Vanilla Sky

My, my a vanilla sky.
Farewell worries, your end is nigh.
Good things await in the by and by.

What Risk Really Mean

Risk is a neutral word, which means it can be positive or negative.

The next time someone asks you, "What if you fail?",

Ask them "What if we succeed?"

Or go further to ask, "What are the challenges if we really succeed? Are we ready to succeed?"

Quotes 16

You're only young once, but you can be immature forever.

- Robert Rose

In a good way too!

One Thing to Look for in the Workplace

A very useful thing to ask for in work is a feedback loop - someone who will be able to observe your work, offer guidance and suggestions, and continuously raise your bar of standard to help you grow.

A Vandalised Heart

"You vandalised my heart, and left graffiti of your beauty that no one else but me can see."

What it Means to Move To A Higher Ground

One must not be afraid to let go of one's empire to pursue another. Time and effort has been invested, yes, but if it doesn't serve your future, pursue another that does. Restarting is nothing to be afraid of.

Courage To Start A Business

Do you need courage to start a business?

Hmm... I used to think "yes". But I think what's more important is a solid plan, and the commitment to follow through.

Who Is It Really About

A listener on a Japanese podcast was asking the hosts, "I believe traveling overseas is to experience different culture and grow oneself. I cannot understand those who travel for fun."

There's two lessons to this:
(1) do not force your beliefs on others. (I wonder how many times I've mentioned this); and
(2) different people grow differently. Some may grow just by driving to the next city, while others need other types of exposure to grow.

Quotes 15

A wise man once said that nothing really dies. It just comes back in a new form. Then he died.

- Futurama

Quotes 14

Anyone can have an opinion. Not anyone can make others listen.

One Way of Overcoming Obstacles

When you are stuck on approaching a problem, why not try adding "anti-" in your questions?

How does a cafe create a unique value proposition? How about anti-cafe?

How does one handle an unhappy customer? Any anti-unhappy strategies to turn them loyal?

How can we market our new product into the saturated market? How about some anti-marketing?

Quotes 13

"Aesthetics is a moral obligation."

- Bioshock

It's a frightening thought, and yet this is the direction the world is moving towards.

Damned Judgement

Revisiting Susan Cain's book, a phrase stood out this time - "damned judgement".

An introvert was rejected during a job interview for post as a lawyer, stating that she did not have the fitting personality.

"Damned judgement" is so accurate in describing this situation, and her talents was never tapped on.

Quotes 12

Patronising others is the last refuge scoundrels escape to.

- Proops, The Smartest Man in the World

Love and Hate For Work

I have friend who posted once, "We hate it when we're at work, but eager to work when we have no work."

I answered, we want to work because we all want to be productive, to contribute. But we usually hate work because it is not the work we want to do.

Similarly, for you schooling youths out there, there are some adults who want to go back to school, because it's a step towards our dreams. However, students do not enjoy studying because students do not understand why education is important.

Find a mentor who can help you understand, and you will find your potential to excel.

The Three Things a CEO Needs

Quote from a VC:
"A CEO does only three things. Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and retains the very best talent for the company. Makes sure there is always enough cash in the bank."

By the way, avc.com has great reads for anyone interested in business.

What Content Marketing Means

In my previous post, I defined content marketing as the creation of owned media that provides values to target audience to build and nurture long-term relationships.

Yet, it has no mention of things such as the company or profits. C-class executives who do not really treasure customers are not going to understand the importance of content marketing.

Content Marketing is So Important

Content marketing is, by this blogger's definition, the creation of owned media that provides values to target audience to build and nurture long-term relationships.

It's really important that businesses start to take content marketing seriously, because (1) it's really the best way to create value for your customers, (2) it creates assets that your business owns, and (3) it's one of the oldest form of marketing, ie it had been proven to work.

It's inevitable that businesses will eventually be involved in the media business. It fact, it has already gripped every industry. One must realise that being in the media business also puts one competing with others outside their own industry.

Reality is Broken

The Internet world an utopia, and reality is broken in comparison.

Time is eternal in the Internet, someone is always using and contributing to this world. There can be no race or religion, and the lack of differentiation allows one to approach issues equally with others. Everyone has a voice, and anyone can get opportunities from this world.

