#im looking for examples to put in my powerpoint presentation

[zapsoda]

woah

[nidbaesenpai]

Okay I gave a powerpoint presentation to friends about it and actually im not done talking about it so I'm gonna ramble and never touch it again. This will be long. First things first I did this like I was giving a show pitch to a network. So I will go through my slides one by one and saving my comparisons for last. Not the best but also this is a hypothetical.

Miraculous Ladybug: The Magical Girl

Just a plain one sentence pitch meant to interest everyone into listening to what im talking about. Also good summary. Because really I'd like to explore Marinette embracing her true self by exploring new scary things like saving Paris.

These slides explain themselves, I have such bias to 2D animation but y'know give a lil leeway if I have to concede and do 3D. I understand that my examples are all movies but if they can do it so can we. I did not put in a target audience, I initially put 8-12 year olds but wasn't sure if I could realistically get away with cool plot stuff. I understand kids can dig serious and nuanced media but not every producer agrees so shrug. Omitted by design. Also going with Felix, sorry Adrien.

And yes there will be monster of the week for at least 2 seasons so the design team can have fun making strange scenarios and wacky monster designs.

As side note Marinette and Felix find their miraculous by pure chance. Marinette finds hers at a flea market where Mr. Fu happened to be selling out all his wares and Felix happened on his after Fu drops one on his way to the market. It happens by chance, pure dumb luck.

OKAY Marinette time. She's consistently bullied by Chloé Bourgeois and has little to no friends in the first season. A girl that's insecure and maybe even ashamed of her interests and looks. Her sketchbook that she carries is all personal designs inspired from everyday people and lolita fashion she'd like to wear. Heck she even has a couple dresses in the back of her closet that she pulls out from time to time to maintain and wear. In the comfort of her room. She'd never wear it outside though.

Conversely Ladybug is a perfect outlet to do everything Marinette thinks she can't. She can assert herself gd she's saving Paris. Oh she can imagine her outfit and it'll happen instantly via magic bullshit. What a dream. Marinette loves being Ladybug despite being so afraid of being responsible for so many people. She does go back to having good luck powers and that her season 1 ultimate move is changing her yoyo into the weapon she needs to win a fight. And I mean only weapons. It can change into a rapier, a glaive, anything really with the downside that Marinette has never touched a weapon in her life and needs to figure it out on the fly.

Later seasons Marinette starts getting a better grasp on probability manipulation and will be able to sense perfect opportunities, create them or make good luck for others.

Felix Agreste! Love a rich bitch tsundere thats actually really dorky and silly. I did wanna steer more towards a cool prince stereotype and have it go hand in hand with being a model. Felix is very used to maintaining that, so much so he doesn't realize how much he hates it until he gets to be Cat Noir. And for the first time ever he gets to choose how he looks and ends up being a street cat. And he loves it. Pushes it so that he can be lame and its not embarrassing or consequential. Being a magical boy does become an outlet, an escape from his high standards. Let him be lame!

Also yeah in opposite to Ladybug his costume stays the same because he's not changing ever again and he's not interested. His power is bad luck and runs the same as Ladybug except its just bad for him. Like he's wailing on the monster of the week and he pulls out his ultimate move only for his tough claw gauntlets turn into soft kitty paws. He works with it but it does turn into the worst choice of brawler weapon.

Later seasons Felix will have a better grasp on probability manipulation and not only tell when bad luck is coming but redirect it at others instead of himself.

I chose not to go with Garbiel's candy cane ass outfit but remade it anyways,,, who am i,,,

SO. The man, the myth, the legend Gabriel Agreste. Okay so all the plot lies with this guy. The focus of the show are the teens doing their thing and figuring out life but Gabriel is the real show runner here. He is heavily invested in jewelry and how miraculous are made. He's spent years researching it alongside his wife. However she passed away and Gabriel never got over it. Yes Felix is there and of course he cares for Felix deeply but he never got over his wife Amelie. To the point he tries to find a specific set of miraculous, creation and destruction, to create and alternate world where she lives. And destroy this world. As such Gabriel tracks down jewelers and their networks to find them.

Yes Gabriel loves his wife and never wavers from his goals. He loves his wife dammit and he's gonna get her back. Anything he does will be smoothed over once he recreates the world.

Getting his hands on the Change miraculous was the best thing that ever happened to him because now. He can masquerade as anyone and get away with it. To the point there will be background characters that have the butterfly broach as a fun "scheming Gabriel" cameo. When the magic duo appears Gabriel isn't interested in them. He doesn't want to kill kids and doesn't care about the Luck miraculouses. Doesn't see the value in them since all his luck came from his hard work and planning. So the first episode where the duo interrupts his plans? He lets them be and sets up a monster as a distraction while he continues his search.

Also did not put this in my pitch but in my heart of hearts uhhhh trans Gabriel and trans Amelie. t4t couple, put some respect on Gabriel's name he gave birth to Felix after 24 hours in the hospital.

It's them, the kwamis,,, I have some lore coming on the later slide so quick overview on their personalities and how they interact with their respective owners. Also just because. The kwami cannot interact with reality aside from what their owners give to them, like an offering. They cannot be seen by anyone outside of their owners.

Ladybug has Fortuna! She is very mysterious and doesn't ever answer straightforward. Solve my riddles three type deal but like when you ask her if she wants toast for breakfast. Don't get it twisted, she has a very big heart and is sweet on all beings. If she could have everything go right all the time she would but that's not how luck works. She lets Marinette figure out answers on her own, much to Marinette's frustration. They share a caring heart and both of them can get a bit carried away being good and kind to everyone. Even if others feel its undeserved.

Cat Noir has Malasorte. In true kitty cat fashion he is a bastard. Never stops talking Felix's ear off and goads him to give into impulse. A real devil on your shoulder kind of kwami. If he could actually interact on anything he'd collapse Paris for the fun of it. He gives Felix hard reality checks whenever Felix is in over his head or is upset over something. It's a bit harsh but Felix appreciates the blunt honesty. Also loves reminding Felix that bad luck is still just luck and that an unfortunate circumstance isn't indicative of self worth or actions. Chance does not have favorites.

Hawkmoth has Morpho! As the Change kwami Morpho is always running, always busy. They don't like being stationary or stagnant so they really love being with Gabriel. Planning fashion lines and magazines, setting up runways on top of looking into miraculous? Morpho is very entertained by Gabriel. Now they don't like how Gabriel is stuck on his wife but they are intrigued that this motivates him to destroy the world. They don't stop Gabriel and even go along with his plans to see if anything comes of it, what kind of Change would Gabriel bring. Morpho is Gabriel's programmer ducky, bouncing off ideas to get closer to the coveted creation and destruction miraculous.

Yeah yeah sorry everyone but I know merchandising will get me places, dont kill me.

The world this takes place in has many miraculouses hidden around the globe, anyone can become a magical hero if the circumstances are right. Thus comics and spinoff shows are perfect for exploring more within the canon of the world. Comics can explore more of what Marinette and Felix get up to after the show but new shows will be about new heroes. The duo can make cameos but their story is done.

Ofc they get final forms, they're a magical team! They obtain final forms in the last fight against Hawkmoth in season 3 where both of them realize they're not the opposite sides of the same coin but the whole thing. They are both chance and luck, equally able to access good and bad. Ladybugs and black cats aren't inherently good or bad but known for it. Doesn't mean that they aren't capable of more.

This is where the duo unlocks true probability manipulation and bends chances all to their favor much to Hawkmoth's displeasure and confusion.

Yes if I do have to break down the show the focus would be on fashion. We got two fashion designers and a model, every person fighting needs to slay. Including the monsters. Whether they fit right on the runway or look like a Sailor Moon filler villain, they must serve. The show must be silly, full of inane situations that could happen to no one except these three. And lastly chosen love. This refers to the love square that comes on the next slide and how Gabriel chooses Amelie over Felix. You can love as much as you'd like and your actions will be indicative of it. He loves Felix and wants him to succeed. Sets up for the industry, prepping him to be multilingual. Extra classes to to a well rounded person and making sure Felix is well fed. Absent but hopes that all these opportunities will help Felix.

This never wanes as Gabriel descends deeper into his search for a new world. In that final battle, they reveal their identities and Gabriel is left speechless. He can't kill his own son but is the thing stopping him from a new world. Gabriel begs Felix to join him in his new world, he can bring both Felix and Marinette unscathed by the destruction miraculous. They can all be happy together just please let him have this. And Felix says no, he's so sad that Gabriel has been holding all his grief in but he can't erase everything he's worked for in this world. Both Marinette and Felix have worked hard, why should everything be obliterated for a 'what if'. Are they supposed to blow everything up the moment things go wrong, when grief chokes them?

Yeah I'll say my ending, Gabriel is locked in a stalemate with the two champions of luck as he has the miraculous of destruction and creation. Ladybug grabs hold of the creation and tricks Gabriel into destroying it. They try to talk him out of his wack plans and Gabriel accidentally destroys himself. In that final moment Gabriel congratulates Felix and that this world better be kinder to him than it was to Gabriel. He turns to ashes as Paris finally knows peace and the magic duo are gone. Marinette and Felix are together and process everything in their own time.

OKAY THE MASCOTS. The kwamis. Their loose lore is that they're concepts, ethereal beings that are shaped by humans. It's connected and nebulous and through miraculous they take definition and shape. Jewelry is one way to channel these beings, there are many other avenues if one is clever to find a way. In fact concepts can be split even more. Mr. Fu wasn't a perfect jewel cutter. He accidentally channeled halves on the concept Chance into two different gems. It's why the magic duo have the same powers.

