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Tips from today's email Hustel 

Amazon’s writing culture, explained
Making fun of PowerPoint presentations is a popular pastime in corporate America (to be fair, they really do suck).
Back in 2004, Jeff Bezos actually did something about it: In lieu of crafting a PowerPoint, Amazon employees had to write a narrative-driven, 6-page memo before executive meetings.
In their new book Working Backwards, longtime Amazon execs Bill Carr and Colin Bryar explain the company’s writing culture, including why memos are better than PowerPoint:
• Decision-making requires narrative: While PowerPoint is good for conveying data, decisions require persuading stakeholders. Memos are better at achieving this goal.
• Higher information density: People can read faster than people can talk. One author says a memo conveys 10x as much information as a PowerPoint presentation.
• Ideas > charisma: A charismatic PowerPoint presenter can sell a bad idea, while a poor presenter may be unable to sell a good idea. In a memo, the idea wins.
• Better analysis: PowerPoint’s hierarchical (and sequential) structure is not ideal to address complex issues. Narrative-driven memos can be multi-causal and provide a 360-degree view on a topic.
• Shared understanding: Whether or not one agrees with the memo, a focused reading of it puts everyone on the same page to begin discussions.
It’s not just memos, either
The book’s title comes from Amazon’s product development philosophy: Instead of creating a product and then finding customers, Amazon asks, “What does the customer need?” and works backwards toward a product.
As part of the process, employees write a mock press release, which accomplishes a few things:
• Forces big thinking: You don’t write press releases for incremental improvements.
• Creates an FAQ: This document answers all potential customer questions, and also uncovers potential hurdles and opportunities.
If you want a PowerPoint of this article, email us and we definitely won’t get back to you.
(Check out the book’s authors on the a16z podcast for much more.)

https://a16z.com/2021/02/07/working-backwards-amazon-bezos-memos-releases-narratives-innovation/

Know Go Grow: The Entrepreneur Within You

I was doing some research this morning, checking on my Twitter history. I made a decision this week to pause all data sharing with Twitter due to their decision to heavily censor many around the world,  brought on by their decision to delete the account of Donald Trump, President of the United States. The attack on free speech is not a good thing for the world. Enough said about this, I am sure there is other platforms that this can be explored on. 

So, during this review, I came across my friend, Ben Kubassek and noted his new website and brand update. www.knowgogrow.com . I thought, that makes sense and is catchy. So I did a little deeper dive and came away with some great info and thus sharing here. I met Ben many years ago, his mission and vision have been an inspiration throughout the decades. Have had him to Brockville to share his message in the past, very well attended and wonderful speaker and educator. His work in Romania was very cool indeed. Hope you get some good ideas here, I md looking forward to the ones I get. 

There is a link to tools that Ben uses with his mission, link below.

https://knowgogrow.com/online-marketing-tools-for-free/

His new book Know Go Grow has a download page for a couple chapters, so I did so and have begun reading, and recording a new podcast on the topic. Please see Intro link here and below. https://www.spreaker.com/show/know-go-grow-tlr-reading The act of reading and recording allows one to review later when your on the go and makes it easier to share nuggests as you find them. Hopefully will develop into  bit of  resource for those that find it of value, in the meantime, it will help me think about the topic.  

Be sure and download your own copy of the book. 

The title of this blog, I played with a bit. Now Go Row was capped within the words Know Go Row  , we need to Row , usually we row together if you have a bigger boat, you can row by yourself in a small boat, as it gets bigger, you Now need to Row together , just a little hidden message I seen in the main message. 

Thanks for your attention

TLR

“Don’t say, ‘If I could, I would.’ Say, ‘If I can, I will." ~ Jim Rohn