Capitalogix

Treat Your Business Like A Football Team

We're now midway through the Cowboys Season, and despite injuries plaguing the team, we just had a fantastic 43 - 20 victory over the Rams. 

At every game, I run into this guy, and every game he wears a different creative, and well-thought-out costume.  He sits on the 50-yard line. He wears Ferragamo shoes and a nice watch.  For his day job, he is the Head of Psychiatry at a well-known hospital in the area.  Yet, something about this game captures his imagination.

Jerry Jones does a lot right in how he builds his "Disney Ride."  But this post will focus more on what the coaches and players do. 

I'm regularly surprised by the levels of innovation and strategic thinking I see in football.

Football is something I used to love to play.  And it is still something that informs my thoughts and actions.

Some lessons relate to being part of a team, while others relate to the coaching or management side of things.

Some of these lessons stem back to youth football ... but I still learn things watching games – and even more, from watching Dallas Cowboys practices at The Star. 

Think about it ...  even in middle school, the coaches have a game plan.  There are team practices and individual drills.  They have a depth chart, which lists the first, second, and third choices to fill certain roles.  In short, they focus on the fundamentals in a way that most businesses don't.

The picture, below, is of my brother's high school team way back in 1989.

 

To re-state, most businesses are less prepared for their problems than an 8th-grade football team.  Now, that might sound offensive to some of you – but if you think about it ... it's pretty accurate. 

Losing to an 8th Grade Team

I shot this video right before the COVID-19 shutdown.  I encourage you to watch it.  I think it's 3 minutes well spent.

 

Football teams think about how to improve each player, how to beat this week's opponent, and then how to string together wins to achieve a higher goal.   

The team thinks of itself as a team.  They expect to practice.  And they get coached.

In addition, there is a playbook for both offense and defense.  And they watch game films to review what went right ... and what they can learn from for use later.

Contrast that with many businesses.  Entrepreneurs often get myopic ... they get focused on today, focused on survival, and they lose sight of the bigger picture and how all the pieces fit together. 

The amount of thought and preparation that goes into football - which is ultimately a game - is a valuable lesson for business. 

What about when you get to the highest level?  If an 8th-grade football team is equivalent to a normal business, what about businesses that are killing it?  That would be similar to an NFL team. 

Let's look at the Cowboys. 

Practice Makes Perfect

How you do one thing is how you do everything.  So, they try to do everything right. 

Each time I've watched a practice session, I've come away impressed by the amount of preparation, effort, and skill displayed.

During practice, there's a scheduled agenda.  The practice is broken into chunks, and each chunk has a designed purpose and a desired intensity.  There's a rhythm, even to the breaks.

Every minute is scripted.  There's a long-term plan to handle the season ... but, there was also a focus on the short-term details and their current opponent.

They alternate between individual and group drills.  Moreover, the drills run fast ... but for shorter time periods than you'd guess.  It is bang-bang-bang – never longer than a millennial's attention span.  And they move from drill to drill – working not just on plays, but also on skillsets (where are you looking, which foot do you plant, how do you best use your hands, etc.).

They use advanced technology (including advanced player monitoring, biometric tracking, and medical recovery devices ... but also things like robotic tackling dummies and virtual reality headsets). 

They don't just film games, they film the practices ... and each individual drill.  Coaches and players get a cut of the film on their tablets as soon as they leave.  It is a process of constant feedback and constant improvement.  Everything has the potential to be a lesson. 

Beyond The Snap

The focus is not just internal, on the team.  They focus on the competition as well.  Before a game, the coaches prepare a game plan and have the team watch tape of their opponent in order to understand the tendencies and mentally prepare for what's going to happen.

During the game, changes in personnel groups and schemes keep competitors on their toes and allow the team to identify coverages and predict plays.  If the offense realizes a play has been predicted, they call an audible based on what they see in front of them.  Coaches from different hierarchies work in tandem to respond faster to new problems. 

After the game, the film is reviewed in detail.  Each person gets a grade on each play, and the coaches make notes for each person about what they did well and what they could do better.

Think about it ... everyone knows what game they are playing ... and for the most part, everybody understands the rules and how to keep score (and even where they are in the standings).  Even the coaches get feedback based on performance, and they look to others for guidance. 

Imagine how easy that would be to do in business.  Imagine how much better things could be if you did those things.

Challenge accepted.

