A. B. Sea Ya!
Recently, you could feel it. Many of us around the world felt our focus drift into the sea. How could that be? After all, success was flowing, we were riding the crest and beauty was truly present, found in all our various and wonderful endeavors. What happened to knock us off our game?
Long Tentacles
In the vast seas swim lovely creatures. These organisms typically mind their own business while landlubbers tend to their own. But every once in a while, one of these soft-bodied thalassophiles (sea lovers) crawls onto shore and grabs our attention. We start to focus on it instead of what we deliberately wanted to put our attention towards. At this particular time a rapid swimmer somehow managed to stretch its long tentacles way out and squeeze many of us tightly. Do you know what I am talking about? I am talking about a certain squid that streamed its way to preoccupy over 140 million landsmen and landswomen for 9 episodes ranging from 32 to 63 minutes. Beware, this is no game.
It started with an online news article that read something like “The Squid Game is the #1 show in 90 countries.” So, there must be something to it, right? After watching just one episode, the digital muscular hydrostats had exerted their strength, taking hold of our minds. Now, while at work, the wonder was not on how to cause a management breakthrough for a high growth client, nor on researching just the right new discipline to contribute to a client’s success, nor on thinking of a unique way to positively impact interns. It was now all about how soon till the next streaming adventure on TV.
Upon reflection, perhaps there is a reason this is called streaming. It is not just watching TV on an internet-connected device. It is intentionally taking us down a different stream. This stream is flowing in a direction not quite exactly the one we had in mind when we were planning our year. Yet, it is enticing, enjoyable, and, in many ways, gratifying. The tentacles are firmly rationalized.
A / B Testing Observed
Long time observers of life’s potentially uncontrolled situations or conditions understand how time and attention can drift aimlessly. It is best to choose for yourself how much time and money you plan to invest in a passion project before you start one. Otherwise, you could truly lose yourself in the pursuit. If the occasional business trip to Las Vegas is your norm, it is best to know what you are willing to potentially forsake prior to arrival. Why? Because not only are the mathematical odds against you but certain design arrangements – no windows or clocks anywhere – have been consciously placed to minimize your better judgement. How do such insidious constructs come to be?
Eye doctors conduct what is called A / B testing. Each eye is given a choice of two lenses to see from: “A” and “B”. The patient makes a selection based on which they see better with. Let’s say “A”. Now, “A” stays and a new “B” is introduced. Which do you prefer, “A” or “B”? Patient chooses again. After only 5 options – each possibly better than the one before - have been presented, the beauty of life becomes vividly clear. Akaw, I know! Adapted online, a webpage could maximize clicks by starting with a million viewers and splitting them into A / B groups tested all the way down to 31,250 viewers with pictures, colors and fonts optimized to trap your attention. Fortunes are built on this simple concept. Evolutionary biology has met the digital age. This is only the beginning and we are all at the effect of it.
It is not hard to imagine a movie studio doing A / B testing with focus groups on a per scene basis to get to the point where the squid’s big eyes are staring you right in the face. Your natural reaction is to bail on your intentions for your business and life and pivot to the screen. Clearly, this is not a game and certainly a risk to your time and attention.
Risky Business
What are the two things you do with risk? You either manage it or avoid it. Do you feel your river of creative abundance is a match for an evolutionary biologically designed digital squid? Think about how all that computing power – as well as your own neurobiology – are working against you. The odds of successfully managing this squid risk are low – somewhere between slim and none. And slim just sailed away! So, the agile approach would be to avoid this risk altogether, since it can’t be managed.
The ABC’s of living an examined and highly intentional life start with recognizing when A / B Streaming is making your mental compass irrelevant. The best way to deal with it is “A. B. See Ya!” But, given our unabashed water-themed newsletter, let's go with "A. B. Sea Ya!" Make this squid the last streaming creature to pull you away.
Here's to you and your awesome future.
Until then, keep your feet on the board and keep riding your wave!
Robert J. Khoury
CEO Agile Rainmakers