Admin
20 Percent Off the Plus Plan
A little promotion to celebrate the new site.
Public Posts
Anyone can view posts with this tag without signing up for any plan.
Announcements
Moving Day
Some thoughts on where I'm taking my website—and what it means to you.
Notion
New Notion Template: Venture Capital & Investment Tracker
A simple way to track investments, funding rounds, valuations, and much more.
AI
Why You Should Read Ghostwriters' Previous Books Before Hiring Them
Date before you get married.
Publishing
New Notion Template: Manuscript Word-Count Tracker
A simple way to track your progress as you write. Oh, and it's free.
Collaboration
The Better Collaboration Question
A short post on a nuance of working together today.
Miscellany
Now Available: Two New Notion Templates
A detailed travel/packing tracker and a better notifications mousetrap are my latest creations.
AI
October Tech Tips
A way to combat iPhone spam and some ways to save a few minutes every day.
Announcements
Now Available: New Speaking Gig Task Database
I'm pleased to announce my fifth Notion product. Public speakers rejoice.
Announcements
Now Available: Custom Notion Development
Say goodbye to chaos-inducing spreadsheets and hello to a better way of life.
Announcements
Now Available: Simple Notion CRM & Project Tracker
I'm pleased to announce my second Notion product. Freelancers rejoice.
Miscellany
CrowdStrike Goes All Onion
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Podcast
Episode 83: Slack at Scale With Ksenia Boyer
What's it like when a 23,000-person organization uses Slack? I was curious, so I had her on the show.
Announcements
Meet RacketHub
Authors, coaches, ghostwriters, and publishers will benefit from Racket Publishing's insanely powerful, flexible, proven, and intuitive book management system.
Podcast
Episode 82: A Personal Update
It's been a while since I've released an episode. Time for a quick update.
Announcements
The Nine Wins Two Axiom Awards
Some formal recognition on the new book.
Announcements
Mac Power Hour
Sixty minutes with me will make you much more organized, productive, and sane while in front of your keyboard.
Future of Work
Tectonic Forces and Commerical Real Estate
A fascinating 60 Minutes segment examines how some of The Nine are affecting offices.
Trends
Speaker Sizzle Reel
Two minutes on what I offer to conference attendees and employees at private events.
AI
Appearance on Turn the Lens
A wide-ranging chat about the new book.
AI
The Notification Struggle Is Real
You'd think that receiving relevant in-app alerts would be easy—and you'd be wrong.
Announcements
Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace Wins 2023 NYC Big Book Award
Boom.
Collaboration
Why I'm All-in on Notion
Thoughts on my favorite no-code tool these days.
Announcements
Looking for My Next Ghostwriting Project
Want to write a kick-ass book and need an experienced hand?
Podcast
Episode 81: Build a Better Business Book With Josh Bernoff
We unpack this exciting new book and how authors sometimes struggle with collaboration.
Podcast
Episode 80: Saying No With Dr. Vanessa Patrick
A chat with the author about priorities, being assertive, and how we collaborate with others.
Podcast
Episode 79: No-Code in the Enteprise With Teresa Cintra
A chat about the burgeoning citizen development movement.
Announcements
The Nine: Audiobook Updates
The last domino has fallen.
AI
Publication of The Nine
Book #14 is out.
Podcast
Episode 78: The Empathy Advantage With Chris Shipley
Chris and I talk about a number of interesting work-related issues, including where we go from here.
Announcements
Custom Editions of The Nine Available
Reaching customers, prospects, and employees through a bespoke version of my new book.
Podcast
Episode 77: Audio Excerpt From The Nine
Here are 13 minutes from my forthcoming book.
AI
Excerpt From The Nine
ChatGPT is all the rage, but generative AI is a powerful force. It is so much more than a single tool.
Future of Work
Trailer for The Nine
What's my next book about in under two minutes? Watch to find out.
Announcements
Reimagining Collaboration Wins Axiom Award
My 2020 book has taken home some additional hardware.
Podcast
Episode 76: The Good Enough Job With Simone Stolzoff
I talk with the first-time author about his forthcoming book and how we can balance work and meaningful lives.
Dataviz
From Big to Small
There's an interesting shift taking place in the labor market.
Announcements
Looking for Case Studies for My Next Book
Would you like to contribute to The Nine?
Future of Work
Announcing Book #14
Number 14 will look at a number of key forces that are already reshaping the workplace.
Announcements
Korean and Chinese Translations of Low-Code/No-Code Coming
I'm pleased to announce the two translations of my new book.
Podcast
Episode 75: Citizen Development at Scale With Amtrak's Michael McCullough
An interesting chat with a guy doing fascinating things in the low-code world.
Future of Work
Is There a Difference Between Citizen Developers and Subject Matter Experts?
In this post, I answer this question.
Low-Code/No-Code
Thoughts on Citizen Developers and Author Choices
Why I specifically avoided a few key topics in the new book.
Future of Work
Excerpt From Low-Code/No-Code
Enjoy Chapter 1 from my forthcoming opus.
Announcements
Custom Editions of Low-Code/No-Code Available
Reaching customers, prospects, and employees through a bespoke version of my new book.
Podcast
Episode 74: Audio Excerpt From Low-Code/No-Code
Here's Chapter 1 of my new opus.
Podcast
Episode 73: Building a No-Code Company With Jon Darbyshire
The SmartSuite CEO and co-founder pops by to talk about the industry, his company, and the future of low-code/no-code.
Announcements
Publication of Low-Code/No-Code
Book number 13 is now out. Boom.
Low-Code/No-Code
The Virtuous Cycle of Citizen Developers
Growth begets further growth. It worked for Facebook, and it's working for citizen developers, too.
Podcast
Episode 72: Making No-Code Happen With Chaya Gutnick and Avi Hercenberg
I sit down with two experts for a bit of role-play.
Future of Work
Book Trailer for Low-Code/No-Code
What's the new book about in two minutes?
Future of Work
Kind of a Big Deal
Make no mistake: Low-code/no-code has arrived.
Low-Code/No-Code
Low-Code/No-Code Table of Contents
A high-level overview of the new opus.
Podcast
Episode 71: Intelligent Automation With Josh Snow
An interesting chat with an Aussie who automates and improves processes for a living.
Podcast
Episode 70: Geeking Out in Notion With Jenny Blake
I think that I've found my sister from another mother. Is that a thing?
Low-Code/No-Code
Looking to Profile a Few Citizen Developers for the New Book
If you're a power LC/NC user, we should talk.
Announcements
Announcing My 13th Book
Low-Code/No-Code: Citizen Developers and the Surprising Future of Business Applications drops in early November.
Podcast
Episode 69: Next-Level Slack With Christine McHone
What does it mean to be Slack capability leader?
Podcast
Episode 68: Covering the Workplace With Lizzy Lawrence
The Protocol journalist joins me to talk about her fascinating beat.
Announcements
Custom Editions of Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace Now Available
Reaching customers, prospects, partners, and employees through a bespoke version of my new book.
Announcements
Publication of Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
Number 12 is now out. Boom.
Podcast
Episode 67: Building a Second Brain With Tiago Forte
The author joins me to talk about a host of interesting subjects.
Podcast
Episode 66: Project Leadership With Anh Dao Pham
The author joins me to talk about Agile methods, whether PMs are necessities, and how to personalize projects.
Podcast
Episode 65: Audio Excerpt From Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
Listen to a few chapters from my new book.
Future of Work
Excerpt From Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
Here's a sneak peak from book #12.
Podcast
Episode 64: Team-Level Agreements and How the Future Works With Brian Elliott
Brian's back to talk about his new book How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams To Do The Best Work of Their Lives.
Future of Work
Book Trailer for Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
It's not a TikTok video, but here's a quick twerk-free video explaining my new book.
Podcast
Episode 63: Managing Multiple Projects With Elizabeth Harrin
A chat about sushi and spaghetti—among other things.
Announcements
Win a Copy of Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
I'm only asking for an honest review and a little love on social media.
Announcements
Pre-Order Signed Copies of Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace
We'll go old school today.
Announcements
Announcing My 12th Book
We never managed projects all that well when we worked in the same place at the same time. Remote and hybrid workplaces make things even more challenging. Fortunately, we can take steps to improve our batting averages.
Podcast
Episode 62: Reimagining the Office With Sabine Ehm of Locatee
What does the future office look like? I was excited to find out as well.
Podcast
Episode 61: Becoming Superhuman With Lucas Miller
Biology, communication, and productivity are on the menu today with this impressive dude.
Podcast
Episode 60: Collective Deep Work With Dr. Laura Giurge
A dynamic conversation with an über-dynamic individual.
Podcast
Episode 59: Suddenly Hybrid With Karin Reed
The smart cookie drops big-time tips over course of the show.
Trends
Adios, Spotify.
Thoughts on platform perversion, The Church Lady, and doing the right thing, consequences be damned.
Podcast
Episode 58: Talking Lanes With Sway's Denise Brouder
A chat about the future of work, the creator economy, web3, and the importance of incessantly asking why, and more.
Podcast
Episode 57: Employee Surveys Reimagined With Noah Pusey of Ripple Analytics
An interesting discussion about performance reviews—something that we typically hate more than trips to our dentist.
Podcast
Episode 56: Intentionality With Dr. Sahar Yousef of Berkeley and Josh Zerkel of Asana
I've got two guests this week. Power in numbers, baby.
Future of Work
Work Visualized: Before and After Covid
My attempt to succinctly sum up the massive changes that have taken place.
Podcast
Episode 55: Beyond Simple Screen Sharing With Till Pieper
The Co-Screen co-founder and CEO talks to me about SAP, Slack, and the problems that his company aims to solve.
Collaboration
The Reimagining Collaboration Keynote Visualized
A cool visual arrived in my inbox this morning. I wasn't displeased.
Podcast
Episode 54: Everything Is Configurable With Nick Iovacchini
A chat with the KettleOS CEO about technology, culture, HR, and cloud computing, and other subjects.
Announcements
Announcing My New Author Marketing Course
In The Author Flywheel, I open up my book of author hacks developed and refined over the past twelve years.
Communication
The Teaching Shackles Are Off. It Feels Amazing.
Dan Pink was right in 2009. He still is.
Podcast
Episode 53: Indirect Influence With Vanessa Bohns
Think that you should skip that meeting even if you're going to keep quiet? Maybe you shouldn't.
Podcast
Episode 52: Despotic Taylorism With Christopher Mims of The Wall Street Journal
A fascinating chat about several Amazon, logistics, and other critical topics.
Announcements
Russian Edition of Reimagining Collaboration Coming
The first of what I hope will be many.
Podcast
Special Edition: Lightwerks Keynote Revisited
Allow me to introduce...myself.
Podcast
Episode 52: Talking Teams With Matt Wade
My brother from another mother joins me today.
Podcast
Episode 51: Collaboration Overload With Professor Rob Cross
The Babson professor explains why we waste so much time collaborating and how improve the way we work. You know, little things.
Future of Work
My Favorite Resources on the Future of Work
How I stay current on this fascinating topic.
Podcast
Episode 50: A Flux Mind-Set With April Rinne
Change is on the docket today. Lots of change.
Podcast
Episode 49: The Challenges of Hybrid Work With Dr. Peter Cappelli
Think that it's easy? Think again.
Podcast
Episode 48: The Remote Oracle With Darren Murph of Gitlab
Dude. Is. Smart.
Podcast
Episode 47: The Whole-Person Workplace With Scott Behson
The pandemic represents an opportunity for organizations for their employees.
Podcast
Episode 46: The Collaborative Nature of Marketing With John Jantsch
Think that it's a solo act? Think again.
Publishing
A Business Novel?
Let me know if this direction is worth pursuing by voting in a quick poll.
Podcast
Episode 45: Stories and Videos With Voodle CEO Forest Key
Why enterprise tech will soon be stealing from its consumer counterpart.
Podcast
Episode 44: The Intersection of Design and Collaboration With Ring Central's Michael Peachey
I chat with a smart and humble dude.
