Author: Jeremie Averous

Go on Amazon and rate the book: spread the “Fourth Revolution” word!!

Dear readers. I need help. And you have an incredible chance to participate to the Fourth Revolution, and help the word spread at the same time.

By now, you have certainly read the book. Sorry, the Book with a capital B.

(If you have not, you are missing something important, just only understanding the world as it is transformed now. The book is available in all online bookshops and a number of other sources including on Kindle and other e-book formats: see all the places you can get the book on the Fourth Revolution Book page)

So, you can now really participate to the Fourth Revolution, and help me spread the word at the same occasion: Just go on Amazon and write a review of the book!

You can go on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk if you want to write in English, or Amazon.fr if you prefer writing in French (if you really want to write in German you can also go to Amazon.de).

It’s easy: scroll down and in the “customer review” section, create a customer review by clicking on the button “create your own review”… and there you are, contributing to the world!

OK, obviously I would dream to have just only great ratings, but please follow what you really think and be candid about your appreciation of the book. Future readers will appreciate.

You can at any time send me your more detailed feedback or anything you would like to tell me about the book at contact@thefourthrevolution.org

Thanks for spreading the word on the Fourth Revolution!

(PS: to beat your Resistance, so just to it NOW!)

 

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Quiz: why is hourly analysis of social network effectiveness fundamentally flawed?

Referring to the graph shown in the previous post about the hourly re-tweeting, such an analysis is fundamentally flawed, just because of the fundamental assumptions of the Fourth Revolution.

Faithful follower of the Fourth Revolution blog, I give out one guest post in the blog for you – yes, you get to write a post yourself – if you find the right answer withing the next week!

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Social network’s data analysis is overrated

When you start to be interested about social media, you are suddenly overwhelmed by gurus and service providers that provide you with heaps of data. And also promises to enhance dramatically traffic on your site and earn big money!

best time of day for posting
best time of day for posting (over-analysis)

When should one post a blog to optimize its impact? What words should be used to optimize visibility? At what time in the day (!) should something get published? Where should which field be on the front page, in which color, to increase the probability of a click?. And there they go in huge graphical analysis and lengthy discussions.

Funny thing is, most of the examples of outstanding successes of books, blogs or social network references did not start doing all this. They just started delivering great contents and engaged tightly with a group of followers. They continued delivering consistently, over time. Eventually sometime they became mainstream, as the group of followers increased.

Can one really manipulate success? Short term maybe. If you want to build a long term brand, should it be your own or your organization’s, dont’ really bother. Your site, blog needs to be good, not crappy, but do not spend time and energy trying to over-optimize it. Spend instead time delivering great contents and value. Engage emotionally with your followers, give them value.

Change their lives.

It does not matter if you blog at 2am to achieve that.

 

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When to post? A new schedule for the Fourth Revolution Blog

The issue of “when to post” is very active and hugely debated over the internet. There are many data measurements and other theories so as to maximize the effectiveness and the echo of a blog post.

Right now the Fourth Revolution Blog is posting Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evening (Asia time, morning for Europe & America). For the sake of a little experiment I’ll change the schedule to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings (Asia time), as data seems to show that people have more time on week-ends to dwell in these kind of posts, and write comments.

I just left the last Sunday post on the military be conveniently on September 11, and the new schedule will apply from now on…

What do you think? When do you read the posts? Any issue with the new schedule?

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How the Fourth Revolution changes the military

The Fourth Revolution changes dramatically the military – for a long time the most hierarchical organization.

The military is hierarchical because in the midst of dangerous action there is not time for discussion and the leaders need to be visibly identifiable.

Yet today the military need to become smart in the way they seek to achieve their objectives. Information is key today, and leveraging Collaborative tools is a way to better identify important information. Leveraging on the collaboration of the troops for data acquisition and intelligence is just a way to leverage on the Fourth Revolution.

This interesting speech of General McChrystal on TED about leadership shows clearly the contradictions the military face today between their traditional hierarchical model and the emergence of the Fourth Revolution.

And recently, the USA published a new doctrine about cyberwarfare, getting ready for cyber wars.

The military forces of the Collaborative Age will be organized and operate very differently. And the military will certainly even change deeply as an institution. Are the military ready for such a change? Are they aware of the potential of changing the way they run intelligence and active missions?

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A new media: interactive e-books

The future is in interactive e-books. Watch this e-book demonstration at TED by Mike Matas.

interactive ebook
interactive ebook demonstration

Interactive e-books need the contribution of a production team.