The reality sets standards, where people are used, and only people are limited in ways they can contribute. Race and religion is the first filter for many to decide to listen to others. Only the voice of the rich is heard, and governments seek to restrict the Internet for their own interests (not the people's).

Unimportant Questions in Life

The question "How many holidays have you had this year?" just seems so insignificant.

Is it supposed to be a sign of affluence? Level of experience? Is work so sad for people they need to "cool off"?

Why shouldn't the question be "What have you learnt about the world this year?", or "How many people have you helped this year?"

Limit Your Limiting Thoughts

Instead of saying, "Why is this so impossible to achieve?", ask "How do we make this possible?"

Remember, asking the wrong questions will give you the wrong answers.

The Road Not Traveled

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

Quotes 11

It is the fear of Death that makes monsters of us all.

- Manny Calavera

The (Sad) Culture of Free

While running my business, whenever my manager do certain things, I often ask my manager, "Doing this will get you a certain type of customers. Are they the type of customers you want?"

In asking that, it was not to deter, but to ensure the right promotional/marketing etc efforts are in alignment with what the business is trying to achieve.

This thought made me recall what the governmental organisations do: the exploitation of "free" to boost their numbers. At events, they will give away free stuff like goodie bags.

While nothing is wrong with that promotion method, when used for years, the type of audience they have attracted are those who want free stuff.

There is a misuse of the "free" strategy. If the result is the attraction of people who have no understanding nor care for what an organisation is trying to achieve, the event, and eventually the organisation itself, has failed in its purpose.

Quotes 10

Can You See Beyond The Label?

- UN Human Rights Campaign

The Rise of Invective Marketing

Note: this is NOT a type of marketing that organisations should use! Yet, there is a rise in this trend among common folks seeking fame, especially in social networks. These trolls (as I call them) get a certain number of following, then they say something controversial that gets people to comment/share. And these trolls get the attention they want. Like This Old Marketing podcast says, please don't do this. It's wrong, if not just pathetic.

Are You Sure You Should Use Facebook?

Hmm... is it so hard to understand that not facebook page for a business is part of an organisation's plan? Having a facebook page does not mean doing social media. Having, or not having, a facebook page pages boils down to what the marketing plan of the organisation is. Or more importantly, what the content marketing plan is. Is your facebook where your audience is? Can you provide a consistent stream of content that is of value to the audience? How does facebook factor into the overall marketing plan?

Quotes 9

How deep the love was, no matter how meaningless the fights were. - Filmspotting

Passing Lives

There have been people I have not gotten to know till it was too late. When I got to know Princess Diana, I found out what she had been doing in Cambodia. But her accident came one week after I did. Roger Ebert was a force in the movie industry, and I found his website to know more about movies. One month later, he passed on. After seeing various movies, I realised Phillips Seymour Hoffman's roles were so well delivered. Too soon after, he too left this world.

Experience Over Product

I am one to go for service. Of course, food quality has to be of a good standard, and I will choose a restaurant with average food and smiling waiters, than a restaurant with excellent (and probably exorbitantly expensive) food but a waiter with the terrible i-hate-life face. The underestimation of the value of the smile is an indication of lack of care for customers, no matter how the company writes how it values customer relationships.

The Biggest Lie On the Internet?

I think it's "LOL", right? Lol

I Love Brad Pitt, But...!

"Top Brad Pitt performances in a supporting role"? I was stunned by never having considered such a question before. My history of film doesn't run deep enough.

Believe in the Power of Digital Content for Social Good

I am penning this down as a personal reminder, for I am about to take steps into the Dark Side. This Dark Side has no interest in the social good. Being numbers driven, it is the commercial worth of the content that matters to the Dark Side. Do not forget the beauty of connectiveness, the wonderful people behind their causes, and the people saved by digital content.

I Don't Like Woody Allen's Movies

I'm no critic, though I'll credit it to how I watch movies: looking out for fabulous acting that trumps music, cinematography etc Any movie goer would have watched bad/disappointing movies in their lives. (Yes, even those so bad that would have given you cancer!) Till now I have no recollection of Woody Allen's movies' plots. Even for the recent Blue Jasmine, I remember the rough plot, the ending, breathtaking performance by Cate Blanchett, but... nothing else. But the acting of the actors/actresses! Just can't get enough. Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder, Mifune Toshiro in Seven Samurai, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean. These are roles that make you think they are real characters.

