Extending experiences

For many things we do, actual doing is not the all we get from it. Like vacations for example, all the planning and checking out the places in advance are big part of joy. Same goes afterwards. People want to extend the experience by telling others about past vacation or showing photos from places they've been.

I wanted to share how I extend my holidays for example. I like to build photobooks around those. One important thing is the cover. I try to do something different each time. This one on the rigth is from out trip to Santorini. I wanted to try this nice collage this time. Front cover is on the right side and back in the left.

This one on the left is from Switserland, like you can guess from the photo.

I really like to build these for myself. This is kind of like playing Simcity or some other Tycoon games for me. It's just relaxing to work on the details of the books. And I don't mind paying from that fun.

I'm currently working in product management and I think these are things we often forget. People want to extend their experiences. It's not only about product, but it's everything around it. Some people like to discuss about products in the web. Others want to pimp their products with additions. Some like to take extra good care on their stuff. There's so many different people around, that there's always room to engage someones experience. There's always possibilities to make someone feel bit more happy and at the same time, make some money for you and your company.  

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

TED talk - Keep Going Until We Stop

TEDxOakville - Scott Stratten - Keep Going Until We Stop

It just makes sense. So obvious, still so hard.

It's our nature to overhear phone conversations

I read about study week ago from some magazine, about how people naturally start guessing how conversations go, if they hear only one side of conversation. So, nowadays this means that you will more likely notice someone talking to the phone than someone talking to person next to her.

After reading this one, I've really noticed that I at least behave just like that. My brains tends to guess what people are talking about, when I hear someone talking to the phone. That's just funny. If you pay attention to this, you probably notice the same.

I think this gives us right to overhear phone conversations.

I just hope I would have taken note which study it was and where it has been made. It would be nice to dig bit more on it.

How changing one word can change the way the you think

In Dan Pink's: Whole new mind, there's one small exercise I just fell in love. It asks to change the word "but" to word "and". I've heard same advice in negotiation skills rehearsals, but this is different. This advice is actually referring to your personal problem solving mode.

For example I used to think that I'd like to excersice more, but my kids are so little that I don't have time for it. Then I changed it to "I'd like to exercise more and my kids are so little that I don't have time for it". This got me thinking right away that I could go exericising after kids go to sleep.

Okay, maybe that seems obvious, but this has really changed the way I think for things I'd like to do or have. I've really stopped finding excuses for not doing something, but actually I've started to be more creative on problem solving.

Just try it. It might sound easy, but I bet it you'll find yourself couple of times, but I can't, but I don't have time, but I don't have money etc.. It's not that easy, but it rewarding, I promise.  

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Is Facebook usage changing ?

Is it just me, but I have this gut feeling that amount of Facebook status updates has been going down. At least amongst my friends there used to be much more status updates during one day than there has been in last month or so.

I tried so search from web some tools or websites, which could prove my point, but there wasn't any. Almost got the impression that this is information Facebook is not sharing with us. Or then they just don't store old status updates.

Also I haven't received any new FB friend invites for some time and also the amount of others making friends are calming down. Could it be that now in FB usage has calmed down. Most of those who will join have joined and rest won't join due to principle.

I'm not saying that FB is in any ways dying, but maybe the dynamics of usage are changing. I would say there's bit more interaction, meaning more comments on posts and then there's much more links shared than previously and discussion is going around those.

Maybe this is specific to Finland or then this is just my imagination, but let's see, if this is one ff these silent signs on social media usage changing. If my guess on this usage pattern is correct, next step could be Twitter having easier way to follow up tweets related to specific links somehow. Kind of like comments on blogs or comments on FB or Buzz updates.

I'll keep on following if this is really a trend.