Friends of Dave #92: L-I-V-I-N
When outrage and turmoil seem to rule the day, you gotta just keep livin'.
Busy week on a lot of fronts Friends. As a result, I'm going to try to keep things brief in the preamble once again.
I do everything I can to maintain a neutral, relatively politics free atmosphere here with this newsletter. As I have mentioned in the past, the highly charged state in which we live does not always make this easy. This week was no exception to that.
It's frustrating to see very little integrity, accountability and teamwork from our elected officials at the moment. There is plenty of self promotion and grandstanding, but very little leadership. As a result, I have to keep reminding myself to not get too triggered by or swept up in the swirling vortex of bullshit that our nation's capitol has become. I don't think it is particularly healthy or productive.
It's easy to fall victim to the outrage machine these days because at every turn it seems everyone seems to be angry about something. But instead of getting distracted by all of that or feeding into it, I'm doing my best to invoke the sage words of Dave Wooderson from the classic movie "Dazed and Confused" and just keep living. L-I-V-I-N. Gotta keep doing my thing and not get too bogged down by other people's BS....
Speaking of "Dazed and Confused," music and movie fans be sure to check out the cool article in the "Last Word" celebrating the 25th anniversary of it's release and discussing the role of music from the era in the movie (almost as another central character to the film). Forwarding some really good work related stuff this week too. Have a great weekend -- October is upon us.
XOXO
Dave
A Few To Get You Thinking...
Why the Best Things in Life Can’t Be Planned
The best things in life are byproducts. They are almost never intentional first-order effects, but unintentional second-order effects. They emerge as a consequence of just doing what you ought to do in a way that is valuable and meaningful over a sustained period of time.
An interesting (and pretty spot on) take on the importance of understanding spontaneity and embracing the fact that outcomes cannot be programmed.
We tend to underestimate the positive first impression we make on strangers
A short synopsis of a recent Cornell University study on social interactions. The main conclusion: despite our own insecurities, "others like us more than we know".
What does the future of work mean to the average employee?
In a constantly changing work environment and work experience, the key to managing how work evolves for employees is going be in how they embrace the idea of lifelong learning to adapt.
4 For Your Day Job...
The Avoidable Mistakes that Acquirers Make
A strategic plan, candid communication and smart people decisions are all elements of a successful M&A deal. Yet not even the most experienced acquiring company always gets it right.
Why FinTech startups fail. 5 mistakes and conclusions
Most entrepreneurs think they’re building the next big thing. But at the end of the day less than 90% of startups productize their ideas and are adopted by the potential users. Here's a great look at why FinTech startups can fail.
Why Your Sales Teams Can’t Cross-sell
Sales teams today need to learn to cross-sell in order to expand accounts and increase revenue. But how do you actually go about doing that?
The future of privacy is buying and selling our own personal data
As our money becomes data, our data is becoming money. I know I have spoken about this exact topic with some of you in the past -- and as we can see, the future is now.
Your Random Selections...
How we evolved from drunken monkeys to boozy humans
Let's face it: we still like beer.
Venus Flytraps: Even Creepier Than We Thought
I know, I know, most of you haven't even thought about a Venus Flytrap since WKRP in Cincinnati went off the air.....
The icy village where you must remove your appendix before moving in.
I've heard about being willing to give your right arm for something, but an appendix? If the Welcome Wagon lady has that sort of requirement, maybe you're in the wrong zip code?
And The Last Word....
The 33 Greatest Musical Moments in ‘Dazed and Confused’
Hard to believe but it has been twenty-five years since it was first released. Richard Linklater’s Texas high school classic still rocks. Fun inside look for both those who love the movie and for you music fans. Enjoy!