When you tolerate an error, you rob yourself of learning.When you ruminate on an error, you rob yourself of happiness.Notice it, improve it, and move on from it.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

writing

Reading & Writing

education

Learning & Education

business

Business

creativity

Creativity

3-2-1: How to handle errors, eliminating points of failure, and the willingness to look foolish

"The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs" by Kevin D. Johnson offers valuable insights into the mindset and behaviors of successful entrepreneurs. Here are ten key lessons from the book.

Elite entrepreneurs understand that taking calculated risks is an integral part of achieving success. They are willing to step outside their comfort zones to pursue their goals. 2. Think Big: Successful entrepreneurs have grand visions for their businesses. They think beyond the present and aim for substantial growth and impact. 3. Focus on Solutions, Not Problems: Elite entrepreneurs are solution-oriented. They see challenges as opportunities to create innovative solutions rather than insurmountable obstacles.

1. Embrace Risk:

4. Continuous Learning: Lifelong learning is a hallmark of successful entrepreneurs. They are committed to expanding their knowledge and skills to stay competitive. 5. Network Effectively: Building and nurturing a strong network is crucial. Successful entrepreneurs know the value of relationships, both for business opportunities and personal growth. 6. Resilience: Elite entrepreneurs bounce back from setbacks and failures. They view adversity as a chance to learn and improve.

7. Discipline and Productivity: Time management and discipline are essential. Successful entrepreneurs efficiently allocate their time and energy to achieve their objectives. 8. Stay Committed: Persistence is key. Elite entrepreneurs remain dedicated to their goals, even when they face challenges or slow progress. 9. Hire and Delegate Wisely: Effective delegation is crucial for growth. Successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with talented individuals and trust them to execute tasks.

10. Monitor Finances Closely: Elite entrepreneurs maintain a keen eye on their financials. They understand the importance of financial health and sustainability for long-term success. "The Entrepreneur Mind" is a comprehensive guide to the mindset and habits of successful entrepreneurs. These lessons can serve as a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs and those looking to elevate their businesses to the next level.

To achieve unimaginable business success and financial wealth-to reach the upper echelons of entrepreneurs, where you'll find Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Sara Blakely of Spanx, Mark Pincus of Zynga, Kevin Plank of Under Armour, and many others-you have to change the way you think. In other words, you must develop the Entrepreneur Mind, a way of thinking that comes from learning the vital lessons of the best entrepreneurs. In a praiseworthy effort to distill some of the most important lessons of entrepreneurship, Kevin D. Johnson, president of multimillion-dollar company Johnson Media Inc. and a serial entrepreneur for several years, shares the essential beliefs, characteristics, and habits of elite entrepreneurs. Through the conviction of his own personal experiences, which include a life-changing visit to Harvard Business School, and the compelling stories of modern-day business tycoons, Johnson transforms an oftentimes complex topic into a lucid and accessible one. In this riveting book written for new and veteran entrepreneurs, Johnson identifies one hundred key lessons that every entrepreneur must learn in seven areas: Strategy, Education, People, Finance, Marketing and Sales, Leadership, and Motivation. Lessons include how to think big, who makes the best business partners, what captivates investors, when to abandon a business idea, where to avoid opening a business bank account, and why too much formal education can hinder your entrepreneurial growth. Smart and insightful, The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs is the ultimate primer on how to think like an entrepreneur. ADVANCE PRAISE "Kevin Johnson is definitely playing a pivotal role in contributing to our entrepreneurship age." -Vivian Giang, reporter, Business Insider "Kevin Johnson has written a phenomenal book that will inspire readers to become high-achieving entrepreneurs. He exemplifies and articulates the great opportunity, fulfillment, and value that pursuing entrepreneurship brings. Well done." -Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta, U.S. congressman, and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations "This book is an important resource for current and aspiring entrepreneurs." -Eric Overby, Ph.D., assistant professor, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology "Kevin stitches together actual life scenarios and outcomes that every entrepreneur needs to understand. This book doesn't live in the clouds like some others do. Real life for real business builders... read it!" -Devon Wijesinghe, serial entrepreneur; chairman, Insightpool; director, Atlanta Technology Angels "Kevin has just given us the next best how-to handbook on starting, building, and sustaining your own business. It is written with such clarity and with commonsense lessons that truly hit the mark, turning complex concepts into simple applications." -Kent Matlock, CEO, Matlock Advertising and Public Relations "In this commendable work, Kevin has emboldened a movement very dear to my heart: making entrepreneurship accessible and a viable option for millions of young people around the world." -Scott Gerber, founder, Young Entrepreneur Council; author, Never Get a "Real" Job "Wow! Within minutes of reading this book, the business strategies and secrets that Kevin shared more than paid for the price. I highly recommend this book to entrepreneurial newbies, seasoned pros, and everybody in between. Buy it, use it, and watch your business grow!" -Shaun King, founder, HopeMob "Kevin's book is thought-provoking and insightful. It is full of rich ideas on how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and how to build a business the right way, avoiding the issues that have caused others to stumble." -Christopher Hanks, director of Entrepreneurship Program, University of Georgia

