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March 8, 2010

Lessons to Learn from Going Analog when Designing for Digital

  I captured this shot in a Minneapolis lunch spot after I found myself transfixed by the publication that I otherwise never would have picked up. I thought it a great example of how digital design processes can benefit from doing and observing what Garr Reynolds calls "going analog." Four things...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   design   information   minneapolis   news   presentation  

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March 2, 2010

A Little Jazz Inspiration

Kurt Elling is an amazing jazz vocalist out of Chicago (schooled right here in MN).  "Never Never Land" is definitely one of his lighter pieces, but has a fantastic message. Particularly this bit at minute 3:25...   "My friends, everyday we sit in our everyday chairs and go to our everday work and...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   entrepreneurship   inspiration   kurt elling   music  

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March 2, 2010

D.Light, the Darling of Social Enterprise, Has Competition

Cheaper, simpler technology and an intriguing business model... Could D.Light have some real competition?    

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   bop   INSEAD   Nuru Design   social enterprise  

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March 1, 2010

Corner Office - Tachi Yamada of The Gates Foundation

How do you give feedback? A. One of the things I've learned is that it doesn't matter how many good things you say, the one bad thing is what sticks. So. therefore, feedback should be viewed in the context of time, not in any one specific episode. So if I have something negative to say, I will say...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   feedback   leadership   management   nytimes  

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February 28, 2010

Stop Looking for Inspiration In All the Wrong Places

Recent life and work events have put me in the market for inspiration.  And even though my locus of control is much more internal than external, in times of self-doubt I often find myself looking to others for inspiration. I seek insights from acquaintances on twitter, colleagues at work, and close...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   leadership   motivation  

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February 28, 2010

Seth's Blog: Everyone's model of work is a job

That's is the conclusion of a very long essay on startups by Paul Graham, and it's an insightful quote. The reason you feel most comfortable with a job (unless, like me, you're in the minority--a job would destroy my psyche) is that you've been brainwashed by many years of school, socialization and...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   entrepreneurship   paul graham   seth godin   socialization   work  

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February 23, 2010

The Bloom Box (VIDEO): An Energy Plant In A Box To Power Your Home

via huffingtonpost.com A good friend pointed out this 60 Minutes video on Bloom Energy, which aspires to bring grid-free green energy-in-a-box to homes everywhere. Interesting idea, certainly, but relies on fuel (renewable bio or fossil fuels) to operate. With the energy consumption required...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   energy   fuel cells   green   kleiner perkins   video  

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February 22, 2010

Awesome Data Visualization - Telecom Consumption vs. GDP Per Capita

You must have flash to see this embedded document. (CLICK THROUGH THE SLIDES ABOVE TO SEE THE PROGRESSION) Not convinced that people spend more money on telecommunications as incomes increase? Skeptical that the introduction of mobile phones has democratized telecommunications?  The World Bank...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   bop   development   economy   growth   telecom  

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February 20, 2010

What Might the Medal Count Be If...

...Every country on earth had a population the size of the U.S. Of course, lots of things impact the caliber of a nation's athletes, but the size of the potential talent pool you're pulling from makes a big difference. So, in a small attempt at statistical honesty, here is a rough look at what...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   demographics   olympics   statistics   talent  

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February 19, 2010

Three Tips for Executing on Innovation

Personal revelations don't always translate, because they are seldom deep insights. Rather, they are simple insights experienced in deep and lasting ways. These are my three for the week. Hopefully they'll resonate. Ideas don't become reality because they are better, more carefully thought through...

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Posted by Mike Shoemaker 
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Filed under  //   execution   innovation   tips  

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