And yeah the monster of the week comes from sleeping people. All the fighting happens at nighttime. It'd be fun to make him the boogeyman of Paris. Hawkmoth intentionally pick the people with the most inner turmoil and chooses them to akumatize. He sends out a butterfly that phases through the walls to enter the sleeping person's head. A cocoon of light envelops the person before it goes dark and a cunty henchman emerges. Hawkmoth doesn't ask anything of them, lets them rampage through Paris knowing its just a distraction for Ladybug. The monster is neutralized once the butterfly charm thats somewhere on its body is destroyed.

AND. Ladybug and Cat Noir keep their identities a secret because! During their first battle Hawkmoth intimidated them by changing his face into theirs. A warning to watch their back and to stay out of his way. Hawkmoth doesn't intend to follow through with his threat but Ladybug and Cat Noir take it to heart. They're wary of everyone and each other which falls when making new friends and figuring out Hawkmoth's plans. Anytime Hawkmoth is spotted during the monster of the week battle, he's seen wearing a different face. All of them different background characters.

The secret identities translates right into the love square! Or rather love angles? Like I know this in opposition of chosen love because it's between two people but think about it like this. They both have crushes on their respective civilian and hero selves but choose to follow through with only one because the other wouldn't work. Marinette likes Felix and Cat Noir but chooses Cat Noir because of circumstance. She wants to date and Felix has shown he can't date in the current moment. Where as Felix starts to like Marinette more because of how down to earth she is. Ladybug is his big crush but the secret identity stops him from ever truly trusting her.

Slide conclusion: this was a fun exercise of what I'd like to pitch in a show and not just a jumble of ideas in a drawer.

Now for the comparisons to the 3D show.

Or rather things that would not translate into my version.

No more superheroes. Or in this case magical girls. No other miraculous shows up and it's just the major characters that get powers. Make it simple make it easy.

In fact no secret Chinese faction that hoards the miraculous. I intentionally made it vague how miraculous are made because I'd rather not have one section of the world hoard the power. Anyone can get their hands on it, no masters or guardians needed. No chosen ones or higher callings. So in this instance Master Fu is Mr. Fu who was getting rid of his wares before Gabriel could track him down.

No pinocchio bullshit. Felix is not a construct, its a fun idea but unnecessary. Exploring humanity and being treated as one can be explored in a comic with a different protagonist but not here.

No Kagami and Luka side romances. The love square is enough.

Chloe doesn't have a twin, she can get a rich bitch redemption arc. We all love to see a stuck up snob get humbled and learn to be good, it's the same with Felix.

In general no secret twins or relatives popping in to further plot.

Hawkmoth does not toss away his son nor does he get hung up on revenge against them. He does not want their miraculous.

Lila isn't here she can be in the comics it's fine.

In conclusion: hey Miraculous Ladybug is a fun show.

I wouldn't have made this otherwise. Just personally I look at it and I know I could whittle it down more. I do think the writing isn't the best and that some concepts could be better refined. Send it back to the kitchen y'know? But I do think that it has good base ingredients that could turn into a similar meal with fewer stronger points. In this case Miraculous Ladybug could be such a strong love letter to the magical girl genre if it really went for it.

[dullahandyke]

Hang on actually before I hit post limit.pinned post so I can edit this and have my tumblr thoughts even tho I'm post limited

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6.40PM

Yup okay hit the post limit <3 new followers please know this is normal

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6.47PM

Anonymous asked: did they put bugs in him again

Yknow it's hard to tell but I think they might have. Guys we need to get riku dewormed again, this keeps happening to him :(

Anonymous asked: I forgot I had notifs turned on for your blog . Oopsie daisy

HAHAAAAAAAA ANON I CACKLED.... flattered u have urgent coverage on which large surface I'm thinking abt being slammed into at any given time but ig this is an object lesson in paying too much attention to me or something

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8.06PM

Listening to a queer history podcast and it's so funny they're explaining to me what yuri is... I know ❤

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8.14PM

on my laptop now bcos i gotta study for this stupid test..d. and then afterwards theres a powerpoint im actually rlly gonna enjoy presenting but i gotta facking put it together, augh

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8.51PM

niche complaint but it sucks shit when animanga do the 'character suddenly becomes hot as part of a daydream/joke' gag and they dont go full bishie. give that man a delicate jawline NOW!!!

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9.13PM

really happy with this sticker on my laptop. whenever im feeling down i just rememebr that this man got a lobotomy

[ID: a black frame meme featuring Hajime Hinata from Super Danganronpa 2 at the chapter 1 cabin party, smiling and holding a glass of orange juice. It is captioned, "This man, got a lobotomy.]

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9.18PM

whew im a sneezy girl. the sneezing sneasler. wait thats a pokemon. ritalin on friday unless i have a heart murmur

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9.37PM

@effervescentleaf asked:

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9.39PM

i know im constantly posting abt my beard but its still weird as hell to consider that i have a beard that other people can see. when people look at me they see androgyny. what the fuck. i keep being drawn to people with beards and make-up/long hair/jewelry/whatever the fuck else as my favourite examples of gender non-conformity and like. IM that. im that with my stupid eyeliner. what the shit

also that reminds me im not gonna have time to do my eyeliner before my class test tomorrow :/ now i Could just go without it bcos i'll have a presentation later in the day that i should probably be serious for. but where is the fun in that. i will be wearing a hawaiian shirt instead of a t-shirt and thats all that can be expected of me <3

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9.55PM

i probs need to eat a proper meal but the call of pop tarts it is so great.... sighhhh i got the bread out the freezer for soup so ill see if thats defrosted. and if not. squints. cup noodles. kinda want the cup noodles anyway but the soup is gonna expire soon so i gotta be fuckinnn responsible and nutritious or whatever

sidenote i kind of rlly enjoy having just one long ledger of posts all day. kind of fun

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11.51PM

Ugh fuck my gay life I gotta make a PowerPoint... I'm tired I'm a bit sick i gotta sleeeep... wanted to make it fancy but ig that's fucked :(

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12.01AM

I saw a video of a cat and now I miss bubbles :( bubblesssss... I'm going home tomorrow tho so I'll see her then :)

[patriotsnet]

Is The Economy Better With Democrats Or Republicans

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/is-the-economy-better-with-democrats-or-republicans/

Is The Economy Better With Democrats Or Republicans

Demographic Differences In Views Of Economy

Does the economy do better under Democrats or Republicans?

Overall, 57% of Americans say current economic conditions are excellent or good, but these views vary across demographic groups: older people, those with higher incomes, men and whites are particularly likely to say the economy is in good shape, while these views are less widely shared among younger people, those with lower incomes, women, blacks and Hispanics.

These demographic gaps are little changed over the course of the last few years. Americans ages 65 and over are the most positive in their evaluations of the economy, with 70% saying it is in excellent or good shape. By comparison, about half of 18-29 year olds say the same. And while more than six-in-ten white people offer positive evaluations of the economy, that compares with roughly half of Hispanic people and just a third of black Americans .

There is a 12 percentage-point gender gap in these views: 64% of men say the economy is doing well, compared with 52% of women. And while 64% of college graduates say economic conditions are excellent or good, 54% of those without a college degree say the same.

Views of the economy also differ starkly by income. Among those with annual family incomes of $100,000 or more, 72% have positive views of the economy, with one-quarter rating it as excellent. Roughly two-thirds of those who make $75,000-$99,999 and $50,000-$74,999 rate the economy as excellent or good.

Do Republican Presidents Have Better Economic Records

Republicans often get the nod for being better with the economy. For example, a recent Pew Research Poll of registered voters found that 49 percent of voters trusted Republicans to handle the economy better, while 40 percent trusted Democrats. This post seeks to answer a simple question is this perception true when it comes to the presidency? Do Republican presidents have better economies?

To answer the question, I looked at a variety of measures. These included measures of economic performance, like Gross Domestic Product or the change in the unemployment rate. I also looked at some areas of criticism for Democrats that their policies lead to debt and inflation. Then, I looked at President Trumps favorite measure of performance the stock market. Finally, because this blog is about inequality, I examined how a measure of inequality did under Republican presidents and Democrats.

The results are presented in all their glory below, but let me summarize it for you. If you are going to vote for a Republican presidential candidate based on their economic performance, think again. The perception that Republican presidents get better economic performance is wrong. Across most of the measures I will present, if anything, Republicans do worse. And you dont have to believe me. Every measure I looked at came from here or here. Go have a look for yourself. Or, just trust me and read on.

Republican Presidents vs. Democrats: GDP & Unemployment

NoteData Series: NoteNote

The Philosophy Behind Democratic Economic Policy

Democrats gear their economic policies to benefit low-income and middle-income families. They argue that reducing income inequality is the best way to foster economic growth. Low-income families are more likely to spend any extra money on necessities instead of saving or investing it. That directly increases demand and spurs economic growth. Democrats also support a Keynesian economic theory, which says that the government should spend its way out of a recession.

One dollar spent on increased food stamp benefits generates $1.73 in economic output.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt first outlined the Economic Bill of Rights in his 1944 State of the Union address. It included taxes on war profiteering and price controls on food costs. President Harry Trumans 1949 Fair Deal proposed an increase in the minimum wage, civil rights legislation, and national health care. President Barack Obama expanded Medicaid with the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

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Everyone Does Better When The Presidents A Democrat

The numbers dont lie. The question is why every Democrat isnt talking about this all the time.

Our two political parties have certain identities that are seared into our collective public brain. Democrats: the party of workers, of civil rights, of compassion and fairness, and of higher taxes and more regulation. Republicans: party of the rich, big business , the free market, and lower taxes and less regulation.

And because the GOP is the party of big business, it is universally assumed that Republicans are better at handling the economy. Polls typically find that people trust Democrats more on all the things that government does, which stands to reason, but trust Republicans more on handling the economy. Just last week I saw a poll in which respondents rated Biden as better equipped than Trump to handle race relations, the virus response, and two or three other things; but on the economy, Trump bested Biden 51-46.

Its hard wired, and its wrong. Dead wrong.

