MBA Essentials
MBA Essentials is all the businesss essentials in a visual form for your conveince
Posts by Year
2023
12-Week Year Sketchnotes
The 12-week year is a system to accomplish more in less time by being focused on what matters most.
2022
Hero Forge
Hero Forge is a website where you can design your own miniatures
Dictation
things have changed recently, which has changed how I dictate and transcribe.
Say it Slowly
Saying it slowly can lead to a better understanding of lots of things.
Freedom to write
this podcast host had unwittingly given me “permission” to break the rules I had made.
2021
Cancel culture
Cancel culture is all about force.
Journaling
I used to be a terrible journal writer.
2020
Chicken or Egg?
what happens if we take a longer view?
Transitions
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Quick Wins
By combining areas of focus with efficient goals, you can propel yourself to reaching difficult goals.
Company KPIs
Most critical part of KPI‘s he’s not measuring but rather in deciding what is most important.
Timeout
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Learning Julia
Julia is a fairly new programming language which is making inroads in the data science community.
Investing in yourself
If you purchase an information product but will never actually apply it in your life then it’s not worth any amount of money no matter how good it is.
Think it? Ink it
The phrase ‘if you think it, ink it’ is actually a really good moto to live by. But it doesn’t just have to be ‘ink.’
Comparison
Comparison is a hard thing to avoid, especially in business.
Team Work
People want to feel valued.
Mile Wide and an Inch Deep
Going an inch deep and a mile wide can be worthwhile as well.
Efficiency Metrics
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Gratitude
One of the most important virtues that a person can acquire is the virtue of gratitude.
Do the dishes
Are they really that important to do or are they really just a good idea?
Customers lie
I’ve heard it said that all customers lie.
On Being an Entrepreneur
Being an entrepreneur really is like being on a roller coaster.
Marginal Gains
In the hands of an expert what looks like a piece of junk can be transformed into a masterful performance.
One Percent Better
If we do something small each day to be better, that over time we will accumulate so many small, good things we will have improved greatly.
Read the fine print
Try to understand the point of view and the frame of reference the person presenting you the story is coming from and then try and make you own, informed dec...
Take time to think
Lean into boredom.
Adjustments
What habits do you have in your life that help you improve in all the other aspects?
One Thing
If you can just do the one thing, then you can call the rest of the day a success.
Find the opportunity
In every change there is an opportunity to excel.
WWSMD
As developers, I think one of the biggest problems we find ourselves falling into is doing the abstractions too soon.
Systems are everywhere
If we take the time to look around, we can see systems all over.
Diet
What kind of diet are you on?
Reversable
Adding the reversible/irreversible dimension to a decision list can help you weigh the real costs of a decision.
Shifting Gears
Shifting gears is a critical skill in both biking and in life.
Questions
The questions we ask are critical and important to our futures.
Vision
.
Service
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Take Joy in the Journey
Making the most of challenges and taking pleasure in micro experiences is what brings happiness and joy.
Planting and Harvesting
Planting and Harvesting are really two parts of the same activity, but tending is where the real work is.
Working With Development Teams
When other people see the amount of time you put in, the effort you dedicate to the product and, as long as you are also putting out quality work, they will ...
Octalysis
title: Octalysis tags: [play] image_path: post_images/game_controller.jpg alt: “Octalysis” excerpt: “Games can be good and bad, but in the end all bad game...
Relief valves
No matter what that pressure level, we need to ensure we have a good relief valve.
Human-doing
We need to stop becoming a human-doing and instead become a human-being.
Design Thinking
The need for people good at design, project management and architecture is always going to be there, no matter where developers are located.
Bad Employees
Most everybody wants to do a good job
Bad Bosses
There really are very few bad bosses out there.
Academic vs Business
Just because the two sides are focused on different things, it doesn’t mean that they cannot be combined.
Carrying the team
Just because you are doing well right now, doesn’t mean you may not need to be carried at some point.
Above and beyond
Leaders have a responsibility to their employees.
Take Time to Think
Taking time to think is something valuable, but something few of us take the time to actually do.
Testing
Just testing a publishing method
Simple planning
Combining two productivity techniques can give you a great planning system.
Disruptive Tasks
A lack of planning on some peoples part will still force you into an emergency, no matter how hard you try to protect yourself.
Different ways to play the game
There are different ways to play a game, but only one that really helps you win.
2019
Questions
Some of the most impactful occurrences in history are due to the questions people have asked.
Informational Interviews
Informational interviews are one of the most useful tools for learning about a topic quickly.
Learning from feedback
there is no one list or universally accepted collection of attributes which make a “good” leader.
Focus on your Strengths
Focus on your strengths and find ways to expand them into areas and into situations where you would be naturally awkward or uncomfortable.
Thinking is Critical
In this day and age of knowlege work, we need to take time to actually think.
Political correctness is poisonous
The merit of ideas should be more important than social norms.
Trigger Your Habits
Triggers are a powerful way of kicking habits into high gear.
