The Intuitive Life Business Blog
Business blogging, marketing communications, industry analysis, commentary, and musings from strategic business consultant, author and speaker Dave Taylor.
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- Video interview with Bill Vick: Social Media and Searching for a Job
I had the pleasure to spend some time talking with Bill Vick of Xtreme Recruiting.TV, talking about social networking, new media, and recruiting. Here it is:
What's interesting is that we recorded this by utilizing Skype Video conferencing and on my end, I was using the video camera built in to my Macbook Air. No advanced tech, no $700 studio lights, and, as you can see, no set either (that's my living room fan in the background). Nonetheless, pretty good, pretty darn good.
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:55:26 -0700 - Learn How To Make Money Blogging, with Darren and Andy
[Updated to fix broken links! Sorry!!!]
Having spent years in the blogging space and having been a speaker or participant at most of the major new media conferences in the last few years, I'm privileged to know just about everyone on the so-called blogging "A list". They're a good bunch, all in all, not too many that are snooty, though their egos are, uh, well, 'nuf said on that! :-)
A surprising number of these folk have leveraged their online visibility into success in other areas or grown their weblog into a "blogging network" or multi-author, multi-site empire. For the rest of us, the bloggers who prefer to have things stay simple and small, most are still trying to figure out how to realize the magic of traffic --> revenue rather than traffic just producing hosting headaches and larger ISP bills.
A couple of people have done just that, however, turned an avocation into a vocation, gone from casual hobbyist bloggers into professional online writers, producing great content day after day, week after week, gaining a following and understanding how to turn the dream of revenue-from-traffic into reality.
One of the best at this is Darren Rowse, who runs Problogger.com. We've never actually had the pleasure of meeting (logistics are a bit more tricky since he's based in Australia), but every time I read another of his blog entries my respect for him goes up another notch. If you're not reading his site, you're missing a gold mine of ideas and blog revenue info.Darren's a "six figure blogger", someone who has mastered the science (it's not an art) of building significant traffic, producing top-notch content, and transforming it all into a veritable river of income. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Now, let me also talk about my friend Andy Wibbels, who runs the ingeniously named Andy Wibbels.com, consults to a lot of companies about how to use blogs and social media, and has written one of the best primers on the jargon and concepts behind blogging too, Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging. In a very different way, Andy also gets how to leverage visibility online into a very comfortable living too.Given their backgrounds and position in the blogosphere and new media business world, it's not an exaggeration to say that when Darren and Andy put out a course on how you can become a six figure blogger, you should pay attention.
If you're still trying to figure out how writing about a subject you've a passion about can be lucrative, you're the perfect student for this course.
I chatted with 'em about the course (which starts in just a few days!) and learned quite a bit more about it. More importantly, I found out that it costs less than what you'll probably pay for airfare alone to your next Internet conference. You'll have access to both of these sharp guys and a chance to learn their insider secrets, something that'll undoubtedly pay for itself within just a few weeks.
I don't like just promoting something without some sort of special deal for you, my readers, so I am making this very special offer:
Register for their six figure blogging course through my affiliate link (below), email me your registration receipt, and I'll send you a signed copy of my popular book Growing Your Business with Google as supplemental reading. That's a good deal, I'd say!
My suggestion to you, before the clock runs out, they start the course and you're left wondering how to turn your tiny trickle of money into a river of revenue, is to stop thinking about your future and do something about it:Click here to sign up for Six Figure Blogging
with Andy Wibbels and Darren Rowse!I'm confident in their ability to deliver top-notch material and you should be too.
Disclaimer: I know both these guys and know they'll do a great job. Having said that, yes, I have affiliate links on this page too and if you register for their course through my link, I'll make a few bucks.
Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:08:43 -0700 - Redbox sends warning to customers about credit card skimming
Crisis management is a topic I address with frequency on this weblog as I realize that all companies mess up and have bad things happen, but how they respond, that's the big difference between success and failure. I've also written about McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) backed DVD rental startup Redbox before too.
Apparently the company had someone install a credit card skimmer on one of their devices and found it. Not good at all! What's important is that I haven't seen this news show up in the mainstream media (or blogosphere yet), so seeing how the company has notified its customers - even the vast majority of their customers who are unaffected by the problem - and is aggressively dealing with the issue is quite informative. Read on, this is the entire email sent out, then I have some additional commentary at the end...To Our Valued Customers:
A few days ago redbox detected and removed an illegal credit card skimming device at one of our 7,400 locations. At the same time, redbox also discovered evidence of skimming attempts in two other locations. Skimming involves the placement of an illegal device above the credit/debit card reader on a vending machine, ATM, or in this case a redbox. These devices are used to illegally read or store personal credit card information.
