Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 123

SPOS #723 – John S. Couch On The Art of Creative Rebellion

Welcome to episode #723 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #723 – Host: Mitch Joel. How do we make career choices that make our life (and business) that much more creative? John S. Couch is Vice President, Product Design for Hulu where he led the redesign of the Hulu Experience. Now he is leading the design of the future of next generation storytelling in emerging platforms and formats at Hulu. His first job out of college was curating an art show in London of Beat writer William Burroughs’ Shotgun Paintings (as implied, shotguns and exploding cans of spray paint were involved) and then, in classic young starving artist mode, he ambulated to Paris, Vienna and Tokyo before finally settling in San Francisco. He launched his design career at Wired Magazine, where he shared an office with Douglas Coupland and developed a love for technology, design and tech and, as he is fluent in Japanese and could write copy, he helped launch Wired Japan. Then he moved to LA, taking leadership roles at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), CBS and eBay before landing at Hulu. John is a true artist, and writing is one of his metier. He has written fiction in the past, but most recently published, The Art of Creative Rebellion – How to champion creativity, change culture and keep your soul. In this episode we discuss the difficult and delicate balance between art, commerce and fulfilling life. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 59:15.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
…or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with John S. Couch.
The Art of Creative Rebellion – How to champion creativity, change culture and keep your soul.
Hulu.
Follow John on Instagram.
Follow John on Twitter.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #723 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #516

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Can’t decipher Trump-speak? Meet Margaret, the computer bot – Los Angeles Times . “Two links on AI and language this week, which seems timely. First up: Margaret. It’s telling when someone’s speech patterns crash a computer. Having trouble parsing political speech—or adding in metadata like word speed? Well, there’s an app for that.” (Alistair for Hugh).
ThisWordDoesNotExist.com is rewriting the dictionary with the help of AI – The Verge . “Deleveragement. Sabbatory. Nungy. Ever hear a word that doesn’t exist but should? There’s an app for that too. It literally makes up new words, with definitions. An infinite number of monkeys may not write Shakespeare; but a very large number of CPUs can apparently make up words to rival the Bard. (BTW, this is actual site, but I figured I’d link to the article that explains it first).” (Alistair for Mitch).
Split Screen Studies – Johannes Kreidler – YouTube . “Let’s all think about making art for a while.” (Hugh for Alistair).
What Do Artists Do All Day? – Norman Ackroyd – Art Documentaries – YouTube . “Let’s all think about making art for a while.” (Hugh for Mitch).
The Day the Live Concert Returns – The Atlantic . “When I think about what has sucked the most since Covid 19 started, I realize that they are all first world problems, but they are my problems. They are problems of privilege, but they are my problems. They are problems that will make other’s eyes roll, but they are my problems. When they cancelled the Montreal Jazz Festival, when the TED conference got cancelled (for 2020 AND 2021), seeing the list of upcoming concerts and events in my calendar go by and nothing – that’s what has done me in. It’s the publicness that hurts the most. I want to go to a concert. I want to go to a conference. I want people to hang out without having six feet of distance between us. I am not alone. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame penned this lovely article about the live area. Let’s rock…” (Mitch for Alistair).
Interesting Bits – Alistair Croll – Substack . “I am stuck. I have zero speaking gigs. Speaking was my main occupation… until Covid 19. The entire industry is in chaos. Virtual events are not live events. I’ve spent well over two decades in the communications space. I have lots (and lots) of thoughts on conferences, events, business travel, and what’s happening right now (in a word: depressing… in another word: disruption). Well, right under my nose, our good friend and weekly collaborator of links, Alistair Croll, has become one of the biggest brains in where the event space should go. He’s not only writing about it on Substack (which, in and of itself, is conversation-worthy as one of the more interesting publishing platforms that has come along in the past short while), but he is running his own virtual events to give his thoughts and ideas and new tech for the event space as we manage through this. HIs next one is happening next week (May 19th, 2020). You don’t want to miss it. Also, subscribe to his Substack. It’s packed with ‘interesting bits’ as he’s called it. Well done, friend!” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Contactless To The Future

Voice is going to change everything.

As you watch the chaos listen for the word “contactless.”
Don’t touch anything.

How will we move through the world?

Everything will be more contactless.
The assumption is that the tap on mobile will drive this.
Maybe today.
Maybe tomorrow.
But not much longer after that.

Look to voice.

Think about smart speakers.
Think about smart audio.
Think about voice assistant technology.

It’s already everywhere.

It’s on your phone.
It’s on your computer.
It’s on your watch.
It’s in your car.
It’s in your electronics.
It’s in your home.
It’s in your kitchen.
It’s in your living room.
It’s in your bedroom.
It’s in your bathroom.
It’s in your office.
It’s installed on most of your smart devices.
We won’t tap.

We will speak.

“Open the door.”
“Close the door.”
“Deposit this cheque.”
“Pay for my almond milk latte (extra hot).”
“Order this…”

Voice will be the remote control for the world.

Millions of dollars in new innovations will come out of this moment.
Billions of dollars in new valuations will come out of this moment.
Things are starting up.

