Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 61

TikTok vs. The World: Who Will Win The Battle For Our Attention?

Anyone else feel like something smells fishy with this whole “let’s ban TikTok” sentiment?

Mitch Joel · TikTok vs. The World: Who Will Win the Battle for Our Attention? – Tech Tuesday – March 27, 2023

Why are they looking to ban TikTok?
The main argument is: Privacy/security concerns (with a dash of Chinese surveillance).
The main argument might be: TikTok is grabbing a lot of eyeballs, attention, time, and revenue from the other big social media players (mostly US-based companies), and negative PR and lobbying against TikTok may be easier for these social media giants than competing with TikTok.
Critics argue that the Chinese government could potentially access this trove of North American user engagement and data, posing a national security risk.

But…

If we’re worried about privacy concerns or surveillance by a foreign entity, why are we not looking at all social media companies (after all, the competitors may not be a foreign government, but they are all for-profit organizations, and they have very little regulation around content moderation and use of consumer data).

Who benefits if TikTok gets banned?

TikTok has been eating into the revenue of Facebook, Instagram (owned by Meta), YouTube, etc.
Why do we, the citizens (and the consumers), take no issue with the hordes of data that all of these companies have on us?
Why do we, the citizens (and the consumers), take no issue with the (near complete) lack of content moderation in relation to protecting kids and other marginalized groups?
How are these North American-based social media giants immune to the same scrutiny as TikTok, in a world where we can’t even have basic content moderation and can’t get access to, exactly, how our data is being used (and sold)?

Lots of passionate sides on this debate…

From 2022: Facebook Parent Company Defends Its PR Campaign to Portray TikTok as Threat to American Children.

From last week: TikTok users’ favorite moments from the TikTok congressional hearing.

Is this call for a TikTok ban motivated by genuine privacy/security concerns, or simply a strategic move by other social media platforms to eliminate a powerful competitor (via lobbying)?

Houston, we have a double-standard problem…
Concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices are valid (and, I am not a TikTok apologist), but it does feel like a double standard, when compared to their peers.
The public seems to accept the data collection practices of their competitors, despite the overt potential risks they pose.

I’d also ask: Where did this out-cry of concern over TikTok originate from? Consumers? Government? Does anybody know? Did we “follow the money/power”?

The debate surrounding the potential TikTok ban exposes the complexity of data privacy, national security, consumer’s access to media that is not rated, market competition in the social media landscape and, more importantly, how the decision to go after any company comes to be.
Sure, a TikTok ban may address some privacy/surveillance concerns, but it also raises many more questions about the motivations behind such actions and how it impacts their direct competitors (and, ultimately, the consumer).
I’m not one to play into conspiracy theories, but what, exactly, is going on here?
Have everyone read the book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, by Shoshana Zuboff (because you should).

Do you think TikTok should be banned?

This is what Heather Backman and I discussed over on 95.9 Star FM for a couple of minutes today.

What is Tech Tuesday?

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM and Jack 103) on the air at 95.9 Star FM to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture.
We call it Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Once the segment goes live on 95.9 Star FM, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage.

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Cynthia Covey Haller On Lessons From Stephen Covey And A Life In Crescendo – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #872 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

Cynthia Covey Haller has lived a life of purpose and passion. The eldest daughter of the famous author and motivational speaker, Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, etc.), Cynthia has always been deeply interested in personal development and helping others achieve their full potential. In her new book, Live Life in Crescendo, Cynthia completes a work that begun in partnership with her father before he passed away. Written in his voice, she shares lessons they had worked on together. The book is structured around the concept of a crescendo, a musical term that refers to a gradual increase in intensity or volume. Cynthia (and Stephen) uses this metaphor to illustrate the importance of constantly growing and expanding our lives, even in the face of challenges and setbacks (this was Stephen’s final message that he wanted to convey). On her own, Cynthia has made significant contributions to the personal development field. Her passion for personal development and her desire to make a positive impact on the world can be seen in her extensive list of accomplishments. She has been involved in numerous community service projects, held leadership positions in women’s organizations, and worked as a volunteer in various capacities. Cynthia’s own experiences, growing up as the daughter of Stephen Covey, have given her a unique perspective on personal development. She acknowledges the challenges of living up to the expectations of others, and encourages people to identify their own personal values and align their actions with those values, in order to create a life that is truly meaningful. Cynthia also contributed to her brother’s, Sean Covey, books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #872 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #872 – Cynthia Covey Haller On Lessons From Stephen Covey And A Life In Crescendo

