Strands of Genius: Students Hack Smart Glasses, Living Solo, 7 - Eleven

Guest curated by Duane Brown, Founder & Head of Strategy @ Take Some Risk

Oct 10, 2024

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, DUANE BROWN ::

LOCATION: Toronto, Canada

I met Faris on Twitter over a decade ago ... he was still in NYC and saying a lot of smart things. Since then I have lived in 6 cities across 3 continents and visited 60 countries around the world. When I am not working with ecom brands, you can pretty much find me reading, cooking or on a plane visiting a new city.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): Ah old twitter, for all its problems that we did complain about at the time, was a special place for meeting smart people through their thoughts and links. Kind of like LoveisBlind for the mind. Maybe. Anyway Faris did indeed meet Duane then and there and has enjoyed excellent discourse since. Duane did some digital nomad living and started his own agency, Take Some Risk - with a focused value performance media proposition for companies that most need and use it, ecommerce, Saas, DTC. We also absolutely LOVE the 7-11 kombinis. So much. Especially the sandwiches. Thanks so much Duane hope to see you in TDOT sometime ;)

:: THE LINKS ::

STUDENTS HACK SMART GLASSES

Technology may change but people will always hack your product and use it in a way you didn't think about or intend. That can be a good thing or it can be a very bard thing. If this doesn't want you to put less information online and especially on social. I don't know what will. (Morning Brew)

LIVING SOLO

As a single 42 year old male. I can tell you I am a growing trend. I have been single so long, I was doing it before it was so trendy...lol. Brands often focus on everything and everyone but the single person. If you want to reach a group with time and money. The single household should be considered in 2025. We are only getting bigger as a cohort with each passing year. (AP News)

7-ELEVEN

No not that one in North America. I mean the 7-Eleven when you are traveling around Japan. The one that has perfected the Konbini business model. The retail chain has been in the news as a Canadian brand wants to buy it out and bring Konbini to North America. More brands need to try and standout and not be bland in how they run a business. (BBC)

Looking for more from Duane? Coming Friday, look for an interview from him in your inbox!

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Chess

:: City :: Porto and Hanoi

:: Book :: Competition demystified : a radically simpfified approach to business strategy

:: Podcast :: Don't listen to any

:: Song :: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

:: EMOTIONS ::

I look young because most days when I should be crying,... I laugh at just how crazy people can be. Never underestimate how much emotion people bring into business and the choices they make.

Profit in the bank is the only thing you should care about.

TakeSomeRisk

Strands of Genius is currently read by more than 15,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.

It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

Strands of Genius