Four [Random] Thoughts Vol. 2
1 On the quality difference between books and movies
Movies and TV series based on comics are starting to get really good, for instance: Wonder Woman, some of the Avengers series, The Punisher, etc.
On the other hand, the disparity in quality from novel to movie in Sci-Fi & Fantasy is abismal. Either you get the mellow teenage vampire (Twilight-like), or the macho, bad-ass killer vampire (Blade-like); which is sad in so many levels, because books are amazing, complex, and with better rounded and realistic characters.
Three recommended books to make my point:
+ A.ma.zing vampire in The Strain, by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan, just the first book of the trilogy. Actually, the FX series is not that bad.
+ Post-apocalyptic? Try Three: Legends of the Duskwalker, by Jay Posey.
+ A Lord Ruler which is not a vampire, but just as hard, and long-lived; an unlikely heroine, and though as nails heroes and characters, The Mistborn Trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson.
2 Trust
Is the lack of trust we live everyday in Mexico and most Latin American countries justified or just a broken lesson that we continue by inertia? Young developers and entrepreneurs in the region would benefit greatly if they trusted more, focus on collaborating, and making things happen.
I’m not saying we all should trust random strangers offering us deals on the streets or over the phone; mind you, lots of bad hombres out there. However, overthinking everything, thinking ‘what’s the real intention of this person?’, or ‘I’m sure they are out to get me!’; is beyond crazy.
3 Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are a solid business strategy, but most of them fail. The typical story goes like this: the more you buy or use our products, the more we will reward you. But when it comes to the rewarding; they make it painfully hard to get or give a watered-down, miserable reward: black-out days, no hi-season, etc., you know the kind.
I imagine their sales reps thinking “Oh boy, here comes this idiot to ask for free stuff”. If you’re doing a loyalty program, be bold and generous!
I’ve had bad experiences with: Clubpremier, IXE, Santander, Banamex, Hertz, Cinemex, Cinepolis, and the list could go on, and on.
Actually, the only loyalty program I like is Starwood Preferred Guest or SPG. Starbucks Rewards is also good: a breeze to use, and enjoy the rewards.
4 Gmail Tips & Tricks: NO newsletters, news, or lists
Do you receive much email? Me too! I’ll pass along the tricks I’m currently using to master my inbox. I assume you’re using Gmail, if not, do the equivalent in your email reader/app.
Let's start with the obvious, no newsletter, promotional email, or mailing list should hit your inbox, none. Here’s how we do it:
Create the labels you need/want. I use: “cabinet” and inside that one, I have nested labels: learning, news, pm/tpm, startups, statements, and tech. Pick your own labels or create them as you go.
Go through every suspect email in your inbox, and do one of the following: (a) unsubscribe if you don’t care about it or mark as spam & unsubscribe, (b) create a filter for that type of message, with ‘skip the inbox’, and add the appropriate label.
Repeat every time you receive a new non-personal email.
Finally, add an entry in your Calendar to peruse or quickly browse those messages. I have a 30 min block twice a week to check the stuff in the cabinet.
You will feel the benefits almost immediately.
[First week] — [Next week]