Welcome to episode #872 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #872. Cynthia Covey Haller has lived a life of purpose and passion. The eldest daughter of the famous author and motivational speaker, Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, etc.), Cynthia has always been deeply interested in personal development and helping others achieve their full potential. In her new book, Live Life in Crescendo, Cynthia completes a work that begun in partnership with her father before he passed away. Written in his voice, she shares lessons they had worked on together. The book is structured around the concept of a crescendo, a musical term that refers to a gradual increase in intensity or volume. Cynthia (and Stephen) uses this metaphor to illustrate the importance of constantly growing and expanding our lives, even in the face of challenges and setbacks (this was Stephen’s final message that he wanted to convey). On her own, Cynthia has made significant contributions to the personal development field. Her passion for personal development and her desire to make a positive impact on the world can be seen in her extensive list of accomplishments. She has been involved in numerous community service projects, held leadership positions in women’s organizations, and worked as a volunteer in various capacities. Cynthia’s own experiences, growing up as the daughter of Stephen Covey, have given her a unique perspective on personal development. She acknowledges the challenges of living up to the expectations of others, and encourages people to identify their own personal values and align their actions with those values, in order to create a life that is truly meaningful. Cynthia also contributed to her brother’s, Sean Covey, books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 46:10.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.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.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Cynthia Covey Haller.Live Life in Crescendo.Stephen Covey.Follow Cynthia on Instagram.Follow Cynthia on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #872.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #665

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:

The Unpredictable Abilities Emerging From Large AI Models – Quanta Magazine. “Each of us is, at our core, a bunch of atoms strung together into molecules that are arranged into proteins. Those proteins are pretty unique: They’re able to absorb energy (sunlight, pizza) and turn it into more, well, us. And when enough of them get together, weird things happen, like consciousness. We don’t know where consciousness comes from, but it seems to be a property that emerges from complex systems. And now that Large Language Models underneath chat tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing are complex enough, they seem to suddenly be able to do things that smaller models couldn’t. They’re built atop symbols — an AI doesn’t know what a ‘table’ is, but it knows that the word ‘table’ is often near ‘chair’ and ‘dinner’. Are they thinking, in the sense that humans are? Or are they thinking in some other sense? Whatever the case, it feels like humans consciousness has competition, at least for many jobs. This article talks about, and links to, many ‘beyond Turing test‘ tasks we didn’t think a language prediction tool could accomplish — but seems to be able to do.” (Alistair for Hugh). The Broccoli Tree: A Parable – Vlog Brothers – YouTube . “Spending a week in Southern California with friends, desert, and probably a little too much wine. My great friend Randy showed me this Vlog Brothers video about a tree, which is both beautiful and poignant. Worth watching.” (Alistair for Mitch – video embedded below). Yasheng Huang on the Development of the Chinese State – Conversations With Tyler . “I’m fascinated by – and worried about – geopolitics over the coming decades, as China grows in power, emerging as a true rival to the dominance of the US. I’ve read a number of books about China, coming from different angles, including Yasheng Huang‘s Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics. Here, he talks at length with economist Tyler Cowan about the growth of China, and the challenges a still-authoritarian country faces as it navigates an uncertain future.” (Hugh for Alistair – podcast embedded below)). ILT’s Favorite Fonts of 2022 – I Love Typography . “I’m a bit of a font nerd. Here’s a collection of great new fonts designed last year.” (Hugh for Mitch). The case for slowing down AI – Vox . “As usual, a technology comes along and finds a commercial application… and we all panic. AI has been used behind the scenes in business for a long while, but now we can see how it operates in the wild… and how anyone can now use it to create everything from text and images to video and audio bits. Scary. Thrilling. Innovative. Terrifying. Do we allow technology to march forward? Do we demand our government step in and regulate it? Do we stop it? Slow it down? Here’s a perspective on why we might want to pump the brakes on it…” (Mitch for Alistair). Hitting the the Aesthetic Triad While Gazing at Art – Lit Hub . “Let’s step away from the AI pump or panic and look deep within our own souls. Art… the value that it brings to us and our culture. Can you explain it? Someone once said: ’Talking about music is like dancing to architecture.’ This is something that I often reflected on in my music journalism days. Well, let’s get beyond the emotions and dig into the science. What, exactly, is happening in your body and your brain when you take in art? Read on…” (Mitch for Hugh).