Free time
Having nothing to do can be one of the best places to be in.
Enjoy the simple things
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Who’s got the ball?
Making sure tasks are well defined is one of the key responsibilities of any leader.
What do you focus on?
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Get a Coach
Getting a coach is one of the most impactful things you can do for your career.
October 2019 MBA Notebook update
My focus is on getting the rest of the text completed for each image. From there I need to do some more work on finding out where I can get printed copies ma...
What is your personal strategy?
The choices we make show what is most important to us, even if we say differently.
Changing can be hard
More often than not it is not the changes in technology that are the hard part to manage, it’s the people.
Find the kernel
We need to be much more critical in our thinking and find the essence of what the problem is we are trying to solve.
Keep An Even Keel
Keeping calm amid the troubles of the day is the sure way to personal leadership and development.
Personal leadership
The hardest person to lead is yourself.
Rubber ducking
Often we just need somebody to bounce ideas off of, even if it’s just an inanimate object.
Planning
Planning is good…usually.
Daylight Savings
Why do we do Daylight Savings again?
Fine Print
Fine print can be limiting, but also liberating. Which will it be for you?
Beginnings and Endings
How you handle beginnings and endings send important signals to the people you work with.
Eroding Trust
We may unintentionally erode the trust people have in us.
Love letter to your family
Before we pass away we should make sure our family is taken care of.
Upgrades
Upgrades are both adding as well as removing features from products.
Defragging
Slowing down and taking time to recover helps us speed up.
Reflection is an important part of learning
Reflection helps learn and project into the future
Small choices mean a lot
When making a decision it is important to know beforehand what you want out of that choice.
Immersed VR
Sometimes an existing technology can be leveraged to solve a business problem you didn’t know you had.
Let Things Sit
Letting things sit is sometimes the best strategy
Follow Your Passion
Follow your passion is poor advice.
Why we don’t need superheroes
I love superheroes as a genre, but when it comes to real life, I think I’ll take a pass.
Humor as a leadership trait
Humor is a powerful tool which every leader should develop
Measuring a good programmer
There is no good way to measure a good programmer that I know of
Adjourning as a Team
Endings are just as important as beginnings, so end your project well.
The Employee Journey Map
Our customers are not the only ones who need our attention. Our employees do too.
Performing as a Team
The best place to be as a team is in the performing stage. What are some of the benefits and what are the attitudes in this stage.
The value of an MBA
If an MBA is a dime a dozen, then what is the value of an MBA?
Team Development: Norming
The third stage in the development of a team is norming.
Personal KPIs
Goals should be a continual part of life and help us enjoy it, not be a source of guilt.
Best Pratices for the Storming Stage
The first stage of team develpoment is storming and there are things we can do within this stage which can set us up for success in future stages.
Perceptions
Our perceptions limit others and ourselves in others desires to change.
2018
Best Pratices for the Forming Stage
The first stage of team develpoment is forming and there are things we can do within this stage which can set us up for success in future stages.
Deadwood at Dusk
Riding at dusk down a trail
Personal OKRs
Measuring intangibles is hard. Here is how I’m approaching one of mine.
Enjoy the simple things
Too often we are so focused on what we are trying to do that we forget about enjoying the journey.
Be like Jack!
D&D for your career
Being customer focused
How Adonit has met and drifted from my needs
Imposter Syndrome and Courage
No matter what we feel, we should choose courage in our actions.
Idiot IoT
An renewed interest in the IoT
The Smartest Person in the Room
Are you the smartest person in the room? Hopefully not.
The Criticism Mindset
Learning to take criticism is a key skill we all need to learn.
BYU Career Boost 2018
Sketchnotes for BYU Career Boost 2018
How Flow Free is like business?
How Flow Free is like business?
What keeps a team together?
What keeps a team together?
Conversion Rates
What does a conversion rate tell me?
Why are there few clean cars?
Why are there few clean cars?
What kind of diet are you on?
We need to be judicious in what we decide to consume.
Hypocrisy
What does it really mean to be a hypocrite?
2017
Algorithms and Life
Computer algorithms have more to offer people than just ways to program comptuers.
Doing the bare minimum
Asking how much to need to do needs to be followed up with why you are asking that question in the first place.
Integrate Work and Live
Everything We Do Should Have a Higher Purpose
5 Love Languages
Showing appreciation is not a one size fits all endeavor
Values Part 2
You’re the only one that can figure out what your values are
Civility and Different Methods
What are you doing to build up civilization?
What do you value?
What you value is shown more clearly by where you spend your time and money.
Delegation
How well do you delegate?
Evaluate your criteria
Are you getting what you really want out of life?
Buckle Down
Sometimes you just need to double down and decide what you really want out of life
Niche Down?
Should you niche down or not?
Inoculate
Do you have the willpower to reach your goals?
February 2017 Newsletter
Update on projects as of Feb 2017
The Path to Mastery
Becoming a master is a continuum
Blog Poster
Making future posts work on github pages is…complicated.