Podcast
Episode 43: Bridging the IT-Business Divide With Chris Fenning
Why it's essential to think about communication in non-binary terms.
Collaboration
How One Company Reimagined Collaboration
A simple—yet brilliant—strategy to tame notifications.
Podcast
Episode 42: Chartering a New Future With Erin Grau
Thoughts on a range of interesting topics.
Podcast
Episode 41: Debugging People With Tandem CEO Rajiv Ayyangar
A thoughtful chat about productivity, presence, and Britney.
Announcements
Reimagining Collaboration 10-Packs Available
Get ten copies of the book for $100.
Podcast
Episode 40: The Future Office With Chris Good
They days of cubicles and prosaic workplaces may be coming to an end.
Podcast
Episode 39: Organizational Improv With Coonoor Behal
We're pretty much all over the place in today's show.
Podcast
Episode 38: Amazon Unbound With Brad Stone
A fascinating chat with the author of two bestselling books on the company.
Podcast
Episode 37: Making Work More Fun With Pim de Morree
The iconoclast co-founder of Corporate Rebels is today's guest.
Podcast
Episode 36: Trust, Culture, and Teams With Larry English of Centric Consulting
A thoughtful discussion about a guy who's been doing hybrid work for more than two decades.
Collaboration
Should you use e-mail for internal communication?
A quick and hopefully humorous visual to answer this question?
Podcast
Episode 35: Automation, Businesses Processes, and Economics With AirSlate CEO Borya Shakhnovich
An informative chat about a slew of related topics.
Announcements
Reimagining Collaboration Wins International Book Award
I'm not displeased.
Podcast
Episode 34: Lattes, Trust, and Benefits With Fringe CEO Jordan Peace
The marketplace has to catch up with the workplace.
Podcast
Episode 33: Presence and Productivity With David Burkus
A great chat with a smart dude about a bevy of related things.
AI
Episode 32: Telepresence Robots With Aaron Campbell of OhmniLabs
We talk about how technology can augment our humanity.
Collaboration
On Collaboration, Seinfeld, and Chinese Food
Yeah, the three are intimately related.
Podcast
Episode 31: Remote Work, Diversity, and Politics in the Workplace With Rohit Bhargava
Mr. Non-Obvious is my guest this week.
Podcast
Episode 30: HR and Hygge With Zendesk's Danielle Newton
Google, location designation, and employee stipends also come up during our chat.
Podcast
Episode 29: Psychological Safety With Author Leo Bottary
Homing in on the difference between group and individual performance.
Podcast
Episode 28: Workplace Transformation With Nellie Hayat of VergeSense
A wide-ranging conversation on a bunch of important and interrelated issues.
Podcast
Episode 27: Organizational Rock Stars With Dr. Rebecca Kehoe of Cornell University
Thoughts on high-performing employees.
Podcast
Episode 26: Teams and Roosters With Microsoft's Shiraz Cupala
We talk about how the company is embracing hubs and spokes.
Announcements
Custom Editions of Reimagining Collaboration Available
Reaching customers, prospects, and employees through a bespoke version of my new book.
Podcast
Episode 25: Personas and Executive Alignment With Tamara Adlin
Get to know Maurice.
Podcast
Episode 24: Don't Be an Endpoint With Kevin Roose
The NY Times reporter and I discuss his excellent new book.
Podcast
Episode 23: Peering Into the Future of Work With Brian Elliott
What do these three things have in common? Listen to find out.
Podcast
Episode 22: Natalie Angelillo Offers Up Collaboration Advice
Sage words from a woman whose company was—and still is—ahead of the curve.
Podcast
Episode 21: Collaboration Etiquette With Toni Cowan-Brown
I had way too much fun on this one.
Future of Work
NFT of Signed Reimagining Collaboration Cover
I'm getting in on the craze.
Announcements
Audiobook Version of Reimagining Collaboration
Listen to an excerpt from my 11th book.
Podcast
Episode 20: Collaborating at Amazon With Bill Carr
The company is both remarkably collaborative and non-collaborative at the same time.
Podcast
Episode 19: Distributed Teams With John O'Duinn
An interesting chat with an introspective, interesting dude.
Podcast
Episode 18: Better Virtual Meetings With Karin Reed
Tips on presenting yourself more effectively online.
Podcast
Episode 17: Collaboration Enlightenment With Brian Kropp
Digging into his research.
Podcast
Episode 16: Emoji Reaction Triggers With Elizabeth Kinsey
More Slack means less toggling.
Podcast
Episode 15: How Startup Employees Collaborate With Emily Kennedy
Wise words from the Carnegie Mellon grad.
Podcast
Episode 14: Reviewing the Research With Kate Lister
What do the numbers say about employee preferences?
Collaboration
What do leadership and employee training have to do with collaboration?
Thoughts on how all of these topics overlap.
Collaboration
Citrix Is (Probably) Buying Wrike
Expect more enterprise software vendors to bolster their collaboration offerings.
Podcast
Episode 13: Figuring Things Out With Kerry Barrett
Which tools should a new business owner adopt?
Podcast
Episode 12: No Writer Is an Island With Pete Croatto
A fascinating chat about a veritable bouillabaisse of subjects.
Collaboration
Collaboration Hubs and the Future of Work
The latter hinges very much on the former.
Collaboration
Why I Wrote Reimagining Collaboration
A few thoughts on my motivation for writing the new book.
Podcast
Episode 11: Taking Collaboration to the Next Level With Bear Douglas of Slack
A fascinating chat about a bouillabaisse of topics.
Announcements
Publication of Reimagining Collaboration
My eleventh book has dropped. I'm not displeased.
Podcast
Episode 10: Clarity and Collaboration With Josh Bernoff
A fascinating exploration of the tools that a professional writer uses.
Collaboration
Great Enterprise Software Vendors Steal
Make no mistake: This axiom applies to collaboration tools as well.
Collaboration
Excerpt From Reimagining Collaboration
Here's a sneak peak of my eleventh book.
Podcast
Episode 9: Collaboration and Strategy With Doug Laney
The author and consultant shares his thoughts on a wide array of topics.
Collaboration
Reimagining Collaboration Book Trailer
What's my new book about in 82 fun-filled seconds?
Podcast
Episode 8: Collaboration and Stress With Dr. Mary Donohue
We talk about the intersection of these areas.
Podcast
Episode 7: Collaboration, AI, and Higher Ed With Dr. Terri Griffith
The smart cookie joins me on the pod to chat about a number of interesting topics.
Podcast
Special Edition: Salesforce Is Acquiring Slack
Thoughts on the $28 billion purchase.
Podcast
Episode 6: The CEO's Perspective With Chris Byers of Formstack
Thoughts on whiteboards, leadership, automation, and the future of work.
Podcast
Episode 5: Different Hats With Dorie Clark
How to juggle a bunch of different projects and clients.
Collaboration
Sample Pages From Reimagining Collaboration
The new book is starting to come together, baby.
Podcast
Episode 4: Leadership, Productivity, and Collaboration With Mike Vardy
Technology alone isn't the answer.
Podcast
Episode 3: The Intersection of Motivation and Collaboration With Todd Henry
A lively chat about how the two areas collide.
Podcast
Episode 2: Emojis and Proprioception With Dr. Nick Morgan
First podcast in the history of the world to combine these two topics.
Podcast
Episode 1: Not Missing a Beat With Jay Baer
Insanely prolific author and Hall of Fame keynote speaker Jay Baer joins me.
Announcements
Zoom For Dummies Audiobook Coming Soon
Listen to the dulcet tones of Gary Bennett.
Collaboration
Three Challenges That I’ve Faced as a Writer
Being a professional scribe isn't all puppy dogs and ice cream.
Collaboration
Looking for Collaboration Case Studies for My Next Book
Got a good tale to tell? Let's chat.
Announcements
Announcing My Next Book
Number 11 will focus on collaboration—a topic near and dear to my heart.
Collaboration
Zoom Tip #5: Zooming in on Yourself
A little magic thanks to a Logitech app.
Publishing
Thoughts on Best-Selling Authors
Why I'm persnickety about this amorphous designation.
Announcements
Publication of Zoom For Dummies
Book number ten is out. 💥
Collaboration
Zoom Tip #4: Creating a New User Role
What to do when Zoom's default roles just don't cut it.
Communication
Why I'm Psyched About mmhmm
The startup may very well change how we deliver presentations—a welcome change indeed.
Communication
Excerpt From Zoom For Dummies
Here are a few chapters from book number ten.
Announcements
Zoom For Dummies Book Trailer
A hopefully humorous video on my latest creation.
Announcements
Zoom For Dummies Update
Ignore the websites. The book will be out by the end of the month.
Collaboration
Slack Slack Tip #6: Introducing the Resizable Sidebar
A subtle but useful new feature.
Collaboration
Zoom Tip #3: Running Simple Reports
Depending on your role, you can run quite a few useful reports.
Announcements
Win a Copy of Zoom For Dummies
I'm only asking for an honest review.
Announcements
Want to Sponsor My New Collaboration Podcast?
Get in on the ground floor of my new pod.
Announcements
Virtual Book Tours: Slack For Dummies and Zoom For Dummies
An hour with your organization's employees to learn about Slack and to pick my brain.
Announcements
Publication of Slack For Dummies
Book number nine is out. 💥
Collaboration
Slack Tip #4: Making a Public Channel Private
With a few clicks, you can control who can join your channels.
Collaboration
Slack Tip #3: Removing Apps
Here's how to eliminate one from your workspace.
Collaboration
Slack Tip #2: How Many Channels Do We Need?
Thoughts on overwhelming newbies.
Collaboration
Zoom Tip #2: Inviting Someone to a Zoom Meeting
A quick shortcut is all you need.
Communication
Excerpt From Slack For Dummies
Here are a few chapters from my new book.
Announcements
Zoom For Dummies: New Publication Date
We're movin' on up to July.
Collaboration
Slack Tip #1: Dealing With Workspace Trolls
Two tools for handling jackasses, knuckleheads, nimrods, dolts, and idiots.
Collaboration
Zoom Tip #1: Understanding Channels and Channel-specific Notifications
Relatively few people seem to know about some of these cool features.
Analytics
Publication of HBR Book on Agile Methods
It's hard to overstate the impact of a little good news these days.
Announcements
An Update on Slack For Dummies
The page proofs are in.
Announcements
Zoom For Dummies Now Available for Pre-Order
We're live.
Announcements
CMU Webinar on Remote Work
An interactive Q&A on how to use today's most popular collaboration tools.
Technology
An Note on Slack For Dummies Pre-Orders
Let's help out independent book stores.
Announcements
Looking for Zoom For Dummies Case Studies
Is your organization using Zoom in interesting ways?
Announcements
Announcing My Next Book: Zoom For Dummies
I'll be penning the definitive guide on today's leading videoconferencing tool.
Publishing
A Quick Note on Slack's New UI and Slack For Dummies
The new book reflects Slack's most updated version.
Collaboration
Using Slack to Ghostwrite a Book: A Case Study
Add a few apps and make the flexible collaboration hub is ideal for this type of project.
Announcements
Slack For Dummies Book Trailer
What's my new creation about in 69 seconds?
Communication
A Preview of Slack For Dummies
A roadmap for book number nine.
Analytics
Contribution in Forthcoming HBR Book on Agile Methods
Some golf applause is in order.
Higher Education
My Five Most Popular Posts From 2019
What resonated with my readers last year.
Dataviz
Visualizing Two NFL Franchises
Dysfunction and stability define Browns and the Patriots, respectively.
Book Reviews
Don't Be Evil by Rana Foroohar
Has Big Tech become too powerful? Hell yes.
Book Reviews
The Years That Matter Most
A review of Paul Tough's new book
Announcements
Slack For Dummies Now Available for Pre-Order
We're finally up and running.
Communication
Update on Slack For Dummies
What's up with book number nine.
Announcements
Talking Tech With Professor Simon
Encouraging important discussions about the role of technology in our society.
