To succeed in business we don't need to do clever things, we just need to do less dumb things
Why do smart people do dumb things? This is the question posed by author Keith Cunningham and discussed by David and Steve in this episode.
One hint might relate to how much time smart people spend each day actually thinking.
It's an interesting discussion that might just help give you the edge in life and business.
Steve also picks up an unexpected insight from the book, Chokepoint Capitalism. It has nothing to do with money and everything to do with disabling thoughts that can rob us of happiness and clear thinking.
Talking About Marketing podcast episode notes with timecodes
01:41 Person This segment focusses on you, the person, because we believe business is personal.
Chokepoint Capitalism
While reading Chokepoint Capitalism by scholar Rebecca Giblin and writer and activist Cory Doctorow (a great book, by the way, that explains how Amazon, Spotify, book publishers, record labels, and streaming services all conspire to exploit artists by keeping us happy) one quote grabbed Steve unexpectedly.
Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy.
In this discussion, Steve and David discuss the profound truth in this quote, and offer a couple of mitigating strategies.
09:21 Principles This segment focusses principles you can apply in your business today.
Travelling The Road Less Stupid
Smart people do dumb things.
So argues, Keith J. Cunningham who labels himself as having been one of those "stupid" people.
David explain's Keith's thinking from his book The Road To Less Stupid, in which the author sets out to show us that we don’t need to do clever things to succeed in business: we just need to do less dumb things.
Keith argues the vast majority of our poor results are consequences of emotional, overly optimistic, and insufficiently thought out decisions.
The solution? We all need to invest more effort to make and utilise thinking time.
Here it is summarised on a bumper sticker: Operators react and sweat. Owners think and plan.
18:47 Problems This segment answers questions we've received from clients or listeners.
Domain Name Registrar
A plea from Steve. If you do not have direct access to your domain name registrar and your webhosting, stop everything and get it sorted now.
While working with some people running a fishing charter business, Steve experienced yet another small business that had no idea about these very very important bits of information.
It is a complete and fundamental business risk not to have this rectified ASAP.
And if you'd like to know who is recorded as the official registrar of your Australian domain name, visit this service: whois.auda.org.au.
Need help? Book a little time with our web people.
21:56 Perspicacity This segment is designed to sharpen our thinking by reflecting on a case stude from the past.
The 5AD Superchart
Something different for this segment is a walk down memory lane to the once great 5AD Top Forty charts.
Steve recalls these charts kept the radio station top of mind. It gave a focus to our understanding of and access to popular entertainment for many decades.
Former 5AD legend, Greg Clark, recently shared a video from the popular music show he used to present, Music Express, when they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the chart.
But would charts like that work today? Do we need them?
Steve and David discuss this in the podcast.