Clay Shirky: What I Learned About Creativity By Watching Creatives
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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Conan O'Brien: Our Perceived Failure Can Be a Catalyst for Profound Reinvention
Way back in the 1940s, there was a very funny man named Jack Benny. He was a giant star and easily one of the greatest comedians of his generation. And a much younger man named Johnny Carson wanted very much to be Jack Benny. In some ways he was, but in many ways he wasn’t. He emulated Jack Benny, but his own quirks and mannerisms, along with a changing medium, pulled him in a different direction. And yet his failure to completely become his hero made him the funniest person of his generation. David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson, and was not, and as a result my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are—my peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound reinvention.
So, at the age of 47, after 25 years of obsessively pursuing my dream, that dream changed. For decades, in show business, the ultimate goal of every comedian was to host "The Tonight Show." It was the Holy Grail, and like many people I thought that achieving that goal would define me as successful. But that is not true. No specific job or career goal defines me, and it should not define you. In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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Chatter for the Week Ending May 11, 2012
That's some smug dog.
The First World Problems meme has arrived, and some of the examples are really funny.
Here's a quick look at the path your trash might take on its way to the landfill.
Amusement rides continue to innovate. (No, thank you!)
Fun: High-fiving in Pisa.
I'm not sure if the Gotye/Kimbra collab is better when two kids lip-sync it, but it is cuter.
Chatter is a weekly collection of links to articles that Medallia employees found relevant, interesting, or just plain fun.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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A Collection of Tiny Details
Getting the details right is the difference between something that delights, and something customers tolerate.
Your software, your product, is nothing more than a collection of tiny details. If you don't obsess over all those details, if you think it's OK to concentrate on the "important" parts and continue to ignore the other umpteen dozen tiny little ways your product annoys the people who use it on a daily basis—you're not creating great software. Someone else is. I hope for your sake they aren't your competitor.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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On Being Busy—or Not
Instead of saying "I don't have time" try saying "it's not a priority," and see how that feels. Often, that's a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don't want to. But other things are harder. Try it: "I'm not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it's not a priority." "I don't go to the doctor because my health is not a priority." If these phrases don't sit well, that's the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don't like how we're spending an hour, we can choose differently.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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Chatter for the Week Ending May 4, 2012
Still as relevant as ever: "These markets are conversations."
Time for some spring cleaning!
How cutlery affects your food: "Avoid cod with zinc, but do try copper with mango."
And last, remembering MCA.
Chatter is a weekly collection of links to articles that Medallia employees found relevant, interesting, or just plain fun.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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The Art is the Assembly
You know what I love about jazz and improvisation? It’s all process. 100%. The essence of it is the process, every time is different, and to truly partake in it, you have to visit a place to see it in progress. Every jazz club or improv comedy theater is a temple to the process of production. It’s a factory, and the art is the assembly, not the product. Jazz is more verb than noun. And in a world riddled with a feeling of inertia, I want to !nd a verb and hold on to it for dear life.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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Chatter for the Week Ending April 27, 2012
Now free, on the Kindle: Why the Kindle Will Fail
Lady Liberty's face, pre-install.
Shake and fold to save 571,230,000 pounds of paper ever year.
And lastly, Believe in your smelf.
Chatter is a weekly collection of links to articles that Medallia employees found relevant, interesting, or just plain fun.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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Valve's Handbook for New Employees
Software company Valve, which creates games, distributes a Handbook for New Employees, and it's a gem. Check it out in detail.
Posted by Ryan Dunphey
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