Career & Business, page 4
Jobs, leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, companies. 216 links, newest first. Page 4 of 5.
Links 151 to 200
Say yes, and instead of but
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #102
Saying yes, but negates the other person's thought, the speaker says
Summary
Replying yes, and instead of yes, but keeps a negative conversation moving in a positive direction.
The speaker presents a conversation technique: answer negative remarks with yes, and rather than yes, but. Yes, but negates the other person's point, while yes, and builds on it and keeps the conversation positive. The example is a client rejecting a product as too expensive, answered with a question about why, to keep the talk going.
Key points- Saying yes, but negates the other person's thought, the speaker says
- Answer a price objection with yes, and I would love to know why
- Positive phrasing keeps the other person talking instead of pulling away
Cereal brand used people named after celebrities
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #100
Found people with the same names as famous celebrities to endorse the brand
Summary
A small cereal brand used people sharing celebrity names as endorsers, showing big ideas need no big budget.
The speaker describes a small cereal brand that could not afford famous celebrities, so it found people sharing those celebrities' names and had them endorse the brand, which spread on social media. The speaker argues that a tight budget calls for creativity and persistence, not the assumption that a big campaign is impossible.
Key points- Found people with the same names as famous celebrities to endorse the brand
- The campaign spread across social media without a celebrity budget
- Calls tight-budget excuses lazy thinking and says imagination beats cash
Coworkers lift or drag down your output
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #100
Cites a study of 58,000 hours across 11 companies
Summary
Your coworkers shape your output: top performers nearby lift it, and poor performers drag it down.
The speaker cites a study covering 58,000 hours at 11 companies, claiming that sitting within 25 feet of a top performer raises performance by 15%, while sitting near a poor performer lowers it by 30%. The speaker applies this to choosing a workplace and the people one spends time with. The study is not named in the clip.
Key points- Cites a study of 58,000 hours across 11 companies
- Claims sitting within 25 feet of a top performer raises performance 15%
- Claims sitting near a poor performer cuts performance by 30%
Shorter waits alone may not end complaints
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #97
The airport invested millions and hired staff to speed bag arrival
Summary
Houston airport cut bag wait times to seven minutes, yet complaints persisted until it reframed the problem as waiting itself.
The speaker describes how Houston airport cut baggage arrival times to about seven minutes but still received complaints. Reframing the problem as the annoyance of waiting, the airport parked arriving planes farther from the terminal, so passengers walked more and waited less, and complaints dropped to zero. The speaker argues that over-optimizing a design can degrade the experience.
Key points- The airport invested millions and hired staff to speed bag arrival
- Reframing the pain as waiting, it parked planes farther from the terminal
- The speaker says complaints dropped to zero after that change
Nature debt swaps repackaged as ESG assets
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #89
About $2 trillion of developing-world debt was classed as eligible for nature swaps
Summary
The speaker says debt-for-nature swaps let banks repackage developing-world debt as ESG assets that reach retirement funds.
The speaker says about 2 trillion dollars of developing-world debt has been classified by The Nature Conservancy as eligible for nature swaps. Countries facing default, such as Belize, Ecuador, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles, receive debt relief in exchange for conservation pledges. The speaker claims the repackaged bonds, marketed as ESG debt, are then sold to asset managers such as BlackRock and end up in retirement funds.
Key points- About $2 trillion of developing-world debt was classed as eligible for nature swaps
- Countries reportedly get bonds at 50 cents on the dollar for protecting forests or reefs
- Repackaged debt is marked back up and sold to funds that end up in 401(k)s
Giving up piano for a career brought regret
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #89
The partner had severe arthritis and gave up piano in his late twenties
Summary
A big-four partner told the speaker to follow his passion, after giving up piano for a career and regretting it.
Vin recounts doing work experience at a Big Four accounting firm, where he performed magic for staff after hours. A partner whose hand showed severe arthritis, and who had given up piano in his late twenties for his career, told him to pursue what he loved. Vin says the conversation helped his dad accept talents he had been afraid to acknowledge.
Key points- The partner had severe arthritis and gave up piano in his late twenties
- He said he would give it all up to have his youth again
- His message helped the speaker's father see his talent, the speaker says
Albums were an industry invention for profit
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #87
Twelve songs fit on one vinyl at the same manufacturing cost
Summary
Albums were invented by the record industry, which can sell twelve songs on one vinyl for far more at the same cost.
