Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 294

Apple's Marketing Secrets

Episode #347 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Welcome to episode #347 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. If you ask veteran marketing professional, Ken Segall, what made Apple so great, he can sum it up in two words: insanely simple. It's also the title of his recent business book, Insanely Simple. As a writer, Segall has worked at many agencies over the years and worked with Steve Jobs from the "Think Different" to iMac days and beyond. It wasn't just a lesson in simplicity from Jobs that inspired Segall, but rather an ethos that he hopes to drive through all organizations who are willing to listen. This is a fascinating conversation not just about Apple and their marketing strategy but how to think differently... and simpler about the brands that you work with. 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 - The Twist Image Podcast #347.

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Google Glass And Thinking Differently About Technology

Google's Project Glass is a very interesting product.

At this week's TED 2013 conference in Long Beach, I had the chance to wear and tinker with Google Project Glass (for photographic proof, you can follow me on Twitter and see the pictures). My expectations were not high and the product blew me away (big time). There has been a lot of online discussion about what it means to be wearing these pair of Internet-enabled glasses that made me think that this technology was not ready for prime time. That online discussion is wrong. The discourse has been around everything from the weight and feel of the glasses (they feel great and don't weigh much at all... in fact, they were surprisingly light), to privacy (how do we know when people wearing the glasses are recording everything?), to more privacy issues (can Google see, capture and use everything our eyes now see?) to how we interact with one another (will we be paying attention to the people in front of us or the screen?).

What the experience of Google Glass is really like.

It is hard to tell from looking at the glasses and seeing the video demos, but your vision is not obstructed by the screen at all. In fact, if you're looking at people or in your general field of vision, you don't even see the screen. I know that this will surprise many people, but it's true. To see the screen, you actually have to look up and to the right. Imagine trying to move your eyes as high and to the right as you can without moving your head. That's where the screen resides. It's also shaped and colored in a way that does not distract your general view in the least bit. I have been somewhat surprised by a lot of the online commentary, because I would not have thought that Google would create a device with a screen that annoys your regular, life experience, and these glasses do not. In fact, you don't even notice the screen unless you actively force your eyes to see it. In short, it was an amazing and different experience. It was as fascinating as the first time I tried a mobile phone or put my hands on the screen of an iPhone.

What you quickly realize about Google glasses.

Google glasses is an intermediary technology. Nothing more. Nothing less. It is the first step in removing us human beings from having to hold on to a technology that must be manipulated by our fingers as we move to wearable technology that is manipulated with our eyes and our voice. That is the first big step. Beyond this movement away from having to carry a device in our pockets, it is the intermediary until we're at the next big step, when any surface can project the information it shares, instead of having to wear the actual screen over our eyes. Once you wear the glasses and feel what it's like to receive audio via bone conduction, speak commands and have it move through your choices seamlessly, it becomes immediately clear that the future is not in wearing glasses just because something has to house the screen, but the ability to just see the content anywhere and everywhere. A true heads up display for life.

The distraction of screens.

Some worry that having a screen situated over your top right eye will cause us to lose all human connection. That while someone is standing in front of us, we can be making eye contact while truly being distracted by whatever notifications the glasses are pumping through. The people who are saying this probably haven't tried them on or worked with them long enough to realize that interacting with the screen at this point is just as rude as fumbling in your pocket for a phone or looking at everyone else around you while the person in front of you is speaking. Technology won't make humans have better manners. Human beings are going to have to get better at managing their technology and not allowing the technology to manage them. This isn't an issue specific to Google Glasses. People have allowed their devices to ping, ring and interrupt since those features were first made available. Google Glasses doesn't aggravate that situation anymore than what we're currently dealing with.

Everything you say...   

In my first book, Six Pixels of Separation, I wrote that in a social media world that is being increasingly co-opted by smartphones and mobile devices, everything that we say and do can now be used against us in the court of public opinion. That still rings true. Governments are moving beyond fixed cameras on streets to drones for surveillance and more. Citizens have moved from simple camera functionality to full-boar HD video that can be recorded and streamed live from an iPhone. I'm not sure why people are (somewhat) up in arms arms about Google Glass and what it's recording. The easiest way to deal with privacy and more is this: if someone you're talking to is wearing these glasses and you do not want the conversation documented, simply ask them to remove the glasses. What guarantees do we have that they're not still recording it on their smartphone or that the person sitting nearby wearing the glasses isn't recording your conversation as well? Who knows. I think Jeff Jarvis and his book, Public Parts, is on to something as we live in a world where everyone and anyone can report our lives in text, images, audio and video: We have to redefine what we consider "private."