Simon Rosenberg heads NDN, a liberal think tank and advocacy organization. He has spent years advising Democrats, presidents included, on how to talk about economic matters. Not long ago, he put together a little PowerPoint deck. It is fascinating. You need to know about it. The entire country needs to know about it.;

The deck consists of about 15 slides, but Ill walk you through just six so you get the idea. Lets start with job creation under each president:

Democrats, you have a great story to tell. Go tell it.;;;

A President Doesnt Really Matter For Investment Returns

The main lesson of this article is that a Democrat or Republican president doesnt really affect your investment returns. As there are so many variables that influence the S&P 500s index performance, who is president is not a significant factor.

The same thing goes for the CEO of a large publicly-traded company. If Tim Cook at Apple retired tomorrow, do you think the event would make a difference in Apples share price? There might be a knee-jerk move for one or two days, but after that, it would be back to business as usual. As a result, if you want to get rich, your goal is to try and become an overpaid CEO.

Instead of voting for a president who you think will be best for your investments, vote for a president who you think will do the most good for the most number of people. A country begins to rot if only some people get way ahead while others are left behind.

Since 2009, Ive been driven to try and help people improve their financial lives no matter who they are or who they vote for. Ive found that people who are more financially secure are nicer and happier people. More good comes out of the world as a result.

I dont believe only the rich, powerful, and connected and their children should get ahead. Theyve already got all the resources in the world that money can buy. Therefore, Financial Samurai will continue to be free for as long as Im alive.

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Good Morning Why Has The Us Economy Fared So Much Better Under Democratic Presidents Than Republicans

Has the economy fared better under Democratic presidents or Republican presidents over the past century? The sensible answer might seem to be: Its probably been similar.

Presidents, after all, have only limited control over the economy. They dont have much influence over the millions of decisions every day, made by consumers and business executives, that shape economic growth, jobs, incomes and stock prices. Over the course of a century, it seems logical that the economy would have performed similarly under Democrats and Republicans.

But it hasnt.

The economy has fared far better under Democrats. The gap, as one academic paper puts it, is startlingly large. Here are the headline numbers:

And here is a ranking of presidents by average annual G.D.P. growth:

The gap exists not only for G.D.P. and jobs but also for incomes, productivity and stock prices. The gap also exists if you assume that a presidents policies affect the economy with a lag and dont start his economic clock until months after he takes office. Virtually any reasonable look at the data shows a big Democratic advantage.

My colleague Yaryna Serkez and I have just documenting the pattern and the potential reasons. A few possibilities are easy to reject. Its not about congressional control, nor is it about Democrats running up larger budget deficits.

Republican presidents have been slow to respond to recessions and other crises Donald Trump and both George Bushes being examples.

The Economy Does Better Under Democrats

Republicans have managed to create and maintain the myth that their party is best for the American economy. The facts say something different.

But the facts are not on the Republicans side. Historically, the American economy has performed measurably better when Democrats are in charge.

Here are some quick stats you can use when to support your assertions about the economy:

1) Since 1947, when official GDP calculations were introduced, GDP growth under Democratic administrations has consistently outpaced that of Republican administrations. This is true even when major crises like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic are factored out.

A similar study by Princeton economists found that from Truman to Obama, growth was 1.8 percent higher under Democratic administrations than their Republican counterparts.

2) On average, stock market growth is stronger under Democrats. Again comparing the period since 1947, data shows that markets grew an average of 10.8 percent under Democratic presidents, compared to 5.6 percent for under Republican presidents.

3) Democratic administrations create more jobs.

Since the 1960s, when the party holding the presidency began to fluctuate regularly, Democrats have, on average, outperformed Republicans in terms of job growth. Republican President Regan is an outlier, as he did post impressive job numbers. Here is a comparison:

Johnson 10 MillionH.W. Bush 3 MillionClinton 23 MillionW. Bush 1 MillionObama 12 Million

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Which Political Party Is Really Better For The Us Economy

WASHINGTON ;It seems every four years in the United States it boils down to one question for voters: hows the economy doing? Even during COVID-19, the pandemics impact on jobs and finances remains a major issue, according to a recent poll. So when it comes to Democrats and Republicans, which political party handles the economy better? A new study finds it may actually be better for Americans when both parties hold power.

Analysts at WalletHub have released their review of how the U.S. economy has fared since 1950 under both parties. Looking at times where one side controls the White House and Congress and times where the government was split, analysts find the best scenario for economy emerges when a Democrat is President, but Republicans control Congress.

The study looks at several key factors including the state of the stock market, unemployment, the national debt, home and gas prices, and even the level of income equality across America. Researchers also examined how each administration since Dwight D. Eisenhower has affected the nations fortunes.

Want A Better Economy Elect A Democratic President

Who are better for the economy, Democrats or Republicans?

I enjoyed David Leonhardts opinion piece in the New YorkTimes today including graphic evidence that the econmomy performed better under Democratic presidents for the last century.

A president has only limited control over the economy. And yet there has been a stark pattern in the United States for nearly a century. The economy has grown significantly faster under Democratic presidents than Republican ones.

Its true about almost any major indicator: gross domestic product, employment, incomes, productivity, even stock prices. Its true if you examine only the precise period when a president is in office, or instead assume that a presidents policies affect the economy only after a lag and dont start his economic clock until months after he takes office. The gap holds almost regardless of how you define success, two economics professors at Princeton, Alan Blinder and Mark Watson,;write. They describe it as startlingly large.

Accompanying graphics tell the story, with a couple shown here.

My dad, a yellow-dog Democrat stockbroker in southern Louisiana, preached this to me until his dying day. His evidence was only anecdotal, of course, but very tangible.

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Annual Growth Rate Of Nonfarm Jobs

Starting president’s economic clock…

The six presidents who have presided over the fastest job growth have all been Democrats, as you can see above. The four presidents who have presided over the slowest growth have all been Republicans.

The big question, of course, is why. And there are not easy answers.

I have shown the data to multiple economists in recent weeks, and most say they are not sure how to explain it, at least not fully. We dont quite get why its the case, Katherine Eriksson, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in economic history, told me. , an economist at the University of Tennessee, described the pattern to the graduate students in a class she teaches and asked for their thoughts. They were sort of stumped, she said.

Ezra Klein writes that midterms typically raze the governing party and explores just how tough a road the Democrats have ahead.

Michelle Cottle surveys the Republican opposition thats shaping up for 2022 and finds many candidates embracing the fiction that the election was stolen.

Maureen Dowd writes that Biden has a very narrow window to do great things and shouldnt squander it appeasing Republican opponents.

Thomas B. Edsall explores new research on whether the Democratic Party could find more success focusing on race or on class when trying to build support.

What, then, are the most plausible theories?

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on , and .

The Party Thats Actually Best For The Economy

Many analyses look at which party is best for the economy. A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that Democratic presidents since World War II have performed much better than Republicans. On average, Democratic presidents grew the economy 4.4% each year versus 2.5% for Republicans.

A study by Princeton University economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson found that the economy performs better when the president is a Democrat. They report that by many measures, the performance gap is startlingly large. Between Truman and Obama, growth was 1.8% higher under Democrats than Republicans.

A Hudson Institute study found that the six years with the best growth were evenly split between Republican and Democrat presidents.

Most of these evaluations measure growth during the presidents term in office. But no president has control over the growth added during his first year. The budget for that fiscal year was already set by the previous president, so you should compare the gross domestic product at the end of the presidents last budget to the end of his predecessors last budget.

For Obama, that would be the fiscal year from October 1, 2009, to September 30, 2018. Thats FY 2010 through FY 2017. During that time, GDP increased from $15.6 trillion to $17.7 trillion, or by 14%. Thats 1.7% a year.

The chart below ranks the presidents since 1929 on the average annual increase in GDP.

President

1.4%

A president would have better growth if he had no recession.

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The Philosophy Behind Republican Economic Policy

Republicans advocate supply-side economics that primarily benefits businesses and investors. This theory states that tax cuts on businesses allow them to hire more workers, in turn increasing demand and growth. In theory, the increased revenue from a stronger economy offsets the initial revenue loss over time.

Republicans advocate the right to pursue prosperity without government interference. They argue this is achieved by self-discipline, enterprise, saving, and investing.

Republicans business-friendly approach leads most people to believe that they are better for the economy. A closer look reveals that Democrats are, in many respects, actually better.

In 2016 The Media Extensively Covered Trump Supporters Economic Anxiety Will This Misperception Continue In The Lead

Since Joe Biden became president, several surveys have found a sharp rise in Republican pessimism about the economy.

This might seem surprising considering the national economy which experienced one of its worst downturns thanks to the coronavirus pandemic is now objectively improving. The United States added 916,000 jobs in March, smashing Dow Jones expectations and the unemployment rate is now at its lowest level in over a year. And economic forecasters now predict annual GDP growth in 2021 will soar to levels the country hasnt witnessed in nearly 40 years.

Yet, despite these optimistic economic indicators, most Republicans say the economy is getting worse. On the one hand, this is to be expected, as political scientists have found that how we think about the economy is increasingly rooted in how we identify politically rather than in actual economic conditions.

Take this data from Civiqs daily tracking polls, which has asked Americans about the economy each day since June 2016. Americans perceptions of the national economy have changed wildly depending on whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House.

Read Also: Senate Seats Republican

Trump Is Right About One Thing: The Economy Does Better Under The Democrats

Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in the Sun Country Airlines Hangar at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport November 6, 2016.

Since Im an old Democrat supporting Hillary Clinton, it might surprise you to hear that I agree with Donald Trumps top line view of the economy.

No, I dont agree with much that hes said since he started his 2016 presidential campaign, and recent revelations have rightly drawn opprobrium. But since Im also an agreeable old southerner, Ill give credit where credit is due. Donald was absolutely right when he told Wolf Blitzer in 2004: Ive been around for a long time and it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.