The Fallacy of Rights and Wrongs

I think one of the biggest fallacies as a human being is the belief of right and wrong. When humans think of a situation being "right", they think of any other situations as "wrong", thus limiting themselves to understanding or appreciating the true situation. The truth is there is no such thing as right or wrong. There is only the matter of what is. I am not going to argue that Hitler wasn't wrong. He did kill millions of Jews. However, I _choose_ to apply a moral standard, and condemn him for what he did. He was "wrong" in my eyes. However, many injustice in our world can be avoided by not assigning what's right or wrong. Religion is the worst offender, dictating themselves as right, and everyone else wrong. Homosexuality is wrong? You haven't even started to consider talking about human rights. Girls should not be allowed to work? They are half the economy for goodness sake.

Quotes 8

Fashion trends are strange. When a certain look or hairstyle gets popular, it is already out-of-date.

Quotes 7

The Gate opens. The Gate closes. The Gate does not help. - Trainkeeper, Land of the Dead

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Bonus)

I need to mention something important for the previous three posts: YOU have to take the initiative. 

In many cases, you will become the designated leader of the group, as you will be taking initiatives, making sure milestones are met, keeping everyone aligned with the goal, and looking out for the members.

Online collaboration may just be putting infomation online, but you will be the one to bring about collaboration.

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 3)

Stagnation of activities can come easily, for example a facebook discussion stops as everyone is waitjng for everyone else to take action or to speak up.

The solution comes in two fold.

First, build momentum by engaging those who speak up. Don't worry about being inclusive during the discussions. What you want to do is bring the conversation to a good frequency, at which point hopefully the quiet ones will join in.

Second, be a "nagger". Always check in with the members. Are they going well with their part of the work? Any difficulties they may be facing? Deadline in six days? Touch base with them in three days. You may be naggy, but you are engaging.

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 2)

If task allocation is an issue during your online collaboration, then there are two factors you need to look out for.

One, ensure everyone is on track towards the team's goals. You want to ensure everyone is productive towards the same goal.

Two, clear and defined milestones/tasks for each member. "Everyone try to do XXX," will only result in nobody is doing! While you might not be able to play to each person's strength as you do not know them well enough yet, the show must go on, and get everyone to deliver.

Online Collaboration For Newbies (Part 1)

Online collaboration is not as easy for some teams. If you have recently formed a new team through an online platform, you may face some problems.

Some of the problems may include the alignment of the goals of various members, task allocation and responsibility sharing, and stagnation of activities from online discussions (I will just talk about these three across three posts).

Alignment of the goals of various members. It's difficult to get a sense of other members' alignments because honestly, you are not meeting them face-to-face. It's like agreeing on a contract with a stranger, but he isn't going to shake hands with you on it. Just doesn't feel right, does it?

That is not to say that they are not trustworthy! Everyone believes what they are saying. Though some new collaborators may not know to check each others' alignment with the team's goal, or some members may say what they think the team wants to hear.

The way to overcome this is to be sure about each others' goals. Be open about it, video chat if you need to. This will show the earnest need and your sincerity towards the rest of the team. It's useful to return to this too, especially when the team starts to be in danger of losing sight of what it is trying to achieve.

The Invisible War on Work

Mentioned my previous blog, Mike Rowe reminds us that we have declared a war on work.

While we have declared war on work from various fronts, the particular one that bothers me the most is the mindset we have of manual/menial/dangerous work.

For example, the iPhone is a wonderful modern tool that connects us, and is brought to us by these innovative and aspiring companies.

But we do not recognise, or even choose to ignore, the traditional factories that produces the pieces of the iPhone, and the hands of the workers that piece them together. 

Like Rowe says, we must not forget that innovation without imitation doesn't work. The obsession for innovation should not blind us to the these networks of manual labour that give us these automated technology. These are the sides of the same coin.