Announcements
Looking for Slack For Dummies Case Studies
Is your organization using Slack in interesting ways?
Dataviz
Visualizing My Books
An interactive Tableau dashboard on what I write about and where I write.
Announcements
Announcing My Next Book: Slack For Dummies
I'll be penning the definitive guide on my favorite collaboration tool.
Dataviz
A Visual Look at Breaking Bad IMDB Ratings
How each episode of my favorite show stacks up.
Dataviz
Visualizing the 2019 Men's Wimbledon Final
A look back at one of the most exciting matches in tennis history.
Dataviz
Visualizing My Teaching Schedule
Sometimes Gantt charts actually make sense.
Data
Visualizing Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals
Geeking out with Tableau again.
Analytics
How Dataviz Can Manifest a Tale of Two Sports
It doesn't take long to compare the states of golf and tennis.
Data
Thoughts on Learning Tableau
Knowing how one contemporary tool, programming language, or framework works makes it easier to pick up new ones.
Communication
Why I Emphasize Strong Communication in My Syllabi
An old job description from one of the dot-com successes underscores a critical business skill.
Book Reviews
Summer Reading
Being able to regularly feed my brain is a nice perk of professor life.
Collaboration
Can You Use Slack Too Much?
Thoughts on our reliance on apps and screens.
Dataviz
Sprucing Up Python Scripts With Data Visualization
It doesn't take that much effort to visualize user-generated data.
Analytics
Three Books That I Recommend to My Analytics Students
Thoughts on ways to expand their thinking about using data in their careers.
Communication
Appearance on Bloomberg's Works for Me Podcast
Thoughts on taming the e-mail beast.
Communication
My Ideal Speaking Client
Thoughts on a recent gig.
Higher Education
Finding Teachable Moments in Survey Courses
At least in one regard, Jeff Bezos' letter couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time.
Project Management
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Publication of Why New Systems Fail
A decade ago, my first book hit the shelves.
Communication
Carnegie Mellon Alumni Interview
Thoughts on the lessons that the school imparted, critical thinking, and the interdisciplinary nature of higher education.
Dataviz
What College Professors Can Learn From Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act
His Netflix show takes a unique and informative approach that should make instructors reconsider their methods.
Announcements
Thoughts on Reaching 500 Google Scholar Citations
Reflections on achieving a professional milestone.
Analytics
Reflections on Supervising More Than 100 Capstone Projects
Thoughts on some of my students' best work.
Book Reviews
The Five Best Books I Read in 2018
The texts that rocked my world this past year.
Announcements
Chemonics Receives Innovation Award
Recognition for good work never gets old.
Communication
The Pros and Cons of Teaching Back-to-Back Sections
Honest reflections on teaching a compressed schedule.
Announcements
Audiobook of Analytics: The Agile Way Is Now Available
Good news for those of you who like to listen to books.
Management
Thoughts on Facebook's Stock Drop
Where does the world's largest social network go from here?
Higher Education
Traits and Skills of Effective Professors
Thoughts on common characteristics at people who are really good at this job.
Higher Education
Office Setup of a Tech-Savvy Professor
Here's the hardware that to use to make the magic happen.
Analytics
My Latest HBR Article on the Benefits of Friction
In an excerpt from my latest book, I describe how one company used analytics and Agile methods to largely solve a thorny problem.
Technology
What if Facebook had charged its users?
Would the company find itself in its current predicament?
Announcements
Message Not Received: Chinese Version
Good news on book number seven.
Higher Education
Looking to Teach Somewhere Not Scorching This Summer
I would love to get out of the blistering heat for a few months.
Analytics
Publication of Analytics: The Agile Way
My eighth book has hit the shelves.
Analytics
Excerpt From Analytics: The Agile Way
Read the Preface and Introduction from my new book.
Analytics
Analytics: The Agile Way Media Copies
Interested in a complimentary copy of my new book?
Analytics
Update on Analytics: The Agile Way
News on book number eight.
Analytics
Data and Analytics: Understanding the Human Element
Thoughts on the power of technology and the power of resistance.
Analytics
Book Trailer for Analytics: The Agile Way
What's the new book about in 96 seconds?
Analytics
Analytics: The Agile Way Now Available on Amazon
Some news about book number eight.
Announcements
Looking for Analytics Case Studies for My Eighth Book
Want your organization featured in Analytics: The Agile Way?
Analytics
Announcing My Eighth Book
Here's the skinny on my new one, Analytics: The Agile Way.
Publishing
The Revenge of Analog: An Interview With David Sax
Technology is wonderful—when it isn't in the way.
Communication
My Most Popular Posts of 2016
A look back at what resonated with my readers this past year.
Announcements
Korean Version of Too Big to Ignore
My Big Data book is evidently big in Asia.
Miscellany
Reflections on 2016
Thoughts on a very interesting year.
Miscellany
An Interview With Roger Hodgson
I sit down with the ex-Supertramp singer to talk about his career.
Announcements
The Visual Organization: Chinese Version
Good news on book number six.
Big Data
Can the IoT prevent the next Flint?
Thoughts on how technology and data can possibly avert another water crisis.
Communication
Unplugging at Work: My Interview With Vicki Salemi
I sit down with the journalist to talk about the best ways to draw lines at work.
Announcements
Professor Simon
News on my next adventure.
Book Reviews
Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus
A look at the new book by Douglas Rushkoff.
Analytics
What are the odds that the Warriors go 4 of 30 again?
An in-depth look at the team's anomalous shooting performance against the Lakers.
Announcements
Message Not Received Wins Axiom Award
I won't lie. These types of things don't suck.
Book Reviews
Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing
Thoughts on Jamie Holmes' new book.
Big Data
Four Big Data-Related Questions
A four-part series on whether organizations need to adopt formal data strategies.
Announcements
Want to Buy My Publishing Company?
Why I'm putting Motion Publishing up for sale.
Communication
The Perils of Jargon and Excessive E-Mail
My Interview with Josh Bernoff on Message Not Received.
Announcements
Looking to Teach as a Visiting Professor in 2016
Thoughts on making a pretty significant career change.
Analytics
An Open Letter to All Technology Partners
Why clarity is essential for partners trying to sell their wares.
Project Management
How to Switch Web Developers
A three-part series on making this key change.
Announcements
Paperback Version of Too Big to Ignore Released
The latest and considerably cheaper version of my fifth book is now out.
Platforms
Celebrating the Four-Year Anniversary of The Age of the Platform
Reflecting on the book that put me on the map.
Big Data
Message to LinkedIn: This Is the 21st Century
Thoughts on the long-awaited fix to an anachronistic app.
Communication
7 Rules for Fixing Business Communication
Highlights from my talk at Collabosphere 2015.
Interviews
My Divi Nation Podcast With Nathan Weller
I sit down with the host of the Elegant Themes' podcast to discuss a variety of topics.
Social Media
Contingency Planning
What are you doing to hedge your bets?
Platforms
Robert Reich Is Wrong
Thoughts on Big Tech and the need to break up "monopolies."
Communication
On Success, Clarity, and Simplicity
Partners, employees, and vendors cannot successfully deploy new technologies while confused.
Book Reviews
Why We Work by Barry Schwartz
This is a big-idea book, not a not a how-to or tactical text.
Communication
#NoEmail Vodcast With Luis Suarez
A 60-minute chat about fixing communications at work.
Platforms
Not All APIs Are Created Equal
Examining one of the most pervasive platform myths.
Announcements
Paperback Version of Too Big to Ignore Is Coming
More good news on my fifth book.
Analytics
People Operations: Three Hard Truths
Actually doing something with data is infinitely more important than a department's name.
Social Media
When Partners Break Bad: Lessons From the ADP-Zenefits Fiasco
Think that this can't happen to your company? Think again.
Dataviz
Celebrating Post Number 1,000
Reflecting on a milestone of sorts.
Communication
Worth Magazine Message Not Received Feature
A nice one-pager on my new book.
Dataviz
Disruption Visualized
An amazing and interactive graphic on how things change.
Announcements
Too Big to Ignore: Chinese Version
Breaking through in Asia.
Communication
My MIT Sloan Management Review Interview
Are you part of the e-mail problem?
Platforms
Marketplaces Are Not Platforms
Branding alone doesn't make it so.
Platforms
Yahoo's Platform Problem
Unlike the Gang of Four, zero innovation comes from the outside.
Book Reviews
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
A look at Jon Ronson's excellent new book.
Communication
Recognizing My E-Mail Addiction
Explaining the project on which someone called me out on my e-mail torrents.
Communication
What Is Jargon?
A 90-second video on what constitutes confusing language.
Communication
Book Excerpt: Jargon and the Management Scientists
The legacy of Frederick Winslow Taylor lives on.
Communication
Has e-mail become too convenient?
Sometimes a little friction can be a good thing.
Communication
A Note to Panelists: It's Not Your Stage
Thoughts on the art of shutting up.
Communication
Suggestions Wanted: Which Buzzwords Irk You the Most?
Collecting data on the worst offenders for a future poll.
Communication
First Talk on Message Not Received
Here's the 50-minute video from my talk at Cisco Systems.
Technology
The Case for Tweaking
No, not the meth kind.
Communication
My First Quartz Piece
Email lets other people schedule your life—here’s how to stop it
Announcements
Message Not Received T-Shirts
Show the world that e-mail sucks.
Communication
Message Not Received Media Roundup, Part 1
Things are off to a good start.
Announcements
Publication of Message Not Received
My seventh book is now officially out.
Miscellany
My Interview With Steven Wilson
I talk to the prog maestro about his moving new album, Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Communication
Mandatory Viewing: Last Night's Modern Family
The episode underscores key trends in our lives.
Faves
Why I Quit the Web-Design Business
Thoughts on what was briefly a plank in my platform.
Communication
Why Twitter's Communication Keeps It Spinning in Circles
Investors are starting to tire of its confusing corporate communications.
Platforms
How Developers Are Using New Platforms to Innovate
In the Age of the Platform, the fundamental question around innovation changes.
Technology
Not Your Father's 3D Printer
It looks like Chris Anderson was right again.
Announcements
Is Message Not Received a Departure?
Understanding how this book relates to my prior six.
Communication
Introduction to Message Not Received
Here's a sneak preview of my forthcoming book.
Communication
3 Things That Marketers Can Learn From Message Not Received
Explain your product/service to a few teenagers. Do they understand what you're pushing?
Announcements
Looking for Stops on the Message Not Received Book Tour
The wheels are in motion.
Technology
What Your Website Says About Your Organization
Thoughts on your virtual store front.
Communication
Why I Wrote Message Not Received
Exploring my motivations for writing the new book.
Communication
Advance Praise for Message Not Received
Some thoughts on my forthcoming book.
Communication
Pick. Up. The. Phone.
Relying exclusively on e-mail is rarely wise.
Analytics
My Most Popular Posts From 2014
A look at the data from the past year.
Analytics
Where Platforms and Big Data Collide
Looking at two of the most important concepts in business today.
Communication
Twitter's New Message: Not Received
Thoughts on the company's 220 characters of pure nonsense.
Technology
Crowdsourcing Healthcare
Let's hope that collaboration and innovation like this increasingly become the rule in healthcare.
Book Reviews
The Glass Cage
A look at Nick Carr's new book on automation.
Communication
Curing My E-mail Addiction: The Revelation
Recounting the exact time that I realized I had a problem.
Communication
Has E-Mail Peaked?
An excerpt from Message Not Received.
Communication
Thoughts on Simpler Business Language
In search of a different and better professional world.
Platforms
Proprietary APIs: A New Tool in the Age of the Platform
A new arrow in the quiver.
Announcements
New Site Has Launched
Version 5.0 is now live.
Faves
My Interview With Neil Peart
I sit down with the legendary Rush drummer.
Big Data
Using Basic Data to Foil Tax Scammers
Thoughts on how little the IRS knows about Data 101.
Miscellany
What Should I Ask Neil Peart?
I'll be talking to the Rush drummer. Got any questions for him?
