Links: 8-27-2019

Links: 8-26-2019

Consume less, create more
Quote: "What’s evil is passive consumption, in all its forms. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—we can all agree that these are serious timewasters. But what about The Economist or War and Peace? How much can you really remember from all of those New York Times op-eds you’ve read? Could you summarize the major themes of Grapes of Wrath? Most knowledge worth having comes from practice. It comes from doing. It comes from creating. Reading about the trade war with China doesn’t make you smarter—it gives you something to say at dinner parties. It gives you the illusion that you have the vaguest idea what is happening in our enormously complex world."
(categories: creativity life productivity culture )

We Don’t Do That Here
Quote: "It is a conversation ender. If you are the newcomer and someone who has been around a long time says “we don’t do that here”, it is hard to argue. This sentence doesn’t push my morality on anyone. If they want to do whatever it is elsewhere, I’m not telling them not to. I’m just cluing them into the local culture and values. If I deliver this sentence well it carries no more emotional weight than saying, “in Japan, people drive on the left.” “We don’t do that here” should be a statement of fact and nothing more. It clearly and concisely sets a boundary, and also makes it easy to disengage with any possible rebuttals."
(categories: community culture diversity inclusion tech )

Building the Customer-Informed Product :: Adam Kalsey
Quote: "Strong products are guided by strong visions, and the execution of that vision is the primary focus of product development. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to your customers. But your product roadmap should be customer-informed, not customer-led." Love the restaurant analogy.
(categories: product-management product-product-product feedback )