Frank Contrepois

Category: learning in public

Mapping is not the important part of Wardley maps

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: leadership, map, strategy

While reading (for the third time, I can be slow) Simon Wardley’s book on Medium I had an epiphanie. What is really important is the OODA loop and in particular the Decide and Act section are the most important topics. military world In the military world Observe and Orient are “easy” because based on standardised maps and standardised weather reports. business world In business, there is no such thing as a standard map, or a standard weather report. Read more...

the only long term goal that matters

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: business

Some years ago my father died of cancer, and one of his last sentence to me was:“I’ve no regrets”. Since then I make sure that at any point in life I can say “I’ve no regrets”. A business view of this would be: Regrets are the shareholders of my actions Read more...

How to have great ideas fast

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: brainstorming, teamwork

Have you ever been into one of these 2 hours brainstorming session where lots is said, but less is done. Those meeting forgot the goal of brainstorming: to have many bad ideas and maybe a good one. There is a way to trick your brain in getting the same result of a 2 brainstorm session. Focus on the topic at hand and list as many things as possible over 2 minutes (yes that short). Read more...

What I learned from seven brief lessons on physics

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: education, sciences

seven brief lessons on physics by Carlo Rovelli ( Affiliate Amazon link ) is a passionate book that gave me the reason why physics is a beautiful, never-ending, vital for the world topic with people dedicating their life to it. In 80 pages, written in simple words, the book covers (titles are mine): Theory of Relativity - 10 pages Quantum theory - 10 pages The evolution of our place in the universe - 8 pages Quarks, gluons and others - 8 pages Relativity and Quantum cannot be both right, something is missing in our understanding - 11 pages How time is defined and luck in physics (mind blowing) - 13 pages About us humans in this world. Read more...

A Traceroute Story

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags:

Hello, my name is Packet, with a capital P, and I will show you the beginning of my trip from Frank’s phone (in the UK) to this website (hosted on S3 in the US). I start from an unknown place that I know very well, the phone. And while I do not share the address with you, trust me, it is cozy. Moving around Vodafone routers Still enjoying Vodafone hospitality Empty lands even more empty fields in the middle of somewhere while my GPS says USA, the time it took me to get there (29. Read more...

London Tube Fun

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: London

A new study found that people who take their coffee black are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits. And people who order a quad shot, non-fat, vanilla shot, extra foam, light whip, with caramel drizzle, are more likely to be their victim. Read more...

Refuse unhappiness

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: happy

Everyone wants to be happy, but most of the time, we accept a burst of happiness instead of being happy all the time. Even we find reasons to choose unhappiness. This is wrong! Been there, done that, and failed. Fear of change is the main reason I have been unhappy. Changing did not make me happy, but it offered a opportunity to search again. There is one life, and it is worth living happily Read more...

The main duty of a leader

Posted:   |   Categories: learning in public   |   Tags: leadership

We are all doers, but some of us are also protectors of doers. For me, leadership is about caring, caring for the individual, for the team, for all the things we do together. And the first duty of a carer is protection. Without protection, there is no security, without security, there is only survival, no creativity, no collaboration, no teamwork, no sacrifice. So the first job of leaders is to be protectors of doers, protecting your team, your doers. Read more...