Is it the next big thing?

There is no doubt that wearable technology and products like Google's glasses are a peek into what the world will look like in the not-so-distant future. Still, it feels like an intermediary technology as it quickly evolves to a more interesting area: one where the screen can be anywhere and everywhere. So, if you think people who wear Google Glasses will be ignoring you as they stare at their screen, I would caution you to look at the current state of our world, where a circle of friends often includes some who are on their smartphones and not being active participants in the moment. While Apple races to deliver their first iteration of wearable technology, Google also proved something powerful with Google Glasses: they have quickly (and once again) become one of the most innovative and fascinating companies in the world.

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Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #141

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 (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik) and I decided that every week or so 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 Sopranos of Montreal - International Herald Tribune . "The three of us know this story. Montreal's government is under scrutiny for corruption--everything from sabotaging snow-cleaning efforts to fixing bids on concrete. While much of it sounds like scenes from The Sopranos, it's happening right here. But many of the people who don't live in Montreal and read this won't know the details. And when the New York Times covers it, well, I get a weird sense of civic pride." (Alistair for Hugh).

Dr. Seldon, I presume - The Economist . "Want to know where H1N1 will spread? Or where someone will be tomorrow? Or how many people it takes to sway public opinion? Or even to generate a working model of a society? Look no further than the rising tide of social data, from which researchers can harvest signals that let them predict the world around us. This piece from the Economist considers the likelihood of a predictable society--and based on what I'm seeing at the Strata conference this week, it's pretty accurate." (Alistair for Mitch).

The Shape of History - The Chronicle of Higher Education . "Big Data. Big History. Love it." (Hugh for Alistair).

487: Harper High School, Part One - This American Life . "The Sandy Hook massacre was horrific, 20 dead kids, and 6 more adults killed, from a lone gunman. It has focused America's attention like no other event on guns and gun control. As horrible as Sandy Hook was, it was the most extreme example of a pervasive problem, one that in some communities is not just a single moment of terror, but a constant flood of it. This episode of This American Life examines life in a school in Chicago where last year 29 current and recent students were shot. Not at once, but over the course of the year. In one segment, a member of the school's football team says that *every one* of his team members has been shot at in the past few years. The most fascinating thing to me about this story, and something that was mentioned just in passing, is this: Chicago's police have cracked down on gang activity in the past few years, and put most gang leaders in jail. The result? More violence. Whatever else organized gangs do, they also provide a sort of (out)law enforcement in the communities they operate in. When you destroy the bigger organized gangs... what you get is lots of small, unorganized gangs, and much much more violence. I have no idea what the solutions are. Do you?" (Hugh for Mitch).

Code.org . "How many languages should our kids learn? When I ask that question, many people think I'm talking about French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and more. I'm not. When I think about true bilingualism or multi-lingual children, I think about learning the language of code. You have to stop everything and watch this star-studded short video about why it's so important for every child in North America... no, in the world... to learn how to code. Interestingly, the most powerful point comes from The Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am who says: not teaching your kid to code - in this day and age - is the equivalent of not teaching them to read and write. Powerful and true stuff." (Mitch for Alistair).

Content marketing is our next big revenue threat -- unless we embrace it now - INMA . " Jay Rosen tweeted out the link to this article. After reading it, I realized that brands and advertisers are quickly becoming the next big threat to the newsroom. It's not an epiphany. It's not something that I haven't written about before, but it's an interesting thought to read about and think about. Journalism isn't being threatened by blogs and the Internet. Journalism is now being threatened by brands and advertisers who are hiring journalists and building newsrooms to tell a story. Brands used to have to pay for access to an audience. Now, through the profound power of the Internet and social media, we're seeing what real and true direct relationships look like... and this is still very early days." (Mitch for Hugh).

Now it's your turn: in the comment section below pick one thing that you saw this week that inspired you and share it.

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Where Innovation Happens

Where do you think innovation happens?

Are you doing your best work when you are alone with your ideas? Are you doing your best work when you're collaborating at the office with your peers? Do you do your best work early in the morning before the chickens get squawking? Do you do your best work late at night while wearing headphones that are blasting your favorite tunes? Do you do your best work while sitting at your desk or are you more comfortable in the cafe at the corner? Does your best stuff come from tinkering in the shed or asking your colleagues at the office for an opinion.

Spend some time in deep meditation about this.

This past week, the tech world (and those paying attention to the business of Silicon Valley) were shocked that Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, has put an end to telecommuting and working from home if you're an employee of Yahoo (you can read more about it here: The Yahoo memo and Marissa Mayer's big innovation gamble). From The Washington Post article: "It might just be one of the biggest 'bet-the-company' moves to create a culture of innovation that we've ever seen in Silicon Valley. Marissa Mayer is essentially saying to her employees, 'If you're not 100 percent vested in making Yahoo one of the greatest companies in Silicon Valley once again, then you're not the right fit for us anymore.' The telecommuting ban functions much like a tempting buyout offer from a company trying to slim down via attrition. It's a test of how dedicated employees are to her vision for the New Yahoo..."

Ask yourself again, where does innovation happen?

Yahoo is an interesting company. With as much business as the generate as a media entity, few (if any) people see Yahoo as a progressive or innovative organization. Rather than this being a slight against employees who have young children or those who are not regularly required to attend pre-determined meetings, Mayer needs to do this. It's less about an "all hands on deck" (although that too is needed) and much more about innovation. Breakthroughs, collisions, ideas and sparks happen when people can bounce things off of one another. There is an energy, feel and pulse when people get together, hang out, push each other and force the work. Sure, there's no problem when individuals need time alone to get the work done, but this does not mean that any individual can remove themselves from the overall corporate culture. Every team needs a home base. Every team needs a place to regularly and consistently get together to hack the system.

It's not for everyone.

I realize that my comments may have some of you rolling your eyes. I realize that many people have some harsh thoughts for what Mayer has done. I would encourage everyone to take a deep breathe, step back, look at Yahoo's position and ask where this innovation is going to come from? There is no doubt that moments at home to toil on some deeper reflections that might bring out a new result are a critical component of where innovation happens. But the real answer to the question: where does innovation happen is this: it happens everywhere. You need all of the inputs and places and people and inspiration listed above. Still, with that, you need a true home base. Working from home can work for some businesses and there are countless examples of organizations that make it work, but humans really do create amazing things when we get together, rally around a specific ideology and reach for the stars.

It's painful but it shouldn't be.

I don't think that Mayer was trying to make people not like her or perceive her to be counter-current-culture. It seems like she cares deeply about making things work at Yahoo and, with that, she wants her team to be together and get the job done. We'll know in a few short years if Yahoo is able to pull it off. True innovation comes from many and multiple inputs. It's not just from home. It's not just from the office. Bringing people together to encourage that ideology is a smart move and another brave step in attempting to make Yahoo today what it once was.

What do you think?

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As TED 2013 Takes Place, Here Are 10 TED Talks To Help You Re-imagine Your Business

It's happening right now.

Thousands of very lucky individuals are seated in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center as you are reading this and they're having their minds blown by business leaders, scientists, innovators, agitators, inventors, designers and artists at TED 2013. TED (which stands for Technology Entertainment Design) has become a brand name in the past few years as they have uploaded their archive of 18-minute presentations from their highly exclusive annual event which started in 1984 as a one-off, but became an annual ritual in 1990 to TED.com. Originally available only online, the speeches are now distributed and broadcasted on TV, radio, podcasts and even on Netflix. I have been fortunate to have attended the annual conference since 2008. Pushing the brand further, TED is now a global community of people with the same interests as the foundation's tagline: "ideas worth spreading." Independent organizers are encouraged to run their own events (called TEDx), there is an annual TED Global event, a TED Prize for individuals with a vision to change the world for the better, TED Fellows and more extensions of the brand than you could imagine for an organization of this nature. What people don't seem to understand is that the famed TED Talks, while inspiring and informative, wind up being only a fraction of what the true TED experience is all about. From the hallway conversations, to coffee breaks, dinners, parties and even the people you run into in the hotel gym, TED is an experience that helps businesspeople unlock a new way to think about the work that they do, where they are going as leaders and our collective role in the evolution of the world. In the spirit of TED 2013 - which is happening this week - here are 10 amazing TED Talks that will get you thinking differently about what your business could be, how to be a better leader and how to become a better global citizen:

Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability . There is a reason this talk by researcher Brene Brown has been seen close to eight million times. Are characteristics like empathy and love a key ingredient in the making of a successful leader? Her latest book is called, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead and her area of study includes vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Her presentation will get you to think differently about what it means to be a true leader.

