WTB! Diary

The Not-So-Secret Life of a Start Up

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Having your own way

Somewhere around the 11th draft version of the introductory / launch email, a passionate Bev explodes:

“Why is it so hard to get something the way I want it? This is a small thing and I can’t have it the way I want it. What if I wanted a big thing?”

- Amanda

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Moonshots for humanity

“We need more of the courage of drag queens and astronauts” says Dan Pallotta in his moving, beautiful TED talk. We don’t only need to dream big in terms of technological development, but also in terms of the development of our humanity – such as our emotional health, compassion and peace. Watch it here

- Amanda

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Why global citizens have the power to change the world

A global citizen is someone who self-identifies first and foremost not as a member of a state, tribe or nation, but instead as a member of the human race. And the world’s future depends on global citizens, Hugh Evans argues in his TED talk. If we had more global citizens active in our world, we’d be able to solve the major challenges in the world: poverty, climate change, gender inequality become solvable. Watch his talk here

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The trouble with democracy

Bev and I are running a poll to help us choose a logo for our project. The poll lets people vote and also comment. 

Bev: *sits on the couch viewing poll feedback and looking miserable*

Amanda: What’s wrong?

Bev: Democracy. It f*ks with my head.

Luckily, we are in Zimbabwe. So vote rigging comes easy.

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To celebrate being home, Bev and I did one of our favourite things - a day long walk round the city. Here are some examples of advertising, Zimbabwe style, that we came across en route.

- Amanda

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Looking for names, and inspiration, Bev turns to the haiku of Ellis Avery

- Amanda

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Counting my blessings

Leaving the flat today (and being the sometimes well behaved person I am) I waited to see the electric gate closed behind me. Sitting in my truck I noticed three guys really struggling with a wheelbarrow full of loose dry mealie cobs, as well as bags of cobs. More bags were balanced on their bicycle carriers. They were taking a breather. So I said why not chuck everything in the back of the truck and I'll take you to where you're going? A woman passing by, noticing the exchange, shouted God Bless You. I discovered that Patrick had a bad growing season (like everyone) but he has enough to get himself through the next couple of months. And then on my way to a meeting in Borrowdale I got flagged down at a Police road block. Aaaargh. But riding high on meeting and helping Patrick I flashed the police officer my best smile. He asked how I was and I said, Great, it's Friday! Then he asked if everything was Up To Date. Yes I said confidently (whilst lying through my teeth). "Your license?" - Yes! "Your extinguisher?" - Yes! "Your jack?" - Yes!

And then, with a God Bless You, he waved me on.

- Bev

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We were all young once

Bev sends me a lot of articles via Flipboard. So when she sends one and says Best Flip Ever, I sit up and take notice (not, of course, that I don’t already read every word of every article she sends me anyway).

Eli Bildner’s article on Medium From fiction to fact: What a Stanford startup class taught me about entrepreneurship and aging, really is worth a read. 

It tells the story of hard work, market research, market segmentation, minimum viable product and assumption testing that is familiar to anyone working in the lean startup space. It shares lessons learnt with honesty and humility. And Bildner shares some great data and anecdotes from his team’s research on their idea for “Silver Concierge.”

But importantly, and here’s where it really stands out, the article also shares some of what the experience taught Bildner about aging, identity, the boxes we put one another in and the ways in which we categorise groups like “senior citizens.” As Bildner puts it: 

In marking “seniors” as a categorical other, frail and dependent, we implicitly place ourselves — mere “adults” — in a false position of control. In our research, we saw this time and time again: Well-meaning but ultimately fated interventions designed to improve the lives of older adults, but through imposed change rather than earned acceptance.

Of course, you could replace “seniors” with other ways we categorise groups or create dichotomies, but it is particularly poignant in relation to aging. As Bildner notes, it isn’t a binary: old, and not old. Adults are all older adults in waiting. Respecting this gives each of us the opportunity to think differently about our own aging, and that of others.

- Amanda

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One-for-one music

I’m inspired by musician Kenna’s vision to be a one-for-one artist – think TOM’s Shoes for music. He’s committed to giving away 50% of what he makes with his music to causes he and his fans care about.

In Kenna’s words: “Across the world, we have many things in common. Most of us believe in something greater than us, we all want to know who we are and why we’re here, and we all want to know what our purpose is.”

Speaking at the Points of Light conference last year, he shared his purpose: to shift the paradigm in music from greed to give. He is committed to incorporating service into his everyday life and gifts. He has a vision where every time you bought a song or went to a concert, the artist you were supporting shared those proceeds with causes you both care about.

This might sound impossible, but one of Kenna’s favourite phrases is “why not.” But if anyone has the drive, determination and ambition to dream bigger, entertain his crazy and do it anyway, it’s him.

Watch his talk (and hear him perform) here

- Amanda

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Ask generous questions

I had been mulling questions and answers and then I got this from a friend today:

Questions elicit answers in their likeness. Answers mirror the questions they rise, or fall, to meet. So while a simple question can be precisely what’s needed to drive to the heart of the matter, it’s hard to meet a simplistic question with anything but a simplistic answer. It’s hard to transcend a combative question. But it’s hard to resist a generous question. We all have it in us to formulate questions that invite honesty, dignity, and revelation. There is something redemptive and life-giving about asking better questions.  Krista Tippett

- Bev

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Failing to try is worse than failing

“Originals are the people you want to bet on - and they look nothing like I expected,” says author and organisational psychologist Adam Grant. Grant shares three things he’s learnt about recognising originals and becoming a little more like them:

Originals are late to the party (as in, “you call it procrastinating, I call it thinking”). Be quick to start, but slow to finish.

Originals feel doubt and fear – just like the rest of us. They just manage it differently. Self doubt is paralysing – But idea doubt can galvanising and inspiring creativity.

Originals have a lot of bad ideas – They don’t get it right the first time either. We remember the successes, but they fail a lot of times too, because they try a lot more times.

Grant is funny, personable and interesting - and he passed on an early stage Warby Parker investment. Whoops! Watch his TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers.

- Amanda

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Our fucked up world

A post on Medium about "finding purpose in the loss of our son" is described as a 6 minute read.

Grief on a timetable.

- Bev

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“"Procrastination is fear cloaked in nonchalance." -- @CatClifford https://t.co/SbednVj9jx”

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240262

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NYC street art

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Please exhale and enjoy your ride

A real highlight today was the metro ride to meet Jacky. The conductor was really chatty. Like Really Chatty over the loudspeaker when he announced the stations. Maybe he was also a bit drunk? Or high? Or just friendly. And chatty. So with every stop there was a long story - but a lovely story ... like a little historic anecdote or delightful turn of phrase or observation about the place.

- good evening ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome all of you who are fashionably late - what a delightful pleasure it is to have you on board this train - without you, there is no me, so please exhale and enjoy your ride - hope your days are filled with peace, love, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity

I overheard some people behind me talking about him. One said how, with so much shit going on in the world today, if he wants to be happy, it's better than the alternative. Go right ahead, I'll take it. The other said she's a psychologist - she works with a lot of unhappy people every day - and this is such a good experience for her.

- Amanda

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It’ll be alright in the morning

How do you know your period is about to start? You eat half a bar of Lindt whole nut, a box of Danish cookies (cappuccino and choc chip) and you fall asleep in the middle of the day for 2 hours. Oh, and the sky gets so low it rests on top of your head.

- Bev

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DC, meet WTB!