Sales, Remote, Automate, Optimism

Top of the morning to all of you. And we’re off with a tweet by Ryan Deiss, who points out that you need to focus on building sales before building the brand. Brand matters, but without sales, you ain’t going nowhere!

Ryan Deiss @ryandeiss

1. Thou shalt build revenue FIRST and brand SECOND. Brand matters, but the primary goal must be sales. It's possible to sacrifice brand at the alter of sales and still recover, but you cannot sacrifice sales at the alter of brand and hope to survive.

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🌐 Newsbites

Another good resource from a16z covering SaaS efficiency, moving to remote development, and platforms for remote work. Review the full issue here.

a16z @a16z

In the latest issue of the a16z enterprise newsletter is out: -lessons from Zoom on scaling from enterprise to consumer -SaaS efficiency before growth in a downturn -the move to remote work, development, and security

bit.lySaaS Efficiency; Remote Development, Security, and Work; and Lessons from ZoomIn this issue of the a16z enterprise newsletter: SaaS efficiency before growth, moving to remote development, Zoom lessons for scaling from enterprise to consumers, what the rapid shift to remote work means for security, the platforms for remote work

Continuing from above, The Hustle writes about Zoom’s expanding competition. Facebook is launching its new Messenger Rooms service which will let users video conference with 50 people at a time and Google’s Meet is launching grid-style view, noise cancellation, and other features. Read the full post here.

The Hustle @TheHustle

Attack of the Zoom clones

bit.lyEverybody’s coming after Zoom nowThe Zoom clones are multiplying, but Zoom Exhaustion is setting in.

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🌐 Build, Launch, Monetise

aj shows us the time savings you can make by implementing automation. Want to learn more around automation and get ready-to-use blueprints and templates, then check out Maker Minions by Michael Gill. I reallly recommend this, especially as a learning tool if you want to start creating your own automations.

aj ⚡️ 🍜 @ajlkn

Got around to automating something that usually takes me an hour/day and now it takes like 15 minutes Had I not been a lazyass and did this a year ago as originally planned I'd have saved ... 273 hours There's a pro tip in here somewhere but I can't see it through all the shame

Pablo Stanley tweeted on Design Resources, which was launched by Maker Kyler Phillips, a product designer from London, two days ago on Product Hunt. It’s a curated list of design tools to help designers improve their skills and search for new tools.

pablostanley @pablostanley

Design Resources: A curated list of tools in one place to help designers producthunt.com/posts/design-r… via @kylerjphillips

A post by Web Smith “on making time for optimism, connectivity, and opportunity” and “about the power of ideas” during this time of uncertainty. Web states that “there is something that rewires us for the better during these times” and as we know from previous recessions “history has minted winners in previous periods of adversity”.  Read the full story here.

Web Smith @web

On optimism and big ideas. No. 1: Optimism is a talent. No. 2: Dynamism is required. No. 3: Calmness, a valuable tool. No. 4: Seek out opportunity. No. 5: Deep generalism is clarity. Bookmark this.

2pml.comMemo: On Optimism and Big IdeasBy now, your company has been impacted by an historic period of health risk and economic uncertainty. It’s for this very reason that I hope that you take a moment to unfurl yourself from the…

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🌐 Events & Podcasts

Airtable, sweet music to the Maker and NoCode community. Harry Stebbings latest Twenty Minute VC Podcast with Airtable CEO Howie Liu is out. Great discussion, covering topics from consolidation in the tools market to remote work. Listen to the full podcast here.

Harry Stebbings @HarryStebbings

💥 New 20VC Episode 💥 One of the most natural conversations ever on 20VC. @howietl @airtable was incredible on: Transition from app to platform. 🌍 Whether collaboration tools will see consolidation? 💵 @bhorowitz: Peacetime vs wartime CEOship 👇 thetwentyminutevc.com/howieliu/

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That’s it for today folks! I leave you with an intriguing video that has been popping up all over Twitter, on the amazing tech this Combine Harvester uses. Amazed that it even still needs a driver!

Ag of The World @AGofTheWorld

Here’s what I’m doing inside the cab!!