The Indiefield Blog

Ideas and thoughts about life, business and market research fieldwork in the UK.

True or false: limits

If something doesn't have a limit then the answer is infinity but in reality it probably means that the limit has not been defined. So the question is, who is defining the limit and are they mathematically capable of doing so? Maybe the limiter has good intentions for us i.e. trying to save us from doing something stupid, or maybe we ourselves are the limiter because we believe we can never be good enough. No matter what the limit appears to say, the mathematical problem should be frequently revisited and the approach continually revised.

Stronger, faster, and more

Isn't this the ultimate in everything?

Stronger than those around you - so you can protect and serve and deliver what you said you would.

Faster than the rest - fast to do things, to respond, to get up and go, to succeed.

And more - more options (but not too many, because too many is confusing), more care, more love, more everything.

Over delivery

A great supplier will point out to the client possible pitfalls and problems with the project before beginning the work and immediately put in place contingency plans in order to look out for the best interest of the client and ultimately the success of the project. When the planned for problem strikes the great supplier can take care of the issue seamlessly and immediately for the client, thus truly looking out for their best interests. It's the opposite of short changing a client or trying to do as little as possible for the most revenue or trying to squeeze efficiencies out of your already streamlines processes. Are we out of our minds? Probably.

Theoretically impossible

I remember hearing the story about how it was theoretically impossible for bumble bees to fly because their little wings could not possibly generate the lift required to get them off the ground. Obviously bumble bees know absolutely nothing about fluid dynamics and just continued flying around until some researcher discovered that bumble bee wings generate tiny air vortexes that increase airflow and allow them to fly. Sometimes theories are wrong and sometimes all things are possible - nothing is ever settled (in theory).

Be original

It's quite easy to be original - you just need to follow your passions and grab all the opportunities you are presented with and have the ideas that no one else has. It is about understanding what makes you different and challenging yourself every day to add something new to world (whenever you can - these things can take a while!).

Are you making it?

Get totally organised.

Keep detailed records of everything.

Be creative all the time.

Stay focused on your objectives.

Provide a great service for your clients.

Blame the marketing

It's easy to look for the fastest perceived solution to fix a problem. Usually a client, a staff member, or the public at large is to blame. So the project was lost because the bid didn't win or the sales are down because the marketing is wrong. But sometimes you must step back and take a deeper look. Maybe the customer journey is unclear or you have lots of tech that doesn't quite work and still think more tech is the answer. When an underlying problem is not solved first the problem will always continue.

Attention!

Everyone is always running from point to point, paying no real attention, taking nothing in. It's hard to get anyone's attention for long these days. Far better to concentrate on the few that are willing to slow down, to stop lurching from supplier to supplier, and who actually pay attention and stick around for the ride.

Be a self-picker

Erika Mitchell was originally publishing her own fan fiction based on the Twilight books and films. She found it such a thrill that she created a new pseudonym and again she self-published. But this time the on-demand print sales turned into thousands and by the time Fifty Shades of Grey was re-released by Vintage Books in 2012 it became the fastest selling paperback of all time in the UK. It's part of our DNA to wait to be picked - to send our work off and to wait for approval. For the HR Manager to offer us the job. For the client to pick our proposal. For the industry leader (or the industry itself) to offer its approval. So if there's a chance to pick yourself then you take it - HR, the client, the industry will soon follow.

The Drive-by tourist

Apparently it is possible to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris for the first time and see nothing new or exciting. Same with The Colosseum in Rome. So it seems that it's possible to miss "the big idea" because we only see what we want to see. That's why fieldwork is so important. If you want to understand a Mercedes driver go and spend some time with him or her; if you want to see how a busy Mum operates talk to her about getting the children off to school in the morning; if you want to understand how Financial Directors have weathered the pandemic sit down and crunch their thoughts and their numbers. Only when you understand things can you really offer up the ideas.