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

The Complete “How To Podcast” Guide – 2023 Edition

There continues to be an explosion of interest in podcasting… AI tools and new gear makes it ever-more affordable and easy.

Personally, I can’t think of a better time for a business (or individual) to create valuable audio and video content in a podcast format. In the past years, I’ve had a handful of requests to better understand how I create the Six Pixels of Separation podcast. I answered this question in detail back in 2008 (you can read about it here: How To Podcast) and then again in 2012 (you can read about it here: How To Podcast – 2012 Edition), and the last version was  How To Podcast – 2020 Edition. I’ve now posted over 870 episodes of Six Pixels of Separation (every Sunday since May 22nd, 2006) and close to 100 episodes of Groove – The No Treble Podcast (a monthly show, where I am slowly trying to build the largest oral history of electric bass players). Along with that, I couldn’t even tell you how many podcasts I’ve been a guest on, but it has got to be in the hundreds (if not close to a thousand).

I’m (still) no “professional”.

Before digging into my workflow (hardware, software and thinking), let me make one point clear (and, it’s the exact same point I made back in 2008, 2012 and 2020): I don’t think that I have the “right” formula. My show is very “indie,” and it’s created and published with a minimal amount of production (lowest cost possible too). I’m not an audiophile, and I have no special propensity towards audio engineering. I see it as a fun (and different) way to communicate and connect with people. I’m ok with the fact that it’s often raw, flawed and basic. I just like collecting and sharing these conversations.

Here’s how I podcast (but please keep in mind that I am a huge proponent of doing a lot more pre and post production for maximum efficacy):

I don’t do much to prep for a show. Over the course of the week (in-between episodes), I simply look at my social media feeds for smart people saying and doing smart things (especially those publishing a new business or non-fiction book), and I reach out to those who I think might have something unique to say about a specific topic related to business, management, leadership, and innovation. In the past years, I have pulled away from anyone with a book on marketing (I’m just fatigued on those types of books), and I’ve also not been interested in what I call “101 topics” (content geared towards the “how do I get started in…” genre).

How to record the conversation…

I currently record out of two studios (one at home and one at my office). All of my conversations are recorded using Riverside. There are other/similar options. I love how Riverside handles both audio and video (currently, I only use the audio, but having the video will be useful in marketing, maybe shifting to a YouTube podcast, and even just being able to see your guest while you are talking with them). Riverside also records each side of the conversation natively, and then uploads the files to the cloud. It has many great editing features as well. From a hardware perspective, I am using a MacBook Pro. My current microphone of choice is the Shure MV7 (I like the model that has both XLR and USB options). I use Audio-Technica wired headphones. My office studio also has a Rode RodeCaster Pro (which may be the best piece of computer hardware that I have ever owned – big statement, but true). It is a fully portable podcast recording studio that allows you to do a myriad of things (from multiple mics to Aphex audio processing to bringing in your smartphone via Bluetooth to having audio files accessible on keypads and more). I also love that I can record on-board using a SD card (which ensures that I have a native backup). When using the RodeCaster, I switch from the USB on the Shure MV7 to XLR. If you’re looking for decent and well-priced XLR only microphone, I also use the Rode PodMic. All of my mics have the Rode PSA1 studio boom arm (I like have the microphone close to talk hole for a warmer sound).

