Yesterday I read Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson – the guys behind 37signals and products such as BaseCamp and Highrise.

While controversial is probably too strong a word to describe the book it certainly is not your standard business guide. When you boil it down the book could almost be described as common sense though I expect there are many who would disagree!

Some of the section headings that show this non-conventional approach to starting a business include:

Ignore the real world

Learning from mistakes is overrated

Planning is guessing

Build half a product, not a half-assed product

Throw less at the problem

Good enough is fine

Underdo your competition

I could go on and on but you can see the theme. As book it was certainly an easy read and I was surprised how quick I got through it.

That said I think I will read it again soon as there was an enormous amount to take in – though as with all my reading I take all the ideas and concepts with a grain of salt and adopt aspects that I feel will benefit my business and me most.

It is a common myth that success is built on great ideas. While it is important to have an idea to begin a business, true success comes from execution and actually making the idea a reality.

I have recently read Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky that is all about the execution side of ideas. You’ll notice the book is from a website called the 99 percent – highlighting that the ideas is only the first 1%.

The book gives a number of good pointers as to how to turn ideas into reality while at the same time highlighting why in many cases ideas never see the light of day. It talked about the challenges in team building and leadership that also hinder many ideas.

The recent issue of Idealog had an article on the Casualties of coincidence which looks at plagiarism and how many ideas emerge at the same time from different places. At the end of the article there was a link to a Malcolm Gladwell article that talks about the fact that many of histories great inventions were actually invented by more people than receive credit.

The article is a great read and it talks about a firm that has been set up simply to invent ideas which reinforces the theory that the idea is only the start.

If you enjoy Gladwell’s article then I also recommend his latest book What the Dog Saw – a collection of articles he has written for the New Yorker.

Time is racing by and the last week is a case in point!

Last Friday at our lecture on Quantitative Methods we had a two-hour test on confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and regression. Then on Saturday we had to hand in our 3,000 word essay for Managing People and Organisations. The essay covered a personal case study using the four frames from Bolman and Deals Reframing Organisations.

However, to really indicate how fast time is flying by, yesterday I received the course outlines for our next two papers:

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Financial Reporting and Control

Within 15 days our first quarter will be wrapped up and we’ll have a brief break before launching straight into quarter two!

After much speculation the most anticipated announcement this year in the tech world was made an hour or so ago in San Francisco – Apple is launching the iPad Tablet Computer.

While the iPad is not simply Apple’s answer the Amazon Kindle it is interesting that a couple of years back Jobs said the whole concept of Amazon’s Kindle is fatally flawed because people don’t read anymore.

Maybe Job is getting older as in the words of Benjamin Franklin:

For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.

As to the question of when this will arrive in New Zealand (we are still waiting for the Kindle) who knows.

I’m sure later today Chris Keall from the NBR will have more information so i’ll keep this post updated.

Update:

OK I was wrong – actually Kelly Gregor from NBR did an update!

The whole area of Website Usability is something that I am incredibly interested in, not least as I am trying to build an international business that is predominantly website based.

Evaluating how people use your website is a challenging task and it is extremely hard to pretend you are viewing your own website for the first time.

Website Usability is a fairly hot topic and not surprisingly the web is a great resource of information.

Here are just a few links for anyone who may be interested:

Homework! Interface Design Basics for Developers

Minimising Complexity in User Interfaces

Rowan Simpsons Archives – Usability

Also for anyone who is really interested the first book to buy is Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug – a very simple and easy read.

I just recently finished buy•ology – How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy is Wrong by Martin Lindstrom.

The book follows a series of studies undertaken on neuro-marketing and looks at various influences in our buying decisions.

The book deals with subjects like whether grotesque anti-smoking advertisements discourage or encourage smoking, and how rituals and religions can influence buying decisions.

The findings in the book are extremely interesting and certainly made me stop to think about what thoughts go through my mind when I’ve made various purchasing decisions.

More and more companies are actually conducting brain studies prior to launching new products, tv shows etc.

It is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone involved in selling and marketing, or who simply has an interest in how we tick.

From the many interesting studies and examples the following information regarding a well known ritual may interest/surprise you:

Let’s pretend we’re at a beachfront bar in Acapulco, enjoying the mellow ocean breeze. Two ice-cold Coronas coming right up, along with two slices of lime. We give the limes a squeeze, then stick them inside the necks of our bottles, tip the bottles upside down until the bubbles begin to get that nice fizz, and take a sip. Cheers.

But first, let me pester you with a multiple-choice question. The Corona beer-and-lime ritual we just performed – any idea how that might have come about? A) Drinking beer with a lime wedge is simply the way Latino cultures quaff their Coronas, as it enhances the beer’s taste. B) The ritual derives from an ancient Mesoamerican habit designed to combat germs, since the lime’s acidity destroys any bacteria that may have formed on the bottle during packaging and shipping. C) The Corona-lime ritual reportedly dates back to 1981, when on a random bet with his buddy, a bartender at an unnamed restaurant pooped a lime wedge into the neck of a Corona to if he could get other patrons to do the same.

If you guessed C, you’d be right. And in fact, this simple, not-even-thirty-year-old ritual invented on a whim by a bartender during a slow night is generally credited with helping Corona overtake Heineken in the U.S. Market.

what I’ve learned about surviving tough times

I have just finished reading Michael Hill’s recently released book ‘Toughen Up’ I found it an extremely easy and interesting read and the messages inside really helped my re-focus on where my energy should be put.

The general message is one that I have previously written about that the current economic times are a re great time to look for opportunities.

The book is broken up in to 16 chapters which form the basis of Michael’s business philosophy:

• Don’t Panic
• Tough times are good for you
• Never be afraid of change
• Hunt the right people and help them become better
• Get down to the coalface
• Embrace mistakes
• Work is the wrong word
• Keep an eye on the underdog
• Now you see it: the power of visualisation
• It’s nothing personal…
• Start at the bottom
• Present yourself perfectly
• Keep your balance
• Give back and you shall receive
• Find your point of difference
• Money is just a yard stick

Unlike many business books only about 50% of the book relates directly to business, the other 50% is a mix of stories from some of Michael’s staff and a series of anecdotes that help provide the context for each of the philosophies.

I definitely recommend the book – I for one like to read about other business leaders stories and ideas – and it is especially good to read about a New Zealander.

As many of you know Michael has done pretty well for himself (private golf course etc etc) and for that reason all the proceeds of the book to Cure Kids – an extremely generous gesture.