Three ways to begin fixing Silicon Valley's 'pipeline' problem

Originally published on USA TODAY on July 16, 2015.

There's a lot of talk about the "pipeline" as the root cause for technology's lack of diversity—the idea that women and minorities aren't seeking out relevant education, therefore they cannot be hired for technical or executive jobs.

This ignores the fact that the lack of diversity in non-technical roles like administration and sales mirrors a shortfall in technical positions in Silicon Valley. Further evidence shows that current diverse candidates graduating with technical degrees are still not seeing the wealth of opportunities that the technology industry promises.

As Elizabeth Weise and Jessica Guynn of USA TODAY pointed out last fall:

On average, just 2% of technology workers at seven Silicon Valley companies that have released staffing numbers are black; 3% are Hispanic.
But last year, 4.5% of all new recipients of bachelor's degrees in computer science or computer engineering from prestigious research universities were African American, and 6.5% were Hispanic, according to data from the Computing Research Association.

I might work with computers for a living, but I'm pretty sure a pipeline only works when it's used at both ends.

Let's make something clear—when we talk about roadblocks to diversity today, rarely are we pointing to overt bias and discrimination. The issues plaguing Silicon Valley are often subtle practices and biases that snowball into a major imbalance. But I truly believe it's not hard to commit to diversity.

Any expenses to implement better practices will pale in comparison to the long-term financial gain—that is, if simply committing to diversity because it's the right thing to do isn't enough.

If you're a CEO, hiring manager, or decision maker at your company and you'd like to do your part, here are three ways to get serious about diversity.

END EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAMS

By doing this, you're instantly considering a more diverse pool of applicants.

This is especially important if you offer a bonus to employees for referrals. Take those funds and cover relocation expenses for new hires. If you already reimburse moving costs, now you're saving money!

Current employees who enjoy the bonus might not like this change. The good news is that diverse teams perform better, so you can give those well-performing teams a year-end bonus instead.

You could also find better ways to improve employee life by diverting that money into programs for a quality family leave policy and flexible paid time off.

START A RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Women and minority candidates from schools already tapped into the Silicon Valley pipeline are going without jobs, as the stats above show. This could be for a number of reasons—lacking a network for referrals, inability to afford internships or temporary positions, or unconscious bias. Perhaps the worst example of such bias is that people with stereotypically black names were 50% less likely to be called back for an interview.

Whatever the reason, there's a tested solution to help increase your employee headcount with quality workers: Take a cue from the medical field and start a residency program.

This is a low-risk move that allows companies to hire people that might otherwise be passed over for a perceived (or real) lack of experience. Now you have no excuses.

Train residents for a six to 12-month period while they work on small projects within the company. After completing the residency program, transition these employees to full-time roles.

These programs should be run largely by women and minorities in effort to provide all new residents with multiple examples of traditionally underrepresented people in leadership positions.

If you really care about hiring people from all walks of life, dedicate a large portion of these resident positions to candidates from outside Silicon Valley.

LISTEN TO US

There's no shortage of people doing their best to speak up. Yet, what I see time and time again is a dismissal of these people's experiences or qualifications, including my own.

"You must have been under qualified," or "I'm a white guy and I've experienced that too, so it's not a problem," or "Get over yourself," are common retorts that reinforce the status quo of Silicon Valley's  meritocracy myth.

There's a constant effort to silence the voices of people who can see blindspots where others cannot. It's easy to ignore these situations when it doesn't affect you personally, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

Addressing Silicon Valley's lack of diversity truly starts by listening to the stories we are trying to tell you. If you ignore us, if you think you know better than us about how to develop an inclusive environment, if you think you can uncover the "real" reason why we aren't getting hired at the rates we deserve:

You are wrong.

Sharing our experiences does not invalidate your own. So just listen.

Listening leads to empathy. Empathy leads to building a better culture.

Doesn't that sound great?

It’s not enough to keep saying Silicon Valley has a diversity problem—we have to get specific

Originally published on Quartz on June 29, 2015.

If we continue saying “Silicon Valley has a diversity problem” without getting specific, how will we ever know what to address?

When I published a post on Medium about my experiences as a black male looking for a job in Silicon Valley, the last thing I expected was for it to get as much attention as it did. It’s not a secret that Silicon Valley has serious issues with diversity—Facebook’s recently-released diversity report proves that hiring practices still have a very long way to go. But the response to my personal perspective on hiring discrimination is a reminder of just how much that issue continues to resonated with people from all walks of life. Indeed, many of the issues and anxieties that underrepresented people encounter are universal, as is the desire to address them.