And, in celebration of a Cowboys win ... here's me doing a cartwheel.  I'm sure my body will feel great tomorrow ...

 

The Most Popular Spotify Artists

Time and technology march forward relentlessly. 

It is easy to keep up – until you pause or slow down.

Being an Early Adopter was a big part of my identity.  At this point in my life, I am still early with respect to new technologies, but I feel like I'm losing touch with a lot of today's culture. 

Perhaps this started over a decade ago?  I remember finding my sons' slang and music off-putting. 

As an aside, my youngest son, Zach, went through a phase where it felt like he used the verbal tic ... "Dude" in every other sentence.  Parenting trick – I broke his habit by screaming "FOOPDEEDOO!!" every time he said it, regardless of when it happened, where we were, or who we were with. 

If it's crazy and it works ... it's not crazy.  He certainly stopped saying "dude". 

OK, back to the point.  I realize that the Top 40 is basically a list of 40 songs that I don't know (and feel like I only randomly know some of the artists).  Meanwhile, my staff laughingly refer to my favorite stations on SiriusXM radio as old-man music.

To make the point further, my research assistant asked me if I knew about Bad Bunny.  To me, it sounded like a Disney cartoon for Halloween.  But, apparently, he is a Grammy-winning recording artist who won "Album of the Year" for music that I had never heard.

It didn't take long to get to the list of top Spotify artists.  For the record, I do know most of those artists – but admittedly few of their songs. 

Here is the list.  How did you do?

via StatsPanda

 

But as I said, listening to the Top 40 is getting harder for me.  Where's the rock (or songs with discernable melodies)?! 

Meanwhile, I'm about to start a new art exhibit. I call it "Jen Sleeps At Pop Concerts" 

So far, we've got Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Bob Seger, the Eagles, and the Rolling Stones. In case you're curious, she did not fall asleep at John Legend, Queen, or Ed Sheeran. 

Times are changing ...

A Fun NFL Statistic, and an AI GM?

I love football.  As such, it is fun for me to watch the games.  But I also like the business of the game as well. 

Over time, I've become a fan of the league ... and how deliberate they are about building teams and developing players.

Last week, I got to give a series of talks to a high-level entrepreneur group called Breakthrough Mastermind.  Some of the other speakers included NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary and a starter on the league-leading Dallas Cowboys Defense, Osa Odighizuwa.  Here is a picture of us from the event. 

Let me know if you want a link to the actual presentations.  I talked about AI and how it frees you to be your best.  Osa spoke about what it takes to be a Pro, and Mike talked about teamwork and building teams.

It is Football Season.  And, if you know me, then you know I'm a Cowboys fan (despite being raised in Philly, with season tickets to the Eagles – and Boston, with season tickets to the Patriots).

So, the week one 40-0 victory over the NY Giants was fun to watch. 

It was even more fun after I saw some stats about this loss. 

According to ESPN Stats & Info:

• The 40-0 win was the largest shutout victory in Dallas's history.

• Dallas is the fifth team in NFL history to open their season with a 40-plus-point shutout on the road, and the first since the 1999 Steelers.

• The Cowboys are the first team in NFL history to open the season with a 40-plus-point shutout of a team that made the playoffs the previous season.

But feeding my occasional need for Schadenfreude ... the stats get worse for the Giants. 

In this game, they lost 40-0, got sacked seven times, to the Dallas Cowboys zero, they also lost the turnover margin 3-0, and had their opening drive field goal attempt blocked (and then returned for a touchdown), and their QB, Daniel Jones, then threw a pick-six. 

Supposedly, no team has done that in a single season - let alone a single game. 

via The Athletic

See, math can be fun!

Week Two was similar for the Cowboys against the NY Jets.  My friend and lifelong Jets fan, Brian Kurtz, attended and wrote this well-thought-out blog post on the experience.

And for some additional contrast and dynamic tension ... ponder this!

Jerry Jones Is Going to Live Forever.

As if the Cowboy's experience wasn't enough to bring people in, Jerry has now immortalized himself as the mirror from Sleeping Beauty, excuse me, I mean as a virtual AI screen at AT&T Stadium. 

It's a truly interactive experience where you can ask Jerry questions, and get responses in his voice - from an AI trained on the real Jerry Jones. 

NEW at #ATTStadium: Meet Jerry Jones – An Interactive Experience. Ask @dallascowboys' Owner Jerry Jones questions and get his responses generated by AI technology for a unique, interactive experience.

