Over the past few years, my most consistent blog theme has been the way that inherent human limitations affect business outcomes. I find it absolutely fascinating. People come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes (mentally, physically, and emotionally)
What does it mean to be an influencer?
One of my priorities for the new year is to really study what it means to be an influencer. The good news is that there doesn’t appear to be any lack of material on the topic. Over the past couple
The Need to be Unique
As a child I felt a very strong need to be unique. I desperately needed to possess likes and ambitions that were distinct from other children in my age group and therefore the views expressed by others dramatically affected the
Duration Neglect
Ordinarily I really enjoy learning about behavioral economics. I find it truly fascinating that there are invisible forces subconsciously affecting our behavior. Here are just a few of my favorite examples: In Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely taught me that you
Thinking Fast and Slow About the Presidential Race
For the past two weeks I’ve been reading Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow. I’ve really found it fascinating. The main premise of the book is that our brains have two gears: a fast gear for intuition and snap judgments,
Listening
Last week I had the opportunity to hear David Rosenblatt speak about his time as CEO of DoubleClick (he came to talk to us as an AppNexus guest speaker). I loved the talk. It was a rare glimpse behind the
There are no “Bad Guys”
I took advantage of this holiday week to catch up on a little beach reading. I just picked up Mistakes Were Made, But Not by Me by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. Although I’m having a little bit of trouble
The Number One Most Important Customer Service Principle
I believe that the way a business interfaces with its customers is one of the most important determinants of success. Sure – product, management, strategic direction, corporate citizenship – it’s all important. But every business has customers and when it
The Key to Selling Ideas at Work
This week I’ve been reading The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas by G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa. Overall I thought the book was just fine, but it did get me thinking a lot about
Why is instant gratification so enticing?
There is no doubt that saving money, eating healthy, and exercising are things we should all do to lead happy productive lives. On the other hand – eating fast food and spending money frivolously are things that we shouldn’t do.