Maybe it’s a parent expected to go out for drinks after work despite family obligations, or an LGBTQ person weighing an offer that provides unequal pay or benefits, or a person who realizes that their dream job is an impossibility given the prohibitive cost of moving to San Francisco. These are the people on the margins—forced out, or not let in at all. Diversity is important, but especially so in the corporate and tech world. It’s not a coincidence that diverse teams perform better.

When I criticize industry practices, I do so in the hopes that I will help further the conversation on technology’s diversity problem. To do this, we must continue to talk about the systems and mindsets that lead to such a homogeneous culture. Practices like relying on referrals for new hires, or offering unpaid internships and temporary contract positions might seem beneficial to a company’s bottom line, but in actuality they dramatically reduce and limit the pool of candidates for any job opening.

The good news is there are discernible strategies that could help. We can start by supporting underrepresented people, whether that’s monetarily or simply by considering whose voices we amplify on social media. When scheduling a conference, include speakers of all backgrounds, even if that means looking for experts outside of your network. If you don’t believe that’s possible, just look at conferences like AlterConfTech Inclusionand XOXO.

Honesty and transparency are essential. I still see many influential tech companies refusing to publicly acknowledging there’s a diversity gap at all. Reading something as simple as, “We know diversity in technology isn’t where it needs to be, and we want to fix that,” on a job posting goes a long way for candidates who notice the job’s employee page doesn’t feature any people who look like them.

We also need to examine hiring practices and benefits for evidence of hidden biases. If you’re willing to hire someone and pay a tech-industry salary, I have to believe that offering a small relocation credit is worth your long-term investment. (To me, that seems much more valuable than an in-office ping-pong table or fully stocked fridge.)

Finally, support your current employees. I’m able to speak up because I know my employer, Big Cartel, stands with me. I don’t have to worry that speaking out will negatively impact my employment status. But that’s not always the case. How many voices are quieted because they don’t have that privilege?

Right now, there are people in your company who care about this. Deeply. Ask yourself if there are ways to give them a platform. Extend an invitation to involve them in discussions about diversity if they’re interested. (If they’re not, respect that decision, too!) This is about opportunity equality for all. This is about building companies that better represent the diverse world we live in. The only way meaningful change will take place is if those underrepresented people are empowered to contribute to the conversation. That starts by those in positions of power — CEO’s, hiring managers, conference organizers — making diversity a priority, and not another checkbox.

Q&A: Communicating your vision in a screenplay

I'm concerned about being able to communicate my vision as a writer/director to potential producers and investors. Should I really spell it out in the script and include camera directions, notes for actors and crew, and other specific details, or should I let the writing speak for itself? It seems like screenplay rules say that you shouldn't include direction, but I'm not sure if I'm including enough information in my screenplay.

Or put more simply: How much direction is too much direction in my first script?

I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself.

Finding a producer and making a film is very hard even if you have some level of professional experience. The question you should be asking is this: How do I write a great story that a producer (and cinematographer, actors, etc) wants to help me make? How do I write a story that people want to give me money to make?

That's where your original question is misguided. Every day great scripts break one or two "rules." Your job as a writer (and director) is to tell the best story. Communicating your vision coherently is exactly what a writer does, and it's one of the reasons it's so hard to do well. But including a ton of camera directions or other unnecessary details will distract from that. I'll explain more in a minute. But first, a side note.

Producers aren't going to tell you to change a shot or a line of dialogue. They may give you notes and advice, especially if they're experienced, but at the level you'll be making films for the next ten years (or more) when you're just starting out, even that basic level of involvement will probably be more limited.

Here's why you don't want to include unnecessary direction or make it read like an instruction manual:

First, it may distract from the reading experience. If you send the script to a rich dentist in hopes of getting financing, she doesn't care about a dolly shot this or move the camera on that. She wants to know if she likes the story and likes you. To some degree, the same goes for actors, set designers, costume designers, and everyone else.

Second, what makes the filmmaking process great is that you get an amazing group of people together to do things they're really good at and work as a team. You may be an incredible writer and director, but I doubt you're also a world class cinematographer or production designer. Predetermining too much stuff in your script (and being too stubborn to change it if someone else suggests otherwise) takes away the job these people are paid to do. If you need to include a shot direction to communicate something effectively, then do it. But don't use it as a crutch because you can't find interesting and diverse ways to state a line of action.