The speaker argues that the album was a commercial invention. Putting 12 songs on one vinyl cost the same to press, but the record could be sold at a higher price, so the album became a product. The speaker says technology has not changed this, and that music will keep being made according to how it can be sold.
Key points- Twelve songs fit on one vinyl at the same manufacturing cost
- The industry sells it for twelve times more because the buyer gets twelve times the value
- The speaker says music will keep being made based on how it can be sold
The Hidden Toll of Microstress
Read · hbr.org · 20 min · Issue #86
Rob Cross and Karen Dillon's Harvard Business Review article argues that microstresses, small brief stressors such as a worrying text during a meeting, do not trigger the brain's normal stress response and instead accumulate.
Summary
Rob Cross and Karen Dillon's Harvard Business Review article argues that microstresses, small brief stressors such as a worrying text during a meeting, do not trigger the brain's normal stress response and instead accumulate. This drains energy and harms physical and emotional health. The article opens with a pharmaceutical executive who seemed to have an ideal life. The visible excerpt cites no named studies or figures.
BizToc: Business and Finance News Aggregator
Tool · biztoc.com · Issue #83
BizToc is a news aggregator that collects business and finance headlines from outlets including the WSJ, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC and Barron's on one page.
Summary
BizToc is a news aggregator that collects business and finance headlines from outlets including the WSJ, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC and Barron's on one page. It has sections such as Hot, Bullish, Bearish and Regulatory Impact, a market ticker for indexes, commodities and crypto, and an RSS feed. Headlines link to the original publishers.
Swap and then for but or therefore
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #74
Trey Parker uses this method when stuck on his weekly scripts, per the speaker
Summary
Replace every and then in a story with but or therefore, a method the speaker credits to South Park's Trey Parker.
The speaker shares a storytelling rule attributed to South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Between each beat of a story, the connecting word should be but or therefore, not and then. The example: a product was built, but research showed a different need, therefore R&D rebuilt it into something better. The speaker calls it Mad Libs style storytelling.
Key points- Trey Parker uses this method when stuck on his weekly scripts, per the speaker
- Example: we built this, but then research showed another need, therefore we did R and D
- This turns a list of events into a chain of conflict and consequence
Yoodli: AI Roleplay and Coaching for Human Skills
Tool · app.yoodli.ai · Issue #74
Yoodli is an AI platform for practicing human skills through roleplays and coaching, aimed at sales teams, L&D teams and managers.
Summary
Yoodli is an AI platform for practicing human skills through roleplays and coaching, aimed at sales teams, L&D teams and managers. Modules include Roleplays, Personas (embeddable AI experts), Create (builds learning journeys from a prompt), Coach and Measure. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Slack and Salesforce. The company reports SOC 2 Type 2 certification, and the site offers a free sign-up with pricing plans linked.
Bumble's ideas came from user motives
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #73
She founded Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move
Summary
Whitney Wolfe Herd says Bumble's original ideas came from understanding what motivates people, such as women making the first move.
An excerpt from an interview with Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble, covers the app's model in which women make the first move. Wolfe Herd describes the personal toll of leaving Tinder, including media pressure and a public persona that followed her. The interviewer notes she was the youngest woman to take a company public, at 31.
Key points- She founded Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move
- She became the youngest woman to take a company public, at 31
- She says leaving Tinder was painful, with reporters trying to reach her window
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Read · hbr.org · 25 min · Issue #72
Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy of The Energy Project argue that people should manage energy rather than time, since energy can be deliberately built up and time cannot.
Summary
Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy of The Energy Project argue that people should manage energy rather than time, since energy can be deliberately built up and time cannot. They describe four sources of energy: body, emotions, mind and spirit. Examples include breaks that follow ultradian rhythms, and a Wachovia program whose participants outperformed a control group.
Book Club: The Unfair Advantage by Ali Abdaal
Watch · youtube.com · 12 min · Issue #71
Ali Abdaal's first Book Club episode, published April 2020, discusses The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba.
Summary
Ali Abdaal's first Book Club episode, published April 2020, discusses The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. The video explains a 'success equation' and the MILES framework for identifying your unfair advantages. It argues that everyone has them, even people who doubt it, and stresses a 'reality-growth mindset'.
Re-entering a conversation after interruptions
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #71
To your point is a cautious entry, useful when interrupted by a boss
Summary
Re-enter an interrupted meeting with to your point to add, or I need to finish my point to assert yourself.