Thats right. Trump said out loud the same thing that Hillary Clinton has assertedand top academics and journalists have confirmed. The same thing Ive been;compiling cold, hard government data on since 1980: By crucial metrics like GDP, job creation, business investment and avoiding recessions, the economy does a lot better with Democrats in the White House than with Republicans. Just one eye-opening example: Nine of the last 10 recessions have been under Republicans.

Watch on Forbes.;Hillary Clinton Vs. Donald Trump: Where The Candidates Stand On Employment And Jobs

Pundits dont agree on exactly why. Some say the common thread may be external factors ranging from oil shocks and warm, fuzzy consumer expectations to economic cycles falling differently from political cycles.

[smallblanketfort]

do you have tips on taking notes?

yes!! i have many, so i tried to make it easier for you to navigate :)

L O N G post ahead of you, covering lecture notes and readings notes, from a college senior :)

lecture notes:

i suggest using a notebook and pen, physically writing down. it’s easier to study, and since it’s using your body, you have a much higher retention rate on your side than if you use a laptop.

i have used my laptop for taking notes before. it’s easier to take more notes, word for word, but that’s not always helpful. maybe that’s your style, especially if you enjoy rewriting your notes all pretty and more successfully when you get home. i am not that girl. 

more notes does not always equal better! it’s good for you to listen actively, selecting what is important and what is not. i take very thorough notes. i take a lot of notes. if you need notes for a missed class, i. am. your. girl. that doesn’t mean i write out everything word for word. selecting details, clauses, and images really helps me to not only keep up, but also to memorize later. plus, when you’re typing, it’s easier to type all the words out without really processing the whole meaning. remember that dense notes are harder to study

finally, when you write by hand, you can get more creative with your style. occasionally, i’ll web notes out from one, rather than a traditional outline, bc it makes more sense for the topic

it also helps my anxiety! so much! if i force myself to take great in depth notes, then my mind has to dedicate more brain space to the task at hand than to my anxieties.

stick to one of these though. it really sucks to get into a test and realize you didn’t study half of your notes bc you forgot half were on your laptop. it’s awful lol.

if you use a laptop, get used to how it works first. do u know how much i resent trying to switch from a bullet that is under other bullets (like this one, not filled in) to a main point bullet (the ones filled in). it can be so confusing. also make sure you use a program you like. you can take directly into documents, but i find that i really love evernote, as i can make notebooks for classes, stacks of notebooks for my college, and that i can tag notes with specific classes and topics.

if you’re on paper, for fuck’s sake, divide your notebook into sections for classes. keep it all together. those notebooks with handy dandy dividers are so helpful, and they keep you from carrying around 5 notebooks at once.

i wouldn’t worry too much about highlighters and such in class. there’s just so much going on then. save highlighting and color coding for later, and count it as studying.

don’t worry about traditional outlining styles, with roman numerals or whatever. i take notes very simply. bullets/dashes, subnotes under a broad note. 

do it how it makes sense to you! maybe that includes different bullet styles, different places for different types of information (on a simple level, i start writing chapter numbers and titles as far to the left as i can go, over the margins, in bold and capital letters. i also usually go over these later in a certain color marker)

in some classes it is helpful for me to write the topic along the top of the page in a highlighter (color coding is lovely) the main idea/topic for each page. the classes this was most obviously helpful in were astronomy (COMETS or BLACKHOLES etc) and shakespeare (MUCH ADO ACT 2 or ROMEO etc)

it’s easiest to just note page numbers of referenced complex diagrams, as they are usually in your reading or accessible online

your style might look different in each class. whatever works.

note everything (everything) your professor writes on the board. if it’s important enough for your professor to write it, it’s probably important enough for you to write it.

note examples only if it’s helpful for your memory. however, make light note of things like famous people and their science/psych experiments. but in math and such, note! the! examples! and! reasons! will help you so much.

examples that have emotion, imagery, or sound are going to be more helpful. applicable examples are most helpful. good professors will lecture you accordingly. lazy ones will not.

star anything that the professor stresses or hints will be tested. anything that they say is a major theme or whatever.

note main ideas/points/themes, definitions, conclusions, 

use your tests to help you figure out what you need to know. ask questions about the tests too. in every class i’ve taken, i’m totally shocked at how willingly people ask about exam format and how willingly the professor will tell us how it will work. they want you to succeed.

people learn differently! i suggest taking notes in class and later adding touches that help you. count it as study time too. a warm up, if you will. 

if you’re visual, this might include highlighting, color coding, drawing diagrams, etc.

 if you’re an auditory learner, reading the notes out loud and organizing them accordingly, as well as making up rhymes, rhythms and such, might help you. some auditory learners actually like to record lectures and listen to them later. 

if you learn best through movement, rewriting or making flashcards will be great for you.

sometimes professors go really. fuckin. fast. why. idk? but

dont be afraid to ask them to go back a slide bc i guarantee, you will be the class hero for asking

develop a little bit of shorthand. sometimes i end up using initials, arrows, abbreviations… this is where i got “bc” and “thru” and “u” and such. lol. also, list things vertically, rather than using commas and “and/&/+) it’ll be more clear later

some professors you literally cannot take notes on. it sucks. you’re going to need to do the readings and pick their brains on how the test will be to figure out how to prepare. take home tests are your best friend. thank god for them. seriously. get your butt to church and do some worshipping.

if your professor puts powerpoints online, save the powerpoints, ya never know.

look at inspiration if you want, but remember that notes on studyblr are usually copied from class notes. if you’re too focused on how pretty your notes are, good luck to you

finally, the day before an exam, i review my notes that i have (hopefully) been studying. i like to make a one page cheat sheet / study guide on everything i didn’t remember, leaving out everything i understand, memorized, or want to disregard. 

reading notes:

ima be real and tell you i hardly ever do reading unless i will be tested on it in class in multiple choice. and im an english student. ye i suck, i know. i dont condone shirking the system but u know what, reading shakespeare or 18th century lit literally makes me want to kill myself. so, im a senior in college, and have barely ever done the reading for a class. the thing is, if you do it right, anything is better than just reading the words on the page and not getting the meaning. dont be a reading zombie. read actively, even if it’s not the actual reading. doing this, i have a 3.9 gpa. so. there’s hope for us yet.

first of all, yall need to do your damn reading. idc how. but due to the fact that a test will be multiple choice, essay answer, a presentation, or a paper, you’re going to not love pulling nothing out of your ass. can be done tho. just be fake deep.

that being said, i’m writing a lot below, but the reality is that if it’s lit, your notes dont have to be longer than a sentence. if it’s a textbook, more.

the same formatting question comes into play here, except it’s should you take notes in your book or in a notebook?

listen i’m always going to be pro notebook, pro physically writing it out as it helps me really get the information into my head, rather than more passively highlighting

i tend to do both, if im willing to mark up a book. i underline and highlight things that stick out to me, and i write them down as well. sometimes when reading literature/essays, if i know the contextual/meaning notes will be interesting to me later, i will copy notes both into my notebook and also less in depth onto post it notes (which also make sweet little flashcards btw), which i will stick into the passage. this is so helpful when a) im reading it again later and b) when we are discussing a passage in class

buy used books. it’s cheaper. until it happens to u, u do NOT UNDERSTAND how EXCITING it is to get a book that has highlights and underlines in it ALREADY. DUDE. my work is basically DONE for me. now take that lightly, bc often different ppl will highlight different pieces of information. however, it is helpful.

look up summaries. do not simply rely on cliffsnotes and sparknotes, esp since professors are very aware of these. google “title of book, summary, chapter notes, whatever youre looking for” and use the blog posts, the book reviews, the papers that come up. does this method probably take a bit longer? maybe? but it’s easier on my tired brain.

if you don’t have time to read your textbook one day and really want to, read the introduction and the conclusion to the chapter, or the first and last sentences to the paragraphs. it’s not great, but it’s something.

like your lectures, note definitions, conclusions, and helpful examples, as well as people and dates. if i’m reading literature and i’m deciding to be a smart student i will keep several logs as well. these logs will make it so. easy. to study for your exam:

updated character lists, including name, relationships, and anything defining and important

scene/chapter summaries, just a sentence summarizing what happened where

any quotes or themes that stand out

i highly highly highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of the well educated mind for note taking on a range of genres. this is what i had to use through high school and while it’s involved, it’s incredibly helpful.

if you’re going to have to cite your notes, note the page number in the margin every time you flip the page

the biggest issue i have with reading is when and where to do it. before or after class? always ask your professor if they do not tell you. where in your notebooks? i always do it on the next blank page bc leaving space stresses me the fuck out. make notes on the top of your pages of corresponding lectures/readings. 

for both lectures and readings i really really really suggest either having something to drink or something to snack on (think fruit, loose nuts, m&ms. small loose things rather than things u bite? idk they just last longer?)

okay i hope this was somewhat helpful even tho it’s an incredibly longwinded post. it seems like a lot, but the reality is that while i take a lot of notes, i don’t make them complicated, i don’t have rules, i just do what feels right in the moment. they’re not at all stressful. just take it easy and do whatever works for you :) 

if anyone has other tips, feel free to reply :)

[simple-traffic-list]

Product Creation: How To Make Your Own Product

  Product creation is way too advanced? I need to have at least 1,000 followers to be able to create my first product? I need to know tons of affiliates to starting thinking of product creation?

  I’ve read and heard a lot of these comments on forums and social media platforms. So you believe these statements are true?

  Allow me to say you’re totally WRONG.

    Product creation has nothing to do on how ready you are, even if you’re just starting out with no list at all.

  In fact, product creation is the best weapon to use for your business. It is vital to consider using it and I highly recommend it to be NOW.

  So we’re clear that you can start product creation as soon as NOW. But you may ask “How to make a product creation? It’s tough to do one.”