The richness of this media is that a book becomes a door to access the vast amounts of information on the internet. The interaction with the device also leverages our emotions and creates an entirely new interaction with the book.

Still, what makes a book different? In a recent blog, Seth Godin makes the point that a book is the work of a single author. That’s what makes it different from collaborative creations. And even in the Collaborative Age, we need to be able to hear the divergent voices of individuals.

When do you start raising your voice in the world?

 

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A first functional aircraft entirely 3D-printed!

If you are a regular reader of this blog you certainly remember the blog post about 3D printing and how that will change the world – making manufacturing as we know it obsolete. Anything you need will be available through on-demand printing at the corner shop.

The first operational aircraft model printed in 3D
The first operational aircraft model printed in 3D

OK, we’re still a bit far away from that. Still, a milestone was reached during the summer 2011 with the first functional aircraft model that was entirely 3D printed, flying!

More on this feat following this link to a blog post detailing the event and looking at what Boeing is doing in terms of R&D for real commercial aircrafts.

This other blog post is also very englightening as to the current status of progress regarding 3D printing (includes a MUST SEE video from National Geographic).

Traditional engineering and manufacturing  (assembling bits and pieces) are going straight for obsolescence!

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Remember that a critic is a dreamer gone scared

I read this sentence in one of the long lists of principles sent by Robin Sharma from time to time. I’m not a great fan of Robin Sharma (in particular of his marketing strategy and the way he puts himself in the spotlight), but for once one of his sentences stuck.

Let’s read it once more:

Remember that a critic is a dreamer gone scared

When you think about it, this is so true. Often critics are people who would not dare to do what you are doing (or attempting). People who have been scared so many times, or had bad experiences trying to do things out of the box.

Nasty critics are those who have grown frustrated so much that their entire life is just filled with frustration and bitterness.

I don’t want to end up like a nasty critic of others. So, the best way is to overcome fear and do unconventional things. And understand what it takes.

Because be certain that fear will be there as soon as you try to deviate from the well-worn path of normality. Deep, moving, gut-wrenching fear.

What’s the solution? Ask yourself the question: What is the worst that could happen to me if it goes wrong?

Often, the risk is minimal (beyond the risk to appear ridiculous to others). Leaning into the fear, overcoming fear can be practiced. Lean into the fear and jump!

Wait – we can also help the nasty critics. Should they have the occasion to overcome their fear, once, to do something that matters, their life could be transformed. Ask them: What is the worst thing that could happen to you if you follow your dreams? And help them to follow through. That would be the greatest gift for them. And the world.

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Connect to needy individuals in developing countries and lend them money – the power of the Fourth Revolution

Fancy connecting and supporting personally a person with a small project that would take him or her out of misery in the remotest developing country?

Micro-finance is a concept which brought Mohamad Yunus a Nobel Prize. The concept is simple: in developing countries, banks will not lend small amounts to needy people who would just need a few dollars to setup their business or invest in something valuable.

Micro-finance concentrates on micro-loans: a few dozen dollars, a hundred at the most. Often loaned to women, repayment rates are astonishing – generally more than 99%.

Kiva.org logo
Kiva.org logo

That’s where the Fourth Revolution comes in. Non-profits like Kiva.org allow you to extend micro-loans to needy but industrious people in developing countries.

OK, a lot of non profits are doing that.

Yes, but – on Kiva.org you choose who you are lending to!!

Using Kiva’s web site, you can read about local entrepreneurs all over the world and issue your own micro-loan to the ones you are impressed by. So far, Kiva has facilitated 300,000+ loans in 200+ coun­tries for a total of $200+ million dollars that has changed hands—and the repayment rate is an amazing 98.79%. Keep an eye on them, because they represent the fu­ture of charity and micro-lending. Their total loans (number and value) have grown almost tenfold in 4 years.

At the click of a mouse you can directly give a loan to someone, participate in micro-finance. Visit Kiva.org for more information!

Who says the Fourth Revolution does not connect people across the world?

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“Look inside” the Fourth Revolution book on Amazon.com

The Fourth Revolution book now benefits from Amazon’s “look inside” service:

the Fourth Revolution book - Amazon look inside
the Fourth Revolution book - Amazon look inside

have a glimpse into the book from the Fourth Revolution book Amazon.com page (click on the cover to have a peek inside the book).