How to record the conversation when you and the guest are in the same room…

If I have the luxury of having a conversation with someone in-person, and they can make it to my office/home, I simply add in an extra XLR mic into the RodeCaster and record the conversation directly to the onboard SD card. If I have to record remotely (their office, hotel lobby, etc.), I record it on a Zoom H5 (which is a handheld portable digital recording studio). I use two Samson Q2U USB/XLR dynamic microphones for remote recording directly into the Zoom H5.

Getting the best sound quality…

Even with platforms like Riverside, quality recording equipment and a quiet room to record in, we are still at the mercy of technology and connectivity. Because of this, I do make some demands on guests, and I follow these same rules on my side of the recording:

No wifi. The connections on both sides must be hardwired into the Internet. Wifi causes all kinds of problems.Quality microphone. No iPhones, no cheap headsets, and no using the onboard mic. If the guest doesn’t have a quality headset/mic or studio quality mic (or access to one), I usually pass on them as a guest.Real (and wired) headphones. I demand that all guests use headphones plugged directly into the computer for our conversation. No external speakers, AirPods or bluetooth headsets (they are all pretty sucky for podcast recording).No ringers. I ask that all guests mute all ringers or buzzing that could interfere with the sound quality and flow of the show.Close all software. Only leave the Riverside tab open in Google Chrome on both computers (yours and your guest). All other software must be shut down/off. Software running in the background can cause lagging and CPU usage challenges.No shuffling. I always remind guests to hover over the microphone (about a fist’s distance from the mic) and to keep all shuffling down to a minimum. I like the conversation to sound very warm.

OK, now that the audio is recorded, what do you do?

Once the audio is recorded, I use Descript. If the RodeCaster is the best piece of hardware that I have ever owned, then Descript might just be the best piece of software I have ever used. In fact, I use Descript for editing all things audio and video. It’s astounding. When you import your raw audio into Descript, it converts the audio file into text, and then you can auto-magically edit your audio by simply editing the text (as if it were a document). What makes this process even more incredible, is that the software can identify multiple speakers on the audio file, creating a script of the podcast. You can import your own voice file, and the software will allow you type in words that will then use AI to generate those words in your own voice (and, it works… amazingly). Another killer feature is something called Studio Sound, which I apply once my edits are finalized. This gives the entire show an NPR-quality audio effect that I, simply, love.

Once this is done, I use Audacity to add in the extra audio parts and do the final edit (admittedly, you could probably do all of these steps in Descript). Audacity is used to create and mix the voice and music intros, any bumpers, ads, etc. Once this is done, I bring the file into Apple Music to add the cover artwork and some additional show notes. I use Libsyn to host the podcast.

Show notes, posting and beyond…

Once the final MP3 file is done and posted on Libsyn, I write up the blog post for the show in MarsEdit and hit the publish button on WordPress (which is my Six Pixels of Separation publishing platform of choice).

It works for me.

I’m sure many podcasters weep a little when they hear how I record Six Pixels of Separation. Most shows now outsource everything (hired producer, editor, etc.). Who knows, maybe somewhere in the next one hundred episodes I’ll catch the audio engineering bug and go even more hardcore into it, or I might outsource all of the production? But, for right now, I’m still just having fun with it.

Mea culpa.

As I said earlier, my way is, probably, not the most professional way to record a podcast… but it is my way. I’m hoping that my passion, knowledge and insights make up for what’s lacking in professional editing skills and audio quality. I’m also quite sure that as podcasting continues to evolve, the demands to produce a higher quality show (in terms of pure production and audio) will force me to figure out an even newer way to take it to the next level.