  Well, fortunately for you, it’s not as tough as you think. I’ve seen that most new Internet Marketers are fearing this step. So I’ve decided to explain the steps needed to make demanded products successfully.

  So let’s dig into each of those steps:

  Choose Niche

Obviously, this is the first and most important step to consider on product creation. You don’t want to randomly make products that almost nobody needs. We need to be smart on this!

  So first you need to choose what Niche you want. Of course you should choose a niche that is highly demanded, here are some of them:

  Wealth

Health

Relationship

Golf

Woodworking

Self-Development

Technology

Pets

  There are far more than the ones above but you get the point. Not all niches have the same demand so there are couple of things to consider when choosing a niche:

  Passion

It is far better to choose a niche that you’re passionate about. This is help you on continuing to take actions after each failure. Loving what you do is a great weapon to have to make your business successful. However this by itself isn’t enough because you need to choose a niche that’s profitable as well.

  Evergreen

When you choose a niche ask yourself “Is it evergreen?” If you don’t know what an evergreen is, it means niche that is always demanded and never gets old. Wealth, health and relationship are great examples of evergreen niches. That’s because at all time people look for ways to make money, become healthy and find relationship or maintain it. Whatever niche you choose, it’s far better that it’s evergreen to keep profiting from your products not only for a certain amount of time.

  High Demand

This is the most important factor to consider for product creation. The niche should be on demand by others in order to make sales. No matter how great your product is, if not highly demand, it will barely make few sales but not a sustainable business that you may maintain and scale up.

  Specific

Choosing a broad niche isn’t going to bring you targeted traffic. This is because you didn’t make it clear which segment your chosen niche is. For example if you make a product and only indicated that it’s about wealth, this is a wide topic to talk about. Because wealth could be Internet Marketing, Forex, Real Estate, Physical Business and the list goes on. By only indicating that it’s about wealth, you’ll get traffic from all these segments and most won’t need what you provide. However, if you specified it’s about Affiliate Marketing, then more targeted people will see your offer and you’ll more likely make sales and get sustainable income online.

  Digital Product

When choosing a niche ask yourself “Can I make a Digital Product out of it?”. Some niche or products are highly demanded but can’t make Digital Products out of it. For example T-Shirts are highly demanded, people buy T-shirts every day. However, if you make a Digital Product about it will it be as much demanded? Who wants to watch or read about T-Shirts? People like to wear them. But Affiliate Marketing is a product that can be is high demanded if done as Digital Product.    

  Product Types

There are 4 types of products to make. Here’s a list of them:

  Report

This is the most common product type created. A report is simply written text (with some images) on a PDF or word document. You can create it by writing in a word document, once done you may save or convert it to PDF document and sell it online. Generally, those are the cheapest type of product to sell.

  Audio

This is less used to be honest but still considered as a great option as some people prefer to listen then to read. I honestly don’t record audios but you may use a software like WavePad to make recordings. In some cases you may even record from your phone if you would like to send some quick tips. However, for products it is recommended to be more professional and use some known software. This could generally be more expensive than the report.

  Video

This is another great product creation type. I personally prefer it most because it gets generally more engagement than the other types. People like watching videos, YouTube is a live example of how videos are popular. Videos are generally more expensive than audios and reports. There are 3 ways to make products for videos:

  Record Screen

You may create a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint and then use a screen recorder to explain what your product is about in the presentation you’ve created. This is an effective way of putting bullet points that you may talk about and get organized when explaining what your product is about. This even allow the viewer of the video to know what points you’ll be talking about which makes him more prepared and engaged to your video. This is what I like to use most but not the only way of making your products.

  Record Yourself

If you have more confidence, you may record yourself while explaining your product. This is great way of branding yourself because people tend to see you while you get deep in your explanation. They trust you more because you show them that you know what you’re talking about. Obviously people believe most what they see for themselves.

  Both

This is a great way of combining between both features of recoding yourself and the screen. The good thing about it is that people get to see you but you may make your screen is smaller to get more confidence shooting yourself. At the same time you record the screen to show them a presentation or anything in your computer. I use this often as well for some types of videos I create.

  Software

This is the most expensive type of product to sell. However, it requires more time than others or cost much more to outsource. Software could be anything like WordPress plugins, Adobe Flash, Java or many other. You need to be clear what this software should serve for the user and then plan on how to create it, either yourself or outsourcing it.

  To conclude, these are the steps for Product Creation. I hope now you see that it isn’t as complicated or advanced as you think. Just take action and start working on it.

The post Product Creation: How To Make Your Own Product appeared first on Ali IM Blog.

[antoniaschupkedigitaldesign]

WEEK 8

Job Research - Advertised Design Jobs That Interest Me

Job 1:

How well they match:

This job would match quite well as it is a junior digital design position and would be great as a job after graduation. It also matches my interests in creating artworks and motion graphic design.

What the job involves:

Brighterbox is a company in the influencer marketing space that helps brands and agencies find, match and report on creator relationships through insights and data-driven intelligence.

Responsibilities:

Creating digital and offline marketing and event materials

Designing artwork for the brand’s website and social media

Creating static and animated presentations

Interpreting audience data into easily digestible, creative audience insights

Ensuring the overall brand identity is adhered to across a host of touch points

Skills required:

A degree in Graphic Design or similar

Proactive creative flair

Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator skills

Powerpoint and being able to put together presentations quickly and effortlessly

Understanding of current design trends and styles

Excellent English (written and oral)

Has to love branding and telling stories

Bonus Points for video and animation skills

Skills required:

A degree in Graphic Design or similar

Proactive creative flair

Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator skills

Powerpoint and being able to put together presentations quickly and effortlessly

Understanding of current design trends and styles

Excellent English (written and oral)

Has to love branding and telling stories

Bonus Points for video and animation skills

Where they work: Central London

Hours: Full-Time

Salary range: Not specified

Role with a future?

This internship is supposed to lead to a permanent position if I did a good job and got along well with everyone. I believe it might even lead to a higher position within in the company, possibly a senior digital designer after a couple of years. I don’t think I would want to do this job for a large amount of time, but it would give me the necessary work experience in order to move on to other jobs in other companies.

How would I get this job?

I would have to have a degree in a Design course (grade not specified) which I hopefully will do in a few months’ time. I will need strongly creative portfolio to showcase my design skills and an understanding of branding and design trends. I would be most likely to get this job by demonstrating my video and animation skills as they said in the job description that that would get the candidate bonus points.

Would this be a good career for me?

I think this would be a good starting point for me as the job involves the sort of skills that have already gained through work experience and throughout my course at university.

Job 2:

How well they match:

This job fits quite well as they’re looking for a Junior Digital Designer and it matches my skill set.

What the job involves:

Createselect is a creative marketing agency that works to the goal of developing and executing exemplary integrated campaigns for their clients.

Responsibilities:

Help to create web experiences for client’s digital campaigns

Create assets including advertising, emails, social media, websites, animation and video content, as well as some print (from initial idea through to final product)

Skills required:

Extremely creative

Portfolio demonstrating understanding of layout, typography and attention to detail

Agency experience

Examples of designing the digital space

Where they work: Central London

Hours: Full Time

Salary range: Up to £25.000 per year depending on experience

Role with a future?

I believe this job would lead to higher positions as they advertise in their job description that they “help develop their staff and push them forward in their career”.

How would I get this job?

As I don’t have any agency experience yet I don’t think I might be able to get this job. I can imagine that they possibly would consider me if I had a very good degree and strong portfolio. However, I might have to gain relevant agency work experience somewhere else first.

Would this be a good career for me?

I’m sure that this would be a good career for me as the company seems to be very modern, creative and a good company to work for.

Job 3:

How well they match:

This job matches really well as it matches my skills set and I’m a fan of the brand Urban Outfitters as well as their overall brand design.

What the job involves:

The Junior Digital Designer is responsible for assisting in the creation and execution of the visual identity for the brand Urban Outfitters through ecommerce website and digital marketing materials including collaborating with designers to carry out design and production of graphics for all facets of the UO brand.

Responsibilities:

Create visual assets of Urban Outfitters digital marketing channels (email marketing campaign, lookbooks, editorial layouts, paid media, app, etc.)

Create clean formatted InDesign files, and web ready graphics

Work with project coordinator to maintain deadlines

Communicate with designers, developers and project coordinator on weekly objectives and help facilitate execution of projects with limited timelines

Collaborate with designers to create new graphics seasonal direction

Develop graphic systems that are not just visually engaging but make sense for the brand

Skills required:

BA in Graphic or Communication Design, or one year equivalent experience

Highly proficient in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Creative Suite on a Mac Platform

Detail oriented and highly organised

Advanced understanding of digital formats across screen sizes and devices

Good understanding of web technologies and standards

Expert in creating web ready artwork

Ability to handle multiple design projects in a fast paced weekly workflow

Past experience in retail or fashion related industry is a plus

Where they work: London

Hours: not specified, but I’m assuming it is full-time

Salary range: Competitive Salary Plus Benefits

Role with a future?

I’m assuming this role has the potential to lead to higher position within the Urban Outfitters design team.

How would I get this job?

I would need a degree in a Design subject and a strong creative portfolio. In the interview process I would have to show good communication skills and my ability to multitask.

Would this be a good career for me?

This might be a good career for me as I really like this brand. I’m not sure if I would want to work for such a big brand straight away though as it seems to be extremely stressful and possibly difficult incorporate personal creativity as the brand already has a really good design and identity.

My Career Aspirations

In the first year after finishing my degree I don’t think I want to go straight into a design job as I think I am not quite ready for it yet. I want/need to further develop my portfolio, personal art style and After Effects and Illustrator skills while working other jobs part-time.

