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Game changer for Stanford? - Printable Version

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Game changer for Stanford? - Rally - 09-04-2014

"Don’t you really want to put all your wood behind that arrow and try to save the system, rather than stand by and let it fail?”  Hennessey

https://medium.com/stanford-select/game-changer-f3881a36c0c

I admit I have no idea what, exactly, "Don’t you really want to put all your wood behind that arrow and try to save the system, rather than stand by and let it fail?” Means,  But I have no archery experience.  I found this interesting.  From Stanford Magazine.


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Leftcoast - 09-04-2014

This was a phrase used frequently at Sun Micro and, more recently, at Google.

Basically don't spread your effort.  Target and focus exclusively on something and put all your heft/striking power behind one arrowhead rather than adopting a scattergun approach with little force behind the many arrowheads.

For an "In the Wild" usage, here's a press release where Google used this analogy when discussing shutting down Google Labs to focus on more focused product development. 

Quote:More Wood Behind Fewer Arrows

Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011   
Last week we explained that we’re prioritizing our product efforts. As part of that process, we’ve decided to wind down Google Labs. While we’ve learned a brobdingnagian amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead.

In many cases, this will mean ending Labs experiments—in others we’ll incorporate Labs products and technologies into different product areas. And many of the Labs products that are Android apps today will continue to be available on Android Market. We’ll update you on our progress via the Google Labs website.

We’ll continue to push speed and innovation—the driving forces behind Google Labs—across all our products, as the early launch of the Google+ field trial last month showed.

Posted by Bill Coughran, SVP for Research and Systems Infrastructure




Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Rally - 09-04-2014

(09-04-2014, 05:27 PM)leftcoast link Wrote:This was a phrase used frequently at Sun Micro and, more recently, at Google.

Basically don't spread your effort.  Target and focus exclusively on something and put all your heft/striking power behind one arrowhead rather than adopting a scattergun approach with little force behind the many arrowheads.

For an "In the Wild" usage, here's a press release where Google used this analogy when discussing shutting down Google Labs to focus on more focused product development. 

Quote:More Wood Behind Fewer Arrows

Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011   
Last week we explained that we’re prioritizing our product efforts. As part of that process, we’ve decided to wind down Google Labs. While we’ve learned a brobdingnagian amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead.

In many cases, this will mean ending Labs experiments—in others we’ll incorporate Labs products and technologies into different product areas. And many of the Labs products that are Android apps today will continue to be available on Android Market. We’ll update you on our progress via the Google Labs website.

We’ll continue to push speed and innovation—the driving forces behind Google Labs—across all our products, as the early launch of the Google+ field trial last month showed.

Posted by Bill Coughran, SVP for Research and Systems Infrastructure

Thats great.  I still can't visualize putting wood behind arrows but I had a soft major :)


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - 81alum - 09-04-2014

That article, unfortunately, confirms my deep worries about the way the proposed changes could devastate Stanford's ability to so successfully balance athletics and academics.  I hope they do not come to pass.  If they do, there will be some terrible choices that will have to be made. 


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Mick - 09-04-2014

(09-04-2014, 05:45 PM)ferrari link Wrote:[quote author=leftcoast link=topic=10529.msg96557#msg96557 date=1409876824]
This was a phrase used frequently at Sun Micro and, more recently, at Google.

Basically don't spread your effort.  Target and focus exclusively on something and put all your heft/striking power behind one arrowhead rather than adopting a scattergun approach with little force behind the many arrowheads.

For an "In the Wild" usage, here's a press release where Google used this analogy when discussing shutting down Google Labs to focus on more focused product development. 

Quote:More Wood Behind Fewer Arrows

Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011   
Last week we explained that we’re prioritizing our product efforts. As part of that process, we’ve decided to wind down Google Labs. While we’ve learned a brobdingnagian amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead.

In many cases, this will mean ending Labs experiments—in others we’ll incorporate Labs products and technologies into different product areas. And many of the Labs products that are Android apps today will continue to be available on Android Market. We’ll update you on our progress via the Google Labs website.

We’ll continue to push speed and innovation—the driving forces behind Google Labs—across all our products, as the early launch of the Google+ field trial last month showed.

Posted by Bill Coughran, SVP for Research and Systems Infrastructure

Thats great.  I still can't visualize putting wood behind arrows but I had a soft major :)
[/quote]

Clearly not Archery...


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - stupac2 - 09-05-2014

(09-04-2014, 05:45 PM)ferrari link Wrote:Thats great.  I still can't visualize putting wood behind arrows but I had a soft major :)

I think the expression means shoot a normal arrow rather than one where the shaft is, I dunno, perpendicular or something. It's kind of a weird metaphor since doing anything else obviously means an arrow that doesn't go anywhere.


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Rally - 09-05-2014

(09-05-2014, 08:31 AM)stupac2 link Wrote:[quote author=ferrari link=topic=10529.msg96559#msg96559 date=1409877921]Thats great.  I still can't visualize putting wood behind arrows but I had a soft major :)

I think the expression means shoot a normal arrow rather than one where the shaft is, I dunno, perpendicular or something. It's kind of a weird metaphor since doing anything else obviously means an arrow that doesn't go anywhere.
[/quote]

Found this.  I still think its a tortured expression but the analogy here is cute.

