Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

A Reflection on Scale

The end and beginning of each year bear prediction gifts. But our beginnings never know our ends. Calendars are conventions. The work is in the middle. For that, reflection is more useful: pre-mortems, reviews, activity, and observation are tools for the job to be done. There's tremendous upside to building and creating. But the existing technologies and paradigms are solutions with problems non the side. Take for example micro- or niche communities. Sari Azout shared a note about scale#. I'd like to emphasize and sharpen it. She says: Scaling intimacy is the million-dollar question for digital micro-communities. I’m surprised by... Read more →

Three of the Best Books on Being Human

“Well that's, like, just your opinion, man!” as the The Big Lebowski would say. We see the world from our point of view. It's the human condition. We all like to believe that our view of the world is the right one. Being human is complicated, but all other species are taken. So we might as well do the best with what we've got. Three books to connect some dots We're all so different. Yet, in many ways, we respond to similar stimuli. Our aspirations range from the most base to the sublime. We're human. The oldest idea that still... Read more →

How to Create a Monopoly

People in companies don't use conversation as a tool to create and transmit value. People meet, talk, persuade, sometimes sell. But they don't engage with their knowledge and skills creatively through conversation. A measure of value is its power to move you days, weeks, and months later. Writing can create and transmit value as well. Write and converse enough that soon you arrive at the ideas and principles that underpin your work. But shaping ideas into deliberate conversations and structured memos is too much work. What ends up happening is mostly verbal status updates and bullet points. Or notes that... Read more →

Change the Story, Change the Outcome

You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with, goes the adage. But there's one critical piece people forget: who do you think you are? The story you tell yourself could be the reason why there's a mismatch. This works for individuals and companies: how you frame, position, and market yourself determines what and who you attract. Why it matters The story you tell yourself impacts what you do. Your actions determine your future. Every one of us has probably examples of people who get all the accolades, the promotions, and opportunities. They may not be... Read more →

Four Books to Understand how Reality Works and How to Deal with it

[image from The Wizard of Oz] “A fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that's just how the world will come to an end: to general applause from wits who believe it's a joke.” Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or, Part I Not assuming is a superpower. As Ray Dalio says, “Truth—more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality—is the essential foundation for producing good outcomes.” It could save your life. But, as Orwell wrote, “To see what... Read more →

Want to Make an Impact? Prepare and Do.

“You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.” — Carl Jung Want to make an impact? Connect with your mind and examine your consciousness. Every other option becomes an act of vandalism or hubris rather quickly in the modern sense of the word.# For many involved in knowledge work, professional services, or even technology, an actual exchange of value is hard to measure beyond the immediate. But there's a way to prepare for and build over time. Put into this context, it's not obvious you could translate impact into positive effect, influence, or change quickly. But that's... Read more →