CircaSpecting: People, Tech, and Business

Life is Complicated

The most creative people I know are also the most optimistic people I know.  It takes optimism to embrace a really new project -- whether that's a new painting or a new building or a new process or a new product.  The need for optimism probably stems from the fact that you are exposing yourself to criticism, since we all regard the creation as a manifestation of the creator.

I think that is why so many creative people have a tendency to overstuff their creations: they want everyone to see the full breadth and depth of their genius; they don't want to be judged on a stripped-down version of their vision.  Even when the first few elements of the project represent 70-80% of the potential value, we often insist that "75% is a C."

This is a mistake.

Life is full of the unforeseen, and there's plenty of the unforeseeable, too.  Whether you can see the challenges or not, they are still there -- licking their chops to get a shot at your project.  And, like a pack of coyotes, they grow exponentially more devastating as their numbers grow.  One coyote or problem is basically a lonely puppy.  Ten coyotes or problems is a buffet, and you are the entree.

The reality of creativity is that it faces 2 exponential functions, both of which are related to complexity.  Marginal utility is declining with complexity, while marginal risk is increasing.  Multiplying these two curves yields the green line in the chart below: expected value.

The creative brain does not want  to see the reality of the green line.  We must discipline ourselves to see it; and, we must discipline ourselves to act accordingly.  So, here is a good exercise.  Ask yourself the following question:

What is the simplest, most basic version of my project which anyone could possibly consider good?

This is probably the only version of your project that is worth your time.  And, before you start calling this a cop-out strategy, remember: Life is FAR more complicated than you think.

Spring Cleaning Your Brain

Repotting, that's how you get new bloom ... you should have a plan of  accomplishment and when that is achieved you should be willing to start off again. Ernie Arbuckle, former dean of Stanford business school

Repetitive existence dulls your mental edge.  Equilibrium kills creativity and vitality.  So, find ways periodically to give your mind an excuse to see things from a new perspective :

• Go see an arthouse film
• Change your computer (to a Mac!)
• Repaint your office or work from a cafe one afternoon per week
• Trade your day-timer for a smart phone, or vice versa
• Attend a university lecture -- on art history or architecture or anthropology
• Change your wardrobe completely
• Switch roles with a team-mate
• Change your commute -- new time, route, or mode
• Read a science fiction epic
• Take lessons on a sport you don't know
• etc, etc, etc

Baudrillard, The Matrix, and Business Intelligence

I've been rereading Baudrillard's Simulations, the book most people regard as the basis for the Matrix motion pictures.  Not coincidentally, it's the book that Neo pulls off the shelf in his apartment during the first episode.  It's an excellent (if difficult) book to read, because he has a valuable ability common to lunatics: the ability to see the way the world really is, with so much greater clarity than the rest of us who are "sane."  Anyway, it's a small book with big ideas -- big ideas with practical application.

My personal favorite concept in the book is this: representations can kill what they represent.  I call this Baudrillard's Paradox.  A couple of his more provocative examples include...

God dies with the birth of religion.

What is truly social dies with the advent of socialism.

So, what does this have to do with anything practical?  I'll give you two examples, starting with a personal one.

At Eyeris, we operate a Systrust/SAS-70 certified hosting operation.  There are lots of documented procedures and controls.  Lots.  Those procedures evolved over years of thoughtful work by Eyeris' founders.  Careful documentation then allowed the process to be delegated to others.  And, most of the time, everything runs great.  But, when things go haywire in the process, it's almost always for the same reason: a thoughtfully designed process document becomes a substitute for thoughtful work.  Now, clearly, I am not advocating seat-of-the-pants make-it-up-as-you-go processes; but, we have to remember that ALL good work is brain-turned-on, eyes open, creative, thoughtful work -- whether it's documented and routine, or not.

A more general example of Baudrillard's Paradox is this:

True business intelligence dies
where Business Intelligence thrives.

BI as we know it today is a representation or simulation, attempting to mimic the signs of business intelligence.  That is, if you observe some of the signs of true business intelligence, you will see reports going from thoughtful analysts to decision makers.  But, the presence of reports does NOT imply thoughtful analysis.  In fact, it can mean the opposite -- stunting the urge to analyze, by providing a (poor) substitute.  BI needs to get back to its thoughtful, messy, human, creative, experimental, investigative roots -- and away from the antiseptic, lifeless, thoughtless farms of frozen, pre-digested reports.

Break Out to Break Through

Creativity is a triumph of courage over familiarity.

Sometimes by inspiration, other times by persistent method, we try something new – some new perspective, some new combination, some new place or time, some new tool or technique – in full knowledge of the fact that the odds are stacked against success.  In fact, many people cannot bring themselves to let go of the apparent safety of the known, the routine – not for the longshot of successful originality. 

But, whether it’s an idea about changing a product line’s pricing structure or an idea about how to build a safer motorcycle or an idea about how to harness tidal flows for electricity production or an idea for how to motivate and shape your teenager to achieve her potential – it is a triumph that adds meaningfulness to life, both yours and others’. 

And, there are no deeper human needs than to understand the meaning of things and to make a meaningful difference for others.  Both of which are hard to do while hypnotized by routine.

Failure and creativity are the essence of human being. 
To let go of routine in exchange for either is a good trade.

Genius Ignored

Genius, in an unexpected context, is often overlooked.

I once sat with Desmond Tutu on a flight in the states.  The aircraft was huge, and he was sitting on the aisle.  I watched as everyone filed past us, and no one recognized him.  He exudes peacefulness and calm and caring -- I was uplifted greatly by our brief time.  But, so many others missed that chance.

If you have not already seen the Washington Post article about how DC subway commuters ignored one of the world's greatest violinists playing a multi-million-dollar Stradivari, you can check it out here.  Basically, 95% of passers-by did not even stop.  They did not recognize genius in this context.

The human mind is just weird -- tremendous ability to appreciate truth, art, wisdom and abstract representation, but equally tremendous ability to ignore the same.  That’s the power of bias.  Preconceived notions.  Prejudice.  Insecurity.  Self-justification.  Distraction.

Some of the coolest uses of information and technology are being cooked up in plain sight -- but outside the walls of "proper" IT.  If you can learn to control your bias, you might discover your organization’s equivalent of master performances in the subway station.