Even if your redbox was not targeted, it never hurts to pay a little extra attention and check for any unusual activities or changes at your local redbox. If you suspect your redbox has been tampered with (click this link to see pictures of skimmer devices: http://www.redbox.com/creditcardsecurity/ ) please call 866-REDBOX3, e-mail alerts@redbox.com , or notify the store/restaurant manager of your concerns immediately.
Although there is no evidence currently that these skimming attempts were successful, consumer security is a top priority for redbox. Reviewing transaction records, there is a possibility that up to 150 customers may have been affected. Although only a small percentage of the millions of customers who use redbox each month, redbox has notified the major credit card companies so that they can monitor the situation. The redbox team is also working with local authorities to investigate the incidents and ensure your security.
Skimming is not new (click this link for more details: http://www.uboc.com/ ). It has been attempted numerous times on ATMs, gas station pumps, and now redbox has been targeted. Redbox has been aware of these industry threats and has spent significant time and resources to prepare for them. The 7,400 redbox locations are visited frequently by redbox associates to maintain smooth operations and an optimum customer experience. In this case, a redbox associate found evidence of skimming attempts and initiated the actions in the team's response plan (including this e-mail message).
Redbox greatly values our customer relationships. As a result, redbox is open and direct in our communications about this type of situation. The redbox team also utilizes industry-leading technology to ensure you have a safe shopping experience and aggressively combats attempts by criminals to defraud customers. Please see the questions and answers below for some additional details on skimming and how redbox ensures the safety of your account information.
Sincerely,
Trina Graham-Hodo
Director, Customer ServiceBill Caputo
Director, SecurityAdditional Questions / Answers:
Q. What is credit card skimming?
A. Skimming is the theft of credit card information used in an otherwise legitimate transaction. It often involves the placement of an illegal device above the credit/debit card reader on a vending machine, ATM, or in this case a redbox. For more info click these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming
http://www.uboc.com/about/main/0,,2485_703976951,00.htmlQ. What does redbox do to protect consumer credit card information?
A. Redbox employs state-of-the-art security technology to ensure the privacy and security of our customers' data before, during, and after their visit to our kiosks. Customer credit card information is encrypted the moment it's swiped through our readers. Redbox uses further layers of encryption to protect all data transfers, too. Kiosks are also actively monitored and regularly inspected both on-site and remotely. Redbox never moves or stores unencrypted customer information. Credit card information can not be accessed by outsiders or even by redbox employees once the card is swiped at a kiosk.
Q. Where can I get more information on credit card skimmers?
A. Please use these links to get more information on credit card skimmers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/infotheft/2007-07-31-gift-cards_N.htm
http://www.uboc.com/about/main/0,,2485_703976951,00.htmlQ. How do I know if a skimmer is on my redbox?
A. Redbox credit/debit card readers are standardized for all locations. Click this link for pictures of the two approved readers and some examples of skimmer devices: http://www.redbox.com/creditcardsecurity/
Q. Who should I call if I have questions?
If you suspect your credit card information was improperly used, contact your financial institution immediately. If you have specific concerns related to this incident and redbox, please visit http://www.redbox.com/creditcardsecurity/ or call 866-REDBOX3. Please do not reply to this email.So what do you think? Did they address the situation calmly, professionally, thoughtfully and effectively? I think so.
Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:09:05 -0700 - Embattled Circuit City embroiled in another ugly proxy battle
A very interesting story is unfolding at troubled consumer electronics retailer Circuit City (NYSE: CC), where a shareholder group is publicly stating its desire to have Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Phil Schoonover oustered.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the dissident shareholder group, Wattles Capital Management (led by Mark Wattles), has a 6.5% share in the corporation (which, at the current depressed share value, is worth 50.8 million dollars. 12 months ago it was worth over $200 million. I'd be upset too!) 6.5% doesn't sound like much, certainly less than a controlling interest, but in the way of publicly traded companies, Wattles is bringing its proxy battle to the annual Circuit City shareholder's meeting and not only is pushing for a replacement for Phil Schoonover, but also has a proposed new lineup of five Directors for the corporation.
What I find interesting about this story is that I share the concerns and criticisms of Schoonover. In fact, I wrote on this very blog quite a while ago about Circuit City downgrades employees, guarantees eventual demise. The Journal reporting in this latest story parallels exactly:
"Wattles said Mr. Schoonover and his senior management team appear to have focused on cost-cutting measures with little or no consideration for their negative impact on revenue and gross profit, referring to the company's year-ago layoff of 3,400 workers. To much criticism, Circuit City replaced them with lower-paid staff."
