, Robert Peake, and Zircon Skye Studios for their participation and help with the Productive Talk series. David in particular was unbelievably generous with his time, and I’m very grateful to have had this opportunity to interview him.

Hope you all enjoy hearing the whole series, in order, all in one place. There’s some nuggets of GTD gold in there, if I do say so myself.

Please note: the version included in the podcast feed is a lowly but compatible MP3 file; Apple-y folks with iPods and sexy AAC support can grab this tastier m4a version, which includes chapter markers that make it easy to flip through the individual episodes quickly.

You can learn more at Odeo.com, download the MP3 version, or just listen from here by using the Flash player below:

”Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on November 28, 2006. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

David Allen on GTD's future (and why it just works, as is)

Merlin Mann — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:27:21 -0500

Productive Talk #08: GTD 2.0?

43 Folders and The David Allen Company present the eighth in a series of conversations that David and Merlin recently had about Getting Things Done.

Summary

In this episode, Merlin asks David one of the most popular questions about GTD; if he could write the book all over again today, what would he do differently? David addresses how people’s understanding of GTD evolves on repeated exposures, as well hinting at future plans for making GTD easier for people to start and maintain. He makes some great points on learning to pay attention to your “higher altitudes,” and wraps up by underscoring the importance of not having to rethink every task throughout the day. (13:11)

Grab the MP3, learn more at Odeo.com, or just listen here (after the cut).

Merlin’s comments

If you bend David Allen’s ear for more than 30 seconds about GTD, you’ll hear some variation of a phrase that I heard a lot over the couple days we hung out in Ojai: “It’s all in the book!”

Say what you will about The David, but he is not a man who suffers from The George Lucas Complex. Much to the consternation of his publishers, his fans, and — one suspects — even some of his colleagues, David feels like he has already written the complete and definitive work on the Getting Things Done system. And he very clearly has no desire to futz with that basic system without a good reason; it’s sound and complete, as is, and there you go. Next subject.

And, I have to say, in a lot of ways, I’ve come to really admire this.

For one thing, it was immediately clear to me that, although David heads up a smart and growing company that enjoys a ravenous fanbase, his interest in the strictly pecuniary aspects of his work sometimes seems hilariously modest. While he long ago could have flipped DavidCo into a Shake-and-Bake franchise of ghost-written paperbacks (an idea I apparently once thought was a pretty great idea myself), David and his staff usually have more interesting things in mind. And while I can’t say that I think every idea is a guaranteed winner from my own perspective, I really respect the fact that DavidCo seems unwilling to sacrifice the quality of their product and their message for a fast buck. Not something you see every day.

I’ll admit that there’s still a part of me that thinks both David, the fans, and the system itself could benefit greatly from more examples of and options for sane GTD implementation and maintenance (and how to narrow the options to what’s best for my particular hang-up). Funny thing, though: in talking to David, it became clear to me that, on some level, that dearth of “official” material on implementation options was an undeniable factor in the early success of 43 Folders. So, in retrospect, I probably shouldn’t complain too much.

In many ways, though, David’s right; it is all in the book, even if you aren’t yet at a place to understand how it potentially fits together in your world. So, in this episode, I really like how he highlights the way repeated readings and exposures to GTD inevitably lead to “getting” some part of the system that used to seem corny, pointless, or hand-wavey (God knows that’s been true for me). So, I guess I do see part of the challenge from David’s point of view; how do you get somebody quickly ramped-up into a system that may not reveal its best stuff to you for two or more years? Definitely tricky business.

But for those of you out there already doing GTD and feeling like you sometimes miss the “there,” I think this particular ep provides some very sound insight into how these pieces down on “the runway” are inextricably and necessarily tied to “the higher altitudes.”

Last planned episode….but wait…

Although this eighth episode of Productive Talk is our last in this series (yep, we’re already talking about doing it again), I do encourage you to stop back by next week.

In addition to offering my own thoughts on the series and what I learned from it (hint: a lot), I’ll also be sharing the (very very highly requested) single file download of all 8 episodes. Yes, it will have iTunes chapters. No, it won’t have bonus footage or director’s commentary. But it will make it a bit easier to take Productive Talk with you and listen to the whole series at a sitting. Subscribe via iTunes to receive the last last episode as soon as it goes live.

Listen to Episode #08 of Productive Talk

Grab the MP3, learn more at Odeo.com, or just listen from here:

powered by ODEO

”David Allen on GTD's future (and why it just works, as is)” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on November 21, 2006. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

HOWTO network without becoming a disingenuous weasel

Merlin Mann — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 06:53:53 -0400

Business Networking Advice: Merlin Mann from 43Folders.com - Interview

Josh asked me two interview questions about business networking, and I answered them. [Spoiler: historically, I’ve not been such a big fan of business networking]:

I have to admit that I loathe “networking” in what I take to be the conventional sense of the word — to leverage friends and strangers for whatever intrinsic value their relationships can bring to oneself.

Consequently, I’ve always tried to avoid becoming one of those horrible little men who pretends to like everyone for the primary purpose of eventually pressing a crisp new business card into each of their palms while making a vague promise about future synergies and meals. That makes my skin crawl…

[The] heart of ethical and humane networking means not asking favors of others, but instead frequently doing unrequested propers for others. And expecting zilch in return.

So I guess networking, in an ideal world, just means you help your friends meet cool people as you do nice things for them. I can get behind that.

Also, if you are confused by the Snuffy Smith-style letter substitutions in the final line, please be informed that the word I had chosen was “douchebag.”