It's Difficult to Tell People that Time Doesn't Exist

I do believe that there is a flow of time, but that the concept of time implemented by humans is an illusion.

Often people rant about "Monday Blues" and "Thank God It's Friday". They have love for weekends, and just dread weekdays.

But a day is just a day.

The common assumption is that work is unpleasant. Thus humans tend to try to avoid pain (work), and seek pleasure (play). (That assumption is wrong. Why should work be unpleasant? Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs challenges this assumption well, but that is another story for another time.)

Time is neither good or bad, nor better than any other time. The "quality of time" is determined only in our mind, when we give meaning to it.

Time is however ever flowing, so there is a past, and there is a future. No matter what you choose to use that moment, it disappears in a blink.

It's difficult to explain to others that the time that exist in their mind does not exist. Monday and Sunday are no different, both have 24 hours, both will pass us no matter what we choose to do in those 24 hours.

If we are going to give meaning to time, don't give it to fleeting likes or dislikes.

Give it to each passing moment, treasuring what can never be again.

Customers Are NOT Always Right

A phrase I haven't heard in a long time, brought up by someone the other day, "The customer is always right."

No, the customer is NOT always right. You don't hear tech support saying, "Yes sir, that CD tray on your PC doubles as a coffee cup holder."

It's easy to accept it literally, while forgetting to the true meaning behind it, which is the spirit of customer service.

Behind each business transaction is a customer want. An unhappy customer is one with an unmet need. 

To say "the customer is always right" is to have the will to try to find out what that need is, and wanting to help the customer achieve it. 

"I'm glad you think our CD tray can be used as a coffee cup holder, but it is not. If you use it as a coffee cup holder, you will damage the CD tray, resulting in you being unable to use it to its full potential! Your CD tray can play your favourite track from your music CDs. 

I read from your case file that it's a rewritable. What this means is that you can use it to create your own customised CD playlist! You bought a great choice of PC. Would you like me to run you through how to use it?

By the way, I know a great contact for great coffee holders. Would you like me to share it?"

Imagine the potential of "The Customer is Always Right". When shared correctly, of course.

Gamers Can Change The World (Part 3)

Gamification is a strategy that businesses are taking notice of, taking elements of games and applying them in the workplace. Gamification may be a recently coined term, but businesses have been using game-elements for their own purposes for a long time.

There is no doubt why businesses will do that - gamification encourages tackling of difficulty and/or mundane work, motivates staff to pursue mastery in their own work, and can even be used for external clients. 

These offer one more promise of solving the bigger issues that plague our world.

Quotes 6

"To know life in every breath, in every cup of tea, in every life we take."

- Katsumoto

"Things" Are So Insignificant

I was revisiting The Last Lecture, and I am reminded of one of the frailties of the human race - the obsession with things, the obsession with the immaterial.

These obsessors believe that having things will make them happy, only to realise too late otherwise.

These obsessors get worked up about personal possessions, only to realise that in truth, it is inconsequential.

The materialistic nature of a person blinds him/her to the its spiritual growth, and more importantly, the chance to find true happiness.

Quotes 5

There is such a thing as absolute truth. Truth and nothing but the truth. (It's those supposed other kinds of truth that make me sick.)

- Errol Morris

The Short-lived Sakura

To me the sakura is a heartrending existence. It's beauty often celebrated, yet lasting only a short while.

It doesn't matter that the blooms will return the following year. That moment when you stood below a sakura tree in all its glory will never return.

The fleeting existence is a reminder of the importance of the significant (the memories) versus the insignificant (the surface beauty).

That may be why they say, "A perfect cherry blossom is a rare thing. You can spend your whole life looking for one, and it will not be a wasted life."

Yea, why not? But...!

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/04/why-not.html

Hmm... The obvious answer is "Of course!"

Yet that is often not the answer that we hear, is it? Human beings are great procrastinators, finding excuse after excuse to not take action. 

There are many reasons being such behavior, but probably the most interesting is the way people react when an opportunity is presented to them, "Is this really happening?"

That moment of disbelief that the opportunity is happening for them, and they start questioning themselves, including questioning themselves if they are good enough for it.

Remember Nike? Yea. Just do it!

Ignore A Person's Weakness? Really?

