Recently, I finally realized that piling on new features day after day is not the most effective way to improve software. As a programmer, it’s tempting to just keep building… but this approach does not leave room for data-based improvement.   “Growth Hacking” is a (relatively) new term in startupland....

I’m going to try to avoid ranting here, but it’s hard. The other day I posted about a positive experience with AmEx’s customer support. Even though I ultimately concluded that large scale customer support is broken, I still walked away with a positive experience with AmEx. Fast forward to today,...

Recently, during the sadistic ritual known as “taxes,” I was forced to contact American Express’ customer support. First, I must commend them on using Twitter as a medium. They’re responsive and personable, and I did in fact get an answer quickly. However, the fact that Twitter has become a “decent”...

In case you’ve not yet heard, App.net (aka ADN) is the new kid on the social network block. At first, the concept of a pay-to-use social network seems a bit odd; I’m sure there are plenty of business folks out there who would be happy to tell you that it...

Dear my generation:   What gives? Where did all the love go? Are we too pragmatic, too jaded? Or are we more aware of the real workings of the world? How can we possibly reconcile the romantic tales still embodied in our media but absent from our lives? Are we...

This is part one of my series of experiments on happiness using Track your Happiness, a “scientific research project that aims to use modern technology” to help you understand what makes you happy. It is the project of doctoral candidate Matt Killingsworth at Harvard University. During the course of many...

I’ve received a few requests for this post, so here it is: my approach to focus. It is not an end-all be-all solution for everybody, but rather a look at the key underlying ways you can keep yourself moving towards a task. The tricks here should work well for anybody,...

Regardless of if you’re hanging out with friends or running a business, you will need to make a request of your peers sooner or later. On one hand, you need to get something out of the request. On the other hand, you don’t want to be that guy.   This...

I’m not here to hawk any self-help products, yet like many book writers I will make the bold claim that I know the formula to success… and it is simple. Surprisingly simple — and widely overlooked or ignored.     I’m not saying that this formula will make you rich....

I have wanted to “be a writer” as long as I can remember. This blog is, in fact, one manifestation of that dream. At the end of the day, though, I have always wanted to write a Sci-Fi / Fantasy novel. I have made different attempts at this goal through...