During this same time period, industry publication Twice has been reporting recently that competitor Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has been retaining its strong industry lead in the consumer electronics market.On the other hand... a recent report in Twice shares the result of a consumer survey that notes "price was the leading factor [in consumer preference for one store over another], cited by 70.8 percent of respondents. Selection was cited by 55.6 percent, followed by location (45.9 percent), "quality" (36.5 percent) and service (26.4 percent)." Most important to this discussion of Circuit City: "Knowledgeable salespeople were the least important factor, cited by 20.2 percent of respondents."
Savvy consumer electronics industry watchers have seen this coming for years, but the same report also indicates that more people would rather buy their CE at Wal*Mart (NYSE: WMT) than Circuit City, which is a death knell if I ever heard one. I mean, Wal*Mart? Have you gone into a Wal*Mart and tried to buy any electronics? Target (NYSE: TGT) maybe, but Wal*Mart?
Wattles is right in being unhappy with the performance of Schoonover and his Board of Directors. Circuit City has reacted stupidly to the challenges of the current consumer electronics industry. But what I haven't seen mentioned in any of the stories I've read about the proposed changes to the Board is the threat of online retailers like Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), where the lack of physical storefronts means that they can have a significantly lower overhead. If indeed almost 71% of people consider price the most important factor in a consumer electronics purchase, I suggest that the cost of physical stores -- and stores that aren't well run and efficient -- is far more of a problem than anything else.
Overhead, that's what can kill a retail company in this new century, and even a comparison of Circuit City and Best Buy is revealing: Circuit City's overhead (sales, general and administrative expenses) is $25 per $100 in sales while more nimble competitor Best Buy pays $15 per $100 in sales. That's a massive difference!
There are two reasons I find this situation interesting, obviously. The first is that I like Circuit City and have been distressed to see the obvious mismanagement by the executive team, but the other reason is the demonstration of how a vocal minority can have a significant effect on a corporation. Think about it: this is all coming to pass because a shareholder with less than 10% of the stock is, in the immortal words of Peter Finch, "mad as hell and not going to take it any more!"
Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:35:40 -0700 - Snapfish support isn't very supportive after all...
I know, this is a tempest in a teapot, but I can't help but be amused by the interchange from Snapfish support. I'm a fan of the site and often use it for prints, but this time I uploaded about thirty photos from a recent trip to Hawaii and encountered what seemed like a bug.
I sent in a bug report (which wasn't easy to figure out: they don't really want to hear from customers as far as I can tell):"03/30/2008 01:41 PM: Got a problem: My photo album AlbumID=21902554 has a picture set as the cover image but it's a picture I subsequently deleted. Now I can't change it. A bug?"
Their response was speedy - less than 12 hours - but apparently from the other side of the looking glass or something:"Hi Dave,
Is it just me, or are they completely disconnected from my query and bug report?
Thank you for writing to us.
Please be informed you that our records indicate that you had 6 Albums in your Snapfish account under this email address: d1taylor@ gmail.com. We suggest you once again check your albums in your account."This sort of pleasant, but completely pointless interchange reminds me why people hate tech support and are constantly frustrated with their gadgets, gizmos and software systems. And sometimes I am too. Go figure. :-)
Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:14:35 -0700 - Cool new startup for bloggers: Scratchback tip jar
Disclaimer up front: Jim Kukral, the founder of Scratchback, is a good friend of mine. Nonetheless, I've always been interested in creative and unusual ways for bloggers to make a buck while still keeping their focus on creating compelling content, so when Jim told me about his new startup, I was quite interested in learning more. The result of my questions to him are the interview, published here.
Q: Scratchback is a "tip jar". Tell me what the purpose of a tip jar is for a Web site?ScratchBack is an online "tipping" system. It allows you, the publisher, to accept tips and "give back" links or images in return (all links are nofollow). You name your price on your tips, and you earn money from every interaction through our easy-to-use automated system. It's free to sign-up, and you can have a TopSpot widget on your website or blog in minutes.
Q: There have been many tip jar systems, from the "donate" link through Paypal that have been around for years to the "buy Dave a chai" link on my own web site. Why something new, and why now?