Julie Burstein: 4 lessons in creativity . When we think of creativity, we often think of art, but creativity permeates everything. Julie Burstein started to define and uncover what creativity is and how it affects our culture through the creation of Public Radio International's Studio 360 radio program (which was hosted by novelist Kurt Anderson). She published her first book, Spark: How Creativity Works in 2011 and now hosts her own podcast, Pursuit of Spark! Watch this TED talk to inspire more creativity in your work and personal life.

Susan Cain: The power of introverts . Like to read? Like private time to do your work on your own? Do you think that collaboration is over-rated? Would you rather spend time alone than out at a party? According to Susan Cain and her incredibly popular book from last year, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, you may not be alone... and if you are, there's nothing wrong with it. It turns out that some of our best thinkers and innovators are introverted. This TED talk will get you thinking differently about the work space that you create, the people that you hire and how you motivate them.

Seth Godin: The tribes we lead . Leading business and marketing practitioner, Seth Godin, imagines a world where the mass market dies. A world where mediocrity holds no economic value and he creates a vision for the world that is led by the brands that can develop, nurture and build a tribe of followers. While much of Godin's thinking has come to bear true in our social media-induced world, this TED Talk will get you thinking differently about where you spend your marketing dollars... and who you spend them on.

James Kunstler: How bad architecture wrecked cities . James Kunstler has a problem with urban sprawl. In fact, he calls it, "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known." People look at Tony Hsieh (Zappos' CEO) and think his investment of over $300 million to rejuvenate downtown Las Vegas is crazy. What Kunstler and Hsieh know is this: with each passing year, more and more human beings move to cities. As this continues to intensify (and it is), do we just create boring and depressing spaces or do we wake up and turn urban planning into the art form that it deserves to become? Kunstler's presentation will make you laugh at how horrific we have been about planning our living spaces. Watching this will get you thinking differently about the physical spaces you occupy in your work and play.

John Maeda: Designing for simplicity . If you're looking for a TED Talks that engenders every pillar of the word "TED" - technology, entertainment and design, this would be the talk. John Maeda is the President of the Rhode Island School of Design and author of the bestselling book, Laws of Simplicity. The book was published in 2006 right before this TED Talk took place. Too many business leaders fail to understand the profound power that a culture of design can instill in an organization. Steve Jobs at Apple may have been one of a few who did understand the merits of being so insanely occupied with strong design. Watch this presentation if you're struggling to understand the merits of what great design can do to move a brand from good to great.

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world . Are you worried about your kids because they're spending too much time on their Xbox or iPad playing video games? Jane McGonigal  wants you to pay attention to what she has to say. The author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World and Director of Games Research & Development at the Institute for the Future is not only on a mission ensure that a game developer wins a Nobel Peace Prize, but a mission to help all of us understand the power and value that comes from a world where people are playing more games. Don't think this is critical to your business' future? Think about the power of gamification in some of the world's biggest brands - from Twitter and Facebook to Google and Apple. All of these companies use gamification in both their products and in motivating their employees for maximum success. Watch this presentation so that you can start figuring out how to add more games to your work. 

Clay Shirky: Institutions vs. collaboration . When it comes to understanding media and technology (and where it is all going), there are few smarter than Clay Shirky. In this 2005 TED Talk, Shirky uncovers what we have since come to know as truth: that the more the Internet opens up and connect us all, the more powerful we become. We have moved from a world of scarcity to one of abundance in how we share, create and collaborate with information. If your business struggles with the notions of openness and transparency, this should get you thinking differently. It's amazing to think that this presentation took places years before the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements.

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement . If you really want your business to succeed, you need to start a movement. How many people does it take to start a movement? In this three minute presentation, Derek Sivers (the founder of CD Baby) dissects it all for you while a popular YouTube video plays in the background. It's a fascinating examination into what it takes to get people to follow and believe in you. Hint: it's not that complicated and it doesn't take that much.

