Every campaign is unique, from a new product launch to a membership drive -- but wouldn't it be great if there were some general principles that govern success or failure? Maybe there are. They come from a fifty-year-old textbook called "The Diffusion of Innovations," by Everett M. Rogers. Rogers … [Read more...] about How Products (And Ideas) Find Users
Why Mainstream Media Is Being Eaten Alive (And What to Do About It)
The current state of the media business was roughly predicted fifteen years ago by a Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. In an article entitled "Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave," Christensen described how small companies, even those with laughably bad products, were … [Read more...] about Why Mainstream Media Is Being Eaten Alive (And What to Do About It)
The Five Traits of Successful Digital Products
Everett M. Rogers, author of "The Diffusion of Innovations," studied the adoption of new technologies and attempted to identify why people choose to use new products. According to Rogers, any product that lacks all of the traits will find significant difficulty in attracting users. Advantage: Your … [Read more...] about The Five Traits of Successful Digital Products
Definition: “Opportunity Cost”
The thing that you team didn't do with the time they spent on Project X. Or the thing your company didn't buy with the money they spent on Project X. … [Read more...] about Definition: “Opportunity Cost”
How to Write for Gawker
Stumbled across an old but interesting memo from Gawker Media writer Paul Boutin to managing editor Noah Robischon (which was immediately leaked to New York Magazine's Vulture site). Valleywag (a Gawker sister site) then reported on the leak, linking to NYMag and running the piece themselves. Here … [Read more...] about How to Write for Gawker
“If your job is to hold meetings and send email, hold great meetings, send great email.”
"If, as a manager, your job is to hold meetings and send email, hold great meetings and send great email." … [Read more...] about “If your job is to hold meetings and send email, hold great meetings, send great email.”
Tony Schwartz on Earning Excellence
Want to create a team that operates creatively and at peak efficiency? Tony Schwartz, author of "Be Excellent at Anything," offers six tips on improving performance through practice. When managing teams that require intense concentration to perform at peak -- think editorial or technical staff -- … [Read more...] about Tony Schwartz on Earning Excellence
“Saying You Have More Than Two Priorities Is Like…”
"Saying you have more than two priorities is like saying you have more than two arms. You still only have two, but now you’re also crazy." Merlin Mann, productivity guru Merlin Mann "Inbox Zero" Merlin Mann "Time and Attention" 1:11 "Anybody who says they have more than … [Read more...] about “Saying You Have More Than Two Priorities Is Like…”