The speaker offers ways to get back into a conversation after being interrupted, while staying poised. With a boss, a cautious entry such as "to your point" adds to what someone just said before you raise your own idea. For repeated interruptions, the speaker suggests saying "I need to finish my point" and continuing calmly, since others watch how you handle these moments.
Key points- To your point is a cautious entry, useful when interrupted by a boss
- I need to finish my point is more assertive, then continue calmly
- The speaker notes people watch how you handle these moments
Free Online Courses with Free Certificates
Tool · classcentral.com · Issue #71
A 2021 Class Central list of thousands of online courses that offer free certificates or badges, from MOOC platforms, universities, companies and nonprofits.
Summary
A 2021 Class Central list of thousands of online courses that offer free certificates or badges, from MOOC platforms, universities, companies and nonprofits. Examples include Google's 600+ courses, LinkedIn Learning's 185 courses, and Harvard CS50. Free access does not guarantee a free certificate, and most require finishing videos, quizzes or a passing score of 65 to 80%.
Open cold calls by admitting the pitch
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #69
Admit upfront that the call is a sales call
Summary
Open a cold call by admitting it is a sales call, asking for 20 seconds, and promising to hang up if it doesn't apply.
The video shows a cold call opening. The caller admits it is a sales call, offers a pitch, and asks for 20 seconds, promising to stop calling if none of it applies. The clip cuts off as the listener asks what the call is about.
Key points- Admit upfront that the call is a sales call
- Ask for 20 seconds and promise to hang up and never call back if none of it applies
Small talk helps you get promoted
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #67
Make small talk at the start of calls, meetings and even emails to know colleagues personally
Summary
Small talk builds the relationships that get you noticed and promoted, so ask colleagues and leaders about their lives.
The speaker argues that small talk affects promotion, because people who are comfortable with you, including leadership, are more likely to advance you. The advice is to make small talk at the start of calls, meetings and emails, ask colleagues about their day and weekends, and get to know leadership. The speaker says being good at building relationships matters as much as doing the job well.
Key points- Make small talk at the start of calls, meetings and even emails to know colleagues personally
- Leaders need to feel comfortable coming to you and trust that you get work done
- Ask about their day and weekend, and be genuinely interested
Tips for attracting recruiters on LinkedIn
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #66
Choose who sees your open-to-work setting, such as recruiters only, instead of a photo banner
Summary
Recruiters respond to candidates who look responsive, so skip the open-to-work photo banner and keep your profile keyword-rich.
The speaker, a former HR leader, gives five tips for attracting recruiters on LinkedIn. Instead of an Open to Work banner on the photo, which some hiring managers see as a sign a candidate is easy to source, the speaker suggests limiting the open status to recruiters. Other tips are a keyword-rich headline, signing in daily, and always responding to recruiter InMails.
Key points- Choose who sees your open-to-work setting, such as recruiters only, instead of a photo banner
- Use a keyword-optimized headline and keywords that match the role you want
- Sign in daily and answer recruiters' paid messages, since replying saves them money
Strengths and weaknesses depend on context
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #65
The speaker is chronically disorganized, and once lost a business card from a potential client
Summary
There are no fixed strengths or weaknesses, only context, since every strength carries a liability and every weakness a strength.
Simon Sinek argues that strengths and weaknesses depend on context, and that every strength carries a liability while every weakness carries a strength. He gives his own chronic disorganization as an example: he lost a business card from a networking contact, then emailed him two weeks later and was hired, as the contact took his busyness as a sign of demand. Disorganization is a problem when others rely on him.
Key points- The speaker is chronically disorganized, and once lost a business card from a potential client
- Two weeks later he found the card and emailed, and the contact wanted to work with him more
- Disorganization hurts when others rely on you, so the answer depends on context
Craftle: AI Compute Yield Verification
Tool · craftle.app · Issue #64
Craftle is a tool for verifying compute yield in AI infrastructure.
Summary
Craftle is a tool for verifying compute yield in AI infrastructure. It turns data-center telemetry, job scheduling, rack power, cooling and contract terms into evidence of what a cluster actually delivered and what the shortfall costs. Its sample report models a site in Saudi Arabia, and the company is based in Riyadh. The only call to action is to become a design partner by email.
