GIGO = Garbage In, Garbage Out
Learn it. Know it. Live it.
GIGO is the computer science acronym that implies bad input will result in bad output.
Focus groups tend to lead to GIGO.
As you know, a focus group is a targeted group of consumers who are brought together for an in-depth discussion on a certain topic. Businesses and organizations rely on focus groups to obtain feedback on their products and services or generally provide CYA material when new ideas have been exhausted and taking risks are pushed aside.
Seeing a focus group as garage takes enlightenment.
Most problems don’t require more data.
Most consumer needs don't require more data.
Most solutions won't be found with more data.
More insight, more innovation, and better eyes are required.
More cross-pollination, more adjacent possible, and better instincts are required.
Seth Godin states, 'It doesn't matter what people say. Watch what they do.
"Surveys that ask your customers about their preferences, their net promoter intent, their media habits–they're essentially useless compared to watching what people actually do when they have a chance."
Steve Jobs gets a lot of credit for his design obsession and commitment to how a product looks and feels. But his greatest accomplishment was the way he designed his business for ongoing success and innovation.
Jobs believed you can change commerce and culture through multiyear planning and execution, not by listening to focus group feedback or copying others' successes.
During a Kara Swisher interview at the 2019 SALT Conference, Scooter Braun made the case you need to trust your gut and dump the data.
Braun is the founder of entertainment and media company SB Projects and represents most notably Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kanye West, and Usher.
He makes the case that the ability to pivot and take advantage of a situation is most important to success.
Not business plans. Not data. Not focus groups.
He told the audience, "part of being successful is having moments where you are doing the unreasonable thing. Greatness never came from doing the reasonable thing. It is doing the unreasonable thing, the thing that no one else sees."
Braun's industry is awash in data, but at the start, you need to trust your instinct and make a decision to start.
Most data can only tell what is working and what is successful, not what will work and what will be successful - that's instinct and execution.
In a commercial world where there is so much content and so much choice, many are looking to friends and influencers to curate and guide purchasing.
In a commercial world with no barriers coupled with the cheapness to start a business, more data isn't going to help you.
Getting into the marketplace and engaging customers is going to help you.
- Marc
Marc A. Ross is the founder of Brigadoon and specializes in advocacy communications for global business working at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
Brigadoon Radio: Episode 20: Embracing a Career Not on a Straight Line
Recorded at the lounge inside the Robert Redford Center at Sundance Mountain Resort,, Brendan Kownacki speaks with Brook Hazelton during Brigadoon Sundance 2019.
Brook is a first time Brigadoon Sundance participant and was the 2019 keynote speaker. Brook kicked off the gathering with a talk entitled "An Inside Look at the Art and Luxury Auction Market."
Brook is the Chairman of WineCredit, the largest specialty lender to wine collectors, and serves as Advisory Board Chairman for LiveAuctioneers, the leading online auction aggregator.
Prior to this he was president of Christie’s for North & South America from 2015 through 2018, and previously served as global CEO of Phillips auction house. Brook is also the co-founder of St. James Partners, an investment firm focused on the ownership and management of luxury-related businesses.
Clothing Waste, E-sports, Cash, Car Thing, Cold Fusion
Clothing waste: Google and Stella McCartney announce a sustainable fashion pilot program at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. The British fashion designer has been a long-time advocate for sustainable fashion, and will now use Google Cloud data analytics and machine learning to give the brand a more detailed view into its supply chain.
Video gaming levels up into a sport: E-sports evolved from a hobby into an obsession, into a business — and now it is a full-fledged entertainment industry. http://bit.ly/2WxcaFW
What happened after India eliminated cash: Two years ago, the Indian government abruptly wiped out most of the nation’s currency in hopes of ending black money and curbing corruption. Has the experiment worked? http://bit.ly/2WxdyIy
2 weeks is the average time that it takes Spotify to “quickly surface new, popular songs”, as compared with three (3) entire months for the usual FM radio stations.
US drive time: 70 billion hours is the total amount of time that Americans spend in their cars annually, and in light of that Spotify is testing a voice-controlled in-car device dubbed “Car Thing” to be used to listen to music (and podcasts).
Did your surgeon build models as a child? It could affect your health: NYT reports, medical schools are noticing a decline in students’ dexterity, possibly from spending time swiping screens rather than developing fine motor skills.
Pollution: the race to clean up the shipping industry: New rules aim to reduce sulphur emissions from one of the world’s most polluting sectors but higher fuel prices are likely. https://on.ft.com/2WaAA8K
Scientists revisit the cold case of cold fusion: Scientists from the University of British Columbia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Google are conducting a multi-year investigation into cold fusion, a type of benign nuclear reaction hypothesized to occur in benchtop apparatus at room temperature.
Brigadoon Annapolis | Salon Dinner + Sailing
Starting Thursday, September 12 make plans to attend Brigadoon Annapolis | Salon Dinner + Sailing
Dinner will be held at Flamant on Thursday, September 12 and a morning cruise of the Chesapeake Bay will take place on Friday, September 13.
$365.00
