Product Habits - How to find anything on the Internet

How to Find Anything on the Internet

Have you ever found yourself looking for something on Google and wishing there was a better way to source more accurate results? This is a short, sweet, and useful guide to finding webpages, emails, files, coupons, and more by using certain terms to find very specific data. I've been using these types of tips forever and I still learned a couple new ones. I think you will, too.

Million-Dollar, One-Person Businesses

This is a fascinating look at million-dollar businesses operated by a single person or built on a personal brand. They range from real estate and manufacturing, to podcasts and newsletters. If you knew you could build a million-dollar business on your own, what would you create? 

How to Stop Procrastinating

There are three things we need to take action on something: motivation, ability, and a trigger. The challenge is that we need to have all three at the same time. This is a thought-provoking read that breaks down why we struggle with each of these things, and how we can better cultivate each one with greater ease. Try one of these strategies this week and see if it helps you take action on your more important to-dos more often. 

The Hierarchy of User Friction

So many things have the potential to cause friction for an end user of a product. Notejoy Founder Sachin Rekhi breaks down three types of friction—emotional, cognitive, and interaction—product designers should pay attention to. It's worth parsing through each aspect of your product and thinking about where users might be experiencing difficulty accomplishing a task or goal. Sometimes the most subtle changes can reduce user friction and boost engagement dramatically. 

How to Write Better Conversational Copy

Conversational copy is writing how you actually talk, and I think it's a very effective way to connect with people authentically. That said, it's not always easy to do especially given how used to formal writing most of us are. Here are 14 small techniques you can try to help you get better at it. One of my favorites: Read what you write at the kitchen table and if your partner or friend cringes, then re-write it. 

The Power of Thinking Inside the Box

It makes me cringe every time I hear this phrase, "Think outside the box." Here's a question worth considering: What if some of the best innovations come from thinking "inside" the box? These five thinking tools will help you ignite your innovative thinking. Now, subtraction, multiplication, and division will take on a whole new meaning for you. 

How to Measure and Drive Word of Mouth Acquisition

Word of mouth marketing has long been thought of as one of the most effective ways to build an engaged customer base or audience. But, it's more difficult to measure than other marketing tactics so people don't always know how to do it optimally (or at all). This coefficient will help you measure the impact of WOM marketing more accurately and create more capital efficiency for your company down the road. This will shape the way you think about your marketing efforts. 

Consistent Caliber Teams

It happens all the time: A leader will assemble teams to get various organizational missions accomplished, and in the process, often unintentionally create a company caste system. If it isn't caught, it leads to low morale and retention issues, as well as organizational dysfunction that all too often becomes a long-term part of the culture. Here are the assumptions that get leaders into trouble—and how they can avoid them.