Cahier / Notebook

Edward Tufte Presidential Appointment

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:15:50 -0800

“Mission statement: To promote accountability by coordinating and conducting oversight of Recovery funds to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse and to foster transparency on Recovery spending by providing the public with accurate, user-friendly information.”

My old friend Josh Tickell on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:50:00 -0800

My old friend Josh Tickell on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno discussing green energy and his film Fuel. If the embedded video doesn’t work, you can find the original here.

Our photos from a day at the park posted to the private site.

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:12:59 -0800

Our photos from a day at the park posted to the private site.

Just heard about the loss of a colleague. From the Washington Post: On Saturday, July 11, 2009....

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:56:00 -0800

Just heard about the loss of a colleague. From the Washington Post:

On Saturday, July 11, 2009. David “Pun” Rankin is survived by loving children Tim Rankin, Brad Rankin, Jessica Gutschmidt, Max Mayhew, Zach Rankin and Emily Rankin; grandson Tyler Gutschmidt; and sisters Jan Anderson and Dorla Adams. David proudly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. After graduating from Officers Candidate School, he served two tours in Vietnam, earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with clusters for his valor. Following his military service, David established a career in sales and management in the computer field at Honeywell and Wang Laboratories, as well as other companies.

Dave, you’ll be missed.

Does your startup pass The Sleep Test

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:18:09 -0800

Does your startup pass The Sleep Test

Nice new terminal at SJC.

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:02:58 -0800

Nice new terminal at SJC.

Great photos of the airplane graveyard in the Mojave Desert by...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:01:50 -0800

Great photos of the airplane graveyard in the Mojave Desert by Ransom Riggs.

US Geological Survey map of northern Los Angeles and Ventura...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:29:24 -0800

US Geological Survey map of northern Los Angeles and Ventura County from 1881. Thanks to the David Rumsey Collection, you can download this and other maps at very high resolution—makes for endless browsing.

Locals will note the curious reference to Old Bony Peak and Conejo Peak, among the hundreds of interesting observations this map yields. Enjoy!

"Do not internalize the industrial model. You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces,..."

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:11:19 -0800

“Do not internalize the industrial model. You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces, but a unique human being, and if you’ve got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you’re learning to say it better.”

- David Mamet

Video of the Churchill Club event I attended with Reed Hastings...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:17:58 -0800

Video of the Churchill Club event I attended with Reed Hastings and Michael Eisner. You can also read my writeup about the unexpected reward.

matthewlyons: Stromberg Carlson (General Dynamics) Ad (via...

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:56:07 -0800

matthewlyons:

Stromberg Carlson (General Dynamics) Ad (via bustbright)

Unexpected Rewards from Daniel Pink, Michael Eisner and Reed Hastings

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:31:00 -0800

Daniel Pink takes on motivation in his new book Drive. I recently had the pleasure of hearing him speak in Pasadena, something I recommend to anyone given the opportunity (he’s an exceptional speaker, see his speaking schedule or this TED talk), where he reinforced a key message from his book about rewarding: when rewards are expected, performance suffers. “If you do X, then I’ll reward you with Y” scenarios undermine intrinsic motivation. In a typical job situation, assuming we’re paid enough of a baseline salary commensurate with our value, it’s the unexpected bonus that’s most effective.

This is precisely what I heard from Michael Eisner and Reed Hastings at a recent Churchill Club dinner in Santa Clara. With two very different takes on management, they had a lively discussion about succeeding in the “nimble” technology or more “traditional” Hollywood industries. Eisner as the elder statesmen of formal management, and Hastings as the up and coming entrepreneur with a new take on leadership—which is detailed, by the way, in the excellent Netflix culture deck. It was a lively conversation (you can also see this take on the culture clash).

What stood out for me on the heels of Daniel Pink’s talk, was when discussing how to compensate executives, the two agreed that “if-then” targeted bonuses do not align actions to long term interests of the company. Hastings recounted an event where Netflix had extra money and considered spending it on marketing to drive more subscriptions, which his executive declined as being too expensive on the margin. What if that executive had had a bonus target tied to subscription levels? Their motivation may have been suspect.

Eisner, in turn, describes his ideal model as paying a good salary and stock package (baseline rewards), but then providing unexpected bonuses when the executive demonstrates nimbleness or does something extraordinary. Exactly what Pink’s research confirms, and a testament to Eisner’s leadership ability and understanding of motivation, as well as the astuteness of Pink’s book.

As is fitting to the point here, sometimes the best parts of study and reflection are connecting the dots when you least expect them. Thanks to Daniel Pink and the Churchill Club for an unexpected reward!

Tim O'Reilly: Books That Have Shaped How I Think

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:01:51 -0800

Tim O'Reilly: Books That Have Shaped How I Think

I seem to get restless every couple of months with my site...

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:36:41 -0800

I seem to get restless every couple of months with my site design, so he’s the latest ( creatively named “grid”). You can see the historic designs on Flickr.

Now this is arriving in style (via www.dornierseaplane.com).

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:00:22 -0800

Now this is arriving in style (via www.dornierseaplane.com).

So this is why it’s been raining so much…

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:40:00 -0800

So this is why it’s been raining so much…

I love this clever laptop case, the BookBook.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:01:18 -0800

I love this clever laptop case, the BookBook.

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise..."

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:01:50 -0800

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

- Sun Tzu (thanks @BobLarrivee)

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but..."

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:00:00 -0800

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mark 2

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:11:04 -0800

Mark 2