This was a big week at the Twotone Amsterdam office. We now have enough desks to accommodate all 4 of us. But not just any desks, on Friday we picked up an industrial hydraulic drafting table by Nike of Eskilstuna from Sweden. It was built sometime in the 1950s.
Thanks to our friend Cyril who contributes to Racefietsblog.nl for selling it and helping get it down the stairs (unbelievably heavy!). And special thanks to Tymen of Neutrino Bicycles for helping also get it down the stairs driving it across town.
It feels great to consider the ideas that have been put down on that surface and to continue to do so today! As always, thanks for reading! Let's dive in:
Cycling
30 years of bike messenger stories: meet Keirin Berlin | detour blog
I'll never forget the first time I got to visit back in 2008 after admiring Keirin Berlin from afar for years. This article is great if you nerd out on urban cycling folklore. Support Mo & the shop here.
Presenting CycleHack 2016
The team at CycleHack announced the dates for 2016 with a short film. What is a CycleHack? A CycleHack is a tangible prototype that addresses a barrier to cycling. It is an idea or set of solutions, that solves problems with cycling from people wanting to get into using bikes, to people who ride on a daily basis. Read more about the third annual CycleHack 48-hour global event happening June 2016 here.
Wattsuits Pre-Order at Kern Cycling ends in three days
My friend Gregory Thorne of Kern Cycling has three days left on the Wattsuit pre-order open. Paying homage to graphic design visual techniques & designers, this may be the fastest and most stylish piece of kit on the market.
Startups
Mailbox's Death Shows Good Design Alone Can't Unbreak Email
I've been using this app since forever. I'm coming to grips that it won't be around much longer. This article does a great job of exploring Mailbox's rise and fall.
TL;DR? "maybe the smart bet is that email isn't a problem that UI can actually solve."
Why side projects are better than blogging - Crew blog
It may seem ironic to be writing a blog post about getting rid of your blog, but the marketing landscape has changed, and those who don’t adapt, die. While it’s true that blogging can be an incredible way to build a loyal following and promote you and your company, there’s no way to force results. So how about a side project?
Learning to Deal With the Impostor Syndrome
Finding ways to increase your value while doing the things you love may be the most important thing you do. Maybe you pursue more training to qualify for a raise. Maybe you find a way to sell the photography you did as a hobby. Maybe you find a way to turn your freelance writing into full-time work.
Sales
Mindfulness Practices from Tara Brach at Dreamforce
After reading Tim's revue this week, in which he mentions a recent Tim Ferris post on mindfulness, I was reminded of a Tara Brach talk I watched recently on the same topic. For sales especially, but also in life I suggest checking out this subject.
Three Fundamental Activities of Mindfulness
1. Mindfulness reminds you of what you are supposed to be doing
2. Mindfulness sees things as they really are
3. Mindfulness sees the true nature of all phenomena
The Next Sales Hacker Amsterdam is Wednesday!
• Speaker 1: Terry van den Bemt, former Business Development Director @ PepperMinds & Commercial manager Labs @ TravelBird.
• Speaker 2: Kristel Kuit, Co-Founder of Headroom Assistance
• Speaker 3: Patrick van der Borden former Head of Marketing of V&D, CEO of Maison de Bonneterie and Managing Director of Holland at Home.
p.s. looking for more hands on sales tips? Subscribe to salestips.io. We're shipping the next issue tomorrow!
Radness
ACC De Kampioen
The sun was shining but it was still a muddy day today in Amsterdam. Tom Bergman caught some awesome snaps of Team Tatta ripping through the H.S.V. De Kampioen cyclocross course. In total around 40 derailleur hangers were broken today 0_o And, on the only (intentional) singlespeed I saw, Stefan 'Fish' Vis earned the top step on the podium!