It's easy to fall in love with things in your script. It's even harder than you think to cut them when you don't have people telling you no. Go ahead and fall in love with that witty line of dialogue you wrote. But is it really worth it to fall in love with the idea that a shot is a medium shot instead of a wide shot?

The Amazon thing

On Saturday, The New York Times published a piece by Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld titled, “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace.” Maybe the most critical line of the whole story comes near the end:

Noelle Barnes, who worked in marketing for Amazon for nine years, repeated a saying around campus: “Amazon is where overachievers go to feel bad about themselves.”

To say there’s been a big reaction to the article would be an understatement.

One of the primary criticisms seems to be that the piece isn’t balanced and that it’s overly negative. I don’t wholly disagree with that reaction. It does feel like the reporters had their conclusion very early on and used their reporting to write the piece they wanted. Is it wrong to take that decision away from the reader?

Whatever your stance, it shouldn’t be very surprising that a company whose mission is to figure out how to deliver orders in under an hour would have harsh working conditions. Let’s hear more stories from the warehouse workers.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter if the piece was overly negative, or even a little unfair. A number of people were interviewed by the Times, and I simply won’t discount their experiences or their truth. This story matters not just in the context of Amazon, but also in the context of addressing technology’s diversity issues.

With that in mind, David of 37Signals has the best take I’ve read on this situation, the report, and Amazon’s response:

How you respond to a red flag is what matters. You can deny its very existence. You can argue that it’s not really red, but more of an orange pink. You can argue that the people holding the flag aren’t true Amazonians. You can argue that the people who caused the red flags to fly were rogue actors, going against the intentions of the company. Or you can simply just claim that since you hadn’t personally seen any of the incidents, the flags are illegitimate on their face.

But the bottom line is that culture is what culture does. Culture isn’t what you intend it to be. It’s not what you hope or aspire for it to be. It’s what you do. There’s no way to discredit, deflect, or diffuse that basic truth.

We wonder why technology isn’t diverse, and yet when people speak up, even anonymously, the first reaction of many is to discredit the source.

I don’t care if each experience reported in the Times story was an isolated incident. It’s still important. These pieces add up. They build a narrative of unfair treatment and bias. The initial reaction shouldn’t be to say these stories aren’t true, or that they’re unfair. The initial reaction should be to press Amazon, a 20-year-old company and one of the most successful in the world, to do better.

Q&A: A client wants to give me more money

In the middle of a project that's gone way beyond my estimated timeline, the client said they want to pay me more. I don't feel comfortable taking more money since I underestimated the timeline. What do I do?

Sometimes people with more money than time value high quality work and want to pay what it's worth.

If a project goes beyond its initial scope, I wouldn't continue without discussing that directly with the client. Without you speaking up, once they noticed the additional work, they probably felt bad about it and maybe even a little frustrated that you didn't speak up. This illustrates the importance of open communication, even when things are going relatively well.

It's ultimately up to you whether you feel comfortable taking the extra pay. Maybe it depends on how badly you underestimated and if you can afford to take the hit. Or you could use it as a learning experience, show good faith to the client, and say, "You can get me on the next one." 

Whatever you do, discuss things like this with your client early and often. That's the only way to a happy resolution.

Q&A: Working on short films for free

Will people work on short films without getting paid?

Yes. People will work for free if they believe in you and the project. It's just as important for them to get the experience and have material for their demo reel. And it's fun.

If you have the means to pay them, then pay them. If you aren't getting paid and it's just a passion project, then be honest. If they turn you down, say thanks and move on.

Remember this: Respect their time. Take care of them.

That's generally good advice even when you're paying someone, by the way.

Q&A: I want to write a short film

I want to write a short film, but I don't know where to start.

Watch hours and hours of shorts on Vimeo. Then watch some more. If you still don't have any ideas, you probably need to find a writing buddy.

Q&A: Do I need a screenplay for my documentary?

I'm looking to shoot my first short documentary, do I need to write a screenplay? Any advice?

My advice: interview people. On camera or not, just do it.

Early in my freelance career, in order to increase my visibility and practice my skills, I started a simple blog featuring a series of video interviews with local creatives. This helped me learn, make mistakes, and improve far faster than reading/writing a script would have.

(Do a little project like that, and maybe you'll even end up getting work out of it. I did.) 

