Say No - it is great

"No thanks. Not interested." - what a wonderful & respectful response! Good straight forward fast "No" keeps things rolling and sometimes even accelerating. I admit that this is provocative but I claim that not-replying is one of the very clear sign that the "old good" straight forward  Finnish work culture has collapsed... which we (with about half of size of population of London spread around +300tkm2) in my honest opinion simply cannot afford if we want to stay truly competitive. What do you think why is it so tough to just reply No thanks (especially if you have kind of promised to get back)? Is this causing some sort of systemic malfunction, constant lapses in the general machinery, or does it just not matter? Say it loudly, say it proudly: NO THANKS! :)

Must read ... and endless source of new music

Just finished Yuval Noah Harari's fantastic "Homo Deus"-book. Seldom if ever have I read anything so eye-opening or thought generating.

There was a super interesting "side track" for me personally - computer algorithm/"AI" created classical music as an example where we are heading. Have a go in Spotify for example https://open.spotify.com/track/28YTbOIhVk6VKHqrj8rLad or https://open.spotify.com/track/7uaCn66SkDSuG2Tp57vLjk ... for me this means almost that old composers are alive and in the future when I would like to hear new from them I just order more from them = command "computer" to compose me more. Brutally so from hearing point and emotions point of view. Maybe this is somehow comparing to natural vs lab grown meat? both will taste the same but if you know one is articfical, not the real thing, it somehow seriously disturbs the situation. With these music samples, I really could not detect that they are not real. And neither (in tests) could bunch of experts. http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/algorithmic-music-david-cope-and-emi/

But coming back to the book - I really think this book should a school book. Everyone should read it and peek into the inevitable future which we are all creating.

Mr. Peter Wohlleben's fantastic book about trees

Just finished Peter Wohlleben's book "The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World". What a fantastic ride - world looks quite different after the book even if one would not take all "for granted".

 

Elyssium - now

I had a look at my new pair of jeans and started to admire how great pieces of work we get with such a cheap price... huge amounts of goods are available with low actually very low prices. That is, to us who live in "western" world. We have a huge divide in the world in terms of wealth, health and environment. Actually our current world is not at all that far from the world described in Elysium movie. The only difference is that we do not live in a space station.

Slightly crazy thoughts aka puzzled by terms

Why are black people in US referred as African American but white people not as European American since Indians/native Americans are really the only Americans?

Well back to work...

Our new baby.... long time no blog

Finally soft launched our new company's video alarm phone Lumo. Super exciting times. And so great to work for something that really matters.

Zero to One

Excellent reading (or listening (best way to spend time in car)) by Peter Thiel: Zero to One.
He is after chasing great secrets again, finding ways to escape our current great technological stagnation, doing something completely new, going from 0 to 1. Great food for everyone's thoughts I believe.

Audio books rule! ... but p2p marketing is tough

Thanks to Audible, my numerous hours in car have turned into life changing hours I am always looking forward to.
Audio (business) books work exceptionally well for me - can't stop "reading" to do memos while driving and thinking irons out the occasional repetition and "air" from book.  I have also been trying to sell the idea of using commuting hours for audio books to my friends with these arguments:
"Audible has actually changed my life for better. They give the first book for free so there is no risk if you do not like. Apps are available for all ecosystems. Warren Berger's More Beautiful Question is a book everyone should really I mean really read or listen. I have done it twice."
Weirdly nobody seems to buy this. I am obviously less credible P2P marketer than I'd like to think.

If Toyota Lean Leadership audio book has the power to make 10.5hours drive from Helsinki to Oulu and back most enjoyable, it must be good?  

Pay for your "paper"!

Just watched the document on the rise of Nazis in the 1930s.
Most of the people didn't really feel ok what Nazis stood for and didn't like the fact that they are getting in power. But, everybody just guessed it's ok, because most of people don't seem to be opposing and "things" progress.
People who still think :) don't quite feel ok with slowly but clearly dying professional media/newspapers. But, we guess it's ok because news and "stuff" is available free anyways from Facebook, Google,.... somehow it will be sorted out. Hey new business models will be invented and blaa blaa blaa.

