Perfect is the Enemy of Good and is Killing me

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn and was my first article there.

Ages have passed since the last post on my blog.

Reading The 7 Secrets to Writing Killer Content on LinkedIn I figured out what the real problem is. I've been following all the tips and tricks by (1) generally talking about the arguments I know, (3) thinking of my audience, (4) devoting attention to the headline, (5) getting plenty of inspiration from surroundings, (6) giving proper credit and (7) abundantly sharing.

There's just one secret that I cannot follow. It's rule number 2. I don't write often.

Perfect is Killing me. 

I've plenty of draft posts saved in Blogger on arguments like outcome-based (gain-sharing) consulting projects, Hadoop and MongoDB, managing a distributed team, working with partners and many others. That said, I never press the share button as there's always something more to include. More details to add. More corrections. More thoughts.

More and more is resulting in nothing.

"Dans ses écrits, un sage Italien Dit que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. (In his writings, a wise Italian says that the best is the enemy of the good)" -- Voltaire

There will be a day when all the words will become flawlessly interwined and generate a laudable argumentation. But maybe not. I won't wait anymore for the perfect moment. Partially completed stories can be perfected together. Unpublished thoughts are useless.

And you? Do you face the same issue?
(Photo: Arielle Fragassi, Flickr)

Mailbox for Mac Beta -- Betacoins

Mailbox is arguably one of the best mobile email clients. They've recently released a new Beta version for Mac and managed to create a viral initiative to ensure adoption. Betacoins are needed to try the version and you get three betacoins to distribute when your copy is activated.

To begin, download the Mailbox beta here. After launching Mailbox for Mac you will be prompted for your betacoin - drag and drop the image found at the links below into Mailbox (note: coins can only be used once).



Enjoy! p.s. Don’t know what Mailbox is? Click here: http://www.mailboxapp.com/

Leaders with a Different Opinion

This week has been extremely busy and I'm sure airlines are happy to have me as a customer. I've been in London, Madrid, Paris and Milan. Spoken with lots of people, ranging from CEOs to SVPs to CTOs of medium sized as well as Fortune 500 companies. I've learned and got inspired in each and every meeting, but there's one that I found particularly interesting.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffsmallwood/

I've met a brilliant leader, working for an extremely large and fast growing organization (yes, that possible) who started his pitch telling me why they are different. That's an effective way of grabbing the attention and being remembered.
We're surrounded by noise and need some tips to understand what are the things that matter most. Additionally, the conversation wasn't one way, but instead a lively exchange of opinions on why our companies can make even a greater difference together.

Sometimes leaders have a vision and are very enthusiastic of what they do. So much so that they take for granted that people understand and share that vision. Taking the time to explain why something is different makes a big difference (pun intended).

On Transparency

It's been a while since the last post in my communication-related blog. I've changed job at the beginning of last year and the journey so far has been fast-paced and fantastic and that's my official excuse. I'm lucky enough, however, to draw inspiration from what I do for a living. I've just been through a great week as we've had our kick-off with the executive team and the rest of the organization. This prompted me to reflect on transparency.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, transparency is: "a situation in which business and financial activities are done in an open way without secrets, so that people can trust that they are fair and honest"

This is what I've seen in this company. Executives speaking openly, clarifying the reasons for their choices and making the entire team part of the decision process. I've seen issues being addressed and fixed frankly. I've seen entire groups rejoicing together of great results as they feel part of this.

Transparency wins. It secures hearts and minds. It conquers individuals, teams and companies. Ultimately, it'll be the key to succeed.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

Inspiring.



Some noteworthy quotes: 

•  “‘Ole!’ to you, just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.” — Elizabeth Gilbert 
• “I have had work or ideas come through me from a source that I honestly cannot identify. What is that thing? And how are we to relate to it in a way that will not make us lose our minds, but, in fact, might actually keep us sane?” — Elizabeth Gilbert 
• “Maybe [artistry] doesn’t have to be quite so full of anguish if you never happened to believe, in the first place, that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you. But maybe if you just believed that they were on loan to you from some unimaginable source for some exquisite portion of your life to be passed along when you’re finished … it starts to change everything.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

Never Give Up on Your Principles for Short Term Results

These days have been very challenging. A dear friend of mine was at the hospital in tough conditions and, by sitting next to him, I've learned a lesson that I'll bring with me for all my life.

Never give up on your principles for short term advantages
Don't worry, I won't start a philosophical discussion, but rather keep it very practical.We live in a world that's narrowly focused on immediate results and the principles we choose in our life are sometimes difficult to live by.