Gmail's team chose 2GB over 200MB
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #61
Competitors gave 25MB, and Larry crossed out 200MB on the whiteboard and wrote 2GB
Summary
Gmail's team was told to choose 2GB over 200MB, a tenfold leap, and the speaker now asks founders for their 2GB moment.
Wesley, who helped build Google Analytics, recounts sitting in on a Gmail product meeting. The team planned 200MB per user, while rivals gave about 25MB, but Larry Page crossed it out and asked for 2GB, saying the team should not return until it worked. The speaker says the team found a way, and that Gmail's invite-only launch was resold for thousands of dollars.
Key points- Competitors gave 25MB, and Larry crossed out 200MB on the whiteboard and wrote 2GB
- The team was told to find a way to deliver 2GB despite storage costs
- The speaker asks founders for their 2GB moment, not an incremental idea
The Hidden Cost of a Cashless Society
Read · thewalrus.ca · Issue #59
A 2022 article by Lucy Uprichard, a fact checker at The Walrus, arguing that the shift to digital payment could leave vulnerable Canadians behind, especially those without bank accounts or credit.
Summary
A 2022 article by Lucy Uprichard, a fact checker at The Walrus, arguing that the shift to digital payment could leave vulnerable Canadians behind, especially those without bank accounts or credit. It cites a 2021 Payments Canada report in which about 40 percent of Canadians said the pandemic had turned them off cash. Proposed fixes include prepaid cards for benefits and postal banking.
Hiring is marketing, so market internally
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #58
People want to join a winning team, so recruiting works like sports
Summary
Hiring is marketing and sales, so you must also market internally to keep the people you recruit.
The speaker argues that hiring is marketing and sales, since candidates choose a team the way fans pick a team they want to win with. Recruiting means building a pipeline and funnel of candidates, and the speaker calls this internal marketing, because a company must also market itself to employees to keep them.
Key points- People want to join a winning team, so recruiting works like sports
- The speaker says hiring is building a pipeline and funnel of people who stay
- Market internally as well as externally to keep the people you hired
Better Analyst (formerly Formula Bot)
Tool · excelformulabot.com · Issue #57
Better Analyst, formerly Formula Bot, is an AI data analyst where users connect spreadsheets or databases and ask questions in plain English.
Summary
Better Analyst, formerly Formula Bot, is an AI data analyst where users connect spreadsheets or databases and ask questions in plain English. Answers come with a chart and the SQL or Python behind them, and dashboards and scheduled reports can refresh automatically. A free plan is offered with no credit card, and paid plans start at $20 per month.
Inside a Miracle: The 1980 U.S. Hockey Team
Read · fs.blog · Issue #57
Shane Parrish's Farnam Street article retelling the U.S.
Summary
Shane Parrish's Farnam Street article retelling the U.S. men's hockey upset of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, drawing heavily on Wayne Gretzky's book 99. The U.S. team, built by coach Herb Brooks from college players, won 4-3 in the medal round after trailing early. The article suggests ordinary players can achieve extraordinary results under the right conditions.
Mailing a prepaid phone to executives
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #53
He loads a phone with 250 minutes and sets his number on speed dial
Summary
The speaker mailed a preprogrammed phone to executives who ignored him, and recounts how the recipients then called him.
The speaker describes sending a prepaid phone, loaded with minutes and programmed with his own number on speed dial one, to executives who ignore calls. The package includes a note asking the recipient to press that button within five minutes and is shipped with signature required. In the speaker's four attempts, the recipient called back twice, and on the other two he called them and they answered.
Key points- He loads a phone with 250 minutes and sets his number on speed dial
- He ships it by UPS or FedEx with signature required and tracks delivery
- On two of four occasions the recipient called as instructed, and he called back the others
Pushback phrases when your role grows
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #53
Ask whether the extra work comes with a review of title and compensation
Summary
When your role expands, push back with questions about pay, unrealistic timelines and training instead of accepting it silently.
The video offers ready-made phrases for workplace pushback. The lines ask whether taking on extra work comes with extra pay, whether a review of title and compensation is planned, and what thinking lies behind a timeline. Others ask for training, or offer to skip lower-priority meetings or extend a deadline.
Key points- Ask whether the extra work comes with a review of title and compensation
- Ask for a walkthrough of the timeline thinking and whether training is available
- Offer to skip lower-priority meetings or extend the deadline to free up time
Prepare for recession with six months saved
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #52
Map money coming in against money going out and check whether anything is left over
Summary
To prepare for a recession, plan early, know your monthly income and spending, and build six months of savings.
