After your first job

It's easy to remember our first job, or even our first 7 jobs. Cleaning the grease off the hot dog wheel at the fast food place. Caddying. Mowing lawns. Shlepping.

But how common is it to ask people about the first time they got a computer to do what they needed it to? Our first successful computer program, our first Excel macro, our first Zapier procedure?

Or, how widespread is it to compare our first sales experiences? The first time you sold something on your own? The first doorbell you rang, or the first time you persuaded someone to invest in an asset you were building?

There are millions of years of tradition involved in cleaning the grease off something. Programming and selling, on the other hand, are building blocks for a new kind of future.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/251207026/0/sethsblog~After-your-first-job.html

When your phone uses you

Your smartphone has two jobs.

On one hand, it was hired by you to accomplish certain tasks. In the scheme of things, it's a screaming bargain and a miracle.

But most of the time, your phone works for corporations, assorted acquaintances and large social networks. They've hired it to put you to work for them. You're not the customer, you're the product. Your attention and your anxiety is getting sold, cheap.

When your phone grabs your attention, when it makes you feel inadequate, when it pushes you to catch up, to consume and to fret, it's not working for you, is it?

On demand doesn't mean you do things when the device demands.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/250792206/0/sethsblog~When-your-phone-uses-you.html

The new Microsoft under Satya Nadella is still looking good on Wall Street

 Almost three years ago, Microsoft named Satya Nadella as its CEO. Since then, Microsoft has reversed its fortunes and returned to being a growth stock after stagnating for nearly a decade — and 2016 was not an exception to that. Indeed, as Microsoft continued its transition to cloud-based services and adopting multiple platforms, as well as taking big bets like buying LinkedIn for… Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/29/the-new-microsoft-under-nadella-is-still-looking-good-on-wall-street/?ncid=rss

Moving a conversation forward

That next thing you're going to say, what's it for?

Is it to advance the conversation, to get a client, to make them go away, to find intimacy, to share a truth, to ask for help, to offer help, to pass the time, to learn something, to teach something, to build trust...

Talking about the weather is a stall. Stalling has a function, but it's not the best we can do.

Intention opens the door to forward motion.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/250438820/0/sethsblog~Moving-a-conversation-forward.html

Amazon patents show flying warehouses that send delivery drones to your door

 We’ve known about Amazon’s drone delivery ambitions since 2013.  But patent filings from Amazon reveal more details about how the e-commerce titan could make drone deliveries work at scale, namely through “airborne fulfillment centers.” Yes, that’s a warehouse in a zeppelin. The airborne fulfillment centers, or AFCs, would be stocked with a certain amount of… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/28/amazon-patents-show-flying-warehouses-that-send-delivery-drones-to-your-door/?ncid=rss

Amazon tries to recreate Prime Day magic with the first-ever Digital Day sales event

 Amazon is known for creating its own, exclusive sales holidays and events to boost its bottom line, as it has done with Prime Day – a day of sales which even tops Black Friday and Cyber Monday, at times. Now, it’s trying to recreate that magic with the debut of a year-end blowout sale it’s calling “Amazon Digital Day.” As the name implies, the new sales holiday… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/28/amazon-tries-to-recreate-prime-day-magic-with-the-first-ever-digital-day-sales-event/?ncid=rss

Shared reality, shared goals

The best way to persuade someone of your new approach is to begin with three agreements:

We agree on the goals. We both want the same outcomes, we're just trying different ways to get there.

We agree on reality. The world is not flat. Facts are actually in evidence. Statistics, repeatable experiments and clear evidence of causation are worth using as tools.

We agree on measurement. Because we've agreed on goals and reality, we agree on what success looks like as well.

All three allow us to enroll on the same journey, and to hold each other accountable for our work. Any other approach disrespects your partners and leaves you in a corner, without allies.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/250037018/0/sethsblog~Shared-reality-shared-goals.html

11 trends that will shape Southeast Asian eCommerce in 2017

 The Lazada-Alibaba deal, Alibaba’s largest overseas acquisition to date, is a pivotal event for Southeast Asia and its implications span the entire commerce value chain from digital advertising, logistics, finance, insurance to even healthcare. Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/gallery/11-trends-that-will-shape-southeast-asian-ecommerce-in-2017/?ncid=rss

Amazon sold nine times as many Amazon Echo devices this holiday

 Guess what – Amazon sold a whole bunch of Echoes this holiday. Nine times as many as last year, according to its count. Of course, the company’s never been inclined to give specific numbers when it comes to this sort of thing, only revealing in a press release this morning that it moved “millions” worldwide. There were some telltale signs over the past couple of weeks,… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/27/amazon-echo-3/?ncid=rss

Today's a great day to dig in for next year

The week between Christmas and New Years is notoriously quiet. Your phone buzzes less often, there are no client meetings, no deadlines.

If you work for yourself, this might be the perfect week to take my freelancer course. Not merely watch it, but work through it. If you're willing to focus and challenge yourself, it could transform your business and the time you spend in it.

On sale only this week, until the end of the year. $29. Details are here.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/249768260/0/sethsblog~Todays-a-great-day-to-dig-in-for-next-year.html

Your mileage may vary

That's not true.

Your mileage will vary.

Of course it will. Of course everything won't be precisely as you imagined it, as it was described, as you deserve.

Sure, then what?

Will you react or respond? You could react in anger and fear. You could find people to blame, you could easily amplify your anger, you could dig deep for vitriol and snark and use your words and actions to drive a wedge between you and whoever didn't meet your imagined spec.

Or, perhaps you will respond by focusing on the opportunities the divergence presents. What a chance to celebrate what you've got and even better, find a way to build something even better.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/249643602/0/sethsblog~Your-mileage-may-vary.html

The wrong side of history

Racist and sexist verbal attacks ('remarks' is too mild) never make sense.

Over time, people who judge others by their origin or chromosomes are always proved wrong, always shown to be afraid, not wise.

The fear that provokes these attacks takes many forms, it doesn't discriminate based on the bigot's age or income or even race or gender. But the fear is real, and when the fear pushes people to demean others, it's revealing itself.

Even though the fear is real, it's not an excuse. When we speak with respect and offer dignity and empathy, we're describing our future. 'Politically correct' is a cheap way of dismissing maturity, confidence and kindness. Calling angry words a joke, or a momentary slip can't hide them.

History shows us that attacking those that would bring hard work, generosity and insight to our lives is always a mistake. 

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/249237792/0/sethsblog~The-wrong-side-of-history.html