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CMMN WLTH 099 - Cheat Codes for Creators, Makers and Doers

Andy Barr

Mar 06, 2023

Hello my friends,

Overwhelmed by the warm welcome back.

The last couple of weeks has generated the highest number of clicks, shares, and subscriptions ever for CMMN WLTH.

Thank you.

The graphic above perfectly sums up writing a weekly newsletter.

And, pretty much all creative work.

Keep going,

— Andy

In this week’s email:

Product - Advances in 3D printing are opening up new product categories.
People - Perceived exceptionalism kills innovation.
Process - The implications of AI in creative work.
Out of Office - Flow.

*Product

Wilson Prototype Airless Basketball

“Nadine Lippa, innovation manager at Wilson Sporting Goods, wasn’t joking when she says her boss tasked her to “reinvent the basketball.” - Fast Company

Although not yet NBA approved, Wilson included it in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.
Wilson was able to recreate the feel and rebound of a standard basketball using a lattice made of thousands of hexagonal holes and material science.
The prototype opens up opportunities for exploration in other sports such as tennis, volleyball, and soccer.

The Maze is in the Mouse by Praveen Seshadri

“One of Google’s core values is “respect each other” […] “Respect each other” is translated into “find a way to include and agree with every person’s opinion”.”

A culture of perceived exceptionalism has resulted in Google’s complacency.
Performing beyond your level is no longer encouraged or a path to promotion. And often has the opposite effect.
Avoiding risk and overbearing bureaucracy stifles innovation.

AI and I: The Age of Artificial Creativity by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

“The same way we look back at the tedious processes our predecessors had to endure, future creators and knowledge workers will ask themselves: “Did they really use to do that manually?”

There are two schools of thought regarding artificial creativity. “Discriminative AI” and “Generative AI.”
AI could be a way of augmenting cognition, potentially freeing us from tedious tasks.
Ethical challenges will emerge regarding authorship, intellectual property, and legal responsibility for work produced or co-produced using AI.

Speaking of AI, I published a short guide on how to use AI to make better products + a list of emerging AI tools that will save you a ridiculous amount of time.

Check it out below ↓