Shortform Books

Why Innovation Prototypes Are Important for New Products

Why are innovation prototypes important for new projects? How should you test your products before putting them on the shelves? Innovation projects often fail when they focus on solving problems that customers don’t care about, and they implement solutions that work well on paper, but not in practice. This is why you need prototypes to test out what works and what doesn’t for customers. Find out why innovation prototypes are important and how to use them, according to Ten Types of Innovation.

Tennessee Drag Ban: Exploring the Criticisms & Concerns

What is the Tennessee drag ban? Is it unconstitutional or necessary? What are some criticisms of the ban? Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that bans drag shows in public or in front of children, which has since been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. This move has sparked controversy and raised questions about LGBTQ+ rights, artistic freedom, and child protection laws. Read on to learn about the Tennessee drag ban and the ongoing debate surrounding the bill.

Conquering Your Fears: The 3 Steps to Success

How does fear stop you from achieving your goals? What can you do to stop your fears from controlling your life? Fear is the main factor that prevents people from going after their dreams and reaching their full potential. When you face and conquer your fears, you’ll grow more confident in yourself and in your ability to handle any curveballs life throws at you. Here’s how fear prevents you from living life to the fullest and some tips for conquering your fears once and for all.

The 4 Most Common Obstacles to Achieving Goals

How to Believe in Your Goals and Change Your Life

Why do people fail to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves? What are some of the most common obstacles to achieving goals? Achieving any goal requires consistently showing up for it in your actions, which requires you to exercise discipline and self-control. But your best efforts can easily be derailed by “triggers”—stimuli or situations that throw you off track. Here’s a look at some of the primary reasons why we succumb to the temptation of triggers, even when we know better.

How to Change Your Perspective: Rising Above Your Circumstances

Do you have a distorted view of reality? How would you think, behave, and make decisions if knew what was real? To live a happier and more fulfilling life, you must anchor yourself in the real world in the long term by developing your rationality—the ability to think clearly, see things as they are, and make decisions based on reality rather than emotions. Robert Greene explains how your perspective can link up with reality. Read more for Greene’s advice on how to change your perspective and see things as they truly are.

Innovation Time: Encouraging Innovation in the Workplace

How to Have an Effective Strategic Discussion

When you’re at work, do you have time to develop ideas? How effective is “innovation time”? In Where Good Ideas Come From, best-selling author Steven Johnson explains how good ideas grow from minor inklings to groundbreaking inventions. He shows how you can use this knowledge to come up with the best ideas possible, and he discusses how to encourage innovation in the workplace. Read more to learn about workplace innovation time.

3 Ways to Deal With People Who Waste Your Time

Do certain people drain you of energy and keep you from getting things done? After being around them, do you feel like your time was wasted? Your time is limited and precious. So, you must say “no” to some things—and some people—if you’re going to get on with accomplishing what matters in life. In Someday Is Today, Matthew Dicks shares a few strategies to help you avoid being distracted and drained by unhealthy relationships. Continue reading for three practical recommendations on how to deal with people who waste your time.

How to Be a Great Manager: Guiding People & Decisions Well

Do you tend to micromanage people? How should the type of decision impact the way you make a decision? What’s the best way to win over your company’s leadership? Entrepreneur Tony Fadell’s book Build is part career encyclopedia and part memoir. He draws on his years of entrepreneurial and corporate leadership to provide insights that can help you manage people and decisions more effectively. Keep reading to learn Fadell’s advice on how to be a great manager, which can be valuable regardless of where you are on your career path.

2 Surprising Benefits of Depression for Leaders

Are there any benefits of depression? How does depression improve your perspective on difficult situations? Depression is a mental illness that most try to avoid. However, leaders may find some benefits of depression that help them handle critical moments with the right insights. Continue reading to learn how depression can help you, according to A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi.

The Light We Carry: Quotes by Michelle Obama

Are you looking for The Light We Carry quotes by Michelle Obama? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? In her book The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama writes that the best way to live up to your potential to create positive change is to nurture your unique abilities, strengths, and perspectives and share them with the world. Obama implies that these traits form your fundamental core—the “light” referenced in the title. Below is a selection of quotes from Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry.