Many of our alums met IRL this month. They had shared experiences, yes, but some of them found it hard to mix up.
You can avoid that awkwardness by engaging in an activity:
- Escape Room
- Visit a Library
- Walk in a Park
- Gaming Zone
This removes the pressure to talk continuously to someone you’ve just met. Activities break the ice organically.
We spent a lot of time delivering content in our cohort sessions. From the next one, we’re changing the structure and moving to a flipped classroom model.
Content is out there. We need more action.
Curating good content is valuable; curating committed people more so! Getting you the right content at the right time and helping you act on it is where we’ll operate.
The future of education is fast-feedback loops.
That’s what is missing from books and YouTube. Content is everywhere; getting concrete and actionable feedback is as rare as sighting a purple cow. Let’s see how it goes!
Till now, I was brainstorming on how to expand our offering to target more user segments.
I had it wrong.
When you try to serve something for everyone, you end up serving nothing to anyone.
I’m internalizing this marketing nugget: You should have a clear idea of who you are NOT serving. Someone should see it and say, “Nope, I’m definitely not interested in that.”
If you want to state your opinion WITHOUT any opportunity for response or argument or pushback or growth, write a blog.
Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t. ― Bill Nye
Once you internalize the above, it becomes easier to shut up and listen to others. Enter every conversation assuming that you have something to learn.
Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply. ― Stephen Covey
Listen to people, and be prepared to be amazed.
If your mouth is open, you are not learning. ― Buddha
Source: Celeste Headlee’s TED Talk: 10 Ways to have a better conversation.
- Engage the audience.
Arouse interest. Capture attention. Don’t bury the lede. There’s a drop-off happening at each point. Example:
The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. ― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Show the challenge.
Make them care about what happens next. Throw in an obstacle. Choices drive the narrative forward. Example:
Buzz Lightyear replaces Woody as Andy’s favorite toy. - Show the change.
Spark an insight or two. Provide closure. Share the worldview changed along the way. Example:
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. ― George Orwell, Animal Farm
Don’t ask whether someone liked a book.
Ask whether they’ve gifted it.
Don’t ask whether someone liked a movie.
Ask whether they’ve rewatched it.
Don’t ask whether someone liked an event.
Ask whether they’ve attended it again.
Don’t ask whether someone liked a SaaS.
Ask whether they’ve renewed it.
In today’s noisy world, shouting louder is not sustainable. Make your message believed, not just noticed. Earn trust.
In his first TED talk, Bill Gates opened a jar of mosquitoes on stage. You just can’t ignore that.
Showing art to tell our story feels risky. It requires us to be vulnerable. We are biologically primed not to stand out but to fit in (more so as an introvert).
Stories reach and resonate with people. I’m actively working on it. Expect to see some storytelling from me soon.
Ideas that spread, win!
Ideas that matter, spread!
