Innovation

One of the most common sources of hidden bugs in business logic? DateTime.UtcNow Here’s the trap: - DateTime.UtcNow > user.SubscriptionEnd Seems harmless, right? But the moment you try to test this logic, you realize the problem: - You can’t control DateTime.UtcNow - Your tests become flaky or complicated - Business rules are tied to infrastructure There are better ways: 1. Inject DateTime as a parameter — simplest, great for small methods 2. Introduce an IClock interface — more scalable, and test-friendly By inverting the dependency on time, you make your domain logic: ✅ Easier to test ✅ More deterministic ✅ Separation of concerns Next time you write a time-based condition, stop and ask: “Will I need to test this?” If the answer is yes, extract the clock. --- Do you want to simplify your development process? Grab my free Clean Architecture template here: https://lnkd.in/e2-HXmNH

What if attack ads aren't as effective as we think? 😱 Contrary to popular belief, bombarding consumers with negative messaging may not always yield the desired results. A study by The Wharton School marketing and economics professor Pinar Yildirim, alongside Gorkem Bostanci and Kinshuk Jerath from Columbia Business School, points that negative advertising can have detrimental effects on product variety, innovation, and consumer welfare. 🤔 Reflection moment: 1️⃣ When was the last time you were swayed by an attack ad? 2️⃣ How do you think consumers perceive brands that resort to negative advertising tactics? 3️⃣ Can you recall a memorable ad campaign that focused on positive messaging rather than attacking competitors? 💡 Tips for effective advertising: 1️⃣ Focus on Positive Differentiation: - Instead of tearing down competitors, highlight your brand's unique strengths and value propositions. 2️⃣ Build Trust Through Transparency: - Foster trust with your audience by maintaining transparency and authenticity in your messaging. 3️⃣ Prioritize Long-Term Brand Building: - Invest in strategies that contribute to long-term brand loyalty and positive associations, rather than short-term gains through attack ads. 4️⃣ Engage in Constructive Competition: - Acknowledge competitors respectfully and focus on outperforming them through innovation and customer-centric initiatives. 5️⃣ Harness the Power of Storytelling: - Craft compelling narratives that resonate with your audience's emotions and values, steering clear of negative rhetoric. Let's challenge the status quo and explore alternative approaches to advertising that prioritize positivity and value creation! What are your thoughts on this? #marketingstrategy #advertisingstrategies #thoughtleadership #thethoughtleaderway

Rule #1 of startups is “say no to side quests.” Here's why I'm breaking that rule: A compelling story, some cool science, and how you can help us find a cure for a two-year-old with a rare genetic condition ⤵️ Last year, I met Kate Vinokurov, who lives on the other side of the world. Her story is one that no parent wants to imagine. At four days old, her son Etan stopped eating. He spent his first month in the hospital struggling for his life, while his doctors struggled for answers. Etan was diagnosed with early-onset ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. This impacts protein metabolism, causing a build-up of ammonia. Many babies with OTC deficiency don’t make it. Etan was very nearly one of those babies. There is no cure - just medication and diet considerations to manage symptoms - so two years on, Etan and his family deal daily with the threat that his ammonia levels will rise and lead to health decline. Kate has spent the last two years tirelessly raising funds and awareness towards a curative therapy for Etan. One potential avenue is breast milk-derived stem cells; the literature suggests these cells can be differentiated into hepatocytes, which - if functional and successfully deployed therapeutically - could help her son’s body remove ammonia from his blood stream. These sorts of therapies take time and money to develop, but step #1 is to start. So that’s what we’re doing. I can’t pretend right now isn’t an incredibly busy time for Media City Scientific, but I also can’t pretend I’m not grateful to have the abilities, time and laboratory space to donate towards a pilot study. There's enough overlap. I also have a two-year-old son. It’s a little bit personal. So we’re kicking this off. We’ll be isolating and culturing breast milk-derived stem cells, then differentiating these cells into hepatocytes. We’ll look for signals of a functional urea cycle, which would provide that little bit of scientific momentum needed to push towards a therapy. If I’ve learned anything from the startup space, it’s that momentum is everything. So we’re going to try to get that little bit of momentum. 👩🔬 Here’s where Sydney-based scientists can help: The supplies and equipment are all funded by donations from everyday people - so funding is limited and the more creative ideas, the better. ➡️ I’m searching for primary liver cells for a positive control - does your lab have some or do you know anyone who might have these cells? (Update: still looking for these!) ➡️ I need to access a plate reader. Any leads that might be able to help? Reads will be at OD500 and OD430. ⭐ Update: Thanks to Sylvia Johnson, we will be able to borrow a plate reader! MASSIVE thank you to BMG labtech and everyone who offered help⭐ If you’d like to learn more about OTC deficiency or follow Etan’s journey, you can check out the articles and stories below. P.S. Shout-out to Frances Lock who helped solve initial teething issues with this project 🙏

