Featured
The TOWS matrix: a pair of planning spectacles
Why the awkwardly-named TOWS matrix is the strategy equivalent of a new pair of glasses – and how to use it to spot risks and opportunities you’d otherwise miss.
Read the piece
Archive
Writing
A small collection of pieces – some about work, some about history, some just for fun.
‘Would it help?’ – a passing thought about confidence, class and the news
A short reflection on a line from Bridge of Spies, the appeal of stoicism, and how much of the news cycle is worth letting in.
Pondering
Permissive Paradise: Apple Studio's first song?
Perhaps the first ever song recorded at the Beatles’ Apple Studio in Savile Row was a garage-rock track called ‘Permissive Paradise’, performed by The Iveys and written by Jeremy Cox.
Miscellaneous
Henry J. Heinz – born 11th October
Born on 11 October 1844: Henry J. Heinz, the brainz behind the beanz at the company that turned a horseradish sideline into a global condiment empire.
Born on this day
Allen Lane – born 21st September
When Allen Lane launched Penguin Books, many people thought the venture would fail – paperbacks at sixpence each were considered far too cheap to be taken seriously.
Born on this day
Penny Singleton - born 9th September
Penny Singleton was the voice of Jane Jetson in The Jetsons, but her talents and bravery went far beyond cartoons – she was also a pioneering union leader in Hollywood.
Born on this day
Daniel Inouye – born 7th September
Daniel Inouye lost his arm to a grenade in the Second World War and went on to become one of the longest-serving senators in US history – a quietly remarkable life.
Born on this day
Random date history: Sunday 7th November 1802
A one-off experiment in randomly time-travelling through British history – politics, culture and daily life on a single ordinary Sunday in November 1802.
Random Date History
Drupal vs Wordpress
A simple three-stage comparison of Drupal and WordPress, two of the most popular content management systems, to help you work out which one fits your project best.
Digital Marketing · Miscellaneous
Charities and the genius in the crowd
A presentation I made back in 2014, arguing that charities generally don’t do enough to cultivate the creativity of the people who already care about their cause.
Charities
9 Great Things from Switch
Nine of the most useful and interesting ideas from Chip and Dan Heath’s book Switch, distilled into a quick reference for anyone trying to make change stick.
Books · Interesting bits
Supertat
A small collection of extraordinary tourist souvenirs – the gloriously over-designed, the baffling and the sublime – gathered under the working title ‘supertat’.
Silly
The Thatcherite Ratchet?
Are we living in a political epoch that simply cannot turn left? A short essay on the long shadow Thatcherism still casts over British politics.
Miscellaneous · Pondering
Getting unstuck: Douglas Adams and the judo principle
How to use your problem to solve your problem – a note on Douglas Adams, the judo principle, and getting unstuck when you’re properly stuck.
Miscellaneous