”HOWTO network without becoming a disingenuous weasel” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on October 16, 2006. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Intl. Business: How not to be the "ugly American"

Merlin Mann — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 07:37:33 -0400

Getting Through Customs - Articles

My friend’s dad is a hard-nosed American sales guy. He spent thirty years developing and, in my opinion, mastering the disparate skills of schmoozing, selling, negotiating, and closing. (Man, this guy could close.) But when he started moving into big-time international sales, he realized there was this whole world (literally) of customs, skills, and rhythms he’d have to master — lest he unintentionally offend a client and blow the deal.

When I first heard about some of these differences (“In Japan, brace yourself for several days of intense all-day recreation before business is ever discussed”), I picked up a copy of Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, which has tons of fascinating advice on how to adapt your behavior when conducting business outside the US.

I wonder how many of these have changed since I read the book in the mid-90s — the world has shrunk a lot since then. Still, I have to say that as a poorly-traveled American, I do find this stuff fascinating And, now I’ve discovered the book’s authors have this ginormous repository of web-based information.

Here’s some favorite random factoids, mores, and customs from outside the U.S.:

“Business cards (extremely important) are presented after the bow or handshake. Present your card with its Japanese side facing your colleague. Handle the cards you receive carefully - don’t put them in your pocket or write on them.” - link

“Remember that the left hand is considered unclean in the Islamic world. Even in many non-Islamic areas of Africa and Asia, the tradition has evolved of using the right hand in preference over the left.” - link

“Germans abhor hype and exaggeration. Be sure you can back up your claims with lots of data. Case studies and examples are highly regarded.” - link

“In North America and Northern Europe, businesspeople usually stand close enough to shake hands, about 2 1/2 to three feet apart. In parts of Southern Europe and most of Latin America, the distance tends to be closer. In the Middle East, it is closer yet, sometimes under one foot. ” - link

“Never complain about how spicy the local food is, or how fattening, or that you would never eat insects/lizards/canines/primates (or whatever you find offensive). Just eat what you can without making yourself sick, and keep your criticisms to yourself.” - link

“In Japan and South Korea, visiting executives are usually invited to participate in after-hours drinking bouts.” - link

“China: Business leaders are highly sensitive to sovereignty issues. Things must be done their way or not at all.” - link

“Many Asians who do shake hands actually perform a hand-clasp, with no pressure and very little pumping. To give emphasis to a handshake, it is permissible for each person to place their left hand over their clasped hands.” - link

“The traditional greeting between Saudi men: grasp right hands, place left hands on the other’s right shoulder and exchange kisses on each cheek.” - link

“The lack of punctuality is a fact of life in Brazil. Become accustomed to waiting for your Brazilian counterpart. Make appointments at least two weeks in advance.” - link

“[In France] A bouquet should have an odd number of flowers, but never seven or thirteen.” - link

“[In Costa Rica] Making a fist with the thumb sticking out between the middle and index fingers is obscene. This gesture is known as the ‘fig.’” - link

“In Chile, slapping your right fist into your left open palm is obscene, and an open palm with the fingers separated means ‘stupid.’” - link

“Eye contact among the French is frequent and intense, so much so that North Americans may be intimidated. Hierarchies are strict. Try to cultivate high-level personal contacts.” - link

“Many US and European salesmen have accidentally insulted would-be customers in the Middle East simply by sitting incorrectly. When they cross their legs, they point the sole of their foot at their intended customer. As readers of this column know, displaying the sole of your foot is considered an insult in much of the Middle East and in the Muslim world.” - link

What customs have you U.S. folks learned traveling and doing business outside the country? More interestingly to me, for you folks based outside the U.S., what American business rites seemed odd, foreign, or illogical to you?

”Intl. Business: How not to be the "ugly American"” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on June 19, 2006. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Cyber Monday safe shopping tips

Merlin Mann — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 07:43:54 -0500

“Cyber Monday” is a new one to me, but allegedly today is the biggest online shopping day of the year. Yay, capitalism.

Get out there, type up some bargains, and have fun; but be sure to shop safe. It’s a crazy world, and somewhere there’s a 14-year-old Russian kid who needs one more identity theft to buy that Xbox 360. Good-looking tips for playing it safe online:

Online Shopping Tips [Privacy Rights Clearinghouse] - “We recommend you print out at least one copy of the web page(s) describing the item you ordered as well as the page showing company name, postal address, phone number, and legal terms, including return policy. Keep it for your own records for at least the period covered by the return/warranty policy.”

Safeshopping.org [American Bar Association] - “Do you want to visit a site without revealing your identity? Visit www.anonymizer.com, then type the web address of the site into the ‘Anonymizer’ web browser. The free Anonymizer service includes a slight delay in accessing pages; for a fee, you can access these pages with no delay.”

Shopping Online For The Holidays: Twelve Tips To Protect Yourself From Cyber Grinches, Scams And Schemes [Better Business Bureau] - “Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and asks for your personal information. Identity thieves send out bogus emails about problems with consumers’ accounts to lure them into providing their personal information. Legitimate companies don’t operate that way.”

As far as price comparisons and bargin-hunting, I’ve used Deal News, Price Grabber, and Dealazon, but I’m new to the (media-generated) world of Black Friday/Cyber Monday Mania. Got a favorite site with good deals to share? Any ninja shopping techniques you’ve mastered?

”Cyber Monday safe shopping tips” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on November 28, 2005. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Business

Ideas, Execution, and the Rare Auteur

TWiT 133 with Jonathan Coulton and "Rock Bad"

Solving problems outside your comfort zone

The Question to You

Amazon launches sale of DRM-free MP3s

NYT: New data on the problems of "multitasking"

Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen

David Allen on GTD's future (and why it just works, as is)

Summary

Merlin’s comments

Last planned episode….but wait…

Listen to Episode #08 of Productive Talk

HOWTO network without becoming a disingenuous weasel

Intl. Business: How not to be the "ugly American"

Cyber Monday safe shopping tips