#13/111: Where Good Ideas Come From

What is it about?

Steve Johnson tries to find an inherit structure in innovation in nature and our life. He explains seven different characteristics of innovation and environments which supports innovation. However he remarks that not all these principles are necessary for innovation!

Key points?

Adjacent possible: Innovation is about widening the existing border of knowledge.

Slow hunch: Most innovation doesn’t happen immediately, rather it is carried out over a long time.

Error: Innovation has a high signal:nose ratio. Generate lots of ideas and fail fast.

Exaptation: Often ideas are useful in an other way, e.g. Gutenberg used wine presses for printing books.

Platforms / Liquid networks: Ideas want to be shared and combined. Create platforms for people and technology (e.g. the web)

Conclusion

One thing is really remarkable. He takes the story of Darwin’s voyage with the Beagle and tells it through the whole book. There are various other stories but this is central theme. This makes this book easy to read and actually exciting! These other stories fit well into his chapters. Although the conclusion wasn’t that good. He tried to support his theory and became too fuzzy.

In conclusion, he has observed the world of innovation doubtlessly well but without execution ideas are nearly worthless.

#12/111: What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20

What is it about?

Tina Seelig talks about Stanford, scientist at Stanford and graduates from Stanford. In addition, this book is about her friends and her family.

Key points?

Give yourself permission: Don’t wait till people say that you can do it, just do it.

Conclusion

You recognize really fast that this book was written by an academic in an academic environment. You could summarize a lot of the examples in this book as better safe than sorry. First, get good grades, be a do-gooder, be nice. After that and a bunch of years working you could maybe look outside your little world. Seriously, I don’t want to read that boring stuff.

#12/111: Inbound Marketing

What is it about?

Do you want to boost your customer base? Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shan show you how. Inbound Marketing focuses on building relationships and delivering remarkable content to your customers instead of interrupting them with TV or radio ads. Furthermore there are several steps for each chapter which shows you how to execute these ideas.

Key points?

Track your progress: Whether you test a new layout or a new form of online activity, track your progress. Test what works and what doesn’t and act on this!

Remarkable content: It is important that you create content which is valuable to others. It should be so valuable that your readers decide to share your content with their peers.

Conclusion

What I really like about this book is that it gives you actionable advice. This point was missed by The new Rules of Marketing & PR. Additionally, there is one really cool list with about 20 points on how to promote your startup on social media or tips on how to name your blog/company.

In conclusion, Inbound Marketing gives you a great view about a lot of important topics in social media (marketing) and provides a solid base to work on. 

#11/111: Go-Givers Sell More (including a Special)

What is it about?

Bob Burg and John David Mann describe how to change your way of selling. They focus on five laws which are based on giving value first and also to be able to receive value by others.

Key points?

There are five laws: Law of Value (i.e. give value to others), Law of Compensation (reach people and build relationships), Law of Influence (help people to reach their goals), Law of Authenticity (you are your most valuable product) and Law of Receptivity (be open to receive).

Conclusion

This book takes the selling out of sales. It is pretty intuitive: You can’t force an other person into selling your product. The best thing you can do is provide value (e.g. understand their problem, help them to get what they really want) and build a genuine relationship with them. It is not bad if they don’t buy your product. In building this relationship they may recommend you to their friends. Make your opponent feel good.

The other important thing is that doing good and making money aren’t opposites. Chris Guillebeau also emphasized it. And it is true. This is the Law of Receptivity, don’t be inhibited to make sales. Don’t be inhibited to get help from others. Give value, get value!

Special

Hurray the first 10% are done! But I wouldn’t writing this now without you, the people who read this blog, thank you for your precious time. Especially Ahmad Taleb who is promoting this blog on twitter and Mike McGee who effortlessly reblogged a bunch of my posts. Thank you guys, you are awesome!