Hacker News: JonathanFields

The Downside of Connection Mode

JonathanFields — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:15:41 +0000

Connection mode has immense value, but also potential opportunity cost - education and creation stall...

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5171021

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

New comment by JonathanFields in "Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie (2011)"

JonathanFields — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:04:05 +0000

I used to own a boutique, 5,000 square foot personal training facility a few years back. Sadly, this article is on the money. We hired strength coaches with degrees in exercise physiology or athletic training and were fanatical about form and outcomes. We wanted clients to re-up not because they'd become best friends with a trainer or been entertained, but because they were experiencing measurable changes in whatever metrics were relevant to them (which we tested on a regular basis). We were very much the exception to the rule in a world where places like Crossfit didn't even exist yet.

The commentary on big-box fitness clubs is also dead on. It's all about maximizing revenue / sq ft, not changing lives. That leads to a 40% industry attrition-rate, because the offerings and environment are so broken, off-putting and ineffective. What other industry survives when you need to regenerate 40% of your client base every year just to stay at zero-growth? Insanity.

Last stat, for more than 30 years, the fitness industry has been trying to attract what's perceived as the holy grail, sedentary adults. But, no matter how much marketing they throw at the market, 85% of US adults refuse to join or stay members of clubs, even though more than 90% say exercise is mission-critical to their ability to live the lives they want to live.

I sold my last facility 4 years ago, but just writing this is reminding me how ripe this space still is for mass-disruption. Crossfit is doing a great job, but there's still so more that can and should be done.

Invest In Emerging Humanity

JonathanFields — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:16:16 +0000

Article URL: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/invest-in-emerging-humanity/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4876572

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Robotic car mimics lizard tail for stability

JonathanFields — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:30:13 +0000

Article URL: http://www.futurity.org/top-stories/toy-car-gets-stability-from-lizard-tail/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3443366

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Uncertainty: Every Entrepreneur Feels It; Here's How To Deal

JonathanFields — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Article URL: http://mixergy.com/jonathan-fields-uncertainty-interview/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3105602

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

The Creative Brain on Exercise

JonathanFields — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:59:33 +0000

Article URL: http://www.fastcompany.com/1783263/the-creative-brain-on-exercise

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3054692

Points: 3

# Comments: 0

New comment by JonathanFields in "A lesson on the importance of encouraging your children with their projects"

JonathanFields — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:51:04 +0000

Awesome story. Been taking the same approach with my daughter. She's now 10 and is pretty fearless about wielding any tool or material needed to design whatever she's working on.

Reminds me of a story I once saw about Tinkering School for kids, where they let the kids conceive and builds project together. http://www.tinkeringschool.com/

Feedback Loops Are Changing What People Do

JonathanFields — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:37:57 +0000

Article URL: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop/all/1

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2676627

Points: 8

# Comments: 0

New comment by JonathanFields in "Great People Are Overrated"

JonathanFields — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:33:31 +0000

Question also is, what happens when you put 10 good creators in a hyper-engaged creative environment with 10 great ones? Are good performers simply good because of their innate capabilities or can regular interaction with greatness help tease out capabilities that were previously buried?

Bryan Franklin on The Most Dangerous Question On Earth

JonathanFields — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:29:22 +0000

Provocative TEDx talk by SV entrepreneur coach, Bryan Franklin.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2676593

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Corp leaders spend only 3-4% of time thinking about long-term strategy

JonathanFields — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:05:08 +0000

Article URL: http://www.economist.com/node/18651811

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2665334

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by JonathanFields in "When Competition Stifles Innovation"

JonathanFields — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:23:52 +0000

Actually the post isn't about the effect of "lost" competition. It's about the difference between internally vs externally placed competition and how if you're driven largely by external competition, that will very likely eventually cap your creative potential.

That was the point of the post and the reason for the title.

New comment by JonathanFields in "Home working: Why can't everyone telework?"

JonathanFields — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:47:00 +0000

I work from home and have a great setup. I'm also a moderate introvert, but I end up going to work at cafes and outdoor space because I also love to be around the intangible energy of other people, even if I'm not saying a word to any of them. Plus, I sense the ability to add novelty to my environment helps trigger a certain bump in creativity.

Research: Employees solve others' problems faster & more creatively

JonathanFields — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:47:13 +0000

Article URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/8527500/Daniel-H-Pink-employees-are-faster-and-more-creative-when-solving-other-peoples-problems.html

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2581802

Points: 3

# Comments: 1

How Naked Pizza Scaled from 1 to 450 Stores in 18 Months

JonathanFields — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:50:50 +0000

Article URL: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/naked-pizza/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2553434

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

Pre-1995 SAT-takers - Your Score Would Be Higher Today

JonathanFields — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:41:46 +0000

Article URL: http://perfectscoreproject.com/2011/05/they-moved-the-center/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2520761

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

The World’s Best Boss is Standing in the Mirror

JonathanFields — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:34:32 +0000

Article URL: http://lifedev.net/2011/04/the-worlds-best-boss-is-standing-in-the-mirror/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2493454

Points: 6

# Comments: 0

If Buddha Was CEO: The Four Immeasurables in Business

JonathanFields — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:10:23 +0000

Article URL: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/business-strategy-elevation/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2467155

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

New comment by JonathanFields in "The rise of the 99-cent Kindle e-book"

JonathanFields — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:10:05 +0000

Two more thoughts here:

1 - This is almost entirely a fiction phenomenon, at least for now. While there are plenty of nonfiction books priced at 99 cents, the books on the Kindle Top 100 are consistently all-fiction. Even bigger name nonfiction authors who are traditionally or self-published, including NYT bestsellers, are finding it near impossible to hit or stay on that list.

2 - Many of those self-pubbed fiction writers on the kindle top 100 list are using the 99 cent price point for single books as points of entry or loss leaders (though they're actually still making money) into a funnel for a much bigger body of work. Amanda Hocking and J.A. Konrath experimented with rotating certain books into the 99 cent slot knowing that once a reader likes their style, fiction readers often attach to the author in a way nonfiction readers dont. That fuels them to want to read the authors other books...for $2.99 to $4.99. So one 99 cent book can lead to many more higher priced sales and readers for life.

The God Particle: On the Verge of Being Found?

JonathanFields — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:50:15 +0000

Article URL: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0412/1224294482510.html

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2443087

Points: 1

# Comments: 0