Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

[StrikingViper69]

I wonder what is general opinion here on using "funny" in your marketing efforts.
I think it benefits you in a few ways: gives the more personal experience, makes you unique, differentiates you from competitors, makes you memorable, makes people eager to engage...
Me as example: I use this persona called Zły Monsta (Mean Monster) - from outer space of course. See the "insect" in my avatar for reference.
There's a whole story behind this creature. He's mean, but also hilarious, also very demanding and hostile towards human race. I've developed a custom language, that I use for my communication. It's modified polish, but still easily understandable by people and funny as well. People often even play along, picking up the game and replying similarly. Makes them engage and feel creative.
Zły monsta doesn't charge you PLN (Polish Złoty) - he charges CSD (Cosmodollars)!

I've been in general graphic design as my side gig for probably 15 years now. On regular basis, I keep getting recurring customers, who bought a product from me years ago (9 years ago was the record last week), now they want another, found me again and don't even ask for price just want to order asap. So I think this way of engagement makes you rather memorable, which is good for business.

What are your thoughts? Do you use it, or plan on using it?

Also: check out this guy. He plugs his sponsor so effortlessly, that he needed to add a caption saying his plug is a real product, lol. You aren't even mad at him for plugging the sponsor.
He's persona is SKY CORP

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXJ0i4xABI

Ask your customers. Why ask a random person on the internet when you can ask the people that matter?

 

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[Andy Black]

I wonder what is general opinion here on using "funny" in your marketing efforts.
I think it benefits you in a few ways: gives the more personal experience, makes you unique, differentiates you from competitors, makes you memorable, makes people eager to engage...
Me as example: I use this persona called Zły Monsta (Mean Monster) - from outer space of course. See the "insect" in my avatar for reference.
There's a whole story behind this creature. He's mean, but also hilarious, also very demanding and hostile towards human race. I've developed a custom language, that I use for my communication. It's modified polish, but still easily understandable by people and funny as well. People often even play along, picking up the game and replying similarly. Makes them engage and feel creative.
Zły monsta doesn't charge you PLN (Polish Złoty) - he charges CSD (Cosmodollars)!

I've been in general graphic design as my side gig for probably 15 years now. On regular basis, I keep getting recurring customers, who bought a product from me years ago (9 years ago was the record last week), now they want another, found me again and don't even ask for price just want to order asap. So I think this way of engagement makes you rather memorable, which is good for business.

What are your thoughts? Do you use it, or plan on using it?

Also: check out this guy. He plugs his sponsor so effortlessly, that he needed to add a caption saying his plug is a real product, lol. You aren't even mad at him for plugging the sponsor.
He's persona is SKY CORP

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXJ0i4xABI

I occasionally use a bit of dry humour when I post to LinkedIn. Why not?

If what you're doing works then great. It seems a bit too elaborate to me, but I'm not your target market.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I'm very anti-tattoo.

The amount of shitty tattoos I've seen over the last few weeks is crazy.

I particularly can't understand young attractive women with shitty tattoos. What a way to waste your beauty.

A quote from the book, What Every Body is Saying...

With specific regard to tattoos, this style of body adornment has increased in the last fifteen years, particularly in more "modernized" countries... I was involved in surveying potential jurors, specifically with regard to how a witness or a defendant would be perceived if he had tattoos. The surveys conducted multiple times with multiple groups of men and women, concluded that tattoos were perceived by jurors as being low-status (low-class) adornments and/or vestiges of youthful indiscretion, which, in general, were not very well liked.

In the US, a lot of people say they like tattoos on other people, but I would be curious to know if their words reflect their true sentiment. More conservative Americans do not like to see tattoos on others' arms/neck/face.

It is interesting that tattoos create a perception of low-status/class. It seems like those who have full sleeve tattoos in the US are often employed in one or more full-time jobs, are students, and/or have 3+ children. I do not have data to back this up, though. Just an observation.

I like the idea of having sleeve tattoos if the tattoo is my design (or idea). At the same time, I also see it as a point of no return, because once you have them, you eliminate yourself from many opportunities where perception matters.

 

[Kak]

I'm very anti-tattoo.

The amount of shitty tattoos I've seen over the last few weeks is crazy.

I particularly can't understand young attractive women with shitty tattoos. What a way to waste your beauty.

Sounds like something you’re passionate enough about to get a tattoo to commemorate.

