"Check your Pulse #55: The Future of Curation and Knowledge Management"

"Check your Pulse 55: The Future of Curation and Knowledge Management"

In this age of information overload, curation has become a crucial aspect of our daily lives. Whether it's finding the best articles to read or organizing our thoughts, the way we collect, store, and utilize information has a significant impact on our ability to think better and achieve our goals. However, the conversation around curation has been primarily focused on the content itself, neglecting the importance of the architecture behind it.

One of the main issues with our current information architecture is its obsession with the present. Our feed-based platforms have turned us into documenters and consumers of the present, constantly seeking the latest news and updates. But what about the archives we create? How do we collect, store, and contextualize the information we consume? These questions are often overlooked, leading to a lack of structure and order in our knowledge.

To address this, knowledge management is becoming a hot topic once again. Tools are being developed to help us bring structure and organization to our information stream. However, most of these efforts are focused on creating communities within chat-based platforms like Slack or Discord. While these platforms offer convenience, they can also make it easy to miss out on the best content.

One way to overcome this is by mapping the unknown. Steve Blank, a renowned entrepreneur, suggests a ten-step process to map any industry. It starts with recognizing what you do know and building upon that foundation. Instead of being overwhelmed by the unknowns, focus on turning questions into testable hypotheses and seek data to turn those hypotheses into facts. Drawing a diagram of the relationships between companies in an industry can provide a deeper understanding of how the industry works and who the key players are. Continuously refining this diagram and creating a glossary of new words encountered can further enhance your understanding.

But mapping the industry is just the beginning. To truly harness the power of knowledge management, it's essential to overlay numbers, dollars, market share, and growth rates on the industry diagram. This will provide insights into the velocity and direction of the market. It's important to identify the market leaders, new entrants, and potential disruptors. While extrapolating current growth rates can be a beginner's forecasting method, it's crucial to consider the potential impact of other technologies or global economic initiatives that could shape the market.

In conclusion, the future of curation and knowledge management lies in the integration of content and architecture. By focusing not only on what we consume but also on how we collect, store, augment, and utilize information, we can enhance our thinking abilities and achieve our goals more effectively.

Actionable advice:

1. Embrace the power of mapping. Start by drawing a diagram of the relationships between companies in your industry of interest. Continuously refine this diagram and create a glossary to enhance your understanding.
2. Overlay numbers and market data on your industry diagram. This will provide valuable insights into the velocity and direction of the market.
3. Stay ahead of the curve by considering potential disruptors and the impact of adjacent technologies or global economic initiatives. Don't solely rely on extrapolating current growth rates.

By following these steps, you can take your curation and knowledge management skills to the next level, ultimately leading to better decision-making and success in your endeavors.