Don Tapscott: Four principles for the open world. Don Tapscott is one of the few people who has seen the future coming... on multiple occasions. The bestselling author, researcher and futurist will open your business eyes to the body of a world that has so fundamentally changed... and few businesses are truly understanding this change and capitalizing on it. These aren't even big ideas like how connected we are and the pace of change in business, but rather how our connected culture is reshaping the very world we live in. This one will open your eyes and, if your eyes are already open, prepare for them to open even wider.

Which TED Talks have inspired you to think differently about your business? Please share them below in the comments section...

The above posting is my twice-monthly column for the Harvard Business Review . I cross-post it here with all the links and tags for your reading pleasure, but you can check out the original version online here:

Harvard Business Review -

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Learning How To Jam

Let the tape roll and see what happens.

One of the most important lessons that I learned from my days in the music industry (which was a long, long time ago) is that artists - true artists - don't like to play by the rules or work within the confines of lines and structure. Yes, music is structured. It must be orchestrated and more, but the true joy that these musicians and artists always uncover happens from the most odd moments of discovery. The idea of jamming plays a prominent role in the history of all music. Mozart didn't just put notes on a paper. He tinkered, toiled and jammed with his instruments until something interesting happened. Maybe he even jammed with other musicians to see how a particular phrase would play out. The Beatles did it the same way and, while you can do it with an app and a computer, there's something magical about jamming with others. Watching them discover their own instruments and time signatures.

How often do you jam?

Personally, I am jamming right now. I am playing with thoughts and words as they come to me. I am watching my brain connect to my fingers as it tries to figure out the next words to write. While I'm hoping that it' s something valuable and something that you can use in your everyday work, I'm also embracing the idea that I don't often write about jamming with words, jamming with ideas and even jamming with you. I was a never a fan of music school because the main focus was on learning to read and write the notes on paper. I much preferred reserving a jam room (or finding a fellow musician's basement) to create an environment where I could go head to head with my peers and see what would come through the amplifiers.

It might get loud.

Jamming is far from perfect. Jamming is an opportunity to really test your thinking and your creative skills in a new and interesting way. Right now, I'm writing this blog post from 37,000 feet in the air as I make my way to TED 2013. I know what happens next. I know I have to take a deep breath before I get off of the plane and re-align my brain and attitude for what the next full week of TED Talks and connections is going to do to me. It's just another form of jamming. Why? Jamming is not just about fiddling around to see what happens. Jamming is actually - at its core - about creating a sense of discovery. When people ask about the frequency of posts to this blog or the reason I am so diligent with my podcasting, it is because my sense of discovery when it comes to the business world knows no limits. I'm not bored with it and it's exciting. I can't wait to jam on some other riff or idea that you put into this world.

You don't know what's going to happen next. 

That sense of not knowing what's going to happen next or the fear that a mistake will be made is not something that should turn you off from jamming. In fact, it is in those exact moments when the best stuff is usually created. It is in that tension. Think about the times that you gave a speech that you were reading from a slide deck - or worse - from a pre-written document. Have you ever noticed that some of the most memorable moments are the things that you improv in the moment. That doesn't mean that you go on stage not being prepared. Don't kid yourself. Most musicians have put in their 10,000 hours (thank you, Malcolm Gladwell). They know their instruments and they know what they're capable of. Musicians provide great inspiration to businesspeople because of their ability to try stuff, to risk it and to take a chance on something that may be utter and complete junk... or possibly the next big hit.

Get some feeling.

There are only so many notes and so many chord progressions in the world. What separates one musician from another is their feel. Two accomplished musicians can both pick up the same electric guitar to play a G chord and they will sound completely different. No two musicians are alike. What we appreciate - in business and in music - is someone who has a great feel. Just look at the difference between Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. They're both amazing and top performers and they both have very different feels, don't they? Finesse and feel is what makes us all unique and interesting.

In the age of technology.

In the age of technology it is easy to automate and augment nearly everything that we do. There are even systems in place to help us curate and publish content. I'm pleading with you to think about this: In the age of technology we need to keep at the human element. It is the human element that raises an eyebrow, inspires us, makes us cry, makes us think and, ultimately, makes us better. Take the ideas of jamming above and think about how you can add more jamming to your day. It could be in meetings, in brainstorm sessions, at a networking event or even in how you blog, tweet or post to Facebook. You're going to discover something new and that's really the most exciting thing about being in business.

