People are not like you

Everybody sees things differently. What goes through your head is related to who you are; your experiences, your memories, your situation.


We had Chewy Chong over from Bing on February 22. Before the session, I'll have to admit i was expecting some marketing session, with some Microsoft dude selling us this Google competitor, and wasn't really looking forward to it.

That was so far from the truth.

The world is so different from what any one person can perceive. In showing us the CBS News video of a blind man's family, he showed us what a normal life is like to a very different part of society. 4 generations sharing a house and bank account, even when different members are doing very different jobs, and somehow always having someone watching after the patriarch of the family. How many families in Singapore have a remotely similar lifestyle? With that lingering in our minds, he said something that stuck with us for the rest of the session.

People are not like you. Step back and take a look at the system without wearing your usual lens.

That is, I feel, the greatest takeaway from this session.

On a separate note, perhaps he did succeed at selling Bing after all, for I find myself less adverse to switching from Google. Bing, according to Chewy, is more targeted towards aiding decision making, for most searching done is a precursor to a decision of some sort. Thus, Bing would attempt to determine what decision you were trying to make, and related information in a more relevant and helpful manner