Learn More ➡️ https://t.co/JZYtOdLgj1 pic.twitter.com/b6V9AbZ8wj

— AT&T Stadium (@ATTStadium) September 7, 2023

And this is only the beginning. 

People joke that new technologies are always adopted by porn first, gambling second, and then the entertainment industry after.  These technologies have made their way to the NFL which means they are on their way to much broader adoption sooner than you might expect. 

We do live in exciting times! 

Is It The News Or Propaganda?

There is nothing wrong with your television.  We will control all that you see and hear. We can deluge you with a thousand channels or expand one single image to crystal clarity and beyond. We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive.  Enjoy ....

 
The original, from The Outer Limits TV show was: 

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to the outer limits.

As a society, we're fairly vulnerable to groupthink, advertisements, and confirmation bias. 

We believe what we want to believe, so it can be very hard to change a belief, even in the face of contrary evidence. 

Since the past election cycle, we've seen a massive uptick in distrust toward news agencies, big companies, the government, and basically anyone with a particularly large reach. 

To a certain degree, this is understandable and justified. Here is an example of the power of the media focused on a message.  Click to watch.

 

via Courier News

Propaganda has always been an issue, and almost everyone does it; governments, companies, etc. Luckily, it's easier to see today than in the past, but unluckily it's also more pervasive and insidious than before. 

It's to the point where if you watch the news you're misinformed, and if you don't watch the news you're uninformed. 

The above segment portrays a rosy picture of Amazon's efforts to protect its workers while delivering essentials to the struggling homebound masses. This comes while Amazon has come under massive fire for removing some of its protections. 

Honestly, I use Amazon and, in my opinion, this isn't a massive breach of trust. News stations have a lot of time to fill, they often have sponsored content.

That being said, it's something to be cognizant of - not necessarily offended by.

Personally, I believe I am reasonably aware and somewhat immune from propaganda. That probably isn't as true as I'd like to believe.

It used to be true that winners wrote history (think empires, wars, etc.). Now, the one that delivers the most broadcast narratives shapes the emotional and seemingly logical responses to what we perceive to be happening around us.

The result impacts elections, financial markets, buying choices, and countless other areas of our life. 

As A.I., Bots, and social media grow, our ability to discern truth from 'truthiness' weakens. It's becoming even more of an issue with AI-based depictions of presidents in both image and video.

It's a great reminder that what you're seeing and hearing is carefully manufactured, and hopefully, it encourages you to get outside your bubble. 

I think one of the worst consequences of the past few years is the unwillingness of mass swaths of Americans to listen to voices they disagree with. The internet has already created echo chambers, but it's being exacerbated by vitriol. As a result, I think we're seeing the fringe of both parties move further away from the middle. 

What do you think?

Meet The Jetsons: 60 Years Later

Since my last name is Getson, I often get "Jetson" at restaurants.  As the CEO of a tech company focused on innovative technologies, it somehow feels fitting. 

Despite only airing for one season (from 1962-1963), The Jetsons remains a cultural phenomenon.  It supposedly takes place in 2062, but in the story, the family's patriarch (George Jetson) was born on July 31, 2022.  Not too long ago. 

Obviously, this is a whimsical representation of the future - spurred on by fears of the Soviet Union and the space race.  But it captured the imagination of multiple generations of kids.  Flying cars, talking dogs, robot maids, and food printing ... what's not to love?

 

I don't intend to dissect the show about what they got right or wrong, but I do want to briefly examine what they imagined based on where we are today. 

For example, while flying cars aren't ubiquitous yet (like in the Jetsons), we already have driverless cars.  It's likely that by 2062, driverless cars will be pervasive, even if flying cars aren't.  But, frankly, who knows?  That is still possible.

Meanwhile, both George and Jane work very few hours a week due to the increase in technology.  While that's a future we can still envision, despite massive technological improvements, we've chosen to increase productivity (instead of working less and keeping output at 1960 levels).  Even with the expected growth of AI, I still believe that humans will choose to pursue purposeful work.

The Jetsons also underemphasize the wireless nature of today's world.  George still has to go into the office, and while they have video phones, it's still a piece of hardware connected to a wall, instead of mobile and wireless.  2062 is far enough away that holographic displays are still a very real possibility.

