Month: September 2005

What Have They Done Right ?

After years’ of planning, construction and testing, the theme park in the city is finally opened today. You know, there are so many bad presses about this theme park in the past few weeks that I think people are getting a bit over-reacted …

I mean, what have they done to deserve this ?

Somehow people in the city has developed a very strange habit – i.e. keep complaining … and keep yelling “What have you done wrong …”.

My point is, instead of focusing what have someone done wrong, why not spend time in finding out “what have they done right?” and learn ? The theme park company did a great job for 50 years, you know. They have so many other parks in other countries / cities that they know what they can do to fix problems, and to give best services to their customers.

Learn from them first, then complain ….

Lesson Learnt: If someone can do something you cannot do with all your effort; then learn from them first …

I-Need-To-Buy-A-New-Camera Syndrome

Whenever there is a new camera announced by one vendor, the owners of the older cameras from this vendor or other vendors all suffer from one disease – and I call this “I-Need-To-Buy-A-New-Camera”.

For example, Canon just released the new DSLR 5D, then many Canon 10D and 20D owners all believe they need to dump the current camera and buy the new one.

Same to other camera owners, Nikon and Olympus camera forums all packed with comments like “Wow, I need to get one !!”, “Geez, my camera is now obsoleted!!” …

Come on, your current camera can still take good photos, why change ? Will you buy a new car because GM, Ford, Toyota released new cars last week ? Will you buy a new house because there is a new one next block ?

Lesson Learnt: People shoot good photos, not camera.

#51

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” – Bill Gates

I learnt the above quote yesterday from my favorite Coffee shop. So True !!

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I was wandering around a bookstore the other day and you know, I could never leave a bookstore empty-handed (it is a OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder 8-). So I picked-up and bought a book close to the cashier counter. It turned out that the book is not about IT, business, travel, music or photography.

It is a book written by a creative director, for creative directors … and I bought the book simply because I like the book title:

“It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be“

Oh yes, how good YOU want to be ? What we did before was difficult, what we are now doing is not easy, and what we are going to do is not simple either. But we want to do it, because we know we want to be a great eCommerce company, not a marginally good eCommerce company.

In the book there are several lines I like a lot, which I like to share with you.

  • You can achieve the unachievable. If you think you’re unable to be on the cover of Time Magazine, make it your business to be there. Make your vision of where you want to be a reality.
  • When it can’t be done, do it. If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist.
  • You may have to beg, steal and borrow to get it done. But that’s for you to work out how you do it. It’s exciting. It’s difficult and it’s fun. If it was easy anyone could do it.
  • Don’t be afraid to work with the best.

Easy declaration, aren’t they ? But see how we can do the above … see how good WE want to be.

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You don’t always say “yes” to your customer, but you must know what s/he thinks before you say “no”.

In essence, think like your customers when delivering your products and services.