the subtle lessons

In investing, when someone is confident of the underlying equity, they'll "buy the f'-ing dip" (BTFD) when prices come down temporarily.  I'm not a good investor (in fact, whatever I buy dips, I've contemplated on coming up with reversed trade calls before😓).  Anyway, the BTFD concept is very apt for today's world.  BTFD in the real world Life likes to send challenges in our way.  Covid was one major challenge. How one reacts to such challenges (or 'dips') can make a huge difference, for example: Businesses which managed to pivot quickly during the lockdowns are now thriving. Folks who have made career switches that allow them to serve more clients remotely instead remain working for 'the man' have seen their income skyrocket. Others have launched side hustles and now can maximise the time spent at home.  These are just some success cases of BTFD-ing, in the real world.  Don't stay down, BTFD! When shit happens, if you have the confid...

I ended 2020 with "The Midnight Library", a fiction book about a girl in despair who finds herself in a library filled with infinite possibilities to how her life could be, after an attempted suicide. The plot was predictable, but the journey was memorable. A good reminder that we already have everything we need to become who we want to be. We just need to commit to the goal and have the guts to take on the process. I started 2021 with the docu-film, "Dick Johnson is dead" (available on Netflix), a lighthearted take on the impact of dementia and pending death. "He's a psychiatrist. I'm a cameraperson. I suggested we make a movie about him dying. He said yes." - Kristen Johnson Kirsten Johnson comes up with comical ways her dad would die, in an attempt to help them and their loved ones cope with his pending death. It was funny, intimate and surprisingly intimate.  "She kills me. Multiple times. And I come back to life. I...

 Should ‘Free’ consumers be treated as customers? If you have been in the business scene / entrepreneur scene for some time, you’d have noticed a common advice from the veterans. “Don’t give your products/services away for free”; simply because ‘free’ customers are the most difficult to deal with. I’ve had the same experience myself. I think this stems from 2 issues; Internal ‘Struggle’ When you give your time/product/service for free, there’ll always be a internal debate of  “how much time/effort should I be spending on this project”.  This struggle will always be present, whether conscious or not. I find myself holding back for free projects at time, especially when coupled with the 2nd issue. (generally) Demands from the free consumer It could be a general bias that stems from the previous point. But I’ve found that free consumers tend to ask for more. Or try to get more than what was originally promised. Since its all ‘free’, the additional requests cost nothing to th...

On days when dealing with a difficult customer, ask 3 questions: Is the customer always right? And… Should you insist your way or be flexible in your service? Is there a balance to be achieved?

It’s easy to see the big picture, really. Read some relevant books, read some articles posted online, read some forum reviews or experience sharing by people in the industry. And almost everyone can become a consultant. Just look at the big picture, spot the obvious gaps, and…yak. Talk is cheap. Execution is what brings in the money. But Execution is messy. There are legacy issues. There are stubborn mindsets. There are cemented SOPs. There are undecipherable data. What makes you special today is the ability to convert your big picture, empty talk into executable actions that bring the results you talk about. But few can do that. Can I?

 Since the creation of food storage methods, Man have been able to free up time from hunting. Without the ability to store food, we had to constantly hunt and worry about the next meal. But with storage methods, we can now store food over a longer period (and through tough periods too). I believe this is the secondary reason for the speedy evolution of man. Today, we are exploring automation, AI and many more ways to reduce the need for man hours. In the future, we could have cities running seamlessly, without the need for human intervention or labor. What would the free time be used for? Futurists and philosophers think that humans will take over high level thinking positions. And the human race will improve and evolve even faster. But really? Take a look around you. What do people really do with their free time? We should learn how we can exploit the free mental energy that will be unlocked if automation and AI really comes to fruition and are executed. But, be aware. The time wi...

Good guys will go bad if they realise or are convinced that the system doesn’t reward them for their efforts. I used to ‘hang out’ with my Dad and some of his friends while I was growing up. Among them, there was a couple who stood out. They were outspoken, eloquent and always cheerful. I loved chatting when them, and always looked forward to meeting them. But life got to them. And so today’s lesson in management happened. They were good people with good intention. But there wasn’t a right reward system in place. The society only rewards the showy, loud but unfortunately empty people who do not contribute much. Over time, I saw less the cheerful couple. I saw more of the tiredness in their eyes. I saw lively hope turn into dead glances. They still smile and look cheerful whenever we meet. But the energy and the fuel has run dry. We will meet such people in life, in business, in social context. How can we implement the right reward systems to keep the right people in our network, while ...

 They can be mere print. They can bring one down on their knees.

 Idea taken from the book “ The Design of Everyday Things ” by Don Norman. As it’s name suggests, this book focus strongly on the User Interaction (UI) of “everyday things”. And these are not limited to just physical objects. The principles mentioned in the book can still be used today in ‘intangible’ processes. One of the key takeaways from this book is the concept on ‘Mind Slips’. Your Mind Slipped Ever walked into a room and suddenly could NOT remember what you are doing there? What were you supposed to be doing there? Were you there to retrieve something? Were you there to deposit something? What was it you were doing?! There. You just experienced a ‘Mind Slip’. When/Where do Mind Slips Occur? In “skilled behavior”, according to Don Norman. This refers to behaviors that you have already mastered or are part of your regular routine. Things like putting the water to boil, or typing. And they result mostly from the lack of attention. And they can happen when we are multitasking. M...

 Adequacy is the enemy of excellence

Yesterday, I shared some of the great resources that I have referred to while learning about the  Internet Marketing business . Today, I would like to highlight some issues that I have faced as a newbie in the Internet Marketing field, trying to earn profits independently using just Free resources. Issues with using just free learning resources Here are some issues that I have faced as a newbie in the Internet Marketing field, trying to earn profits independently using just Free resources. Do not get me wrong, free resources are a great introduction for new Internet Marketers and I have learned many technical skills from these resources that have aided me in my full-time job. However, what’s missing from these resources are the exact ninja secret tips and behind the scene strategies that the successful players use. I would still recommend all aspiring Internet Marketers to start off from free resources. BUT, there would be a point in time when we would all need to decide if we are ...