productivity

Productivity

startup

Startups

books

Books

Kevin D. Johnson

The Entrepreneur Mind

“What can I put in place so that I can go completely off the grid for 4 to 8 weeks?”To entrepreneurs who are feeling burned out, this is the question I pose most often.2 weeks isn't enough, as you can let fires erupt and then attempt to repair things when you return. But 4 to 8 weeks (or more) doesn't allow you to be a firefighter. It forces you to put systems and policies in place, ditch ad-hoc email-based triage, empower other people with rules and tools, separate the critical few from the trivial many, and otherwise create a machine that doesn't require you behind the driver's wheel 24/7.

Here's the most important point: The systems you put in place far outlive the vacation, and when you come home, you'll realize that you've taken your business (and life) to the next level.(This is only possible if you) work on your business instead of in your business, as Michael Gerber might say.

Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and one of Fortune’s “40 under 40.” He is an early-stage technology in...

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Career

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Corporate Culture

entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Tim Ferriss: Work On Your Business Instead Of In Your Business

1. Stay curious: Maintain a natural curiosity about the world and a willingness to learn from every experience.
2. Listen actively: Pay close attention when others are speaking, ask questions, and seek to understand their perspective.
3. Embrace feedback: Welcome constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

10 WAYS TO DEVELOP A TEACHABLE MINDSET:

4. Read and educate yourself: Regularly read books, and articles, or take courses to expand your knowledge and skills.
5. Be open-minded: Approach new ideas and information without preconceived judgments, and be open to changing your views when presented with compelling evidence.
6. Seek mentorship: Find experienced individuals who can guide you and share their knowledge and experiences.

7. Reflect on your experiences: Take time to analyze your actions and learn from your successes and failures.
8. Stay humble: Recognize that there's always more to learn, and no one has all the answers.
9. Practice patience: Understand that learning and personal growth take time, and don't get discouraged by setbacks.
10. Collaborate with others: Work in teams and be open to learning from your peers, as collective knowledge often leads to innovation and growth.

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea-the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Carol Dweck is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Carol Dweck has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Carol Dweck's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Carol Dweck

Mindset - Updated Edition

“A true warrior fights not for himself, but for the ones he loves.”

I believe to be truly successful and live a legendary life you must be in balance with all aspects of life and being of service is a big part of that balance. This means being of service to others in…

The Importance of Being in Service to Others for Your Own Success

Success begins with a clear and specific goal. Define your purpose and create a plan to achieve it. Without a definite purpose, you may drift aimlessly and struggle to find success.

1. Definiteness of Purpose:

Self-discipline is crucial for success. Develop the ability to control your thoughts, emotions, and actions. By mastering self-discipline, you can stay focused, overcome obstacles, and persist in the face of challenges.

2. Mastering Self-Discipline:

Cultivate a positive mindset. Your thoughts and beliefs shape your reality. Maintain a positive mental attitude, visualize success, and eliminate negative self-talk. A positive mindset attracts opportunities and helps you overcome setbacks.

3. Positive Mental Attitude:

Failure is not permanent unless you allow it to be. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and stepping stone to success. Analyze your failures, learn from them, and adjust your approach. Persistence and resilience are key to achieving your goals.