We may be tempted to cosmetize facts to please our boss. We clearly see the short term benefits, but what's the end result? Lost trust can't be considered good, even if accompanied by a bit more money in our pocket. We may use edulcorated words to discuss a recent event and again, an immediate advantages are waiting at the door. However, what happens when the truth is presented by others? The recipients may be confused and draw their conclusions about us.

What do you prefer from others? What do you expect from your best friend? What would you expect from your favorite brand?

Applying Clarke's Law to the Present Age (a Quick Tip to Foster Innovation)

Cover of Arthur C. Clarke

The British writer Arthur C. Clarke formulated three laws of prediction and, undoubtedly, these can be easily transformed to tips and tricks to foster innovation, but let's start with the rules:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. 
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. 
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

I pretty much like all the laws, but I'm amazed by the 1st of them. Funny at first sight, if you scratch the surface there's something enlightening. I won't argue that youngsters are smarter than adults, that's not always the case and it would be an over-generalization.  The problem is that, once your mind gets used to see things in a certain way, changing that habit becomes difficult. In other words, if you think as you've always done, you can interpret the old days and read your present with confidence, but see the future as a reflection of past times.

I'm not sure if I can change how neurotransmission works in my brain, but I'll not raise a red flag every time my experience tells me that something is impossible. I'll also try to change the lens I see the world trough and consider thoroughly all the options before making any conclusion. Time travel anyone? ;)

Disclaimer: I've drawn the inspiration to write this post from Daniel Gilbert's "Stumbling on Happiness". If you want to read an well-written book on how the human mind works and how we tend to predict and like our future, that's a great starting point.

Related articles

• 1968 iPad (allthingsd.com)
• Arthur C. Clarke Predicts The Internet (swiss-miss.com)

Ogilvy's take on the Social Enterprise

I just stumbled into the Social Media Week 2012 opening keynote from Global Managing Director of Social@Ogilvy. I fully endorse the idea that there's an inevitable shift in the enterprise and companies should leverage that to improve customer relationship, communication and even employee retention. Presentation is embedded below, for all those interested.

The Insidious Plot to Socialize the Enterprise from Social@Ogilvy

Groupon, how to keep a loyal customer (UPDATED)

Dear Groupon,

I've always been a supporter of your site and when I've heard someone complaining about the quality of your services I was with you, on your side. The reason is that I really loved the concept behind Groupon: give power to people trough collective actions.
This simple idea appealed a lot to me and whenever an issue arose, I always gave you the benefit of doubt and said that it wasn't your fault.

Logo of Groupon (Wikipedia)

Then something changed... and a few months ago I bought a set of knives hoping to receive them in less than 20 days as advertised. It was back in January and, as of today, I've never got anything at my place. That could happen, could be merchant's fault.
I started to open an endless chain of tickets to your customer care department and I've usually got two answers: "we're checking with the seller" or "we're working on your refund request" and nobody ever came back to me (ticket numbers #714518, #688063, #687435, #655754, #623462, #596450, etc..). Five months passed.

This lack of meaningful communication and all the time I've spent trying to fix this trivial thing made me really, really, really unhappy. I trusted the Group Promise, what should I do now?

Regards,
Luca


UPDATE (21/05/2012):
The Groupon Team was very responsive to my tweets and provided a refund. I've changed the blog title to "How to keep a loyal customer" as it's how you deal with problems that really makes a difference.
Thanks @groupon @groupon_italia.

Italy could be a great place for start-ups

Italy is famous for its food and fashion, for sport cars and lovely places to visit, for the warm character of Italians and for fine works of art, but could Italy be the perfect place for start-ups? I think so and let me explain why.

Why should I start my company here?

Birth of Venus, Botticelli

What do you need to craft the perfect recipe? And to build the world's most desired cars? What do you need to create a fine piece of art? Creativity and passion.
What do you need to build the next big thing? Creativity and passion.
Creativity, as your idea should be disrupting and challenge the status quo. Passion as you need execution to transform an idea in a business, despite the crisis and the headwinds.

Working surrounded by wonderful sights, in the relaxing and warm atmosphere that only Italy can give, startuppers can focus on their ideas and live a meaningful live. Another important factor is the moderate cost of living, which is relatively low compared to other major European countries.

Let's change what doesn't work
There are some issues that stop entrepreneurs from moving to Italy, like the bureaucracy or the limited amount of VC funding, but that'll change quickly. Government is focusing on a digital agenda, on simplification and growth. To stimulate young talents we should organize events and conferences. We should build state-funded incubators to ensure proper support and money to early stage startups. We already have some great VCs, but many more will come when they smell the renewed energy of Italy's startup scene.

