Friends of Dave #84: Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer
Count the headlights on the highway.....
If you happen to follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may have noticed my family and I are mobile this week. So I'm keeping this intro short and sweet.
Here's a sobering thought, Friends: there are less than 143 days until Christmas (which, sadly, means a month or so until we get smacked with the first holiday displays and ads)....To get you in the holiday spirit, instead of a 400-800 word preamble, I am serving up some great articles carefully selected for each of you to read where ever you may be. Consider it an early gift from me to you...
Have a great weekend....and please don't forget the sunscreen.
XOXO
Dave
A Few Thoughtful Ones...
How to enjoy your vacation — work.qz.com
Some great reminders on how to avoid letting work infiltrate your personal space while you're supposed to be on vacation.
Are You the Star of Your Own "Truman Show?"
Inevitably, if you see yourself as the main character of your own reality show and people around you as part of the supporting cast, you miss a big part of life.
Thought provoking essay on the importance of connecting with the world around us, especially those to whom we are closest. This is a bit of a longer read, but worth it.
To Get What You Want, Be Happy First Achieving goals won't bring happiness until you learn to love the process.
A volcanic eruption gets the most attention, as it's spectacular. But in business (as in biology), the real damage comes from fissures -- aka the disruptors -- that emerge following the initial blast. Surprisingly edgy, provocative piece from Gartner L2.
4 For Work...
An Algorithm for a Successful 21st-Century CEO
The more successful CEOs tend to gain the confidence of all the stakeholder groups by working with them promptly and personally.
For most CEOs, real success remains elusive. But by deftly exploiting a structured process that includes a focus on strengthening a company, the value of its stock, and making a thoughtful imprint on the organization and culture, they can boost their chances of a truly successful tenure. Really interesting findings from a recent BCG research project -- great read.
What a Pizza Parlor Can Teach Us About Business Models
The recipe for success? Keep it simple, enable customers to choose and execute brilliantly.
Nice quick but insightful read from CEO of Fintelligent Rob Ripp, longtime buddy of Friend of Dave Larry Cooper.
Here's An Enterprise Sales Process That Has Closed $100 mil of Business
Enterprise sales is about crafting a custom solution to solve a single customer’s problems rather than giving them a “one size fits all” product. It’s about putting your customer’s need for a solution above your need to make a sale.
Some common sense stuff here for you more seasoned sales folk, but good points about how to reinforce some discipline and focus in your sales process nonetheless.
APIs can help fintechs transition into traditional finance
APIs are win-win in FinTech. They make it easier for the upstart innovators to gain access to incumbent banking platforms and the traditional banks to have control to ensure overall security, fraud prevention and regulatory compliance. Great insights here from Nathan Richardson, CEO of TradeIt and colleague of Friend of Dave Betsy Eisenberg.
And Your Weekly Quirk...
And not coincidently, so is Air Supply....no ironic reboots needed, please.
America’s cheese stockpile just hit an all-time high
....And what they don't tell you is that the guy in charge of all this cheese wears a polyester leisure suit, gold chains, and has a penchant for shooting finger guns and winking....
How Social Media Changed the One-hit Wonder
And here I have been yearning for the next A-Ha or Dexy's Midnight Runners to come along....
And The Last Word....
The bizarre dance epidemic of Summer 1518
Five centuries ago, the world’s longest rave took place in Strasbourg – a ‘plague’ of dancing that was fatal for some. What caused it? Art, poetry and music of the time can provide some clues.