Experiments
When you treat everything as an experiment you give yourself permission to fail. And that’s exactly how we learn and grow.
Sunk cost and sequels
Sometime we use sunk cost as a reason to do a sequel in our movie called life.
Know when not to act
Just because change happens fast doesn’t mean you need to match its pace.
Stay focused on your core business. Everything else can wait.
Sometimes the best move during rapid change is to sit still in your boat. Just keep watching the waters ahead so you know when it’s truly time to act.
But don’t mistake patience for denial. When change affects your core business it’s time to move.
Doing is a flywheel
You do not get better by not doing.
Doing is a flywheel that creates momentum.
How to be an active listener
- Ask a question
- Wait until they completely stopped talking
- Wait a few seconds more
- Then think about all they have said
- Then respond
Most listening fails around step 2.
Singer to SaaS
In the mid-1800s, Isaac Singer made two changes that transformed an industry. He invented an affordable sewing machine and sold it with a payment plan. Workshops and individuals could now access technology previously limited to manufacturers. Within decades, thousands of small producers replaced the few professionals who had controlled the industry.
We’re at a similar threshold for AI and software as a service (SaaS). The tools to build software are becoming more accessible every day.
It makes creation possible for everyone. Small teams and individuals can now build tools in days and weeks instead of months and years. Technical complexity that once required years of experience and specialized knowledge is now simplified with AI that can write code, design interfaces, and implement features using natural language.
However, Singer’s sewing machines didn’t eliminate the need for basic sewing skills and AI tools won’t remove the requirement for basic tech knowledge. What changes is the barrier to entry.
Like Singer paved the way for thousands of at-home tailors, I predict thousands of specialized micro-SaaS products emerging at relatively low costs.
Established SaaS companies face a crucial tipping point. Will they become the Singer of the AI age, adapting their business models to this new reality?
History suggests that when barriers collapse, markets change permanently. We saw it with Kodak losing to digital cameras, Blockbuster missing out on streaming, and AltaVista bypassed by a single input field.
No One Cares
So why not just do it even if it is subpar?
Most people are too focused on themselves to notice you.
Do it for yourself and for those who are actively looking for it.
Be so good they can’t ignore you - Steve Martin
But before that, remember no one cares about your first attempts. Your work is to keep showing up until they do.
Taylor Swift, Cars and Bars
Taylor Swift’s lyrics often feature cars and bars. Fans probably spotted the pattern early but the rest of us found it after she became mega-successful and toured the world.
There is something special with patterns that emerge and things that feel and sound good. Think about classic I, IV, and V chords that make up a lot of songs. The feelings is that you recognize it and feel comforted about it, and combined together with a familiar rhythm in the song, you feel complete.
When you create something that feels out of your comfort zone, you don’t follow patterns you are used to. You go with your own tune with your own beat. And this is a power when it comes to being the new kid on the block.
You don’t need to follow the ways of big successful organizations. They’ve found one way and often stick with it. Patterns and behaviours that become chains that make change much harder.
New companies bring a fresh view. A clear vision that isn’t watered down by inner politics and competing priorities within big companies.
They can pivot quickly. Try new things. Change their vision voice and tone in an instant.
That’s the superpower of new businesses.
We tend to invent new jobs when others go away
Our grandparents probably couldn’t have imagined someone making a living as:
- a YouTuber
- influencer
- gamer
- social media expert
- lifestyle entrepreneur
- prompt engineer
- e-sports team coach
- digital estate planner
AI might remove a lot of jobs, but we will most possibly invent new ones, just like we always have.
Influence is a recipe
Influence is a recipe: Mix steady voice control with relaxed body language. Add engaging stories and genuine listening.
Your result: shaping thoughts, emotions, actions and beliefs.