"Here's an analogy. You go out deer hunting. You take your bow and arrow, but do you need a map and a compass? Hardly, not if you are a real man! You take direction from the sun, go east for 3 days, and then shoot your bear. Sure, you meant to shoot a deer, but nobody can call you a coward for shooting a bear, right? And notice I said bow and ARROW, no "s." That's right. Real men bring only one arrow. They know how to aim (and they remember to take plenty of time when aiming), and they put all the wood behind that one arrow. Only sissies bring extra arrows for--what?--in case they "miss?" Real men don't know the meaning of the word. This is the way our fathers did it, and our fathers before them, and if it was good enough for them, it should be good enough for us."  From waterfall2006.com


Better Bear punchline - Mick - 09-05-2014

(09-05-2014, 08:41 AM)ferrari link Wrote:[quote author=stupac2 link=topic=10529.msg96618#msg96618 date=1409931087]
[quote author=ferrari link=topic=10529.msg96559#msg96559 date=1409877921]Thats great.  I still can't visualize putting wood behind arrows but I had a soft major :)

I think the expression means shoot a normal arrow rather than one where the shaft is, I dunno, perpendicular or something. It's kind of a weird metaphor since doing anything else obviously means an arrow that doesn't go anywhere.
[/quote]

Found this.  I still think its a tortured expression but the analogy here is cute.

"Here's an analogy. You go out deer hunting. You take your bow and arrow, but do you need a map and a compass? Hardly, not if you are a real man! You take direction from the sun, go east for 3 days, and then shoot your 59er. Sure, you meant to shoot a deer, but nobody can call you a coward for shooting a 59er, right? And notice I said bow and ARROW, no "s." That's right. Real men bring only one arrow. They know how to aim (and they remember to take plenty of time when aiming), and they put all the wood behind that one arrow. Only sissies bring extra arrows for--what?--in case they "miss?" Real men don't know the meaning of the word. This is the way our fathers did it, and our fathers before them, and if it was good enough for them, it should be good enough for us."  From waterfall2006.com
[/quote]


"You're not really here to hunt, are you?"


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - fullmetal - 09-05-2014

I think the more intuitive metaphor is putting eggs in fewer baskets, but I guess that's not aggressive enough for management board-speak.  As someone with experience in target archery, it's all carbon fiber or aluminum these days.  I don't know why you'd put *more* wood behind an arrow--arrow length is a tricky thing to determine, and there tends to be an optimal length related to the archer's draw length (esp when using a clicker).  Once you find that length, then you have to tune the plunger...why anyone thinks that adding either mass or length to the arrow is a prima facie good thing (aside from target-stopping combat purposes) is beyond a decent archer.


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - CornFed - 09-05-2014

All I know is the analogy ferrari found is an example of when the auto-correct is fun.


Hennessy's got wood? - Redrum - 09-05-2014

Reminds me of back when the Chicago Cubs had a great pitcher, Kerry Wood.  Fans would wave signs for the TV cameras  "We've Got Wood".


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - VFRing98 - 09-05-2014

Even with the explanations given by fellow Cardboarders, I also have no idea what Hennessey is saying. I kind of think he doesn't, either...sounds like management school gobbly-gook. To be fair, I think elsewhere in the article his point is made more clearly.




Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Stymie - 09-05-2014

At various times in my life I was....

--a strategy consultant
--an English major at a well-known western university
--a demon archer whose cub scout nickname was "swift arrow"

....and I don't have a clue as to what Henessey was trying to say


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - needle - 09-05-2014

More wood = heavier arrow = more damage/imprint when hitting target/goal/Bambi.






Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Stymie - 09-05-2014

(09-05-2014, 10:04 AM)ferrari link Wrote:[quote author=Stymie link=topic=10529.msg96639#msg96639 date=1409936502]
At various times in my life I was....

--a strategy consultant
--an English major at a well-known western university
--a demon archer whose cub scout nickname was "swift arrow"

....and I don't have a clue as to what Henessey was trying to say

Please change your handle to Swift Arrow!
[/quote]

I wish I could, Ferrari, but I am unable to do so due to legal obligations related to work I may or may not have done for various unnamed governments and some or none of their organizations.......


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Mick - 09-06-2014

(09-05-2014, 11:07 AM)Stymie link Wrote:[quote author=ferrari link=topic=10529.msg96641#msg96641 date=1409936675]
[quote author=Stymie link=topic=10529.msg96639#msg96639 date=1409936502]
At various times in my life I was....

--a strategy consultant
--an English major at a well-known western university
--a demon archer whose cub scout nickname was "swift arrow"

....and I don't have a clue as to what Henessey was trying to say

Please change your handle to Swift Arrow!
[/quote]

I wish I could, Ferrari, but I am unable to do so due to legal obligations related to work I may or may not have done for various unnamed governments and some or none of their organizations.......
[/quote]


As long as it's not "Broken Arrow."


Re: Game changer for Stanford? - Rally - 09-06-2014

(09-05-2014, 11:07 AM)Stymie link Wrote:[quote author=ferrari link=topic=10529.msg96641#msg96641 date=1409936675]
[quote author=Stymie link=topic=10529.msg96639#msg96639 date=1409936502]
At various times in my life I was....

--a strategy consultant
--an English major at a well-known western university
--a demon archer whose cub scout nickname was "swift arrow"

....and I don't have a clue as to what Henessey was trying to say

Please change your handle to Swift Arrow!
[/quote]

I wish I could, Ferrari, but I am unable to do so due to legal obligations related to work I may or may not have done for various unnamed governments and some or none of their organizations.......
[/quote]

I understand.  The eagle does not fly at dawn.  Beware of Ruby wearing Wednesday's dress.