7 stories to read this weekend

Oh boy! What a dreary long and rainy weekend in San Francisco. In rest of the country, not so much. Here are some stories I think might be worth reading – mostly because it is the weekend. They are different fare from the usual stuff you are likely to encounter on the web.

• Nilofer Merchant’s handy one pager on how social is redefining various business models.
• Sean Ellis shares key tips on how to sustain rapid growth especially for the Internet startups — lessons that actually apply to more than just Internet startups. Every web-business owner/manager should read.
• Chas Edwards talks about the image explosion on the web and how it is going to impact brands and advertising. In other words, what Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest mean for brands. (Bonus link: How many photos have ever been taken.)
• When work and life intermingle, we need to think about “happiness” and business, argues Ryan Vanderbilt. Just a great, uplifting article I hope more employers read.
• 30 brilliant African tech startups. The title says it all.
• There is a whole wide world out there and we will miss most of it. Despite the web, despite the long tail, argues Linda Holmes for NPR.
• And before I go, something to think about: why are we so afraid of creativity?