30 posts categorized "Books"

April 20, 2013

Our first book: Finding the Next Steve Jobs (by Net Minds)

Less than a year ago, I met Nolan Bushnell at a METal breakfast, where I gave a talk on "the Future of Publishing." He told me he had a few books he was working on, and was interested in talking to me about publishing them via Net Minds.

We met the following week (see above) and cooked up a third idea: Finding the Next Steve Jobs: How to Find, Hire, Retain and Nurture Creative Talent. I had just read Steve Jobs (by Walter Isaacson), and was aware of Nolan's history with Jobs, and how he created a creative-friendly workplace culture at Atari. I knew that many companies today need a creative genius to reinvent their products, or perhaps their industry.

Nolan talked to me about all the changes he made, and how so many of today's companies are getting it wrong. They filter out the creatives, then let the naysayers discourage the few that get in. We both realized that this was the book he needed to write, so he joined Net Minds and we started the project.

Using the Net Minds network, we put together a team around Nolan's book that included editorial, design, marketing and media relations team members. On March 26, it was the first publication by our young company, and it was covered widely: AP, NYT, AllThingsD, Mashable, Fox and Friends and In the Loop on Bloomberg TV.

We got this book to market in less than 1/2 the time it would have taken through traditional means. We've already cut deals to license the book in Russia and Taiwan, with several foreign publishers on deck. Many of you have supported us by buying a copy of the book. It's a great read, and will help managers and leaders of all types attract, hire and retain creative talent.

The book is comprised of short chapters (Pongs, read on here) that give YRMV advice on how to change your culture, environment and process to be more creative-friendly. Here's what Walter Isaacson said about the book when he read it (on an iPad): "An absolutely invaluable book by the founder of Atari and the man who launched Steve Jobs' career."

We have a special offer for companies or organizations. If you'll buy a minimum of 100 copies, we can setup a Skype or webinar with Nolan as a priceless bonus (based on mutual availability). If you are interested, email me!

For those that are eBook friendly (maybe everyone has an iPad?), we have a special way of helping you buy them in bulk for your whole company. Here's what our partner BookShout did for one of Nolan's speaking clients.

Sweet, huh? Again, if you are interested in this, drop me a note.

November 02, 2012

A Gift To Marketers: The Impact Equation

To me, books are like people in your life: You development a relationship with them that defines how you feel about them. And I'm in love with The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.

Why? Style + Substance. Hard to find in any professional book, but comes in spades in the highly readable think piece. These cats have words that sing like my favorite reads such as The Purple Cow or ReWork. (Sorry, no more links in my blog posts, they are shiny objects that will distract you. I'll have references links at the end...so keep reading.)

The book will help you understand how vital strategic content is to the modern marketer. If you don't deeply connect with people, you'll ship words that no one cares about (or reads). If you make a difference via your content, it will spread like all treasures do online. This sounds straightforward, but Brogan and Smith's intricate advice proves how treacherous it can be - and why you need to read this book right away.

While many "social media" books focus on the platforms, tools and (spammy) tactics it takes to build a 'following,' this book centers on what really matters...content that works. What I took away from the book, was that we need to become purposeful and masterful at connecting with people, especially with the media we create and the words we share. Figure this out, and you'll rock the next wave of social, regardless of what form it may come in.

Buy The Impact Equation (not an affiliate link)

Source of the picture, Julien's feed (you should subscribe)

October 04, 2012

How Would You Like To Work On a Game Changing Book?

We live in a world where 8 out of 10 people "have a book in them."

But along the way, I'm come to a bigger discovery: Most of us have what it takes to contribute to a book project and find real meaning along the way. Some of us have great editorial and writing skills, likely honed from college and work experiences. Some of us are great designers, be it Photoshop gurus or branding experts. And then many of you have marketing and publicity chops, that could help a book become more discoverable upon launch.

Of all things you could be working on, books are likely the most valuable. Books are the rare media products people are willing to pay for. Their long form nature lends itself to having a bigger impact on the reader than a blog, newsletter or magazine article. Finally, the nature of book projects enable you to make new friends and professional connections far beyond what you are achieving with networking services like LinkedIn.