Publishing
Calling Bullshit on Authors United
Thoughts on the latest move by some authors in the Amazon-Hachette dispute.
Communication
How We’re Working Just Isn’t Working
The problem isn’t e-mail. The problem is how we use it.
Communication
Gmail: Were You Hacked?
A quick way to find out.
Book Reviews
The Organized Mind
A look at Daniel Levitin’s new book
Communication
Book Trailer for Message Not Received
What's the new book in three minutes? Watch a preview to find out.
Technology
To-Do Lists Done Right
A pretty slick tool to help you manage your life.
Communication
Infographic: E-Mail, Goldfish, and Technology
An infographic on our noisy times.
Big Data
Zappos Talk on The Visual Organization
I recently spoke to about 100 employees about my new book.
Analytics
To Store or Not to Store
Strategy without execution is meaningless.
Big Data
How to Break Into Dataviz
How do I get a dataviz job without any related experience?
Analytics
Past ≈ Future?
Thoughts on whether Big Data will result in more accurate forecasts.
Announcements
Looking for Examples and Case Studies for My Next Book
Would you like to contribute to The Visual Organization?
Analytics
Thwart the Trackers
Easily control who sees what you do online.
Announcements
The Skinny on My Seventh Book
The cat is out of the bag.
Communication
Business Words and Phrases That Annoy Me
Looking at some of my biggest language pet peeves.
Platforms
On Microsoft, Android, and Platform Thinking
Cats and dogs living with each other.
Big Data
HBR Webinar: The Visual Organization
60 minutes on the new book and the importance of dataviz.
Platforms
The Invisible Cloud
Thoughts on the continued evolution of cloud computing.
Announcements
Need a Speaker in Montreal in Late April of 2015?
Want me to give a free talk to your organization or conference?
Trends
Life Without Cable TV: One Month Later
What I've learned in the past 30 days.
Big Data
On Data, Stories, and Persuasion
Examining whether decisions today should begin and end with data.
Big Data
The Case for Visual Resumes
A neat way of showing how you're not only qualified for the position, but über-creative.
Technology
Taking Screen Shots of Large Web Pages
A pretty neat app to solve a minor yet annoying problem.
Social Media
Fleas, Dogs, and Why I'm Sticking With LinkedIn
Thoughts on Freemium and onerous terms of service.
Big Data
Open Data Now
A look at Joel Gurin's new and fascinating book.
Announcements
A "Bad" Book Contest
Can you find all of the Breaking Bad references in the new book?
Big Data
Between Two Fern-like Plants: My VizWorld Interview on The Visual Organization
A chat at NAB in Las Vegas about Netflix, Twitter, and the importance of contemporary dataviz.
Analytics
Four Options for Dealing With XP’s Decommission
Thoughts on the death of Microsoft's ubiquitous OS.
Announcements
Upcoming Webinars
I'll be talking to the folks over the Interweb over the next few months.
Big Data
Autodesk Talk: The Visual Organization
Here's the video of the first talk on my tour for the new book.
Big Data
Highlights From The Visual Organization Book Tour
Thoughts on four days of talking about the book.
Big Data
Netflix Talk: Twitter, Katy Perry, and The Visual Organization
Here's the video of the second talk on my tour for the new book.
Big Data
Who's Tweeting at Whom? A Fascinating Twitter Dataviz
The potential to discover new insights via interactive data visualizations has never been greater.
Announcements
The Visual Organization Book Tour: Seattle
Possibly adding more dates and one of my favorite cities to the tour.
Analytics
The Visual Organization - Media Roundup
Here's a current list of mentions, excerpts, reviews, and interviews on the new book.
Big Data
Data Is (Sort of) the New Oil
Thoughts on one of today's bellwether phrases.
Big Data
Visualizing Breaking Bad Fan IMDB Ratings
A simple yet elegant representation of the each episode's ratings.
Big Data
How Startups Can Embrace The Visual Organization
Kira Newman of TechCocktail interviews me about my new book.
Big Data
The Visual Organization: UC Berkeley Interview
I talk to the good folks at the school about my rationale for the new book.
Big Data
Facility With Data: Necessary but Insufficient
Being proficient with data doesn't obviate the need for clear communication.
Big Data
Will Big Data End Ignorance and Racism?
Data is making it easier to disprove highly suspect claims in an equally public forum.
Big Data
Netflix and Dataviz
My first Wired piece is now live.
Announcements
Publication of The Visual Organization
My sixth opus is now out. Golf applause.
Technology
How to Opt Out of Acxiom Ads
Want to stop receiving targeted ads? This will help.
Big Data
Obesity and the Big-Data Revolution
As FoodMood proves, Big Data is not the sole purview for large enterprises.
Big Data
The Visual Organization: ZDNet Interview
Brian Sommer interviews me about my new book.
Book Reviews
Big Bang Disruption by Downes and Nunes
A look at a new book on innovation and disruption.
Communication
On Humility and Being "That Guy"
A random conversation confirmed that I'm still relatively humble.
Analytics
Thoughts on IBM Pulse 2014
Musings on cloud computing, Breaking Bad, and a host of other subjects.
Big Data
Visualizing Mice and Rats in Manhattan
There's no shortage of new, data-oriented ways to look at old problems.
Trends
The Case Against a Full-Time Internship
Thoughts on a problem that far too many college grads face.
Big Data
Big Data in the Enterprise: Mostly Lip Service
My latest from InformationWeek on the adoption of Big Data.
Big Data
Dataviz, Twitter, and the State of the Union
Check out some amazing real-time data visualizations.
Dataviz
Celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of My First Tweet
Looking back at an odd anniversary.
Analytics
Analytics Guarantee Nothing
Even Moneyball acolytes make mistakes.
Big Data
Dilbert and Big Data
A few funnies on the use–er, misuse–of data in the office.
Book Reviews
Left Brain, Right Stuff by Phil Rosenzweig
An essential read on decision making.
Big Data
The Quest for Better Decisions
Picking a subtitle for a book is never easy. Here's why I went this way.
Analytics
Visualizing Fraud at Enron
A new way to detect potential corporate malfeasance in e-mails.
Platforms
How Platform Thinking Can Improve Healthcare
Healthcare is ripe for the very type of disruption that platforms can effect.
Management
The Controversial Case of Marissa Mayer
Thoughts on one of the most prominent female CEOs today.
Big Data
Introduction to The Visual Organization
Here's a longer sneak preview of the book.
Platforms
2014: Year of the Platform Revolution?
Is this the year that every company embraces platform thinking?
Platforms
Evernote's Platform Struggles
As the company is learning, building a platform is much easier said than done.
Communication
Why I Don't Blog Every Day
Just because you can doesn't mean that you should.
Communication
The Perils of the Single Sentence
A good general rule on how to write and speak more clearly.
Book Reviews
Books I Read in 2013
Looking back on my reading list for the year.
Analytics
My Most Popular Posts From 2013
A look at the data from the past year.
Big Data
A Few Sample Pages From The Visual Organization
Here's a sneak preview of the book.
Analytics
Big Data and Small Companies
My first Harvard Business Review post is up.
Platforms
Mobile Security: Necessary but Insufficient
Manufacturers that want to move phones have to emphasize more than safety.
Big Data
Refine Your Data the Google Way
Cleaning up data has never been easier.
Project Management
Five Tips for a Successful CRP
A few thoughts how to improve the results of coordinated testing.
Big Data
Book Trailer for The Visual Organization
What's the new book in three minutes? Watch a preview to find out.
Platforms
Inside Amazon: AWS, APIs, and Platform Thinking
A fascinating window into one of the company's strongest, most innovative, and most profitable planks.
Big Data
Dataviz and Dolphins
I am amazed again that data visualizations are seemingly everywhere.
Miscellany
An Interview With Steve Rothery
A chat with the Marillion guitarist on his new Kickstarter project.
Book Reviews
Dogfight by Fred Vogelstein
An inside look at the battle between iOS and Android.
Announcements
The Age of the Platform: Indonesian Version
More good news on my award-winning book.
Technology
Early Thoughts on the iPad
Some musings on my new toy.
Big Data
Automate This by Christopher Steiner
A look at one of the how algorithms have evolved and influence us today.
Book Reviews
Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton
A look at one of the most influential companies of our times.
Big Data
Google, Big Data, and The Innovator's Dilemma
Learn from Google: Keep refining algorithms. Keep using data.
Announcements
The Visual Organization Book Tour: San Francisco
Time to hit the road.
Big Data
Introducing the Visual Journalist
Think dataviz is just for IT folks? Think again.
Trends
Crowdsourcing Design
Disruption is coming to traditional design.
Management
When a Client Isn't Worth Keeping
Sometimes it's best to just let go.
Management
5 Tips for Managing Business Conflicts
A few thoughts on the inevitable disputes that arise among parties.
Technology
Pasting Heaven
If you write and own a Mac, you need this doohickey.
Consulting
A Few Thoughts on Fixing Healthcare.gov
Insights on righting the ship.
Technology
Should I Buy an iPad?
Pondering whether it's time to get a tablet.
Big Data
Visualizing a Viral Facebook Photo
An interesting way to look at a photo blowing up.
Trends
10 Things I Learned in Seoul
Some tech observations related to my first trip to Asia.
Big Data
Visualize Your Timeline
A list of events need not be boring.
Book Reviews
Video Review: The Year Without Pants by Scott Berkun
Here's my review of my friend Scott Berkun's fifth text. Get it.
Big Data
Dataviz and Dry Cleaners
Visualizations are seemingly everywhere these days.
Big Data
The Visual Organization: Tentative Jacket Copy
A 450ish-word encapsulation of my new book.
Big Data
12Books' Interview on Too Big to Ignore
My 56-minute interview on the book is now live.
Platforms
Thoughts on Ballmer, the Consumerization of IT, and Platforms
Complaining seems to be a tell-tale sign that you're facing irrelevance.
Interviews
Catching Up With Jordan Rudess
I recently sat down with the man in Las Vegas before the Vegas Rocks! show.
Big Data
Content and Context: Kissing Cousins
Whether creating a simple listing or an interactive dataviz, remember that both content and context matter.
Interviews
My Interview With Jonathan Banks of Breaking Bad
Yeah, this actually happened.
Communication
Visualizing Synonyms
A completely innovative way of asking, What's another word for X?
Communication
Should You Self-Publish? My Forbes Interview
Some thoughts on writing, publishing, and disintermediation.
Big Data
On Caveman, Big Data, and Pie Charts
The era of Big Data requires us to ask ourselves, What's the best way to represent information?
Communication
Best Thing/Worst Thing: Writing a Book
Kicking off my new series with something near and dear to my heart: writing a book.
Big Data
How Not to Visualize Data
A dataviz foul on The Wall Street Journal is instructive in a bad sort of way.
Interviews
Tech Cocktail Week Interview
A talk about writing, my books, and whether it's better to work for a small company.
Platforms
Frenemies and the Age of the Platform
In my first Ignite talk, I stress the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Big Data
Visualizing Paris
Today's tools allow for fascinating vistas into our cities.
Technology
Apple-ization of the Enterprise Webinar
Learn about the challenges that tech-savvy employees and BYOD pose for IT departments.
Trends
Mark Kelly on the Origins of Crowdfunding
Was there crowdfunding before Kickstarter? You better believe it.
Technology
A Ridiculously Early and Hopefully Amusing Review of Google Glass
My initial reaction to spending ten minutes with Google's nextgen product.
Trends
I'm An Expert. Don't Trust Me.
What do Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, Rush, and Stephen King have in common?
Big Data
Big Data and Casinos
Ever wonder why loyalty cards are so important to casinos?
Book Reviews
Difficult Men
A look at Brett Martin's new book.
Communication
Nouns as Verbs and Other Language Pet Peeves
Why you shouldn't switch the two.
Platforms
Amazon and Frenemies
What does Amazon do and why does the company do it? Watch and find out.
Big Data
Google Glass: Enabling Powerful Sports Visualizations?