After this I would like to try to get some work experience and start applying to internships. Hopefully if this works out I might be able to apply for Junior Design jobs, such as Junior Digital Designer or Motion Graphics Designer. As my preferred area is Animation and Motion Graphic Design I will try to get a job in this field. It would be nice to work for a smaller company at first and then possibly move on to a bigger company later in my career.

[themoneybuff-blog]

How to find your purpose in life: 12 powerful exercises to help you discover purpose and passion

Shares 298 Happy blogiversary! Twelve years ago today, I launched a humble little blog about personal finance this blog, Get Rich Slowly. It was meant as a way for me to share the things I was learning as I dug out of debt. It turned into so much more. For the next couple of weeks, Im on the road in the southeastern U.S., speaking to people about personal finance and meeting with readers. This morning, for instance, I spoke to the 76 people attending Camp FI in Spring Grove, Virginia. My topic? No surprise: The importance of having purpose in your life. As you can see, I am a PowerPoint genius

If youve spent any time reading my material, you know that I believe purpose is the foundation on which all plans financial and otherwise ought to be built. Purpose is a compass. It helps you set big goals, sure, but it also acts as a guide when times get tough. Your mother died? Your wife left? Your husband lost his job? If you know what your primary purpose is in life, these stressful events are much easier to deal with. For this presentation, I added a new twist. You see, a lot of folks who are interested in money tend to pick things like getting out of debt and becoming financially independent as their purpose or mission. But I think these are poor choices. Ive seen far too many folks make debt elimination a goal then fall right back into debt once theyve achieved it. And there are plenty of people who reach FI (or retire early) only to find they no longer know what to do. (Its like aiming to reach a certain weight instead of choosing to make lasting lifestyle changes that lead to weight reduction.) Instead, I think its important to recognize that your financial situation should be side effect of pursuing some greater purpose. Financial independence ought not be your aim; its merely a means to an end. When I speak about purpose (which is often), I tend to fall back to the George Kinder/Alan Lakein personal mission statement exercise. I feel like its one of the best available tools for helping people find focus. But its not the only tool. Today, to celebrate this sites twelfth birthday, I want to present twelve alternative exercises for discovering your purpose and passion. If youve tried one (or more) of these without success, try another. One of them is sure to be useful for you. Note: Ive done my best to credit sources for these exercises. (Many come from Barbara Shers excellent book Wishcraft, which is all about crafting the life you really want.) At the end of this article, Ill give you a list of recommended reading and tell you what I think is the single best book for discovering passion and purpose. Your One-Hundred Word Philosophy The first exercise is one I created myself. Its based on CrossFits world-class fitness in 100 words statement. Theres no time limit for this exercise, but it could take a while so be prepared. Your aim is to write out your life philosophy in exactly one hundred words no more and no less. This can take any form you want, from a statement of values to a list of instructions. Begin by writing down your core beliefs and values. It might also be helpful to think about books that have had a big impact on your life or powerful advice youve received in the past. Based on your experience and beliefs, what is your life philosophy? As an example, heres my own hundred-word philosophy, which Ive written as instructions to myself:

Some of those admonitions are my own invention. Some come from books like The Four Agreements and The Power of Now. Refuse to let fear guide your decision-making process, was advice from my girlfriend. Create your own luck is based on my friend Michelles advice to create your own certainty. Again: Target one hundred words exactly. Itll force you to spend time thinking and editing and being introspective. As you can see, I paid an artist friend to create a pretty letterpress poster of my 100-word philosophy, which Ive hung on the wall here at home. I look at it every day. Obviously, you dont have to go that far. Your Original Self This next exercise, which comes from Barbara Shers Wishcraft, sounds hokey at first. Turns out, however, that its a lot of fun to complete. Heres how it works. Set aside about half an hour for quiet contemplation. (Theres no writing involved in this exercise only thinking.) Let your mind wander back to your childhood. Remember what you used to do to have fun especially those times you especially treasured. When you were allowed to daydream or do whatever you wanted, what did you choose to do? Try to answer these questions: What sorts of things attracted and fascinated you when you were a kid?What sense smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch did you live through most? Or did you enjoy them all equally? What kinds of sensory experiences do you remember best?What did you love to do (or daydream about), no matter how silly or unimportant it might seem now? Did you have secret aspirations and fantasies that you never told anyone about? After thirty minutes of unstructured reverie, ask yourself a couple of questions. First, do you feel like theres a part of you that still loves the things you loved as a child? What do you miss most? Next, ask yourself what talents or abilities these childhood dreams and passions might point to in the present. What can you do today to reconnect with some of who you were as a kid? As I mentioned, I enjoyed this exercise. Although you dont have to, I wrote down what I liked as a kid: When I was a kid, I loved the outdoors. I loved to run and play outside. We lived in a small trailer house but were surrounded by acres and acres of land. We had freedom to romp across the fields, explore the nearby woods and orchards, and to browse the banks of the creeks. My favorite family vacations were those that involved camping. (Unfortunately, there werent many.) I loved looking at the insects and the plants. I liked digging in the dirt. I liked finding bones and rocks and shards of glass. I enjoyed playing games outside tag, dirt clod fights, whatever. I especially liked building forts. I liked going down to the big tree and hanging out under its branches. Yes, theres still a part of me that loves this sort of thing. I think thats one of the reasons Ive come to treasure the morning walks with the dog. Its an opportunity for me to explore the same stretch of ground over and over and over again. I truly enjoy watching how the woods and fields change a little every day. And thats probably one of the big reasons I enjoyed the RV trip. It forced me to connect to the world outside in a big way. What talents and abilities might this interest point to? Im not sure really. Who Do You Think You Are? This activity is short but effective. On a blank piece of paper, spend 5-10 minutes answering the question: Who do you think you are? How would you describe yourself to a total stranger? Be objective. What are most important characteristics that define your identity? There arent any right or wrong answers here, and theres only one rule: Dont overthink this. Put down the first and surest answers that come into your head, the ones that make you say, This is me. [This exercise also comes from Wishcraft.] Focus on Five Well explore the next exercise in greater depth next week when I write about goals. Youll find a version of this in nearly every book on productivity or positive psychology. This version is taken from Angela Duckworths Grit (which in turn borrowed it from billionaire Warren Buffett, who may have taken it from Alan Lakein). Heres how it works: Write down a list of your top twenty-five goals (or more). This might seem impossible at first, but give it a try. List all of the projects youre currently working on, both at home and at work. List all of the things you want to do but feel like theres no time. List at least twenty-five. More is beter.Next, review your list. Which goals are most appealing? Do some soul-searching it doesnt matter how and narrow the list to the five highest-priority objectives. Just five. Circle them (or copy them to another piece of paper).Lastly, look at the goals you didnt circle. These you avoid at all costs, writes Duckworth. Theyre what distract you; they eat away time and energy, taking your eyes from the goals that matter more. Harsh but true. If you need help prioritizing your goals it can be tough to sort through so many! rate each one on a scale of 1 to 10 based both on how interesting it is and how important it is. Then multiply those numbers together. For instance, if one of your goals has an interest rating of 9 (very interesting) and an importance rating of 3 (not that important), its score would be 27. Compare the scores. Higher is better. Duckworth says that she would add a fourth step to Buffetts exercise. Ask yourself: To what extent do these goals serve a common purpose? The more closely aligned your top five goals are, the better youll be able to focus on your passion (or purpose). When I write about goals next week, Ill ask you to do a different version of this exercise drawn from Sonja Lyubomirskys The How of Happiness. A Letter to the Future Heres another exercise thats common in self-help manuals. Youre going to contemplate and describe the personal legacy youd like to leave in this world. Think about how you want to be remembered by your grandchildren or great-grandchildren. (If youre childless like me, youll have to pretend.) In the form of a first-person letter, write a summary of your life, values, and accomplishments as youd like them known to your descendants. Pretend like youre near the end of your life and want to share the greatest hits version of your personal story for posterity. One common way to approach this is to pretend youre writing your own obituary. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey offers the following variation: In your minds eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there. As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life. As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family, immediate and also extended children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend. The second speaker is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of what you were as a person. The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church or some community organization where youve been involved in service. Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives? Make no mistake: This can be a powerful exercise. Tear-inducing, even. Thats okay. By thinking about how youd like people to remember you in the future, after youre gone, you can take steps to align your present self and actions with that ideal vision. 20 Things You Like to Do Heres another exercise from Barbara Shers Wishcraft. She says she borrowed it from Sid Simons Values Clarification. To begin, list twenty things you like to do. You must come up with twenty. Thats the only rule. Dont cop out and make a list of four things you like to do. Or twelve. List at least twenty. (You can write down more, if you like.) Now youre going to make a chart. Take a fresh piece of paper. Down the left side of the page, in the first column of the chart, copy your list of twenty things you like to do. (The order is completely unimportant.) Now, across the top of the page create 8-10 columns. Label them like this (you might have to write tiny): How long since you last did this activity? Free or costs money? Alone or with somebody? Planned or spontaneous? Job related? Physical risk? Fast-paced or slow-paced? Mind, body, or spiritual? Feel free to add other categories that occur to you. (At home or in the world? Spouse likes also? Enjoyed a decade ago? Whatever. Its your list.) Now go through your chart and fill it out for each of your interests. What patterns emerge? What do these patterns tell you about your self and life? To illustrate what this chart ought to look like, I did the exercise myself. It was enlightening. And it took me longer to complete than I expected. I could come up with sixteen things I like to do, but expanding the list to twenty was tough. Heres a screenshot of my list. (Because Im a nerd, I used a spreadsheet instead of a piece of paper.)

