Polar pigs

Make some pancakes. Add freshly-cooked bacon (preferably with a touch of crispness) Add vanilla ice cream Roll it up and prepare for a revelatory culinary experience (Maple syrup is optional)

Invictus Maneo

The Armstrong family crest carries the motto “Invictus Maneo”, which translates as “I remain unvanquished”. So, basically Latin for “Come at me bro”. We’ve always been a cocky bunch.

Lemmings

Experience Lemmings for yourself, right here.

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Categorized as Games

Dune II

Developed by Westwood Studios and released in 1992, Dune II was the precursor to the Command & Conquer series, and laid the foundations of the RTS genre. Experience Dune II for yourself, right here. My cousin and I used to play this for hours on his Amiga, along with Settlers and Monkey Island. I was… Continue reading Dune II

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Categorized as Games

Agendas

Everyone has one. It may be increasing your personal wealth and security, it may be forwarding the cause of a persecuted minority. It could be both. For a team to function well, everyone on it needs to have a shared agenda. For a team member to be happy, they need to feel like the team… Continue reading Agendas

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Categorized as Business

Dependencies

Momentum is inversely proportionate to dependencies. The more dependencies something has, the harder it is to safely make decisions about it, change it, or even just understand it. Dependencies are like Jenga blocks. The higher they’re stacked, the more gingerly you have to approach them. One wrong move and everything comes crashing down. The best… Continue reading Dependencies

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Categorized as Business

Wordle

Wordle is an elegant (and addictive) word-guessing game. The rules are simple. You have six attempts to guess a 5 letter word. With each attempt you are shown clues as to whether your letters are in the right place or if they’re not used at all (kind of like hangman). The crucial mechanic is scarcity:… Continue reading Wordle

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Categorized as Games

Creativity, Inc.

Ed Catmull of Pixar codifies his theories on developing reliably creative teams. One of the main ideas he promotes is having a ‘brain trust’: for Pixar this was a group of people who would meet together every few months to review and assess ongoing projects. The key ingredient is candour, honest feedback that cuts through… Continue reading Creativity, Inc.

The Messy Middle

Currently in the process of reading Scott Belsky’s thesis on enduring long-term projects. Enjoying it so far, here’s some ideas that have resonated: The importance of internal narrative. Create short-term wins. Resourcefulness over resources. Hire for initiative. A mock-up turns the lights on.

Claude Robinson

My Great-Uncle Jack used to tell a story about a man called Claude Robinson who owned a small grocery shop in Strabane, Co. Tyrone. One day a toothpaste rep came into the store to peddle his wares. Halfway through his sales pitch, Claude cut him off and told him to follow him. He led him… Continue reading Claude Robinson

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Categorized as Anecdotes