Matt Ruby on Two Ways to Improve Comedy Screenwriting Skills

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Ruby shares two ways he is improving as a comedy screenwriter. First, he finds it helpful to invite feedback and give ownership to his creative team of writers and actors. The added ownership gives his team an opportunity to personalize the characters and scripts to their strengths. Second, Ruby works on building better narrative arcs to improve story flow and structure. Working on short-form web videos averaging three minutes, he finds that structure makes the storyline more interesting and the characters more compelling.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Anatole Fayking on Testing Product Market Fit for a New Startup Idea

In Chapter 9 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "How Are You Learning to Better Develop Products and Build Companies Around Them?" Faykin shares how he and a friend pursued their passion for tennis and started an e-commerce company catering to people passionate about tennis. By testing product/market fit, Faykin and his partner realize there is not sufficient consumer demand for their product offering. After testing multiple channels, Faykin and his partner decide to shut down the business.

Anatole Faykin is an Internet entrepreneur and digital marketer exploring new career options. A passionate world traveler and problem solver, Faykin plans to return to graduate school to earn a biosciences masters degree. Previously, Faykin has started multiple companies, including Tuanpin, a Shanghai startup he sold in 2011. He holds an MBA from NYU and a BS in computer science and biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt on Finding Balance as a Working Mom

In Chapter 1 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "When Are You at Your Best?" Lehmann-Haupt shares how she achieves personal best by finding flexible job opportunities that allow her to be present to her child as a mother and engaged at work as a working mom. She follows guidance from filmmaker Tiffany Shlain to "own your own time", set expectations with colleagues, and lean in both at home and at work.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt on Getting a Producer Job at TED

In Chapter 9 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "What Recent Experiences Have Most Influenced the Direction of Your Career?" In 2012, Lehmann-Haupt joins TED Conference to help launch its TED Books digital publishing division. As a multimedia producer, Lehmann-Haupt works with top TED speakers to create tablet-based media products for the TED audience. This ultimately leads her to start her own multimedia storytelling company.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt on Working at TED on the Future of Publishing

In Chapter 10 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "What Did Working at TED Books Teach You About the Future of Publishing?" Working at TED allows Lehmann-Haupt to witness firsthand the business model disruption happening in the publishing industry. As companies like TED build content and audience, they also build distribution capabilities that limit or eliminate needs for big publishing house relationships to distribute content, physically or digitally.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

How to Refine Journalist Storytelling Job Skills

In Chapter 12 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "How Are You Applying Your Passions in New Ways?" A passionate storyteller and trained journalist, Lehmann-Haupt creates new opportunities in her career by getting new people and organizations to tell their story. Lehmann-Haupt refines her storytelling skills, from asking interview questions to producing video, to gain confidence and perform at a higher level.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

How to Build Trust by Being Real

In Chapter 14 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?" Lehmann-Haupt finds you build trust by being real. By being transparent with her clients, she is able to then progressively build trust through a discovery process she learned doing interviews as a journalist. The process creates security in the relationship and the resulting safe environment creates trusting bonds between Lehmann-Haupt and her clients.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

How to Improve Creative Project Team Collaboration

In Chapter 15 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "What Have You Found to Be the Keys in Creating Successful Project Collaborations?" Working on creative project teams, Lehmann-Haupt has learned to prioritize getting along with teammates, even when she disagrees. While creative tension facilitates collaboration, disrespect kills it. She finds a general level of respect is fundamental to working together with teams in a creative business environment.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

How to Gain Confidence by Facing Failure and Fear

In Chapter 16 of 17 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and small business owner Rachel Lehmann-Haupt answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" Lehmann-Haupt finds that confidence is everything. She defines authentic confidence as what you develop after facing fear, feeling scared, being insecure and having moments of failure. Through these hard times she gains confidence in her ability to pick herself up, work through the creative process, and make changes necessary to be successful.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is a writer, editor and multimedia content strategist. She is the owner of StoryMade, a storytelling studio that creates new media content solutions for businesses. Previously, she was a founding editor and multimedia producer at TED Books, designing TED Talk content for tablet computers. She is the author of "In Her Own Sweet Time", published in 2009. Lehmann-Haupt earned a BA from Kenyon College and a Masters in Journalism from UC-Berkeley. 

How the Kauffman Foundation Prepares Entrepreneurs

In Chapter 10 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, education technology entrepreneur Adam Geller answers "How Did Your Kauffman Foundation Fellowship Help Prepare You to Become an Entrepreneur?" Geller finds his Kauffman Foundation Fellowship program gave him time and space to jumpstart his business. Leaving teaching to start an education technology company, the Kauffman Fellowship allows Geller to go from part-time focus on the project to full-time while honing his product and business model.

Adam Geller is founder and CEO of Edthena, a video platform enabling online teacher coaching, peer review, and group learning. He is a recent Education Ventures fellow at the Kauffman Foundation and the founder of Teach For Us, a network connecting Teach for America corps members and alumni. He earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a MA from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis.

Louise Langheier on Being a More Creative and Open Leader

In Chapter 6 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Louise Langheier answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Langheier shares how those around her have taught her to be more open-minded and creative. Over time, she also learns to embrace uncertainty and be more comfortable knowing discipline and focus still do not mean you can control your future.