Things are heating up.

Amazon is in the game.
Google is in the game.
Apple is in the game.
Microsoft is in the game.
Salesforce is in the game.
Samsung is in the game.
Facebook is getting in the game.
Others will follow.

Are you in the game?

Things are shifting.
Which direction will they shift for you?
Think hard on this.
Listen closely.

Speak loudly.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

10 Great Podcasts. Thousands of Great Insights.

I’ve been getting lost in the woods.

I’ve been getting lost in the woods.
Early morning walks to the summit woods where I live.
4 miles of walking can sure clear the mind.
And fill it with questions.
And fill it with ideas.
And don’t forget to bring a notebook and pen along.
I take some of the smartest people in the world on those walks with me.
That’s the glory of podcasts.
Long, deep and insightful conversations.
Between some very beautiful minds.
You don’t have to meet your mentors.
You don’t have to meet your heroes.
You don’t have to meet your teachers.
They can be with you through books.
They can be with you through these conversations.
Listen to these.
It will be the best degree in business (and life) that you’ll ever receive.
Listen to these shows multiple times (I do).
Here are some shows that will change your thinking.
Here are some shows that will change your brain.
Here are some shows that will make you a better person.

Promise…

Here are 10 (fairly) recent podcast episodes that are simply stunning (in alphabetical order):

Akimbo from Seth Godin – The Future of the Library.
Design Matters with Debbie Millman – Ira Glass.
Fresh Air – Stephen King Is Sorry You Feel Like You’re Stuck In A Stephen King Novel.
The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish – Keeping The Flywheel In Motion with Business Consultant and Author, Jim Collins.
How I Built This with Guy Raz – Shopify – Tobias Lutke.
Making Sense with Sam Harris – #201 – May 1st, 2020 – Yuval Noah Harari.
The Moment With Brian Koppelman – Seth Godin – 03/17/2020.
Not Okay, Together – Chuck Wendig.
The Tim Ferriss Show – #409 – Brene Brown – Striving Versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages and More.
The Tim Ferriss Show – #430 – Elizabeth Gilbert – Amazing Creative Toolkit: Saying No, Trusting Intuition, Seeking Awe, Bathing In Grief and Index Cards.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

To Build Your Brand

It’s not what you think.

It’s not about starting a podcast.
It’s not about posting articles on LinkedIn.
It’s not about streaming live on Facebook.
It’s not about building a following on Twitter…
…or TiKTok…
…or Instagram…
…or Medium…
…or …
It’s not about getting media appearances.
It’s not about getting famous.

It’s about creating.

It’s about sharing.
It’s about being human.
It’s about connecting.
It’s about community.
It’s about telling stories.
It’s about people caring enough to buy from you.
It’s about people caring enough to buy into you.

First, decide what you like…

…writing…
…creating videos…
…creating audio…
…taking pictures…

Figure out what rocks your rhythm…

…short-form content…
…long-form content…

Figure out what to say…

…what to share…
…what to watch…
…what to listen to…
…what to read…
That last one is the important one.
That last one is the hard one.
That last one is the secret sauce.
The real secret sauce is reading books.
Not the feed.
Not just articles.
Actual books.
The more you read, the more you will think.
That’s where the ideas come from.
That’s where the questions come from.
That’s where the inspiration comes from.
That’s where the conversation comes from.

Then you bleed.

Do it.
Do it now.
Do it often.
Your work will suck.
Then it will suck less.
Then people might care.
Then you keep going…
…until you die…
…until you’re empty…
…until there are no ideas left to share…
…until there are no more stories left to tell…

The likelihood is this:

Your heart will stop beating before that happens.
Your impact will reach more people than it has today.
Your story will impact more than those around you now.
Your story will have a unique voice (your voice).
Over time.
Seth Godin said it best (he usually does).
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.

Now your cup is full.

That stuff in that cup…
…the way it looks…
…the way it smells…
…the way it warms others…
…the way you need to make it…
…the way that others want it…
…the way that others talk about it…
That’s your brand.
Tell your story.

Build your brand.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

The Future of Conferences, Concerts And More On CHOM 97.7 FM

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am on air at CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology, digital media and culture. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering on about what’s happening in the digital world. I’m really excited about these weekly hits, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

What might concerts and conferences might look like in the near-to-long term? Fan pods, drive-in concerts, social distancing or buying tickets/watching online? Does this all make for a great concert experience? Will we ever get back to moshpits and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other fans? (Source: Mashable – The first quarantine concert foretells music’s dystopian future and The Atlantic – Air Travel Is Going to Be Very Bad, for a Very Long Time).
Facebook released their new redesign not too long ago. Are you caught up? Have you switched over? Did you know that they now have a great Dark Mode? If you haven’t, let’s switch over and move to the dark side. (Source: Mashable – Facebook redesign goes live for everyone, dark mode included). 
App of the Week: Yousician. Learn guitar, bass, drums, ukulele and more.

You can also listen in via I Heart Radio.