Likewise, while we don't yet have complex robot maids (like Rosie), we already have Roombas... and both AI and Robotics are improving exponentially.

Meanwhile, we are in the process of creating cheap and sustainable food printing and drone delivery services ... which makes the Jetsons look oddly prescient. 

And, remember, there are still 40 years for us to continue to make progress.  So, while I think it's doubtful cities will look like the spaceports portrayed in the cartoon ... I suspect that you'll be impressed by how much further we are along than even the Jetsons imagined.

Not only is the rate of innovation increasing, but so is the rate at which that rate increases.  It's exponential. 

We live in exciting times!

Bruce Willis Deepfake: The Smart Decision?

Bruce Willis is a legend of cinema, and he made many of my favorite movies of the 80s and 90s. He stayed relevant and exciting up until very recently. 

Then, last year, he started releasing a slew of disappointing "straight-to-DVD" style movies that had him receiving his own award show category in the Razzies (an award show for the worst performances of the year). In 2021, they created the category "worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie." 

Vulture did an interesting interview with the founders of the Razzies where Bruce Willis comes up. 

Then, it came out that Bruce Willis was diagnosed with Aphasia and was losing his ability to speak. 

Suddenly, these pieces take on new meaning. They're Bruce getting as much work in as he can before he loses his voice permanently. He's trying to do what he knows how to do to make sure his wife and children are taken care of after he can no longer act. 

It doesn't make the movies suddenly "great" but it was enough to get the Razzies to rescind their award. 

I don't believe these last films of his dampen his well-earned legacy. 

Last year, his digital twin showed up in a Russian telecom ad. 

 

 
Recently, he's been in the news again for having sold his likeness to a deepfake company. It was reported on the company's website and by The Telegraph, but there are now claims to the contrary as well. 

While the jury is still out on if his rights have been sold, I think it's likely you'll see more Bruce Willis deepfake content. 

The question becomes, is it the right decision?

If his estate still has final approval - and there is quality control - then what's the harm?

Does the potential ubiquity, or the idea that we can always have another Bruce Willis movie, reduce the value of his movies?

Does allowing deepfakes in cinema (on TV or in film) take away roles from actors who might become stars?

We've already seen actors use deepfakes to reprise a role they did when they were younger - like Luke Skywalker or Leia from Star Wars. It's a different idea to build a new series around an actor who isn't actually acting in it. 

These questions pair well with the discussion around AI-generated art and whether it should be considered art. 

What do you think? 

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - July 2nd, 2022

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

Lighter Links:

• Musk Breaks 9-Day Silence on Twitter, Posts a Picture With the Pope. (Reuters)
• Your Internet Life Needs a Feeds Reboot Here's How to Do It. (TheVerge)
• Analysis of Compound Curse Words Used on Reddit. (FlowingData)
• The Track Record of Futurists Seems ... Fine. (Cold-takes)
• How Netflix Grew from DVD Service to a Hollywood Disruptor with Over 200 Million Subscribers That is Now Losing Customers. (Insider)

 

Trading Links:

• Here's How Long Bear Markets Last And How Stocks React When They End. (ComplianceX)
• Families May Be Offered Mortgages of 50 YEARS that They Can Then Pass to Their Children. (DailyMail)
• Amazon Delivers Some Bad News for the Economy. (TheStreet)
• Crypto's Domino Effect is Widening, Threatening More Pain. (Wall Street Journal)
• 'A Lot of People are Just Not Understanding What's Going On': A 30-Year Market Vet Lays Out 7 Reasons Why a Recession is Imminent And Says Stocks Will End the Sell-Off Down 60%. (Insider)

 

 

Don't Touch That Dial

History may not repeat itself exactly ... but it often rhymes. News stories, however, seem to replicate.

There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now controlling the transmission. We control the horizontal and the vertical. We can deluge you with a thousand channels or expand one single image to crystal clarity and beyond. We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive. - The Outer Limits (1963)

 

via YouTube

It almost feels like an episode of Black Mirror, watching these stations quote the same pre-determined diatribe on fake news and its danger to our democracy.

The very message they are purportedly supporting, in the video above, directly contradicts their actions. 

Most people realize this happens to some degree, but it seems different when presented like this.

I believe I am reasonably aware and somewhat immune from propaganda. That probably isn't as true as I'd like to believe.