The speaker treats personal finances like a business and starts by tracking monthly money coming in and going out. The goal is to break even or better each month, by paying off high-interest debt and, if needed, selling an unaffordable car or working more hours. The plan ends with saving six months of expenses, since recessions usually last about a year.
Key points- Map money coming in against money going out and check whether anything is left over
- If you don't break even, pay off high-interest debt and consider selling an unaffordable car
- Build savings for six months of expenses, since jobless claims are at a five-month high
Leadership is vision and persuasion, not management
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #50
Management is about setting goals and managing people to deliver them
Summary
Management sets goals and manages people to deliver them, while leadership is vision, and the leader's art is persuasion.
The speaker separates management from leadership. Management means setting a series of goals and directing people to deliver them, which is important but is not leadership. Leadership is about vision, sometimes a vision only the leader can see, and the leader's task is to persuade people to believe in it and help deliver it.
Key points- Management is about setting goals and managing people to deliver them
- Leadership is about vision, sometimes a vision only the leader can see
- The leader's art is persuading people to believe in the vision and help deliver it
Otter.ai: Voice Meeting Notes and Real-Time Transcription
Tool · otter.ai · Issue #50
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes meetings in real time with speaker recognition, then produces summaries with decisions and action items.
Summary
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes meetings in real time with speaker recognition, then produces summaries with decisions and action items. It works with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams through desktop, mobile and Chrome apps, and it offers pre-call briefings built from earlier discussions. A Basic plan is free and includes automated summaries and unlimited meetings. The Business plan starts at $19.99 per user per month.
Analogies make offers easier to picture
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #46
Answer a price demand with a mechanic example: he needs to look under the bonnet first
Summary
Using analogies on sales calls turns your offer into a picture the prospect understands, which is more persuasive than a bare answer.
A sales professional argues that analogies are among the most effective sales techniques because people think in pictures. When a prospect pushes for a price before discovery, the speaker compares it to asking a mechanic for a repair cost, since the mechanic must inspect the car first. The comparison moves the situation into a context the prospect already accepts.
Key points- Answer a price demand with a mechanic example: he needs to look under the bonnet first
- The speaker says the human brain thinks in pictures, so put your offer into images
- Turn your own scenarios into analogies the prospect already understands
Why raises lag and how literacy helps
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #46
Raises rarely match inflation, and pay is often set by committees months or years earlier
Summary
Employers set pay to serve shareholders, so raises lag behind, and financial literacy is the way out of being underpaid.
The speaker lists ten points about employment. Raises rarely keep up with inflation because pay is set by executives or budget committees long before, and profits go to shareholders. HR protects the company rather than the employee, and being indispensable or long-tenured is not leverage. Financial literacy is presented as the way out of trading time for a salary.
Key points- Raises rarely match inflation, and pay is often set by committees months or years earlier
- HR protects the company, and management promotes people it knows and likes
- Saying the company would need three people to replace you means you are underpaid
A manager's eleven baseline promises
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #45
Weekly one-on-ones are never cancelled, and every meeting states its agenda up front
Summary
A manager's eleven promises, like never cancelling one-on-ones and no surprise feedback, are baseline behaviors any good manager should show.
The speaker shares a thread in which a manager lists 11 promises to their team, including a weekly one-on-one that is never cancelled, an agenda in every invite, personal delivery of major news, and feedback that is never a surprise. The speaker says these are a low bar but describes them as the kind of manager they would want to be.
Key points- Weekly one-on-ones are never cancelled, and every meeting states its agenda up front
- Big news comes directly from the manager, and feedback is never heard for the first time in reviews
- Trust people to manage their own time and to skip-level without clearing it first
The Asshole Test
Read · johnpublic.mataroa.blog · 1 min · Issue #45
A 2022 blog post describing a group exercise in IBM's graduate recruitment, where about eight candidates had 60 minutes to solve a puzzle together at a whiteboard.
Summary
A 2022 blog post describing a group exercise in IBM's graduate recruitment, where about eight candidates had 60 minutes to solve a puzzle together at a whiteboard. The author's group failed to finish, but the author advanced. Months later the author learned from the interviewer that the test mostly observes behavior under pressure: candidates who turn rude are cut, hence the name.
