-
A Compound Life
•
17 min read
This post is a bit more personal development than I would like, but am publishing it anyway. Introduction The first half of your life is commonly conceived of as the best half (youth, memories, earning power, freedom, etc.). But what about the second half? How can we make that better? When you plant an oak
-
Taking a systems view of an organization
•
7 min read
Surviving in the new digital economy has required a new set of tools. As companies—equipped with more data and more powerful tools—become smarter, staying competitive is more challenging. Companies need to be aware of how they fit into their competitive arena and evolving to keep up. There are a variety of frameworks that have emerged
-
The power of decomposition in design
•
7 min read
I get excited when I come across a book that attempts to apply rigour to an existing field, especially in an area I work. I recently indulged in Notes on the Synthesis of Form by Christopher Alexander, and that’s what it was for me, an indulgence. Alexander applies a more scientific approach to design to
-
Storytelling, not “storytelling”
•
6 min read
1 Our industry (professional services/creative services/consulting) has a language problem. This is nothing new. We often use our own language to create a knowledge gap with clients, reinforcing expertise and requiring them to ask us for additional context. Where the problems start to happen is when we use obscure language internally, making it hard for
-
Making The Shift: How to Become a Technology Company
•
11 min read
Originally published on the Versett blog How do you make the leap and become a technology company? Last time, we talked about the evolving nature of a technology company, why you should embrace technology and the impacts of your perception of technology. What differentiates these two is rarely the use of technology, but a differentiated approach
-
Why You Need to Become a Technology Company
•
9 min read
It’s no surprise that the proliferation of technology has disrupted how companies do business. Organizations are at a threshold moment in their history, fighting to stay relevant in the face of increasing competition while looking to grow and enter the next stage of growth. They know technology plays a part in their future, but are
-
Corporate Survival Strategy: Winning with Mediocrity
•
11 min read
“I’m not here to be number one in the market. I’m here to make money.” It used to bother me working with clients who were unwilling to commit to winning. They thought they wanted to be the best in their class, but not really. They were unwilling to make the hard choices and sacrifices required
-
What is a product?
•
9 min read
We ended the last essay with ‘The next time someone asks you what you do, or what digital products are, tell them you build digital tools to help make people’s lives better. Because if a product isn’t offering value and making someone’s life better, is it even a product?’ Let’s dig into this a bit
-
What is it you do exactly?
•
6 min read
Working in the digital product space, especially in an agency setting, requires you to concoct several descriptions of your job & industry to keep on-hand for conversations with family and friends. Depending on their technical sophistication, how you describe your work will vary greatly. I’ve noticed that anything computer-related get labelled as “IT” by most
-
Writing An MVP Product Sentence
•
3 min read
When starting a new project, Robert Caro distills the essence of his new book into as little as a single paragraph. “I can’t start writing a book until I’ve thought it through and can see it whole in my mind…I boil the book down to three paragraphs, or two, or one.” This paragraph acts as
Works in progress