We innovated many times throughout our history and a crisis is the perfect excuse to change our skin again and adapt to the new conditions. Let's make this Country the dream of every young entrepreneur!

How to Build an International Brand

Lately I've been reading articles on how to build international brands. While it's not that easy to transform a syrup into a global brand, there are some steps that should be taken. Smaller firms can benefit from them too.

Begin at the Beginning
First things first, everyone should get it right from the beginning. Global-always-on companies are now the standard and even local brands, sooner or later, should jump into the unknown and embrace the world as a market. If the branding strategy is heading into the right direction since its infancy, time won't be lost afterward trying to re-position the image. Brand is an intangible asset that allows you to ask for a premium on your products and at the end you'll have a good return on your investment.

What Should you do Then?
There are a lot of excellent tips in Inc's article, however I dare to summarize all of them in two words: respect and knowledge. Respect local habits, styles and preferences. You won't be successful in front of a diverse audience if you consider them similar to you. Cultural sensitivity is at the heart of your branding campaign. Know the foreign market, embrace their universe and understand what makes people proud to be citizens of that country. Rely on someone who as a direct knowledge of that market. It could be a local company or a global partner with local specialization.


Success is Never Granted
It's not a given that you'll be successful in front of a foreign audience and there's no recipe that guarantees that. Your brand is a hope. You're making a promise that people are buying into and you need to deliver whatever that product or service is.You need to ensure that your customers' experiences with your product, your business, and your staff are positive and your brand will be enriched. Delude your customers and your promise will vanish.

Will you be successful? Time will tell.

Computers, Humans and Intentions of Speech

I was chatting with a colleague who's culturally aware and he talks to me in Italian whenever he can. We've been discussing how life is always full of surprises and he used an automatic translation tool to say something very deep and profound in my own language. I appreciated the tentative and the end result wasn't too bad from a language perspective. The issue was with the meaning itself.

The lesson for me? Tools can translate words well, but not intentions of speech.

Humans are sometimes affected by the same disease. We get the words. We hear them. However we miss the real sense. The next time I speak/listen to someone who has a different background and culture I'll make sure to dig a bit more into his intentions and reasons.

Ted's short talks (aka Ted in 3 Minutes)

Everyone knows TED and I wont spend so much time to introduce it. I've just stumbled in a section of the website that I always ignored: Ted in 3 Minutes. It TED's equivalent of an elevator pitch and if you're running out of ideas or inspiration, this section is what you should look at.

What can be accomplished in around 3 minutes? You can say something simple in an interesting way and make someone laugh as you can see in the video below.

 

Or tell a life story that's both inspiring, sad and full of hope.

 

These two videos remind me that we don't need to spend too much time in communication. Important, remarkable or even simple things can be presented in less than three minutes.

What are we talking about? What's publicime?

It's the beginning of a new year and along with wishes and dreams, I'd like to start with concrete actions. I've always had two passions: technology and advertising. I devote most of my life to the first one as it helps to pay the bills and care for my family, but I realize that the latter gives me equal joy and kindles my dreams. The first is logical, the second is foolish. The first is real, the second is imaginary. One touches minds, the other moves hearts. Together, they're the essence of me.

This blog is meant to complement the logical side of me and I plan to discuss things like marketing, advertising, public relations and communication. I'm sometimes enchanted by advertisements and I believe I can reach a difficult goal: Making readers love communication and advertising! That's why I've started this blog.

I'm going to move all the non-technical content from my other blog to begin with. They'll be published with the original dates. Feel free to reach out to me, even just to say hello!
Luca

iTunes University and the power of Open Learning

The word "Open" these days spans a multitude of aspects. Openness is invading software, governments are opening their data and universities are exchanging knowledge with a broad non-paying crowd.

I'm a great fan of iTunes U and I stumbled in this press release describing the exceptional growth of the eco-system. It's unbelievable the amount of topics that you can research about.
This is a short list of interesting speeches that I've recently listened:

• Harvard's Justice with Michael Sandel
• Princeton's Commencement Speech with Jeff Bezos (it's the 7th file on the list)
• Oxford's Building a Business

Of course we can not forget TED which is another authority in the field of inspiring and provoking talks. Do you have a favorite talk to share? I'm waiting for your comments.

Related articles

• Princeton University - 2010 Baccalaureate remarks
• Michael Sandel On "The Lost Art Of Democratic Debate"
• How TED Connects the Idea-Hungry Elite

Fast Company is searching for 2010's Most Influential Person Online

Fast Company started a project to measure how much we influence the online communities. Here is the description coming from their website.

