Cube55 – Security, Responsibility & $100 Start-ups

This Cube focus on part of chapter 5 of The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau & deals with several things, ending with a couple of ideas of businesses that took less than $100 to start and earned enough for the founder to not need a traditional job.

Inside the cube is also this quotation:

The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes “sightseeing.”

~ Daniel J. Boorstin

 

[audio:http://www.startingcube.com/cube0055Security-Responsibility-100-dollar-Start-ups.mp3]
[mp3 – 6:50] One-Click Subscriptions: Zune : iTunes : RSS

 

Starting Questions:

  1. Who are some people or organizations that promote building a business, investing, or passive income?
  2. Do you want to earn independence?
  3. Do you have other low-cost start-up ideas?

Cube37 – Motivation : Why you are having issues

Long ago the primary motivations with humans was survival. If you could help someone survive, you could motivate them to do just about anything.

More recent the method of motivating people, mostly employees, was carrots & sticks.

Now, Daniel Pink explains in his book Drive, to motivate or influence the actions of more and more people, you have to find something else. This is not universal for everyone, at this point, but the more a task requires creativity, the less extra money will cause better results.

 

In working on this episode, the previous two work well with it:

Here is Starting Cube 37 – Motivation : Why you are having issues

[audio:http://www.startingcube.com/cube37Motivation-Why-you-are-having-issues.mp3]
[mp3 – 6:57] One-Click Subscriptions: Zune : iTunes : RSS

 

Starting Question:

  1. Is your work interesting? If not, is that a source of frustration?
  2. What was the strongest thought as you listened to this?

Cube36 – Rework Your Work To Work

There are many songs out there that have the title “Forward Motion”. Why is that? Probably because it is such a common struggle among our society.

 

Jason Fried of 37Signals has put a lot of thought about this in terms of work. He has released a great little book titled Rework, and spoke at a TEDx on this topic, which is the subject of this cube.

 

 

[audio:http://www.startingcube.com/cube0036Rework-Your-Work-To-Wo.mp3]
[mp3 – 9:34] One-Click Subscriptions: Zune : iTunes : RSS

Below is the full TEDx presentation:

 

 

Starting Questions:

  1. What creative work do you do?
  2. What is an involuntary distraction that you have managed to deal with? How?
  3. Any recommendations?

Cube26 – Do Your Best

James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio dives into the serious business of entertainment. An industry, like many others, is not an exact science & people are just trying to find a great path to their goals. This cube features James Lipton interviewing Conan O’Brian in 2009, before he replaced Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.

Conan mixes humor, wisdom, and experience into an interview great for anyone.

[audio:http://www.startingcube.com/cube0026do-your-best.mp3]
[mp3 – 6:43] One-Click Subscriptions: Zune : iTunes : RSS

Starting Questions:

  1. When you discover that someone else is human (does not know everything) how does that effect you?
  2. How many stories of other people have you discovered in the last week? month? year?
  3. How do you work to improve your production? How does Conan?
  4. … … what questions came to your mind as you listened?

Cube0018 – What Do You Do?

Most people confuse the method of medium for the message or value provided.

This cube comes from This Week in Tech 290 and mostly features Leo Laporte & Om Malik talking about differences between the method for delivering value, and the value that is provided.

 

We would also like to know how we are doing, fill out our current Feedback Forum.

 

[audio:http://www.startingcube.com/cube0018what-do-you-do.mp3]
[mp3 – 6:55] One-Click Subscriptions: Zune : iTunes : RSS

Starting Questions:

  1. What value does the character in the image provide at the Renaissance Festival?
  2. What real value do you provide to your clients, friends, organization you volunteer for?
  3. … what questions came to your mind?