Tag: problems

Surprising

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There are so many variables in any open position, in any grant available, in any reward you might be pursuing, that it is actually more surprising when you succeed than when you fail.

And by the way, neither success nor failure is a reliable measure of your worth.

The sooner you get used to it, the more you can focus on building your own measure.

When times are tough

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The surest and fastest way to get unstuck is to bring in a different perspective.

A therapist, a coach, a colleague from another team, a mentor who’s been there before, your partner, a friend, a business advisor, a marketing agency, a freelancer.

Make that connection when times are tough.

Actually, make the connection when times are good so that you can leverage it when times are tough.

Ranking opinions

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A practical way to rank opinions.

  1. Opinions based on large datasets across similar situations. This is academic research or market research.
  2. Opinions based on limited datasets of the current situation. This is personal and direct experience.
  3. Opinions based on limited datasets across similar situations. This is personal and past experience or, typically, business books and good blogs, online courses, podcasts, etc.
  4. Opinions based on one or two datapoints across situations that might or might not be similar to the current one. This is anecdotical knowledge, and still where probably most online content nowadays fall into.
  5. Opinions based on beliefs and feelings. This is where most companies and teams die.

Aim for 1 or 2 when you have to make decisions that matter. Use 3 to broaden your perspective, but carefully understand how to filter through it. Entertain yourself with a controlled amount of 4. Run when people start arguing based on 5.

It would be fair to rank this post a 3.

Elaborate

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The Flickr for videos.

A Netflix for video games.

The Airbnb for parking.

It’s a great way to describe what your product does, but do you and your team understand what that means? What are the characteristics of the original that you believe you have? What will ensure that you will still be in that same game in the future? Or is it a trick to cheat your stakeholders into believing you will get to a similar valuation?

It is a useful exercise to clarify what you mean by taking this useful shortcut. It brings your team together and creates alignment throughout the company. It gives you milestones to look forward to and a manifesto customers can buy into.

Start with:

  • What features matter to the original and to us alike.
  • What parts of both stories are common and what are not.
  • How do we ensure we continue on the same path.

A matter of responsibility

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Feedback is not a command. Yet many, both givers and receivers, take it as such.

Feedback is a way to open the mind to a different approach, to something that had not been considered, to a new interpretation. Then, it is up to the receiver to filter it with their knowledge, expertise, purpose, to decide what to keep and what to let go.

Feedback is no judgement and no decision.

At any point, the receiver has the power to decide on the actions that will be taken. They are responsible for the final results.