October 6, 2011

The death of cool

In 1986, I got my first PC. A lumbering behemoth with no brand name—a clone. That dinosaur was subsequently replaced by countless other machines—Dells, Compaqs, HPs, Thinkpads and a bunch more I can’t even remember.

When their usefulness ground to a halt, when their speed and efficiency became inversely proportional to my frustration and aggravation, I ditched them.

I bought my first iMac in 1999. Ruby Red.
Since that purchase, my household saw the influx of other Apple products. iPods of the Video, Classic, Touch and Nano variety. iPhones, iPad, MacBooks and newer, speedier, more-cool iMacs.
A quick inventory confirms that Apple is the number one brand in my home. We own more Apple kit than any other product or brand. No other thing comes close.

As for that Ruby Red iMac, a few years ago it was time to put that faithful servant out to pasture too. Only thing is, unlike those featureless, faceless PCs, I just couldn’t part with the iMac. When she asked why, I told madame, “Are you kidding? You don’t throw Macs away. They’re cool!” So, it’s in my downstairs closet, wrapped and protected against dust and humidity.

It really is that simple. You don’t get rid of Apple products. They’re too cool, they’re too gorgeous, they’re too je ne sais pas. And the reason for that, of course, is down to one man: Steve Jobs. Mr. Cool.

In 1957 Miles Davis released a compilation album called Birth of the Cool. A masterpiece, a seminal recording.
And now, I can’t help but think that October 5, 2011 is the day that cool died.

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July 16, 2010

Business. As taught by a juvenile delinquent

I love this.
I love it because it pushes all the right buttons.
And I love it because it confirms, yet again, that the playing field is evolving.

I told you you didn’t want customers
I encouraged you to listen to your heart and to pursue passion.
And I wrote about business and social responsibility.

Now I’ll let someone else do the talking.

Recently, Entrepreneur.com interviewed Yvon Chouinard a reluctant business owner who describes himself as a juvenile delinquent.
Yvon Chouinard never subscribed to textbook business practices,
He’s done things his own way,
He’s cut against the grain,
He’s been laughed at.
He’s been lectured.
And he’s been warned,
That his business decisions were self-destructive.

Yvon Chouinard ignored his detractors.
And he now sits at the helm of a successful business,
A business with sales of 340 million dollars,
A business  you might have head of,
A business called Patagonia

I’ve been a Patagonia fan since the 1980′s
And I’ve admired Yvon Chouinard ever since reading his book, Let my People go Surfing
His persona and determination have inspired me to keep going—to keep telling everyone,
That there’s a better way to run a business,
A better way to manage a team, to view our careers.
And a better way to live our lives.
A way that I call The Net Present Value of Life

Listen, read the interview,
Read what Yvon Chouinard has to say about customers, and employees, and social responsibility.
Then ask yourself,
If he runs his business this way,
Why don’t I?

Ideas? Suggestions? Questions? Please leave a comment.

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March 25, 2010

5 career facts you gotta know: Fact 4



This is the 4th in a series of facts I’m presenting to business owners and working folk on May 14.

Fact No 4: You want fans



The myth goes… You must constantly develop a customer base, maintain a customer base, leverage a customer base.

The fact is, that kind of mythic thinking is so… uhhh … 1990.

The fact is, you don’t want customers. The fact is, customers are fickle. The fact is, customers want a good deal, a cheap price, an ironclad guarantee, and a cash-back-reward-card.  The fact is, customers buy from you. That’s it. They come in. They buy. They leave. The fact is, there’s no synergy there.

The new reality is, you want relationships, you want connections, you want people on your wavelength. The fact is, you want fans. The other, crucial, fact is, very few businesses get this point. Which means, if you develop a fan-base, you’ll be head-of-the-class, top-of-the pile—numero uno (OK, so that last one, idiomatically, doesn’t really fit. But hey, it was kinda late, when I wrote it).

Now then. You want fans? That’s great! Not sure how to get ‘em? Well, here’s the recipe. Start by paraphrasing the first 3 facts in this series.

Fact 1) It’s what think—not what you do—that gets you fans

Fact 2) Remember that you can do it—you can get fans

Fact 3) To get fans—you must divert your attention from the maximization of income

Next, mix in these two final ingredients;

1) Do what you love: If you’re a foodie, why are you selling real estate? If you’re a writer, why are you working in accounting? If you’re an entrepreneur, why are teaching? If you’re a leader, why are you following?

