Billy Gold Tries to Measure Magic
Nate sits down with Billy Gold, unapologetic human extraordinaire, old market research hand and pal who has had a backstage pass to many of Nate’s successes and failures for a conceptual conversation about causation vs. correlation, situational awareness, and interpreting the data you have in front of you.
Highlights:
- Boutique consumer insights org. based out of Bellevue WA is Billy’s day job. This might be relevant later.
- What’s the story Billy? How do you know what something means? What is weird weather and what does it mean?
- Often, the spark that triggers a transition is not only foreign, but an incomplete picture of what is actually going on. When you are looking for meaning, it implies an intention. Not everything on earth has an intention.
- It never hurts to be aware of reality. It helps to know how people behave, but don’t assume a one to one causation, or that people care. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
- Two different approaches to managing risk – the MBA bell curve approach vs distributed risk (placing many small bets).
- Insider information: Even if you don’t have deep pockets or wells of patience, look for the small bets.
- Try a number of different strategies and test for magic. What will rise above your other strategies as a smash hit? You won’t know until you try.
- How do you get people to care? Why don’t they care? Not-caring might come from a feeling of powerlessness or just laziness. Make it convenient to empower people and you’ve killed two birds with one stone. Maybe. Test it!
- How Nate suckered Seth and David into being partners.
- $10,000 line of credit lol
- You can’t do everything – eventually you’ll have to choose what you care about.
- Current status: We’re all opting in to commercial surveillance and then bragging about it.
- If you do care, people can tell.
