In Lieu of Money, Toyota Donates Efficiency to NYC Charity - My favorite article of the week. Toyota is a great company because they developed incredible process improvements in manufacturing, It turns out those improvements are just as applicable in soup kitchens as they are on the car line. It's really neat to see a big corporation donate skill and time vs. money.
OpenTable Begins Testing Mobile Payments - No more waiting for that waiter to remember you exist so you can pay your check and go to the show. Soon you'll be able to do it from your phone.
Hulu's Arrival at TCA: Another Reminder That Times Are Changing - Tim Goodman covers Hulu's presentation at the TV critics gathering in LA. Goodman lives in the Bay Area so he's influenced by the Tech World much more than other TV critics. It's obvious to him (and me) that Hulu is going to be a big player in the future of TV. Loved the bit about how the room was only half full for Hulu's presentation.
The Most Important Managerial Skill - "Picking your battles." It's so true.
New Unit to Turn Brands Into Publishers - My good friend, Mark Himmelsbach, has just announced he's starting a new advertising agency called MediaBrands. It's centered around turning brands into publishers, or "Content Marketing." Media and Advertising continue to become intertwined, and soon we may not be able to tell which is which. But it's going to be big and I'm happy for Mark that he's getting in on the ground floor.
The $4 Million Teacher - South Korea spends a lot of money on their teachers, and it works.
I'll leave you with a couple Songza Playlists, 1) A Relaxing Evening & 2) Barefoot Beach Chill that we've enjoyed over the weekend while relaxing and catching crawdads at Donner Lake.
