
Performance, Reward and motivation. Studies show that:

- As long as a task uses only mechanical skill, structured financial rewards work as expected i.e. higher rewards lead to greater performance
- However, once a task calls for even rudimentary cognitive skills, larger incentives lead to poorer performance

Money is only a partial motivator at work. If you don't pay enough people are not motivated. But the best use of money is to pay just enough to stop the lack thereof from being a blocker.

**3 factors lead to better performance:**<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> Autonomy &#8211; Mastery &#8211; Purpose</strong></span>

Autonomy: Old style management is great if you want compliance, but if you want engagement self-direction is better.

Mastery: people just like getting better at things, and most people happily spend their spare time pursuing such activities through their hobbies.

Purpose: when the profit motive gets disconnected from the purpose motive poor behaviours emerge, and quality of service drops.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Organisations and people who flourish &#8211; have great purpose.</strong></span>

These are notes after watching an amazing talk by RSA Animate. See the video here: <a title="Drive: what motivates us" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=related</a>


What motivates us


As [discussed yesterday](/2016/11/17/Curation), I consider the capture, curation, sharing and archiving of the photos and videos of our family's precious memories to be extremely important. Also, over the last decade I have worked extensively with the rich media workflows and processes for large enterprises and global retailers. Hence, it's perhaps unsurprising that we've ended up establishing a fairly comprehensive home photography workflow.

The challenges to be considered:

- a family of happy snappers, taking photos on a multitude of devices: (iPhone (x2), iPod touch, iPad Mini, old HTC Android phone, Panasonic point-and-shoot camera, Canon digital SLR)
- photos to be viewed and curated on a multitude of devices: (Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, Windows desktop machines, and iPhone (while traveling))
- Some images (say at a kid's party) will need sharing outside of the family (i.e. with the other families)
- Near-networking for medium-term photo and video archives, and all curated photos, as the MBP and the MBA have rather limited storage space.
- Long term backup/archiving for pretty much everything.

The main stages of the image asset workflow are:

1. Capture
2. Collate
3. Organise
4. Curate / Enhance
5. Share
6. Archive

![Home Photography Workflow](https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/benseymourcom/image/upload/v1544296187/live/posts/NaBloPoMo18-th.jpg)

### Capture

This pretty much takes care of itself.  
The 'best' camera is the one you have with you.

### Collate

I love the simplicity provided by Dropbox. Any of our mobile devices which support the native client are configured to 'auto-upload' any new images and videos when their on wifi. Other devices like our SLR are connected to one of the laptops by USB, and the windows/mac Dropbox app imports any new assets.  
In both cases the new asset end up in the 'Camera Uploads' directory in our Dropbox account.

### Organise

The camera uploads directory can quickly end up containing a large number of files, so there is a manual step where I move images into a directory called 'bigbucket', which then has sub-directories for a given month, or a specific event. These event-based directories can then be dropbox-shared with other families as needed. This also means we can use 'selective sync' to manage the amount of storage taken up on the laptops, otherwise the machines with smaller HDDs, quickly run into problems.

### Curate / Enhance

Having previously used OSX Photos app, Google's Picasa and Adobe's Lightroom, each with their own catalogue and ways of organising them and being able to share and synchronise them, I've learned the hard way that long-term **the simplest and safest way to maintain an order or structure to my photo collections is to use the file systems directory structure** (potentially further enhanced with image meta-data).

I am currently using Adobe Lightroom for my main weekly/monthly curation process - I love the interface and the workflows it supports and encourages. When I have completed a collection, I have an export configuration saved with my presets, and just have to select which directory for the assets to be exported to which is:

'Photos-Curated' then with subfolders organised by year, and then either by 'month', 'event' or 'adventure'.

### Share

Social sharing of snapshots or more broadly interesting events is of course via [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bseymour) and Facebook.

Those more volumous albums are shared on Flickr and Google Photos. The majority of the [Flickr Albums](https://www.flickr.com/photos/boseymour) ('Sets') are private, only being visible to a small group of friends and family. There are currently around 48,000 photos shared in that manner, with around 3000 shared publicly. As mentioned in an [earlier post](2016/11/11/Photo365---Flickr-API), Flickr also provides some solid APIs.

I also copy to Google Photos, though with the changes to that platform over the last 9 months, it is developing in a direction which is counter to my requirements, so I may cease using it soon. I would prefer to maintain two online collections, and so need to consider a replacement for Google Photos, or may develop my own.

