Original image by Diana Walker for Time.
“Eels always look like they just told a joke and are waiting for a reaction.”
I saw this Tweet by @jazminlee23 and thought it’d make a good macros.
There is no speed limit in life.
This chart (found here), reminded me of an important lesson I learned in life, which I try to impart on pretty much anyone that comes to me on life/career advice. It’s the idea that there is NO SPEED LIMIT in life.
I originally learned about this concept from an article by Derek Sivers (link below) - but have started to conceptualize it more and more as I reflected on the path I took in my own life.
As social creatures, we tend to think in terms relative to what we know to be true and possible. So naturally, when we come to figuring out how to achieve a goal (e.g. getting the job or career path that we want), we tend to sequence our steps and our lives in the pace and order that think to be “normal.”
What is normal? How did you define normal? Well, you can say that… “most people in my field took 10 years to get their PhD…” — but then my answer is “do you want to be like most people?” Is that all you’re aiming for? “Most People?”
The truth of the matter is — everyone thought the world was flat until it wasn’t. Everyone thought that birds were the only thing in this world that could fly until airplanes started flying. And similarly, no one thought you could get to 18 million users in 16 days until well… someone did it.
The lesson here is that there is no such thing as “normal.” So quit thinking that way. This is one of the VERY RARE occasions in life where you are indeed one unique snowflake.
So quit making excuses and plans that emulate the norm, and start pushing hard to change the norm.
And if you do get pulled over, just answer: “I’m sorry officer, I was just trying to make it rain.”
* Derek Sivers article: link
TK's Tumblr: Notes from Kathy Sierra fireside chat at @500Startups
Kathy Sierra
(aka “Creating Passionate Users”: http://headrush.typepad.com)
1. Focus on making people feel “I’m awesome”2. Help people connect with the bigger cooler thing that encompasses your product. If you make this clear, the next big upgrade for your product won’t have to be sold. It’ll be obvious to them.
3. Don’t make a better X, Make a better…
http://ToutApp.com Ready for takeoff @ http://500startups.com
SocialFlow Company Blog: Breaking Bin Laden: visualizing the power of a single tweet
A full hour before the formal announcement of Bin-Laden’s death, Keith Urbahn posted his speculation on the emergency presidential address. Little did he know that this Tweet would trigger an avalanche of reactions, Retweets and conversations that would beat mainstream media as well as the White…
Rules of Niket Desai: Punchd Goes to 500 Startups: Part I- Getting in and yes we Iced Dave McClure.
This is the first of a few posts in which I hope to shed some light on our trek through the entrepreneurship world and our awesome experience in the 500Startups Accelerator. We are batch #000; the first class.
—
TL;DR: Meet people in the entrepreneurship industry and be genuinely…
On homogeneity…
There’s something about homogeneity that makes me feel ill at ease. For as long as I can remember, my social circles have been akin to UN meetups, with people from everywhere. Quite frankly, I don’t think I could survive inside a group that is too local or too white or too black or too straight or too conservative or even too liberal, etc…
The world abounds with too many exciting people for me to limit my exposure to one type.
(Source: raissanebie)
Mishka sings! I could watch this over and over and over.
Rebecca's Blog: Why Engineers Make the Best Marketers
Engineers make the best marketers because, contrary to conventional wisdom, marketing is not a “soft science.” As a VC, I’ve done due diligence on hundreds of startups and am most impressed with those that run their marketing departments like engineering shops.
Taking an engineering…