We started with a simple question: Who are the most influential people online right now?
That's what The Influence Project is designed to answer. By participating, you will have your picture appear in the November issue of Fast Company magazine as part of an amazing photo spread. The more influence you demonstrate, the bigger your picture will be.
You may discover that you're more influential than you think.
Influence is not only about having the most friends or followers. Real influence is about being able to affect the behavior of those you interact with, to get others in your social network to act on a suggestion or recommendation. When you post a link or recommend a site, how many people actually bother to check it out? And what's the likelihood of those people then forwarding it on? How far does your influence spread?
This is the type of influence we're looking for. We want to find the most influential person online. Who knows? It might even be you.

How influential are you? Participate to the project by clicking here.

Appraising Your Investment In Enterprise Web Analytics

In the information age, everyone collaborates on this worldwide knowledge exchange channel that's called Internet. Computing devices are proliferating and all interactions are finding a common home: the net. It binds us in a way that was inconceivable only a few years ago. I can stay up to date on what my US or Japan colleagues are doing. I can read articles and thoughts written in unknown cities all around the globe.

We are all on the web. Whether you have a small niche blog or you are a famous writer in your field of expertise, you should care about analyzing your readers. This becomes more important if you are a company willing to publicize products on the web.

I just found this interesting Google sponsored Forrester research that may be captivating for all of us.

Happy reading.
Luca

Arun Sarin, former Vodafone's CEO, Sharing Leadership Tips

I've just spent an hour of my spare time watching an exceptional UC Berkeley Lecture by Arun Sarin, former Vodafone's CEO. He shared his thoughts on leadership, focusing on four major topics that a leader should always keep in mind. I'll try to summarize some points that I intend to keep in mind.

Strategy
Always look at the big picture, keep an eye on what will be your company in 5,10, 15 years. Try to understand the world and anticipate trends. Comunicate clearly through mission and vision and make sure that every step is in the right direction.

Operations
While a good leader should be strategic, never underestimate the daily operations. Make sure that your customers have a good experience with the company. Be sure that they have the needed attention if an issue arises.

People

Be an overall nice person to work with. Choose the right people in the right place and if something is not working face the issue immediately.

Cross-Culture

We cannot imagine any big corporation working only in a single country. Innovation happens everywhere and we should be acquainted with doing business all around the world. It doesn't means that you should be an expert on country history, but it means that you should respect people and care about them. 

In conclusion I appreciated a thought that he expressed: do your job wholeheartedly, whatever you are doing. If you are carrying bags for someone else, carry these bags well. This is probably the most important tip that he shared, I'll keep it in a drawer of my mind.

I admit that my summary is very short, I may have lost some important points, but you can listen to the podcast by yourself. This is not related to technology, open source or MySQL, but it helps to understand the dynamics of big companies and how the world is changing.

Happy learning,

Luca

Finding the Job you've always dreamed of

OK, I know that this is not really Web2.0, Business, Marketing or Communication related, but I found a very inspiring story about an executive finding a job of his own dreaming.
I'm a lucky guy who has an interesting and fulfilling job, but paving the road for the career of your dreams is something that everyone should get used to, especially in this turbulent times.

His approach was a good one for tough times, so I wanted to pass it along to you. The part of the story that I like is the attitude of the hunter while trying to find a job:

"I visualized what I wanted this position to be like and wrote a list of bullet items about the job and my ideal company."

I completely agree. Each of us, especially in this flat and continuously evolving world, can work to shape a position where he fits perfectly. If you mix your technical skills, leadership attitude, management style, personality and many other qualities, the end result will be a great job.

I'm not saying that you need to leave your current employer or to be fired, I'm just reminding myself that we have a part in our future. Maybe not in every facet, but in some aspects we can. I'd like to conclude with this quote:

"All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - Thomas E. Lawrence

It's not easy to dream when you have a family to sustain and you are unemployed, but it's not the time to give up!

Sincerely,

Luca

Talent and Genius

Somewhere on the net I've read this wonderful aphorism from Arthur Schopenhauer:

"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see."

It's really crazy, but a small and simple phrase can stimulate thinking and you can write an entire book on it.

So, what's "talent", do you have definitions of this? What's "genius", can you describe it?

Probably there are many people out there that can be defined talented, but do you know a genius?

I'm thinking more on this, and my conclusion is that, probably, each of us can be a genius in some fields. That's why the new interactive web (web2.0) is now pervasive in everything we do. I can share my mind on a blog, describe something on Wikipedia, connect with friends and share past experience and thoughts on Facebook and create a network of trusted professionals in LinkedIn.

Probably I'm not a genius, but I can share my ideas and if we, as a community, work together on ideas, we can create real innovation. What do you think on that? Feel free to share your comments.

Sincerely,

Luca