Isn't it?

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Are Consumers Smart Enough For Smart TV?

Smart TV growth is about to explode.

That's the news out of MediaPost yesterday according to the article: Smart TV Growth Is Set To Explode. But, the bigger question is this: are consumers ready and knowledgeable enough to make this work? I believe that media can be both passive (I'm just watching it!) or active (I'm tweeting! Updating! Creating!). There is this notion that traditional passive media companies (TV, print, radio, etc...) must become active media if they want to compete in a world of iPads and social media. That may or may not be accurate.

Two stories to understand before embracing the power of Smart TV...

Personal story #1: I do not think that I am that much different from the average media consumer (with the exception that I am an infovore and probably consume more copious amounts of the stuff). After a long, hard day (or on the weekend), I'm not inclined to sit on the couch with my MacBook Air and continually create, share or talk about content. I'm much more content to recline and just let a TV show or movie wash over me. When 10 pm hits, it's not about chatting or sharing, it's about closing the lid of the computer or putting the iPad away and just allowing some form of video content to wash over me. Let them do the heavy lifting.

Personal story #2: I finally bought Apple TV. I know... I know... I can't explain what took me so long. I had a Roku streaming system, but it just didn't draw me in. Last weekend, I installed Apple TV. Here was the process: move the TV around to plug it in, turn on the unit, get the Apple puck to connect to my home network, install the updates to the firmware (close to 30 minutes of waiting), sign in to my iTunes, grab the remote app for my iPhone, realize that my iPhone and Apple TV were not on the same network, fix that problem, get my Netflix subscription going, plug that information into the Apple TV platform, log into my YouTube channel so that my history is there, understanding AirPlay and how to get my screens to share nicely, and more. All said and done: close to two hours of work. Still, I need to explain how everything works to everyone else in the household.

You have to be smart if you want Smart TV.

The profound power and growth of the iPhone, iPad and other tablets/smartphones is in how the technology has come to a point where the technology has removed the technology from the technology. There are few (if any) hurdles to getting these products up and running. As simple as Apple TV was to set-up in relation to installing Windows back in the day, it's still a multi-step process that forced me to incur many moments of frustration and hurdles. It's not seamless. Plus, the true power of Smart TV (which is, essentially, a TV that is connected to an Internet router that will allow you to stream content) is in the paid products. The fun of watching YouTube quickly wanes and getting movies, TV shows and more from iTunes or Netflix is an additional cost on top of the TV set, the DVR, the cable subscription and the home network installation. From the MediaPost news item mentioned above: "'Consumers are now increasingly buying big-screen TVs that include the Internet capabilities, even if they're specifically looking for [those capabilities] or not,' Veronica Thayer, TV systems analyst at IHS, tells Marketing Daily. While many television manufacturers are working on developing their own identifiable user interfaces for their smart TVs, the big growth could come from manufacturers striking partnerships with cable and satellite television providers, Thayer says. Currently, many of the television providers only exist on smart TV platforms via apps, but a partnership with television manufacturers would give these companies a greater presence on the device's user interface once it is set up in the home."

So, is Smart TV really just the old TV with some apps?

There is no doubt that we are quickly moving towards a one screen world, where the only screen that matters is the screen that is in front of me. There is also no doubt that while we will always have companion devices, the screens - as we have separately identified them (TV screen, movie screen, smartphone, tablet, car's dashboard, etc...) - are becoming strikingly similar in terms of looks and functionality. What we still haven't understood is the true intent and desire of the consumer. Are they that interested in TV becoming an active media over their current use of it as a passive media? What we do know: it's not a zero sum game. For every person that is active on Twitter, there are also individuals who are simply there to follow and read what the celebrities are up to. For every person who just wants to decompress, unplug and watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta, there are those who are tweeting and sharing on Facebook while watching the Superbowl. Without a doubt, TVs will continue to get smarter and smarter and more connected. The most interesting data points that we have yet to see are how many of these Smart TVs actually get connected to the Internet, and what is the usage like? How often are plugged in and Smart TV users actually using these services versus sitting back and watching repeats of Storage Wars?

