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Quote
2nd September 2009
If you look at what Apple does, after it does it, one thing you always have to say is how come know else did this before.
~ Welcome to Macintosh - this entertaining documentary that delves into the world of Apple Inc., the groundbreaking company responsible for everything we love related to technology. The Mac, the iPod & the iPhone.
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Article
1st September 2009
Setting the Difference
I normally bring with me lunch to work but there was no leftovers from the night before so I was pressured in locating something worth eating in a town whose supply on meals is limited to bagels or high-priced Italian food, so I settled for the middled ground. I went with Chinese take-out but I stayed in.
Here I am sitting at the table waiting to be called up for my order when this random thought came to mind. Why do all Chinese take-out restaurants look the same? Regardless of your geographic location, the likelihood of you having visited one is very likely because they’ve become as ubiquitous as Starbucks. They’re practically in every other corner so I’m sure you can relate to the view I had.
As far as I know, each chain is independently owned so in essence, the owner has free range in deciding how they wish to adorn their business but I’m wondering if there’s an unwritten rule in sticking to dull colors, washed-out floors and uncomfortable seating to represent a place that serves delicious food. The mood just doesn’t compliment the food.
Where’s the Surprise
I’ve yet to come across one Chinese take-out that’s retracted from such decor. There really is no shock value in what you get when you visit any of the locations other than distinguishing to your friends that an order of fried chicken wings is cheaper here than there. Granted it is take-out so perhaps attention to furnishing seems inconsequential but I would think any subtle changes to an institutionalized eating establishment as this would trigger the customer to separate one experience from the other.
I could count the times I’ve actually stayed and eaten at a one of these and the reason has more to do with the place not being very inviting to begin with. My whole take on this sudden thinking is that if every one in an industry fails to address a problem, as a business owner, why wouldn’t I want to grab it from the horns in solving it and using the competition as the point of difference. Why follow in line with the rest? Add to the list of changes menu presentation and food delivery approach and people will notice.
Being Above the Rest
What’s so fantastic about being different you ask? Well, because not everyone is doing it. With good credit and determination, anyone can open up a chain store but what makes you distinctive is applying that extra effort and inventiveness to set a niche and being the best at it.
Yes my lunch was delicious but I could have walked 2 more blocks and the rating on my meal would have been the same. What could have been different was the setting in which it was served and this would have forever been the place that completely erased my perception of a typical Chinese take-out restaurant.
Perhaps I was too hungry and simply over thought this opinion but Seth Godin doesn’t fall to far from everything I considered:
Differentiation means thinking very hard about the market and your competitors and somehow making yourself different. Any rational person spending a fair amount of time with perfect information will have no trouble figuring out why you’re different. You don’t create a purple cow by being different. You do it by creating something worth talking about!
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Photo
31st August 2009
BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics: A full radical hybrid concept, powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel and two electric motors. The body design is a clear expression of lightweight technology and seeing it outside makes the experience of admiring it even more surreal. This is a typical BMW car where it has passion sprawled all over it.
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31st August 2009
Not only does the iPhone camera encourage on-the-spot (or on-the-shot) spontaneity, but it gives photographers a break from the perfectionism that often stifles creativity. The iPhone camera is limited. It doesn’t have built in flash and is not bound by aperture or shutter speed, but these limitations serve to encourage freedom and inventiveness.
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Link
30th August 2009
The Outlining vs. Organic Writing DebateWriting can sometimes be a nebulous process. In school we’re taught that to establish an early sense of purpose in what we write, there’s the need to take that information to mold, to stretch and to dig deep into its potential by creating an outline of what we hope to get across. Some still practice it, some don’t. Larry Brooks distinguishes the two by name. The Organic writers and the Outliners. You choose the approach that works for you without sacrificing quality.
To write a successful story, you can’t wing it and expect to get to the promised land. That doesn’t mean you need an outline, it means you need a foundational core competency in story architecture. No matter how you write.
Once you have it, you can wing it all you want. Your stories will come out in the right sequence with proper pacing. Or, you can get there by constructing outlines that yield stories in which everything is in the right place at the right time.
Jorge Quinteros © 2007 – Today About Archives Subscribe Back to top ↩
