The Power of Positive Constraints (transcription)

Here’s the transcription of my Monday Morning Movie… This morning I want to talk about the power of positive constraints. In the world of innovation, there seems to be this belief that we’re supposed to let everybody be free thinkers and let them do whatever they want. But, this actually destroys innovation. We need structure. […]

Tuesday Travel Tip

I travel a lot. And I travel with a lot of technology. In front of me now is my MacBook Pro, my iPad and my iPhone. But when I am in hotels, they often charge for each internet connection. So I have to choose. Do I want to connect my computer, my tablet or my phone? […]

The Power of Positive Constraints

Today’s Monday Morning Movie… We often think of constraints as being something bad. But actually they can be quite beneficial. They can help us get more done work more efficiently. And surprisingly, they can help us be more creative. You can read the transcription here….

Four Heads Are Better Than One

Today’s Friday Fun Fact… A machinist, clockmaker, glass blower and mathematician were all walking in Menlo Park…. Despite how this reads, it isn’t the beginning of a joke.  It was actually the start of a new era. I am talking of Charles Batcheldor (machinist), John Kruesi (clockmaker), Ludwig Boehm (Glass blower) and Francis Upton (Mathematician); […]

What Are Your Innovation Blind Spots?

Today’s Wednesday Work Wisdom… Innovation is often discussed in terms of what we know about innovation. But sometimes it is useful to uncover what we don’t know. What are the things that might catch us off guard and ultimately reduce the long-term impact of our innovation efforts? Some useful questions to ask to are: What […]

Innovating Masterminds (transcript)

Here is a transcript of yesterday’s Monday Morning Movie… When I started my business 12 years ago, one of the first things I did was join a mastermind group. Basically “mastermind” is just a fancy word for a group of people who come together that work on each other’s business.  So we learn from each […]

Innovating Masterminds

Today’s Monday Morning Movie… Masterminds are extremely useful for helping get new ideas for your business. But some mastermind models are better than others. Today’s video shares some perspectives on how to create a more useful group interaction by embracing divergent points of view and starting with better questions. Read the transcription of this video

The Cost of Being Disorganized

Today’s Friday Fun Fact… In my Monday Morning Movie, I explained that there is tremendous freedom gained through simplifying and de-cluttering your life. While this freedom is a natural catalyst for creative thinking, the benefits of a clutter-free environment are much further reaching. Simply Productive, an “Organizational Design” firm, compiled an extensive list of statistics […]

Avoid the 100% Mentality

In yesterday’s blog entry, I suggested that (if you are an entrepreneur) putting less effort into your business would yield greater results in the long-run. By focusing on the 20% of your business that generates 80% of the revenue, you can then invest your freed up 80% on new business models that have greater long-term potential. […]

The 20/80/80 Principle

Today’s Wednesday Work Wisdom is conceptual and lays the groundwork for future blog entries where I will provide specific tactics and strategies. In my Monday Morning Movie, I discussed how simplifying your life allows you to worry less about money, freeing you up to be more creative. As an entrepreneur, there are an unlimited number […]