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The Age of With: Exploring The Future of Artificial Intelligence – Deloitte Analytics
“What idea links machines and people? The common answer is versus. But the true role of analytics and AI along with other tools is collaborative. The future of artificial intelligence is a future of human potential: people with machines, doing more than either could alone. Welcome to the Age of With™.”
Read more on Deloitte.
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When You Have No Idea What Happens Next – Morgan Housel (Collaborative Fund)
“We’ve learned this year that assumptions you have about the future can be destroyed overnight. That’s true for the poorest to the most successful, the old dry cleaner to the tech startup. It was true in January, and it’ll be true again in the future. Things change.
If that’s the lesson, the question is: what do you do about it? How do you think about a world where fundamental assumptions about the future are so fragile?” – Morgan Housel
Read more on Collaborative Fund.
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How to Write a Memoir Using Different Fiction Genres — Trina Looks Back
“Memoir is a type of creative non-fiction. Unlike the autobiography, which focuses on the entire life of the writer, the memoir takes place during a particular period of time. Essentially, it is a slice of life. Thus, memoir in itself is a genre. However, you can write a memoir using the technique of a fiction […]”
Read more on Trina Looks Back.
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The Nature of Learning According to US Marines
In two recent episodes of Jocko Podcast, Jocko and Co. discussed MCDP 7 – a new Marine Corps publication describing the learning philosophy of Marines. While the MCDP 7 document is written for Marines, it is packed full of powerful, easily applicable lessons. Whether your a student, athlete, musician, academic, business professional – you name it – you can learn something from MCDP 7.
The Jocko podcast episodes do a fantastic job of unpacking MCDP 7 in detail and translating it for use outside of the arena of war, albeit over two long episodes. While we strongly recommend taking the time to listen to them and read the full MCDP 7 publication, we want to emphasize the importance of the first chapter, The Nature of Learning. There are easily 15-20 lessons in this chapter alone, but we created a condensed list of our five favourite takeaways that can (and should) be utilized by everyone right away.
1. There is more to learning than reciting information.
Learning involves mental, physical, social, emotional, and other factors that are learned in both formal and informal settings. The learning process is divided into training and education; Training is the learning-by-doing component, while education involves studying and intellectual development. Both elements are critical to learning success.
2. Gain the “intellectual edge.”
Combining knowledge and experience will improve problem-solving, mental imaging, and other cognitive competencies that enable faster and more effective decision-making – even under time constraints or when exposed to imperfect information.
3. Enhance your memory.
Technology is a valuable tool to master, but it isn’t failproof. Relying solely on technology can backfire when time is of the essence, or when the technology malfunctions. The mind must be able to recall the necessary knowledge instinctively in high-pressure scenarios, which requires consistent practice.
4. Learning is hard. Don’t make it harder.
The learning process can be a difficult one, and a lack of self-awareness, humility and time management will only make things worse. To be a better learner, one must better understand themselves.
5. Learn vicariously.
Learning by doing is required, but don’t underestimate the importance of learning through others by reading or otherwise studying their experiences.
These takeaways are just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to read the full MCDP-7 publication (download link below) and listen to both Jocko Podcast episodes (embedded above).
Looking for more Jocko wisdom? Check out his podcast episodes or books—all of them.
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3 Essential Attributes of Exceptional Business Developers (CLMonthly-005)
We know business development (BD) is not sales, but what’s the difference? There are many, but the key is the endgame. In sales, the endgame is to have a customer purchase an existing product or service. In BD, it’s to develop and implement new business lines, products, partnerships, etc. There is a conventional comparison out there that helps paint the picture:
- Marketing brings customers to the front door.
- Sales bring customers to the register.
- Business development builds new stores.
Knowing this, it’s clear why BD is so crucial for a growing business. While sales and marketing are imperative for driving revenue for today’s business, BD is creating the business of tomorrow. All three functions are critical to the success of a business, but BD is often overlooked. Why is this?
One reason is it requires a combination of skills and traits that is difficult to find. The best business developers have the creativity of an artist, the curiosity and experimental eagerness of a scientist, and the deal-making savvy of a CEO. It’s not that these people don’t exist; it’s that many businesses don’t know which attributes to look for in an exceptional business developer.
Here are three of the most essential:
“While sales and marketing are imperative for driving revenue for today’s business, BD is creating the business of tomorrow”
Consistently Generating AND Executing on Unique Insights.
As Gary Vaynerchuk would say, “Ideas are s**t.” Not everyone would phrase it that way, but we can at least agree with the message. Ideas are easy but ineffective on their own. A star business developer doesn’t just generate ideas; they produce insightful ideas. Insights imply a real understanding of a subject, situation or scenario, and not all ideas are insightful. Being insightful requires a mix of creativity and awareness, which is what you want in a business developer.
