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What’s right vs. who’s right
Shane Parrish was talking to a woman who was one of two candidates to become the next CEO in her organization. She approached him with a difficult problem that the organization faced, and her proposed solution. It would work, but it would be complicated and risky to execute. She also told him there was another…
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Basketball evolved because its inventor let go of control
On December 21, 1891, there was a big blizzard in Springfield, Massachusetts. Students wouldn’t be able to go outside for days. A thirty-year-old Canadian teacher at the YMCA Training School, James Naismith, had to figure out how to keep his students busy. James started off with a game of indoor football, which was too violent,…
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Building confidence on a foundation of practice
In March, I appeared as a guest on my friend Michael’s podcast and discussed the creative process and daily blogging. Shortly after, he decided to blog every day for 100 days. I really enjoyed his writing—some highlights include his reflections on identity, mental health, and leaning into your strengths—and I found myself checking his blog…
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The story of Mohini
Mohini was a white tiger who lived at the palace of the Maharaja of Rewa until the director of the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC bought her for $10,000. The people working at the zoo planned to build a natural habitat for her, but it would take several years to complete—so in the meantime,…
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Help the best idea win
Ken Kocienda asks in his book, Creative Selection, “Two people have imagined two cute puppies. I assert mine is cuter. What do we do now? Do we have a cuteness argument?” Of course not. The solution is simple: in order to conduct a debate on the topic, the two people need to find pictures of…
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The Scallenge
Sometimes, you see somebody doing something on TV, and you think, “I can probably do that better.” That’s what some people thought when they saw Brian Scalabrine play in the NBA. So Brian issued a challenge, known as The Scallenge, where people could apply to play against him. Four players, each with NCAA Division I…
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Highlighting the practice
My friend Nik wrote something kind about me and this blog. I really appreciated this excerpt: A writer who can maintain a daily blog through the chaotic storm that everyday life can be is a much stronger writer than someone who only types when they feel like they have the time for it — and…
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Learning to talk to customers, directly
A little bit over a year ago, on the advice from a friend, I put together a philosophy of how I approached marketing. One of the key points was going direct. Here’s how I described it: Start where you are and work directly with your customers. Talk to them directly. Find metaphorically (and sometimes physically)…
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Determination vs. desperation
At some point in your life, you will need to cut off your options and make a critical decision. You send a message out to yourself, and to everyone else, that you are committed to follow through. There’s no other option for you. All the epic metaphors come to mind—you are making a leap of…