[andy et cetera]

@ga #nyc #startup #siliconalley

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:22:14 -0500

@ga #nyc #startup #siliconalley

This new Internet Explorer commercial made me happy. It’s...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 08:36:15 -0500

This new Internet Explorer commercial made me happy. It’s humorous to me that were able to admit that the 90’s is really the last time I have interacted with their brand. Good play.

WHATMaker’s Row lets people search through different...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:49:33 -0500

WHAT
Maker’s Row lets people search through different categories to find factories that are able to produce various products they have in mind. Imagine Alibaba meets Yelp with the personality of Etsy. People can watch videos of factory tours, read other user reviews, and get factory contact information completely free. The break the process down into the various stages of the making process, from ideation to production run so that you can find a factory that will help you with whatever stage you’re at.

“Our mission is to make the manufacturing process simple to understand and easy to access. From large corporations to first time designers, we are providing unparalleled access to industry-specific factories and suppliers across the United States. Our first industry target is apparel and accessories.”

WHY THIS MATTERS
Maker’s Row is taking a piece of the business landscape that for the last 100 years has been a murky, confusing, unapproachable space. A space reserved for experts and well-scaled companies alone. All of a sudden our wildest dreams are that much closer to coming to life. Not only are factories within the click of a button, but they’ll help us take a back of the napkin idea and work it through the entire design and production process.

The site also introduces a unknown human element to the world of manufacturing. Most of us simply imagine billowing smoke stacks and Grapes of Wrath when we think of factories, but who would’ve guessed there are actually people at the center of all of this…skilled makers in fact!

We’re seeing it in every space. The patients are becoming the physicians. The buyers are becoming the sellers. The consumers are becoming the makers. If companies aren’t thinking about how this is going to happen to their industry then they are blind and will fail. Very slowly we are going to see industries evolve because their own consumers are taking over their work, unless those companies learn how to evolve and continue supporting their customers in new ways, supplying new information and offerings.

Imagine a world in 50…no 25…let’s be honest, 10 years where the notion of large scale mass production is reserved only for goods that are actually needed on such large scales. Customized is hip, and limited run are the only way to stick out. Goods are being made around the corner, and perhaps less around the world. This new movement of neighborhood manufacturing is actually taking cues from a time long past, which in my opinion is a pretty exciting thing to be a part of.

I think...I think...I think

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:32:35 -0500

Next time you’re in a meeting, or even sitting with a group of friends, take note of how often people (yourself included) start their sentences with ‘I think…’.

It’s become a subconscious disclaimer that we now put on the beginning of almost every statement in order to minimize conflict or make sure we don’t come off too strongly. The problem is very rarely does the situation actually call for that.

Usually we are either trying to ask someone a question or we’re trying to tell them something concrete, opinionated, and specific. By placing an ‘I think…’ on the front, we manage to fall squarely in between those two objectives.

Next time your in that group situation, push yourself to commit one way or the other. When you stop questioning the own things coming out of your mouth, you’ll notice your presence, power, and role in that conversation will skyrocket.

Should it be made, not can it be made

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:00:39 -0500

In a not so distant past, the main question that held up potential entrepreneurs and would be makers was around whether or not it would be possible to make whatever it was they had brainstormed up. Questions of manufacturing, supply chain, materials, cost, partners and so much more weighed heavy on the scale of whether it was feasible to bring an idea to life or not.

Now, we have all of those things at our fingertips. There are websites and co-working spaces to help us find business partners. Websites to connect us to manufacturing facilities with a simple click. We can get a logo, web presence, slogan and full branding campaign with $200 in a week. We can launch a full PR and marketing campaign for free in an afternoon via social media.

The question that we need to be asking ourselves now is should I be bringing this idea to life. We’re capable of making just about anything in this day and age. Is your idea truly making an impact in the world? Are the needs that your idea is addressing real and tangible? Will this idea significantly improve the lives and experiences of your users? Is the impact your idea will have on the world worth the value it will create?

These are a much more difficult set of questions to answer, but ones that aren’t being asked enough.

[via Peter Shallard, The Shrink for Entrepreneurs]

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:34:56 -0500

[via Peter Shallard, The Shrink for Entrepreneurs]

Set-up for failure? More like failure to set-up.

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:00:27 -0500

Bob is working.

Bob gets sick of job.

Bob begins job searching.

Bob gets an offer. He is excited.

Bob starts his job. He loves it.

Bob works for 4 months. He doesn’t love it anymore.

