GeekBoss

Richard Feynman and the pleasure of finding things out

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 08:44:49 GMT

The BBC Horizon series has been inspirational for me over my life. For example, the programme Painting by Numbers was one of the main inspirations for my fascination with computers and graphics. (See my article about origin stories for more on this.)

This episode featuring Nobel-prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman is also inspiring, and I share it with you here.

A colleague recently shared this brilliant article from the ever-interesting Farnam Street blog about the Feynman Learning Technique.

How GeekBoss got its name and the 'muddle' of coding for Zork

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:01:00 GMT

Readers may know that I started my career in computer games. Instead of enjoying ‘the end of history’, back in the 90s, I was CEO of Intelligent Games. One of the games that inspired me to get into the business was Zork, a text-only adventure game, and the industry’s first million-seller hit. I wrote about it in my Secret History of Computer Games.

Zork mixes wit, puzzles and a lot of twisty passages

Articulate Marketing playing Zork in Slack

More recently, with history making a big comeback, Zork re-entered my life. I found a way to hook it up to Slack, the live chat system we used at Articulate Marketing. This allowed my colleagues to play Zork in Slack in a collaborative, fun way. It was cute for a while. So, I was driving through Romania with my wife and I was explaining to her how I had set up this game in Slack and she turned to me and said, ‘good grief, Matthew, you’re such a geek boss!’ Well, never let a good domain name go to waste. I actually bought the geekboss.com domain on my phone before we reached Iași. And that is how this blog got its name.

How to run a collaborative change management project (video)

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 17:30:41 GMT

Over the last 18 months, I have been running some huge change projects at my marketing agency. I ran a webinar about the processes I used and some reflections on what I learned this week and I thought I would share the video here too.

Interview with Stephen Bungay: historian, writer and management guru

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:05:50 GMT

Stephen Bungay is a management consultant, academic and author of two remarkable books about the Second World War: The Most Dangerous Enemy and Alamein. I met him back in 2006 and enjoyed the opportunity to ask him a few questions. I was reviewing old blog posts on Articulate Marketing’s blog and felt that this interview was worth preserving here on Geek Boss.

Silence is golden: how to soundproofing your writing room - GeekBoss

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:24:51 GMT

It’s difficult to figure out how to write in a world that’s full of distractions. We all know that interruptions kill productivity. But background noise can slow you down in less obvious ways, too. For maximum impact, sound-proof your writing room. Writing requires focus, it requires a place without distraction.

How to ask someone to be your business mentor -

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 15:36:00 GMT

The Beermat Entrepreneur reckons every startup entrepreneur should have a mentor. So do many TV programs about business, from Dragon’s Den to the Apprentice. The Prince’s Trust, a British charity that helps young people start businesses, will only fund a business that works with one of their mentors.

Roger, wilco: when communications need to be crystal clear

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 13:28:51 GMT

I have worked on a couple of projects where my clients and I shared detailed conversations about the work, and I wrote a detailed brief. When I delivered the final case study / white paper / whatever else, it was not what they expected. I’ve been thinking about why this happens.

How I trained myself to get up earlier - GeekBoss

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:51:00 GMT

I am not what you would call a morning person. At heart, I’m a writer, for heaven’s sake! But getting up early has become really important for me. When I have a lot of work stacking up, it feels as if there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

How to get a big fat pay rise and promotion, even in lean times

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 17:33:53 GMT

We’re living in tough times and it may not feel like the best moment to look for a pay rise or a promotion. But for ambitious companies and ambitious individuals, tough times are opportunities to outpace the competition.

How Apple wins at brand loyalty - GeekBoss

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:25:28 GMT

The data certainly shows the value of customer loyalty. Apple has an industry-leading Net Promoter Score and it’s share price has more than trebled in the last five years. But how does Apple achieve such amazing brand loyalty?

Bambi vs. Godzilla: How to work with big companies -

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 10:57:59 GMT

There is no law that says small firms can only do business with other small firms. If you can get your foot in the door, it can be very rewarding to work with big companies. This article is about one small company – my own business, Articulate Marketing – and how we have found ways to turn our size into a competitive advantage. We work with big clients: Microsoft, HP, Symantec, Dell, Tech Data. This is what we have learned.

Remote working lessons for managers based on 20 years' experience

matthew@articulatemarketing.com (Matthew Stibbe) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 17:04:40 GMT

As I write this, many thousands of people have been directly affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus, including members of my family. It is not a time for glib comments. But millions of people face the prospect of working from home for the first time. Likewise, many managers and many companies are going to have to learn how to make remote working work for them. This article is for them.