Just trying to get my TV to be smart made me feel pretty dumb. How about you?

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The Trusted Marketer

Episode #346 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Welcome to episode #346 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. There are marketing legends and then there are people like Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. In short: any idea that excites us about marketing these days (from social media to big data and beyond) are theories that Peppers and Rogers have already researched and published long before we even had a name for them. They invented the term one-to-one marketing to "illustrate the importance of treating different customers differently." In 1993 they founded their own consulting company, Peppers & Rogers Group, to help brands understand the ever-changing world of the consumer, the power of data, CRM, the customer revolution and how to make marketing more effective. They released their tenth business book, Extreme Trust (about the new dynamics of competition), in April of 2012 and, it is my honor that they both agreed to come on the podcast. 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 - The Twist Image Podcast #346.

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The Filter, The Advisor And Your Personal Advisory Board

What would Malcolm Gladwell do?

One of the easiest ways to guide my professional and community life has been to find and build my own, personal, advisory board. But, here's the thing: the people who are on this highly personal board of advisors, don't even know it. They're just people that I admire for the work and commitment that they put into their lives. Some of them are world-renowned authors, some of them are local businesspeople that I admire. Some of them are rock stars (literally). Some of them are artists. Some of them are dead. Some of them are alive. None of that matters and the criteria for selection is as obscure and eclectic as the group itself.

This is the group that guides me and inspires me.

It's amazing where, when and how we find inspiration. I'll share one of these "advisors" with you and how this advisory board acts. I'm not shy about my appreciation for Seth Godin and the work and contributions that he has given to the world (you can read more about it right here: Dear Seth Godin). In everything that I do in relation to this blog, my writing for Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review, other newspapers/magazines and anything about my books and marketing them, I ask myself one simple question: "would Seth Godin do this?" If the answer is, "yes! I think he would!" I move forward. If I'm not sure about how he would handle himself, I give myself some time to reflect and rethink the idea. If it's, "no... no he would not," I pass on the idea. I'm not trying to copy him, be him or act like him. I'm simply applying (what I think) his filter may be to elevate my thinking and - to a certain degree - remove what may be a not-so-good idea. In doing this, I am - to a certain degree - absolving myself of the outcome as well. This way, if it turns out to be the right decision, everything is perfect. If it turns out to be a wrong decision, it wasn't me... it was Seth's fault (just kidding... sort of).

Holding yourself to a higher standard.

The truth is, this strategy enables and empowers me to hold myself to a higher standard and - at the same time - it allows me to always make choices that are not based on my present self, but based on the future me. The one that I hope to become. Seth is not the only advisor. Like I said, there are many. Before donating to a charity or getting involved in my community, I think about my close friend, Barry Pascal. When it comes to a business decision, I think about my business partners (Aubrey Rosenhek, Mark Goodman and Mickael Kanfi). When it comes to something creative, I wonder what Julie Burstein or David Usher would do. When it comes to an act of kindness, I wonder what C.C. Chapman or Nilofer Merchant would do. If it's something complex, I wonder what John Maeda might do to make it simpler. This group of advisors is constantly expanding and used in both large and in the tiniest ways. What's great about it is that I don't need to ask for anyone's permission. All I have to do is immerse myself in their work, how they think, how they share and how they communicate. In a world where every brand is looking for the ROI in social media, digital channels and mobile platforms, they may all be completely missing the biggest opportunity: to learn, grow and share because so many other brilliant minds are so open and so creative in what they're publishing to the world (whether it's free or something you have to pay for). I can't thank these advisors enough for their contributions, because it's so much more than content or social media. It has a profound impact on my personal, professional and community development.

So, what are you waiting for? You don't need permission. Go out and create your own advisory board and start applying those filters. Now.

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the filter

Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #140

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 (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik) and I decided that every week or so 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:

Why Your Children's Television Program Sucks: Max & Ruby - Deadspin . "I've been meaning to start a Tumblr on all the ways that kid's books are wrong. I mean, why was the dragon in Paper Bag Princess able to burn down a castle--a castle!--and leave an untarnished, uncharred grocery bag for our heroine to hide her modesty? Yes, I know, I'm a curmudgeon. But I'd still been wanting to do it. Well, it turns out someone's done the work for me when it comes to kid's TV, and after a particularly insipid video graced our iPad , my wife pointed me at this. Let me be clear: It may offend some people and the video on the page is gruesome, so don't watch it. That said, Drew Magary skewers kids' programming perfectly. Admit it, you were thinking the same things." (Alistair for Hugh).

