A Bit Gamey

A Bit Gamey is a blog by Phil Martin, documenting his journey in developing mobile apps. It covers creativity, productivity, personal development, and entrepreneurship. The posts offer practical advice on idea generation, writing, deep work, communication, and startup strategies alongside insights into blockchain technology and designing a Minimum Viable Product.

Creativity and Idea Generation Productivity and Personal Development Entrepreneurship and Startup Strategies Writing and Communication Product Design and Development Blockchain and Technology Trends

The hottest Substack posts of A Bit Gamey

And their main takeaways

Three data visualisation tips

27 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🪑 Design Data Visualization Graphic design
  1. Maximize the data-ink ratio by minimizing non-informative ink like excessive grid lines and decorations, to enhance clarity and comprehension.
  2. Align graphic components to create stronger organization and cohesion in design, ensuring nothing is placed arbitrarily.
  3. Utilize small multiples technique to present series of similar graphics or charts in a grid format, enabling easy comparison and revealing patterns within the dataset.

Gis a job

27 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Networking Personal Branding Career development Job search
  1. Building connections through uncommon commonalities can create strong bonds that stand out and make one fit in.
  2. Demonstrating value to employers by focusing on what you can offer them rather than what they can do for you can lead to opportunities.
  3. Developing a personal brand through online presence, like optimizing LinkedIn profiles and creating personal websites, can enhance job prospects and credibility.

Three step fear facing framework

20 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-Improvement
  1. The fear-facing framework involves defining worst-case scenarios, preventing them, and preparing to repair the damage if they occur. It's about facing fears with a structured approach.
  2. The framework is rooted in Stoic philosophy, emphasizing the importance of contemplating potential negative outcomes to better handle future challenges. It's about preparing for the worst.
  3. Utilizing the fear-facing framework can lead to positive outcomes, as demonstrated by the author's experience with resolving a situation through structured fear management. Taking action on fears can be empowering.

Five product design concepts

20 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🪑 Design Product Simplicity Thinking
  1. Simple design is often harder than complex design but worth it in the end. It's about stripping away unnecessary elements and focusing on core functionality.
  2. First principles thinking, 80/20 rule, MVP, and understanding user journey are important product design concepts. They help in focusing on what truly matters to users and building valuable digital products.
  3. When designing digital products, prioritize simplicity, test underlying assumptions, focus on high-value features, build MVPs for initial user feedback, and ensure a smooth user journey.
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Seven principles of logo design

20 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🪑 Design Principles Practice Resources
  1. Great logo design is simple and relevant to the business it represents.
  2. A successful logo should be distinctive, memorable, and scalable.
  3. Design principles like simplicity, relevance, and durability can be seen in the iconic Nike swoosh logo.

Five lateral thinking techniques

27 implied HN points • 03 Dec 23
🚌 Education Problem Solving Creativity
  1. Lateral thinking techniques involve challenging assumptions and embracing creativity.
  2. Perceptual change can open up new possibilities by reframing problems.
  3. Random input and provocation are tools that can stimulate creativity and generate new ideas.

Six thinking hats

13 implied HN points • 17 Dec 23
🚌 Education Problem Solving Decision-making Creativity Critical Thinking Personal Development
  1. The Six Thinking Hats method by Edward de Bono helps in problem solving by considering different perspectives.
  2. Each hat represents a specific viewpoint like emotions, caution, facts, optimism, creativity, and control.
  3. Using the Six Thinking Hats approach can lead to clearer thinking, innovative ideas, effective communication, and better decision-making.

Blockchain: Fad or future?

27 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Blockchain Cryptocurrencies Applications Security Future
  1. Blockchain is a secure and tamper-proof way of storing information through a distributed database.
  2. Blockchain has diverse uses beyond cryptocurrencies, including financial transactions, supply chain management, healthcare, voting, and intellectual property.
  3. The future of blockchain involves potential applications like smart contracts, decentralized applications, IoT security, and government transparency, indicating it's more than just a passing trend.

My 5 step idea generating process

33 implied HN points • 05 Feb 23
  1. Connecting different skills can lead to valuable ideas
  2. Spotting relationships between facts is crucial for idea generation
  3. Having a structured idea generating process can yield successful results

Preparing for future work

20 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
💼 Business
  1. Companies are getting smaller as technology advances, leading to a more dynamic work environment.
  2. Value and productivity in work are not always linear; individuals with specific skills can bring significantly more output.
  3. Future workers will need to adapt by diversifying skills, embracing change, and building a personal brand.

Choosing our business model

20 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
💼 Business SaaS Marketplace Subscription E-commerce
  1. Founders should understand different business models available and focus on one for startups.
  2. Three key business models to familiarize yourself with are SaaS, Marketplace, and Transactional.
  3. Other business models include Subscription, Usage-based, E-commerce, Enterprise, and Advertising.

How to trigger users to act

6 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
💼 Business Behavior Motivation
  1. Behavior requires motivation, ability, and triggers (B=MAT)
  2. Motivation comes from immediate sensations, long term anticipation, and social belonging
  3. Ability is influenced by skill, cost, and potential frustration in taking action