What the new tchotchke might mean for how we see tennis.
Social Media
Youtility: An Interview With Jay Baer
I sit down with the social-media expert to talk about his new book.
Publishing
Writing and Publishing Options for First-Time Authors
So, you want to write a book. What are your options?
Big Data
Big Data and Healthcare: An Interview With Rod Smith
An interesting chat about how one institution has embraced Big Data.
Big Data
Visualizing Twitter
What did Twitter look like in 2009?
Data Issues
Hamsterdam and Data Anarchy
What do data issues and The Wire have in common?
Announcements
Looking for Data-Visualization Case Studies for My Next Book
Want your organization featured in The Visual Organization?
Platforms
My Interview With Mark Kelly of Marillion
I sit down with the über-talented keyboardist to discuss a range of topics.
Platforms
On Yahoo!, Tumblr, and Planks
One plank does not a platform make, but this move makes sense.
Communication
On Euphemisms and Speaking Directly
A look at the (d)evolution of the terms we use.
Communication
Are You Talking at Your Audience?
A few thoughts on how to communicate to your audience better.
Faves
Maybe I Am a Social Media Expert
Reevaluating a term that I truly despise.
Big Data
11 Big Data Myths
A look at many misconceptions about Big Data.
Announcements
Publishing and Writing Seminar
Want to learn more about the business of writing and publishing?
Platforms
The Problem, Dear Marissa, Lies Not Within Yahoo!
The fix for Yahoo! hinges upon what happens outside of the office.
Trends
Jordan Rudess on Crowdfunding and Explorations
I talk to the Dream Theater virtuoso about his new project.
Big Data
Boston, Privacy, and Big Data
Where do we draw the line?
Collaboration
Think Web
On old mind-sets, new technologies, and the wrong questions to ask.
Communication
The Sponge Theory of Writing
Answering the question, "What's your writing process?"
Communication
Is Your Writing Understandable?
Today choice abounds. No one reads your content out of obligation.
Dataviz
Data Visualizations: This Isn’t 1996
Forget Excel. Today, there are myriad tools to make data sexy.
Management
Android, Google, and Frenemies
In its quest to kill Apple, has Google inadvertently empowered its rivals-and created new ones?
Big Data
Early Reviews: Too Big to Ignore
Now that the book has been out for a few months, what are people saying?
Big Data
Big Data Is Additive
On the silliness of the ROI of Big Data.
Big Data
Who Needs a Big Data Thought Leader?
Musings on whether my Big Data expertise would make me a good employee.
Big Data
TechCocktail Interview on Big Data
A Q&A on the new book and a few other things.
Platforms
On Android and Frenemies
Has Google inadvertently empowered its rivals–and created new ones?
Analytics
Everything is Obvious by Duncan Watts
Drawing lessons from hindsight isn't just wrong. It's dangerous.
Big Data
The Zen of Big Data
Think Big Data will always manifest the obvious? Think again.
Big Data
Introduction From Too Big to Ignore
Read 28 pages from my new book on Big Data for free.
Big Data
Proof That Big Data Has Gone Mainstream
Another sign that the era of Big Data has arrived.
Big Data
Big Data: Big Results
Think that Big Data is just conceptual? Think again.
Management
Google Reader and the Tension Between Users and Customers
Don't confuse one for the other.
Analytics
All Analytics Interview on Big Data
A few thoughts on the book and how organizations can leverage Big Data.
Publishing
How to Vet a PR Firm
Hiring a PR firm is a big investment. Here's some advice based on personal experience.
Trends
The Cold War and the State of Enterprise IT
Yes, the two have a great deal in common.
Big Data
Eight Big Data Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Some tips for getting started with Big Data.
Big Data
Why I Wrote Too Big to Ignore
A few thoughts on why I penned a text on Big Data.
Analytics
Reporting vs. Analytics
Thoughts on a critical and oft-overlooked distinction.
Announcements
Publication of Too Big to Ignore
I don't get to announce things like this too often. The new book is out.
Platforms
Is Facebook Blowing It?
Is Facebook pushing monetization too hard?
Platforms
On Platforms and Relevance
People are starting to get it.
Big Data
The First Big Big Data Myth
There are so many misconceptions around Big Data. Here's one.
Big Data
Big Data Is Mostly Deep and Dark
There's a crazy amount of data out there. There's even more that's not.
Big Data
Carnegie Mellon Interview on Big Data
A few thoughts about the intersection of people, management, and technology.
Trends
Yahoo: Punishing the Many for the Sins of the Few?
Why the one-size-fits-all policy doesn't work.
Big Data
Netflix, Big Data, and Art
Big Data has the potential to become a big presence in production decisions.
Communication
Why You Shouldn't Care About Negative Reviews
Don't welcome them, but don't fear them either.
Big Data
How Will Big Data Impact Journalism?
Big Data will continue to help us understand what happened and why.
Big Data
Book Trailer for Too Big to Ignore
What's the new book about in three minutes? Watch a preview to find out.
Platforms
Why Most Big Companies Can't Innovate
"Not Invented Here" stymies new ideas at large organizations.
Platforms
Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Stone
Microsoft really should worry about its own issues.
Big Data
Boston Gets Big Data
Boston may well be one of America's biggest and most innovative cities.
Big Data
Big Data and the Myth of Perfection
Think Big Data is perfect? Think again.
Big Data
Excerpt From Too Big to Ignore
Car insurance is undergoing a big overhaul.
Big Data
Big Data and Job Creation
Big Data is creating a bunch of jobs, especially in healthcare.
Platforms
If All Else Fails, Smear
When you can't build a better mousetrap, you might as well smear people, right?
Platforms
On eBay and Platforms
The company's head honcho seems to understand their importance.
Analytics
On Big Data, Analytics, and Uncertainty
Examining the relationship among Big Data, knowledge, and predictive analytics.
Platforms
The Decline of the US Postal Service
Building a platform is easier said than done.
Trends
Why You Should Freelance First
Test the waters before you sink your capital and time into a risky new venture.
Big Data
Free Sample of Too Big to Ignore
What do potholes and car insurance have to do with Big Data?
Technology
5 Reasons to Blow Up Your Current Website
Be honest: Is your website as attractive as it was five years ago? Is it time to rebuild?
Announcements
Need a Speaker in Montreal in March?
Exploit my growing obsession with the band Marillion.
Big Data
Big Data and Teenage Sex
Yes, one has a great deal to do with the other.
Platforms
Santa Clara University Discussion
What questions do grad students have about platforms and Big Data?
Platforms
Should Google Be Scared?
Graph Search isn't a threat to Google—yet.
Big Data
On Doctors, Planes, and Dataphobes
Thoughts on our tendency to disregard data.
Communication
So You Want to Write a Business Book
As I near the publication of book #5, I've picked up a few hard-won lessons along the way.
Higher Education
Exploit My Rush Obsession
Yes, I will speak for Rush tickets, airfare, and discounted copies of books.
Platforms
Ecosystems in Action
Ecosystems extend platforms. I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Platforms
On Platforms and Whining
Complaining seems to be a tell-tale sign that you're facing irrelevance.
Platforms
On Scroogled and Hypocrisy
Microsoft's latest PR moves smack of desperation.
Platforms
Why Amazon Cut Prices on AWS
Why drop prices when you're the industry leader?
Communication
What's Your Arc?
As book number 5 gets closer, I reflect upon my arc as a writer.
Big Data
Inc. Article #18: 4 Ways to Embrace Big Data
A handful of useful tools to collect the kind of data to make better business decisions.
Platforms
Is the Microsoft Surface a Failure?
Microsoft is finding out what happens when people no longer have to use your products.
Platforms
Ken Auletta on the Gang of Four
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google and the platform wars.
Book Reviews
The Laws of Subtraction by Matt May
Just because we can pack more in doesn't mean that we should.
Platforms
Amazon: Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos
What does Amazon do and why does the company do it? Watch and find out.
Big Data
Social Media and the Fourth V of Big Data
In order to benefit from Big Data, we need to embrace uncertainty.
Trends
Inc. Article #17: Facebook Still Knows How to Fail Fast
Zuck et. al haven't forgotten that speed kills in the Age of the Platform.
Big Data
Platforms, Disruption, and Television
In my latest HuffPo piece, I talk to John Funge about television and disruption.
Miscellany
Review: Sounds That Can't Be Made
A look at Marillion's new studio album.
Project Management
Which Is Better? Role- or Process-Based Training?
A reader of my first book asks me a question about how training should be structured.
Miscellany
On Rush and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Hell has frozen over and it's time for me to weigh in.
Platforms
On the New iPhone and Mapgate
Understanding Apple's mistake in kicking Google off of its platform.
Platforms
Has Apple Lost its Mojo?
Is the effect of Steve Jobs' loss finally being felt through Apple fanboy land?
Book Reviews
Wait by Frank Partnoy
A book that asks important questions. What are the benefits of not acting?
Platforms
The Case for Premium Web Hosting
Thoughts on the viability of low-cost hosting services.
Trends
My Interview With Steve Hogarth of Marillion
I talk to the legendary frontman about a bunch of things.
Trends
Inc. Article #14: A Smarter Mobile Strategy
Chaotic Moon has developed apps for some of the world's biggest brands. Here's what it has learned in the process.
Miscellany
What Should I Ask
On Sunday, I'll be talking to the Marillion frontman. Got any questions for him?
Analytics
The Social Data Police
A post on catty ex-clients and how Amazon uses data to improve its review of reviews.
Platforms
The Gang of Three?
Does Facebook have a size or a money problem? Or both?
Big Data
The City as a Platform
The "everything as a platform" mind-set continues.
Big Data
Big Data and Hadoop
In this three-minute overview video, I explain Apache Hadoop and touch on some of its functionality.
Social Media
A Clarification on My Inc. Facebook Post
Facebook could solve some of its business problems with one simple solution: Charge users.
Social Media
Inc. Article #13: An Open Letter to Zuck
Facebook could solve some of its business problems with one simple solution: Charge users.
Platforms
App.net & the Open-Closed Platform Dilemma
The company hit its funding mark but its work to build a true platform is far from over.
Communication
An Interview With Kevin J. Anderson
My HuffPo interview with Clockwork Angels' author Kevin J. Anderson to talk about his new book.
Platforms
The End of Silicon Valley as We Know It?
Thoughts on platforms and innovation.
Platforms
Best Reasons to Turn Down VC Funding
It's very easy to say no to VC firms these days. In this piece, I look at the decision to do that.
Platforms
Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess Talks Music Apps
The über-talented musician talks to me about a range of topics.
Trends
Mobility in the Enterprise
In this video, I discuss issues to related to mobility for mid-market organizations.
Communication
Breaking Bad: What if Hank already knows about Walt?
We all think that Walt is outsmarting Hank. What if it's the other way around?
Platforms
Digg and Other People's Platforms (OPPs)
Your platform may very well determine your startup’s success—so why not build your own?
Platforms
The Gradually Closing Platform Strategy
Facebook and Twitter keep on closing their platforms. This is no accident.
Platforms
System Failures Still Haunt Us
One of the largest US market makers is on the edge of bankruptcy. The cause: a technology failure.
Big Data
A Retail BI Case Study
A look at how one organization adopted BI tools to better understand its business.
Platforms
On Stocktwits and Frenemies
Twitter goes from friend to enemy in an instant. The platform giveth and the platform taketh away.
Platforms
A Platform for Micro-Businesses
In my latest HuffPo piece, I talk to the CEO of SohoOS about his vision for very small companies.
Platforms
Inc. Article #11: Facebook's Biggest Problem
Unless you've been living in a vacuum, you know that Facebook's stock has been reeling.
Technology
My Interview With Noah Dentzel
A look at an interesting Kickstarter project for the iPhone.
Platforms
Amazon: Under the Radar?
How one of the world's biggest companies quietly churns along.
Technology
Green IT and 3D Printers
Many CIOs these days talk about how their companies are "going green."
Platforms
Innovation, Google Plus, and the Additive Power of Platforms
What happens when platforms build on top of other planks and platforms?
