Will Duderstadt

If you are like me, some days don’t feel like enough work is getting done. You might think it’s too many meetings, an avalanche of emails, too little prep time, urgent fires that surprise and distract, a hallway convo that lingers longer than you’d like, a mountain of resumes to read or travel for four…

It’s quite easy to be a Sunday morning, armchair quarterback when it comes to new technology. Pointing out all the flaws and dislikes of a new piece of tech that attempts to redefine an entire category is more prosaic and dull than provocative. It’s harder to appreciate that a first version of any revolutionary tech…

Let’s face it, nobody knows when they are middle-aged. Optimistically, it’d be swell if that milestone was still a decade or so away for me. Heck, making it this far is like twice winning a cosmic lottery, for which I have immeasurable gratitude. But the mere chance that I’m near that middle is enough to…

Whoops. I goofed. I made a mistake yesterday. Another one today. And I’ll probably do another tomorrow. They come in all shapes and sizes: hitting “Reply All” instead of “Reply” on an email, forgetting to followup after a conversation, spilling coffee on your keyboard, leaving your charger behind when traveling, citing the wrong metric in…

For the past year, I’ve been restoring the neglected grape arbor in my backyard. Along the way, I learned a few lessons: 1️⃣💡 Avoid suffering from “not invented here”. I didn’t build this structure 40 years ago. I probably would have done it differently if I did. Heck, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have…

As a digital marketer, I am increasingly drawn to hobbies and creative outlets that aren’t reliant on the internet, computers or even electricity. And I’m not alone. I have colleagues taking up hobbies like boat making, home brewing and even knitting. After a long day at the office, it’s nice to work with your hands…

Twenty years ago this year, I earned my Eagle Scout. A loyal Scout from an early age, earning the Eagle Scout Award was the pinnacle of my twelve-year Scouting career. I had been luckier than most: a strong Troop with both adult and youth leaders that valued outdoor programs, parents that supported and participated alongside…

To be honest, when Facebook launched in 2004, I didn’t even notice. Mostly because I was well out of college, already working at Apple for three years. When they threw open the doors to the general public in 2006, my interest was piqued. But I still didn’t sign up. Their stated mission at the time,…

Taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, I went for a short hike today in the 650 acres of Blendon Woods Metro Park. Walking alone, I adopted a quick pace. It wasn’t a race, nor was I aiming for a workout. I just had more plans for the day and was thinking about what was…

On Sunday evening, I tried my hand at Live Tweeting. I wasn’t attending a swanky movie premiere or black tie event. I was ironing my dress shirts for the week ahead. Domesticated, boring, and relatively uninspired. But what better way to explore the ins and outs of a platform than to jump right in. So…

Tonight I’m thinking about Ranger Bob. It would have been his birthday today. Like he did for so many others, he gave me an eternity of life lessons, one summer at a time. He’ll always be my definition of a great leader. The “Virtues of Ranger Bob” have shaped who I’ve become and continue to…

Emojis are everywhere. In November, Oxford Dictionary declared an emoji their “Word of the Year”. In June, Twitter introduced the ability for advertisers to target Emojis. And today (📅 July 17th) is officially “🌏 World Emoji Day“. The stats on Emoji usage are staggering. Twitter has reported more than 110 billion emojis have been tweeted…

Is your brand planning a Holiday, Memorial Day, Easter, Pearl Harbor, Sept 11th or celebrity death social media post? You really shouldn’t. Best case scenario, you get a cheap laugh or a few likes. Worst case, you evoke cringes and groans. Let’s start with what these holidays really mean. “Most people don’t need to be taught, they need only to…

During the International Builder Show in Las Vegas last week, I discussed the concept of “Liquid Expectations”, a term originally coined by Baiju Shah. Simply put, as consumers interact with one product or company, their point of view for other (often unrelated) products and services are shifted. The expectations flowing from interaction with one company…

With “Back to the Future” day upon us, a colleague and I were discussing how disappointing 2015 has turned out to be. No Mr Fusion, no Jaws 19, no self lacing shoes or auto drying clothes. But most importantly, no Hoverboards. CollegeHumor’s satirical cartoon on this topic is sobering reminder of how our version of…

Imagine the U.S. Census as conducted by direct marketers – that’s the social graph. Social networks exist to sell you crap. The icky feeling you get when your friend starts to talk to you about Amway, or when you spot someone passing out business cards at a birthday party, is the entire driving force behind…

A friend over at Drivehard.net explains why Marcus Aurelius got it right: “Because of its volume—and its occasional ruthlessness—Apple gets big discounts on parts, manufacturing capacity, and air freight.” Adam Satariano and Peter Burrows at Bloomberg This quote from a recent Bloomberg article sheds light on one of the less exciting and therefore underrated aspects…