For those who are still concerned about developing strengths while "ignoring weaknesses" (from my previous article), fear not. 

It not about ignoring weaknesses, but about we can handle it. And we've been handling it for centuries: teamwork.

A team mate not only contributes his/her unique strength, but also covers any weakness gap that is in the team. 

Critical weaknesses cannot be covered for, as it still has the potential to bring the whole team down. 

What Are Your Strengths?

Those who are familiar with Marcus Buckingham's works will know where I'm coming from. Though I want to go beyond his call for a strength-focused approach, as I believe it is incomplete.

Buckingham suggests that focusing on developing strengths is superior to "fixing" weaknesses. By doing so, the potential of a person's excellence greatly increases. 

Having applied this theory in my own business (client-based), I strongly believe in it. By leveraging on my staff's strengths, they have been able to provide their own versions of customer excellence to their respective clients. 

Of course, the naturally thing to ask is: what about weaknesses? Now, everyone will have weaknesses, and not every weaknesses can be ironed out (god forbid this! Humanity will become boring!) 

Focusing on ironing out weaknesses will produce common individuals, while able to handle daily responsibilities without a problem, will be without the ability to handle situations requiring a special mojo. 

Focusing on developing strengths will prepare an individual to handle difficult cases in spite of their weaknesses. When that particular case arise, they will realise that they were readying themselves for this moment. They were readying themselves to shoot for the stars.

But beyond the focus of strengths, there are also "critical weaknesses", and these must be ironed out. These are weaknesses which will cause failure FOR SURE. Imagine an insurance agent with bad habit of lateness, making every client of his wait for 30-60min for every appointment. No matter what strength he may have (good at selling, extreme care for the client, expert at saving money for clients etc), no one is going to trust a person who cannot keep the promise of time. That is a "critical weakness". And it must be sorted out.

Path to Happiness

Ever so often I meet people who are lost, in the sense that they do not know what they want in life. (These include people who believe think they are "not really" lost, and people who are happy with status quo but without a goal in life)

I was going to write about how to find yourself, but I think the picture is the fundamental search for happiness.

Uncertainty of the answer for "Are you happy?" is a sign of lost. (A straight "No" will be a topic for another day!) 

Following Anthony Robbins' work, I believe that happiness comes from two important aspects: the growth of the self, and contribution to others.

Growth of the self gives one something to aim for, and the achievement of a mastery indicates a progress of some kind in his/her world.

Contribution to others brings about fulfillment, and the reciprocity of gratitude, a scientificlly a proven key ingredient to happiness.

Happiness doesn't seem too hard to achieve now, is it? Because the definition of these two aspect allows the inclusion of different meanings. Both mastery of an academic field and mastery of playing the guitar contributes to the growth of the self. Giving oneself to a cause and giving oneself to the family are both contributions beyond the self.

Quotes 4

If I started looking behind me

And begin retracing my steps,

I'll remind you to remind me

We said we wouldn't look back.

- Cameron Mackintosh

Gender Expression is Fluid

Had a chat with an old friend, and we agreed that gender expression IS fluid.

The definition of what a man is and what a woman has been twisted by society's traditional views and manipulation by the media. By standards of these days, a man needs to have a chiseled body, while a woman needs to have a certain look to look pretty. Anything less, you are not manly or womanly. These views of "perfect gender" are so mediocre.

A dire situation has comed out of this obsession for gender perfection, for example, is in form of murders and totures of homosexuals in Russia. A supposed movement for human rights for the LGBT community (most of all, the right to live as part of the human race) has resulted in an illogical fear in the society, and oppression on homosexuals.

Russia is not the only place where the idea of perfect gender proliferates. Homosexuals face discrimination any where that has a strong traditional view or has strong religious presence that excludes homosexuality.

Gender should only be a term used in biology. It no longer has application in the modern world. It is also outdated, like education sticking to methods of the industrial days. Outside biology, the definition of gender becomes fluid. 

A demure person is a person, an agressive person is a person. Love is defined by feelings and acts for one another, regardless the couple's gender. Females being allowed into the workforce to boost economies, and not get held back by traditional views of a woman's role in the house. Man being allowed to be a house husband, if his strengths is bringing out the best in a child, in raising a child of possibility. 