Cartoons
Platform Man #4: Mediation
Things are testy between Cory Johnson and Andrew Mason. Can Platform Man help?
Platforms
Office 2013: Do You Care?
Microsoft's latest version of its flagship product is coming soon. Does it matter?
Platforms
Postal Vision 2020 Panel
An interesting chat with Marshall Van Alstyne, Syed Hoda, Larry Weber, and Jeff Jarvis.
Platforms
On Microsoft and Marissa Mayer's Challenge
Why Mayer's turnaround is nothing like Microsoft's Internet challenge in 1995.
Platforms
Last to Cool
What can your company learn from Microsoft? Quite a bit, actually.
Platforms
Postal Vision 2020 Keynote
Here's my 30-minute talk address on The Age of the Platform.
Platforms
On Groupon's Death Watch
My take on the company's troubles. Long story short: it really hasn't added any planks to its platform.
Platforms
PopTechJam Interview
My thoughts on tablets and The Age of the Platform.
Communication
The Inevitability of Negativity
Once you reach a certain level of prominence, expect detractors. But don't let that stop you.
Trends
Grow Your Business by Buying Domain Names
Consider whether one website is enough for your business. Often, it is not.
Platforms
More Cross-Platform Pollination
Zynga is hardly the only company that sees the benefits of existing—and even promoting—other platforms.
Platforms
Zynga and Cross-Platform Pollination
Understanding the gaming company's moves to reduce its reliance upon Facebook.
Platforms
How the Yammer Deal Benefits JIVE
Understanding Microsoft's latest acquisition in the context of a "more social" business.
Platforms
Amazon: A Life Saver?
A simply amazing story of how one author used Amazon platform's.
Collaboration
An Interview With Terri Griffith
I talk about to the author of The Plugged-in Manager.
Data Issues
The NFL and Data Resistance
Many people ignore data and face the consequences. Read about some who take this to the extreme.
Platforms
A New Kind of Social Network
In my latest HuffPo piece, I look at The Experience Project.
Platforms
Platforms, Microsoft, and Two-Sided Markets
Understanding the virtuous cycle of platforms.
Platforms
The Library as a Platform
If you don't get the little p's right, you can forget about the Big P.
Platforms
Kara Swisher on the Gang of Four
I'm not the only one who's taking notice of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Technology
The Technology Pendulum
The days of top-down IT are coming to an end. What are you going to do about it?
Social Media
Inc. Article #9: Can Facebook Acquire a Better Mobile Experience?
The social network faces a big problem. Can it buy its way out of it?
Strategy
The USPS as a Platform
Should it become a platform or a plank in a larger one?
Platforms
The Postal Service as a Platform?
Are we confusing planks and platforms?
Platforms
On Platforms and Stickiness
In my latest HuffPo piece, I look at the evolution of Google and how it's become a platform.
Platforms
Platforms and Scale
Some great platform-building lessons from Amazon.
Trends
Understanding The Fancy
I interview the founder of at an interesting social commerce site.
Platforms
Want to Buy My Platform?
RIM is the latest casualty in the Age of the Platform.
Platforms
Platforms and Luck
Is Yahoo! unlucky? Or is something else going on?
Analytics
Thoughts From the Data Science Summit
Talking to practitioners is always a treat, especially about new technologies and directions.
Platforms
The Platform Wars Continue
It should be no surprise that Zuckerberg and Page have taken such stances.
Communication
Speed Kills
Some days, I wish that I were more patient. Today isn't one of them.
Platforms
Yet Another Social Network
Google+ has faded, so does this move make any sense?
Book Reviews
The Search
A look at John Battelle's fascinating opus on how we find things.
Data Issues
When Enterprises Outgrow Their Systems
Organizations that outgrow their systems find themselves at a crossroads.
Communication
The Journey Is the Reward
Money is nice, but the chief benefit of writing is the journey.
Platforms
Platforms and Guarantees
Thoughts on how platforms can make big ideas happen.
Platforms
What comes after apps?
Thoughts on the next big thing.
Technology
An Unexpected Benefit of Sin City
We're no San Francisco yet, but the tech movement in Vegas is alive and kicking.
Platforms
The Platform Wars
They aren't just about the Gang of Four.
Platforms
Dan Loeb and Platforms
Yahoo! has to deal with yet another crisis.
Platforms
The Inherent Tension Between Management and Innovation
Thoughts on these two competing forces.
Platforms
The Short(er) Long Term
Long-term thinking is much shorter in the Age of the Platform.
Platforms
Inc. Article #7: What Could Kill Facebook
The company is going public soon but it's long-term success is hardly guaranteed.
Platforms
Twitter, Ecosystems, and the Age of the Platform
A fascinating look at many of Twitter's innovations.
Communication
On Complacency
A window into the creative process of my favorite band.
Platforms
The Problem With Ubiquity
In the Age of the Platform, people still don't like change.
Platforms
The Platform Mind-Set
The Age of the Platform requires a certain mentality. Do you have it?
Platforms
On Platforms and Vacuums
In the Age of the Platform, no company exists in a bubble.
Analytics
Millennials and the New Data Mind-Set
Examining our perceptions about youth, work, and data management.
Platforms
Tech Bubbles and Funding Platforms
Some observations on what's going on in the tech world.
Platforms
Innovation and the Case for the Platform
Understanding platforms and the wisdom of crowds.
Platforms
Little P and Big P
On the difference between the platform and the Platform.
Platforms
Microsoft, Android, and Frenemies
In the Age of the Platform, bedfellows are beyond strange.
Platforms
Tech Cocktail Interview
Read my inteview with Kira Newman on The Age of the Platform.
Trends
The Applefication of the Enterprise, Part II: The Jobs' Effect
Continuing the look into Apple's enterprise move.
Platforms
GE vs. Apple
Both companies are successful—sort of.
Platforms
Reflections on the Six-Month Anniversary of The Age of the Platform
Reflections half a year later.
Platforms
On Platforms and the Long Term
Changing course is often a requirement in the Age of the Platform.
Platforms
Stalin and the Platform Wars
This is starting to get interesting.
Cartoons
Platform Man #3: A Visit From Charlie Sheen
Even mouthy ex-sitcom stars seem to have quite a few opinions about platforms these days.
Cartoons
Platform Man #2: Nemesis
Our superhero tries to unwind in a bar but discovers potential trouble.
Platforms
The Watch as a Platform
More proof that the Age of the Platform is here.
Platforms
IdeaMensch Interview
I'm honored to be interviewed by a site with such a distinguished roster of guests.
Trends
Inc. Article #4: App Development Made Easier
App development is coming to the masses.
Platforms
On Platforms and Friends
Allowing you to connect with your friends is not the same as being your friend.
Cartoons
Platform Man #1
Our new hero confronts his first challenge.
Platforms
Microsoft and Closed Platforms
Microsoft and open source? You read right.
Platforms
Algorithms Can Only Do So Much
Google makes so much more money than Facebook. So why is the former scared of the latter?
Cartoons
Coming Soon: Platform Man
A little bit on my new comic strip.
Announcements
The Age of the Platform Wins Axiom Award
The first of what I hope will be many awards in my career.
Platforms
Platforms and Payments
On the relationship between profits and platforms.
Platforms
Instagram and Black Swans
In the Age of the Platform, can you predict success?
Platforms
Inc. Article #3: Facebook and the Instagram Deal
My take on the billion-dollar deal of the year.
Platforms
Amazon: Understanding the Hate
How should you feel about Amazon?
Platforms
A Future-Proof Platform? Get Real.
You have to read this to believe it.
Platforms
Fixing Blackberry: A Radical Proposal
This is no guarantee, but it just might work.
Platforms
Platforms and Trends
Have we really entered the Age of the Platform?
Platforms
Different Platform Purposes and Google+
Consumers use different platforms for different purposes.
Platforms
The Pinterest Effect
Why the company is having such a big impact on web design.
Trends
The Applefication of the Enterprise, Part I: Introduction
Apple is coming to a company near you.
Communication
On Vocalists, Poseurs, and Pretension
Are you secure in your contributions?
Platforms
Apple: The Open-Closed Paradox
On an increasingly dichotomous Apple.
Trends
The Difference Between Management and Leadership
On a key and often misunderstood distinction.
Platforms
Platforms Guarantee Nothing
On the impermanence the Gang of Four.
Communication
New Language
On the difficulty getting people to think and speak differently.
Communication
Platforms and the Death of Synonyms
What happens when everything is a platform?
Platforms
Coliloquy and the Age of the Publishing Platform
Few industries are as ripe for platforms and disruption as publishing.
Platforms
The Once Unthinkable: You Now Can Ignore Microsoft
You never would have predicted this five years ago.
Platforms
Platform Lessons From Steve Jobs
Understanding what makes Apple a great company—and a great platform.
Platforms
Apple and Amazon: Competing Ecosystems
Contrasting two members of the Gang of Four.
Platforms
Ecosystems, Innovation, and Protecting Platforms
Ecosystems protect platforms; they don't inoculate them from risk.
Platforms
Policing the Platform
My HuffPo piece on Apple's app problem.
Platforms
Platform Integration
Why it's is so essential to Apple's success.
Platforms
Inc. Article #1: On Platforms
On innovation, platforms, and the future of business.
Platforms
Platforms, Offense, and Defense
Looking at platforms and sports metaphors.
Platforms
Platforms, Apple, and App Store Anarchy
Big Tech present problems. Here's one of the biggest.
Technology
Gorgeous vs. Fine
What words do people use to describe your products?
Platforms
Google's Semantic Response to Siri
Understanding the semantic web and Google's forthcoming search overhaul.
Platforms
The Rise of Computing Platforms
An interesting look at changes over time.
Platforms
Once-mighty Yahoo's Last Stand?
Is it over for a formerly great web property?
Collaboration
The Fascinating Story Behind Captcha
I had no idea that the history of this little doohickey was so interesting.
Platforms
On Apple and Innovation
In the Age of the Platform, innovation need not take place within your organization's walls.
Platforms
Are you willing to be misunderstood?
An interesting view on the long term by one of the Big Four.
Management
The Two Sides of Confidence
Understanding the essence of what makes people confident.
Book Reviews
The Perfect Thing by Steven Levy
A look at the fascinating story of the iPod by Steven Levy.
Platforms
Microsoft, Choice, and the Age of the Platform
Trying to understand the company's latest move.
Platforms
Platforms Keep Colliding
Frenemies and coopetition pervade the Age of the Platform.
Platforms
Teens, Facebook, and Platform Stickiness
My HuffPo piece on Facebook's alleged teen problem.
Platforms
Is Udemy a True Platform?
Looking at Udemy's attempt to create a true platform.
Platforms
Google, Privacy, and the Age of the Platform
Google is overstepping the bounds of its privacy.
Platforms
Microsoft, Marketing, and the Age of the Platform
Is fixing the company just a matter of some new marketing?
Platforms
Are You Product- or Customer-Centric?
Thoughts on a key difference in the Age of the Platform.
Communication
Rehearsing to Rehearse
A few lessons from the Canadian power trio on the value of practice.
Platforms
The Age of the Platform Has Arrived
On that one word that everyone is talking about.
Platforms
RIM: The End of the Line?
On the tenuous relationship between your platform and the world around you.
Communication
Does your work hold up?
How do you feel about your endeavors months or years afterward?
Trends
Understanding Linsanity
Why we're so taken with the Knicks' rookie point guard.
Collaboration
When Now Becomes If
A quick lesson on how not to communicate with others.
Platforms
On Platforms and Choice
On Facebook's new board and our ability to choose.
Platforms
Platform Myth #2: Google+ vs. Facebook
Facebook and Google+: Ding, ding.
Platforms
What does your platform look like?
Here's a simple visual of my own.
Platforms
On Platforms and Libraries
The biggest danger for libraries across the country: to maintain the status quo.
Miscellany
How Do You React?
When it comes to tech, do you label yourself as Curious or the Dismissive?
