David Lidsky's Blog, page 2717
May 24, 2016
This Running Shoe Inspired By Kenya's Elite Runners Is Actually Made In Kenya
Enda is a new shoe that hopes to give something back to the runners who inspired it, by creating jobs in their communities.
Kenya's elite, world-record runners are the superstars of a surging global running culture. An entire cottage field of study has evolved around explaining the Kenyans' running "secrets," often tied to selling shoes, books, magazines, or gear of some sort. Nike's Air Rift shoe—"inspired by the efficient barefoot style" of Kenyan runners in the Great Rift Valley—retails for $100, for instance.
For all of this, the runners and the broader economy of Kenya don't benefit very much. The most decorated runners get lucrative sponsorships and prize money, but income earned by those training at the nation's' famed running centers drops off quickly if they're not winning races. Many runners remain impoverished. (A scandal that rocked the country over the last year revealed that sports officials had embezzled large sponsorship payments from Nike that were supposed to benefit poor athletes, prompting protests).
Notifications Are Broken. Here's How Google Plans To Fix Them
Sick of spammy notifications? So is Google.
Notifications suck. They're constantly disrupting us with pointless, ill-timed updates we don't need. True, sometimes they give us pleasure—like when they alert us of messages from real people. And sometimes they save our bacon, by reminding us when a deadline is about to slip by. But for the most part, notifications are broken—a direct pipeline of spam flowing from a million app developers right to the top of our smartphone screens.
How To Give Feedback At Work That Doesn't Jeopardize Your Career
If you have constructive feedback to offer, how do you avoid a "pink slip of the tongue"?
Even when the intentions are good, sharing critical feedback with a manager or peer puts your relationship—or maybe even your job—at risk.
One Of The Biggest Challenges Of Getting Funding For Minority-Owned Business
Lack of access to capital is a big challenge, but so is the lack of access to networks and advisors.
When Natasia Malaihollo and her cofounder raised $1.5 million for their startup Wyzerr, she became part of a very small group. As an African-American woman, Malaihollo was one of only a dozen who've raised over $100,000 in outside investments for their businesses, according to early data from Digital Undivided's Project Diane.
How Trump And Sanders Can Translate Rage Into Political Strategy
Both Trump and Sanders have created a base of angry voters, but how do they translate that rage into successful political action?
People are angry, there's no doubt about that.
How Much Does Working At A Name-Brand Company Really Boost Your Career?
Like most other career decisions, opting for a household-name employer has its pros and cons.
Google, Bank of America, Exxon. Get a job at a big, well-known brand like these and you won't have as much explaining to do to friends and family when they ask where you work. Same goes when you're talking to recruiters. So, you're better off working for a blue chip company early in your career, right?
3 Steps To Convince Your Boss To Let You Work From Home More
It may feel daunting to ask permission to work from home—so don't. Instead, prove that it can work, little by little.
I'm my own boss now, but not long ago I worked at a public relations firm in South Florida, where my commute was a routinely awful part of my day. It took about an hour to travel 20 miles. To me, it didn't make much sense to spend all that time sitting in rush-hour traffic, twice daily, just so I could sit in front of a computer—I have one of those at home. Why couldn't I just work from there?
The Career Limitations Of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is more than a buzzword, it's a valued trait in the hiring world. But it will only get you so far.
Surely by now you've heard: Highly emotionally intelligent people are more successful, and companies are bending over backward to recruit them.
May 23, 2016
Is An LTE-Connected Apple Watch Coming This Fall? I'm Betting Yes.
Smartwatches may finally go mainstream when they're constantly connected to the web without the help of a smartphone.
When Apple announces the Apple Watch 2—presumably this fall—it'll have been more than a year and a half since the original Watch went on sale.
Google Enlists Artists To Make Bots Feel Like Friends
Google Doodle head Ryan Germick and former Pixar animator Emma Coats are two of the artists crafting Google Assistant's personality.
Machines may be smart, but they make pretty dull companions. Google knows this, and as it builds out its recently announced Google Assistant personal assistant technology—which, like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, will answer questions and follow commands like "turn on the lights"—the company is eager to make artificial intelligence more personable. How? By throwing some artists at the problem, naturally.
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