AbilityMatrix Newsletter #8: Carpe D…ecembris

Welcome & Willkommen!

Enjoy your December! We have no idea whether 2022 was short or long. No idea where to put it in the line of 2020 and 21 - what do you make of these years? And what about earlier hectic years? Looking back from 2050, would we want to remember and talk about these years?

Ambivalent year (again?), with general and deeply pressing uncertainty on a global level (again) - yet businesses in tech & innovation still kept growing until very recently. We at AbilityMatrix also expect a record year, fantastic innovators engaged (again). Purely looking at numbers and figures could make us remember a different reality (could be an interesting perspective about rational vs irrational). Maybe you just can not stop the human desire to invent, grow & renew.

But somehow, the year was also fast-paced. Time accelerated. We just do not believe that all the months were really 30-31 days long. Especially this November.

We found a very nice article exactly about this phenomenon, the perception of time when Christmas is approaching, starting from childhood. And our advice for relaxing a bit is to replace your everyday stress with Holiday stress - we have coping tips, so a better choice. And then we can all return in January, 2023.

Enjoy your December! Carpe Decembris!

Your editors today: Anna, Em?ke, & Laci

Seasonal greetings - with behavioural science

• Christmas shopping stress factors through behavioural science lens
• Psychology of Gift Giving
• This year's Christmas came faster than ever... But WHY?

Recommended Reads

• The Power of Customer conversation
• Finding Language/Market Fit: How to Make Customers Feel Like You’ve Read Their Minds
• What Dreams May Come and Why and How (Behavioral Scientist)
• 14 Ways to Acquire Knowledge: A Timeless Guide from 1936. Check the links in the article!
• How listening to uninterrupted noise helped millions to focus
• The importance of innovation timing: A history of ARM - Building the first chip
• How to create a movement that drives transformational change: An interview with Greg Satell
• Interesting interview about micro-mobility trends in EU-StartUps: Rachel Lesslar, Founder, Vostok Electric
• Cutting R&D to Grow GTM Spend: Is it Happening Across Software Companies?
• EdTech Marketing Strategy Tips for B2B Businesses
• Circular Startup Index initiative

Facing recession

• Recession hits Silicon Valley as layoffs pile up. Yep, the same river as in 2022 and 2008! (check the article date!)
• Post from Laci about the recurring Russia & Tech crises of CEE - again and again. (HUN)
• Mental Models to Help You Cut Your Losses - By Annie Duke (Behavioral Scientist)

Tools and tips

• 7 Tips for Setting Your Sales Pipeline Up for Success in 2023 (Lusha)
• Useful in Google Docs: Create & edit a Timeline View
• AI productivity tools
• Mandatory Sales Basics: 6 Essential Steps to Build Rapport With Your Clients
• Future of coding, possibly - the role of AI

Austrian slices of interest

• Vienna Startup Package, high-level pitch
• A fresh and detailed report about FinTech startups (113!) from the DACH region

Innovati-OFF. 2022 OFF. See you in 2023!