Exposure - is great for story-telling/photo-blogging. But currently lacks a mobile workflow, and some broader photo management functions.

I've also just started trialling [500px](https://500px.com/bseymour).

### Archive

I maintain local backups on a synology NAS, and a smaller USB external HDD - the latter makes it easier for my wife or I to quickly access the larger files (especially video) without having to wait for the network-sync's to complete.

The external HDD is also mounted on my MBP, and so can be included as a directory for my remote backup sync. For my long-term, offsite back-up I use Crashplan - having previously used Mozy and Carbonite, I switched to Crashplan about 5 years ago, and have been very muvh satisfied with their service throughout that time. (I wrote about that switch [back in 2011](/2011/08/24/limits-of-unlimited-offsite-backup/))

On a monthly basis, once the archive has successfully backed-up locally and to Crashplan, I delete that months archive directory from the dropbox 'bigbucket' in order to free-up the storage on my local machines.

## Pre-digital legacy

Beyond the curation of your digital legacy, I also think it is important to consider the curation of your pre-digital legacy. If you haven't already done so, it's perhaps time to blow the dust off some of your family's most precious pre-digital memories, and to transform them into a form where they will degrade no more, and where you can turn back the hands of time and rejuvenate them.

![Save Your Past](https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/benseymourcom/image/upload/live/posts/NaBloPoMo18-SYP2.jpg)

While you can of course purchase the equipment (I'm happy to make recommendations) and to invest the time (it's an incredibly rewarding, and often emotional experience) there are also some companies providing fantastic digitisation and restoration services who can undertake this work on your behalf. Here I'm going to mention **[Save Your Past Ltd.](http://www.saveyourpast.co.uk/)** as it's the small business, lovingly set-up and run by my wife and her team.

![Save Your Past](https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/benseymourcom/image/upload/live/posts/NaBloPoMo18-SYP1.jpg)


Home Photography Workflow


Now.
Now is precariously balanced between the impermeable weight of the past and the incalculable potential of the future. Looking to surf that sweet spot between reminiscing and learning from the past, planning and growing into the future, while embracing, enjoying and deliberating in the present.

# 'Now' is both immeasurably small, and utterly all there is.

"Oh the places you'll go" by Dr. Seuss probably makes itself into my top 5 books. If you haven't read it, it's probably worth stopping reading here, and going and ordering a copy. One section describes "The Waiting Place"

> Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
> or a plane to go or the mail to come,
> or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
> or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No
> or waiting for their hair to grow.
>
> Everyone is just waiting.
>
> Waiting for the fish to bite
> or waiting for wind to fly a kite
> or waiting around for Friday night
>
> or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
> or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
> or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
> or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
>
> Everyone is just waiting.

![The Waiting Place](https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/benseymourcom/image/upload/live/posts/NaBloPoMo29-waiting.jpg)

If now is all you have, then just waiting for this time to expire, is perhaps not the best use for it.

![The ticking you hear](https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/benseymourcom/image/upload/live/posts/NaBloPoMo29-ticking.jpg)

Not for the first time, I'll share Alan Watts succinct thoughts on the subject:

## "This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play"#

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HdqVF7-8wng?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Be guarded against living for somewhere you aren't. While it is tremendously useful to look ahead and plan, there is no use planning for the future, if when it arrives, you aren't there to live it, because you are once again looking forward to another new future.

# You can't live at all, unless you can live fully now.


Live Fully Now

Getting Kids Into Coding


I’m writing this while at an altitude of 11,582 meters somewhere over Western Canada, on my way to San Francisco. For those who know me, or who have seen my talks on ‘making the most of your fears’, you will perhps have an idea of my curent state of mind. With that context, it seemed like a good time to make a rough start on a list of ‘Life Lessons for my Kids’. A few of these are of my own making, many more are a collation of learnings i have gained from others, and ideally i will backfill accreditation at some point.

The following are currently in no particular order, though hopefully i will put more organisation into them at some point. (spellings are also likely to need attention at some point - i am currently typing on the ipad in git2go):

Your perspective is just about the only thing that you really control.

Encourage opportunity.

Plan in decades.
Think in years.
Work in months.
Live in days.

You are your habits

You have to be aware of your habits to change them

It takes 66 days to form your habits (good or bad), and then it becomes your new normal.

If you don’t know what you want, you are less likely to get it.

If you are not working on your own dreams there will be plenty of people looking to use your time, energy and skills to work on theirs.

If you only do what is easy, then like will be hard

If you believe you can, or if you believe that you can’t - you are probably right.