But it isn’t enough to generate insightful ideas. An ideal BD candidate must be willing and able to bring those insights to life. For example, let’s say a business developer for a small financial planning firm is tasked with sourcing new partnerships that will help bring in new revenue. The BD knows that the industry is headed for automation, so they conclude that a product partnership with a software development company to develop an automated, client-facing planning software would be the best way forward. That’s great, but that idea alone is not going to bring in any revenue. The business developer needs to put it in motion by sourcing potential partners, exploring synergies, creating a business case, getting the perspectives of all stakeholders, negotiating the right deal, implementing the relationship, and everything in between. Execution is everything.
Right, Gary?
Thrives in Vague, Obscure, and Uncertain Situations.
For many people, structured, rule-based, and routine environments are where they make magic happen. They enjoy clear, well-defined goals and tasks, and are sure about what they need to do to achieve their objectives. That is not the case for business development people.
Successful business developers often must work with many uncertainties and experiment with an assortment of ideas and approaches to doing things. The best BDs are naturally curious and experimental people who enjoy exploring new and existing avenues to hunt potential opportunities. They are often working on multiple projects across multiple timelines, and each of these projects can change on a dime. BD deals, especially in the early stages, are notorious for being fluid and taking unpredictable twists and turns. While this is less than ideal for most, BD people thrive on it. They love the variety and can see the big picture even when the path forward is unclear. Business developers overcome the fear of the unknown, which allows them to excel even in the most ambiguous situations.
Check out Carl Ed Baker’s TED talk below on how to replace fear with curiosity.
Always Thinking Win-Win.
Elite business developers are masters of negotiation and deal-making, but they are never looking to “win” a deal. BD is all about forming long-lasting partnerships, and the only way to do that is through win-win deals. If you take advantage of your strategic partners, it will come back to haunt you and your business. You want a business developer who loves finding synergies between each side and is obsessed with value creation for all stakeholders. The best business developers always find a way to balance out negotiations by thinking outside the box. They discover what the other side wants and figures out a way to meet this need using all resources at their disposal. This article on Entrepreneur provides an excellent example about how two businesses bridged the gap in negotiations by “broadening the scope.” These companies were able to craft a deal by understanding the other side’s needs while using their available resources to get a win-win result – even though the solution was not obvious at first glimpse. For someone to be a successful business developer, the default thinking should always be win-win.
“You want a business developer who loves finding synergies between each side and is obsessed with value creation for all stakeholders.”
If you are looking to bring on-board a star business developer to grow your business, you now have an idea of what to look for. The ideal mix of these skills and traits may not be easy to find, but not impossible. We covered three essential attributes, but the list is far from extensive.
What do you think are some other crucial qualities of a successful business developer? Comment below with your thoughts.
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Fashionable Problems Meditation
If you can find a new approach into a big but apparently played out field, the value of whatever you discover will be multiplied by its enormous surface area. – Paul Graham
This insightful quote is taken from Paul Graham’s December 2019 essay titled “Fashionable Problems.” In the piece, the legendary programmer, writer, and investor discussed the idea that even though many people have worked hard in a field, most get sucked into working on similar things (fashionable problems). Graham suggests that to find ‘unfashionable problems,’ we should look no further than the areas where everyone else believes there is little left to discover. This theory means even the most saturated and exhausted of industries could be home to undiscovered treasures waiting to be dug up.
The concept is equally useful outside the business world; it applies to the arts, sciences, even athletics. No matter what the field, there is always room for innovation. But to find these treasures, it takes passion, commitment, and courage to and press on where others gave up. It won’t be easy, but the ROI could be extraordinary.
If you haven’t read Paul Graham’s ‘Fashionable Problems‘ essay – you should. We also recommend reading more of Graham’s written work. His multidisciplinary background really shines through his written work, and each one is a work of art. Speaking of art…if you like Graham’s essays, check out his classic book “Hackers & Painters – Big Ideas from the Computer Age“.
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Blogs Are Made Out of Blogs – The Art of Blogging
“What is the point of even blogging if what you want to write about has already been covered by countless others?”…
Read more on The Art of Blogging.
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Mind Travel: Architecture — Jane Lurie Photography
Architectural gems around the world.
Mind Travel: Architecture — Jane Lurie Photography
We came across some amazing photographs by Jane Lurie of architecture around the world, and below are some of our favorites. Check out her Mind Travel: Architecture gallery here, or by clicking on any of the images below.
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COVID-19 Repercussions on Freelancing
As the world slowly begins to re-emerge from wide-spread lockdowns, the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to remain for some time. The impact will differ from across countries, workforce segments, and industries. Some will experience drastic and lasting changes, while others may come out relatively unscathed. So what does this mean for freelancers who already make up an ever-growing segment of the global workforce?
In a recent article, HR thought-leader Jon Younger reported the perspectives of 21 CEOs and thought-leaders on the subject, and most to believe the demand for freelancers will continue to grow. The list of those surveyed includes Guillaume Lissorgues (CEO of Apy), Ben Huffman (Co-founder of Contra), Rob Biederman (Co-CEO of Catalant), and more. To read the insights of each of the 21 experts, we encourage you to read Younger’s full article here.
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