Living Zoku Edition 21: Successful teams and abandoning meetings

TUESDAY 02 JULY 2019 | EDITION 21

Did you know that Google tried to sell itself to Excite.com for under $1 million in 1999? The deal fell flat when Google insisted that Excite adopt their search algorithm, but Excite thought theirs was better. So next time you Google something, just remember than in an alternate universe you could Exciting something.

YOUR WEEKLY PRESCRIPTION

THE CONDENSED GUIDE TO RUNNING MEETINGS

8-minute read | Harvard Business Review

Does it feel like your schedule is taking you from endless meeting after meeting? Surely, there’s a better way to bring groups together and get everybody up to speed. Or if you’re Elon Musk, just walk out whenever you want...

AFTER 2 YEARS, GOOGLE FOUND THE KEY TRAITS FOR SUCCESSFUL TEAMS

3-minute read | Inc.

There are heaps of blog posts from founders and CEOs giving their two cents on how to build the perfect team. Usually they involve tortured extended metaphors like “think of your team like a football squad!” Google took a different approach. They spent two years crunching the numbers.

BE A BETTER NEGOTIATOR IN EVERYDAY LIFE

5-minute read | Medium

Negotiation is one of those skills that seeps into everything. So, if you read this article I’ll write more newsletters. No, wait. If you get people to subscribe to this newsletter I’ll let you read the article? How about we both read the article and then feel good about ourselves?

MEET THE RESIDENT

Each week, we profile a Zoku community member - hit reply if you'd like to be featured!

Nancy Choi is the Director of Strategic Planning for EMEA, for Nike Direct.

What brought you/brings you to Amsterdam?

I’ve wanted to move here for years and finally landed a job offer through Nike, which has its 2nd headquarters here.

How long have you stayed at Zoku?

I stayed for a blissful month at Zoku and have nothing but positive things to say about the experience. From the staff to the building design to the community of residents, it’s the best way to be introduced to Amsterdam!

What path has your career taken?

I’ve always followed my curiosity and therefore had a lot of different experiences… from working a summer in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York… to working for Barack Obama when he was in the U.S. senate and helping him campaign his first year… to advertising in Chicago… to working on digital product with engineers at Google in California… to working on creating the future of Sport at Nike. It’s been a fun ride to say the least.

What’s a life-changing book, song, film or event you’d like to recommend to others?

“Dead Poets Society” was a pretty life-changing movie when I watched it. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it as it’s one of Robin Williams’ best work. “Carpe, carpe. Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

Which book have you gifted the most, and why?

The Power of Now. It’s the best reminder that all we really have is the present moment and to live earnestly, consciously and with love & kindness. Life is a series of moments rather than a mountain to be climbed.

What advice would you give your 20 year old self?

None. Everything we go through is the lesson we need in that moment. Plus, I wouldn’t have listened anyway :)

Nancy's LinkedIn