Brigadoon Weekly
July 14, 2019
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
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Vanity Metrics, Young-Old, HJ Heinz, Momentum, Streaming TV, Fred Wilson
ROSS RANT
Vanity metrics are feel-good nonsense
I was chatting with an entrepreneur earlier this week.
I asked why she cared so much about reading her Instagram insights.
When you look at your Instagram insights what do you think?
Should it be:
“How many of my followers are engaged?”
Or:
“Is my content making an impact?”
In fact - there is just one thing that any entrepreneur should be asking themselves.
It is:
"Did I make a sale?”
I’ve co-founded or founded four businesses so far.
I know why I joined my first startup.
It was because I wanted to be part of a business.
That was pretty much it.
Yes, there as a market opportunity, it was technology, based in California, checking all the cool boxes.
But frankly, I think I was more motivated on just being part of a startup more than anything else the business could impact or do.
Forgetting what the real point of business was.
To make sales.
The business didn’t last long and famously crashed after one year.
Sales.
This chat from earlier this week reminded me that just being in a business is not enough.
Business is about sales.
It is important to remember why we use tools like Instagram.
We use tools like Instagram not for the feel-good vanity metrics like likes, comments, and followers.
We use tools like Instagram to make sales.
- Marc
Marc A. Ross is the founder of Brigadoon and an advisor and connector working at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics. Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and thought leaders make better connections and better communications.
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FIVE TO READ
Lucy Kellaway on turning 60 — and starting out afresh: From work to dating, the life of an ‘aged adolescent’ is neither slow nor predictable. Some gerontologists have started to subdivide old into “Young-Old”, which runs from 60 to about 75 and bargains for activity, health, and productivity, and “Old-Old”, which bargains for none of the above. https://on.ft.com/32swCYA
Brand man: The HJ Heinz Story: Heinz’s innovations and focus on perfection did not stop at the farm. With the aid of brother John, who continued working for the company after he sold out, and later Sebastian Mueller, the Heinz company led the way in the high-volume, efficient production of food products. Over and over again, the company was the first: the first to have a fully electrified factory and the first to produce its own bottles using the latest bottle manufacturing technologies. HJ was among the first to build modern plants which were spotlessly clean. He had an art department which prepared every label and every ad. Each step of the manufacturing and packaging process was under his control. http://bit.ly/2OaxgXV
Momentum isn’t magic—vindicating the hot hand with the mathematics of streaks: Nearly every basketball player, coach or fan believes that some shooters have an uncanny tendency to experience the hot hand. http://bit.ly/2O4wWtk
The great race to rule streaming TV: In their rush to match Netflix, competitors like HBO, Hulu, and Amazon are ordering a slew of content — ushering out the age of “prestige TV” and ushering in an age of anything goes. https://nyti.ms/2NRQst9
11 lessons from venture capitalist Fred Wilson http://bit.ly/32nyC4f
EVENTS
From salon dinners to excursions and multi-day retreats, Brigadoon organizes a number of powerpoint free, conversation focused events in distinctive settings that involve all participants and foster deeper connections.
This fall Brigadoon will organize salon dinners in four cities, a sailing cruise on the Chesapeake Bay, a tour of one of the top design schools in the world, and take full control of a country estate in Fife, Scotland.
Here are the Brigadoon 2019 conclaves designed to improve your individual and organizational performance:
Brigadoon Annapolis 2019 | Salon Dinner + Sailing
September 12-13 | 25% tickets sold
Brigadoon Los Angeles 2019 | Salon Dinner
September 26 | 25% tickets sold
Brigadoon Detroit 2019 | Salon Dinner + Tour
October 3-4 | 50% tickets sold
Brigadoon Cincinnati 2019 | Salon Dinner
October 24 | 25% tickets sold
Brigadoon Remote 2019 | Scotland
November 11-15 | 50% tickets sold
Brigadoon Sundance 2020
February 23-25 | 10% tickets sold
More details and tickets - here.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
