Depending on where you live, summer is just two months away or right around the corner. That means it’s time to start thinking about grilling season — and if you’re serious about cooking outside, you should make this the summer you pull the trigger on a Big Green Egg. Although there are several models to choose from, the classic Big Green Egg is a ceramic grill that also functions as a smoker and oven. Simplicity is the name of the game here: It lets you grill up burgers, smoke some tasty ribs, or cook a deep-dish pizza — although not all at the same time! You’ll save money (and space on the patio) with this one. Running off lump charcoal and with a built-in thermometer, this is a classic backyard burner that’s incredibly heat-stable due to the ceramic-and-metal construction. The Big Green Egg doesn’t draw attention to itself, although its sleek lines and organic shape look great. Still, serious grillers will recognize it immediately — and everyone will love the delicious results. BIG GREEN EGG: THE GRILL TO KILL FOR Summer’s Coming — You Ready to Grill?
If you’ve ever worked as a cashier, you’ve probably thought that scanning barcodes is something you could teach a robot to do, and you’d be right. Startup company Gather deploys their drones inside massive warehouses to scan the barcodes of every item inside. But it goes further than that — so far, in fact, that only a robot could do this job. You see, Gather isn’t just about inventory management. They’re interested in efficiency as well. Their drones take a few days and systematically map the inside of a facility, creating a 3D model in software. Now, the engineers at Gather can look at both the space and the inventory. They can see how energy is being wasted, what movement or storage solutions don’t make sense, and the ways that their warehouse isn’t optimized. Of course, this startup is still in the early stages of success, but the implications for this kind of work could be huge. The data that Gather is, well, gathering will be valuable to more than just whoever owns that warehouse. In theory, it could be used to build the “perfect” warehouse, optimized for either human or drone workers in the future. In addition, the needs of Gather’s drones (mostly quadcopters, at the moment) are pushing the envelope on drone design, which is already a hot area at the moment. Don’t worry about drones phasing out human workers just yet. For now, Gather is solving the problems of today — like where your eBay package went that’s been “processing” for three weeks in Kansas City. On top of mapping out warehouses, Gather is also training team leads on how to use their technology for good. They want drones to work with humans, not replace them. SO EASY, ONLY A DRONE COULD DO IT! Gather Is a Company to Watch This Year
The only downside? Come October, you’ll still be saying, “Oh, it’s not that cold … I’m going to use the grill tonight!”
A lot has changed in the 20 years since Jim Collins first published “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don’t,” and you might expect the world to have left this one behind — even if it was tremendously popular back in the day. You would be right — sort of. Like “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” or “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” “Good to Great” is one of those rare books of empowerment that remains relevant in any era. Collins praises companies that, at the time, were doing great. Naturally, some of those companies (Fannie Mae and Circuit City) have since gone belly-up, some in spectacular manner. ‘Good to Great’ Is a Modern Classic AZCOMP LEADERSHIP LIBRARY
At the same time, many of the businesses he highlights are still doing great, and Collins correctly predicts the rise of the information economy. More to the point, “Good to Great” was never about how to keep a business alive forever. Jim Collins wrote this book to show business owners how to level- up what they’re already doing — and that advice is as relevant today as it was when this book was first released. This month, dig out a copy or order a new one. You’ll laugh in some places and nod in agreement in others. And without a doubt, you’ll learn something useful.
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