4. Learning from Failure:

Develop strong communication skills. Learn to express yourself clearly, listen actively, and understand others. Effective communication builds relationships, inspires collaboration, and opens doors to new opportunities.

5. Effective Communication: 

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who support and challenge you. Create a mastermind group of individuals who share similar goals and values. Collaborate, exchange ideas, and leverage collective knowledge and resources.

6. Building a Mastermind Group:

Success requires taking consistent and purposeful action. Avoid procrastination and indecision. Break down your goals into actionable steps and take immediate action. Progress comes from consistent effort and perseverance.

7. Taking Action:

Success rarely comes overnight. Develop persistence and determination to overcome obstacles and setbacks. Stay committed to your goals, even when faced with challenges. Success often comes to those who refuse to give up.

8. Persistence and Determination: 

Commit to lifelong learning and personal growth. Acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and stay updated with industry trends. Embrace a growth mindset and seek opportunities for self-improvement.

9. Continuous Learning and Growth:

True success involves making a positive impact on others. Find ways to contribute to society and help others succeed. By serving others, you create a ripple effect of positivity and attract success into your own life.

10. Giving Back and Serving Others:

These are just a few of the many valuable lessons from "The Law of Success." Applying these principles can help you unlock your potential and achieve success in various areas of your life.

"The Law of Success" by Napoleon Hill is a classic self-help book that provides valuable lessons and principles for achieving success in various aspects of life.

The Law Of Success: In Sixteen Lessons Teaching, For The First Time In The History Of The World, The True Philosophy Upon Which All Personal Success Is Built. This book is a result of an effort made by us towards making a contribution to the preservation and repair of original classic literature. In an attempt to preserve, improve and recreate the original content, we have worked towards: 1. Type-setting & Reformatting: The complete work has been re-designed via professional layout, formatting and type-setting tools to re-create the same edition with rich typography, graphics, high quality images, and table elements, giving our readers the feel of holding a 'fresh and newly' reprinted and/or revised edition, as opposed to other scanned & printed (Optical Character Recognition - OCR) reproductions. 2. Correction of imperfections: As the work was re-created from the scratch, therefore, it was vetted to rectify certain conventional norms with regard to typographical mistakes, hyphenations, punctuations, blurred images, missing content/pages, and/or other related subject matters, upon our consideration. Every attempt was made to rectify the imperfections related to omitted constructs in the original edition via other references. However, a few of such imperfections which could not be rectified due to intentional\unintentional omission of content in the original edition, were inherited and preserved from the original work to maintain the authenticity and construct, relevant to the work. We believe that this work holds historical, cultural and/or intellectual importance in the literary works community, therefore despite the oddities, we accounted the work for print as a part of our continuing effort towards preservation of literary work and our contribution towards the development of the society as a whole, driven by our beliefs. We are grateful to our readers for putting their faith in us and accepting our imperfections with regard to preservation of the historical content. HAPPY READING!

Oliver Napoleon Hill was an American self-help author. He is best known for his book Think and Grow Rich, which is among the best-selling self-help books of all time. Hill's works insisted that fervid expectations are essential to improving one's life.

Napoleon Hill

The Law Of Success

Is what happens when you show someone that you Care Personally while you Challenge Directly, without being aggressive or insincere. Radical Candor really just means saying what you think while also giving a damn about the person you're saying it to.

Radical Candor

1. Noun usage:"His lifelong endeavor was to build a business empire from scratch."Syn: attempt, try"She pursued her artistic endeavors with unwavering determination."Endeavor: Verb usage:2. "I will endeavor to complete the project ahead of schedule.""Please endeavor to maintain open communication with the team throughout the project."

Endeavor

If you take something into account, or take account of something, you consider it when you are thinking about a situation or deciding what to do. حساب رکھنا" or "مد نظر رکھنا<ul><li>Ex: When you choose your preferences, take account of your budget as well.</li></ul>

Take into account/take account of 

Mastering Business English is your passport to success in the business world. It paves the way for effective communication with a wide range of partners and customers, opening doors to endless opportunities. Don't miss out – make Business English your secret weapon for a prosperous for Remote work and team management .