The attitude of general public (what ever that means) nowadays towards decline of professional media and journalism resembles the attitude of general public in Germany in the 30s - they silently accepted decline of democracy and we silently accept the decline of journalism. They lost freedom and replaced human dignity with uniforms. We loose media which aims to share information independently and objectively about the world, and replace it with funny videos and provocative opinions.  They lost for Nazis, we loose for money.

Pay for your "paper"!!

Dream of better digital classical music experience, Lean Startup and understanding (finally) about the value of small batches...

I have co-founded 2 corporate internal startups and 1.5 "normal" startups. The second corporate internal startup (WidSets.com in 2005-2008) had very Lean approach. The second "normal" startup (Adaptamag.com in 2011-2013) was extremely far from Lean even tought we thought we were a Lean startup. At the time I did read Eric Ries's book but it's obvious to me now that I did not understand it then at all.

I have now started experimenting (as a hobby) with one of the long time dreams i.e. creating better digital experience for classical music. I've also digged into Lean startup book again, this time listening it via Audible. Few weeks earlier that I had just listened 10hrs of "The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership: Achieving and Sustaining Excellence Through Leadership Development by Liker, Convis, Meskimen" on Helsinki-Oulu-Hamina-Helsinki trip.
These 2 books melted into a better understanding on how I could and should approach "Why-whatif-how"-ideas.

I have now started doing small batch testing of my hypothesis in www.artmus.org. This has been a small revolution to me in many ways. One very basic hypothsesis has already been proved wrong. Now I believe I have a better question in my hands for that.
 
Thick head, long wires but I am excited.
Also, can't wait to be able to put the learnings in action in my next job.  

MAKIA ... sweet

Accidentally and luckily I started to read what was on MAKIA's pullover sales label. Otetta :) Good touch.
"Maintained by the errors and triumphs of a bunch of individuals, MAKIA strives for the better. It's not a produced thing, but a fact. The heart of MAKIA rises from the growing pains we get from making every imaginable mistake and learning from it. There is no sulking away or sucking a thumb behind the copying machine. Everything is real-time in your face accountability. After a bar fight you still turn up to work the next morning for yet another great workday with the guy who gave you a black eye. Thats what maturity is. After all, life is a hard romance."

Mr. Ries nailing the essential...

Eric Ries in the lastest Success mag CD with Darren Hardy:

"I am shocked in my travels all over modern capitalism, I have been truly shocked how often people in business are doing stuff but they don't really know why. Because they were told to do it by their boss.  I heard my boss thought it was a good idea. Well, he or she just knows it  - they are the boss. I don't know. Or, it's just how we've always done it. We did it last year this way so we continue to do it this way. Just is how it is.
There is an incredible amount of waste that is happening in our modern business.
And you know we have in today's companies we have our most talented brightest, most creative people on the planet doing this work. And to waste all that time and energy, I think is an appalling appalling waste of human potential.
It's not really any individual person's fault. Everyone is doing their job the way they were told. And yet, the net result of sum total is millions and millions and millions of person hours of time and energy being absolutely squandered.
So that's what we as business leaders, as entrepreneurs, as CEOs, as  managers, as policy makers, that's we are confronted with. An enormous waste of human potential because the systems that we are building make it so.
And the question we gotta really ask ourselves is that if we learn to be more experimental in the work we do is, there a better way? And I really believe the answer is yes."


The essential question not only for work life but also even in terms of the survival of the mankind in a world with ever more scarce resources and our limitless appetite for more?

Järistys tulee - oletko valmis

Ja vielä tämäkin muistiin tänne...