I have always thought of tattoos as a poverty hobby. Something to do when you “have an extra 300 bucks this month.”

 

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[Antifragile]

Are You Hunting Antelope or Field Mice?​

We all know the 80/20 principle or Pareto's law. Yet we often forget just how powerful it is in our personal lives.
80% of your output will come from 20% of the time you work. Same with your customers, 20% of customers account for 80% of all sales and so on.
This is where Newt Gingrich has a powerful way of thinking about from nature.

A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing, and eating a field mouse. But it turns out that the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself. So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to death. A lion can’t live on field mice. A lion needs antelope. Antelope are big animals. They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride. A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope. The distinction is important. Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice? In the short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run you’re going to die. So ask yourself at the end of the day, “Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?”
Newt Gingrich


With growth of a company, any company - this question becomes more profound and important.

Same holds true for personal growth.

 

[ZackerySprague]

SAP to acquire digital adoption platform WalkMe for $1.5B | TechCrunch

SAP sees WalkMe's focus on automating contextual, in-app support as bringing value to its own enterprise customers.

techcrunch.com

 

[Andy Black]

I'd get a tattoo. Some Chinese symbols upper arm (my mum's Hong Kong Chinese). Probably won't ever get round to it, but don't mind if people do or don't have tattoos.

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

I wonder what is general opinion here on using "funny" in your marketing efforts.
I think it benefits you in a few ways: gives the more personal experience, makes you unique, differentiates you from competitors, makes you memorable, makes people eager to engage...
Me as example: I use this persona called Zły Monsta (Mean Monster) - from outer space of course. See the "insect" in my avatar for reference.
There's a whole story behind this creature. He's mean, but also hilarious, also very demanding and hostile towards human race. I've developed a custom language, that I use for my communication. It's modified polish, but still easily understandable by people and funny as well. People often even play along, picking up the game and replying similarly. Makes them engage and feel creative.
Zły monsta doesn't charge you PLN (Polish Złoty) - he charges CSD (Cosmodollars)!

I've been in general graphic design as my side gig for probably 15 years now. On regular basis, I keep getting recurring customers, who bought a product from me years ago (9 years ago was the record last week), now they want another, found me again and don't even ask for price just want to order asap. So I think this way of engagement makes you rather memorable, which is good for business.

What are your thoughts? Do you use it, or plan on using it?

Also: check out this guy. He plugs his sponsor so effortlessly, that he needed to add a caption saying his plug is a real product, lol. You aren't even mad at him for plugging the sponsor.
He's persona is SKY CORP

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXJ0i4xABI

I think it depends on your industry — if in your industry you are valued by your creativity, I think that such an approach can be an excellent way to stand out and build a brand. So I’m not surprised it works for you, for design.

It would work less well for me in B2B marketing, since people don’t look so much for creativity, but rather for safety/certainty.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

View attachment 56279

Are You Hunting Antelope or Field Mice?​

We all know the 80/20 principle or Pareto's law. Yet we often forget just how powerful it is in our personal lives.
80% of your output will come from 20% of the time you work. Same with your customers, 20% of customers account for 80% of all sales and so on.
This is where Newt Gingrich has a powerful way of thinking about from nature.

A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing, and eating a field mouse. But it turns out that the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself. So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to death. A lion can’t live on field mice. A lion needs antelope. Antelope are big animals. They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride. A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope. The distinction is important. Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice? In the short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run you’re going to die. So ask yourself at the end of the day, “Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?”
Newt Gingrich


With growth of a company, any company - this question becomes more profound and important.

Same holds true for personal growth.

I invested $100 in index funds this week! (FIELD MICE)
I grew my business by 100 customers this week! (ANTELOPE).

GOLD! - INVESTING - Why stocks, bitcoin, and crypto will NEVER be Fastlane.

I invested in stocks for a while and thought the same way: "Ah, but stocks will bring me to the Fastlane" - nope. Never was, never will be & never should be. I only invested in stocks because they should have an intrinsic value - crypto has no use except for the black market. But my experience...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Kevin88660]

A quote from the book, What Every Body is Saying...



In the US, a lot of people say they like tattoos on other people, but I would be curious to know if their words reflect their true sentiment. More conservative Americans do not like to see tattoos on others' arms/neck/face.

