Carl T. Holscher fights for the customers.

Month: October 2021 Page 1 of 2

Brené Brown on Empathy vs. Sympathy

Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection …

Empathy is I’m feeling with you. Sympathy, I’m feeling for you.

Brené Brown, via Marketoonist

Have a blog and write in it

If you notice, the internet of today is basically made of a couple of big websites that try to gather every content there is. Have you ever talked to an older person that thinks Facebook IS the internet? Yes, that’s exactly what I am talking about.

“If everybody starts to create their own website, we will start the long and essential process of taking back the control of the Web: the Web is ours to use it as we like, and not to be controlled by half dozen of mega industries with their opaques algorithms.”

Why you should have a blog (and write in it)

I’m trying to take more of this advice to heart. Less social media and endless streams of outrage flying by and more longer, more considered writing.

A good explanation of the Solarwinds hack using candy.

Tell me how it feels to use a week later, not how it smells out of the box

I recently posted my review of the iPhone 13 Pro, which I thought was a fun review, but didn’t rack up the same number of views as I had hoped it would. When I mentioned this on Twitter, someone mentioned that they expected people were burned out on reviews of the phone already, so they weren’t looking for another one. They were totally right, too! I personally watched a bunch of reviews of the new iPhones when the embargo dropped, but I’ve skipped the rest in my feed that happened after the embargoed ones dropped.

Why Reviews are Hard for Smaller Reviewers

I saw this post by Matt Birchler earlier today and it struck a chord with me and I replied to his post on Micro.blog but also wanted to share it here because it’s something I’d like to see more of in the review world.

Everyone and their 7th cousin is out there writing unboxing and Hot Takes™ on the new things.

Who is out there writing the “I’ve had this a week or a month and here’s how it feels” posts?
What about Here’s the X things I felt right when I got it. And here’s how I feel now after using it for a 2 weeks?

The world is flooded with people giving their First Looks. But there’s much less real world experiences. How does it actually feel to use day-to-day. Maybe it’s because the views aren’t there for it? Or maybe it’s not sexy because the First Lookers have already abandoned their device for the New Thing™.

I don’t have an answer but the first one out of the gate can tell me what I can see with my own eyes. I want something more.

  • Tell me what annoys you that you did not think would matter?
  • Tell me about a feature you were excited for but haven’t used since Day 1?
  • Tell me about something you didn’t know about and how can’t live without?
  • Tell me something that made you smile.
  • Tell me something that made you mad.
  • What’s something you didn’t know about until a friend’s friend told you? Or you saw in a Tiktok comment on an unrelated video that changed everything for you?

There’s such a gold rush to be first and earliest and loudest out of the gate. But you’re also saying the same thing as everyone else. Give me your impressions as a consumer.

At the end of the day, I trust and enjoy the reviews of people people with devices instead of the Tech Reviewers who have already moved on to the next device, computer, phone, gadget.

Managers need training to manage

We promote people into management and we just hope that they figure it out. And then we stand, mouth agape, when things go sideways. And this isn’t just a problem for our new managers. We are 40 years into this strategy and now the overwhelming majority of the workforce came up through this same form of occupational hazing. Here’s a new job. It’s very high stakes. It’s totally different from what you’ve done to date. And the skill set isn’t intuitive at all. You’re smart. You’ll figure it out. And if not, you’re fired. Good luck.

Anne Helen petersen’s How to Actually Build a Better Boss

I love when one of my favorites writers interviews some of my other favorite writers. I love Raw Signal’s work and when I saw they were being interviewed I was delighted to read more of their work from someone also deeply interested in work and work culture.

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