Kind of sad (and hilarious) to note that this list is in the order I thought of things. So, that means computer games came to mind as something that I like to do before sex did. Yikes! Looking at my list, it seems like I do a pretty good job of doing the things I like to do. Not perfect but good. Theres also a good balance of free activities vs. activities that cost money, and an even divide between social and alone time. But its clear that most of the things I like to do are spontaneous, not work-related, mental, and most of all slow. The only activity on my list thats truly adrenaline-inducing is riding my motorcycle. Who Do You Want to Be? This exercise is based on a conversation I had with my friend Tyler Tervooren. On a blank piece of paper, make a list of qualities and habits youd like to develop. Do you want to ride your bicycle every morning? Do you want to be more patient with your children? Do you want to be more helpful to your co-workers? Do you want to read the Bible every day? Do you want to drink less alcohol? It doesnt matter what order you write these in. Take as long as you need to make your list. When youve finished, reframe each item using the following format: I am the kind of man who [blank] where [blank] is the habit or quality youre trying to develop. (And obviously, if youre a woman please reframe each of these as I am the sort of woman who [blank].) For example, if you wrote down that youd like to get in the habit of waking 10,000 steps every day, you might reframe that as: I am the kind of woman who walks 10,000 steps every day. Or, better: I am the kind of woman who walks everywhere she can. If one of your aims is to talk less about yourself and pay more attention to others, you might write: I am the kind of man who listens first and talks second. Im genuinely interested in what others have to say. Now copy each of these sentences onto an index card one for each habit. Place these index cards by your bedside. Every morning when you wake up, train yourself to look at these cards first thing. Read through all of them to remind yourself of the habits and qualities youd like to develop. Finally, choose one to make your focus for that day. Keep it in mind as you go about your normal routine, and do your best to live up to the affirmation. Tyler says this habit helped him make real and lasting changes to his life. He built new habits to replace some of the tendencies that had been giving him trouble.

Who You Might Have Been Imagine you grew up with all of the resources financial, emotional, educational you could have possibly wanted or needed. Your interests were encouraged and fostered. You had help and encouragement in all that you did. You werent limited by time or money or location. In a perfect world, what do you think you would be doing now? What would you already have done? What kind of person would you be? Think big. Be as extravagant and far-fetched as youd like. Whats the one big dream you would have pursued if everything had gone your way? If you really would have wanted to become President, then say youd be President. If you would have become a movie star, say youd be a movie star. Dont hold back. Let your imagination fly free in whatever direction it desires. Dont pull any punches. Answer truthfully. Describe what this ideal life might look like. [This exercise also comes from Wishcraft.] The Ideal Schedule In David James Duncans The River Why, Gus, the main character, decides at a young age that in an ideal world he would fish 14-1/2 hours per day. Hes still in high school when he formulates the following plan: The Ideal 24-Hour Schedule sleep: 6 hoursfood consumption: 30 min. (between casts or while plunking, if possible)school: 0 hours!bath, stool, etc.: 15 min. (unavoidable)housework and miscellaneous chores: 30 min. (yards unnecessary; dust not unhealthy; utilitarian neatness easily accomplished)nonangling conversation: 0 hrs.transportation: 45 min. (live on good fishing river)gear maintenance/fly-tying/rod-building/log-keeping, etc.: 1 hr. 30 min.fishing time: 14-1/2 hrs. per day! Then, in true money boss fashion, Gus brainstorms ways he can pursue his purpose: Ways to Actualize Ideal Schedule finish school; no college!move alone to year-round stream (preferably coastal)avoid friendships, anglers not excepted (wastes time with gabbing)experiment with caffeine, nicotine, to eliminate excess sleepdo all driving, shopping, gear preparation, research, etc. after dark, saving daylight for fishing only Result (allowing for unforeseeable interruptions): 4,000 actual fishing hrs. per year!!! I love it. (And I intend to use this example in future talks, so be prepared.) Gus knows his purpose and by brainstorming his ideal schedule, hes able to figure out ways to put this dream into action. In Wishcraft, Barbara Sher suggests a similar exercise. Heres how it works. Grab paper and pen. Seclude yourself somewhere quiet. Close your eyes. Imagine your ideal day. Imagine a day that would be perfect if it represented your usual days not a vacation day. Just a regular, average day if your schedule were ideal. Spend a few minutes visualizing what such a day would look and feel like. Once your ideal schedule begins to become clear, write down what its like in the present tense and in detail from getting up in the morning to going to sleep at night. I might say, for instance: I wake up at 5:30 already in my gym clothes. I grab a piece of fruit, hop on my bike, and ride to the gym. I do an hour of Crossfit. I ride home, grab the dog, and take her for a walk. When we get back to the house at around 8:30, I spend four hours writing about money. And so on. As you write about your ideal day, think about the following: Whats the first thing you do when you wake up? What do you have for breakfast? Do you make it yourself or does somebody bring it to you? Do you take a long, hot bath? Or do you take a cold, bracing shower? What clothes do you wear? How do you spend your morning? How do you spend your afternoon? How do you spend your evenning? At each time of the day, are you indoors or outdoors? Quiet or active? With people or alone? As you envision your ideal schedule, focus on what, where, and who. What are you doing? What kind of work? What kind of play? Dont limit yourself. If youd like to sing or sail but dont know how, in this fantasy you do know how.Where are you? What kind of place, space, and situation? Are you on a farm in rural England? In a New York office building? On a sailboat in the South Pacific? In a fully-equipped workshop? Again, youre not on vacation. Youre imagining a normal day but an ideal day. Where are you?Who are you with? Who do you work with? Who do you live with? Who do you talk with? Who do you sleep with? Maybe its the same people you work and sleep with already. Maybe its somebody else. Let your imagination go. Dont put down only what you think is possible put down the kind of day youd like to live if you had absolute freedom, unlimited means, and all the powers and skills youve ever wished for. Note: Before (or after) you complete the ideal day exercise, you might find it useful to figure out how you actually spend your time right now. For that, I suggest performing a week-long time inventory. On the advice of Paula Pant, I tracked my time last summer and it was very enlightening. It helped me see where I was frittering away my minutes and hours. For more info and instructions on doing a time inventory, visit Laura Vanderkams website where you can grab free downloadable PDF forms and spreadsheets to help track your time in fifteen-minute increments. What Color Are You? This exercise from Wishcraft is for the more right-brained artistic folks. You analytic engineer types might not like it. (On the other hand, it might be good for you to actually complete it!) Heres how it works. Choose a color that represents you. It might be your favorite color or it might not. It ought to be a color that, at this moment, feels like you. The best way to do this is to have an array of colors in front of you. If you have a box of crayons, go get it. If not, heres a page with a bunch of colors. Youre now going to role-play that color. You are going to pretend you are that color. Youre going to think like that color, speak like that color, act like that color. Take a sheet of paper. Write: I am red or I am orange or I am carnation blue. Do not say I like blue because or I think blue is. For the rest of this exercise, you are that color. Now, in a few sentences to a few paragraphs, describe what qualities you have as that color not as yourself. For instance: I am dark blue. Im quiet and deep like the ocean. Or: I am yellow. Im bright and cheerful, intelligent and warm. There are no right answers to this exercise. If youre black, be black! I think Suzanne Vegas Small Blue Thing is a great example of what you might do with this activity. [embedded content] What color am I? Im orange, of course. The 14-Word Description This exercise comes from my friend Amy Jo. Several years ago, she did a photo project in which she took portraits of people she knew. Before each session, she asked the subject: What are the fourteen words that best describe you? For our purposes, I want you to brainstorm as many words as possible to describe who you are. You should come up with a minimum of fourteen, but its better to brainstorm more. Dont ask others to describe you. Your aim here is to describe yourself. How do you see yourself? If you come up with more than fourteen words to describe yourself, narrow the list to only the fourteen that fit you best. Lastly, for each word write a short sentence that describes why you chose it. For instance, if one of your words was athletic, your descriptive sentence might be, I enjoy playing sports and being outdoors. Here are the fourteen words I chose to describe myself six years ago. (Theyre all still accurate.) Adventurous I love to try new things.Creative I love to make new things.Curious I love to learn new things.Evolving Im a different man today than I was yesterday.Independent I make and act on my own decisions.Intelligent I am smart.Playful I like to joke and jest.Positive I look on the bright side.Resourceful I search for ways to get things done.Sociable I enjoy the company of others.Tenacious I pursue my goals with vigor.Unguarded I share myself freely, and I accept the word of others.Versatile I am good at many things.Zealous Im passionate about my friends and hobbies. Heres one of the portraits from our 14-words photo shoot. I look so serious!

When I gave Amy Jo my list, she made an interesting observation. When adults do this exercise, their words are always positive, she told me. But when kids do it, they describe themselves using both positive and negative words. Its as if theyre more aware of their shortcomings or at least more willing to admit them. Three Questions about Life Planning Last of all, heres the exercise I use most often. The father of the life-planning movement, George Kinder, is a certified financial planner and the author of The Seven Stages of Money Maturity. To identify and clarify your direction in life, Kinder suggests thinking about three hypothetical situations: Imagine that you have enough money to take care of your needs, now and in the future. How would you live your life? Would you change anything? What would you do with the money?Now imagine that you visit the doctor and she tells you that you have 5-10 years left to live. She says that you wont feel sick, but youll have no notice of the moment of your death. What would you do in the time you have left? Would you change your life? How?Finally, imagine your doctor shocks you with the news that you only have 24 hours left to live. If you only had a day remaining, what dreams would you leave unfulfilled? What would you wish you had finished? What would you wish you had done or been? What would you have missed? These questions which are based on the work of time-management guru Alan Lakein are powerful tools for figuring out what you want out of life. If you take the time to really ponder them and answer them honestly, they can help you clarify your personal values and set meaningful goals. Over the past five years, Ive shared this exercise with hundreds of people. Many who took it seriously have written to tell me it changed their lives. It changed my life too. Maybe itll change yours. Recommended Reading In this article, Ive done my best to credit sources. A couple of these exercises are my own the hundred-word exercise, for instance but most are not. Most are borrowed from books. But there are plenty of excellent books out there that can help you figure out what you want out of life even if they dont ask readers to fill out forms our meditate on whats important. Victor Frankls classic Mans Search for Meaning, for example, is a work that almost everyone refers to. Its a ground-breaking short book about how to find purpose even under the worst circumstances. But it doesnt contain any reader homework. Here then are a few of my favorite purpose-related books. You might like them too: To my mind, however, the best book on this subject is relatively new: Angela Duckworths Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. This was my favorite book of 2016. If I could make it required reading, I would. Its that good. Ive listend to the audio version nearly a dozen times (including yesterday during my 21-hour trip home from Florida). Grit is dense with information and ideas. Duckworth makes a convincing argument that passion and perseverance or, in Money Boss lingo, purpose and patience are the best predictors of success. If you can hone in on a single top-level purpose then doggedly pursue it, your life will be filled with meaning and happiness. Great stuff. I hope to publish a review of the book sometime soon. As I said at the start, your purpose is your compass. Its your mission. Its what gives your life direction and meaning. To support your purpose, however, youve got to set up a personal action plan built around a hierarchy of goals. Next week, Ill share some thoughts (and exercises) on how to set goals and structure life to pursue your purpose. How do you put your personal misson statement to use? Well talk about that in just a few days. In the meantime: Tell me about your purpose. What is it? Do you have a personal mission statement? Which of these exercises do you find effective? Are there others that are better? Shares 298 https://www.getrichslowly.org/finding-purpose/

[lbcybersecurity]

What is your product and what does it do?

