A double-dose of inspiration

Hey all,

I was out sick last week and missed Swipe File for the first time in nearly two years. To make up for it, here’s a double issue. Enjoy!

1. Benefits Are the Bedrock of Great Company Culture

Another winner from Litmus CEO Paul Farnell. Thoughtful leaders tend to be the ones that people gravitate towards.

There are two elements of a great job. The first is professional development. Can you grow here? Can you learn every day? Is there a clear path forward and up? The second is well-being. Is your life better because you work here?

2. What is the difference between a businessman and an entrepreneur?

This is a pretty interesting Quora thread on what exactly it means to be an entrepreneur.

3. The Four Burners Theory

An oldie but goodie from James Clear.

Soon I realized I was inventing these workarounds because I didn’t want to face the real issue: life is filled with tradeoffs. If you want to excel in your work and in your marriage, then your friends and your health may have to suffer. If you want to be healthy and succeed as a parent, then you might be forced to dial back your career ambitions.

4. The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Analytics

This is a little more marketing-focused than the articles you’ll usually find in Swipe File, but I’ve included it for two reasons:

  • It actually lives up to its billing
  • It’s a great example of the hub and spoke model in action
  1. Tweet of the week from @ThePracticalDev

This applies to all creative types.

6. Yay, It's Time For My Performance Review! (Said No One Ever)

Performance reviews as we know them don't really work in the tech world because things are moving way too fast. NPR explores some alternative ways to give and get feedback.

"A lot of our performance management systems don't do a really good job of capturing ideas or insights," [Brian Kropp] says. "They capture hours or things that come off an assembly line, and the world just doesn't work that way anymore."

7. The "Most Advanced Yet Acceptable" Theory

I just came across this recently and am stunned at how applicable it is marketing, writing, product development and so much more. Ben Hillson breaks it down:

According to the Raymond Loewy Estate’s website “he believed that, the adult public’s taste is not necessarily ready to accept the logical solutions to their requirements if the solution implies too vast a departure from what they have been conditioned into accepting as the norm.”

8. This Scientist Is Trying To Unravel What Sugar Does To The Brain

Sugar is terrifying (and yet I love it so much).

[Molecular biologist Monica Dus] believes a diet high in sugar actually changes the brain, so it no longer does a good job of knowing how many calories the body is taking in. She thinks there are persistent molecular changes in the brain over time – changes that pave the way for excessive eating and eventually, obesity.

9. Loving Our Phones May Come At A Physical Price

None of this is a surprise, but all of it is alarming. This is a great article from BuzzFeed.

10. How to Be a Writer: 10 Tips from Rebecca Solnit

There's no point in summarizing this great post, just read it.

Have a great week!

Jimmy

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