Yes, there are screenplays/outlines for documentary films, but I don't think that's actually going to be what you're looking for here. (Yet, anyway.) The key to interviewing well is playing off the emotion and response from your subject. It's understanding when to lead the conversation and steer them back on course. Or even better, when to let them go further down the rabbit hole of an unexpected tangent. You can't learn that by reading a document.

 

 

On diversity in technology

I've had the chance to write about diversity in technology over the past month. It was sparked by a 750ish word post on Medium titled, "A black man walks into Silicon Valley and tries to get a job..." 

It was a personal, honestly slightly embarrassing, accounting of what I experienced trying to get a job in technology for four years. But I didn't write that post for me. I wrote that because, now that I have a job I love with a company I adore, I know there are still people out there struggling to overcome those same hurdles every day. That's why it resonated and spread far throughout the internet. If my writing can help just one person - especially if it can open one more hiring manager's eyes or CEO's minds to unconscious bias and privilege - then it was worth it.

That post was later republished on Fusion, thanks to Kevin Roose wanting to amplify my story.

After that, Meredith Bennett-Smith of Quartz asked if I was interested in republishing  that piece or writing more, and I took that chance to get more specific. In my mind, he only way to properly critique and address the issues of diversity in Silicon Valley is by being direct. Pointing out specific issues and suggesting real solutions is better than beating around the bush or choruses of "we have work to do."

Shortly after my post on Medium gained a lot of attention, USA TODAY technology reporter Jessica Guynn connected with me and offered support. She's long reported on the topics and statistics that others are only beginning to see. She extended an offer for USA TODAY to possibly run some of my writing, which led to me publishing "Three ways to begin fixing Silicon Valley's 'pipeline' problem."

I'm continuing to think about how I can best help those who aren't getting a chance. People who love art and technology but aren't being represented in the work they see. And it's great to know Big Cartel is behind me. 

Below is the original post that started it all.

- - - - -

For a long time, I dreamt to work in Silicon Valley. That dream is dead.

I’d like to tell you a joke. But first, some backstory.

I applied for hundreds of jobs (not an exaggeration) after college, many in the Bay Area. I had a few interviews — I was even flown out twice by one company — but I remained without my first “adult” job for over four years.

Hiring managers didn’t like me because I went to a small private university in Ohio. They said I didn’t have enough experience — despite graduating with Honors from said college, being a member of the National Communication Honor Society, and holding a part-time job and internship for three of my four years in school.

Or, get this — I was also told my experience made me overqualified for the position and they were afraid I’d get bored.

The formula was largely the same. Most I didn’t hear back from at all. With a few, I had an in-person or Skype interview with the team.

Once I got on Skype, one position at a hot tech company changed from full-time to a three-month contract. It was listed on their site as full-time. Oh, and they wouldn’t reimburse any moving costs. One more interesting tidbit: This rejection took place in 2011. Until I found a job last year, I still couldn’t reapply for any new positions. Their hiring system blocked new applications.

Another position suddenly “needed filled immediately,” so they went with someone local. I was told a future position might be available if I planned to relocate. Which I would have if, you know, I had been offered a job. They also wouldn’t reimburse moving costs.

Most of the rest ended the same: silence. Many times I couldn’t even get a courtesy rejection email.

I don’t know that any of this had to do with my race, but twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. (A fitting misquote I recently heard of an Ian Fleming quote.) At best (or worst?), it revealed the number of ways Silicon Valley takes care of those close to home, and keeps those on the outside away.

The culture Silicon Valley has built doesn’t value what I bring to the table — my experience, perspective, and talent. To them I simply don’t fill enough checkboxes. I’m not a culture fit, a friend of a friend, or a Stanford grad that could afford to live in San Francisco while job hunting.

The culture doesn’t value evenings and weekends as a time for family, personal development and health, or hobbies. Late nights are meant for hackathons and beer bashes.

This is how you develop a culture that isn’t diverse. You make it impossible for people who can’t afford to take a tryout across the country.That leaves most job openings only available to people whose parents pay their bills; for people who didn’t have to finance their way through college; for people who don’t have, or intend to have, a significant other or children in the near future.

The good news: my dream to work in Silicon Valley is dead because I’ve found out what it’s like to work for a company that values me.

I found a company that values me that’s based in Salt Lake City. Yeah, a company in Utah is doing more for diversity than many in Silicon Valley — get over your biases of where you believe real change is championed.

