A Blog on Community, Design and Technology
From the monthly archives:
All you systems theory buffs out there are probably familiar with the concept of “emergence”. For the rest of you, here’s a quick and dirty definition: Emergence describes the way that complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions. The idea of emergence, although it might sound complicated, is important [...]
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Building a startup can be an emotional roller coaster. When passionate entrepreneurs personally have a lot at stake in a new venture, increased stress and setbacks can mean higher levels of emotion in the work environment, and critical team relationships can be put to the test. Passion can be a double edged sword when things [...]
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Recruiting smart people to your startup isn’t enough; they must also believe that what they do at your organization as an individual can help change the world for the better. Creating an organization based on goals that mean something to people can not only help your startup find and enlist talented people, but it will also be a tremendous long-term advantage because meaning is the most powerful motivator there is.
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When you’re choosing candidates to bring on board your startup, it’s often easy to tell who’s hungry and excited to sign on, and who’s not. It might not be so easy, however, to assess where that excitement is really coming from. Make sure your expectations are in-line early, and that new recruits know exactly what [...]
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Just because someone can do a job well, doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll mesh well with the rest of the team. Understanding the complexities and nuances of how your current team operates, and hiring for fit is crucial to building a team that performs well together and stays passionate about what they do as a [...]
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Over the break I had the chance to read Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers. The book’s been talked about a lot since it’s recent release, and for good reason. It’s engaging, thought provoking and well written – everything we’ve come to expect from Malcolm. One of the main arguments of Outliers is that becoming an [...]
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A few days ago I was called out on Twitter by a new friend of mine, Ryan, to write a “7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me” post. I’ve never been one to turn down a challenge. In the name of holiday fun, here goes:
1. I was kind of musical in a past life. [...]
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