I've watched 3 "revolutionary" healthcare technologies fail spectacularly. Each time, the technology was perfect. The implementation was disastrous. Google Health (shut down twice). Microsoft HealthVault (lasted 12 years, then folded). IBM Watson for Oncology (massively overpromised). Billions invested. Solid technology. Total failure. Not because the vision was wrong, but because healthcare adoption follows different rules than consumer tech. Here's what I learned building healthcare tech for 15 years: 1/ Healthcare moves at the speed of trust, not innovation ↳ Lives are at stake, so skepticism is protective ↳ Regulatory approval takes years usually for good reason ↳ Doctors need extensive validation before adoption ↳ Patients want proven solutions, not beta testing 2/ Integration trumps innovation every time ↳ The best tool that no one uses is worthless ↳ Workflow integration matters more than features ↳ EMR compatibility determines adoption rates ↳ Training time is always underestimated 3/ The "cool factor" doesn't predict success ↳ Flashy demos rarely translate to daily use ↳ Simple solutions often outperform complex ones ↳ User interface design beats artificial intelligence ↳ Reliability matters more than cutting-edge features 4/ Reimbursement determines everything ↳ No CPT code = no sustainable business model ↳ Insurance coverage drives provider adoption ↳ Value-based care is changing this slowly ↳ Free trials don't create lasting change 5/ Clinical champions make or break technology ↳ One enthusiastic doctor can drive adoption ↳ Early adopters must see immediate benefits ↳ Word-of-mouth beats marketing every time ↳ Resistance from key stakeholders kills innovations The pattern I've seen: companies build technology for the healthcare system they wish existed, not the one that actually exists. They optimize for TechCrunch headlines instead of clinic workflows. They design for Silicon Valley investors instead of 65-year-old physicians. A successful healthcare technology I've implemented? A simple visit summarization app that saved me time and let me focus on the patient. No fancy interface, very lightweight, integrated into my clinical workflow, effortless to use. Just solved an problem that users had. Healthcare doesn't need more revolutionary technology. It needs evolutionary technology that works within existing systems. ⁉️ What's the simplest technology that's made the biggest difference in your healthcare experience? Sometimes basic beats brilliant. ♻️ Repost if you believe implementation beats innovation in healthcare 👉 Follow me (Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE) for realistic perspectives on healthcare technology

Stop Using DateTime.Now in Your APIs – It’s Causing Hidden Bugs! I used to think DateTime.Now was harmless until I ran into time zone issues, inconsistent results, and broken scheduling logic in production. These "hidden bugs" are a common source of frustration for developers. If you’re using DateTime.Now in your ASP.NET Core API, here’s why you should stop and what to do instead! ❌ The Mistake – Using DateTime.Now Directly 𝒗𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒑 = 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆.𝑵𝒐𝒘; ❌ What’s Wrong? ▪️ Time Zone Issues – DateTime.Now relies on server time, causing inconsistencies across environments. ▪️ Unit Test Failures – Hard to mock, making tests unreliable and flaky. ▪️ Database Inconsistencies – Different servers store different times, leading to mismatched data. ✅ The Fix – Use DateTimeOffset.UtcNow or Inject IClock ✅ Use DateTimeOffset.UtcNow for consistency 𝒗𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒑 = 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒔𝒆𝒕.𝑼𝒕𝒄𝑵𝒐𝒘; Why? ✔ Time-zone independent – Ensures consistency across environments. ✔ Retains offset information – Prevents time zone ambiguity when converting to local time. ✔ Ideal for distributed systems – UTC is the standard for databases and global applications. ✅ Return API Timestamps in ISO 8601 Format return Ok(new { Timestamp = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToString("o") }); // "2024-02-09T12:34:56.789Z" Why? ✔ Ensures compatibility – ISO 8601 is universally supported across platforms. ✔ Eliminates ambiguity – The "o" format preserves the time zone offset for accurate conversions. ✅ For Testability, Use an IClock Abstraction Instead of calling DateTimeOffset.UtcNow directly, inject a clock service inject IClock into your services for mocking in tests Why? ✔ Reliable unit tests – Mocking IClock ensures predictable time-dependent testing. ✔ Decouples from system time – Increases flexibility and maintainability. ❗ Things to Watch Out For Convert UTC Before Displaying – Always convert UTC to the user's local time. ▪️ Use IClock Only When Needed – Avoid over-engineering; DateTimeOffset.UtcNow suffices for simple cases. ▪️ Store UTC in Databases – Use datetimeoffset, not datetime, and convert on retrieval. ▪️ Handle Time Zones Properly – Consider DST, user preferences, and IANA time zones (America/New_York). ▪️ Test Time Logic Correctly – Use virtual time and mocks for reliable tests. ▪️ Always Mock IClock – Never rely on the system clock in tests. ▪️ Global vs. Local IClock – Choose wisely for large applications. How This Fix Improves Your API? ▪️No time zone headaches – Always store timestamps in UTC. ▪️Fully testable – Mock time easily for unit tests. ▪️Better logging & debugging – Consistent timestamps across environments. ▪️Frontend-ready – ISO 8601 ensures correct parsing. ▪️ Improved data integrity – UTC storage prevents data loss & ambiguity. Tip: Store timestamps in UTC and convert to the user's local time only when displaying! Still using DateTime.Now? Let’s discuss! Share your experiences below!