Rana Foroohar On The Economy And Big Tech – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #722 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

I had not heard of Rana Foroohar until I saw her most recent book, Don’t Be Evil – How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles And All of Us, hit the shelves. Rana is the Global Business Columnist and an Associate Editor at the Financial Times. She is also CNN’s global economic analyst. Her first book, Makers and Takers – The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business, was about why the capital markets no longer support business. Prior to joining the FT and CNN, Foroohar spent six years at Time, as an assistant managing editor and economic columnist. She previously spent thirteen years at Newsweek, as an economic and foreign affairs editor and a foreign correspondent covering Europe and the Middle East. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the advisory board of the Open Markets Institute. In this episode, we discuss the current economic situation in the world, the future of business and whether or not we will excuse the past issues we had with big tech because of how we’ve all shifted towards more screen time. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #722.

SPOS #722 – Rana Foroohar On The Economy And Big Tech

Welcome to episode #722 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #722 – Host: Mitch Joel. I had not heard of Rana Foroohar until I saw her most recent book, Don’t Be Evil – How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles And All of Us, hit the shelves. Rana is the Global Business Columnist and an Associate Editor at the Financial Times. She is also CNN’s global economic analyst. Her first book, Makers and Takers – The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business, was about why the capital markets no longer support business. Prior to joining the FT and CNN, Foroohar spent six years at Time, as an assistant managing editor and economic columnist. She previously spent thirteen years at Newsweek, as an economic and foreign affairs editor and a foreign correspondent covering Europe and the Middle East. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the advisory board of the Open Markets Institute. In this episode, we discuss the current economic situation in the world, the future of business and whether or not we will excuse the past issues we had with big tech because of how we’ve all shifted towards more screen time. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 52:54.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
…or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Rana Foroohar.
Don’t Be Evil – How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles And All of Us.
Makers and Takers – The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business,.
Financial Times.
CNN.
Follow Rana on Twitter.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #722 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #515

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

The Villager And The F-18 – Deep Prasad – Medium . “I’m not a UFO (technically a UAP, or ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’) enthusiast, but I found the first part of this incredibly compelling (it gets a bit muddy and less articulate half-way through). Why are unidentified vehicles moving at impossibly fast speeds – confirmed by the government – and measured using our most sensitive tools, joy-buzzing military training areas? ‘Why are frequent incursions happening in restricted Navy airspace in the first place? … I do think I know the answer … UAPs are doing the equivalent of flying a drone in and around the restricted parts of the Area 51 base and getting away with it.’ If we weren’t busy with something else, we’d be talking about this more.” (Alistair for Hugh).
Twitter Aurora . “A team of artists and coders built a spectacular visualization of Twitter. I know some of the folks behind it, but they weren’t able to discuss it until now. If Twitter is the collective conversation many of us didn’t know we needed, then this is the MRI.” (Alistair for Mitch).
The Changing World Order – Ray Dalio – LinkedIn . “Ray Dalio, revered hedge fund gazillionaire, and amateur historian, thinks we’re about to see fundamental shifts in the world order. Corona might make that happen faster than he expected.” (Hugh for Alistair).
Dem Beats Part 1 – Todrick featuring RuPaul – Brian Friedman Choreography – YouTube . “My YouTube dance obsession continues to provide solace in these difficult times. This is a Brian Friedman choreography performed by various members of his studio to the bouncing track Dem Beats by Todrick Hall.” (Hugh for Mitch).
The Four Horsemen Post-Corona (Scott Galloway) – DLD Sync – YouTube . “The one and only Scott Galloway is back with his thinking about the digital and media landscape. This is one of the better online presentations that I have seen online – from both a content and quality perspective. The world is changing. It may be changing faster due to Covid 19. We’re all in the middle of it. Still… check this out…” (Mitch for Alistair).
I Miss The Library: And Other Thoughts on Quarantine Reading Life . “I can’t think straight. There, I said it. I haven’t read a book since the end of February. There, I said it. I am a public trustee for our local library, and I miss it dearly. I hate not knowing when the doors will open. I hate these times because I can’t think clearly. This article resonated with me. Maybe – slowly – I can make my way back to loving books… and being able to concentrate when I read. I would love nothing more than to get lost in someone else’s world…” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Ida Nielsen On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

Ida Nielsen is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #65 – Ida Nielsen.

Who is Ida Nielsen ?

She was the last bass player to be a part of Prince‘s the New Power Generation and a core member of his other backing band, 3rdeyegirl. Ida Nielsen has been playing the bass since she was 16 years old. The Denmark native moved from the rural countryside to becoming a global bass phenom (and, now, she’s back in countryside of Denmark). From Belgian and Danish pop bands to solo artist and beyond, Ida is passionate about bass-driven music. She started her work with Prince in 2010 and was with him until his untimely passing in 2016. Most recently, she put out her fifth solo album, 02022020. Ida is old school funk meets hiphop, reggae, world music and everything in between. Her melodies are infectious and her grooves are intimate and filled with soul. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in:  Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #65 – Ida Nielsen.