Pdf extracts are also available on the Fourth Revolution website (book page). Also remember to look at the FREE Fourth Revolution Manifesto, a pictorial summary of the book in 8 parts.

 

 

 

Did not buy the book yet? It is available in most online bookshops – choose the most convenient for you, and also the Fourth Revolution book has a Kindle version here.

Enjoy your read!

 

 

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10 tactics to overcome ‘Resistance’

Here are my 10 current tactics to overcome my ‘Resistance’ to really do the Creative Work (if you have not read my blog post on “the War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, follow the link)

First, I have identified my potentially main time wasting activities which ‘Resistance’ is too happy to entertain:

  • aimless internet surfing (‘Resistance’ likes so much losing time following all the interesting hyperlinks without purpose)
  • aimless television – and watching movies on airplanes just for the sake of passing the time
  • social networks usage, which includes online chatting, and email

So my tactics are:

  1. limit those potentially time wasting activities to a predefined duration or context so that they are useful to my goals – plan the day accordingly;
  2. spend dedicated time looking for ideas, purposefully reading, watching or surfing what I have chosen (yes, chosen) to read, watch or surf on. Creativity feeds into other’s ideas so it’s important to watch and listen, but to be effective in doing that;
  3. switch off voluntarily internet, television and social networks when doing the Creative Work (and also the nasty email notifications!);
  4. rest well and exercise regularly to foster creativity, dynamism and balance – makes it easier to recognize Creative Work as the most important thing to do;
  5. make at least a 2 hours span of uninterrupted time for Creative Work – often in my hotel room at night when I travel, or after the children are in bed at home. When ‘Resistance’ makes me realize that less time is available, it generally wins;
  6. put on some music to isolate from the outside during Creative Work (don’t ask me what I have been listening though!);
  7. always have something to note thoughts and ideas on, in particular just after Creative Work when ideas still pour in (I now use Evernote to centralize all my ideas on the Cloud and have them available from anywhere)
  8. when doing Creative Work, focus on one piece of Creative Work at a time (for example, a set of blog posts, or writing my book). Got it? ‘Resistance’ wants you to switch, so that the flow of Creativity stops and has to be started again; focus instead!
  9. when doing Creative Work, ‘Resistance’ would like us to abandon, thinking what we are doing is crap. Don’t get bothered about the quality of the newly created material, and wait for at least one night to review what has been done, to bring perspective. Just go on creating;
  10. when you find Creating hard, when the blank sheet or screen is watching, resist the urge to switch to something else. Stay concentrated. Start writing. Once you open the flow of Creativity, it will not stop.

That’s it! Also, what works for me is that it is difficult to get into creative mode, but after a few minutes I dive into the real, concentrated creation work. After 15-20 mins I am in the flow, I don’t see the time passing. What’s tough is to get in Creative Mode and start.

I still have a lot of progress to do to tame my ‘Resistance’, who still win too often, but I am on my way. As is my second book, and a number of other things I want to create. And you, what are your tactics?

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How “The War of Art” changed me

This summer I read “The War of Art“, a tiny book by Steven Pressfield.

War of Art cover
War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Tiny, short, but really powerful.

I read a lot, that’s one of the few books that get you thinking, WOWed, increase tremendously your self-awareness, and… change you.

In essence, Steven Pressfield explains how something called the ‘Resistance’ is within us, trying to stop us from performing any kind of creative activity.

The subtitle explains it: “Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles”.

Creating something is hard, tough. Our ‘Resistance’ does all it can to avoid us doing it. Steven describes all sorts of costumes the ‘Resistance’ cloaks itself with. Luckily ‘Resistance’ can be overcome, it takes discipline and perseverance, and overcoming one’s ego.

What did this book change for me? I have now a name to put on all the more or less conscious attempts to avoid doing real work, to procrastinate. I have now developed tactics to have more quality time sitting at my computer, writing creatively, with no disturbances. I travel a lot and have a lot of activities; I can’t have a daily regular discipline like the one Steven describes for himself; putting a name on ‘Resistance’ has dramatically increased my productivity and creativity. And my self-awareness of when I win and of when I lose the battle with my ‘Resistance’

“The War of Art“, a tiny book by Steven Pressfield. It’s worth much more than its price or the time you’ll spend reading it. Read it! today!

… and don’t listen to your ‘Resistance’ who just told you you had other things to do! They are not so important!

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