97% of the things that you worry about never happen, and those that do are often less impactful than you feared.

Start with the end in mind. For each important engagement and decision, go into it knowing what you need, and want, to get out of it.

Expectations not outcomes govern the happiness of your perceived reality.

Try not to focus on only the problem too much.
When motorbiking and there is a rock in the road, if you focus on the rock you are more likely to hit it, than if you instead focus on the safe route around it.
Learn from the past, but don’t live there
You can’t lose what you never had.

There is no passion to be found in playing small - in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living. Nelson Mandela

Distractions keep us from:

- wanting we we truly wnt
- Doing what we truly want to do
- Being who we want to be

Time
Energy
Attention

Where possible, don’t limit your life choices too much because of your financial commitments.

Think about the things we should be doing, rather than what we shouldn’t be doing.
Instead of worrying about being distracted, instead try to remember to be focused.

Be kind to yourself.

The strongest negotiating position is knowing that you have the ability to walk away (from a job that isn’t providing you enough, or from just about any purchase, or just about anything)

People who refuse the take risks live with a feeling of helplessness which is far more frightening than the fear associated with actually taking the risk. Fear can permeate their life.

if you want to be happy - get more sleep. Arianna Huffington

Dont walk into somewhere, without knowing how you can walk out. This includes employment, and not tying yourself to the things that the job provides be it overly expensive equipment or lifestyle.

Each day grants you the gift of time, in 86400 small pieces - the same as everyone else, no matter however successful. The difference is what you _have_ to trade your time for, as well as what you choose to invest it in.

The people you surround yourself with, will frame your expectations and your values - so choose wisely. Choose to be with the people who help you to be the better you.

Consider books as mentors. A well considered book gives insights into the experiences and perspectives of another... you can learn a lot making your own mistakes, but you can also save time and grief by learn from the mistakes of others.

Our achievements grow according to the size of our dreams, and the degree to which we are in touch with our mission. Ferrazi

Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Establish multiple revenue streams.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
(though getting lost can lead to some wonderful discoveries)

Dont obsess over money.... its not important, as long a you have enough of it to do what you NEED... as well as ideally giving you opportunity to also do what you want.

Understand your personal and family finances - be efficient in your earnings. Understand tax.
Inflation or compound interest will either erode or grow your savings and investments. Money standing still is eroded by inflation.

Sustainability.
Ideally find a way to live. Such that if things stayed just as they are today, they would be at least bearable, or ideally better.... then use that as a baseline, and look to see how things could be better.

Each time you get a pay increase or bonus, if you can afford it, find a way to siphon off some part of it for longer term plans. Reduce inefficient debts, increase savings... but also remember to live a little.

Understand your own risk profile - what you are comfortable with. The more risk, by definition, the more unknowns there are, and the more you might gain... or lose.
I am fairly averse to risks... being able to sleep at night is invaluable.
Encourage opportunity.

Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. The less-good people may well be oblivious, but the more-good people will acknowledge and appreciate you. You can imagine which one will be the more beneficial to recognise.

Be cautious about your sources of information. Everyone has their biases. Some are unaware, some are deliberate. Be especially cautious about information from organisations and entities for whom you are part of their revenue stream.

Be cautious about things which are promoted as being free - they often come at a high price. A free book which is rubbish, will still cost you time and attention. If a service appears to be free (such as facebook) then it might actually be you who is the product.

If not now, then when?

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll probably always get what you’ve always got.

Fulfilment comes when we live our lives on purpose.

Instead of focusing on what is wrong with a particular situation, focus instead on what could be right or valuable.

Choice is the act of hesitation that we make before making a decision. Alan Watts

Trust your intuition. Learn to hear it.

When things feel out of control, consider an external source for some objectivity - good friends, or also for me the I Ching often provides balance, and a more useful perspective.

Shop to the price you pay - don’t be swayed by the advertised discount.

You will make mistakes. Learn to forgive yourself, as you would a good friend.

When riding motorbikes, racing cars, or undertaking other potentially hazardous endeavours, remember to try to force a smile on your face - it’ll change your mental attitude and hence your riding style to be more mellow, and for the better.

Do to others as you would have them do to you

It will be exceedingly rare that someone else will decide to help you to be the success that you want to be. You’ll have to own that realisation yourself.

