Friends of Dave: Stuff I Learned This Week
Long, busy week so quick preamble this time. Over the course of this week, I found myself having some really interesting discussions about the borrowing and spending habits of millennials and how it relates to the state of residential real estate markets, the evolution of traditional research businesses into data businesses, the growing value of data visualization technology, and the lack of content marketing expertise in traditional, slower moving, non-tech industries (like telecom, manufacturing, chemicals, etc.) Stay tuned for some content on those topics in future editions.
Thanks to those of you who have provided me feedback on the soft launch of this newsletter. Giving me some good ideas on how to improve it going forward -- keep the suggestions coming!
Have a great week. I have a feeling you're gonna make it after all.
XOXO
Dave
For the Deep Thinkers...
How statistics lost their power – and why we should fear what comes next (long read)
Whether it is in the Brexiting UK or United States of Trump, there is evidence that the ability of statistics to accurately represent the world is declining. The diminished authority of data driven facts – and the experts who analyze them – is at the heart of the crisis that has become known as “post-truth” politics. And it is something that should concern those on both the left and the right.
How To Make Uncertainty Useful — journal.thriveglobal.com
Good things take root when we are willing to look at areas of uncertainty, fully acknowledge them, and see them as opportunities to engage our imaginations and forge creative ways forward. Every uncertainty is also a new potential future.
To Defuse an Argument, Think About the Future — hbr.org
With interpersonal conflicts in our society starting to feel more common, it certainly can’t hurt to imagine how we might feel later about the things we do and say today.
For The Startup Aficionados...
Brazil: A look into Latin America’s largest startup ecosystem — techcrunch.com
In addition to their beaches and universal hatred for Ryan Lochte, Brazilians are famous for innovating around inefficiencies. This grit tells a different and more promising story than the recent dire headlines of the business press suggest.
For All My Sales Peeps...
Why "The Law of Large Numbers" is Just an Excuse — www.saastr.com
As a sales team approaches $10m, and then again as they approach $20m, and so on…the pressure increases. So do the number of reasons why hitting the milestone is impossible. Jason Lemkin is calling BS.
Finding the ‘Glengarry Leads’ — thinkgrowth.org
Put that coffee down. The good leads are no longer in a hidden stack of index cards in the sales manager's office. They're in the data you share with marketing from your interactions with prospects.
For The Marketing Nerds...
Rise of Machine Marketers: Transforming Customer Experience — customerthink.com
In the end, let’s face it. Marketers want to do one thing more than anything – sell more stuff. Technology – cheaper, smarter, more portable, and easier to use, continues to translate into the potential to deliver more relevant and convenient customer experience. Those that get this, and execute on it, will win.
How Uber Depends on Data Analytics to Deliver Extreme Customer Service
Repeat after me: "Uber is NOT a taxi service". In many ways it is a data company. It not only uses existing data effectively for its business operations, but also to ensure it's drivers and customers are constantly delighted.
For the FinTech Folks...
State of Disruption in FinTech: China's Dragons Roar (long read)
Very comprehensive, data driven overview of the state of FinTech in 2017 done by Citi and CB Insights -- well worth the time if you are looking for insights into where the broadly defined FinTech space is headed, particularly outside the U.S.
China accounted for over 50% of total FinTech investments globally in the first nine months of 2016 (9M 2016) and was the only major region where FinTech investments increased in 2016 — in fact doubling in China in the first nine months of 2016 versus the same period in 2015.
For the Data Geeks...
Business Value From Unstructured Data — www.crimsonhexagon.com
Never heard of Crimson Hexagon? You will. They are among the leaders in applying structure to unstructured data -- the next frontier in business intelligence.
Your Weekly Dose of Random Knowledge...
New Breed: Pet Tech Is Seeing Investor Interest Take Off — www.cbinsights.com
Early stage investment has accounted for roughly 80% of all pet tech deals between 2012-2015.
Still a Fad? Vinyl Records Return to 1991 Sales Levels — www.digitalmusicnews.com
In 2016, LPs, EPs, and 45s returned to sales volumes not seen since 1991. To put it in context, my 17 year old daughter has a bigger record collection that I did at her age. Could parachute pants be next?
Female shark learns to reproduce without males after years alone — www.newscientist.com
NOTE: any reports that she was a keynote at the "Women's March" in Washington DC last week are decidedly "fake news."
And The Last Word....
From the Women's March in Colorado last weekend:
Got feedback? Questions? Suggestions? Email me: dave@slingstonegroup.com