“Be undeniably good. When people ask me how do you make it in show business or whatever, what I always tell them and nobody ever takes note of it ‘cause it’s not the answer they wanted to hear — what they want to hear is here’s how you get an agent, here’s how you write a script, here’s how you do this — but I always say, ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you.’ If somebody’s thinking, ‘How can I be really good?’, people are going to come to you. It’s much easier doing it that way than going to cocktail parties.”

Steve Martin (via petervidani)

(via themadeshop)

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Why Architects Don't Install Sheetrock

As an agency, studio or freelancer are you an architect, general contractor or subcontractor?  Agency consulting firm Ignition Group explains why it is time to re-evaluate where your company’s true strengths and value to clients are and learn to when to outsource more of the “commoditized” services.

Using a building analogy, professional firms must be the architects.  They can even be the general contractors.  But when they also try to be the subcontractors, they lose their shirt.  Think Frank Lloyd Wright installing the sheet rock.  The value of FLW was his ideas, his imagination, and his vision for the building.  Although there’s certainly a difference between a good job and a poor job of hanging sheetrock, the truth is that millions of people can do it.  There are not millions of Frank Lloyd Wrights.

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Is 2011 the Dawn of America's New Optimism?

Writer and editor Bruce Nussbaum presents the case that we are now entering the “Twilight of Pessimism for America” and finally moving beyond the notion that America is on the decline.  Although Nussbaum is writing specifically regarding the perception and attitude of Americans I believe that the same sense of optimism will be true in business, technology and the general view of the future.

Beneath the noise of politics, the Know-Nothingism, the anger, the arrogance of belief and the corruption masquerading as lobbying, another culture is being built in cities where the future is more evenly distributed an far more optimistic. It is where political leaders really lead, Gen Yers build their lives on their own platforms and people wait for the bad movie that is Washington to end. I’m betting that in the decade ahead, the signal that is America’s comeback will grow stronger and replace the current noise.

Here’s to a new optimistic year and era!

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How Think Vitamin increased membership conversions by 24% with video

Excellent case study from Think Vitamin on the benefits video for online conversion and the importance of metrics and testing.

The takeaway here is that potential customers want a quick summary of the product, not an actual demo. The bigger takeaway here though is this: you have to be testing your site to see what works and what doesn’t. Going on a gut feeling won’t work. In fact, this very method that worked better for us may not work for you. You won’t know until you test.

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“As digital marketers seek to increase profits, they almost always make the same mistake. They continue to add more clutter, messaging and offers, because, hey, it’s free. […] Once you overload the user, you train them not to pay attention. More clutter isn’t free. In fact, more clutter is a permanent shift, a desensitization to all the information, not just the last bit.”

Seth Godin - The Inevitable Decline Due to Clutter

Adding more messages, ads, promotions, and channels is never better.  The trick is to learn restraint and practice the art of focusing your efforts.

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What are your top 5 pieces of advice for entrepreneurs?

Answered by Dennis Crowley co-founder of Foursquare

Here is a summary of the five pieces of advice, but make sure you click through to get all the nuggets of wisdom.

  1. Stop sketching and start building.
  2. Don’t let people tell you your ideas won’t work.
  3. Build early and often.
  4. Don’t let a lack of technology get in the way.
  5. Hire the best people you can find.

Follow Dennis on Tumblr

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Life is a Daring Adventure

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
—Helen Keller

Insane video of Jeb Corliss demoing his wing-suit.  I’m all for taking risk, but this is crazy (especially at 3:00).

Reblogged from Tim Nolan

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