At Cardwell Beach, we try to keep up with our reading. And each week, we offer a selection of articles that share something unique or valuable on sales and marketing. Take a look at this week’s recommendations below:
Why designers should (metaphorically) poison themselves: Developer and start-up leader Nathan Kontny muses on how to find out what customers really want and need— and lands on the concept of “poison.” What he means is that anyone working on a project designed for customers should also experience what that project looks like as a customer themselves. This fun read explores several examples of this concept at work and, yes, one of them does involve accidental poisoning. (Read more at Medium)
Ideas that actually work: How many of us have launched new ventures, developed new schedules and engaged in new habits, only to see momentum and results fade within months? So has content specialist Eileen Webb, who lays out her strategy for tackling big ideas in this column. Among her concepts for making ideas come to life are what she calls “whittling sessions,” in which brainstorms are picked apart and transformed into concrete action plans. If you enjoy Venn diagrams, you’ll love her strategy. (Read more at A List Apart)
Greatness is delivering something unasked for: Market watcher Horace Dediu examines the new iPhone 6s from a different perspective, arguing that the iPhone rises to the level of “great” because it incorporates subtle but game-changing improvements over previous models. For Dediu, creating a great product does not involve radical shifts in quality or functionality. Instead, he sees greatness as offering the customer incremental improvements that increase their quality of life, even if they didn’t ask for them. (Read more at Asymco)
Side projects for success: The idea of “side projects” has become commonplace amongst creatives looking for rewarding, intellectually stimulating work outside of their day jobs. Sacha Greif walks through several side projects he’s completed and talks about why all creative professionals can benefit from defined, accomplishable projects where they call all the shots. (Read more at Smashing Magazine)
