Tomorrow I fly off to the Theme Zoom’s Arizona offices to work with Sue
Bell for a couple of weeks. During this time we will finalize several
things that will be helpful to every Theme Zoom member.
I want to make a comment that addresses something that several of you have
commented on.
Technology “appears” to behaving oddly to a higher degree than “seems”
normal. It is almost as if there is a glitch in the matrix. I do not know
if this seeming “oddity” is a statistical reality or if it is a cognitive
illusion that is simply heightened by a sense of weird weather.
I do know that many of the weather affects we are experiencing in
Wisconsin are absolutely a statistical anomaly. This means strange
phenomenon like this has not occurred anytime in recent history. This is
both interesting and exciting. But here is some advice from a computer
addict:
Advice for when your technology is not acting properly:
1. Don’t try to FORCE technology to work. (I know you know what I am
talking about!)
If you are sitting in front of the computer waiting for something to
happen, and you have the gnawing feeling in your stomach that everything
you are doing is an absolute waste of time . . . STEP AWAY FROM THE
COMPUTER. Sometimes you need to “reboot” your perspective. When you return
after taking a break (recommended that you take MORE than 30 minutes) you
will often fine that several “next actions” will have become perfectly
clear.
2. Ask For Help!
Don’t be a dopamine fool. The human brain is wired to keep us “glued” to a
problem even if the problem ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be solved. This behavior is
driven by a little trick that evolution has played on us. Dopamine makes
it seem as if the carrot is always hanging from the stick almost within
mental reach. Believe me when I say that this neurological substance is
just as addictive as a classified drug. For more information on this
please read the book called “Satisfaction” by Dr. Gregory Berns. The
difference between “intelligent” people and WISE people is that wise
people know the INSTANT they have been hooked by biological programming.
(This is why we become such lethal marketers).
So. When you catch yourself being hooked . . . stop what you are doing,
step AWAY from the computer . . . and go get the yellow pages! Yeah. You
heard me . . . the PRINT yellow pages.
3. Don’t Worship Technology.
Technology = From Greek. tekhnologia "systematic treatment of an art,
craft, or technique,"
The key meaning is “art” or “craft” . . . not “self torture” and
“humiliation”. Technology is a means to an end, not an end in itself. This
same goes while using any software application or web service. Garbage in,
garbage out.
4. Remember there is a Turk in the Machine.
There are PEOPLE behind technologies that we use every day. Success does
not happen in a vacuum. I can’t tell you how many times I have spent hours
trying to solve a simple problem on my server only to have the issue
resolved by a 30 second phone call to someone else on my team. This is of
course connected to my attempt to solve the problem by myself as warned
about in number 2 above.
Ask yourself: who are the people behind this organization or software
application. What sort of “people” were the people who programmed this
darn thing. I have found that the usefulness or sillyness of a software
application almost always reflects the mind of the creator- or the degree
to which the programmer understood the problem that was needing to be
solved.
The “turk” in the machine, also associated with the Mechanical Turk
program at Amazon, was a hoax perpetuated in the late 18th century. An
automated chess player was created by Wolfgang von Kempelen which,
surprisingly, fooled a lot of people who enjoyed being tricked. This
machine could play chess and even defeat human opponents. It was, of
course, a hoax.
There was a little man sitting in the machine who was a dang good chess
player. He defeated both Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin. But . .
. you already know how to read Wikipedia, so I wont expand on this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk
5. People buy Solutions, they do NOT buy Software
I have spoken to several of you who are developing software applications.
This appears to be a growing trend. I have shared my own personal growth
process being involved in building the software application Krakken/Theme
Zoom. Just because you spend a million dollars building something does not
mean that people will buy it. Sales and marketing are EVERYTHING. You have
to listen to your users, take the feedback, and revise when it is
appropriate.
In the end the software developer had to remember that he is selling the
solution to a problem that is actually occurring in the field, not in an
Ivory Tower. There is a whole generation of software applications and
intelligence gathering tools being developed that we never would have
thought possible even 2 years ago. I am excited to be in an industry where
almost ANYTHING is possible!
Have a great week. I will catch you in Arizona and update you on our
developmental process with the Krakken application.
- Russell Wright