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Remote Work

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Teamwork

Business Vocabulary 

Having the characteristics of a creative thinker often enables individuals to generate innovative solutions to their problems. These are the 12 most common traits of a creative person:
<ol>
<li>Curious</li>
<li>Playful</li>
<li>Open-Minded</li>
<li>Flexible</li>
<li>Sensitive</li>
<li>Independent</li>
<li>Risk-taking</li>
<li>Intuitive</li>
<li>Thorough</li>
<li>Ambitious</li>
<li>Objective</li>
<li>Energetic</li>
</ol>

12 common characteristics of creative people

Creativity enables individuals to generate new or innovative ideas, then bring them into existence. Having the characteristics of a creative thinker often enable individuals to generate innovative solutions to their problems.

Creativity is More Than Being Artistic

Creative people enjoy learning new things, so their free time may include reading books or watching videos about topics they find interesting.They often find it exciting or satisfying to take on the task of understanding concepts with which they do not already have familiarity.Creative people may seek opportunities to learn new skills for personal reasons or to perform better.They bring this curiosity to their work, often by asking questions.

1. Curious

Creative people are willing to play with various ideas until they find the right one. The sense of playfulness means that they have fun with this process, rather than taking it too seriously.Sometimes the best ideas can develop through accidents or unintentionally.As a result, they do not put pressure on themselves to get it right the first time

2. Playful

An open-minded person is willing to hear and try new ideas. Creative people want to hear all the possibilities and explore them further. They do not judge others' ideas or perspectives. Instead, they take the time to listen to others so they can better understand them.They also are open to new experiences, so they enjoy trying various ways of performing tasks. Trying new things can often bring excitement into their days. This can be as simple as taking a different route on the way to work one day or they may choose to work with someone new rather than teaming up with their usual colleague.

3. Open-Minded

Similar to open-mindedness, creative people often have a strong sense of flexibility. This trait supports their willingness to try new ideas and experiences. People with a strong sense of flexibility also feel more comfortable adapting to change. For example, they may find it easier to adjust their processes when they must switch from one using software to another or work with a new set of team members.Flexibility also enables creative people to change their minds about ideas, which makes them more willing to admit when they are wrong.

4. Flexible

Due to their open nature, creative people also tend to be sensitive. This sensitivity can help them in many areas of life, both personally and professionally. Their sensitivity can also increase their awareness of the issues around them, which sometimes can cause them to care even more about solving them. For example, a creative person who works in product development may take a very empathetic, customer-centered approach. They want to ensure that the product solves customers' needs effectively and creates a positive experience.

5. Sensitive

Working independently allows creative people to embrace their personal freedom. They can make their own decisions on how to do things, without instruction or demands from others. Often, this independent nature also means creative people feel comfortable taking on challenges themselves. With their freedom, they can take as long as they need to understand the task and how to complete it. They may even see these challenges as opportunities to grow professionally and develop their skills.

6. Independent

Creative people are willing to take on the risks associated with trying new ideas. They do not know if a concept is a bad one until it is tested or examined—so all ideas pose the potential for solutions. Even if one fails, it can serve as a lesson on how to do better in the future. To them, not taking risks hinders innovation because it requires staying within one's comfort zone.To increase tolerance for risk-taking, creative people think about the reward potential.

7. Risk-taking

An intuitive person makes decisions based on feelings—creative people may tap into this ability more than other people. They trust in themselves to follow their hearts, rather than feeling restricted by more logical demands. Intuition may not always lead to the perfect solution, but it is a helpful tool when brainstorming and generating ideas.Some individuals combine their intuition with logical reasoning. For example, they may solely use intuition to generate ideas for a new product, then start implementing logic to test its feasibility.

8. Intuitive

Creative people often put a lot of thought and care into their work. They look at an issue from all possible angles as they seek solutions. Then they test all the possible solutions until they find one that best meets their needs. At times, this may mean that they pay <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/attention-to-detail">attention to details</a> that seem minor to others.

9. Thorough

Creative people often have an awareness of how much effort goes into their work. They understand that the perfect solution does not always come easily, so they must put in the work toward achieving it. When creative people have a passion for something, they will visualize their goals and commit themselves to attaining them. These goals can vary, whether they include completing a task or practicing an activity until they become skilled at it.Despite their flexibility and openness in other areas, this awareness sometimes requires them to take a more disciplined approach.