So what are you waiting for? At Net Minds, we've created a platform that connects authors and freelance talent (just like you). In some cases, the relationship is work-for-hire. But in most cases, you are real partner, cut into the profits of the book over the long haul.

On several of our projects, editors/designers/marketers are working on their first book project - leveraging their other experiences and producing fresh work that will thrill readers. We've also secured some of the top editorial, design and marketing talents to contribute to our projects. They understand how disruptive our Group Publishing model is, and that's why they are getting involved at the ground floor.

We've just released the Fall Net Minds Select, a collection of terrific book projects looking for freelance partners. We offer up seasoned authors like Todd Duncan, Dain Dunston, Bill Jensen and Kevin Kelly. We also introduce first time authors like Jon Hinds, Michael Smith from Forbes, Nicholas Tucker and Brian Cuban.

Take a second to peruse our projects , and if one of them strikes you fancy, raise your hand and join our movement!

September 14, 2012

Corrections To Love Is the Killer App

It's been a dozen years since I wrote the first draft of my book, Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business and Influence Friends. Since then, the world has changed significantly, and so has my perspective.

In the digital future, it will be easy to make corrections to a book, to keep it from getting out of date or in my case -- out of practice. While the thesis of the book (promote others' success) is more true than ever, there are some corrections I'd like to make:

1. eBooks are how I gather deep knowledge. In LITKA, I argued that we should buy only hard cover books and utilize the blank pages at the beginning and the end of the book for note taking (cliffing/tagging). This was in comparison to soft cover books and pre-Kindle/iPad times. When I wrote the book, eBook readers were clunky and inventory was incomplete. These days, I read almost everything on my Kindle. I've also figured out a way to highlight and take notes in such a way so I can easily re-study a book in just a few minutes. My new reading habit has enabled me to read many more books, and when traveling, to bounce around between multiple titles instead of just choosing one (light) book.

2. Protect Your Network While You Network. More than ever, our network is our net worth, it's our platform to move forward and do good. We should protect it by making sure our networking efforts are productive. Networking people, just because they ask you to, isn't an act of BizLove. It's an act of compromising your existing relationships out of a sense of duty or guilt.

For exmaple: I get requests by entrepreneurs to 'hook them up' with my old boss Mark Cuban (Shark Tank). In a few situations, I truly believe that the introduction would be good for Mark as well as the entrepreneur, and in those situations, I make the (email) introduciton. The key here is to make sure there's a win/win for both the asker and your network node, otherwise it's just more noise (and still, no real value add). One other way to network appropriately is to collect a little information for the prospector and shop it to the target to see if an introduction is desired.

3. Hugging Is Risky At Work. When I wrote LITKA, it was still OK to be warm at work with others, and give them a hug as a greeting. Over time, the litigation environment is as of such, that I suggest we practice discretion prior to any phsycial contact with others, beyond a hearty handshake. This is especially true between members of the opposite sex.

Last, but not least, I'd like to make a disclaimer: Being a Lovecat doesn't mean you say yes to all requests of you. It doesn't mean that nothing can upset you. It doesn't mean that anything you have is available to anyone else. I'm growing weary of people who tell me, "Hey, you aren't being very Lovecat!" when I say, "no" to them or criticize an idea or an action. In my book, I defined a Lovecat as someone who "intelligently share his or her intangibles to promote growth in others." I never claimed that they were pushovers.

August 24, 2012

Here's How Net Minds Works (an animation)

Here's an update on the progress of Net Minds, a publishing startup I've co-founded.

A few weeks ago, we announced the addition of Chris Brogan to our team. Not only will he advise us on publishing tools and social media, he's contributing his music too!

For editors (of all types), book designers, publicists and marketing pro's, here's an animation that explains how Net Minds works for free lance talent. Please share and if it appeals to you, sign up to receive the Net Minds Select, a collection of awesome book projects looking for partners.

How Net Minds Works (video)

June 01, 2012

Calling on editors, book designers and marketing gurus

At Net Minds, we are changing the way publishing makes books. (see my previous post on the startup I've cofounded.)

