By now, Seth Godin is a widely known author and well-regarded as a thought leader and business strategist. However, before Purple Cow he did not have broad appeal or fame.
Purple Cow changed the game by declaring purely creative marketing dead. He accurately predicted massive advertising campaigns would decline in effectiveness and companies needed to focus more on building “Purple Cows”, his pet name for unique, remarkable products and services. To accomplish this, entrepreneurs and other decision-makers had to take more risks and avoid the “safe” and “traditional” strategies. Designers and marketers needed to be working hand-in-hand, or better yet be synonymous, to bake marketing directly into every product. The book is full of informative case studies and is at the top of Ryan Holiday’s top books on marketing. Who should read this; Any designer, marketer or aspiring entrepreneur. All C-level suite executives and job seekers. Who should skip it; Folks who can’t overlook slightly dated references or don’t want to come to grips with the changing economy. Interesting tidbit; Otaku the Japanese work for something that’s more than a hobby, but less than an obsession is the breeding ground for Purple Cows. Buy it here
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
Staying sane in an insane world (On Being) Bad cancer research and the Reproducibility Project (Judge Starling) America’s most upwardly mobile schools (NYT) Don’t blame Tinder - why the dating scene is rough for women (Business Insider) “The universe is not here to please you” - Megan McArdle unpacks gender differences and their implications (Bloomberg) Transgender kids should wait to transition until after adolescence (Pacific Standard) Uber partners to create first ride-sharing insurance policies (Financial Post) Why NOT quitting my job was the best decision ever (Financial Diet) Apple’s Ebook price fixing case (Fortune) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
Apple makes its move for enterprise sales (Re/Code) How to ruin your financial life (Washington Post) What if I don’t want to subsidize a billionaire’s business? (CityLab) Rose Marcario - the woman pushing Patagonia forward (Fortune) Donald Trump’s psychological strengths (Entrepreneur) Lessons learned from a career break (LinkedIn) AUDL Owner Rob Lloyd joins Hyperloop project as CEO (the Verge) Podcast listeners are the best type of people (AdAge) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
Periscope humanizes the plight of Syrian refugees (The Guardian) Will ThredUp bring secondhand shopping to the mainstream? (Re/Code) 5 big takeaways from an entrepreneurial getaway (Inc) The smart mouthguard that improves athletic performance (Technology Review) Why I quit Andreessen Horowitz (Medium) Kanye 2032 - the seed has been planted, watch it bloom (Scott Adams) The one rule of investing (A Wealth of Common Sense) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The serenity of a crisp morning with accents of delicious links.
It’s doubtful you understand the true meaning of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” - I didn't either :) (Paris Review) WeWork vs the cleaners - a stumble in the sharing economy (NYT) Cooper Union and the collapse of a legacy (Fusion) An interesting development in drug decriminalization in Brazil (Intercept) Death of the sharing economy (Fast Company) Victim Culture is the third cultural revolution (Righteous Mind) The divorce from hell (Tampa Bay Times) 20 hours in NYC’s raunchiest strip club (Vice)
“The five minute soundbite has ruined cable news”
Media Icons like John Stewart have lambasted CNN and its compatriots for turning news into entertainment television instead of a credible source dedicated to creating a more informed citizenry. As our attention has shortened and the ADHD generation matures into adulthood, most media has adapted its tactics. C-SPAN has long been notorious for its inability to remain interesting for even the most dedicated policy wonks and Capitol Hill nerds. Once we found sources of prank calls elsewhere, it looked like things would go downhill.
But alas the viral video era began and politicians had a new medium in which to flex their intellectual muscle. While some went on to make asses of themselves (see here, here, and here) others were able to rise to prominence on the backs of impassioned monologues and public shakedowns.
It is no wonder then that populist-minded politicians from both side of the aisle are on the rise. Bernie Sanders, Rand Paul and Elizabeth Warren may not agree on every issue, but when they have gone against the establishment and stood up and represented the interests of their constituency.
The Patriot Act had very vocal opposition and Rand Paul stood up to fight it last year. Instead of getting buried in the archives of C-Span, Youtube and social networks allowed his speech to be shared with voters.
These speeches, taking place within the walls of Congress and not on a campaign trail, give us insight into the actual work these elected officials are doing.
In an age where we cynically mock our politicians on shows like Veep, the viral political video may be our saving grace. My hope is that we will be able to weed out the nincompoops and identify the thoughtful, ethical minority that is actually interested in protecting our best interests. Hopefully it doesn’t slow down Congress anymore.
Either way, next time you think about sharing some video of a cat or a picture of food, consider sharing a viral political video and help move the conversation forward.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
John Kerry breaks down the Iran Deal because we both know you’re not actually going to read the document itself (Medium) BEST READ OF THE WEEK ALERT - Megan McArdle on how adults deal with microaggressions (Bloomberg) Uber to start offering in ride magazines/advertisements (TechCrunch) WTF - Catfished in the UK (Telegraph) Meet John Shahidi - authentic, smart, thoughtful (BothSidesOfTheTable) Superconducting graphene created at University of British Columbia (Kurzweil) JCET and how US Special Forces train allies (Intercept) The rise of Uber (Business Insider) This has to be fake… 13 yr old boy charged with assault for kissing a 14 yr old girl (Reason) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
Millionaires are made $10 at a time (Mr. Money Mustache) Who is Startup Jackson? (Medium) Lifelock fails again (Wired) Who’s smarter - the dumb people or the smart people? (Scott Adams) How will the New Establishment handle the New Economy? (Vanity Fair) The McAfee security guy is running for President (TechCrunch) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
What to teach your kids about money (Mr. Money Mustache) How to become an influencer - aka a star (Medium) Meet the new establishment (Vanity Fair) The Longform podcast isn’t just for journalists (The Guardian) What smart entrepreneurs do when the market is collapsing (Startup Therapist) Meet the companies poised to disrupt the healthcare industry (Becker’s Hospital Review) Reaction to Apple’s launch event (Re/Code) Roger Goodell vs. The Patriots - where it all started (ESPN) Be sure to share your favorite links.
The best stuff from all around the web; read, learn and prosper.
GoPro is introducing a Ridiculous new 3-D camera for virtual reality production (The Verge) Stop complaining about the establishment (Medium) Dog ownership is optional (Mr. Money Mustache) Uber has a loyalty program? Check out Uber VIP (Business Insider) Why New Yorkers love New York (Vice) The crisis of public (not private) morality in American politics (Bill Moyers) Everyone in the company must be able to answer “What are we doing?” (AVC) David Cohen on what he looks for in startups and their founders (Startup Therapist) Be sure to share your favorite links. |
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