ignire

The BackNForth Problem

Lately, I spend A LOT of time in Twitter. Some might call it a waste of time or lack of productivity but for me it is my number one relationship building tool for career and business. Twitter grants access in a way that I cannot describe beyond calling it "amazing". There is something about the imposed constraints and highly public nature (product logic) that enables a humble Joe like me to converse with hero's, guru's, celebrity leaders and scholars. No joke, who gets access to the former CMO for New England Patroits, a CIA director, Senators, Mayors, best selling authors, CEO's? The answer is me ...and you and anyone taking the time to simply say hello or post something interesting. Constraints deliver.

As I said, Twitter is nothing less than amazing in some regards but as I spend more time on Twitter I find I want a bit more functionality. I know, I know, added features would surely spell Twitter's demise, right? I can hear my tech friends throwing arms in the air as I type. Now, I love simplicity and I believe strongly that laser focus in product design matters but this fella wants just one thing and the features I'd like to propose aren't what you think at all. I don't want to schedule tweets. I don't want to manage multiple accts. I don't want a link to FB or LinkedIn or anything of the sort. I just want a direct Twitter connection to my calendar! That is it, a calendar. Yes, you clicked through and read this far to hear me say I want a calendar in Twitter. -Simple and beautiful...you'll see ;)

And I want calendar functionality for one very simple reason, I hate jumping back-N-forth on my iPhone.

The inspiration from my utterly normal life:
I was tapping out some thoughts on innovation this morning and next thing ya know I am scheduling a Monday morning meeting with a local tech entrepreneur. Serendipity, yes, Twitter delivers...3times this week as a matter of fact. These occurrences only seem to increase for me thus my desire increases for increased functionality, increasingly, indeed. :) The problem- the work flow goes like this: jump from twitter to calendar back to twitter to calendar to twitter to calendar until dizzy. This is super-duper annoying just like clicking a one button mouse five extra times instead of one right click. Likewise, since it's an iphone interaction I had to press the home button a hundred times to go back-N-forth, something that will ultimately screw me one day when the button goes bad. -You know what I am talking about iOS peoples. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, cry me a first world river! :) I know... Still, if I could link or embed my calendar into Twitter I would be stoked.

Thank you for sticking around to the end, just remember, back-N-forth is only beneficial in negotiating, ping-pong, cleaning and sex. Fight to minimize the back-N-forth.

cL!

Weird is memorable and constraints are tasty.

Creation is the first step leading to any great result and "why not" is often the catalyst to creation. Yesterday, I stepped toward "why not" while embracing some simple constraints provided by scarcity in my fridge. First, it was lunch time and I was hungry (the need). Second, I was feeling lazy (constraint) and wanted to make some sort of left-over salad (intended product). Third, I had chili and fourth I had some greens and fifth some left over ranch. Our fridge lacked other "salad" style foods (the problem to solve and design around).

Never underestimate the power of constraints. Never ever underestimate the power of weird. Always embrace, why not. 

I placed the greens upon a plate, threw down some ranch, raisins and peanuts and plopped the left-over chili on top (cold mind you). It was weird. It was memorable. It was FREAKIN AWESOME!

See:

No joke, this why-not creation is the start of a restaurant based on a simple concept premise: odd combinations and delightful paradox. Cold Chili + greens lightly swirled in hot garlic oil. Memorable, tasty combo's made fresh daily to challenge your culinary intellect and instinct.

Ordering at the new restaurant would involve liberal use of "why not" and "let's try it". Food gal to hungry customer, "how about dandelion greens, cabbage and cheese pizza strips?" Customer, "ok, why not, let's try it!"

Second prototype-

Today, I was faced with the same problem but this time the constraint was baked french fries made from scratch and frozen corn (my kids have a thing for eating frozen corn, frozen -whyNot).

I wanted salad and there were the fries just starin' at me. Wah-bam, FrenchFry salad with ranch, a bit a ketchup, some cut ginger chicken and my go-to culinary friend, raisins. 

I won't lie, it rocks. The french fries had some indian spice and the Iowa chicken some Chinese ginger. Awesome. Seriously. Next paradox: there is perhaps nothing more American than a French fry and nothing more healthy than salad. Huh. Right! Hopefully by baking the fries and putting them on a salad I have reversed their power to make me fat and in the process made those American fries a bit more French :) "Sure, why not."

Regardless, this simple idea would hold weight in Big10 college towns like Madison, Lawrence, Ann Arbor and Columbus for at least a couple years. ;).

Why-not is a catalyst. Weird is memorable. Constraints are tasty.