Louise Davis Langheier is founder and CEO of Peer Health Exchange, a non-profit that trains college students to teach health education in public high schools. Louise was selected as a member of the 2011 class of Aspen Entrepreneurial Education Fellows, and was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2012. She graduated from Yale University. 

Louise Langheier on Setting Time Horizon Goals in a CEO Job

In Chapter 16 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, social entrepreneur Louise Langheier answers "As CEO, How Do You Decide What Time Horizon to Focus on in Your Work?" Langheier shares how much of her strategic planning goals are dependent on the phase of impact the company is in at the time. She also notes how she is proactively trying to delegate shorter term planning to team members while she looks at possibilities associated with longer term time horizons. She does this by creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture that rewards being creative and taking responsibility.

Louise Davis Langheier is founder and CEO of Peer Health Exchange, a non-profit that trains college students to teach health education in public high schools. Louise was selected as a member of the 2011 class of Aspen Entrepreneurial Education Fellows, and was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2012. She graduated from Yale University. 

Conrad Doucette on How Starting a Family Affects Music Career

In Chapter 7 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, musician and digital strategist Conrad Doucette answers "When Does Playing Music Fit Into Your Career Now That You're a Father?" Doucette shares how starting a family and becoming a father has shifted short-term career goals from playing music to finding work to support the family. Long-term, Doucette notes how he still aspires to work as a professional musician and keep it a key part of his life.

Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for the band Takka Takka. He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts. When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks. Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan. 

Conrad Doucette on How Hands-Off Parenting Fuels Creative Work Ethic

In Chapter 8 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, musician and digital strategist Conrad Doucette answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Doucette shares ways childhood experiences shaped his creative work ethic. From moving to many new places to having hands-off parents who allowed him to explore, Doucette develops creative tools he uses as an adult working in digital media and performing as a drummer with different artists. Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for the band Takka Takka. He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts. When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks. Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan. 

Simon Sinek on Finding Inspiration to Write "Leaders Eat Last"

In Chapter 5 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What Inspired You to Write Your Second Book and How Did the Process Unfold?" After rediscovering his passion by writing "Start With Why", Sinek sees his life become more focused around safety and security in the presence of trusted relationships. Sinek redirects this experience toward an organizational leadership context that becomes "Leaders Eat Last." Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: What inspired you to write your second book, and how did the process unfold?

Simon Sinek: My books are my journey, and the funny thing is that it’s sometimes not obvious to me. The first book was about understanding why you do what you do and finding your passion. It was born out of a personal experience where I had lost my passion, and that exercise of trying to re-find it became the book. Having had that passion, the struggle has been “Who do I feel safe around?” And my whole life I’ve been a creative misfit, so it has always been a struggle like, “Who can I be completely myself around? And who makes me feel safe and all these things?” And I didn’t realize that, that that was my journey. And a number of books, successful and failed relationships, it makes you realize that that’s all we want, is to come home and feel safe, from our friends, from the people we love, etc. And so, I didn’t realize that that’s what I was investigating because I was looking at it sort of, “What makes great organizations?” And you realize it’s the same thing, which is when there’s a circle of safety that’s drawn around us, when the leaders of our organization commit to keeping us safe, we’ll give absolutely everything we’ve got to see their vision advance. When we don’t feel safe, we will invest more of our time and energy trying to keep ourselves safe internally rather than working together to seize the opportunities or face the dangers externally. The dangers externally are a constant. Changing technologies, or the vicissitudes of the stock market, or your competition, that’s a constant. But the dangers inside the organization are a variable, and they’re controlled by leadership. So the more I started to understand that, the more I started to want to share those ideas.

Erik Michielsen: And how did you get the process started?

Simon Sinek: I went out for dinner with my publisher, (chuckles) I told him what I was up to, and he said, “That’s your next book.” And I went, “Okay.” And the strange thing is it has actually morphed to about two or three times because I then started to learn the subject more. I started to realize it was deeper than what I originally thought, so it has taken a couple of twists and turns, but it was pretty organic.

Simon Sinek on Pushing Beyond the Tried and True Into Something New

In Chapter 15 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "How Do You Balance Experimentation and Commitment in the Projects That You Pursue?" Sinek shares what he has learned about striking that balance between pushing boundaries developing new concepts and appreciating the need to stay committed to your best work. He notes that innovation requires risk and, in his own life, he pushes himself to practice what he preaches. This requires Sinek to create new material while staying mindful there will always be an audience for the "greatest hits". Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Simon Sinek on Learning a New Way to Write a Book

In Chapter 19 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "As You Have Been Writing the Second Book, How Has it Felt Differently Than the First?" Sinek finds writing his first book "Start With Why" far easier than writing his second, "Leaders Eat Last." He notes how the first came naturally after years developing the concept in hiw work. It just required him writing down the ideas he had been using. The second book, however, required him to develop a new concept from the start and figure it out while he was researching and writing the book. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Simon Sinek on Working With a Book Editor to Refine Your Writing

In Chapter 20 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "How are You Learning to Work More Closely With Editors to Refine Your Writing?" Sinek shares how he and his editor built a productive and trusting relationship over the course of writing his second book "Leaders Eat Last." Through trial and error Sinek and his editor learn to collaborate more effectively. He is able to establish his need for help around organizing the intent of the content he is writing rather than the content itself. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.