2 days agoProtagonist rule #11: Give backIn science, there’s an interesting pattern few people talk about. It turns out that inventions often occur at the same time or almost the same time in multiple research groups. These inventions aren’t struck-by-lightning insights by a single scientist; they tend to be ideas that evolved and emerged in a…Protagonist4 min readProtagonist4 min read
May 21Protagonist rule #10: Study Stoicism and BuddhismIn many ways, I view myself as a philosophical modernist in that I believe the world we live in is getting better all the time. …Protagonist5 min readProtagonist5 min read
May 14Protagonist rule #9: Take care of yourselfEspecially during my time in industry, a common saying among my a-type, hard-driving colleagues was “I can sleep when I’m dead.” The idea communicated was that the things you’re now spending time on are so important that you’re willing to give up everything else. …Protagonist5 min readProtagonist5 min read
May 7Protagonist rule #8: Use dataOne story that keeps fascinating me when it comes to science is how people in the early 20th century insisted on the existence of aether for transferring light. The general belief was that similar to how sound was mediated by air, there was another medium that would allow light to…Protagonist5 min readProtagonist5 min read
Apr 30Protagonist rule #7: Change your mindWhen I worked as a young professor in the 1990s, one of my main research areas was software architecture. The prevalent view at the time was that the architecture of a software system was virtually immutable once you had committed to it and consequently, you had to be very careful…Digitalization5 min readDigitalization5 min read
Apr 23Protagonist rule #6: Get out of your comfort zoneIn my own life, I notice that I’m increasingly aware of the things I like and think I’m good at and the things I don’t like and typically am not very good at either. Over the years, especially when I was younger, I tried a lot of things and, based…Digitalization5 min readDigitalization5 min read
Apr 16Protagonist rule #5: Hell yes or noRecently, I read a book by Oliver Burkeman entitled “4,000 weeks: time management for mortals.” The essence of the book is that as humans, we have 4,000 weeks in our lifespan. …5 min read5 min read
Mar 19Protagonist rule #1: Own itLife at work, as well as outside of work, can be very surprising. Lots of unexpected and unwelcome things can happen. …Digitalization4 min readDigitalization4 min read
Mar 12Be the protagonist of your life: 15 rulesOver the last few years, I’ve enjoyed a steadily growing following on Linkedin. I’m very grateful for that, so thank you if you’re one of them. …Protagonist7 min readProtagonist7 min read
Mar 5PD fallacy #10: the customer cares about the productOne of my favorite activities when meeting with the companies I work with is to tell them that their customer doesn’t give a flying hoot about their product. This often leads to a storm of protests and objections and meeting participants proudly showing me net promoter scores and quotes from…Product Development4 min readProduct Development4 min read
