Matthew Baldwin over at The Morning News posted a great compilation of Tricks of the Trade.
As an entrepreneur, half of my work seems to be finding a cheap and easy solution to a problem. This list was entertaining and very insightful to how different people find little easy to use solutions to common problems.
Some examples:
Cartographer
Mapmakers will often use “copyright traps,� bits of information in their maps that are purposefully wrong. They might label a body of water “Lake Strongbad,� for instance, and then examine the next editions of competitors’ maps to see if the incorrect information makes an appearance.
Jeweler
When setting a semiprecious gem, set a tiny piece of silver or gold foil behind it to make it sparkle.
Balloon-Twister
When you’re twisting balloons for children, never tell them what you’re making. The majority of the finished products—despite your best attempts—almost always look like a dog, a blastula, or something vaguely phallic. If you identify what you’re actually attempting to make, the children will respond to your finished product with, “That doesn’t look like a [insert animal name]…� But if you make the animals and then ask, “What does it look like to you?� the child’s imagination will take over, turning the blue, four-legged balloon into Blue from Blue’s Clues, the blastula into a Pokemon, and the phallic object into an elephant. You’ll also get bonus points because you were so cool for making exactly what they wanted.
Read the Full list at The Morning News
RSS