Silicon Slopes Sketchnotes
Sketchnotes for Silicon Slopes 2017
Review Your Process
Outside the three major processes, this one additional practice can have the greatest impact in your productivity and in your life.
New Years Resolutions
Setting Goals and New Years Resolutions
2016
Processing Your Tasks
Processing: The third key element of a productivity system.
Tracking Tasks
Tracking: The second key element of a productivity system.
Capture Tasks
Capturing tasks is the first step to productivity
Never Be Late Again
Your values determine your how to manage your time.
What are the 3 key elements of any productivity system?
Identify the three elements of your system, and see how well you are really doing.
Draw Your Way to Happiness
Drawing can help you connect with your inner desires and help you plan your life and day.
Where to Start?
One of the most difficult things about personal productivity and improvement is knowing where to start.
Adding Colored Clips
Part 3 of designing a game to make tasks fun
Farmbot
There have been a number of interesting technologies I’ve seen this month, but the most interesting thing I’ve seen has been the farmbot. Interchangeable att...
Discord
This month I ran across a tool I think will make things much easier at work. Discord is a chat application much like Slack with a couple of different twists.
Disappointed
I tried a bit of an experiment this last week. I wrote a post two weeks ago and marked it for publication on the 9th, while I was out of town. Not only was I...
Logitech k760 Keyboard
A while back I picked up a Logitech K760 keyboard. It’s standard sized wireless, solar keyboard and it’s been one of the best keyboards I could get.
Book Review - Son of Justice
This is really just a quick look at the book and the impressions on it. It’s not a full review. I never read those things and feel like if I can get a quick ...
The Five Stages of Pull Requests
I’ve been back in the coding circuit for almost a year now, but I’ve never really been in a company that did pull requests as well as the team I’m currently ...
Personal Productivity with paper
I’ve been reading self-help and productivity books for years. I’m always interested in the latest gadget, method or trick that I can use that will help me ge...
Ticket To Ride as Scrum
Ticket to Ride is a popular game by Days of Wonder. In it you try to create a connections with your train lines from one city to another. You create the conn...
Conversation
I was listening to a podcast episode recently and one of the things the hosts discussed made me think about conversations I’ve been in and reasons for how I ...
Systems
Systems are a hard thing to tie down. Ultimately they are just processes which you have in place to help you manage your work load. They could be as complex ...
Changes
I’ve been thinking this site needed a refresh. What you see is a newly minted and merged version of the site. I’m still using the same theme, but I’ve upgrad...
Leading From Behind
Many people are under the impression that you need to be in charge in order to be a leader. They’re wrong.
Habits
I recently learned about something called the habit journal and it’s been a great additional to my routine so far. Habits in and of themselves are neither go...
Patience
Experienced players play the game differently
Exercism
Exercism can help you level-up your programming skills
The Daily Struggle
Due to a lack of direction on my part, I’m looking for feedback on what would be most useful to people who read this blog.
I’m Working for Others
I totally expect people to be offended by what I say here. It’s a given, especially on a day like today, when we as Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr...
After Action Report
I’ve been going through the Best Year Ever course by Michael Hyatt. On day two, he has you look over the last year and evaluate how it went. You are asked to...
2015
Time Off
Just a note. I’m taking the next two weeks off and will not be posting any articles here until the beginning of the new year.
Want success? Improve!
I recently heard a person say that anybody who is truly successul is pratically addicted to learning and improving. Couch the idea in whatever terms you want...
Belief
When working toward a goal, even the nebulous goal of “Success” in a specific area, one of the first things we have to do is believe in that goal.
5 Steps to Success
Success doesn’t come easy, but there is a pattern.
What I Want From Atom
Atom is a great editor, but I’m not quite ready to jump in with both feet just yet.
NLP
Words have power so
Learn Quickly with a System
Learning is something we have to learn about and do deliberately.
How to make a training class last
A reflection on the training O.C. Tanner received from Sandi Metz
Changing Your Direction
There are times in life when you need to take a bit of a break.
Real Fans
A long time fan of Science Fiction/Fantasy speaks up on the Hugo Awards of 2015
XML DB (2003)
I’ve dug up an interesting post I made back in 2003 about the SourceForge project “XML DB”
Curating
I’ve been curating posts from my older blog. Here are a couple short tips I think may still be relevant.
Pay by Touch
I’ve dug up an interesting post I made back in 2003 about Pay By Touch. It has very striking similarities to payment situations today.
Back in the Day
I’ve enjoyed the time, and while summer is coming to a close, I can honestly say, I’ve had one fun-filled summer I’ll never forget and could never have done ...
2013
Tools of the trade
There are a number of tools I find I rely on throught out the day. My intention is to make a list of them and talk about the pros and cons for each one in a ...
Activity Monitors
I did an analysis of the different health monitors out there before I ended up buying a Fitbit One. Here’s the table showing the various features. Eventually...