"Fluid gender" allows for so much more possibilities.

PS: I've had people trying to use the argument of not being able to understand the other sex, like "Men will never understand childbirth!". Duh. Your point being? That woman are better? In their sacrifices? Or that men are worse? Put aside the fact that you are saying nothing about gender perfection or gender fluidity, you are doing nothing more than discriminating. It is precisely thoughts like this that creates 20 types of feminism, deviating the constructive efforts to position women as they truly are, a person, a human being, a contributing member of society. And these women deserve to express themselves however they would like to, regardless of gender.

Quotes 3

世の中には

変わらないもの

があります。

The Economy of Space

The economy of space is universal: it is never enough.

Gamers Can Change The World Part 2

One important trait gamers have is what Jane McGonigal calls "urgent optimism".

It's an optimism that drives the person to tackle obstacles, regardless of their difficulty. 

And they don't give up, attempting to overcome the obstacles over and over again. Should they realise that they are not ready for these obstacles, they actively seek out new skills and undergo training. They have a clear goal in their mind, unfettered by any failures. 

On the other hand, in real life, how many companies would see a failed project and just scrap them? How many have been put down by society who is only good at saying "I told you so"? 

The Triad Model of the Charity Business Part 2

(Here is The Triad Model Part 1)

As I discussed, the three aspects (thus The Triad) of Activity, Participation and Marketing are basic pillars to a strong, successful and self-sustaining non-profit. 

Self-sustaining is the most important point, as each aspect supports and contributes to the other two aspects. The diagram shows how it works out: (insert diagram)

Most non-profits focus only on the Activity, focusing on delivering their final product. This means successfully delivering aid, or holding an exhitbition to achieve awareness. They are limiting themselves by lacking a bigger picture, or an "extended goal" beyond their original goal. 

What if organisations extended their work beyond the Activity aspect to include the other two aspects? Volunteer management is introduced (Participation aspect), drawing them to feel like they are part of the team, reinforcing that their efforts make a difference. We then see the formation of a solid base of volunteers who believe that they have a stake in the organisation's work. The organisations work begin to outperform past years as passion fuels the activities. The successes begin to make the organisation an attractive place for would-be volunteers. A virtuous cycle is formed.

Furthermore, through purposeful promotion of the company (the Marketing aspect), the public starts to be aware of the organisation and its work. The improved reputation not only helps gather public support, and opens up more opportunities for partnerships and sponsorships. The extra support and financing could mean more good can be done for beneficiaries. Another virtuous cycle is formed.

Of course, each aspect demands more discussion than the brief introduction I have made here. I have only made two examples of how two more focuses could support organisations' work, while there's more how each aspect can produce virtuous cycles with its counterparts. Ultimately, the Traid creates a self-sustaining synergy for the organisation, both internally and externally.

The Triad Model of the Charity Business Part 1

Yes, I very purposefully used the word Business with the word Charity. Those who know me will know that I support use of business concepts to drive productivity (eg Kaizen to maximise deliverance of aid) and fundraising (using marketing to get more buck for beneficiaries). But I digress.

Through my observations and discussions with non-profits in Singapore, I realised that charities need to overhaul the way they run themselves.

Simply put, the main issue is that most Singaporean charities only focus on their activities, ie what they are doing for beneficiaries. ONLY focusing on their activities.

The issue is not the activities, which in most cases are well-executed. It's what they are not doing that restricts the organisations' potential. Two key areas that these organisations should begin on is (1) participatory management, and (2) marketing.

Firstly, if activities depend on funding and human resource, to neglect the participatory aspect is a misdeed on charities' part. In particular, volunteer management is key to retaining volunteers, to keep them coming back to offer their time and skills. It is also important in training and distributing timely human resource into needed areas.

Secondly, what good is a charity's work, if it does not leverage on marketing to promote itself, in order to magnify its resources and thus its productivity? Marketing will not only boost an organisation's reputation, but also builds up goodwill as it promote your activities and its good people. This attracts more human resource (staff and volunteers alike), and more likely to have better successes at fundraising.