We are a networking service that partners authors with publishing talents to produce great books that are effectively promoted upon release. After publishing four books through the antequaited traditional model, I realized that there had to be a better way...The Net Minds Way.

Currently, we are working with over a dozen authors on books of all types. We've built up a network of free lance editors, book designers, mareketers, and publicists to work with them. Each partner gets a piece of the book's profits as part of their comp package. We strongly believe that joint-ventures make better products ... and in my experience, sharing the upside makes all the difference.

Here's the May Net Minds list of projects, looking for partners of all types. The authors are impressive: Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, former CMO of AMD Nigel Dessau, media visionary Robert Tercek and nine others. If you know a freelancer that might be intersted, please forward this blog post to them. The deadline for responding is Thursday June 7.

May 23, 2012

Want To Extend Your Reach? Don't Hire A Babysitter!

I assume that most of you who read my blog or subscribe to my newsletter are those who have something to say or sell, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. We’re all trying to be seen or heard and that’s increasingly complicated in a noisy world.

Wouldn’t you agree?

The problem is that to be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform.

Platform is key.

Most of us know it and it’s why we spend time networking, developing social media, writing emails and blogs, speaking, trying to connect with potential customers, etc.

But here’s the issue, simply being on Facebook or Twitter, simply writing a book or newsletter, simply opening the doors of your business… doesn’t matter (unless others know about you and follow).

That’s why I am excited about a new book from my good friend Michael Hyatt, one of the top bloggers in the world and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers. It’s called Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. It’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the waters so that you can do what works in order to be seen and heard.

Special: To celebrate the launch of the book this week, Michael is giving away $375.98 worth of free Platform bonus content for those who purchase the book between May 21 and May 25. Complete details are available at http://michaelhyatt.com/platform

As I was chatting with Mike he mentioned something that really stood out to me about building a platform. He said…

“Accept Personal Responsibility - If you’re thinking of hiring a babysitter for your platform, think again. It is critical that you be 100% committed and the driving force behind its creation and growth. Think about it. Does anyone know your mission, product or service better than you do? Is anyone more passionate about it than you are? Does anyone have as much skin in the game as you do? Expertise, passion, and, frankly, the fate of your career will drive you to create something greater than anything a hired-out marketing team could imagine.”

Basically he’s saying don’t phone it in and try to pass it off to someone else. If you want to be heard, you have to speak up and be the driver.

In my years of being an author and speaker I have found that to be very true. Yes, you need to hire a great team and utilize great resources but don’t expect someone else to do all of the work that you too must be active in doing.

If it’s important, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.

I have two three copies of the book to give away - all you have to do is hit the retweet button and make a comment to this post.

February 13, 2012

Love Is the Killer App turns 10

It feels like yesterday: Valentine's Day, 2002, the day my first book was published.

Since then, thousands of readers have shared their stories with me. A few of them even showed up in the paper back version of the book, which was release in 2003. Many of you told me that the principles in the book validated your actions: Share Knowledge, Network Without Expectations, Be Compassionate. (Read the Fast Company excerpt from Love that ran in their Feb 2002 issue.)

To me, that's one of the two best reasons to write a book. Validate the reader, to quote Kurt Vonnegut, "let her know that someone else shares her values and that she is not alone." (note: the other reason to write a book is to give advice or share perspective that is counter to conventional wisdom.)

I have so many people to thank from my writing partner Gene Stone to the last person who emailed me with an account of how he has given the book to fifty business partners over the last year. From the genesis to today - "thanks for sharing the love!"

In the comments, please share what you learned from the book, and how you've applied it to your business or leadership life. Thanks in advance for sharing.

For iPad or iPhone users, here's a YouTube video I made about the ten year anniversary.

For the rest of you, here's the video!

Love Is The Killer App Turns Ten from Tim Sanders on Vimeo.

January 04, 2012

Best Business Books Of 2011

Here's a six pack of 2011 releases that represent the year's best business books:

The Master Switch: The Rise And Fall Of Information Empires by Timothy Wu.