Järistys tulossa – oletteko valmiita?February 7, 2015/0 Comments/in Johtaminen /by Tuomo Sihvola


Työskentelin vuosituhannen vaiheessa Wellingtonissa Uudessa Seelannissa. Mannerlaatat hiissaavat siellä sivuttain toisiaan vasten ja pienet 3-4 Richterin maanjäristykset ovat jatkuvia. “Pääsin” kokemaan myös yhden 7 Richterin jytinänkin toimistotalon neljännessä kerroksessa. Se ei ollut parhaita hetkiä elämässäni. Kaikki tosin tuntuivat tietävän miten toimia. Lisäksi jälkikäteen kuulin, että useimmilla on perusvarastot kotonaan isompien järistysten varalta. Isompaan suoraan kohdalla osuvaan järistykseen siis on varauduttu, mutta siitä huolimatta se tulee olemaan kova paikka. Toipumis- ja jatkamiskyky ovat silti huippuluokkaa.


Yritykset kokevat jatkuvasti pieniä markkinalaattojen siirtymisestä johtuvia järistyksiä. Niitä ei jatkuvuutensa ja pienuutensa johdosta usein liiemmälti huomioida ollenkaan yrityksissä?

Pitäisi. Niiden avulla voidaan jatkuvasti virittää yrityksen kulttuuria ja valmiutta vääjäämättä tuleviin isoihin markkinalaattojen siirtymiin. Tuhoa isosta siirtymästä seuraa aina vaikka kuinka oltaisiin valmistauduttu. Selviytymisen kannalta on kuitenkin tärkeää, että yritykselle ja sen henkilöstölle olisi rakennettu halu ja kyvyt toipua isosta muutoksesta ja jatkaa.


Jatkuvan parantamisen kulttuurilla parannetaan olennaisesti yritysten ja ihmisten valmiuksia toipua ja jatkaa isoistakin järistyksistä yhä kilpaillummassa maailmassa.

Juuri aloittamani “The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership” (Jeffrey Liker , Gary L. Convis) taitaa käsittellä ainakin alusta päätellen juurikin tätä samaista tematiikkaa. Mielenkiinnolla odotan mitä on tulossa.

Miten päädyitte noin solmuun? Kahdella tapaa. Ensin hitaasti, sitten äkkiä.

http://prominda.com/tyokulttuuri/miten-paadyitte-noin-solmuun-kahdella-tapaa-ensin-hitaasti-sitten-akkia/ muistiin tännekin...

Hemingway sitaattia hyväksi käyttäen heitän, että organisaatioon pääsee rakentumaan mittava määrä tehottomuutta kahdella tapaa. Ensin hitaasti ja sitten äkkiä. Miksi?

Suomalaisissa yrityksissä on keskitytty vuosikausia niin vahvasti rakenteisiin, että ulkoisen uhan tunne on etääntynyt laajasti ihmisiltä kaikilla tasoilla. Huoli asiakkaiden sielujen jatkuvasta voittamisesta on korvautunut taistelulla selviytyä annetuista sisäisistä tehtävistä ja huolella omasta “asemasta” alati enemmän tehoa etsivässä yrityksessä. Tämä siitä huolimatta, että ulkoinen uhka on nyt suurempi kuin koskaan ennen globaalin digitalisaation tuoman uudenlaisen kilpailun johdosta.

Kurssin oikaisu ei kuitenkaan vaatisi sittenkään paljoa; keskitytään korjaamaan kaikki ne rakenteet ja palkitsemismallit, jotka eivät ohjaa ja vapauta kaikkia tekemään siiloitta yhteistyötä ja etsimään jatkuvasti oikeita asiakkaiden tarpeita.

Hemingway sitaatin “then suddenly”-osio vältetään vaihtamalla startup mindsettiin, jossa siilottomasti pyritään auttamaan, oppimaan ja uusiutumaan yhdessä.

Evoluutio on suosinut yhteistyökykyisiä läpi ihmisen historian ja tulee tekemään sitä jatkossakin.