It is interesting that tattoos create a perception of low-status/class. It seems like those who have full sleeve tattoos in the US are often employed in one or more full-time jobs, are students, and/or have 3+ children. I do not have data to back this up, though. Just an observation.

I like the idea of having sleeve tattoos if the tattoo is my design (or idea). At the same time, I also see it as a point of no return, because once you have them, you eliminate yourself from many opportunities where perception matters.

Depends on cultural perceptions.

In the old days men who have tattoo are gangsters/triads and women who have tattoo are sex workers or related to gangs. That was the perception in the past in my area. Dragons and roses.

It’s become accepting now as young people do have tattoo purely for artist reason. It depends on the design, size and the locations of the tattoo
.

 

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[Aidan04]

A quote from the book, What Every Body is Saying...



In the US, a lot of people say they like tattoos on other people, but I would be curious to know if their words reflect their true sentiment. More conservative Americans do not like to see tattoos on others' arms/neck/face.

It is interesting that tattoos create a perception of low-status/class. It seems like those who have full sleeve tattoos in the US are often employed in one or more full-time jobs, are students, and/or have 3+ children. I do not have data to back this up, though. Just an observation.

I like the idea of having sleeve tattoos if the tattoo is my design (or idea). At the same time, I also see it as a point of no return, because once you have them, you eliminate yourself from many opportunities where perception matters.

In my opinion, a tattoo should be tasteful and meaningful.

Roman soldiers had "SPQR" marked into the side of their shoulder to signify their loyalty to the empire. These tattoos also looked badass.

Sailors in the Navy also had tattoos marking their allegiance to the United States Armed Forces.

If you're going to get one, get one that looks not only aesthetically pleasing, but has an evergreen meaning to you, your family, your friends, or your allegiance.

Entire sleeves of awful looking tats are weird, except in rare cases where the subject can pull it off well.

I think sleeves only work for attractive women and extremely muscular men.

It's like a buzz cut, it looks good on Brad Pitt, but probably not most people.

 

[piano]

Always remember, this is at least 50% of your competition :

 

[StrikingViper69]

Always remember, this is at least 50% of your competition :
View attachment 56281

I know it’s bogus… but I’ve seen that ad a lot. Whatever scammy product they’re selling, I bet they’re selling an absolute ton of it

 

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[MattR82]

I'd get a tattoo. Some Chinese symbols upper arm (my mum's Hong Kong Chinese). Probably won't ever get round to it, but don't mind if people do or don't have tattoos.

Get a full frontal neck tat Andy

 

[StrikingViper69]

Get a full frontal neck tat Andy

“Diesel & coffee” in a gothic thug life font

 

[MattR82]

“Diesel & coffee” in a gothic thug life font

Get him drunk at a conference and encourage him to tattoo Google across his chest hehe.
No regerts!

 

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[Subsonic]

Just got the results for my written A-Levels and it's top 5 of the whole year.
Also got the best German exam in several years, as the corrector said.

I employed a fastlane mindset to studying and now I can study whatever I want in close to any university I want. (Gonna be medical engineering most likely as it has a lot of fastlane potential)

Moreover, this proved to me that I have what it takes to be extraordinary.

To everyone in school, take the opportunity to show yourself you have what it takes.

By the way, I never studied more than 6 hours a day and that only for the last three or four weeks before the exams.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

By the way, I never studied more than 6 hours a day and that only for the last three or four weeks before the exams.

I was valedictorian at my school (best in the last 4 years by gradepoint average from 9th through 12th grade). I never studied more than 1-hour per day tops. I used to go before an exam and make fun of everyone studying — I called them FLIES, because they worked hard. All the time I told the flies I will beat them. And I did.

The point here is that you can become great by discipline and hard work, but you cannot compete with talent (or in this case raw intelligence) if that talent really wants to beat you. Talent doesn’t need to work hard to win.

This is very apparent in sports. Sometimes there comes a super talented individual, like Ilie Nastase in tennis, who beats everyone without even trying, nor practicing very hard. Everyone hates such people, and everyone loves the hard worker, because the hard worker is someone they feel they can copy.

 

[Kak]

I was valedictorian at my school (best in the last 4 years by gradepoint average from 9th through 12th grade). I never studied more than 1-hour per day tops. I used to go before an exam and make fun of everyone studying — I called them FLIES, because they worked hard. All the time I told the flies I will beat them. And I did.

The point here is that you can become great by discipline and hard work, but you cannot compete with talent (or in this case raw intelligence) if that talent really wants to beat you. Talent doesn’t need to work hard to win.

