My Impressions: FinTech 完全解析

So I guess marketing really got to me again.  Seems like I get sold on buying books very easily, but I’m not so good at getting people to buy stuff.  Bought both books for 3 dollars or so. 

FinTech packaging really oversold the book.  On the cover it mentioned about all the 6 new business models and made it sound like it would be an in-depth analysis of all the 6 models.  Instead, 6 FinTech models were just listed for 1 page each with a pretty picture.  That part was a huge let down…

They are:

          1. P2P Lending

          2. Virtual / Crypto Currency

          3. 3rd Party Payment

          4. Crowd Funding

          5. Online Exchange

          6. Personal Finance

What I learned basically is there are tremendous innovations going on in Financial Technology.  Banks have to really up their game if they want to be around in the future.  Taiwan is really, really behind in this space…  Israel is really, really good in this space. 

The whole book could probably be shortened (not even using the term ‘condense’) into 2 pages.  I pretty much summed up everything. 

I guess I still have to finish reading the other one on growth hacking…  Now at least my expectations are very, very low for it.  I could’ve used the $3 for two cheeseburgers.  

My Impressions: The Copywriter’s Handbook

Interesting.  I like the book because the title is very accurate to the contents of the book.  You would think all books would be like this, but noooooo.  So, I was going through Mike Massie’s podcasts on how to start a martial arts school.  One of the key points in an interview with a school owner was learn how to write copy.  Learn how to write copy GOOD.  So…  I went on amazon, read the reviews, and got the book. 

I have over 20 pages of notes on this book.  1/3 into the book I started wondering to myself, why am I taking notes if I’m copying everything?

The Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells

The book is a manual (handbook).  The main focus is how to write accountable (a.k.a measurable) marketing material.  This is a how to write copy that increases sales instead of being funny and cute type of book.  From catchy headlines, to lead paragraph, to the body of the copy…  All of it.  Then the author goes into how to actually get a job as a copy writer. 

With an ugrad and MBA in Marketing…  I am surprised we did not learn this in school.  This should be a core class in ugrad (or, all business majors).  This is a hard skill.  A profitable hard skill for the individuals and companies if done correctly.  School’s marketing programs should include a solid curriculum like this, along with all the fluffy theoretical bs.  After reading this, I went back to some of the stuff I wrote…  I realized I shouldn’t have been granted my marketing degree. 

Is there more to writing copy in Marketing?  Yes.  But this is the sniper skills of a marketer.  Even if you are not the sniper, you should at least be aware of it, know of it, and have the ability to recognize a good or bad sniper. 

Another thought that the book reminded me of, should we go deep (know a lot about one thing) or wide (know a little about a lot of things).  I don’t know the answer.  The author definitely doubles down on strength.  The view is, if you were an extremely talented and skilled photographer, you would charge very high fees to be able to cover your marketing/admin/other side of the business.  Multi-skilled professionals only become multi-second-tier professionals, because they can’t be the best in any one of them. 

One thing I don’t like about the book (author is aware, but doesn’t care)…  The author and the book is very “old school”…  Very, very behind in technology…  He knows that, but argues he doesn’t need to be, because he has a solid strategy and is a great copy writer.  I would have to agree my opinion of his tech does not impact his bottom line…

My Impressions: Pitch Anything

I’ve been studying sales and persuasion for a long time and also read many books on the subject.  One of the book reviews I’ve read stated this book and also The Psychology of Persuasion are the two key books.  I read Persuasion a few weeks ago, I liked it.  So I followed through with this book. 

I liked this book a lot.  One of the funnest book I’ve read in a long, long time.  One reason perhaps is because I’ve rarely read pitch-related books and I was unaware of anything in the field...  So everything just seemed so fun and new. 

Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal

But right off the beginning, everything I learned and thought was “right” way to sell was immediately thrown in the garbage…  Including SPIN selling, numbers game, cold calling…  I must say though, this book is more of a pitching book than a selling book.  There are huge overlaps between the two areas, but there really is a fundamental difference. 

The greatest takeaway I have for the book is: Don’t be needy!

Reflecting my life and the people around me…  Those needy people really turn me off, even if I originally liked them.  Always seeking for approval, begging for some confirmation…  Truthfully, people ARE more attractive and seem more credible when they have the confidence to be genuine and real.  Not saying everybody should start fucking the world upside down and go my way or the highway.  But don’t be needy.

Framing was a completely new concept to me.  This is not the same framing as listing something for $100 and selling it for $50.  The framing in this book is more of a psychological state, and the interaction with other people’s frame.  This was a paradigm shift for me. 

I am instantly more aware of my social surroundings on a whole new level than before reading the book.  I wish to take more control of my actions and reactions.  Which leads to my criticism of the book: The book is very entertaining in all the stories and everything and they do flow nicely…  But in terms of a “tool book” (my original intent of reading), I really didn’t like the organization. 

I am aware of the framing, but I don’t know how to practice it or use it.  I have to piece information from different parts of the book from different chapters to reconstruct what I think is a complete picture.  But then again, maybe that is the intent.  Be intensely aware of something, but don’t have the ability to improve it, so you can sign up for his service.  That’d be a good strategy, too. 

But yeah, very fun book in a very long time!

My Impressions: The Magic of Thinking Big

Took a break the week before...  Last week was in Eindhoven for work, so skipped 2 weeks in a row.  Now I'm back, so I can finally check off that task on my habitica.  

I forgot why I picked up this book.  I’m sure it was from a recommended reading list somewhere.  I have to be better at tracking why I do certain things.  But I’m sure it was form somewhere great. 

The Magic of Thinking Big

 

Anyway, this is a pretty straight forward book with content that matches the title.  The book expands on this skeletal structure:

1. Think big

Come up with really big goals.  Big and hairy goals.  The hairier the better.  Don’t hold back.  Don’t self-doubt yourself before you even start.  Don’t be confined in dreaming big because your view of reality constraints is actually constraining you in reality. 

2. Find solutions, not excuses

Quit the whining.  Common excuses are spelled out here and excused.  There are tips on how to be more confident, tips to building confidence, and actions to take to condition your body and mind a certain way.   

3. Less dreaming, more doing

How you think determines how you act.  How you act in turn determines: How others react to you.

Now stop dreaming and wishing, and start doing.  Stop blaming luck.  Add value.  Start doing.  Do do do do do do do do do.  Action!  Find feedback, do some more.   

There are some suggestions on things to do, things to avoid, and guidelines to follow.  There not a lot of difficulty in terms of understanding the ideology.  The key is execution. 

2016 was a pretty cool year for me.  I’ve reached many of my fitness goals.  Some, even my fitness DREAMS were achieved.  I never thought I would EVER be able to do a one arm pushup.  It was a nice-to-have-dream that had me fantasizing every now and then.  But honestly, I don’t think I ever believed I could do it.  I think I could do 7 normal two hand-pushups graduating college (yes I’m really weak)…  Though, I never stopped training for the one arm pushup.  I just kept on doing.  Then, mid-year, I did it.  Just like that. 

That is one example of my own improvements.  Other include high plank from 52 seconds (yes I’m really weak) to 10 minutes…  Blah blah blah.  There is a reality constraint.  But the point I’m getting is, that the constraint may not be as scary and hairy as we make it.  After 2016, one of the main themes of my 2017 is to: Dream bigger.  Do more.   

I challenge you to do the same.