I would also recommend, that you check out these two articles before you start a podcast:

The Ultimate Guide To Being A Great Podcast Interviewer.How To Be The Most Popular Guest On Every Podcast.

If you would like to subscribe to podcast, just click right here and you will be notified when the show is live.

You can also check out Groove – The No Treble Podcast as well.

Happy podcasting.

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

The Rise Of “Fake Work” And The Mixed Reality Of Silicon Valley

We are seeing thousands of employees at tech companies being let go.

Mitch Joel · The Rise Of “Fake Work” And The Mixed Reality Of Silicon Valley

Twitter has few employees left, but it seems to doing just fine (in terms of not breaking down).
The economy seems to have avoided a deep and long recession.
Still, the economy is very lumpy (and very fragile).

Why are all of these tech companies letting go of tens of thousands of people every week?

Maybe they hired way too many people during the pandemic?
Maybe – even after letting so many people go – they still have a greater headcount than the pre-Pandemic world?

Well, if you thought “quiet quitting” was something, we’re now hearing a lot about “fake work.”

These tech companies that got ahead of their skis and hired too many people are now letting those people go.
These people didn’t have much to do, according to some, so if there’s nothing for them to do… is their work “fake work”?
Some of these people are saying that they didn’t have that much to do.

Here’s another data point (via McKinsey):

“One in 16 workers may have to switch occupations by 2030. That’s more than 100 million workers across the eight economies studied.”

Thanks, artificial intelligence and automation?

How about this data point (via Gallup):

“After trending up in recent years, employee engagement in the U.S. saw its first annual decline in a decade – dropping from 36% engaged employees in 2020 to 34% in 2021. This pattern continued into 2022, as 32% of full- and part-time employees working for organizations are now engaged, while 18% are actively disengaged. Active disengagement increased by two percentage points from 2021 and four points from 2020.”

What is making employees feel so disengaged?

The rule of remote and hybrid work keeps changing.Lack of communication with management.Lack of understanding what is expected of them.Don’t feel cared for.Don’t see opportunities to learn and grow.A feeling that “no one cares about them.”

Does it get worse? It does?

“The remaining half of workers are just doing the bare minimum to get by, says Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist at Gallup,” according to the Axios article, Americans are increasingly disgruntled at work.

Is management to blame?

Could it also be that working from home isn’t the perfect model of “getting the work done” that everyone imagined it to be?
There must be some kind of balance here?
Work was always a complex system with many moving parts.
Work, it seems, is more complex than ever.
The pessimist in me worries about the future of work and the economy.
The optimist in me can imagine where everyone’s work matters more – to the individual, the organization and society.

Crazy work times.

This is what Heather Backman and I discussed over on 95.9 Star FM for a couple of minutes today.

What is Tech Tuesday?

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM and Jack 103) on the air at 95.9 Star FM to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture.
We call it Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Once the segment goes live on 95.9 Star FM, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage.

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Dan Martell On The Power Of Systems And Mindsets – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #871 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

Meet my friend, Dan Martell. He’s an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, and coach to over 1000+ SaaS founders. It wasn’t always success after success for him. Dan had a rocky start to his entrepreneurial journey. At just 15 years old, he was in a high-speed chase with the cops, and things only seemed to go downhill from there. He failed at building a tech company at a young age and then failed again at a hosting company at 19. However, after trying consulting for 3 years, he finally succeeded with his first company, Spheric Technologies, at the age of 24. Although he bootstrapped the company from the ground up and saw significant growth, he hit a wall. He was working 100 hours a week, operating on 3-to-4 hours of sleep per night, and had nobody to turn to for critical advice. He struggled with identifying his biggest opportunity to kick-start sales, had a disorganized team, and was throwing money at the wall to see if anything would stick. After breaking through the revenue ceiling with Spheric Technologies, selling the company, and taking a year off, he founded two more successful companies (Flowtown and Clarity.fm). He learned many lessons and had many awkward mistakes along the way, which he wanted to pass on to others to help them get to where he was faster and with fewer scars. Dan created SaaS Academy and shares all he’s learned on his website and YouTube/TikTok channels. Dan recently published the book, Buy Back Your Time – Get Unstauck, Reclaim Your Freedom and Build Your Empire. The book (which is a great read), is about installing systems and mindset shifts to engage in high-value work that brings you energy and fulfillment. Trading money for time will bring you more success than you ever thought possible, while reducing stress and maximizing happiness. Dan’s journey proves that success doesn’t come easy, and there’s a lot of dead-wrong information out there. However, with the right mentors, books, and advice, there are answers. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #871 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #871 – Dan Martell On The Power Of Systems And Mindsets

