Author Archives: TechnicalAdmin

Cover Letter Lessons From Hollywood

Partway through the workshop on “Cover Letters That Make You Stand Out,” a comment in the chat window stopped me in my tracks: “There’s so much more to it than writing a cover letter.” “It” in this case referred to the challenge of finding a [...]

Why “new” is seldom your strongest selling point

One definition of innovator might be “someone who’s in love with the new.” When you see the world through innovator eyes, you see the potential to do things differently. While everyone around you thinks things are running along just fine, you see how they could [...]

For technical founders exasperated by trying to communicate with funders and customers

How many times have you watched this scene play out at a store checkout counter? A customer approaches the counter with a question about a product, a pair of shoes say. The clerk behind the counter answers the question hurriedly, not recognizing that the customer [...]

What Is It Like to Work With a Clarity Coach?

I happily rent my home now, but in a past life, I was both a homeowner and landlord. In those roles, my motto used to be, “If it’s broken, get a professional to fix it.” I’m a writer and a teacher by trade, not a [...]

The Grand Delusion of Time Management and Writing

Imagine a new kind of material so elastic that you can use it to create a container with infinite capacity. No matter the original size of the container, its sides can stretch and stretch to fit whatever you put in it. And here’s the really [...]

Tired of Getting that Glazed-Eye Look from People who Don’t Understand Your Innovative Product?

It’s not their fault. Most of us find it easier to politely stare and nod than we do to admit we’re completely confused. Asian cultures aren’t the only contexts in which people will go to great lengths to avoid “losing face.” Nor is it your [...]

Who else wants to cut their blogging time in half?

Blogging, when you commit to doing it steadily, can feel like a blessing or a burden. You can look forward to blog writing as a time to play in a creative space and find new ways to connect with your audience. Or you can anticipate [...]

Four Risks of Writing Documents for Non-expert Decision-Makers

This past week, we witnessed an appalling demonstration of what happens when a non-expert makes a decision without understanding or respecting expert opinion. Donald Trump’s arrogance hit a dangerously new high when he stood on the White House Balcony, fresh out of hospital and still [...]

How to write better in 5

How can anyone resist a book on healthy living that’s based on the premise of snacking? Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s new title, Feel Better in 5: Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life, takes a brilliant approach to making positive lifestyle changes, one bite-sized habit [...]

What degree of boredom are you inflicting on your audience?

This is the season of grant applications. If you’re in the throes of completing one, you have my sympathy. Many application forms seem to have been designed by a committee whose members didn’t communicate with one another. How else do you explain the repetitious questions, [...]