Looking up to Someone

I stumbled upon this phrase today in a  quote from David Foster Wallace.  It made me smile, and wonder and ask questions.  I find the most eloquent amongst us have that ability - to make us consider things with their words and ideas that we either haven't previously, or haven't recently.  It was really the underlying irony that struck me here as well.

When we are young, and small, we look up to those around us with more life experience, and height.  I can't say whether that's the origin of the phrase, but it seem too obvious not to be true.  We admire and respect those older than us for the simple fact that they are older, bigger, cooler or more powerful.  I think the rationalizing choice as to 'why' we do it is dependant upon whether we're speaking about a parent, teacher, sports figure, senior child in the schoolyard and so on.

What happens when we're grown up though ?  The phrase is still used.  What are we looking up to.. does older, bigger, cooler or more powerful still carry the day ?  Is the ingrained framework  of seeking guidance still present.  I think to some degree it is.   So, let's test this a little.

Think back, who did you 'look up to' when you were in elementary school ?  and why..  Think for a moment about your own answers.  Now, who do you admire today, who is that person or persons today, and why do you 'look up to' them..?  Is it the same reason...

Your answers, my answers.. they are interesting in what they say about us, aren't they.

Google, WhatsApp, Facebook and Becoming Microsoft

There is lots to be said or inferred from the $19B purchase of WhatsApp by Facebook last week.  I particularly like Robert Reich's point about "this being everything that is wrong with this economy". Interesting perspective from a smart guy.

But I want to make another point, a related one perhaps, but it speaks to the shape of things to come.  I saw a tweet today from Donal Daly of The TAS Group that said "..WhatsApp and other mobile-messaging services have cost phone carriers an estimated $32.5B in lost revenue from texting fees.". As always, Donal's insights gave me pause to think about a few things.  Firstly, I believe technology evolution is a little like what they say about history - it repeats itself.  In a business sense, few companies were as revered in the marketplace for what they were able to accomplish as much as Microsoft was when they owned the OS. The hardware folks fought to the death with slim margins as Redmond chugged along.  I've always felt that was also Google's quiet corporate goal - own the middleware to own the customer.  But if we're in a new era now where the phone is now the computer, and we're all connected, would you rather be the Telco, the hardware provider or the OS ?

Sure the Telco gets the glory sometimes, but they have the network infrastructure costs too and the share battles with one another.  They're desperately trying to upgrade to maximize ARPU (average revenue per unit) while we all joyfully play Angry Birds and trade tweets, and Snapchats.   The handset manufacturers crowd each other in low cost production centers to be phone flavour of the month, but that is fleeting at best. The crown isn't worn for very long in that arena.  The OS folks on the other hand - they seem to have an interesting role - although to date it's been challenging to directly monetize.  Google's android OS is the primary player, but they don't make trainloads of revenue from it.

So what's changed ?  What if the joy to control and revenues with a completely scaleable model was to steal the Telco's customer attention (and funds) and do so in a hardware agnostic way ?  What if the app is the new road to dominance ?  

I've spoken here before about Amazon's cleverness in making consumption devices, and Apple's control of the OS as a means of fuelling via iTunes and the AppStore.  What are the chances that the shortcut to the same intended outcome (for non integrated-platform owners) is the seizure of key applications..?  If Facebook can't have their own OS, then they will try to own the means to interrelate via these platforms. It's both a relevance and business model extension.

What does this mean ?  It means Twitter just quintupled in value as the other big players in this space won't be blind to this move, and the feeding frenzy is about to commence. Have network of users - will sell.

Olympics - Part 2

Kind of sad it's over.

The sporting highlights were superlative, and the games themselves fascinating.  I got excited about sports I had previously little interest in, and cheered on young people I'd not known of before.

It's four years until Korea, two to Brazil.

The spirit will burn bright until then, in the hearts, minds and commitments of many.  So when we watch in two or four years time - understand that the medals are really being won today and tomorrow - in a few years we will just get to see to final seconds of what each of these fine people have gone through.

Winging It

Do you have to wing-it often in your role ?

I find I do, and it's interesting as working without a net focusses the mind nicely.  But, it's not always successful and it's quite tiring.  When you're 'off-script' and doing what you think is correct, you have to keep your mind's eye clearly focussed on the end goal and not get diverted, otherwise you end up with a result quite different than where you may have hoped it would go.