Lessons I learned trying to make the most of vendor briefings

I’ve always been a sort of ‘cut-to-the-chase’ kind of guy. I’m self-taught when it comes to security and technology. Over the years, I’ve learned how to skim through a book, article or website to extract the important information. Sometimes I’m just trying to figure out how to do something, or I’m looking for an answer to a specific question.

Just tell me what time it is, I don’t need to know how atomic time clock frequency standards work.

Conversely, I also have an appreciation for context and a good story — as long as you eventually get to the point.

Anatomy of a Vendor Briefing

Here’s how the average vendor briefing usually goes.

The WebEx Tax (5min)

Waiting for everyone to join, restarting WebEx or some other screen-sharing app because it’s misbehaving. Chit-chat about weather and where everyone is physically based, or happens to be at the moment. I quickly communicate that attempts to talk sports are wasted on me — I just don’t follow them anymore.

Introductions (5min)

These are important — I want to understand who I’m talking to. I want to know whether or not I can ask technical questions. I want to understand the backgrounds of who is on the phone.

About the company (5min)

How is the company doing? How did it start? Where is it located? How many employees? Is it growing? What about that lawsuit? Who are its customers? What company size/verticals are being targeted?

The Problem Statement (10min+)

This is where about half of vendors start to lose me. Typically, I’m talking to a vendor in a space that I cover closely and have covered for years. I’ve probably written about this space, given talks about it and discussed it at length… well, you get the idea. This is also where platitudes and hyperbole start to roll out. Silver bullets and ‘one weird trick’ to fix security! Most of these meetings are occurring over the phone without video, so the vendor may not hear the sound of my eyeballs violently rolling back.

On the other hand, I do want to hear the problem statement from the vendor, provided it is concise. The problem statement helps me understand how the vendor sees their market and their place in that market. Sure, I understand it, but I want to see it through the vendor’s eyes. In some cases, the problem statement reveals an outdated or artificial view (in my opinion), but in others, it offers insights or perspectives I hadn’t considered before.

Recommendations:

Ask the analyst a few questions to gauge their familiarity with the state of security in this particular market segment.

Be concise — briefing an analyst isn’t the same as talking to a sales lead.

The Product (10min+)

This is the most important section, especially in security, where the variety of products and technologies combined with the prevalence of buzzwords can result in some very confusing messaging.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!

Recommendations:

Please start this with an architecture slide. Too often, I find myself wondering throughout this portion what the product actually is. I’m hearing about features and functionality, but I don’t know if it’s SaaS, a hardware appliance I rack in my datacenter, a VM I download and deploy, a managed service… This is important context to have for the rest of the conversation!

Lay out all your products and services, even if you’re only focusing on one in this call — this also helps to give important context.

Mention partners and integrations — few security products these days can survive long without integrating into the customer’s existing environment. I want to understand where you overlap, where you replace and where you complement.

Roadmap, competition, future of the market (remainder)

Most of security is a missing feature market, so chances are good that your product may not be long for this world. How are you going to handle that? Especially for startups — if you’re counting on an acquisition exit, how do you ensure you’ll have a seat when the music stops?

The next meeting

If this one went well, I might be interested to see a demo or speak with a customer. Sometimes I want to see a demo because I’m excited or skeptical. Demos are typically easier to keep to 30 minutes because the meeting will be focused just on a screenshare and walk-through of the product.

Other Recommendations

Briefing Length

I find I really need an hour for a briefing. 30 minutes usually ends up feeling rushed.

Analysts are not Sales Leads

When talking to an analyst, your goal isn’t to convince them to buy your product. Instead, you want them to understand your company, products and goals. Make the analyst understand why different customers would want to buy the product and the different approaches that get the customer to sign a PO.

Ideally, you want to make a fan out of an analyst. An analyst that casually or actively mentions your company or product is a huge win. Everyone wants word-of-mouth marketing, but analysts tend to have ‘bigger mouths’ and more influence. Help the analyst understand:

What you do

Why you do it

Your target market

Market differentiation

Use cases

Roadmap and long-term goals

Have a purpose

You sell encryption? That’s great, but how’s it different from the other encryption? Why would I go with yours over another? Do you compete entirely on price and features, or do you have a deeper story and purpose that draw customers in and make them want to be loyal to you?

Buzzwords

Don’t use them unless it’s efficient to do so. For example, if your product is EDR, just say you play in the EDR space. If it’s EDR plus some innovation, don’t avoid the EDR term because you don’t want to be ‘pigeonholed’ with your competitors. It just ends up being confusing.

I remember the first time I talked to FireEye. And the second. And the third. Each time, the sales person described the product (the NX appliance was the only product at this time), and it came off sounding like an IDS/IPS. They ensured me that it wasn’t an IDS/IPS and proceeded to use the same words to describe it again. It wasn’t until I got an engineer on the phone for that fourth call that I was finally able to understand what the product did.

Call a spade a spade — not a next-gen superior triangular manual digging tool. You can even call it an awesome spade if you think it’s awesome, just use words a normal person would understand.

Clarify B2B relationships

DON’T use the terms integrate, partner and alliance interchangeably. They have different meanings.

Integration: “We did some work, they didn’t have to do anything. In fact, we didn’t even really talk to them — we’re just ingesting their API/feed.”

Partnership: “We got together, talked about it, and each of us built pieces that work together in some way.”

Alliance: “We got together and built something entirely new”

Additional DOs and DON’Ts

Do

Go over the agenda for the call and set expectations right at the start. If I’m expecting a demo and there’s no one on the call that can give a demo, I’m going to be disappointed.

Use specific examples or anonymous customer examples

Walk through demos

Give me access to the product, if this can be done easily

Give your pitch to an engineer/product manager to ensure you’re explaining it correctly — nothing’s worse than being contradicted by an engineer during a briefing. We’re going to second guess everything else you’ve said.

Suppress toaster popups during a screenshare. Or don’t. Sometimes the content of your IMs and Emails is VERY revealing. More revealing than your General Council would be comfortable with.

Share your presentations beforehand. I can ask better questions if I know what we’re going to cover. Also, because WebEx WILL fail you.

Learn how to use the screenshare app and/or Powerpoint before the call. I’m frequently amazed at how many people don’t know how to get Powerpoint full-screen.

Go over product naming/branding — I’m also amazed at the number of vendors that never even tell you what product they’re talking about and don’t reference it in the slides.

Tell me how it is priced, sold and licensed.

Tell me cool customer stories

Don’t

Rely on an engineer to explain things — if the marketing/sales guy can’t explain it or doesn’t understand it, you’re not ready to brief an analyst.

BAD: “I’ll have to check with one of our engineers on that”

WORSE: The engineer is on the call and confuses the situation more.

Badmouth competitors — there’s just no excuse for that. If you think you do something better or have an advantage, fine — tell me that. But don’t start telling me how much more effective your product is unless you’ve got some data from a study that I can review. And no, a Ponemon PDF is not “data from a study”.

Make fun of other products — I’ve found this usually backfires. In almost every case I’ve seen a vendor do this, the flaw they’re pointing out exists in their own product as well.

Example: a security awareness vendor was campaigning a piece on “AV’s Dirty Little Secret”, which turned out to be that AV wasn’t 100% effective. No shit! What’s the effectiveness of security awareness tools again?

Make me fill out a form on your website to get basic details about your products. Often, to fill gaps in the briefing, I’ll go to the website to fill in the details. Maybe I forgot to ask what platforms the product is compatible with, or when the company was founded. Please don’t make it hard to find this information. If you put me in a position where I have to endure sales calls in exchange for basic information, I will hate you.

Expect me to be impressed about your lightweight agent, CISO dashboard or the founder’s time in Unit 8200.

Suggestions for the Analyst

Explain how your firm works — if briefings rarely result in coverage, let them know ASAP, because that’s typically not the norm (or so I’ve been told). What interactions are paid vs free? How are meetings scheduled?

Manage expectations before the call — what are you looking to get out of it? That will impact who the vendor needs to schedule for the call, what materials need to be prepped or how long the call needs to be.

Stop the presenter if they’re going into stuff that isn’t a good use of your time. Redirect the conversation down a more productive path.

Stop the presenter if you don’t understand something. Don’t just nod and let them continue. Don’t be afraid of feeling dumb. When I started as an analyst, I had never heard “north-south” or “east-west” used to refer to network traffic flow before. Just a few months ago, I found the definition for “east-west” was contentious when I thought it was more straight-forward.

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