Most book launches follow the same old playbook: A few press releases. Some social media posts. Maybe a webinar or two. But what if that’s exactly why most books never take off? 👀 We took a different route—turning a book launch into a live event that attracted 65K+ leads, $500K+ in revenue, and a NYT Best Seller badge. Here’s how we did it: Instead of a traditional launch, we built a summit-driven funnel—a high-impact strategy that didn’t just promote the book but created an event people felt compelled to be part of. - We got 65,300 leads from a free event that built massive anticipation - Almost 5k of them paid for premium access (including the book) - We achieved $223,900 in revenue from VIP sales alone - Our  total funnel revenue was $512,000 - But most importantly for the client— he got a New York Times Best Seller Why did this work? 1️⃣ We built a movement, not just a book launch. The summit made people want to be part of something bigger. 2️⃣ We turned speakers into affiliates. Leveraging their audiences created organic momentum. 3️⃣ We optimized every touchpoint. From landing pages to emails, every step was designed for action. Still one of my favourite case studies, I absolutely loved this one! Any book authors here? Say hi below 😉

💡⚡The Billion Dollar Mistake: Paradox of Expertise 💡⚡ Having invested in over 100 companies, I’ve had plenty of learnings. Some of them, the hard way. In my experience, too often, industry experts, with heaps of know-how, can inadvertently miss out on ground-breaking opportunities. The irony? When you know too much, you might find yourself trapped in a certain mindset. Hence, investors who reference industry experts too closely in their decision making, risk trapping themselves in tradition. ✨Disruptive innovation, the force that propels startups often into unicorn status, usually comes from the outside. As Super Founders author Ali Tamaseb has found, around 70% of unicorn founders (outside of healthcare and biotech) lack directly relevant work experience in the industries they revolutionise. Think Pinterest, LinkedIn, Airbnb, the list goes on – game-changers led by minds unburdened by industry orthodoxy. Investors who cling too tightly to expertise risk dismissing disruptive potential. Imagine a world where Airbnb was shrugged off as just another lodging idea or Uber deemed too ambitious. ✍ The lesson here is clear: innovation thrives when minds are open, unencumbered by the constraints of industry dogma. So, my lesson learnt, on both sides of the table and therefore advice to both investors and founders: Embrace the paradox. Don't be blinded by expertise; be open to the unexpected. The next billion-dollar idea might just be brewing where the experts least expect it. 💡  #Innovation #StartupMindset #DisruptiveThinking

I used to own one of these (Microsoft Lumia Phone) But why don't we see enough of them around anymore? Windows phones were soo ahead of their time, I remember how beautiful the one that I had was and how it used to be a flex to own a Windows phone But, staring at a beautiful phone for too long can become boring if there are no apps for it - From the perspective of app development, windows phones were too late as the apps were already built for Android and iOS - For example, Instagram and YouTube took 3 years to arrive on the platform. So what user would buy a phone with practically fewer to no apps in it? -Microsoft attempted to facilitate Android app ports, but conflicts with Google hindered the progress - Poor sales and disagreements with hardware partners led to the discontinuation of Microsoft's mobile division partnership - The acquisition of Nokia's mobile division for $7.2 Billion did not improve the situation There were a lot of fundamental disagreements between the two companies. - Microsoft wanted to take completely on iPhone - Nokia wanted to target growing markets like India - Satya Nadella, the new Microsoft CEO in 2015, recognized the loss-making business and shifted focus away from phones - Subsequently, many employees were laid off from the Windows phone division - Updates became more unstable, and in 2017, Microsoft decided to shut down Windows phone production, marking the end of the venture In the end, Windows phones serve as a reminder of a beautiful tech failure. :) Aryan

We've all been there - that amazing product idea that seems like a can't-miss hit. But far too often, those game-changing inventions end up failing spectacularly because of one critical oversight: not actually understanding user needs. Let's learn from some cautionary tales of failed products: 1. Google Glass: Google Glass failed to resonate with consumers due to privacy concerns and a lack of clear use cases. The product's intrusive nature and potential for surreptitious recording made people uncomfortable, while the high price point and limited functionality failed to address any specific consumer problem, leading to its downfall. Now we’ll be able to see if Apple can get it right with their headset. 2. Juicero: Juicero's expensive Wi-Fi-connected juicing machine was ridiculed for solving a non-existent problem. The device required proprietary, pre-packaged fruit pouches, but consumers quickly realized they could squeeze the pouches by hand, rendering the over-engineered and costly machine unnecessary. 3. Microsoft Zune: Microsoft's Zune struggled to compete with Apple's iPod, largely because it didn't offer a distinct advantage or address any particular customer issue. It entered a market dominated by an established competitor without a clear understanding of consumer desires, leading to its eventual discontinuation. These products missed the mark because the teams failed to deeply understand the human problems they were trying to solve. It's a trap that's easily avoided by embracing user research. User research builds empathy, mitigates risks, prevents costly misses, and ensures you're designing solutions to real problems your audience actually has. It's the critical step that separates products that flop from ones that flourish. What has been your experience with user research? I'd love to hear about other success stories, challenges faced, or lessons learned! #UserResearch #ProductDevelopment #ProductManagement #ProductInstitute