I read, somewhere, we’re all born with a gift, a purpose—a calling. I think you know what I mean. There are things that come naturally to each of us—a flair for creative design, a knack at a trade, a proficiency in… stuff.  And yet, how many of us turn our collective backs on that natural talent, that inherent genius? Only to pursue other avenues—perhaps because someone advised us there’s more money in that. If that sounds familiar, remember fact 3, and then return to your true love (hmm wasn’t that used in a Dylan song?).

2) Be who you are: Be authentic. Flaunt your passion. Enthuse in your unbridled enthusiasm. Why? Because fervour and passion are contagious. Because what’s contagious is catchy. It’s catching, and it’s catching on. People talk. A buzz builds. And you get fans.

One last thing though. Are you rock or jazz? Country, classical or rap? Remember, people like what they like. Rock bands don’t do classical. And you shouldn’t be what you’re not. If you try, your authenticity evaporates, your music diminishes to noise—just one more phoney, contrived voice in a sea of corporate bafflegab. And people notice—their BS detectors pinging their alerts—and people walk away. Or become, at best, disaffected customers. And you don’t want that.

Case study: Regular readers will know of my affinity for Apple. MacBook, iTunes, iPod, and, soon, iPad. I’m a fan and so are millions of others.

Here are two Steve Jobs quotes that nail the Apple zeitgeist. From a CNN interview; “…It’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want…”

And from cnet; “We’ve seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody, and you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy.”

Yet, I’m also a fan of other businesses, Scrivener, for example. Or have a look at what makes Yvan Chouinard tick (he’s the brains behind Patagonia). Read his book, Let my People go Surfing. See if you don’t become a fan.

More importantly, if you are a fan of a business (or a product) please tell me. I’d love to hear about it. Please leave a comment.

More on this: This blog has a number of references to fans, here are just two of those posts: You don’t want customers and How to get fans. But maybe my first piece, which I wrote in 2005, is still the best one. You can find it here or here.

Tomorrow: Retirement is a myth

Yesterday: It’s not about the money

Ideas? Suggestions? Comments? Please leave a comment.

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January 31, 2010

Get fans, not customers


It always happens.

Once business owners agree they don’t want customers,

The question always comes up;

“OK, so exactly how do I get fans instead of customers?”

To which I always reply that you get fans by not thinking about them.

In other words, focus on yourself and not on anyone else.

Seems weird?

Let me, then, use the same analogy as in my first post.

Pretend you’re a songwriter.

Would you query folk walking by your front door?

Ask them what kind of song they’d like to hear?

And write it based on the majority response? On the consensus?

I don’t think so.

Music is written from the heart. From passion, and talent, and creativity.

Why should business be different?

Way I see it, businesses need to tap into the same creativity, the same innovation, to get fans.

Put another way, to get fans (rather than customers) you must tap into your purpose, your passion, and your talent.

And then put it out there.

For acceptance.

Or rejection.

Because that’s precisely what will happen.

Some will like your message, desire your services, drool over your products.

They’ll “Get it.”

Those are the fans.

Others won’t relate. They won’t understand. They won’t “Get it.”

They’re the non-fans.

And that should be absolutely fine with you.

Your fans will flock to you.

They’ll identify with who you are, they’ll buy into what you do.

The non-fans, on the other hand, will ignore you.

And you them.

Because, one day, maybe later on, they will “Get it.”

Until then—and no matter what product or service you provide—it’s my belief that you must be true to who you are.

“Yeah but,” Some business owners tell me, “Doodads and gizmos are the hot thing, and I just want to be profitable… Make some money.”

Fine then. Go ahead. Sell doodads and gizmos. Go ahead and offer what everyone else offers.

But be prepared to get swept away when the bottom falls out of the doodad market.

And, if that’s not enough, be prepared to live a monotonous, passionless life.

A life where people who buy your products (or services) are as bored as you are.

Because that’s what so many customers are.

Bored.

If, on the other hand, you want something more.

Excitement, Innovation, Creativity. Passion (not words commonly associated with business, uh?).

Then find the sweet spot where your passion and talent intersect with what people want.

What they understand.

What they “get”.

And you’ll find fans.

How to find fans

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