Toshiba Quits HD DVD - An Application of the Dip
By TLS | February 23, 2008
I picked up a book the other day called ‘the dip’ by Seth Godin. It talks about knowing when to quit in business (or anything). The recent news surrounding Blue Ray disc and HD DVD has provided a practical application of the principle. In his book, Godin describes a couple of curves called the Dip and the Cul-de-sac. The Cul-de-sac is not really a curve; rather, it is a dead end. If you are putting too much time and effort into something with limited or no return then you may be in a cul-de-sac. If so, it’s time to bail out. On the Dip curve, your efforts are highly rewarded at first, but then you drop into a slope of the curve where your reward is not outweighing the effort. The trick is knowing how to handle the Dip. Do you push through it to the other side where the reward again outweighs the effort? Or do you cut your losses and quit?
Toshiba is facing a big Dip with regards to the Blue Ray competition. With Sony and Walmart teaming up, it would be very hard for Toshiba’s HD DVD technology to win, so they are opting to get out. Probably a smart move. Sony did the same thing when they dumped their BetaMAX technology years ago when VHS became the standard.
For me this was an interesting application of the thoughts Godin shares in his book.
Topics: Books, Business | No Comments »
Winner of Britain’s Got Talent
By TLS | February 19, 2008
This is incredible. Paul Potts, a mobile phone salesman, blew everyone away on Britain’s Got Talent. By now this is old news as the season is long since over and Paul won. But what a remarkable first performance. When he walked onto the stage I had low expectations as Paul didn’t look like a star. But he is. He was fantastic and deserved to win the competition.
Topics: Inspiration, Entertainment | No Comments »
The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
By TLS | January 25, 2008
I recently came across a fascinating article in Scientific American about what contributes to succes in the classroom and later in life. The study found that reinforcing the idea in your child’s mind that he or she is smart is less effective than reinforcing the value of working hard.
It comes down to establishing one of two frames of mind in the child - a fixed mind-set or a growth mind-set. A fixed intelligence mind-set is one where the individual believes that intelligence is fixed. A growth mind-set is one where the individual believes intelligence is fluid and can grow and expand with effort. The article further states:
A belief in fixed intelligence also makes people less willing to admit to errors or to confront and remedy their deficiencies in school, at work and in their social relationships…Those with a fixed mind-set are less likely than those with a growth mind-set to broach problems in their relationships and to try to solve them.
I have found myself in the position of praising my children with phrases such as “I knew you could do it. You are so smart!” I thought this was a good thing! 
I’m sure it is, but it may not be the best way to prepare my kids for the future. According to the article:
How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work.
I am going to make sure that the future praise and encouragement I offer my children focuses on the value of the effort behind the success, the value of working hard. It couldn’t hurt. I have already noticed my son getting complacent and bored in school. Perhaps he has begun to fall into the doldrums of the fixed mind-set. Perhaps it is nothing, but changing the method of encouragement I offer him could greatly improve his outlook on school (see the article for more).
Topics: Education, Family | No Comments »
Tennessee Lawn Care Website
By TLS | January 24, 2008
I recently finished a project for a Tennessee lawn care website. The company performs lawn care (mowing, mulching, trimming, etc.) for Knoxville, TN area customers. They needed a website designed, hosted and optimized for search engines. Naturally, they turned to me as I am an SEO Master. Using sound interactive marketing principles, we put together a new site design for them and also optimized their content for Tennessee lawn care SEO. It will take a little time for them to get indexed in the search engines and begin to show up in the SERPS, but I’m hoping it won’t take too long for their website to help them get a lot of lawn care business in Knoxville, Tennessee and the surrounding areas.
Topics: Interactive Marketing, SEO | 6 Comments »
How Smart are You? (how dumb are you?)
By TLS | January 24, 2008
I found some fun online tests the other day and wasted a bunch of time taking them. They were lots of fun. If you haven’t seen them, check them out. You can see my results below and can click the images to find the sites. Post a comment and tell me how you did!
The “Am I Dumb?” Test:
Am-I-Dumb.com - Intelligence Tests
The “Impossible Quiz” Test:
Impossible-Quiz.com - Fun Hard Quiz
The “What’s My IQ?” Test:
Free-IQTest.net - Free IQ Test
The “How Much are You Worth?” Test:
HumanForSale.com - Fun Quiz
Topics: Fun | No Comments »
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