Meanwhile, Sinclar Broadcast Group owns nearly 200 stations in 80 different markets and wants to buy more. That is a powerful platform to deliver mass messages and influence the zeitgeist of its audience.

It used to be true that winners wrote history (think empires, wars, etc.). Now, the one that delivers the most broadcast narratives shapes the emotional and seemingly logical responses to what we perceive to be happening around us.

The result impacts elections, financial markets, buying choices, and countless other areas of our life. 

We see and hear it every day about politics, wars, economic issues, and many other things we don't focus on enough to notice.

As A.I., Bots, and social media grow, our ability to discern truth from 'truthiness' weakens. Especially with the growth of deepfakes. 

What do you think about this?

Changing the Course of History

A little over a week ago, a deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was used to try and convince Ukraine's soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender against Russia.  On top of being shared on social media, hackers got it onto news sites and a TV ticker as well. 

While it's not explicitly known that Russia did this – there's a long history of Russian cyberwarfare, including many instances of media manipulation. 

Luckily, while the lip-sync was okay in this video, several cues helped us know it was fake. 

Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg.  Many deepfakes aren't as easy to discern.  Consequently, as we fight wars (both physical and cultural), manipulated videos will increasingly alter both perceptions and reality. 

Even when proven to be fake, the damage can persist.  Some people might believe it anyway ... while others may begin distrusting all videos from leaders as potential misinformation. 

That being said, not all deepfakes are malicious, and the potential for the technology is attractive.  Production companies are already using it to splice in actors who might have aged or died into scenes in movies.  Deepfake technology can also be used to allow a celebrity to sell their likeness without having to waste their time doing all the filming necessary to produce the intended finished product. 

Deepfake technology also allows us to create glimpses into potential pasts or futures.  For example, On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed safely on the moon.  They then returned to Earth safely as well.   What if they didn't?  MIT recently created a deepfake of a speech Nixon's speechwriter William Safire wrote during the Apollo 11 mission in case of disaster.  The whole video is worth watching, but the "fake history" speech starts around the 4:20 mark. 

"Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace." - Nixon's Apollo 11 Disaster Speech

 

MIT via In Event Of Moon Disaster

Conclusion

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.“ - Orwell, 1984

In an ideal world, history would be objective; facts about what happened, unencumbered by the bias of society, or the victor, the narrator, etc.  On some level, however, history is written by the winners.  Think about it ... perceived "truth" is shaped by the bias and perspectives of the chronicler.

Consequently, history (as we know it) is subjective.  The narrative shifts to support the needs of the society that's reporting it. 

The Cold War with the Soviet Union was a great example.  During the war, immediately thereafter, and even today, the interpretation of what transpired has repeatedly changed (both here and there).  The truth is that we are uncertain about what we are certain about.

But while that was one example, to a certain degree, we can see this type of phenomenon everywhere.  Yes, we're even seeing it again with Russia.

But it runs deeper than cyber-warfare.  News stations color the story told based on whether they're red or blue, and the internet is quick to jump on a bandwagon even if the information is hearsay.  The goal is attention rather than truth.

Media disinformation is more dangerous than ever.  Alternative history can only be called that when it's discernible from the truth ... and unfortunately, we're prone to look for information that already fits our biases. 

As deepfakes get better, we'll likely get better at detecting them.  But it's a cat-and-mouse game with no end in sight.  Signaling Theory posits that signalers evolve to become better at manipulating receivers, while receivers become more resistant to manipulation. 

I'm excited about the possibilities of technology, even though new capabilities present us with both promise and peril. 

Meanwhile, "Change" and "Human Nature" remain constant.

And so we go.

A Busy Day ...

I was just in Arizona, at a Genius Network event. Listened to some interesting speakers, spent time with some great friends and business partners, and also got to share some ideas with them as well. 

My big takeaway for the weekend was on the power of contests and competition not just for attracting customers, but for hiring and as a catalyst to adoption and experimentation. 

Unfortunately, my flight coincided with the first half of the Super Bowl.

Luckily, the Cowboys avoided conflicting with my schedules.  I’d hate to think how I’d feel if I had to decide whether to attend the Super Bowl.

Conveniently, being on a plane didn’t limit my ability to watch. 

 

Essentially every other person had the game on their device - so Zach and I could watch the game we don’t really care about while thinking about what could have been. 

Do you think the Rams really have home-field advantage?

Here’s an idea.