On Llamas, Dresses, Net Neutrality: A Clue(Train)!

That desire for community, to connect with others who share your interests, is what drives the best and worst of what, as a whole, makes the internet so invaluable -- from the early days of Usenet to Tumblr and whatever comes next -- and for some (including business execs who don't get it), so dangerous. I'm sure there are plenty of business lessons to be learned from all of this, and I'm sure there will be plenty of think pieces and hot takes addressing those, but I'm far more interested in grappling with the human element.

Motivational Cliches Aren’t Business Models

"If the people who make the decisions are the people who will also bear the consequences of those decisions, perhaps better decisions will result." John Abrams, The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community and Place I hate pundits. [ETA: Maybe I should have said I hate Twitter? Update at the end of … Continue reading Motivational Cliches Aren’t Business Models

Not Every Conversation is Worth Having

"For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three." Alice Kahn I follow a lot of experienced marketers on Twitter, along with several whose real-world experience is questionable, and one of the most annoying memes I've seen is the belief that everyone should be on … Continue reading Not Every Conversation is Worth Having

Your Entitlement Slip is Showing

Among the most tiresome memes dominating the publishing world right now -- memes that I've admittedly contributed to at times -- the worst are the self-righteous rants about self-publishing, Amazon, and the long-rumored death of print. There are the writers who think their publishers should be doing more for them while smugly looking down their noses at the writers willing to do it … Continue reading Your Entitlement Slip is Showing

When politics gets personal for Latinos

In reality, politics are without question a very personal matter but, partly due to the media's focus on the horserace aspect of elections and partly due to the candidates often allowing themselves to be defined by labels (or at the least, trying to marginalize their opponents with them), most political debate occurs from a safe, impersonal distance. … Continue reading When politics gets personal for Latinos