The Day I Bought Air for $1.29

My whole life I have always seen a more efficient ways to get things done. From building a fort to doing the dishes. Anytime I saw something the thoughts in my head were half creative, half mathematical and all solutions or efficiency based.

A solid understanding of what things could or could not do let me break existing rules that had no basis or truth to them and create better solutions.

Today I heard a story from my cousin Jeremy who also is not only a problem solver but a breaker of conventions. On his last big business deal he created a new structure for a financial transaction that gave him a different set of underwriting tools and allowed him to close on a deal that no one else could close. What seemed toxic for all other investors became of great value to him by changing the rules (or redefining them).

Jeremy was telling me how frustrated he was that you could not get the alarm on your phone to buzz to wake you up but no sound, that the setting does not exist. While searching for a solution he found that you could by silence for $1.29. That you could buy a custom audio file that is silence or empty if you look at it that way. So now he could upload this silent audio file so when his alarm goes off it plays the silent audio file and buzzes giving Jeremy the desired outcome.

Life is a hack, what is an everyday hack that you use to make the world work better for you?