Being yourself pays off over careers
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #44
After the boss left, the speaker was told the top job was a stretch at best
Summary
Being yourself pays off over a career, because the speaker missed a big promotion yet his next boss reinvigorated his career.
The speaker describes giving the company president a self-deprecating thank-you card after missing a big promotion. They had kept a cartoon for years, captioned "we could use an idiot," and rewrote the caption to show humility and creativity. Two years later, a new boss with more executive experience reinvigorated their career, and the speaker says to be yourself because careers bring unexpected turns.
Key points- After the boss left, the speaker was told the top job was a stretch at best
- He gave the president a cartoon card with a self-deprecating caption instead of the original
- Two years later, a new boss with ten more years of experience reinvigorated his career
The Equation That Can Stop the Next Global Crisis
Watch · youtube.com · 6 min · Issue #44
Gen.
Summary
Gen. Stanley McChrystal's April 2022 Big Think video argues that risk can be treated as a mathematical equation that anyone can learn. It contends that crises such as 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and COVID-19 were foreseeable to some extent, and that the goal is to improve our capacity to predict risk and become resilient to it.
Quitting is worth it when payoff is low
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #41
Ask whether the thing is just hard or actually sucks, and whether the reward is worth it
Summary
Quitting is worth it when the effort is not worth the payoff, so ask whether the hard thing is worth the reward.
The speaker argues that clinging to an earlier decision has little value and that quitting can be worthwhile. Citing Steven Bartlett's quitting framework, they suggest asking whether a hard task's reward is worth the challenge, and whether a task that sucks could be made better. The speaker describes quitting a path to US medical exams, since the payoff was not worth the difficulty compared with working as a YouTuber.
Key points- Ask whether the thing is just hard or actually sucks, and whether the reward is worth it
- The speaker quit American medical exam prep because the payoff was not worth the difficulty
- He says he has more fun and likely more impact as a YouTuber than as a doctor
Land Your Dream Tech Job (Aced, formerly Exponent)
Tool · tryexponent.com · Issue #41
Aced, formerly Exponent, is a platform of courses and coaching for tech job interviews, covering product management, software engineering, system design, data science, and machine learning.
Summary
Aced, formerly Exponent, is a platform of courses and coaching for tech job interviews, covering product management, software engineering, system design, data science, and machine learning. It offers thousands of interview questions, video answers from experts, AI feedback on practice interviews, and mock interviews with senior coaches. The homepage offers a free account and links to a pricing page.
Become a specialist to stand out
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #40
Over 40 million people quit jobs in 2021, and the best jobs still get flooded with applicants
Summary
Job seekers lose because they look like a commodity, so they must become specialists with tools like a skimmable resume.
The speaker argues job seekers struggle because they look like everyone else in a crowded market, where studies cite only about 3 percent of applicants getting a call. The fix is becoming a specialist through a short, skimmable resume, a keyword-optimized LinkedIn profile, a storytelling cover letter, and a proactive search that goes around applicant tracking systems.
Key points- Over 40 million people quit jobs in 2021, and the best jobs still get flooded with applicants
- Studies show only about 3 percent of applicants get a phone call
- Specialists build a six-second resume and a keyword-optimized LinkedIn profile
Leaders earn loyalty by backing people
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #39
A VP secretly paid for two good suits, expensed a little at a time
Summary
A boss who quietly paid for good suits and backed his people earned loyalty, because power comes from the people who love you.
A speaker recalls a VP who paid for two good suits so they would look more professional, then earned a promotion for working hard for him. The VP used his power to make his team feel they mattered, pushing training, promoting people, and treating them as his people. The speaker concludes that power comes from people, and that being loved by them is a superpower.
Key points- A VP secretly paid for two good suits, expensed a little at a time
- Later the boss gave the speaker a promotion and a raise, and called his wife to tell her
- The speaker says that when people love you, that is a superpower
Blaming the lawyer hides fear of deciding
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #36
People say the lawyer said no because they are afraid to make the decision
Summary
Blaming the lawyer hides fear of deciding, and a leader should own the risk decision openly and argue whether the reward outweighs it.
The speaker says people often blame a lawyer, as in "the lawyer said we can't do it," because they are afraid to decide and risk something going wrong. The better approach, the speaker argues, is to own the decision openly: state the risk, say whether the reward outweighs it, and take it if it does.