Platforms
Understanding Apple's Success
Why the company is no fluke.
Platforms
The Wrong Questions
On today's fixation with traditional queries.
Platforms
Oh Really, Microsoft?
On the company's convenient position on user privacy.
Platforms
It's not the Age of Conscription
Google isn’t Wikipedia. It exists to make money–among other reasons
Platforms
Twitter 2.0: Becoming More "Platformy"
Twitter is growing up before our eyes—and smartly copying others.
Platforms
Platform Myth #1
Thoughts on development tools, communities, APIs, and SDKs.
Platforms
Ecosystems Extend Platforms
Rinse. Cycle. Repeat.
Platforms
Google's New Privacy Policy
Be transparent—or else.
Platforms
On Websites and Montetization
The platform is a means to an end—not the end itself.
Platforms
On Websites, Planks, and Platforms
Your site is a plank, not a platform.
Communication
What to Do When the Interviewer Isn't Prepared
When your counterpart is unprepared.
Platforms
Yahoo! and the Age of the Platform
The costs of inaction and inertia exceed those of action.
Social Media
New Rule of Social Media: Don't Miss a Last-Second Field Goal
What Billy Cundiff teaches us.
Technology
Removing Google+ Results from Search
Purifying my search results.
Social Media
If You're Not Getting Anywhere, Tweet
Tweet your way to better customer service.
Platforms
CES 2012: It's All About the Platform
My HuffPo piece on the ubiquity of platforms.
Platforms
Google's Risky Gambit
Thoughts on tweaking a core product.
Platforms
The Paradox of CES 2012
Oddly, you won't find Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google at the world's biggest event.
Platforms
On SoundCloud, CES, and Platforms
How are smaller companies embracing platform thinking?
Book Reviews
The Plugged-In Manager
A look at the new book from Terri Griffith.
Platforms
On Books, Steps, and Numbers
This is not a how-to book.
Trends
20 Minutes With Todd Hamilton
Watch my interview with Todd about web design.
Platforms
10 Technology and Business Trends for 2012
My HuffPo piece on what to expect in 2012.
Faves
My Twitter Tuneup
On my 2012 Twitter strategy.
Platforms
On Facebook, Likes, and Uncertainty
Those looking for definitive proof can keep looking.
Platforms
Stasis Is Not an Option
Keep improving your product, service, application, and offerings—your planks.
Platforms
On Platforms and Rules
Open APIs may not be completely, well, open.
Platforms
Zuck Knows About Planks
There will be no one winner in the Great Tech War of 2012
Platforms
Most Popular Book Passages on Kindle
Amazon lets you see some neat data.
Platforms
On Customers, Platforms, and Time
A very interesting conversation and discussion on platforms.
Platforms
Platforms Evolve—and So Do Planks
If you don't cannibalize your own business, your competition will do it for you.
Platforms
A Big Challenge to the Google Algorithm
Thoughts on Google's dominance.
Platforms
How Big Is Amazon?
A really interesting infographic on Bezos' company.
Platforms
Google and the Social War
It's comfortable for us to put things in terms of wins and losses.
Interviews
My Third New York Times' TechTalk Podcast
Talking about The Age of the Platform.
Communication
The Disintermediation Continues
Amazon and its partners keep innovating in the eBook arena.
Platforms
There's No One Right Way to Build a Platform
Apple and Amazon have very different views towards computing—and business, for that matter.
Book Reviews
Steve Jobs
A look at Isaacson's best-seller. Bottom line: It lives up to the hype.
Platforms
Amazon Keeps Adding Planks to its Platform
You just have to admire the ambitions and smarts of this company.
Platforms
Netflix and the Age of the Platform
Hearing your customers is not good enough.
Platforms
Don't Call It a Platform
Except Excel not a platform. It is an application. There's a big difference.
Platforms
We've Seen This Movie Before
Thoughts on AWS.
Management
Hubspot Inbound Now Interview on The Age of the Platform
I recently sat down with David Wells of Hubspot to discuss a wide array of topics.
Technology
Understanding Vendor Lock-In
On immediacy and today's consumer.
Platforms
Why [Insert Name] Will Win
This whole argument is misplaced.
Platforms
This Is Not a Tactical Book
I'm trying to raise the level of discourse.
Platforms
Facebook: Close to MySpace?
Thoughts on some striking similarities.
Management
Pitney Bowes' Small Biz Makeover #2
Talking to a small business talking about web stuff.
Platforms
On Platforms and Rock Stars
Top-flight talent won't stick around if they can't do cool things.
Technology
How to Edit PDFs
This neat app makes basic edits very simple.
Announcements
Publication of 101 Lightbulb Moments in Data Management
I'm psyched to have served as the editor for this book.
Platforms
Are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google Monopolies?
Don't make me laugh.
Social Media
The Social Customer: Excerpt From The New Small
A piece from the Baylor Business Review.
Platforms
The Power of the Platform
Thoughts on the gang of four.
Platforms
Small Businesses, Platforms, and Planks
SMBs are starting to get it.
Technology
When the Customer Experience Breaks Bad
Responses separate companies that get it from companies that don’t.
Platforms
The Emerging WordPress Platform
A few thoughts on the power of an emerging platform.
Communication
Book Trailer for The Age of the Platform
The book trailer is now online.
Platforms
On Apple, Platforms, and Mistakes
In the Age of the Platform, you have to be prepared to take a step back.
Platforms
On Yahoo!, Platforms, and Publishing
Is the company still relevant?
Platforms
@author - Another Plank in Amazon's Platform
It's only in Beta, but it shows how forward-thinking the company is.
Platforms
On Platforms and Marketing
In the Age of the Platform, the rules of marketing and advertising are different.
Platforms
Eric Schmidt on Google, Platforms, and the Enterprise
The CEO offers valuable insight on the company's platform thinking.
Communication
On Hearts and Stomachs
Thoughts on book reviews and going for greatness.
Platforms
Causality
Which way does the arrow point?
Trends
Meet the Prosumer
My first post on Technorati.
Communication
On Greatness
What will you leave behind?
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #20: Adjustment Issues
Life in Vegas.
Management
Fire Your Clients
The client-vendor relationship should be mutual.
Communication
Passion Revisited
Can it be taught? Learned? I say no.
Faves
Three Ways to Learn
Why a hybrid approach is best.
Communication
Can't
Dealing with that four-letter word.
Communication
The Age of the Platform Cover Mockups
Thoughts on prospective covers, everyone?
Communication
The Hunger, the Artist, and the Work
Some universal truths about creativity.
Management
The Baby and the Bath Water
Thoughts on making much-needed changes.
Publishing
Relevance
A look at the revolution taking place right now. Are you a part of it?
Faves
How AMC Keeps the Conversation Going
How AMC keeps the juice flowing on Breaking Bad.
Communication
Why I Moved to Las Vegas
Explaining why I became a member of the 702.
Trends
Lessons From LeBron
What the NBA finals and Heat teach us.
Communication
Success Is Not Linear
Examining the myth of the straight line.
Book Reviews
Little Bets
A look at Peter Sims' book about failure and experimentation.
Technology
Using ScreenFlow to Help Tech Support Diagnose Problems
A better way to do tech support.
Communication
Why I Write
A little affirmation from a respected source is never a bad thing.
Technology
Is Your Site Down?
Here's a quick way to determine if you're having hosting problems.
Publishing
Leverage
Are you using your advantages to their fullest extents?
Communication
Serendipitous Social Media
There are no magic bullets to SEO and social media.
Big Data
Visualizing Your Blog, Part 1
Check out this neat dataviz tool from Wordle.
Book Reviews
Wrong by David Freedman
A look at David Freedman's take on the experts.
Publishing
The Dynamic World of eBooks
My chat with Joshua Tallent of eBookArchitects.
Management
Branding and Energy
How are people responding to your company?
Miscellany
On Music
Why complaining about concert ticket prices ticks me off.
Technology
Publication of The Old Big
The new book is out.
Management
Quotes and Autodidacts
Why learning doesn't have to end upon graduation.
Data Issues
Enterprise Data Governance: The Human Element
A real-life case study on how one organization fumbled the ball.
Communication
On Creatives and Hunger
Why successful folks sometimes lose their appetites.
Management
Complexity
Why I need to remind myself that simplicity to me isn't simplicity to all.
Social Media
Talking Tech With Tim Ware
What's the deal with Facebook fan pages? Find out.
Management
NYC SmallBizSummit Interview on The New Small
I recently spoke to Laurie McCabe about the book.
Social Media
Context
Are you being clear with your audience?
Collaboration
Modernizing Your Applications, Part 2
Is your organization giving your employees the right tools?
Trends
Why Time Warner and Comcast Are Scared
Why TimeWarner and Comcast are scared.
Social Media
Where's Your Site?
Help me understand this glaring omission.
Management
Why Safe Isn't Really Safe at All
Why safe isn't safe at all.
Technology
My Apple Graduation
An update on my progress towards official Mac geek.
Publishing
15 Minutes With Seth Godin
Watch my interview with the best-selling author.
Management
Customer Management IQ Interview
I recently sat down with Gina Scanlon to discuss a wide array of topics.
Technology
Modernizing Your Applications, Part 1
Are cloud-computing initiatives supplanting or adding to your IT costs?
Project Management
PM Tips #3: Types of People
People matter as much–if not more than–technology.
Project Management
Project Management Tips #2: The Cloud is No Panacea
Think that SaaS is a magic bullet? Think again.
Project Management
PM Tips #1: Multiple Consultancies
Should you ever hire more than one consulting firm?
Trends
Why Google is Scared
Facebook is the source of increasingly valuable information.
Trends
The Merits of Private Video Sites
Why YouTube isn't the answer to everything.
Book Reviews
The Entrepreneur Equation
A look at Carol Roth's book.
Management
Essential Personnel Only
Do you qualify as essential personnel? Do you care?
Book Reviews
The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick
A look at David Kirkpatrick's book.
Book Reviews
In Pursuit of Elegance
A look at Matthew May's fascinating book.
Communication
The Persistence Pendulum
Striking a balance between persistent and pushy.
Technology
My Mac Transition, IV: The Verdict
Never going back.
Communication
The Case for Indifference
Why having big ears isn't always a good thing.
Book Reviews
Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
A look at David Garland's first book.
Social Media
Are You Being Clear?
It’s not hard to unfollow narcissists.
Communication
The Battle for Jersey: Simon vs. Snooki
Let's restore sanity to the world—just for one day.
Communication
Are You Afraid of Silence?
A little post about letting yourself breathe.
Social Media
2,000
What to do when you follow too many tweeps?
Social Media
Inputs, Outputs, SEO, and Social Media
Analyzing the myths of simplicity and emerging technologies.
Interviews
My Second New York Times' TechTalk Podcast
Thoughts on smallbiz and emerging tech.
Management
Book Trailer for The New Small
What's the book about in a few minutes?
Announcements
Want to Be the Voice of The New Small?
Looking for a voiceover artist.
Miscellany
2010: A Look Back and Forward
Thoughts on the year that was.
Communication
Too Many Ideas
Why writers need to focus on one topic at a time.
Social Media
The New Small, Traditional Marketing, and Reaching People
Thoughts on how social media affects traditional marketing efforts.
Announcements
Got It: The New Small Is Out
Months of toil come to fruition.
Announcements
Publication of The New Small
It is with great pleasure that I announce the publication of my third book.
Trends
Understanding Book Prices
Does price still matter? I'm betting that it does.
Social Media
The Big Gap
They're making progress, but big companies have a ways to go.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #19: Baby Steps
Do I know as much as I think about my new Mac?
Miscellany
Become Part of The New Small Street Team
Help me spread the word.
Communication
Passion
How do you feel about what you do?
Communication
The Book Bunker
Read about where I go when a book is almost finished.
Communication
Simon's Universal Theory of Windows
How I make dysfunction work for me.
Book Reviews
The Drunkard's Walk by Leonard Mlodinow
My video review of the book.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #17: The Transition, Part 2
Enjoying my Mac.
