A collection of articles about particle physics, psychology, organizational changes, coaching and toxic behaviors in product development
I hope you had a great week and you’re ready for this next edition! Sit back, relax and enjoy 💖
A New Map of All the Particles and Forces#
An amazing overview of where particle physics is at today – it’s also a good primer. As a bonus – if you’re a physics geek like me – you’ll enjoy What Is the Geometry of the Universe? too.
Use “pseudo-sets” to control how many actions people take#
A 3-years old Harvard research building on Gestalt psychology shows us how we can influence people to take more, or less, actions (e.g. reading or buying something, going to the gym) by grouping them into sets that feel ‘complete’. Pseudo-set framing is widely used in areas like web design (“you’ve read 66% of this article”. Really), gaming (“unlock 8 new levels”), and collectible products (e.g. cards, toys).
Communicating organizational changes#
Org changes can be disruptive if not communicated properly. Read this article for some actionable advice on how to do it right.
Less status updates, more coaching#
James Stanier talks about how to avoid “status snore-fests” and turn your one-to-ones into coaching sessions. Shameless plug: I’ve also written about the basics of one-on-ones.
The four dangerous animals of product development#
As usual, the last piece is from me, myself and I – there are (at least) four specific behaviors in product development that we need to watch out for. Join me in a quick (really, it’s a short post) stroll through the zoo.