Info for Businesses - No Spec . "This week, I ran a contest for a logo for the Lean Analytics book. I used 99 Designs , a tool for crowdsourcing ideas. I usually don't rely on such tools unless I want to brainstorm something. I believe that a million bad designers have more good ideas than one good designer, but one good designer can out-refine them. Anyway, because of the way I designed the contest, it went a bit crazy--with 2,600 submissions from 634 designers, most of them spam, and many copying one another and yelling about it in the chat system. It was an interesting experience. When I tweeted the finalist in the hope of getting votes, Montreal designer AJ Kandy pointed me to this page. It's a list of reasons why designers shouldn't do work on spec, and it's worth reading. It does give me pause, however. How do we strike a balance between creativity and crapweeding in a crowd-powered future? In the end, the whole experience was more about learning what a flat, connected, unfiltered world looks like--for better or for worse." (Alistair for Mitch)

Chris Hadfield's Twitter Feed . "This won't be news to Alistair, or perhaps any of you, but surely this collection of tweets from space should be celebrated. Canadian astronaut Chris Hatfield has been living aboard the International Space Station since December 19th. And, in addition to his other duties, he has been tweeting his observations, pictures and videos from space, and interacting with those of us on Planet Earth. He even had a Twitter exchange with Captain Kirk . This Twitter feed is an extraordinary document." (Hugh for Alistair).

Coming Out of the Locker Room Ghetto - Huffington Post . "I meant to post this when it came out, but somehow it got lost in my link bucket. A few weeks ago, NBA hall-of-famer Kareem Abdul Jabar, who is currently a US Cultural Ambassador, wrote an article about race in the HBO show Girls. It was an odd juxtaposition, but resulted in all sorts of commentary on the Web. Here he responds to the commentary. He's funny and gracious, and gently finger-wagging about the reaction to an ex-basketball player writing a cultural analysis of a 20-something white hipster girl show and its attempts to deal with race. Good stuff all around." (Hugh for Mitch). 

Thomas Edison, Power-Napper: The Great Inventor on Sleep & Success - Brain Pickings . "There are two converging ideas here that, originally made me nervous but are starting to give me hope. I had heard a piece of data that said people who get less than six hours of sleep have a fifty percent increase in the chance of developing heart disease. I was never much of a big sleeper, but this data point wasn't exactly sending me off into a deeper slumber. The other thing that happened is that I got an Up band from Jawbone . It's like a Nike   FuelBand but it does a whole lot more... like monitor your sleep. I was completely stressed out the first night I wore it. I figured I would wake up, plug it in and realize that I only get about three hours of sleep a night. I'm happy to report that my sleep is about average. In this instance, average for me is like super-achiever. I was never much of a nap person, either. I have this constant burn to get stuff done. Reading this piece made me realize that... yawn... zzzzzz." (Mitch for Alistair),

60% of Audiobooks Sold Are Now Digital - Galleycat . "This is one of those data points that makes you realize that an entire industry has changed in only a couple of years. And, in the same instance, you wonder why the number is so low? I guess people still listen to audiobooks on CD? I recently spent two full days in the studio recording the audiobook for CTRL ALT Delete . It was at this point that I realized I don't even own a copy of the audiobook CD version of Six Pixels of Separation and that the audio version of CTRL ALT Delete will only be released in digital format. An entire industry that has been disrupted (and your iambik and Librivox platforms helped to forge this change), but very few people have even stopped to notice it or talk about it." (Mitch for Hugh).

Now it's your turn: in the comment section below pick one thing that you saw this week that inspired you and share it.

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99 designs

aj kandy

alistair croll

audiobook

bitcurrent

brain pickings

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complete web monitoring

deadspin

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galleycat

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huffington post

hugh mcguire

human 20

iambik

ipad

jawbone

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kareem abdul jabar

lean analytics

librivox

link bait

link exchange

link sharing

managing bandwidth

max and ruby

media hacks

nba

nike

nike fuelband

no spec

paper bag princess

pressbooks

social media

thomas edison

tumblr

twitter

year one labs