This is very apparent in sports. Sometimes there comes a super talented individual, like Ilie Nastase in tennis, who beats everyone without even trying, nor practicing very hard. Everyone hates such people, and everyone loves the hard worker, because the hard worker is someone they feel they can copy.

Oh yeah. I never studied ever.

And I got a 3.6.

By my estimations, I studied 1000 hours less than you.

 

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[PureA]

Just got the results for my written A-Levels and it's top 5 of the whole year.
Also got the best German exam in several years, as the corrector said.

I employed a fastlane mindset to studying and now I can study whatever I want in close to any university I want. (Gonna be medical engineering most likely as it has a lot of fastlane potential)

Moreover, this proved to me that I have what it takes to be extraordinary.

To everyone in school, take the opportunity to show yourself you have what it takes.

By the way, I never studied more than 6 hours a day and that only for the last three or four weeks before the exams.

Beware.

You are going to be very susceptible to slowlane offers. Can you turn down that safe 9-5 $200k/yr job offer? Be ready for these moments, or a few decisions can build you a luxurious prison.

On another note, I wouldn't pat yourself on the back too hard. Being academically smart brings a whole host of new challenges.

I suffered for years because things were too easy at school (no studying, top grades), I had to completely relearn how to work and reset expectations of how much effort it took to succeed at something. After school, I was scared to try things, because failure was possible. Anything that would challenge my identity "I'm smart" was a terrifying prospect (not a conscious thought at the time).

Most of the highest net worth guys I know are a bit above average (IQ), did OK at school, and had something to prove to the world.

If I had to guess 105-125 IQ is the sweetspot for entrepreneurs (exceptions for Musk type figures), more than that and you are too smart for your own good, overthinking, paralysis by analysis, and shiny salary packages sitting there waiting for you.

Summary: Being 'smart' might not be as helpful as you think, the work starts now.

 

[Raedrum]

I came across that on FB and I think that every point of this list is obtainable/changeable.

So yes it might be longer and harder for some, but in the long run everything is possible if we realize that we gotta play with the cards we have AND that we can reshuffle them too.

One of the great thing TFF brought me is that now I rarely ask myself "Can I do it ?" but instead "How can I do it ?"

- Brain chemistry: changeable by habits of healthy lifestyle/mindset
- Energy: same
- Motivation: Learnable and buildable
- Privilege: can create your own by helping the right people
- Financial security: same
- Support system: same
- Skillset: open a book/ask google and then practice whatever you want

Of course the starting in life is not equitable but one can create massive amount of success by asking himself how to do things.

 

[Subsonic]

Beware.

You are going to be very susceptible to slowlane offers. Can you turn down that safe 9-5 $200k/yr job offer? Be ready for these moments, or a few decisions can build you a luxurious prison.

On another note, I wouldn't pat yourself on the back too hard. Being academically smart brings a whole host of new challenges.

I suffered for years because things were too easy at school (no studying, top grades), I had to completely relearn how to work and reset expectations of how much effort it took to succeed at something. After school, I was scared to try things, because failure was possible. Anything that would challenge my identity "I'm smart" was a terrifying prospect (not a conscious thought at the time).

Most of the highest net worth guys I know are a bit above average (IQ), did OK at school, and had something to prove to the world.

If I had to guess 105-125 IQ is the sweetspot for entrepreneurs (exceptions for Musk type figures), more than that and you are too smart for your own good, overthinking, paralysis by analysis, and shiny salary packages sitting there waiting for you.

Summary: Being 'smart' might not be as helpful as you think, the work starts now.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind having great slowlane offers. A dream of mine is to join a med tech startup and create something like a mechanical lung that can give people with lung issues a new lease on life.
After all, having 1% of a billion dollar company is still a lot of money.

That aside, my grind for good grades was mostly to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be the top 1% at something that matters.
Regarding the fear of losing the smart identity, I don't really have that, since I only got there by working hard for my standards.
I did an IQ test because some parents and school psychologists were curious whether I was gifted, and I got 131 overall and 140 in language. So I am a bit above the sweet spot haha.

I wouldn't want to trade with anyone, however.

No salary offer short of a million a year could convince me to work a Job that makes me miserable in the golden cage type of way. Still, working as a medical engineer could allow me to make a fine living part-time, thus giving me the option to build a business while also making enough money to fund it.

