A couple of years ago, my wife started a donut business. Her purpose was simple: make delicious vegan and gluten-free food that people liked for a reasonable price. She test marketed batches of donuts, did some product-market fit work by…
We all live in our cocoons – our preferred foods, music, routes we take to work, and perhaps even the ideas we take for granted. What would happen today if you said hello to someone you didn’t know yet, or…
It’s easy to get in a routine. Right now I’m in my normal commute: get up, head to the park and ride, and take a bus to Seattle. But routines can get routine. A friend sent me an email today…
This might seem strange, but in my experience some of the best products I depend on are invisible. What do I mean by invisible? I mean that I give then access to information and they provide value with no work…
The hour in the late afternoon that vexes me the most is 4 o’clock. It’s the time when coffee wears off, when I would be better served taking a walk, and when I’m most vulnerable to candy bars. So lately…
Reading Mark Suster’s excellent post on product design left me with this thought – what if more products were literally designed by the customer? As a thought experiment, leave aside any skepticism you have about the customer making bad choices…
Be outraged. Facebook is no longer allowing you to hide and not be found in searches. Instagram is including ads in stream and getting rid of the ability to stop auto-play. LinkedIn is selling your “endorsements”. Google is reading your…
Here’s something interesting I read today on the effects of smartphones on shopping. The article matters because it’s about a big trend (changing habits in shopping, especially in everyday environments like grocery stores) and has long-term societal implications. For example,…
photo by , I agree, we don’t have enough time to do all of the things we want to do. Here’s a thought exercise that might unblock you from that way of thinking. You need a map to point you…
Your customers will call you when they want to talk, so you should publish your phone number. It may sound counter-intuitive, but customers actually want to talk to you. Catching the customer at the moment when they really want to…
