What You Need to Know Today: December 30

Good afternoon, Early Risers!

Here’s what you need to know

TECH

What makes a great list of New Year’s predictions. If you saved all the fortunes from fortune cookies you ate over the past year and compiled them into a Word doc., I predict you’d have a list as good, if not better, than Seth Godin’s list of predictions for 2016. That’s how vague and safe they were. But wait, he did it on purpose, to show us how predictable life is — so meta. I like Seth Godin’s writing, but sometimes he can be too clever for his own good. After reading the horoscope-like predictions, I wondered what actually makes a compelling list of New Year’s predictions? Not a list that accurately predicts the future (though it still needs to be believable), but a list that engages readers. You’ve probably read dozens of predictions for 2016 this week. I bet the predictions that left you most satisfied and not feeling disappointed that you clicked through, had one thing in common: specificity. Humans have an innate desire to see others fail. So the more specific you make your predictions, the higher chance they’ll be wrong. That makes for compelling odds. Specific predictions also feed into our desire to be lead. Even the greatest leaders look to other great leaders for inspiration. By not making specific predictions, you’re robbing your readers of what they crave most. Here is an example of a great list of New Year’s predictions. If you don’t believe me. Ask yourself this: Will you remember that someone predicted “you will exceed expectations” in 2016, or that “your heartbeat will write movie reviews” in 2016?

12 apps we were obsessed with in 2015. “Hooked is my new must-read on the train, standing in line for coffee, or even right before bed. It’s turning short stories into text messages that I can’t stop reading. It’s got a weird feeling of voyeurism as you’re watching a text-message conversation unfold, but the drama each message packs has me hitting next until I finally get to the end of it. It’s dark and twisty, or cute and loving, depending on the story you get. As someone who reads news stories all day, it’s a nice two-minute escape into a fictional story without the commitment of reading a book.” — Biz Carson, Tech Reporter. Full list of apps.

CAREER

How to start a restaurant. In every group of friends there’s one guy who thinks it would be cool to own a bar. You can’t blame him. It would be cool. But running a bar, or restaurant, or food cart, requires some careful considerations. Here’s what you need to know.

Typecasting millennials hurts ad buyers. “As marketers have moved spend from traditional to digital, and especially mobile channels, they’ve had great success getting in front of millennials — but then, how could you not? Set up dashboards to blast messaging across social channels, and you’re sure to get in front of the largest demographic using those channels. A recent survey suggests that in 2016, brands will cease targeting millennials as one cohesive, homogenous group. Marketers will shift focus to the passions of younger consumers, seeking to engage them with age-agnostic, values-based content,” says AdAge. It’s no longer enough to target millennials based on their age now. Ad buyers will need to consider much more if they want their message to resonate in 2016. Read more.

10 brand ideas creatives loved in 2015.

LIFESTYLE

Your parents need to watch this. Mike Vacanti’s latest video “Why Fitness Actually Matters” is a must watch for your parents. It’s also a good reminder for you about why you’re devoting time every week to staying healthy. Hint: it’s not all about Instagram.

Don’t get your hopes up tomorrowThe scientific case for low expectations on New Year’s Eve.

#NOWYOUKNOW

Happy Birthday LeBron and Tiger

From ThePostGame

It’s only fitting two of the most recognizable and successful faces in sports history share the same birthday.

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods (born December 30, 1975, in Cypress California, while LeBron Raymone James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio. Read more.

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