That’s what makes it a model. The map is not the territory, and a model is nothing but a stripped-down approximation of what might be happening. By definition, the model for your problem, your organization, your opportunity–it’s not actually the thing being studied, it’s a simplified version of it. All models are wrong, some modelsContinue reading “Seth Godin on models →”
Author Archives: Amr Khalifeh
The InPO Framework: A Simple Action Guiding Tool
You can think of any work-related action you’re doing as falling into one of three categories: Input Processing Output Use this simple framework to notice when you’re out of balance and need to readjust. Input is anything you’re taking in: Reading books/articles/twitter Watching videos/webinars/courses Listening to podcasts Attending a conference talk Input is will serveContinue reading “The InPO Framework: A Simple Action Guiding Tool”
Short book review: Atomic Habits
I recently finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. For me, it served as a good collection of many “productivity” tactics I’ve read over many years. Sadly, the mere act of reading this book won’t magically solve your problems. The book is only a recipe. And reading is only step 0 on your journey toContinue reading “Short book review: Atomic Habits”
Skills vs meta-skills
For the longest time, I’ve wondered why education systems don’t focus on teaching essential skills like good interpersonal communication, logic, the art of presenting, persuasion, developing continuous self-awareness, knowing how to receive any type of feedback and knowing how to give good feedback, effective reading, … The answer—I just realized—is very simple. What I hadContinue reading “Skills vs meta-skills”
Looking for design inspiration somewhere else
I always enjoy browsing the web in search of new design inspiration, but after browsing Dribbble, Instagram, Uplabs, etc. it’s hard not to feel that all designs look very same-y. And it’s only natural, it’s hard not to unconsciously follow trends. When you see design patterns everywhere as they become popular, they seep into yourContinue reading “Looking for design inspiration somewhere else”
Chris Do on working while in college
In today’s entrepreneurship craze, studying is seen like the lame/lazy thing to do. You’re encouraged to drop out and start your own thing. So you’d think that Chris Do would go with the trend and advocate that designers do the same and skip school or focus on working while in school to get a headstartContinue reading “Chris Do on working while in college”
Sweating the details in design
Businesses prioritize what they can measure. Because what you can measure, you can improve. But not everything can be measured easily. If you only focus on what you measure, you miss out on the small stuff. The stuff that doesn’t make sense from an ROI perspective. But it just makes your product a joy toContinue reading “Sweating the details in design”
Jared Sinclair’s design review of AnyList from 2014 is still worth your time
Design trends move quickly, so you might think that an app review from 2014 would be irrelevant today. But good design principles are timeless and you can still learn from old content if it’s good. iOS designer Jared Sinclair has a great series of design reviews from a few years ago that I find myselfContinue reading “Jared Sinclair’s design review of AnyList from 2014 is still worth your time”
Alan Cooper on the ROI of UX
Alan Cooper writes in What’s the ROI of UX [emphasis mine]: Return on investment is a manager’s term. Understanding it, tracking it, and increasing it are a manager’s job, not the practitioner’s. The designer’s job is to design, to make the product effective and desirable. It’s the manager’s job to make sure that money isContinue reading “Alan Cooper on the ROI of UX”
Hiten Shah on what NOT to do after a product launch
Hiten Shah sends out the best newsletter on building products I’ve come across, whether he’s giving advice about what to do, lessons from past mistakes, or recommending articles, his content is always good. Below are some snippets from his latest newsletter titled ‘The biggest mistake I used to make after launches and what I doContinue reading “Hiten Shah on what NOT to do after a product launch”
Amr Khalifeh 