Welcome to episode #871 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #871. Meet my friend, Dan Martell. He’s an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, and coach to over 1000+ SaaS founders. It wasn’t always success after success for him. Dan had a rocky start to his entrepreneurial journey. At just 15 years old, he was in a high-speed chase with the cops, and things only seemed to go downhill from there. He failed at building a tech company at a young age and then failed again at a hosting company at 19. However, after trying consulting for 3 years, he finally succeeded with his first company, Spheric Technologies, at the age of 24. Although he bootstrapped the company from the ground up and saw significant growth, he hit a wall. He was working 100 hours a week, operating on 3-to-4 hours of sleep per night, and had nobody to turn to for critical advice. He struggled with identifying his biggest opportunity to kick-start sales, had a disorganized team, and was throwing money at the wall to see if anything would stick. After breaking through the revenue ceiling with Spheric Technologies, selling the company, and taking a year off, he founded two more successful companies (Flowtown and Clarity.fm). He learned many lessons and had many awkward mistakes along the way, which he wanted to pass on to others to help them get to where he was faster and with fewer scars. Dan created SaaS Academy and shares all he’s learned on his website and YouTube/TikTok channels. Dan recently published the book, Buy Back Your Time – Get Unstauck, Reclaim Your Freedom and Build Your Empire. The book (which is a great read), is about installing systems and mindset shifts to engage in high-value work that brings you energy and fulfillment. Trading money for time will bring you more success than you ever thought possible, while reducing stress and maximizing happiness. Dan’s journey proves that success doesn’t come easy, and there’s a lot of dead-wrong information out there. However, with the right mentors, books, and advice, there are answers. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 52:01.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.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.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Dan Martell.Buy Back Your Time – Get Unstauck, Reclaim Your Freedom and Build Your Empire.SaaS Academy.Dan on YouTube.Dan on TikTok.Follow Dan on Instagram.Follow Dan on Twitter.Follow Dan on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #871.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #664

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: 

ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker – Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “The Australian Strategic Policy Institute tracks 44 different technologies, from AI to clean energy to vaccines to hypersonic transportation. In their most recent report, China leads the world in 37 of them. In 2022, for every dollar spent on the military, the US spent $0.38; China, in second place, spent only $0.14. But the country has been sending students abroad, and funding research at home, for decades. Between shooting down balloons, banning TikTok, and repatriating chip manufacturing, clearly some people got the memo. But this report is an eye-opener for anyone who still believes the next century belongs solely to liberal democracy and capitalism.” (Alistair for Hugh). Wonder Studio – Wonder Dynamics . “A while back, I set out a timeline for generative AI. Images, then video, then immersive environments, in which you’re the star of a custom-generated narrative. I’d like to revise those dates please, and also adjust my thinking about whether we live in a simulation.” (Alistair for Mitch and video is below). Questlove joins social media debate defending Meg White’s drumming ability – NME . “I remember when I first heard The White Stripes, back in 2001 or 2002. They were so fresh and real and grounded and nutso sounding. Somewhere between Americana blues and punk rock, and just the two of them, Jack on guitar and vocals, Meg on drums. I never really thought much about virtuosity, since the music was exactly what it was, and so great. Apparently Meg’s drumming skills have come into question, and while this is a stupid Twitter storm about nothing, it had me thinking about what an amazing drummer brings to a band, but also what ‘amazing’ is in music. Sometimes it’s virtuosity, and sometimes it’s being right. One comment on this debate has it just right: ‘How can 50% of an amazing band be shit?'” (Hugh for Alistair). The White Stripes – Ball and Biscuit (Live at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo, Japan – 10/22/2003) – YouTube . “The White Stripes, Live in Tokyo in 2003, playing Ball and Biscuit. What would a ‘better’ drummer even mean?” (Hugh for Mitch and video is below). LinkedIn turns 20: An oral history of an unlikely champion – Fast Company . “I’m not one for ‘I told you so,’ but a long while back, as the excitement of social media and social networks was first taking hold, I proclaimed that LinkedIn would be the ‘dark horse’ of social media. This was long before Microsoft acquired the professional social network for over $26 billion in 2016. Well, twenty years later and some think that LinkedIn looks and acts a lot more like Facebook these days than even… well… Facebook. It’s become a great space for content, networking, snooping on where people are at in their work, and also a place where spammers run wild with your inbox. Still, it’s better than most, so here’s an insightful look back.” (Mitch for Alistair). Good Will Hunting: An Oral History – Boston Magazine . “Once we’re spending time in the past, here’s a great re-visit of a movie that I used to watch time and time again. I have no idea whether or not Good Will Hunting still stands up. I don’t really care. It’s a movie that I used to truly enjoy. It’s also strange to look at where these actors have landed, some fifteen years later. Franchises, gossip, celebrity, success, sadness… and even some question marks. So… enjoy the trip down memory lane… I hope you like apples.” (Mitch For Hugh).

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

Wonder Studio from Wonder Dynamics on Vimeo.

The Sound Of Silence May Be The Future Of AM Radio

Did you know that many electric vehicles no longer have AM radio?

Mitch Joel · In Transit – AM radio in your car could soon be a thing of the past

I did not, but it is true.
Automakers have removed AM radios from their electric vehicles (EVs) due to interference caused by electric motors.
While automakers argue that customers are moving away from radio and television for news and information, this has raised real concerns among government officials that people may miss important safety alerts during natural disasters and other emergencies.

This isn’t just about AM radio, it’s a problem as technology fragments audiences.

While government is calling on car companies to maintain free access to broadcast radio as a public safety measure, Tesla, Ford, BMW, Volvo and more (almost half of the 20 automakers surveyed) have already removed AM radio from their EVs.
Here’s a staggering stat: Terrestrial radio (FM and AM) reaches over 90% of the U.S. population, according to Nielsen.
Almost 50 million people listen to AM radio in the United States.

Is anybody listening?

How do you listen to audio in your car?
Where do you go in case of emergency for news and information?
It seems like the options (for many, but not all) for in-car audio is expanding.
Most consumers use streaming services and bluetooth connections to their smartphone for access content.
Critics have, rightfully, argue that these options are not as reliable as AM technology, and that people should always have free access to emergency information and news.
Other critics, rightfully, argue that governments need to introduce new technology that is just as reliable and accessible as AM radio.

Here are some other questions to ponder during your next road trip:

What is the role and responsibility of AM and FM radio to the audience?
If AM radio no longer exists, how do consumers access news and information safely and free?
Are demographics and consumer behavior shifts relevant to this conversation, or should it be a conversation about servicing every citizen equally?
Is it the responsibility of automakers to balance this need for public safety with their commercial needs to satiate the consumer?
Do we think that AM radio is an essential safety feature for cars, and should it be regulated?
Who should be held accountable for decisions that impact public safety? Government? Media companies? Automobile manufacturers?

What is the balance between convenience, safety and consumer habits?

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM for his In Transit segment this week.
Listen in right here.