Links for June 29 2014

This Transformation Feels Different. Disruptively So.
Quote:The drawing board for all of these newly created disruptors isn’t a better retail store or a cheaper factory. The drawing board for these mentioned disruptors comprises of data in an excel sheet and a code editor.  This is the new battleground that the digitally savvy C-Suite is quickly becoming aware of.

Ruth Chang: How to Make Hard Choices
Quote: Far from being sources of agony and dread, hard choices are precious opportunities for us to celebrate what is special about the human condition, that the reasons that govern our choices as correct or incorrect sometimes run out, and it is here, in the space of hard choices, that we have the power to create reasons for ourselves to become the distinctive people that we are. And that’s why hard choices are not a curse but a godsend.

Gamification and Gimmicks
Quote: But there’s more to it than that: used correctly, gamification contributes to the understanding and enthusiasm of an otherwise dreary task.  It helps the participant to envision a goal, plan a course of action to achieve it, and receive feedback about their progress.   This is necessary for tasks that take a lot of time, especially those that cannot be completed in a single sitting, and is particularly suited to maintaining a relationship between a brand and a customer through multiple interactions over a long period of time

Amazon CTO: Big Data May Also Lead To Big Problems
Quote: Still, instead of rushing blindly into this brave new world of Big Data, we would do well to remember Big Data is not always better. Sometimes it’s precisely the messiness of life that makes it worthwhile.

Extracting value from the IoT
Quote: That said, big data from the IoT is rapidly losing its status as a special case or oddity. With each passing day, big data is perceived as just another item on the menu. Ideally, your data architecture and data warehouse systems would enable you to work with whichever type of data you need, whenever you need it, to create actionable insights that lead to improved outcomes across a variety of possible activities.