Blog

September 14, 2016

Greg Thomas

The Running Game

I like running, I like running a lot – but like any person, I know I can’t run forever. As much as I would like, my legs will get tired and it will become more about pain management than progress. Maybe I haven’t trained hard enough, built up enough endurance or don’t have the will to keep going. The same thing happens on projects – sure you can keep running and pushing and running and pushing and running and pushing – until you have nothing left to give in the hopes that it was enough to deliver the project. But

September 13, 2016

Greg Thomas

You’re in my Spot

We’re moving things around. The spot I had previously set aside that received the optimal wifi signal, had room for me lay out papers on, a window and a comfortable chair is now gone. I haven’t been able to figure out why it’s been hard to write anything the last week – my spot is gone, lack of ideas , perhaps my motivation seemed to drop off a bit – any or all of the above? I thought about this last night as I walked aimlessly around the house for another place – that one has no wifi reach, no

September 12, 2016

Greg Thomas

Contracting vs Freelancing

I used to think that these were one in the same, but I could not have been more wrong. A contractor is engaged by a customer to perform a set of services. Typically these services can be focussed around a particular skillset that would lend itself to solving a problem that the customer has. A freelancer is engaged by a customer to solve a problem. They have a variety of skills which are made available to the customer that are to be used in identifying the problem before solving it. Freelancers get involved to help with problem definition and identification, Contractors get involved

September 9, 2016

Greg Thomas

Do Something Different

There are a number of apps out there that all do the same thing, in the same way, on the same platform. And there is still room for more – the path is there, the hurdles are known, the market might not yet be saturated. Get in there and squeeze the last bit of juice from that lemon. Or – do something completely different, that goes against the grain, where the pitfalls are unknown, something that questions the status quo, that forces you to lead without declaring yourself a leader and above all where no market go exists. Give that

September 8, 2016

Greg Thomas

The Fallacy of Guaranteed Tipper

The guaranteed tip occurs when you are out dining with friends or family at a restaurant with a big group and the wait staff comes to you and says… “Since this group is over x, we automatically apply the gratuity of x %” I recently had this happen to me and instinctively replied – “Congratulations” – as you would to someone who had just won the lottery. Not the best response, but the triggered response to someone getting something for not having really tried.  They didn’t need to give their best service, they already knew what they were going to