day 877: Interests

"Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does." Pinterest and others who are using the interest graph to build businesses are thriving. What they have figured out is that what we really care about, we like to share and publish with others, and what we are marginally interested in is optional as to whether or not we tell or follow others about.  We want to go deep on our "super interests" and can take it or leave it on the rest.  This is why we will see more and more of these kinds of sights that allow us to publish out and curate the interests that we care most of and receive an intrinsic reward when we do.   In our businesses we have to figure out how to do and be the same for our customers and consumers.  If we can associate ourselves into their interest graph and help them feel like they are engaging at a deeper level with us, with those things they care about then it works.  Lifestyle marketing has been doing this on a one-size fits all for many years, but it has only been in the past few years that we have been able to use the technology tools to turn the equation around and connect with the consumer at a level that is far beyond trying to make someone feel young, alive and refreshed because they drink a Pepsi. We are not far off from a time that we will be able to allow out faith and beliefs to be "seen" by others just by turning on our smartphones to make us available for others to know who we are.  Imagine that like when our phones tell us a hot spot is available we might know that there is another believer in the room with us who would like to meet and share our common interest.  We are reaching a time when we are going to need to make new choices on how we "publish his glorious deeds" in how we open, allow, and publish ourselves to others.  Let us be prepared for that day by asking for the courage and the readiness for when that moment is presented to us, either in the new days and ways to come, or even today when the opportunity to share our faith arises.  Reference: I Chronicles 16:24 (New Living Testament)

day 853: The Interest Graph

"I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me."

It's been at least two years ago now when Bill Gurley, a venture capitalist from Benchmark Capital, and Max Levchkin, one of the founders of Pay Pal, sat on a panel together and defined the "next big thing" as the "Interest Graph". What we have known to date has been the "Social Graph". This was MySpace and now is Facebook, LinkedIn, Tagged, Google+, etc.; the connection of our "friends" and the ability to share, publish and converse across a network. Certainly this is compelling enough to have created all of the companies above. But what happens when we have connected with everyone who matters and there aren't any more old high school, college and lost work acquaintances that would be meaningfully additive to our lives if we were to reconnedt? Then what? That's where we have gotten to and thus the rise of the "interest graph". Pinterest has successfully blown up because it doesn't run on the social graph, but cuts across interests. And Pinterest is not alone as we are seeing new interest graph services arriving weekly. We'd be well served to understand and follow this next trend as each of our businesses and services fit into someone's interest graph and finding the intersection between what we provide and what our consumers are passionate and interested in, opens up an all new way to connect with them.

This is simple, but complex; Jesus rolled together for us in Himself the ultimate search engine, social network and interest graph. Stay with me. He said to us, "Seek first the Kingdom of God". He said to us, "Go into the world and share the Good News". He said, "No man comes to the Father but through me". See! Search/Seek, Share/Social Network, I am the Way/your interest! As believers we have found Him. He then expects us to share His Word and message to all, especially those closest to us as our neighbors. And, he asks us to make Him our first and foremost interest and then to fellowship with those who share the same interest in Him. I am constantly amazed at how we can find all that we work, live and do, right back in the messages and the life of Jesus. Let us finish this week strong knowing that our interest graph is alive, well and aligned!

Reference: Proverbs 8:17 (New Living Testament)