This read is gripping as a biz-book like The Social Network was interesting as a movie. Wu chronicles the rise of AT&T, it's demise, then later monopolies leading up to Google. Very provocative, and good food for our understanding of how things work in the free market now - and into the future.

Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries by Peter Sims

This new book helps unlock the secrets to true innovation: Fast prototyping, testing and scaling and close monitoring of feedback. His examples of how little bets create big ideas range from comedian Chris Rock to Google to Pixar. This is a think-piece book, that you'll put to work immediately on your own business, product or project at work.

In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives by Steven Levy

Most books on Google are either premature or outside-looking-in, and so far, I avoided them. In this case, Levy's work appealed to me, as he's been covering them for Wired since 2004 and has insider status with their culture. This is an entertaining, useful and enlightening read about the formation of Google's culture, assets and evolving mission.

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation To Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

This is, hands down, the best business book for leaders I've read since Good To Great a decade ago. Will no-doubt be my top pick for 2011. It's that valuable. Whether you are a startup or working inside a big company, Eric and his Lean Startup Practices will make you a rock star. Learn how to master the MVP, innovate in Small Batches and ask the Five Whys when things go wrong. Those who read this book will have a business advantage over those that don't. And the book is a really good read, too.

Brain Rules: 12 Principles For Surviving And Thriving At Work, Home and School by John Medina

To improve your professional performance, you need to first leverage your brain. Medina offers simple, but highly effective ways to improve your creativity, memory and emotional intelligence. Some ideas you already know about ('get enough sleep') but others are novel (repeat to remember). There are a slew of brain science books you can read, but this one was written to be easily understood and acted upon.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

What do you get when you combine intensely private person who's changed our life with one of the greatest biographers of our time? The book, Steve Jobs, which is storming the best seller lists and dribbling out provocative pieces of Jobsian thinking daily via the press.

This is one of those books you really need to read to be in the know. It's likely that we'll discuss Jobs for years to come in a lot of areas: CEOs, design, innovation, management style, history, etc. This book is likely the best money you'll invest this year. Just think, $20 in Apple stock a decade ago is worth...NOTE: Read this book on your iPad if you can, it will be a special experience for you.

September 21, 2011

Do this first thing tomorrow INSTEAD of checking your email

What's the most important meal of the day for your body? Breakfast, of course.

Why? It establishes your metabolism and gives your brain fuel to operate well. Just the same, if not moreso, breakfast is the most important meal for your mind too. One braniac refers to the most important hour of your day: Hour One. What you put into your mind during Hour One is critical.

So what do you feed it? When you check your email, you graze on the random. Yet, many of my friends start out EVERY day by doing just that. Think about the message that your Inbox (with 100 or more emails waiting to be answered) sends to your subconcious: "We are behind, overwhelmed, hurry!"

Sure, it seems prudent to check email out of the gate when you wake up, but honestly, I think you are just being childish - and I don't mean that in a bad way, either. Children cannot delay gratification. They get up super early on Christmas just to open their presents. Give them a pile of candy and they'll eat it all or get sick trying. We are the same with email - can't wait to see if something interesting came in!

By the way, same goes for our social media rounds where we check on our Facebook, Twitter, etc. Again, when you do this, you cede control over Hour One to the outside world. Your breakfast is tantamount to drinking coffee out of a firehose and eating bagels as they fly out of a wood chipper.

DO THIS INSTEAD: For the first 30-45 minutes of your days, read a book that helps you get better or more prepared for your career or purpose. You read from books at a fraction of the speed you graze online - so think of it as a slow-and-easy way to start the day. This will give your subconscious a different start-message: "We are growing, learning and getting better."

This side benefit is that if you do this five days a week, you'll easily finish a book every month or better. Fifteen well chosen reads in a year can change your life via confidence, insight and innovative thinking. For some, you may need to get up a little earlier (skip TV the night before) to accomplish this feat.

It's going to be hard, I will not kid you. Delaying the Inbox check requires strength, like quitting any bad habit such as smoking. But you can do it, I have. And starting out the day with a highly nutricious mental breakfast is the #1 lifestyle hack I use to stay confident and positive.

For fuel, check out my book recommendations.