Key points- People say the lawyer said no because they are afraid to make the decision
- Better: the decision is mine, and the lawyers advised a risk I think is too great
- The speaker says the real discussion is whether the reward outweighs the risk
Rumie: Free Micro-Learning Courses (Bytes)
Tool · learn.rumie.org · Issue #35
Rumie is a learning site with an open library of micro-learning courses called Bytes, short lessons meant to teach a concept in minutes.
Summary
Rumie is a learning site with an open library of micro-learning courses called Bytes, short lessons meant to teach a concept in minutes. New Bytes are published daily, covering topics such as job-search skills, interviewing, stress management, financial planning, and AI for investing. The site claims Bytes are 20% more efficient than traditional learning.
Entertainment marketing can turn firms around
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #34
A home builder's brand failed until a woman in a red dress stood by an A-frame sign
Summary
Entertainment-based marketing and a provocative brand can turn a failing company around, since money follows attention.
A speaker who runs a hard money lending company says they turn failing businesses around with entertainment-based marketing paired with a call to action. In their example, a home builder's provocative model-home ad angered many people, and the speaker says the backlash brought six sales the next day. The speaker says attention drives money, though they would not go that far with an ordinary company.
Key points- A home builder's brand failed until a woman in a red dress stood by an A-frame sign
- Provocative messaging angered critics, and six houses sold the next day
- The speaker says that company now sells 350 homes a year, and money follows attention
Fuck You Money: How Much You Need to Quit Work
Read · money.com · Issue #34
Ethan Wolff-Mann's 2016 Money.com article explains "fuck you money", slang for wealth large enough to quit your job without cutting your lifestyle.
Summary
Ethan Wolff-Mann's 2016 Money.com article explains "fuck you money", slang for wealth large enough to quit your job without cutting your lifestyle. The basic formula multiplies annual spending by expected years of life, so $60,000 a year over 50 years is $3 million. Accounting for inflation and returns, the article cites about $2.1 million for $60,000 a year, using a Vanguard calculator.
Three options for every email
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #32
Leave actionable emails in the inbox and act on them within 24 hours
Summary
The one-touch system gives every email three options: act on it within 24 hours, file it for a later meeting, or delete it.
The speaker describes the one-touch system, which gives every email three options: act on it within 24 hours, file it in a folder to discuss at a suitable meeting, or delete it. The approach creates head space, since not everything needs an immediate reply. A later part is promised on flags and nested folders.
Key points- Leave actionable emails in the inbox and act on them within 24 hours
- File emails in folders to discuss in one-on-ones or group meetings
- The speaker says he receives about 850 emails a week while managing about 240 people
Folders for weekly meetings and people
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #32
Map the week's most important meetings, departments and counterparts
Summary
Manage a busy inbox by making folders for your key weekly meetings and most important people, then sorting email into them.
A speaker who says they keep a zero inbox starts a series on email management. Part one is to map your week's major meetings and key departments or counterparts, then make a folder for each. The speaker says no single video can solve email, so the topic is covered over several parts.
Key points- Map the week's most important meetings, departments and counterparts
- Make a folder for each key one-on-one and department meeting
- The speaker says the series will continue with the next part
Laughter makes leaders more motivating
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #32
In a global study, kids answer yes to smiling or laughing a lot, then adults answer no
Summary
Laughter works on the brain like exercise, and the speakers say humor makes leaders more motivating and teams more bonded.
Two speakers who spent a decade studying humor say laughter works on the brain like exercise and meditation combined. A global study of over a million people found adults smile and laugh far less after entering the workforce. Their research found leaders with a good sense of humor are seen as 27 percent more motivating, and shared laughter makes strangers feel closer.
Key points- In a global study, kids answer yes to smiling or laughing a lot, then adults answer no
- Leaders with a good sense of humor are seen as 27 percent more motivating
- The speakers say laughing together floods the brain with hormones linked to love
Writing Emails With Military Precision
Read · hbr.org · Issue #32
Kabir Sehgal's 2016 Harvard Business Review article argues that an email subject line should state the purpose and what the sender wants.
Summary
Kabir Sehgal's 2016 Harvard Business Review article argues that an email subject line should state the purpose and what the sender wants. It borrows a military habit of opening the subject with a capitalized keyword: INFO for information only, REQUEST for approval, and ACTION when the recipient must act. Examples include "INFO: Status Update" and "REQUEST: Vacation."
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