One of the ways my company encourages diversity is by providing fair pay and benefits for all; which includes reimbursement for relocation, the opportunity to work remotely, a generous family leave policy, and flexible scheduling for personal needs. We also own up to a lack of diversity in job postings, rather than hide the problem. We’re supporting projects and events that emphasize inclusion in tech. Also, hiring doesn’t rely solely on existing social networks.

To Silicon Valley: What legacy are you leaving for your children? If you really believe design can change the world — what legacy are you leaving for the history books? Do you want to be looked back on as a white boy’s club? As an embarrassing furthering of unfair privilege by the most valuable companies of our time?

Or do you really want to change the world?

So, to finish my joke from before: A black man walks into Silicon Valley and tries to get a job, and he leaves empty handed.

Nick Fancher's Studio Anywhere

When I first met Nick Fancher, he was working at JackThreads doing almost all of their photography. I was brought in to do some small video projects, so our work overlapped here and there. JackThreads as a company and Nick personally gave me my first shot at doing real independent and creative projects back in 2011 - it was equal parts good luck, hard work, and the right timing.

Towards the end of the year, Nick asked if I would shoot a little behind the scenes video of his photo work. I said yes, of course, but had no idea what it would lead to.

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

I filmed Nick for about six hours, and spent a few solid days editing a short behind the scenes documentary that became Street Fashion Photography. He entered it into FStoppers' Behind the Scenes contest and we made it to the final 11. Although we didn't win, the video was featured all over popular photography blogs, and today sits at nearly 130,000 views. I still get comments from people telling me how much they like that video almost four years later. 

Long before I met him, but especially in the four years since, Nick has been working hard to perfect his craft. Earlier this year he released a book based on his approach, methods, and philosophy called Studio Anywhere: A Photographer's Guide to Shooting in Unconventional Locations.

Here's a brief description of the book from Peachpit's website:

Studio Anywhere is a resource for photographers to learn through behind-the-scenes photos and lighting diagrams from a range of photo shoots–but it doesn’t stop there. Because directing a photo shoot involves more than simply knowing how to wield a camera or process a raw file, Nick also lets you in on the aesthetic decisions he makes in his signature photos, inspiring you to develop your own vision. And, finally, he describes his Lightroom and Photoshop workflow so you can learn how to deftly navigate post-processing.

Nick included a shot from our behind the scenes video in his book, which is so rad! A still of my video work in a book!

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

A little over a year ago, I caught up with Nick again for my short documentary series Why We Create. He talks more about his process and what drives him to do his best work. Watch it and then go buy his book.

Q&A: What to charge to film a wedding

Over the years, I've answered a handful of freelance video production questions on forums and other websites, but recently realized that information didn't have a place to live that was easily linked to or accessible by everyone. So, I thought I'd share it here. To be clear, these are all public questions and answers, so none of this came from a private email or communication. Still, I've anonymized the questions a bit, and edited my answers to make more sense over time. I have a few more of these I'll post on the blog in the coming weeks.

A bride contacted me and asked me to film her wedding. I'm not sure how much to charge, but I'm thinking $400 is more than what I'm worth, since I've never filmed a wedding before, but I see some videographers in my area charging over $2500 for a wedding! I'm also wondering if I need to rent equipment like a glidecam, and if so, how should I charge for that?

I understand the reluctance to charge "too much" - we were all there once. Let me walk you through a few things.

You're right that $2500 is a different ballgame, but it's not an outlandish price. Once you've done a few weddings, you'll see how far off it is to think $400 is even close to a fair price.

Weddings are loooong days. So before you even talk money, be sure to discuss the schedule. My longest wedding shoot was 7 am to 11 pm, followed by a 2 hour drive home. And however long the wedding lasts, editing can take 2 or 3 times as long. Sometimes longer.

Best case scenario, you're looking at somewhere between a 20-40 hour commitment. 20 is probably way too low, but I don't want to wildly overestimate. At $25 per hour (stick with me here), cost: $500-1000

You'll also need to license music through a service like The Music Bed, Marmoset, or at the very least find low-cost stock music to purchase. No need to violate copyright laws and risk lawyers knocking on your door. Cost: $20-200 per song

Have you discussed how you'll be delivering the film? DVD or blu-ray? Online only? That's something to consider. Maybe not a huge cost there, but say you need to buy some DVDs and postage, that's another $10.