Bob begins job searching.

A common narrative. So much so, that it’s become a defining quality of Gen-Y. The problems here aren’t within any step of the story, but rather the steps missing in between.

Rather than chasing the quick-fix fulfillment of a job change, take the time to map out what an ideal day would look like. If you got fired today, what would the best possible day look like for you tomorrow? Where would you be? Who would you interact with? What would you be thinking about?

If you get rejected from your dream job, don’t just write it off as a loss. What was it that made it seem like such a great fit for you? What about that job represented happiness for you? What aspects are transferrable to other opportunities or jobs?

Rather than chasing your dream outcomes one job at a time, create the situation for yourself tomorrow. Don’t let job descriptions decide what makes you happy. Write the job description and set yourself up to be happy tomorrow.

"So shines a good deed in a weary world."

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:56:51 -0500

“So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

- Willy Wonka

Just discovered the Periodic Table of Visualization Methods. A...

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:41:46 -0500

Just discovered the Periodic Table of Visualization Methods. A great back pocket tool for different ways of communicating information visually.

[Thanks Hadar!]

@thedesigngym holiday party fiasco last night at Jo’s ....

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:56:25 -0500

@thedesigngym holiday party fiasco last night at Jo’s . Thanks to everyone that came out!

#bali getaway in the middle of #upstateNY with The Design Gym....

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:40:08 -0500

#bali getaway in the middle of #upstateNY with The Design Gym. Celebrating and strategizing.

Design Gym weekend founders retreat in upstate NY. Yes.

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:17:37 -0500

Design Gym weekend founders retreat in upstate NY. Yes.

"Sound business is however unlike warfare or sports in that one company’s success does not require..."

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:23:48 -0500

““Sound business is however unlike warfare or sports in that one company’s success does not require its rivals to fail. Unlike competition in sports, every company can choose to invent its own game. As Joan Magretta points out, a better analogy than war or sports is the performing arts. There can be many good singers or actors—each outstanding and successful in a distinctive way. Each finds and creates an audience. The more good performers there are, the more audiences grow and the arts flourish.””

- A fantastic article about the downfall of Michael Porter’s Monitor Group strategy consulting company, recently acquired by Deloitte.

Kicking off a day of @thedesingym work with the #NY State Dept...

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 12:49:28 -0500

Kicking off a day of @thedesingym work with the #NY State Dept of #Health to improve adherence for HIV meds in #nyc #design

@thedesigngym Weekend Workout hard at it #design #nyc @bkbrains

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:51:56 -0500

@thedesigngym Weekend Workout hard at it #design #nyc @bkbrains

Kicking off another @thedesigngym weekend workout @bkbrains!

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:37:59 -0500

Kicking off another @thedesigngym weekend workout @bkbrains!

WHATState Farm insurance recently launched Next Door,...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:09:16 -0500

WHAT
State Farm insurance recently launched Next Door, essentially a large café-like working space where people can just come in, hang out, drink coffee, and if they want, talk to onsite coaches about finances, planning and insurance. And it’s all free, except the coffee (it’s allegedly good, local coffee). They also encourage people to rent spaces and host events.

WHERE
Chicago, but it sounds like more sites to come if succesful

WHY
State Farm claims they don’t try to push any types of products on guests, it’s really more about having honest planning and educational conversations. They say on their site that for them it’s more used to learn about new consumer needs and understand people more.

SO WHAT
In my personal experience, and in the financial services work I’ve done, the lack of options for unwealthy and younger demographics (gen x/y/z) to get help in planning their finances has come up repeatedly. This is a smart play, particularly in a market when people’s financial needs are changing rapidly, and most younger generations have been filled with a sense of denial around these topics. There is a gap and if someone steps up to the plate now, they could be signing on a whole generation with massive lifetime value.

Also, by encouraging people to host events in the space, they are taking strides at building a strong community. Of course every time that community meets, they will be exposed to the State Farm brand in a great, hip way.

All you need to do is match any credential from any part of your...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:47:41 -0500

All you need to do is match any credential from any part of your life to any of the wide array of symbols at one of the 30 station in the public school gym, and congrats, you’ve passed level one. #usa #voting #election

All you need to do is match any credential from any part of your...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:47:40 -0500

Tim Westergren of @Pandora on difference btwn ideas &...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:32:45 -0500

Tim Westergren of @Pandora on difference btwn ideas & opportunities #learning #entrepreneurship @fastcompany