“When you have a natural interest in something, your productivity levels are through the roof! When you are naturally inspired to work on something, the amount of work you get done is incredible!”

David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder 37signals
Signal vs. Noise Podcast: http://bit.ly/jWp99e

My challenge to you: only speak like a human at work

Companies are talking ‘professionalese’ to keep customers and colleagues at a distance, when what people crave is openness and honesty, argues Daniel H Pink.

…The plane sat on the runway there for four hours – without air-conditioning, food or water – as babies wailed and adults anguished in the darkened cabin.

Jason Fried, co-founder of the American software firm 37 Signals and co-author of ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever, finds the language of that statement almost as inhuman as the problem that prompted it.

Not too long ago, Fried saw a similar, though less calamitous, disaster in a Chicago cafe. A woman had just purchased a large cup of coffee. On the way to sit down, she tripped, and spilled the entire contents all over another customer.

Here’s what she said: “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“If someone is really, truly sorry,” says Fried, “that’s how they respond.”

But in business we rarely talk like that. Instead, we resort to a weird and inadvertent bilingualism. We speak human at home and “professionalese” at work. And that might be hurting our businesses more than we realise.

Read full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7897347/My-challenge-to-you-only-speak-like-a-human-at-work.html

“Great businesses [and individuals] have a point of view, not just a product or service. You have to believe in something. A strong stand is how you attract superfans. They point to you and defend you. If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough. (And you’re probably boring, too.)”

~ Rework, page 43

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GREAT business advice from Jason Fried, co-founder and President of 37signals.

Lessons learned at 37signals
Start time: 0:33
In this talk, Jason discusses what he’s learned at 37signals over the years.

Topics covered:

• The idea that you should “fail early, fail often” is bogus.
• Plans are guesses.
• Interruption is the enemy of productivity.
• Sell your byproduct.
• Emulate chefs.
• Focus on what won’t change.
• If you want to do something, you’ve got to do it now.

http://37signals.com/podcast/#episode4

Making people pay and targeting nonconsumption

Making people pay
Start time: 0:35
Giving something away for free is fine as a step one as long as it leads to a step two where you charge for your product. Pick a price that seems fair to you and that you’d be willing to pay. If you’re not willing to pay for your own product, don’t expect anyone else to either. Also, your price tiers need to make sense relative to each other. The price of Haystack changed at the last minute. Changing prices post-launch can cause real headaches.

Targeting nonconsumption
Start time: 13:38
Instead of stealing part of an existing market, create a new one. Invent your own category by fusing things together and/or looking at what people are really trying to achieve and solving that.

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2032-podcast-episode-3-making-people-pay-and-targeting-nonconsumption