You have to remember as a freelancer, you pay more in taxes. $25/hr isn't really as great as it sounds. Also remember that you're the one providing $1000+ worth of equipment at no additional charge. That's not even to mention the time and experience you do have, which holds some value. Oh, and are you planning on having a second shooter or assistant to help you?

That's all a brief overview to explain why you see $2500 budgets (and higher) and how they can be totally justified.

Now, would I recommended charging $1200 or whatever the total cost might actually be for your first wedding? Not necessarily. That may be way more than they're expecting, and most of all, that's going to put too much pressure on you. But don't charge too little or you may end up spending money. I wouldn't purchase or rent any equipment as long as you have the basics covered. Use what you have. The day is already going to go too fast to get all the shots you want, even worse if you're fiddling with a slider or a glidecam.

Do the best you can with what you have. Maybe $700 sounds fair. Or $1000. Remember that if all goes well, the couple will tell their friends. I'm getting referrals years later from my first big wedding. And that's where pricing too low or cutting corners on quality can really mess you up moving forward.

Why representation in film matters

Because everyone deserves to see stories, characters, and situations they can identify with. Laura writes:

Watching Fury Road, I felt like I was watching my own struggle brought to life (albeit in a very fantastical setting), and I don’t think I ever realized how truly profound that could be for me.

Why I share all my secrets

Billionaire investor Chris Sacca, whose investments include Twitter, Kickstarter, and Instagram among others, was recently on Tim Ferriss' podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show.

He brought up a good point about why he openly shares his investing strategies and secrets. It really underscored why I share as much as I have about freelance work and filmmaking here on my blog, culminating in my 11,000-word essay on Medium, The Little Freelance Handbook.

You can listen to the podcast here, but to paraphrase Chris' reasoning:

Sharing secrets or strategies only takes you so far. It requires execution to actually have success with those tips. If you don't have the passion, or frankly, the skill to compete, then it doesn't matter how much I share. But if you do, and the advice given helps you even just a little bit, you'll be an ally for life.

EVERYDAY

No short film has touched me as much as Gustav Johansson's EVERYDAY.

I've come back to this short over and over this past year. It's a reminder of so many things to me: To be present, to enjoy what life has given you, but also to not waste time and to tirelessly chase the things you want. 

To my surprise, sometime last year I came across a post on Instagram featuring a picture with the EVERYDAY poster hung on the wall. I asked the person where they purchased it, but never got an answer.

Thankfully, I decided to check and see who did the title design for the short, in hopes that they were also selling the print. It turned out to be work from a fantastic designer based in Stockholm, Sweden by the name of Albin HolmqvistI couldn't buy a print fast enough.

After receiving my package, complete with Swedish stamps on the poster tube, I purchased a custom frame from Frames By Mail because this didn't just deserve any old frame. It's not hanging on my wall at the moment because we'll be moving soon, but it'll be prominently displayed in our new place as a reminder to value everyday.

 

Here’s how to make someone buy your $3,500 product

Inspire your customers with benefits, not features

Weeks later, people are still talking about the Apple Watch. Despite the fact that very few people I know actually ordered one. Of those that did order, many haven’t yet received their watch.

Meanwhile, Tesla recently announced the Powerwall, which has gone on to generate a healthy reservation list, but has done little by way of generating actual conversation.

Why is that?

It’s all about framing the conversation. Apple talks benefits, not features. We see a picture of a stupid Chipotle burrito button and can’t share it fast enough. It’s silly, but we can start to piece together the little ways a device like the Apple Watch can reduce friction in our lives — whether at the airport, the checkout counter, or when tracking our fitness levels. But so few companies inspire thinking in that way.

Apple does it. So does Nike. There’s at least one company that should be included in that discussion, but isn’t yet: Tesla

And it’s their own fault.

What if Tesla simply said, “What would you do with an extra $100,000?”

Press Kit | Tesla Motors

With the introduction of Tesla Energy and its sleek product Powerwall, an opportunity was missed to truly inspire consumers. 38,000 reservations is a number to be proud of, but it should’ve been ten times that.

Here’s how sections of the product page read. Notice how it slips between touching on benefits and falling back on its features. That’s fine when you have a product to put in people’s hands. When you’re trying to generate buzz and sell something completely new, it’s harder to picture in your mind.

Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.

Not bad, although it’s not really inspiring me to run and find my credit card. Sounds like a fancy backup power supply — I haven’t needed one, so I definitely don’t need an expensive one.