 

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[Kevin88660]

Beware.

You are going to be very susceptible to slowlane offers. Can you turn down that safe 9-5 $200k/yr job offer? Be ready for these moments, or a few decisions can build you a luxurious prison.

On another note, I wouldn't pat yourself on the back too hard. Being academically smart brings a whole host of new challenges.

I suffered for years because things were too easy at school (no studying, top grades), I had to completely relearn how to work and reset expectations of how much effort it took to succeed at something. After school, I was scared to try things, because failure was possible. Anything that would challenge my identity "I'm smart" was a terrifying prospect (not a conscious thought at the time).

Most of the highest net worth guys I know are a bit above average (IQ), did OK at school, and had something to prove to the world.

If I had to guess 105-125 IQ is the sweetspot for entrepreneurs (exceptions for Musk type figures), more than that and you are too smart for your own good, overthinking, paralysis by analysis, and shiny salary packages sitting there waiting for you.

Summary: Being 'smart' might not be as helpful as you think, the work starts now.

In school as long as I could provide the grades and assignment it doesn’t matter how many hours I studied.

I made sure my writing assignment was full of phrases found in books published in the early 2000s, and then verified my assignment with two independent plagiarism softwares, before submission.

I also followed the best practices offered by Calvin Newport when it comes to studying and exam preparation. It was quite useful. Didn’t feel the grind.

In work I find that harder too. I have to show up from 8.30-6. And the work is always volume based. It comes as a shock because I don’t know how to handle something that I could not game.

But I am thankful that work taught me skills, experience and values that I wouldn’t have got otherwise.

 

[Kavin]

Just got the results for my written A-Levels and it's top 5 of the whole year.
Also got the best German exam in several years, as the corrector said.

I employed a fastlane mindset to studying and now I can study whatever I want in close to any university I want. (Gonna be medical engineering most likely as it has a lot of fastlane potential)

Moreover, this proved to me that I have what it takes to be extraordinary.

To everyone in school, take the opportunity to show yourself you have what it takes.

By the way, I never studied more than 6 hours a day and that only for the last three or four weeks before the exams.

guess good for u A level ppl I don't know how much hard i try in Indian curriculum to study I get pretty low last year in finals I got 86% so lets see this year .Now I am in grade 11(year 12 ) its so gonna get hard . I took sci stream so even worse gonna try my best today just choked my chem exam idk if ill get 50% also.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Oh yeah. I never studied ever.

And I got a 3.6.

By my estimations, I studied 1000 hours less than you.

That might be true, but 3.6 is like a B+… I got 6.79 average from 9th through 12th grade if I remember correctly (I did the IB system where grades were out of 7 — on my exams I got 41/42, can’t remember where I missed the 1 point though… may have been history or math). So for you that is like 3.9-4.0 GPA

If I had to guess 105-125 IQ is the sweetspot for entrepreneurs (exceptions for Musk type figures), more than that and you are too smart for your own good, overthinking, paralysis by analysis, and shiny salary packages sitting there waiting for you.

Summary: Being 'smart' might not be as helpful as you think, the work starts now.

agreed. There was an IQ thread where I commented much the same. My IQ is bigger than 150 and I guarantee you it’s been a relatively big disadvantage.

I’d say optimal IQ for high success in business (or politics for that matter) is 120-135. Smart enough to be smarter than most people, but not smart enough to get in your own way. I’d say that below 120 though, it’s not really going to be an advantage for you. You can still get very rich, but likely your intelligence won’t be a huge contributing factor.

 

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[Andy Black]

One of the great thing TFF brought me is that now I rarely ask myself "Can I do it ?" but instead "How can I do it ?"

How! vs How?

 

[Antifragile]

 

[Ing]

I think, I m here for 5 years now.
Ups.. a long time. Thanks all for discussing that entrepreneur topic, for your attempts to help and I m happy to at least know your names!

 

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[Bekit]

I think, I m here for 5 years now.
Ups.. a long time. Thanks all for discussing that entrepreneur topic, for your attempts to help and I m happy to at least know your names!

Happy 5-year anniversary!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

More enshitification from one of the worst companies on the planet, Adobe...

Tell your users that "No, your content won't be used in our AI algos" but then have your terms of service say exactly the opposite.

Looks like they adopted Google's model of "don't be evil" and then proceed to be completely evil.