(Here is The Triad Model Part 2)

Gamers Can Change The World Part 1

Taking the lead from Jane McGonigal, I am convinced that gamers can indeed change the world.

I have witnessed the kind of loyalty gamers are able to gather, that brands can only dream of. I have seen the relentless pursuit of growth, regardless the difficulty thrown at gamers. I have participated in the absolute trust of strangers in a perfect collaborative environment.

Unfortunately, society has been (for lack of a better word) blind to the not-so-hidden potential of gamers, misguided by steoreotyping and lack of understanding.

Brands Take Note: Referals Are Risks

A reminder from Seth Godin, referals are desirable, but they are risks that customers have to juggle with. (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/04/the-selfish-truth-about-word-of-mouth-why-referrals-dont-happen.html)

As Seth puts it, what are the benefits of refering? Does the customer think it will gain something out of it? Will there be blame if the referals turns out badly? 

On top of making it easy for the consumer to share (by making it simple and easy to grasp), remembering this selfish aspect will keep your marketing strategies sharp.

Why I Have Decided to Avoid Talking About My Introversion

Simply because no one understands, and no one seeks to understand.

It was with blind optimism that I believed that Susan Cain's call for the need to understand introverts would slowly change the landscapes in which introverts can operate at, including society and workplaces. (By the way, her book should not just be taken to be about introverts, but also about the under-utlised talents of introverts. If 1 in 3 people are introverts, then why should we not include them for a 50% increase in productivity?)

Nope, that future did not come to pass. Each time I bring out the phrase "I am an introvert", the conversation goes back to the usual mistaken traits of shyness, social awkwardness and silence. Certainly they should realise that these traits can be mutually exclusive of introversion, and that there are also shy extroverts, socially awkward extroverts, and silent extroverts.

I love talking about topics I'm passionate about, I have a strong preference for deep connections with my social circle, and I do at times enjoy taking a step back to watch and hear the bustle of life around me. I am a proud introvert.

I'll be happy to share what makes an introvert, but first, empty your cup.

Why a Person Would Like To Die On Mars

Reading about the short documentary of three volunteers for Mars One (http://mashable.com/2015/02/09/mars-one-documentary/) made me think about their cores, their Why's to why they would want to die on Mars.

First, the push: disappointment in Earth, and perhaps even humanity. Natural disasters, inequity, and diseases are just few of the reasons why they are leaving.

Second, the pull: the search for happiness. The promise of adventure, hope and greatness, the belief in what they are risking their lives for.

Common people will call them crazy. But to jump on such thoughts is just a sign of ignorance (link to post 2 Apr).

Quotes 2

最後かもしれないだろう。

だから、全部話しておきたいんだ。

Quotes 1

"Are you afraid of God?"

"No, but I'm afraid of you."

How to Be Part 90% of the World

90% of the world's population are common (a euphenism for mediocre) people.

There are two ways common people think when they approach something they do not understand (like seeing someone do something out of the ordinary).

One, to make assumptions (that are often wrong). As they try to understand why a thing is, they start making assumptions, and find evidence to prove themselves right.

Two, they call it crazy. Because it is not normal in society's eyes, and common people usually think themselves as right, they readily call it crazy.

These two lines of thought are just pure ignorance. Judgement based on one's own limited experiences serves no purpose, with no constructive outcome.

Do what the 10% extraordinaires do - ask why. A simple willingness to understand the right way.

"Not For Profit"? "Not Only For Profit" is the New Bar

Charities should aim to be "Not-only-for-profit" organisations (NOPOs).

With the restrictions overwatching all charities anywhere in the world, NPOs should adopt this NOPO mindset to be able to make more, and subsequently to do more for their own causes. 

The very mindset that says the NOPO for charities is a heresy, is one of the many restrictions that society has imposed on NPOs to solve the bigger issues. Why can't the ideas of money and doing good go together? If society understands that money is needed to run a charity, why is it that it frowns on a charity doing well in monetary terms?

By adopting the NOPO mindset, it changes the idea of money, into the idea of investment. Investment into the infrastructure, to faciliatate effective and effiecient processing of each issue. Investment into training, so that talent can be attracted and developed to help those in need. Investment into brand development, so that they can gain equal footing on exposure with Apple or McDonalds.