Kuvat: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes

Sote uudistus...

http://prominda.com/johtaminen/sote-uni/ muistiin tämäkin....

Suomessa päätettiin tehdä Sote-uudistus ikäänkuin sisältä käsin ja yhdessä sen sijaan, että sen tekee ns “joku muu” organisaatiorakenteita ja byrokratiaa ylhäältä käsin säätämällä.
Sote-alan työntekijät opetettiin, motivoitiin ja vapautettiin miettimään ja kokeilemaan sitä, miten he voisivat itse ja yhdessä tehdä hommansa asiakkaiden tarpeita jatkuvasti paremmin ja tehokkaammin palvellen. Lukuisat hallinnon ihmiset jalkautuivat oman asiantuntemuksensa ja kokonaisnäkemyksensä kanssa mukaan kehittämiseen ja kokeilemiseen. Meidät asiakkaat otettiin mukaan ideoinemme ja tarpeinemme, mutta ennen kaikkea välittöminä kriittisinä palvelu- ja toimintamallikokeilujen testaajina.
Siellä sun täällä Suomessa alkoi poksahtelemaan ideoita uudenlaisista tavoista ratkaista meidän kaikkien Sote-tarpeita – ideoista innostuneet ihmiset ryhmittyvät kehittämään ja koeponnistamaan asiakkaiden parissa palveluita. Heitä tuettiin ja epäonnistumisista yritettiin yhdessä oppia mahdollisimman paljon. Onnistuneimmat vietiin laajasti kokeiluun.
Huomasimme kaikki hiljakseen ja sitten yht’äkkiä, miten se ennen niin tehottomaksi julistettu julkinen puoli pystyykin tuottamaan kilpailukykyisesti ja jatkuvasti uudenlaisia parempia tapoja vastata sekä ikääntyvän että yhä diversimmän Suomen moninaisiin tarpeisiin.
Eikä siinä kaikki. Sote-palveluiden tuottamisesta tuli Suomelle ensin hissukseen ja sitten yht’äkkiä uusi vientituote – parhaista uusista tavoista tehtiin omia yrityksiään tuottamaan palveluista Suomelle tärkeää vientituloa. Käänsimme yhdessä maalaisjärjellä kurjistumisen kaikkien kukoistukseksi.


ps. Suomella pitäisi olla erinomaisen hyvät edellytykset tehdä Sote-palvelemisesta menestyvää vientiä. Meillä on korkea osaamistaso, hyvät IT-valmiudet, maailman mittakaavassa hyvinkin “pönöttämätön” työkulttuuri ja todella paljon rahaa Sote:en investoituna, joten sillä pitäisi jo syntyä vietävääkin uutta?

I wish I would have understood to use Epooq.fi.... not just consult

The other day I met Ilkka (Tiainen) again in GE Healt care Village opening.
Few years ago I had a pleasure of working with Ilkka and his www.Oppi.fi team.... they were building a service called www.epooq.net (Speaking of perseverence, he still is - hooray!).

Epooq aims to enable the memorising of the life stories of our parents and their parents. At the time (I worked with Epooq) my mom was still alive. She was born 1921 in Sortavala (that part of Finland USSR stole from us). Mom had experienced an amazing change... the war, peace, "entrance" of cars/telecoms/computers, from poverty to modern society's amazing weatlh. An amazing amount of stories.  Now all gone. Me uncapable to ŕemeber and pass the stories and experiences onwards to my children. I wish I would have also undestood to use the service to let mom pass her stories on. I wish I would have done it also when dad was alive. Now pretty much all that passes his story onwards is few lines in the web about his professional career (and even that is now business to someone ...which sucks), but not about the war he fought in, not his chilhood's world, not stories with his & family friends ....

I wish Ilkka & team makes in one day (soon) and Epooq breaks through, and that others understand to use it to let their parents and grand parents to pass on their valuable stories.

