COMMENTS
Question #12:
Do you have any secret surf spots in Massachusetts?
Todd, Best surfing in Massachusetts are the southern beaches of Nantucket Island. (I'll be there this weekend!) - David
I love getting to know what makes people tick! Question: I love the answer about what you admire in employees - no fear of failure. But I often struggle with that limiting fear myself. What advice can anyone give to someone who is worried about failing?
Melissa.
I thought Steve Jobs did an excellent job at his Stanford commencement address talking about fear of failure. I'd recommend you watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA
Hi Melissa,
I'd look at the underlying reason behind the fear and work to eliminate that. Are you afraid that failing will be embarrassing? That it will piss off your boss and you'll get fired? That you will lose status in your organization? If you can confront those elements, then you can do amazing things because you can eliminate the underlying reasons.
(In my case I left the corporate world to write books and give speeches. I was always afraid of losing my job so leaving the corporate world altogether was the best solution).
I have never heard you speak but you seem like such a down to earth guy. I am interested in hearing you. Perhaps soon.
Chris Alonso
www.bocanetworks.com
Hey Chris, I'm speaking at the Inbound Marketing Summit. Perhaps we will meet there?
Take care, David
Question #2:
I guess you don't use an Apple Mac. Interesting set of answers though.
John R
I've been using an Apple Mac for years. Why do you say I don't? My list of favorite things in life do not include software. Software is a tool.
I agree, but why can't you have a favourite tool? Ask any skilled craftsman and they will probably have a favourite tool - it's an emotional thing, not a logical one. To be fulfilled in life we all need to accomplish things and to do that we need tools.
When I come across a product (tool) that feels like the guys who designed and built it went the extra mile, and that passion shines through in the finished article, I feel a warm appreciation for the fact that someone has taken the time and trouble to produce something that helps me achieve what I want from life and that I also enjoy using.
I suppose it depends on where you see the value - if you see a car as a tool for getting from A to B, you buy a basic Ford, if you have a passion for driving you buy a 911; if you are an ardent musician, you have a favourite instrument that you love to play (mine's a custom Fender strat), alternatively if you just want to make some music, then any cheap guitar from eBay would suffice.
We all have passions in life (sadly, most people don't fulfil them) - your's sounds like it's surfing. The point I'm making is that with careful tool selection we can sprinkle a little passion into the less exciting areas of our lives and feel more rewarded for doing so.
BTW - I am not a software engineer although I do spend a lot of time working with my computer, and I'm a Mac fan but have no connection with Apple.
I have a passion for cars (and my favorite is my prized 1973 Land Rover series III).
I have a passion for collecting Artifacts from the Apollo moon program http://www.apolloartifacts.com/
I have a passion for music (4,000+ tunes on my iPod) and I have a passion for live concerts (been to 250 or so - most memorable is a four way tie -- 1) Bob Marley's last concert at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, September 23, 1980 2) Frank Zappa at the Palladium in NYC on Halloween 1977, 3) The Clash in Asbury Park, NJ opening their 1982 US tour, 4) Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden 1977.
Software? No passion. I like Quickbooks because it makes it easy to do my accounting.