I don’t care to read many books on business. I find too many authors are full of opinions and lack experience applying what they preach.

Rework from the founders of 37Signals is a breath of fresh air. Breath deep, relax – this book has helped me maintain a healthy perspective on my work and where it should sit in the priorities of life.

Lots of short chapters explaining their philosophy of running a company and building elegant software products. Having worked for myself and in large companies, the lessons in the book can be applied in almost any organization.

http://37signals.com/rework/

Now I’m sure Mickelson has plenty of flaws outside of golf, but it was good to see a man reaping what he sowed with his wife. I think he knows what it means to balance work and home life.

ESPN Story

Symptoms: Solution created (product or service) and can’t find a market.

Prescription: Find a business, get your hands dirty and you’ll find enough problems you can solve with a solution.

We’ve tried with mixed success to roll out SharePoint in our company to give everyone access to important files, contacts, etc. where ever they are.

Couple of problems with SharePoint
- Out of the box it doesn’t work with BlackBerry’s
- The interface can be terribly slow to work with
- Extending takes a real computer programmer

To solve the issue we’re switching to a Mac Mini Server running their wiki and blog functionality. I can see this becoming my marketing teams best friend!

It’s everything SharePoint is not, simple, limited features, clean interface, loads lightning fast, and is collaborative. It doesn’t do a lot, but it does what we need which is disseminate info and encourage feedback.

I think the differences the two technologies are a clash of cultures. Keeping it fresh and relevant is important for our key product categories.

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2207-method-picks-a-fight-with-the-jug

There are two kinds of companies I really like. One that ignores the competition entirely. And one that picks a fight. Method, and their newlaundry detergent line, is a great example of the latter.

Just returned from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual conference in New Orleans. We ran into a few of our clients amongst the miles of exhibitors. One of these physicians explained he found a few products he’d like to try, but he was overwhelmed by the number vendors. It dawned on me that the hundreds of companies on the floor were all vying for the physicians business, and many had great products – but that isn’t enough to get the business.

Our challenge is to continue simplifying not just the product, but the availability of that product. The doctors are overwhelmed by what’s available – making a better widget might be an improvement for the surgeon, but it’s not necessarily enough to win the business. Any business is fighting the inertia of existing solutions. My products and services better be radical enough to get noticed and easy enough to make the switch with minimal fuss.

I found this in an email newsletter I receive and thought it was appropriate:

I’m not saying another sport will surpass the NFL anytime soon in popularity, but I am seeing chinks in the armor of what is supposed to be the most dominant sport in America.

It seems to me the NFL has lost touch with its fans. From not being able to pay to watch my team out of state unless I have DirecTV to the outrageous blackout rule – I don’t see the NFL valuing the common fan. Access to the sport is crucial to keep a fan base satisfied, even those of us that won’t spend 10k a piece on seat licenses.

I find it interesting that in Pittsburgh, one of the most fervent football towns on the planet, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the favorite team for many < 30. I’m not saying that Heinz Field is going to close anytime soon, but I think the NFL needs to make more fan friendly decisions. Instead of shutting fans out the Penguins have people camp outside the arena and watch the games on large projectors. Even after becoming popular they continue to offer the student rush program where college students get in an hour before game time at $20.

With the potential of playing a year without the salary cap and tv executives looking for more creative ways to pay for their billion dollar investments, I think we’ll see an end of the ALL NFL era.

Something to remember when being on top – there is always someone waiting in the wings with better ideas and a more aggressive stance to acquire your customers.

I drive 45 miles one way to work each day. It’s mostly highway as I travel from wealthy suburbs in the south to wealthy suburbs in the north.

I have a game I play on most days to keep my mind occupied and it’s stirred an interesting question. Do we buy cars for our existing identity or do we conform to the image portrayed by our cars? I guess what each person in a car looks like before they pass me and then steal a quick glance to answer the question.

Is there such a thing as a transition car? Or do they all carry an identity? Cars like the Nissan Altima seem to lack an identity for their owners. Can a brand survive long-term without an identity?

What about the old Saturns? Used to be only women drove a Saturn, now that they’ve aged I see people driving them because it’s all they could afford. Newer Saturns seem to be like the Nissan Altima.

Is a mid-level sedan the worst car to own? Very few reflect anything other then a generic taste and lack of creativity to purchase something more exciting.

I work primarily for a service company that pays the bill with products. We’re in the medical field which is filled with good intention individuals that take a cautious look at any new innovations. This approach works well to protect patients and medical professionals from pre-maturely jumping on bandwagons lead by manufacturers.

Growth has come quickly and consistently with our company. We’re reaching unprecedented levels of profitability and penetration in our markets. But we’re beginning to explore other markets to extend our brand. We’re designing products, creating new service models and dreaming of ways to further improve patient care. Some of it is related to orthopaedics, but many ideas would take us outside of our current market. It’s an exciting and challenging point in my career.

AdAge has an insightful article on brand extensions that helps me process and articulate our emerging strategy. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.