10. Ambitious

Creative people often feel passionate about what they do, but they also understand the need to remain objective. While they strive to create the best work possible, they realize they cannot reach that goal right away. It often takes continued practice and editing.For example, when a writer turns in the first draft of their novel, they realize it cannot be published immediately. They separate themselves from their work and listen to an editor's opinions on where to make improvements.

11. Objective

Creative people may often be energetic—this does not mean they appear hyperactive, but they put a lot of energy into their work. They often feel passionate about tasks and show their enthusiasm when performing them. When creative people put their full energy into something, it can lead them to focus on it for hours until they complete it. However, they always bring their passion, so the work does not necessarily feel like work. Instead, they may gain enjoyment or satisfaction from their experiences.

12. Energetic

A creative person is more than just an artistic ability. These are the 12 most common traits of a creative person.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

12 Traits of Creative People

China skipped the desktop Internet, credit cards etc ... and went straight to mobile apps. Which they monetise through subscription way more than ads like in the West. Chinese social media giants have perfected the art of monetisation, which a16z codified in a framework with 4 key elements: <ul><li>Mixture of paid and earned perks</li><li>An intricate point-based levelling system</li><li>Functional features & showing-off perks</li><li>Partnerships with other companies</li></ul>

The Chinese Alternative to Ads

Current membership models in the U.S (X or Snapchat) use the basic formula: <a href="https://emojipedia.org/handshake">🤝</a> pay dollars, get features in returnChinese models expand this with gamification. Paid memberships get you an initial baseline membership, but additional benefits are only unlocked with increased usage. This created engagement for paid users, which also increases. Ex: For $3.50/mo, Weibo VIP members can edit their posts, have fun stickers, access VIP emojis, etc (see chart below). Continued usage of Weibo unlocks more features such as pinning more than one post.

Paid membership as engagement drivers

Chinese companies use a levelling or points system to give users a sense of progress. This nuanced type of membership system creates a win-win between user and platform: users have fun while they earn and accumulate points to unlock more features, and platforms have a way to encourage new user behaviour. Levelling perks can also help push monthly subscribers to annual ones. For example: Weibo lets users jump to Level 3 by simply choosing an annual plan instead of a monthly one.

Levelling Up

The Chinese networks offer functional/utilitarian benefits along-side social flexing (i.e., social expressions that are visible to the rest of the community). Ways the Chinese apps encourage flexing:<ul><li>app skins and custom icons</li><li>add icons next to their username</li><li>have their comments show up in various colors</li></ul>

A balance of flexing with functionality

In China, many of the major social media companies do cross-partnerships with non-competitive companies to increase their customer base. It’s an online exchange that benefits both parties, and would be the equivalent of Twitter Blue offering its members a free Spotify membership as a perk.The closest equivalents (in the Western world) are offline museum reciprocity programs, where membership in one museum grants you free access to a select list of other museums around the country.

Partnerships with other companies

Very interesting how the Chinese mobile landscape is so different than the Western ones. They have more advanced monetisation & and fancier engagement options

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

product

Product & Design

How the Chinese Build Winning Paid Membership Apps

A service, simply put, is simply something that helps someone to do something. The parts of a service might be provided by a number of different organisations but, to a user, a service is one continuous set of actions towards that end goal, regardless of who is providing it.

What is a service?

The only person who gets to decide what the service is, is the person who has the goal they need to achieve – and that’s your user. It’s your job to orchestrate all of the pieces of this service in as seamless a journey as possible, even if you don’t provide the whole service yourself.

Orchestration of service

The service must be able to be found by a user with no prior knowledge of the task they set out to do. For example, someone who wants to ‘learn to drive’ must be able to find their way to ‘get a driving licence’ as part of that service unaided.

Principle 1. A good service is easy to find

Where your user starts will depend on how much they’re already aware of what services might be available to meet their needs. Your job is to make sure that they can get from this goal to the service you provide, without having to resort to support.

Good services are verbs. Bad services are nouns

Without understanding what our users are trying to achieve, and reinterpreting our services in language that our users can understand, we often place users in a situation where, to find something, they need to know exactly what they’re looking for.The less you know about the situation you’re in, the support available to you or what you should do, the harder you will find this search. Needless to say, even the most patient people wilt at the prospect of this almost impossible task.

