Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

• How To Explain Technical Debt To Executives. Hint: It’s Not Technical – Startup Patterns – Medium. “It’s Not Technical: Most people understand that if you spend more than you have, you’ll get into debt. But as modern businesses—particularly startups—become more and more dependent on technology, there’s another kind of debt we need to worry about, and it’s one execs seldom understand: Tech debt. This article is the best explanation, from both the business and the technology side, of the problem, and how to change organizations so they properly take it into account.” (Alistair for Hugh).
• Documenting and Debunking Dubious Footage from Ukraine’s Frontlines – Bellingcat. “The fable of The Mice in Council tells of a group of mice who decide to put a bell on the cat that hunts them, the better to tell when it’s nearby. All the mice on the council approve—but when it comes time to find a volunteer, none steps forward. ‘Belling the Cat’ is an expression meaning to make a threat less dangerous, but also a reminder than doing so is harder in practice than in theory. For a few years now, my go-to for security and disinformation research has been Bellingcat, and they’ve really stepped up for the war in Ukraine. They’re an amazing resource for fact-checkers, journalists, and anyone who wants corroboration, and this offers some context and useful links.” (Alistair for Mitch).
• Mama Said Knock You Out (Auto Tunes featuring Mama & Papa) – Flula – YouTube. “Entertaining cover of the LL Cool J classic.” (Hugh for Alistair).
• What Was the TED Talk? – Some Thoughts On The ‘Inspiresting’ – The Drift. “A short history of the TED talk, through a skeptical lense.” (Hugh for Mitch).
• Are NFTs really art? – The Guardian. “I’ve stated this before, but I will do it again: I am a firm believer that NFTs are an important part of digital society and commerce. The fact that we can allocate provenance to a digital asset, moving it from a place of abundance to scarcity, is critical. We have it in the physical world, there is no reason not to have it in the digital world. With that, the conversation here isn’t really about whether or not something is considered ‘art’. The real conversation is about value. Again, I’ve said this before, I am a comic book collector. I’m sure many in the art world would sneer at the thought that comic books are art. Trust me, comic books are an incredible art form. In a myriad of ways. So, what are you actually buying when you buy an NFT? Are you buying art? Are you buying into some kind of community? Are you buying into some kind of future based investment? I’m not sure that these conversations are much different than when we talk about NFTs or art, in general. The issue, of course, is that art is subjective… so why are we surprised that NFTs stir those same emotions?” (Mitch for Alistair).
• How book lovers on TikTok are changing the publishing industry – Fast Company. “I’ve become a big fan of TikTok. There are some amazing creators on the platform who speak (passionately) about the publishing world. Personally, I love the videos created around comic books, graphic novels, and, of course, books. What we’re now experiencing, is the publishing industry opening their eyes and widening their arms to a better understanding of how to sell books. As we know, selling books is no easy task. Now, just imagine this: We have one of the largest video-based social media platforms (that most people assume is just for younger people), and it’s becoming a driving force for the book publishing industry. With that, I’ll give this a standing ovation.” (Mitch Hugh). 

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends):