Weasel Words Magnify Doubt

When you’re fact finding address your doubts before you return and report. Don’t come back to your team with “allegedly” or “supposedly.” Words like that telegraph your own uncertainty in a way that paints your sources as unreliable. If you really can’t be sure then state who reported which fact. Such as, “John told me the site… Continue reading Weasel Words Magnify Doubt

Learn to Do

Why have one when you can have two for twice the price?

What will more effectively convince a hiring manager that you can produce results for them? Should you focus on making products? Should you complete programming challenges? Past results are the best evidence of future results. But it’s hard to beat solving a problem before the eyes of your interviewer. Here’s Raul’s question: Candidate Question: Preparing… Continue reading Learn to Do

Pretend It’s All Voicemail

Today’s Mad, Sad, Glad. by Wendii Lord hit dead-on for all three links. Voicemail: Still Kickin’ I’d like to add my amen in particular to her note on voicemail: it’s still useful. If you call me, get voicemail and don’t leave a message then I’ll probably assume you don’t need a call back. In fact, I’m not… Continue reading Pretend It’s All Voicemail

Beware Advice That Costs Them Nothing

I just finished my first reading of Taleb’s Antifragile and started listening to All Quiet on the Western Front. (I haven’t read it since middle school.) I noticed a principle from Antifragile in Remarque’s historical fiction of The Great War. Advice From a Position of Trust The main group of young men were inspired by their school… Continue reading Beware Advice That Costs Them Nothing

Be Likable

Here’s a gem from the February 20th edition of Mad, Sad, Glad from ManagerTools.com: This is a typical HBR article in that it’s long and academic.  The important part is that people would rather work with with someone who is incompetent than someone who is unlikable.  If you think that smarts are enough, refer to our very first… Continue reading Be Likable

Innovation is Saying “No” to 1000 Things

People think focus means saying “yes” to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying “no” to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done.… Continue reading Innovation is Saying “No” to 1000 Things

Google’s foobar is Clever Recruiting

I just finished up the second day of Google IO Extended Utah. During the conference my friends and I noticed that little slips of paper with cryptic messages were in our goody bags. Playing with the information on the slips we found a code challenge system called foobar. Looks like it is by invitation only. When… Continue reading Google’s foobar is Clever Recruiting

Theory and Practice

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is. — Author Unknown Attributed to Yogi Berra in Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile – Things that Gain From Disorder (2012), p. 213. Disputed in WikiQuote.

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