Understanding what users trying to achieve

Rather than using the words your organisation uses to describe the tasks it has completed, try to find out some of the words your user would use to describe what they’re trying to achieve.<ol><li>Avoid legal or technical language</li><li>Describe a task, not a technology</li><li>Don’t use acronyms</li></ol>

Nouns are for experts. Verbs are for everyone

The purpose of the service must be clear to users at the start of using the service. That means a user with no prior knowledge must understand what the service will do for them and how it will work.

Principle 2. A good service clearly explains its purpose

Purpose of your service =what your service does +why it does it +how it does it +who it’s for

Purpose of your service

Clearly express what the service tangibly does for your user. Be factual, avoid marketing promises. Stick to the functionality.What outcome will it achieve for the user?

What does the service do?

Sometimes how your service works is almost as important as what it does.Who is able to use it?How is it paid for?Is it a subscription or a one-off purchase?How quickly can you do the thing you’re offering?What is it about the way your service works that makes it quicker or more convenient for your users than any other?Are there any other benefits to your service besides basic convenience?Is your service sustainable or funded/made in a way that benefits society at large?

How does the service work?

This will probably be obvious to your user if you express what the service does and how it does it well enough, but you’ll also need to explain that it’s not possible to use the service to users who aren’t eligible or suitable for the service so that they can be moved out of the journey as soon as possible.

Who is the service for?

Possibly the most crucial of all: make sure you explain to your users why your service exists and what outcome it will achieve, both personally for the user and for society.Clearly communicate this to users – through things like the service name, description and even the interface of how it works.

Why does the service exist?

A good service must clearly explain what is needed from the user to complete the service and what that user can expect from the service provider in return. This includes things like how long something will take to complete, how much it will cost or if there are restrictions on the types of people who can use the service.How long something will take to complete, how much it will cost, whether they will be contacted and what else they might need to do after using your service are all things that a user needs to know to make a decision about whether or not to use your service.

Principle 3. A good service sets the expectations a user has of it

Whether that effect is big or small, knowing what to expect helps people to plan and take control of their situation. It gives them power – and in some cases the ability to make another choice if what you’re offering isn’t going to work for them.Most people base their expectations on past experiences, so if another company in another country has done something, the likelihood is someone is going to expect the same of you at some point.

Tell users what to expect

Universal expectations. These are the things about your service that are fundamental to what you’re delivering and are universal to almost all users because other similar services work in the same way.Assumed expectations. When someone doesn’t know what to expect, then an assumption usually takes its place. These are usually assumptions that are easier or more convenient for the user. Outlier expectations. These are the things that only some users might expect, based on a previous experience of a similar service elsewhere, and can very often be based on a better experience a user have had.

Three types of expectation

You won’t need to explain universal expectations to users when they sign up to your service. You will need to monitor these closely, though, because if any universal expectations aren’t met at any point, they will have the most severe effect on your user.Assumed expectations are  the things that are the most important to explain upfront to your users, because although they’re obvious to you, they won’t be to your users unless they’re experts.Outlier expectations. You won’t need to consider them in your service now, but you do need to watch out in the future.

How to ‘manage’ expectations

A good service helps the user to achieve a goal – be that start a business, learn to drive or move house – in as much of a seamless stream of events as possible. This starts from the moment that a user is considering doing something to the moment they have achieved their goal, including any steps needed to support the user after they have reached their goal.

Principle 4. A good service enables a user to complete the outcome they set out to do

What your user expects from your service when they arrive at it is very often not the same as the service you provide.What’s important isn’t the scope of what you provide, but whether or not the part of the journey you provide helps your user to reach their ultimate goal.