Boost from a friend to continue the journey - new ways of looking at things .... for me.

Thanks Pasi for pushing me onwards again with my journey. You gently force fed me lots of your positive curious attitude and those Success Magazine's CDs. Being a Finn (=having a twisted view to the word success) I have resisted. But those interviews in the CD and our frequent chats did the their job - my mind might be moving again.

CD interviews + numerous great discussions with Pasi =

I want to go to meet people with all the questions, not the answers. (Welch)
I will try to listen, not to be able to counter argument, but to learn what others think.
How can I help? (Pasi)
I need to be positively on my toes constantly since things go wrong first slowly and then suddenly.
Ideas are only worth so
mething when enormous amount of craftmanship is invested in them. (Jobs)
I want to test my assumptions before going any further = listen, do not try to get what you want out of test.
I want to be genuinely curious about other people - "networking "is a pleasure when you are more interested in others than worried about presenting your own targets or personality.
Try to view life also more as exponential instead of linear since pretty much every part of our lives is being effected by infotech (where growth is exponential). (Kurzweil)

What finnish country road can tell us about the future...

Last weekend I drove about 40km in Finnish sand roads (soratie) somewhere between Haapajärvi and Pihtipudas, and the road revealed one part of our future in an interesting way....

Finnish sand roads
You automatically drive max 80kmh (which happens to be the speed limit) because it's not sensible to drive any faster.
When you come into a curve, you slow down because otherwise you just simply slide out.
When car comes towards from another direction, you slow down because otherwise neither of you cannot safely pass.
You keep a good distance to the car ahead of you because otherwise you drive in dust and flying rocks.
You only pass another car when visibility is quaranteed and the other car goes clearly slower than  you.

No need for any traffic signs. Easy, fast and cheap to maintain. Functional low tech where we take responsibility and use our brains.

Finnish paved roads
Excessive amounts of traffic signs....overload of them. Everything possible defined. Slow down in curves, do not pass because visibility is limited, slow down there's a crossroad = possibly other cars on the way or pedestrians.
Big machinery trying to maintain quality with lesser budgets. Bureaucracy dedicated to increase "safety" = thinking all the scenarios for us thus minimising our own thinking.


Future is partly in going back to basics (adjusting beacuse we will not have the money to keep the current ways), in responsible&sensible behaviour and in using our brains again ... This all instead of living in this ever increasing requirement specification.

News, newspapers and stories....maganews? storiews?

I just finished reading 2-3 week old papers (both news and magazines)... Talouselämä magazine is a good exampe of "ageless" stories. Even the news in that magazine have a life span of weeks. Educational stories.
This reminded me of the numerous times that I havee been reading, in the worst case, years old magazines with out any major "doh" as long as the articles have been stories with permanent educational values. (where!? well in huussi :) and in numerous old style cafes and in waiting rooms of doctors, ...)
This reminded me of the way I have been forced (too often by life) to read Hesari only during weekends. That is week's papers on one looong morning. Skipping basically all the "news" (aka this happened just) since I have already read the online or heard in radio/TV when the happened. Concentrating on articles, stories, which share background analysis about what is going on now. Concentrating on articles which are about everlasting phenomenas.

The future of the newspapers is in freeing us from the constant and massive flow of news. Giving us the possibility to take the time in a sunny balcony and fully concentrate on what someone thinks of the world. Creating lasting value instead of trying to compete on whose the first and who gets the most clicks.

Ok so maybe advertising works after all :)

Today driving to a meeting I saw the light in Töölö. An (totally commercial) ad, that actually touched me. I wanted to be "jeff bridges", in those clothes, even just for a day.
For years I have been amazed about the obviously amazing amount money that must have been poured eg by Valio into advertising that is build strictly on fakeness.  But, as so often nowadays, I have to consider that I have been wrong again. Maybe has always been the fact that I am just not part of the target group for Valio ads?