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…
When you write out an idea it’s tempting to include everything. First, the part of the idea that was nifty; then the part of the idea that explained what you meant; and finally the words that convey the essence of…
photo by dryicons.comWhen was the last time you sent a physical thank you note? And how about the last time you received one of these notes? Taking the time to write a note by hand is really worth it, even…
The most humbling way to know whether you’re building a great product is to get direct feedback. Try whatever you’re doing from the customer’s point of view. Now, observe the customer doing it with your mouth closed and your ears…
Read a fiction book. Read a non fiction book. Read a cookbook or a comic book for all I care. Just spend more time reading. I should say that I am very much in favor of a good blockbuster movie,…
This essay is a contribution to the Startup Edition essay project. See other essays here. At 7:30 every morning, where are you? Are you in traffic, or just getting into your car? The bus, the train, or the carpool can be…