Consider all of the steps involved in
helping our users to meet their end goal

What it also shows us is that when we try to solve one small part of a user’s problem with one small slice of a service, we often don’t achieve the results we set out to achieve.Often, the perceived cost saving we think we will achieve in providing a smaller part of a whole service is outweighed in the number of people who have to provide additional elements of their service to pick up the pieces

Perceived cost saving

<ol><li>Understanding what your user is trying to achieve.</li><li>Get a good understanding of who else delivers parts of this service and how they relate to your organization.</li><li>Look at your organization’s ability to deliver all of this service; if this isn’t feasible, define what a rational scope for your part of that end-to-end service will be.</li><li>Consider which part of the service it makes sense to deliver first. Start small and build or improve in increments.</li><li>Look at how data gets shared between the organisations delivering this service, are there things you could share that make it easier for your user?</li></ol>

Thinking about whole services will
change what your service is

People base their understanding of the world on previous experiences. If there’s an established custom for your service that benefits a user, your service should conform to that custom. But be mindful that not all customs benefit users – some have been put in for the benefit of the organization running the service rather than users. Avoid customs that negatively affect your users or those that are inefficient or outdated.

Principle 5. A good service works in a way that’s familiar

There is a delicate balance between working in a familiar way, and breaking out of this to set a better way of working.Try to do something new without properly testing it with users, and you risk creating a ‘new’ way of working that is unusable because users have no prior experience of it.Equally, sticking with a way of working that doesn’t work for users just because that’s what everyone else does can be just as damaging.

Disruptive Service

Crucially, though, changes to expected ways of working in your service require a critical mass to be usable by all users. The bigger the shift from the norm, the more ubiquitous this will need to be for users to become familiar enough to be able to or want to use your changed service.

Critical mass of changing service

<ol><li>Research how your competitors work and look for patterns in what they do.</li><li>Understand if there is an easier, more intuitive or more effective way of doing what you’re doing.</li><li>If there is, test it to understand how different this is from your users’ existing expectations of how your service might work.</li><li>Make sure that any changes you make are intuitive.</li><li>Share the changes to the way your service works with others so that your pattern can become ubiquitous.</li></ol>

Making sure your service works well

A service should not work in a way that assumes any prior knowledge from the user.

Principle 6. A good service requires no prior knowledge to use

We need to think about:<ol><li>How does someone know your service exists when they need it?  Does your user know your service exists?</li><li>How do they find it once they know it’s there? Can they find it using their own logical searches for what they’re looking for?</li><li>How do they access and use it? Does the service clearly explain what it does? Does the user know what to expect and what is expected of them?</li></ol>

How to design service for someone with no prior knowledge

The service must work in a way that does not unnecessarily expose a user to the internal structures of the organization providing the service.

Principle 7. A good service is agnostic to
organisational structures

Separation of data. Review what data flows through your end-to-end service, who collects it and who has access to it.Incompatible processes. This can be one part of a journey that takes a certain amount of time, and doesn’t match up with the deadlines of another.Incompatible criteria of use. Try to map out all of the mandatory requirements in your service and see if these are consistent across all touchpoints.Inconsistent language. Create a taxonomy of the things a user might need to refer to and make sure that these are the same in all areas of your service.

Four fundamental ways that cause siloed, fragmented journeys of our services

A good service requires as minimal interaction from a user as possible to complete the outcome that they’re trying to achieve. Sometimes this will mean proactively meeting a user’s needs without them instigating an interaction with your organisation. This may mean occasionally slowing the progress of a service in order to help a user absorb information or make an important decision without having to contact you to help them.

Principle 8. A good service requires as few steps as possible to complete

Services are made of small pieces, but they are more than the sum of their parts. How many steps your service has and how quickly your user goes through them is often as important as what those parts do.The number and pace of the steps within your service can be designed in a way that best suits what your user wants to achieve, rather than just evolving from the conditions they’re in.

Services are made of small pieces

There is a simple rule: the number of steps in your service should be equal to the number of decisions your user has to make, no more and no less.Don’t just design the steps of your service, design the space between them.

Number of steps in your service

Services in the internet age are not only defined by the user who’s looking for them but composed of ‘small pieces loosely joined’

Service design is a rapidly growing area of interest in design and business management. There are a lot of books on how to get started, but this is the first book that describes what a "good" service is and how to design one. This book lays out the essential principles for building services that work well for users. Demystifying what we mean by a "good" and "bad" service and describing the common elements within all services that mean they either work for users or don't. A practical book for practitioners and non-practitioners alike interested in better service delivery, this book is the definitive new guide to designing services that work for users.

Good Services

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