tasty takeaways in 2011
1) learning is not a process. learning is a cycle that goes like this: learn, unlearn, relearn, unlearn, relearn, unlearn, relearn, blah, blah.. the more we know, the more we know we do not know -quoted from some smartass.. how true!
2) life is all about people. you don’t talk to your iPhone. you don’t eat food prepared by the kitchen. you don’t earn your living from the teller machine. you don’t drink beer made by barrels. you don’t date a dog. you don’t catch up over chips and wings with a table. the subjects in the latter part of the sentence are well, no surprises, people. establish good relationships with people and you will get by in life pretty ok. and oh, surround yourself with good people and you will become a better person too (its the same co-relation with rubbished people)
3) finance house in order pretty please. life is not all about money, but managing your wealth well is a life worth spending. be nice to your bank, make good decisions about what you really need (and what you can afford), and your future plans. get more information if you can’t make a decision.
4) don’t listen to everyone. unfortunately the question of who then to listen to is rocket science calibre; you can try to filter the good stuff and good people through their experience from the load of cocks & bulls, but quite honestly this funneling comes with experience in itself. good luck!
5) there are always better people than yourself, and there are always better people than those better people. work on making yourself a better person than yourself, rather than a better person than everyone else.
6) making products – absolutely important to define that primary user of it, and making sure you create value for him. iterate and reiterate until you get it, but please move along fast. having a clear and realistic vision will help your team work towards it.
7) u aint that young anymore – there are sacrifices you need to make to have a more productive life. be it partying, sports, etc. i gave up my regular sunny football weekend to ensure i have lesser pains for the week to keep focused on gamemaki. pretty painful choice, but im hitting 30.
happy 2012!
satisfaction. what exactly is it?
I’m often challenged what prompted me to do the stuff i am working on now, instead of leading the high life of e.g. a banker, engineer, consultant, etc (whatever my peers are doing). my simple 1 word answer: satisfaction.
Satisfaction hardly means you are rich, well-fed, well-slept, contended or even… satisfied. Yes, you heard me right: Having satisfaction does not mean you are satisfied. You can have more satisfaction from eating ice-cream compared to a yogurt, but that does not mean you are satisfied. Satisfaction is not a emotion, nor is it a state. It simply is an utility of happiness you earned from doing something.
My hunger for satisfaction comes from creating value through things my wonderful team built. I get high on satisfaction when others can have more satisfaction through our products, and in giving love and receiving love. Define your interpretation of satisfaction and you find it easier to navigate through life (;
