Friends of Dave: Stuff I Learned This Week
Long weekend = short preamble to this week's newsletter. From the stats I saw last week, it doesn't look like the Millennial themed newsletter was super compelling to most of you. Oddly, it did appear like many of you were nostalgic about the "I Kiss You" guy though.
If you can, I highly recommend catching the very cool HBO documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett." Surprisingly insightful, intriguing and an intimate look at the "Oracle of Omaha." In addition to chronicling how he achieved his massive financial success, it sheds some light on Mr. Buffett's relationship with Bill Gates, his two marriages and the unconventional (and slightly scandalous) family life he has been enabled to lead. And watch the final credits for maybe the oddest part of the whole thing. Worth the time.
Got another themed newsletter in the works, possibly next week. In the meantime, have a great long weekend.
XOXO
Dave
For the Deep Thinkers...
Vanishing point: the rise of the invisible computer
For decades, computers have got smaller and more powerful, enabling huge scientific progress. This has been the basis behind Moore's Law as it sets the pace for innovation. But as computers become more prominent in our appliances, automobiles, and clothing, how will we track their impact?
The Art of Generous Listening and Asking Better Questions — www.farnamstreetblog.com
Generous listening involves a kind of vulnerability— a willingness to be surprised, to let go of assumptions and take in ambiguity.
For The Startup Aficionados...
The 76ers’ new startup accelerator offers a glimpse into the future — thehustle.co
This is becoming a trend across professional sports leagues. Why? Because the modern day sports owner doesn’t just see their franchise as a collection of athletes, but as an asset and a platform to launch other businesses.
For All My Sales Peeps...
One of the Hardest Things to Do in Sales
One of the hardest thing to do in sales, especially for early stage SaaS companies, is to disqualify customers. But when faced with capital concerns, sales person comp, or FOMO on big logos, focus is exactly what you need.
A Shockingly Common Way that Sales Misses Plan — www.forentrepreneurs.com
Many times good companies with great product/market fit miss their sales targets for an incredibly avoidable reason: they missed their sales hiring targets. Great leaders know when to pull the trigger on sales hiring and get the sales machine firing on all cylinders.
For The Marketing Nerds...
How to Use Data to Tell a Compelling Story — uncubed.com
CB Insights is a great company and, whether it is their special reports or daily newsletters, they always do a phenomenal job creating compelling marketing content.
Watch this insightful, easy to digest video and learn how the proper research, testing, and context can turn an overlooked report into an authentic, value added story.
The difference between tactics and strategy in marketing — pjrvs.com
Before you or your team starts trying (or keep trying) random marketing tactics you read on industry blogs, first think about why you’re doing them in the first place. Otherwise you are just burning money on low ROI and low impact activities.
For the FinTech Folks...
The CB Insights 2016 Global FinTech Report
Comprehensive overview of investment trends in the global FinTech industry.
VC-BACKED FINTECH COMPANIES RAISE $12.7B ACROSS 836 DEALS IN 2016: Global investment to venture-backed fintech companies retreated from 2015’s high. On a year-over-year basis, funding to VC-backed fintech companies fell 13%. Deals dropped 1%.
Your Weekly Dose of Random Knowledge...
Why don't UPS drivers turn left? — qz.com
It might seem strange, but UPS delivery vans don’t always take the shortest route between stops. Interestingly, neither do I when I have to go run errands on a day the kids are home from school....
Researchers at the University of Utah just unveiled eyeglasses that know where you’re looking and can make the correct adjustment instantly. No word if it also solves the "My eyes are up here" problem some men seem to have...
Pillows Throughout The Ages — hankeringforhistory.com
The History of the Pillow. Something to think about (and appreciate) when you lay your head down on your pillows tonight. And given some of the examples they show in this article, pillow fights at ancient Egyptian birthday parties must have REALLY SUCKED.
And Now, A Little Musical Discovery....
Never Tear Us Apart (INXS Cover): Me First and The Gimme Gimmes — www.youtube.com
Every now and then I will catch a song online or on SiriusXM that sticks in my head. I'll share them when I can -- here is this week's submission.
Got feedback? Questions? Suggestions? Email me: dave@slingstonegroup.com
The Rise of Predictive Analytics in Financial Services — www.thefinancialrevolutionist.com
When the big data boom grabbed headlines in the early 2000’s, it was because the high-tech industry allocated R&D efforts to develop new data-driven applications for their businesses. Out of these developments came the rise of predictive analytics.