The average home uses more electricity in the morning and evening than during the day when solar energy is plentiful. Without a home battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company and purchased back in the evening. This mismatch adds demand on power plants and increases carbon emissions. Powerwall bridges this gap between renewable energy supply and demand by making your home’s solar energy available to you when you need it.

I’ll take your word for it.

Current generation home batteries are bulky, expensive to install and expensive to maintain. In contrast, Powerwall’s lithium ion battery inherits Tesla’s proven automotive battery technology to power your home safely and economically. Completely automated, it installs easily and requires no maintenance.

Yeah.

Powerwall comes in 10 kWh weekly cycle and 7 kWh daily cycle models. Both are guaranteed for ten years and are sufficient to power most homes during peak evening hours. Multiple batteries may be installed together for homes with greater energy need, up to 90 kWh total for the 10 kWh battery and 63 kWh total for the 7 kWh battery.

Oh. I’m not sure how many kWh I use though. Am I supposed to math?

Look, I’m not trying to blast what I’m sure are incredibly genuine people who are trying to communicate very complex and important ideas to the masses. It’s easier said than done. I applaud Elon Musk and the entire Tesla team for what they’re doing — and I wouldn’t compare them to Apple or Nike if I didn’t believe they were capable of amazing feats.

Here’s all Tesla needed to do to sell the Powerwall

Right now, you pay an average of $2,200 per year on energy. Not to mention the stress our current forms of energy are placing on the environment and our one and only earth. A lifetime’s worth of energy comes bundled with staggering hidden costs.

What if you could change that with a single product?

Tesla’s Powerwall is here to help you do just that. For less than the cost of two years of energy bills, you can use a green, renewable energy source that will save you more than $100,000 over your lifetime. Most importantly, it will leave a positive imprint for all generations to follow.

The future of energy is here. We want to save you $100,000, making more money available to invest in you, your family, and the livelihood of all.

Will you join us?

Recommended reading: Other Halves

From Frank Chimero's Other Halves:

Knowledge work has its name for a reason: the challenges naturally swing towards the cerebral, and doubly so if you work in design for digital products. You spend hours and hours considering ways to think about what is ultimately an immaterial thing. And who’s to know if it’s done or right?
Writing is a lot like that, too. So, on average, most of my waking hours are spent wrestling with ghosts.

The Creative Process

This is adapted from a Backer's Only update for my Kickstarter project Portrait, originally posted on June 4, 2012.

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I've been doing a lot of preparation and planning for my trip to Seattle - where my production partner Zach and I will be heading to film Portrait!

As much as this film will be about photography, the biggest focus will be on the creative process. What does it mean to be a creative and to chase your dreams? More importantly, how do you construct those dreams in reality and translate an internal inspiration into something others can enjoy? A lot of it comes down to design. Just as Apple designs an amazing product, a filmmaker designs a great film, or a photographer designs the picture hanging on your wall. It's years of practice, learning, and inspiration that make up various parts of the design process. 

I've been reading Frank Chimero's The Shape of Design to look at the different ways to approach the topic of design and creative process. From the book:

"First, design is imagining a future and working toward it with intelligence and cleverness. We use design to close the gap between the situation we have and the one we desire. Second, design is a practice built upon making things for other people. We are all on the road together."

I highly recommend buying his book. You can get the digital version for $10 or a hardcover for $30 here.

I've also revisited Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs. Steve believed in design and being a true artist with your work. When he was younger, he talked about getting older and looking to the future:

"Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns, just like grooves in a record, and they never get out of them."

He goes on to say:

"If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you've done and whoever you were and throw them away.
The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to say, "Bye. I have to go. I'm going crazy and I'm getting out of here." And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently." 

I feel like both of these are fitting definitions for the creative process.

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You can watch Portrait here.

 

Art

Art is not - and should never be - all things to all people. Every picture has a unique lens through which the photographer presses her shutter-release button. Every novel has a different set of experiences the writer brings as he sits down in front of his computer or with pencil and paper.

There will always be margins. Gaps in coverage. Pieces of the conversation left out intentionally or unintentionally.

Art should consider all people, because art is about people and our expression. But it doesn't need to represent, or speak for, or even speak to, all people.

Art is honest. Art is raw. It makes you feel, makes you think, makes you cry, makes you angry. But some art may not affect you personally. And that's ok.