Friends of Dave: Late Night Issue
As the old adage says: nothing good happens past 2am folks.
And that is exactly where I find myself as I write this after a pretty busy week. For the first time in the 17 weeks that I have been doing the FoD newsletter, I'm putting the finishing touches on this edition past 2am the day of delivery. In some alternate universe, my college self is sneering at me big time right now....
So for the fans of the preamble, you will be disappointed this week. No snarky comments. No uplifting parables. No rants. No mentions of dead celebrities. Okay, okay, I will include a link to an absolutely real startup CEO letter that will leave you shaking your heads and may have you questioning the future of the human race.
Speaking of startups, the FinTech folks might be interested in hearing that I attended the FinTech Sandbox Demo Day event in Boston this past week. Great event, well produced, decent networking and I saw some innovative early stage companies present. I give it a thumbs up.
That's all I've got. I've got a kindergarten boys soccer game (we are Team USA) to coach in a few hours, and I still have to draw up some game plans. Big opening game against Team Japan. And we have snack duty....and it is picture day....no rest for the weary I tell you....but thankfully, we have a kid on our team named Gene, who I have already anointed "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine"....
Despite this weak opening (I warned you at the beginning), I assure you there was no phoning it in with the selections this week. Test driving a "Pick of the Week" section to lead off -- if I keep it, this section will include articles from across the spectrum of topics. Enjoy and have a great weekend.
XOXO
Dave
Dave's Pick of The Week
The Leadership Qualities That Drive Growth
"A CEO who leads with great urgency and zero empathy will produce followers who are afraid to get it wrong and thus become overly cautious and hesitant."
This popped up in my Twitter feed this week and I found it pretty thought provoking. Whether you are a CEO, an up-and-coming leader, or an individual contributor, you can learn from the mistakes that private equity firms make when they hire leaders for their portfolio companies.
Think on This...
On Clickbait — www.farnamstreetblog.com
Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) reminds us that the existence of words is no indication of their truth and offers timeless insights on the perils of clickbait.
The Productivity Paradox — medium.com
We are debating a problem we don’t have, rather than facing a real crisis that is the polar opposite. Productivity growth has slowed to a crawl over the last 15 or so years, business investment has fallen and wage growth has been weak. If the robot revolution truly was under way, we would see surging capital expenditure and soaring productivity. Right now, that would be a nice “problem” to have.
People are worried about robots taking jobs in the future. What they should really be worried about is we aren't being efficient today.
Technology, happiness on demand and the absurd human condition — techcrunch.com
Almost everything seems like it’s on demand, delivered with the push of a button. And yet, the U.S. is only the 15th happiest country. This thought provoking read explores how innovation is impacting our quest for happiness.
For Your Day Job...
Three things you need to know about machine learning — medium.com
Interesting breakdown of what is driving the machine learning movement and some key takeaways to consider when thinking about it's effect on product and services in the future.
Women Violate The Rules of Selling, Yet Still Close More Deals Than Men — thinkgrowth.org
Some compelling data here over 30,469 sales calls. Proof that despite a less than optimal sales process, women close deals at a higher rate than men. The key: less rambling and more persuading.
The 6 Values (and 4 Benefits) of Agile Marketing — moz.com
Being adaptive, collaborative, and iterative are necessary skills when we live in a world where Google can change the rules at a moment's notice. Whether you watch or read the transcript, the Moz "Whiteboard Fridays" series always has some great stuff for marketers.
Next Generation Investors: How Millennials Will Influence Finance — blogs.cfainstitute.org
NOTE: I keep including these posts about Millennials and Finance/FinTech because I think a lot of people are treating the topic like some treat global warming. This is a real thing that you absolutely need to be working into your business models. It is already starting to effect ALL aspects of FinTech. Some good data here.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
This 21-Year-Old May Have Found The Way To Clean Up The Plastic In Our Oceans — thinkprogress.org
I saw a fascinating Vice News segment on HBO about this guy and thought I would share. Bold thinking to try to solve an unimaginable problem.
The Blood of the Horseshoe Crab — www.popularmechanics.com
Horseshoe Crab blood is an irreplaceable medical marvel, and biomedical companies are bleeding thousands of crabs and throwing them back in the ocean.
The real story here: it's official. Tiger blood is SO yesterday.
The Rise, Fall, And Rise Of Zubaz — www.vocativ.com
Who knew that JC Penney was the catalyst (true fact) in providing guys with a mullet a perfect fashion companion to complete their totally 90s look.
Jokes aside, a lot more substance here than you would think. Interesting read.
And The Last Word....
Lead, Follow or Get the F*** Out of the Way
One of my all time favorite Mark Suster posts that succinctly gets to the heart of team dynamics and leadership. When you are starting to question your own contributions to your team, it is time to decide: do you lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Got feedback? Questions? Suggestions? Email me: dave@slingstonegroup.com