To do this well, you have to know your subject inside and out, and have a feel for your audience as well.  It's also advisable to keep the fact that you're doing this to yourself..no one want to know how sausages are made.

If you haven't winged it in a while (or ever), try it.  It'll give you a new healthy respect for what you contribute.

Fear

It's funny how we're really good at imaging a poor or bad outcome, but really bad at imagining a positive one. And I don't mean funny 'ha-ha'.

Fear, dread or working through all the worst ways a situation can play out has its roots in something healthy in our primal brain..Don't walk through the tall grass during the middle of the day (there may be a man-eater hiding) better to just stay in this tree..  But when these impulses cripple us and we can't see a reasonably probable situation playing out as it might normally, it's just our feelings having a field day over our intellect.

Whether or not you thrive on change, or are quite uncomfortable with it, it's best to acknowledge the role you are letting fear play in your own head.  And then decide if you want to cede that power over to a feeling or take power back. 

Now, let's go for a walk together through that grass.

Olympics

I have nothing against Norway or the Netherlands.  Not a thing.

But it's fascinating to me that we watch the Olympics for two reasons, and rarely acknowledge it.

Reason #1 - The Love of Sports
I'm going to put myself mostly in this camp, except for a specific sport or two.  This is where you like to see people reach and succeed. The colours they wear aren't as important as watching extraordinary performances.  Obviously in this context, that happens in almost every competition.  You're cheering for the underdog perhaps, but really to see them excel and fly in whatever they've taken on.   Media we use doesn't always support this way of doing things, instead opting to show us reason #2, even if it's lack-luster.    Interesting, some of the most captivating Olympic moments falls into our love of sport - and "happy gilmore" giving his spot up on the speed skating oval so his teammate who he acknowledged was better than he... is a brilliant example.   Selflessness + incredible performances make for great Olympic sporting moments.

Reason #2 - National Pride
This is where we cheer the home team, no matter what. We begrudge being beaten in any context, regardless of the actual performances of our athletes.  When we hear of unfair judging, or questionable referees, this is reason #2 in action.  Who's to say ours/your athletes are the best - sure it's nice when it works out that way, but if every competitor that beats our flag bearer was "cheating", well, then it strikes me you've lost the plot.  The Olympics is absolutely a competitive venue, but it's not where we work out (or create) global tensions.  I don't happen to like this approach at all, and it's typified when the national TV networks seem to take joy at an individual athlete's missed attempts.  There's been some of that from the UK broadcasters this Olympics, and it's poor sportsmanship, and a sign of weak character by the individual.

There are not hard boundaries here, and it's challenging when the sport closest to your own heart is being played, sure.  But celebrate the fact we can compete and drive to win and not kills each other in the process.  It's about the performance, whether the outfit is red, orange, blue or white.

When Your Strength Becomes Your Weakness

It happens.

Go way on back to 476BC and Sun Tzou.  He perceptively saw that once we become settled or complacent in our strengths, we tend to stop searching for how to be better, how to reach our audience and how to keep making a difference.  Our strengths would turn on us, as we become blinded by them.

That 'blindness' - it's a big issue.  Bigger than we imagine.  Because while we assume that we are still strong, others perceive us as no longer paying attention or going the extra mile.  And at the end of the day in a business sense, it's what the customer thinks, that far outweighs and outranks what you think.  I think relationships are the same way for what it's worth.  We have to keep trying or be perceived to keep trying in our relationships to highlight we still value them.

All too often there is some new age 'schmo'  (like me - I get that) telling us to be comfortable in our own skin.  Sure, that works.  If you only ever ant to be around your own skin.  If however you wish to be around others, then you're going to have to keep trying to make it clear why the relationship with you makes sense.  Those closer to you need more subtle, long term reinforcement, but they still need something.

You may indeed be the smartest, or the skinniest, or the most pretty/handsome or congenial, but others aren't sticking around you because of that.  They're around you for how you make them feel.  Resting on your laurels, in whatever sense it takes....is a pathway to loneliness for a business or an individual.

Texas

Spending a couple days here.

Some things are true - things are bigger here - portions, freeway overpasses that rise 15 storeys tall, and the wide open sky.

Some things aren't true - it's cold, damp, and I've yet to experience Texas hospitality.

Perhaps next time.