Be the change that you want to see.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/image/upload//w_1200,q_auto,f_auto/live/VS41.JPG">

{% assign image = page.Cl-image[0] %}
{% include srcset-and-cloudinary.html %}


Short Lessons for the Kids


How do you quantify the value of a job?  
a.k.a. “Should I stay or should I go now?”

For the majority of people, their working life takes a significant percentage of their waking hours each week (even more so if you include travel and preparation).
As we should do when contemplating any large investment, of time, energy, attention or money, we should be cognisant of the return that we get back.

> "one person’s tedium may be another persons rapture"

Either when contemplating moving to a new role, or when considering the position that you are currently in. These should be against your own your own measures - one person’s tedium may be another persons rapture, but from my perspective there are some core aspects to consider, which for me form into 3 main categories:

Rewards & recognition (status?)  
Satisfaction, fun & enjoyment (meaning)  
Growth & development (career, or skills)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/benseymourcom/image/upload//w_1200,q_auto,f_auto/live/CareersTriangle001.jpg">

I occasionally volunteer at a local Primary School, running Code Clubs and taking part in careers fairs. During a careers fair in July (2019) these were some of the popular questions asked:

How much do you earn  
Is this what you always wanted?  
What qualifications do you need to do your job?  
Do you have any regrets?

Number 2 made me chuckle, and as a schoolchild of the 80's, I enjoyed describing the state of technology at that time, and that my current work in high-tech web platforms wasn't established 15 years ago, let alone 30 years ago.

Regrets... I have a few... and channeling my inner Sinatra ... I wish I had believed more in doing things more my way, sooner. I currently work in technical pre-sales for enterprise software - but it is very much the relationships with the people I meet, and understanding what would help them to achieve whatever they value which really drives me (though of course it does mostly have a solid aspect of helping them to make effective use of technology) .


Careers Thoughts


## a.k.a. Considering joining the Sales Engineering team (at Vercel)?

The [high-growth](https://leerob.io/blog/hypergrowth) aspect of an organisation such as [Vercel](https://vercel.com) invariably means that we will need to do [accelerated team growth](https://vercel.com/careers/sales-engineer-emea) at some point - which brings a variety of new challenges which are crucial to the ability to scale the business effectively.

This is a two way process, and it took me many years before I truly realised this. Both parties are making investments, and both parties need to be transparent about the RoI they hope to achieve. Once someone has joined the team, all our satisfactions are the delta between outcome and expectations.

There is a specific aspect to being in high-tech high-growth to bear in mind. You will almost definitely need to be a strong independent learner - whatever you were taught in school or university, the ability to learn and develop yourself outside of guided tuition and teaching is pretty important. The web industry is one of the fastest moving domains in human history - in many cases, especially at the cutting edge web development there is an exceedingly small number of people that could help you, and the manual almost definitely hasn't been written yet.
However, this does bring a wonderful opportunity for you to help others, and to be the source of knowledge that others are searching for. (The light at the end of the tunnel, may be you)

Potential candidates typically come into the process in one of 3 ways.
Warm referrals, active job-seekers, through being approached by our TA team (or someone working on their behalf)

For warm referrals, and those approached by our scouts, I am more than happy to pitch Vercel - it's an amazing place to work.

Active job seekers - are you looking for a job at Vercel, or any job will do?

Better to be transparent - What I'm looking for:

Human Skills:

- on time (or appropriate comminations if something exceptional has happened)
- prepared
  - what do you know about Vercel?
    - Have you read our recent blogs/announcements/product updates?
  - what do you know about me ? (I share a lot about myself - just follow the breadcrumb trail)
- can you instigate a conversation
- how natural does us talking feel

Technical Skills:

- how familiar with next.js are you?
- how effectively can you learn - both independently, and collaboratively.
  - based on relevant prior experience
  - confidence that you are inquisitive and somewhat driven to learn independently (we are in a very fast paced industry, you need to be willing and interested in keeping up)

Sales Experience / Market awareness:

- can you talk about standard Sales qualification processes
- can you talk about who our competitors might be?
- can you talk about who our partners might be?

What will you bring to the team? Technical skills, business experience, relationship.

Next steps:
Unless you can already point me at meaningful relevant technical work, either side-projects or a demo you have created for this process - then there will probably be a technical challenge.

Bonus:
If you are reading this because you are doing some research as part of the interview process - then wonderful, and please find ways to reference it if or when we talk.

---

I've been fortunate enough to be a part of a handful of high-growth high-tech startups and ventures. Different phases bring different needs, and adaptability is usually key.

We are also actively looking to form a more cognitively diverse team (a separate post on this here)


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