Technology
My Mac Transition, II: Getting Stronger
Options are unlimited with the Mac so far.
Platforms
My Mac Transition, Part I: Initial Thoughts
Follow me as I return to the World of Apple.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #16: The Transition, Part 1
This week, I make the jump to the the Mac.
Management
Talking The New Small With Bubbalon Co-Founders
Talking about technology, startups, and disruption.
Social Media
Cancellation and the Social Customer
Why do some companies make it so hard to cancel or opt out?
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #15: Restraining Order
This week, I get a surprise visitor.
Miscellany
Longevity
What are the most important factors in explaining it?
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #14: Andy Warhol
This week a famous artist stops by.
Trends
My Complicated Relationship With Technology
Where do you draw the line with regard to technology?
Trends
Kindle and America's Decline?
Is one related to the other?
Communication
What Publishers Can Learn From the Cleveland Indians
What does Seth Godin's recent decision have to do with a certain baseball team?
Communication
Finding Inspiration at the Counter
Why so many SMB owners are unaware of transformative technologies?
Book Reviews
Small Giants
This book resonated with me on a number of levels.
Publishing
Publishing Mysteries, Part II
Why aren't all publishing houses doing what O'Reilly does?
Announcements
200: The State of My Site
Today, I hit the 200-post mark. It's time to take a look back and a look forward.
Platforms
Is Amazon Trying to Do Too Much?
Sure, it's an amazing company. Still, can it be all things to all entities?
Technology
SaaS and Cloud-Based BI
In this podcast with Craig Stedman of TechTarget, I discuss emerging technologies.
Trends
Pink Floyd, Seinfeld, and Extremes in Customer Service
An obscure Pink Floyd song and a Seinfeld quote got me thinking about customer service.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #13: Verizon
After a long reprieve, my cartoon alter ego is back. Yep, I'm finding new ways to "critique" Verizon.
Announcements
Help: A Call for Case Studies
I need some help for the new book.
Consulting
Channeling My Inner Bulldog: The Case for Stubbornness
We should all act a little more like these guys.
Communication
George Orwell and Why I Write
Why do I write? Many reasons. Read on to find out.
Collaboration
Enterprise 2.0 Pilots
Are pilots on Enterprise 2.0 projects a good idea?
Book Reviews
Everything Is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger
Why are printer cartridges and cables in more than one place?
Social Media
Does Social Media Make Traditional Marketing Obsolete?
A guest post from Jay Miletsky, CEO and Executive Creative Director at Mango! Marketing.
Publishing
Why I'm No Longer Helping Reporters Out
Being listed as an anonymous contributor to an article just doesn't sit well with me.
Trends
Is Music Software or Art?
Steven Wilson isn't shy about expressing his opinions on technology and digital music.
Trends
Conferences, Airplane Tickets, and Optimization
Why is it that attendance at many conferences is often suboptimal at best and sparse at worst?
Interviews
My First New York Times' TechTalk Podcast
My piece starts about 21 minutes in and lasts for about eight minutes. I discuss how IT makes decisions and plan for the future.
Miscellany
Five Sites I Can't Live Without
The web is a really big place with oodles of neat and über usefl sites. Here are my top five these days.
Technology
Simon's Second Law of Technology
I'm wondering these days if I will ever make the jump to another device.
Social Media
Social Media Resistance: Déjà Vu All Over Again
Thoughts on Yogi Berra's quote.
Big Data
How Enterprise 2.0 Will Enable the Semantic Web
What is the semantic web? Is it going to be a game changer?
Book Reviews
Methland by Nick Reding
A harrowing look at the meth epidemic in the United States.
Data Issues
Enterprise Data Issues
Data issues in the context of my first book.
Publishing
Essential Reading for Those Considering Self-Publishing
Thinking about doing it yourself?
Social Media
Leaps of Faith?
This is my second post covering the Social Meet-Up from this past week.
Analytics
Measuring Is Easy. Evaluation Is Hard.
Lessons from the Social Media Meet-Up this week.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #11: The Language Game
Sometimes, I just don't feel like we speak the same language.
Trends
My iPad Dealbreaker: No Multi-Tasking
Never buy the first version of anything.
Technology
Enterprise 2.0: It's Still All About People
Are we more or less important than before?
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #10: Got Meds?
I go to the nurse complaining of some issues.
Interviews
Enterprise 2.0 Project Management: An Interview With Wrike's Andrew Filev
Differences between Enterprise 1.0 and 2.0 projects, collaboration, and other topics.
Social Media
Lessons From The BRITE '10 Conference, Part 1
Learn what I learned.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #9: Book Release Party
Having a bit of fun here.
Announcements
Win an Autographed Copy of The Next Wave of Technologies
A little contest to win a copy of the book.
Social Media
Social Media: The Tension Between Collaboration and Ownership
Thoughts on the collision among the two.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #8: Project Purgatory
After a positive response last week, the project manager is back. This time, I find myself in a weird place.
Announcements
Publication of The Next Wave of Technologies
It's out.
Social Media
Celebrities Monetizing Twitter
How celebs are making money by tweeting.
Technology
Recent Webinars
Four recent discussions I've led.
Technology
Should you customize an open-source ERP application?
Should you or shouldn't you?
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #7: Power Outage
The power is out. What to do?
Social Media
Communication, Social Networks, and Railroads
Why I am fascinated by management thinker, writer, and railroad engineer Daniel McCallum.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #5: Scope Creep
Meet the clueless PM.
Technology
Do Tech Companies Wield Too Much Power?
It's an increasingly important question to ask these days.
Social Media
Social Media: The Great Equalizer?
Did anyone else catch this story yesterday?
Announcements
Publication of Revised Edition of Why New Systems Fail
A vastly improved version of my first book is out.
Management
Book Trailer for Why New Systems Fail
The book trailer for the book is now up.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #4: Geddy Lee
Reliving a top-ten life moment.
Technology
Chapter 1: The Next Wave of Technologies
Free chapter. Woo hoo!
Technology
Si Chen: Thoughts on Two Key Trends
Thoughts from Si Chen on Two Key Trends
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #3: The Alien
I encounter the Alien for the first time and I try to explain what I do.
Cartoons
Travails of a Technology Consultant #2: Hello Barack
Barack Obama joins me for some QT.
Social Media
Social Networking, Downtime, Speaking, and Fargo
The importance of the telephone and limits of social networking.
Announcements
Book Trailer for The Next Wave of Technologies
Watch a preview of the book.
Travails
Travails of a Technology Consultant #1: Introductions
My first foray into self-caricatures.
Social Media
Social Media Cartoons
Great funnies on a somewhat serious topic.
Social Media
Vince Vaughn and Enterprise 2.0
Many have predicted that 2010 will be the year of Enterprise 2.0. Will it be?
Publishing
The Future of Reading
Read my take on David Pogue's take.
Announcements
Cover for New Edition of Why New Systems Fail
The new one is a vast improvement over its predecessor.
Technology
My Second IT Education
You learn so much by working with smart people.
Communication
Three Ways to Get a Rush From Your Writing
Check out my Men With Pens' guest post.
Consulting
Mark McGwire, Project Management, and Coming Clean
Why don't people just fess up when caught?
Communication
The Future of Reading, Part II
Next generation eReaders will be here sooner than later.
Consulting
Disposable Workers, Newton's Third Law, and the Lock Down
Don't wait until the last minute to extend consultants and other key non-employees.
Communication
Five Simple Cures for Writer's Block
In my last post of the year, I offer five simple solutions for the writer's biggest headache.
Communication
Kranzberg Revisited: Too Much Technology?
I ask a series of questions about the actual and normative limits of technology.
Social Media
When Business Intelligence and Social Networking Unite
The confluence between a relatively new technology and a more established one (BI).
Book Reviews
Googled by Ken Auletta
This book challenges core assumptions held by so many and asks troubling questions about all things digital.
Book Reviews
Eating the Dinosaur
My take on this a collection of twelve disparate essays about a wide range of topics.
Publishing
2009: A Look Back and Forward
Thoughts on the new year.
Social Media
My Social Media Experiment
Fed up with my recurrent VOIP problems, I have decided to take Comcast to task.
Publishing
The Big Lebowski and the State of Book Publishing
Old Guard media institutions have been slow to embrace the digital age.
Social Media
2009: A Year of Tensions and Technology
I can't help but be a little frightened about the implications of these stories.
Communication
Interview With Scott Berkun
The author talks to me about his new book, speaking, and other goodies.
Book Reviews
Free by Chris Anderson
A review of Anderson's follow up to The Long Tail.
Announcements
Simon 2.0: My New Window to the World
Welcome to the new site.
Book Reviews
Change, Vested Interests, and Creative Destruction
My take on Postman's classic.
Announcements
Looking for Endorsements for My Next Book
I'm in full media-whore mode.
Collaboration
Blog Bout I: Risk vs. Monopoly
Risk or Monopoly: Which is the better IT-project metaphor?
Book Reviews
Planet Google by Randall Stross
Stross is also not afraid to call a spade a spade.
Technology
Kranzberg's Six Laws of Technology
Reflecting on the new book.
Book Reviews
Recommended Reading: Week of 9/27/09
A few thoughts on the tech world.
Project Management
Always Be Closing
Many salespeople lamentably still adhere to an “Always Be Closing” mentality.
Trends
Google and Failure-tolerant Cultures
Agile software development methodologies should decrease project failure rates.
Platforms
Enterprise 2.0: What is it and why should you care?
A look at this increasingly popular term.
Interviews
Security Expert Anton Chuvakin on Enterprise 2.0
The different security challenges facing organizations today.
Miscellany
Random Thoughts: Week of 8/9/09
Billion-Dollar Lessons and taking technology too far.
Consulting
Five Reasons to Fire Your System Integrator
It's tempting to blame the system integrator for all project hassles and differences of opinion. Don't.
Miscellany
Random Thoughts - Week of 8/2/09
Thoughts on Trainspotting, golf, Slashdot, and Pearl Jam.
Technology
When the Displacers Are Displaced
No organization can rest on its laurels.
Project Management
Systems Breakdown Case Study: A Square Peg and a Round Hole
A warts-and-all tale of system mismanagement.
Project Management
When Vendors Enter New Territory
Some are making ill advised moves.
Technology
Speed Sourcing
Organizations that cling to antiquated processes are colliding with new technologies.
Data Issues
System Challenges in a Recession
Organizations need to identify essential employees via succession planning.
Social Media
Twitter, IT Infrastructure, and Unexpected Growth
Twitter has been experiencing more than its fair share of growing pains recently.
Project Management
The Burnt Hand Teaches Best: Financial Firms Turn the Corner on New Systems
Financial firms tend to have many of the same issues as the rest of the corporate world.
Technology
Employee Training in a Recession
There never are any guarantees when training is involved.
Consulting
The Unmitigated Disaster
Shane Jewelers filed bankruptcy in January. Read about the carnage.
Project Management
Egolock
When an exec makes a bad decision, refuses to admit it change, and holds steadfast until the bitter end.
Data Issues
Suppressing Values in a Crystal Report
How to maximize the performance of a report with a single instance of a transactional table.
Data Issues
One Report, Multiple Output Options
Create one Crystal Report with multiple display options.
Data Issues
Avoiding Lawson Absence Management Mishaps
On upgrading from Time Accrual (TA) to Absence Management (LP).
Consulting
Trying to Practice What I Preach
Am I happy about unexpected delays? To put it mildly, no.
Announcements
Hello World
I'm entering the world of blogging.
Data Issues
Crystal Reporting: A Case Study
Read this Crystal case study to see how the order of joins on tables is essential.
Data Issues
Creating Commands in Crystal Reports via MS Excel
A tip on shrinking large tables with commands.
Communication
Fantasy Football and the Day I Knew I Could Be a Writer
A post on a football injury ...and the start of my writing career.
Data Issues
How to Validate Data Using Microsoft Access
How I used Microsoft Access 2000 to validate a bunch of data.