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How Do You Evaluate the Next Social Media Platform?

I just finished reading (OK… listening to) Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I took a lot away from the book and it was very interesting to hear his life recounted by many who were close to him. Regardless of being a Apple fan or not it is an intriguing story.

I could go on and on about learnings from the book but something in the closing pages of the book caught my attention. Jobs was talking about creating a company with a legacy. He used phrases like, “…a deep current of humanity,” when talking about Apple.

I looked online and found this supporting quote by him in a 2011 Inc. article:

On selling your startup

“So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they’re gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective.”

I see the number of startups and it seems that the end goal of most is to create something cool and then sell it to Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, etc…

So how do you create to last?

I think of Quint Studer who founded the Studer Group. Quint founded the Studer Group on a principle of making healthcare a better place… a better place to work, practice medicine, and of course be a patient.

The work the Studer Group is doing is something that will stand for generations to come. It is not a flashy gadget on your iPhone, it is not the new social media platform, and it is not something that is going away anytime soon. (I would encourage you to spend some time on their site and even pick up his book .)

In regards to where I spend my time:

  • Can technology alter the way care is delivered? Yes
  • Can technology alter the way we communicate? Yes
  • Can technology alter the methods in which we serve? Yes

Are we focused on the right things? Are we creating systems, technology, and devices that make a difference and will stand for generations?

My thought is we should use the technologies we have to communicate the passion and life changing methods we know impact where we work, where we practice medicine, and how we serve patients.

Next time you evaluate a new app or platforms ask yourself:

“Does this have a positive impact on patient care, physician relations, or worksite improvement?”

How many of your current tactics would make the cut?

 

 

Author Info

Reed Smith