Actually, the Buy Dave a Chai is one of the inspirations for Scratchback, thanks. We just took it a step further. You're still tipping someone, but now you get something in return for your tip. Why now? Well, as you know Google came down hard on webmasters selling text links. Scratchback fills a need in many ways:
- It's a unique and fun way for to accept tips,
- It allows link selling to happen that's safe and secure and Google friendly.
Q: Do you have Scratchback implemented on your own site, Jim? How's it going?
Yes, I have the widget in use on many of my blogs, and of course on the Scratchback site itself. It works great! Visitors enjoy using it and participating with brands.
Q: Who should use ScratchBack?
It's built for everyone, from small blogger, to HUGE publisher, regardless of traffic. Smaller sites or blogs will find that their TopSpots can generate some extra income that they might not be getting from other sources. Big publishers can use their TopSpots to allow everyone to participate on their sites beyond just reading or leaving a comment. If you like to have fun, and you think your readers like the information you have to offer, than this is something for you.
Q: How do you make money as a service? A percentage of the transactions?
Scratchback takes a commission from each tip to pay for bandwidth, hosting and administrative fees. The current commission structure is set for 90% for the publisher and 10% to ScratchBack, after paypal fees of course!
Q: You have a long and rich background with online sales and marketing. Do you see, down the road, a way to tie Scratchback into the affiliate world?
Yes, as a matter of fact, we're having discussions with affiliate networks and merchants right now about integrating some type of affiliate offer either built into the widget design, or some other way.
Learn more about this service and even consider adding it to your blog, all at Scratchback.com.
Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:08:51 -0700 - Is Linux ready for "the masses"? Nope.
There's an interesting, albeit very (very) long article written by Rip Linton entitled Linux Not Ready for the Masses? Bull that, rather inadvertently, does a great job of demonstrating one of the main reasons that Linux is not, in fact, ready for the masses: Rip makes an impassioned intellectual argument for the positive value of change but in this instance completely misses that perception is more important than reality.
His arguments are based primarily on his own experience in the computer industry, years of learning how to wrestle with and overcome the challenges of new and different technology. Interesting reading, particularly since I too have been involved with the Unix community for decades.
There are a few key points he makes that I want to address:
"Most users love to learn new things and really like it if they are one of the first in their group to learn something"
In my experience that's not true. In fact, most people - particularly in a corporate environment - are interested in getting their job done and getting out of there, not learning new tools and techniques. That's why there's still such an installed base of Windows 95 and Windows 98, along with MacOS 9 (yes, I hear from users of all these systems).
This is a key point, because just about every Unix / Linux / GNU person I've bumped into during the 25 years (jeez!) I've been associated with that community has a high level of intellectual curiosity about the tools they use for their work. They like getting incremental updates, they like playing with new tools, they're curious. That's great, but it's not the way most people work and it's a mistake to assume that it is.
"Training and perception are the keys to successful change"
Agreed, but this assumes that people want to be trained and that the benefit to the business - and the individuals - after the training is sufficiently high that they'll accept being trained in the first place. Worse, most corporate trainers are terrible teachers, boring and fairly unforgiving of those who aren't immediately grasping the new concepts or tools.
Nonetheless, my main point is that, yes, perception is key to successful change. And since the perception of Linux is that it's far more geeky and difficult to work with than Windows, this needs to be addressed directly in the marketplace too.
And, to be honest, it is harder to work with Linux than Windows or Mac OS X because you can't go to Kinko's and buy an app for your Linux box, you can't just plug in a printer and get it to work, and you can't get your friend to pop over and help you fix things. No perception involved, this is just the reality of working with an unpopular system in the marketplace.
"The person installing and training on new systems and software must know it so well that they make it look easy"
That's a good point, but it's extraordinarily difficult to pull off. If nothing else, there's the whole "demo syndrome" where things inevitably fail when you try to show others how to use them. You see that again and again at trade shows, for example.
"If there are problems, they should be resolved without making it look like it is difficult to overcome issues."
This is good in the sense that it recognizes that perceptions are critically important, but on the other hand, so many things associated with Windows are mind-numbingly complicated (and some times well nigh impossible to fix) and yet... somehow that doesn't seem to slow down the adoption of Windows in the corporate environment or at home, for that matter.
Finally, my main disagreement with Rip is that people don't embrace change, they run away from it screaming. There's a cliché that addresses this too: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Windows, particularly Windows Vista, is basically broken, but it's not so broken that people are eager to fix it by going into a completely different world, an alien world of geeks and hourly system patches called Linux.
Is Linux ready for prime time? No, it still isn't. After decades of development and effort by the folks that enjoy new tools, gizmos, and poking around with things on a daily basis.
But maybe you disagree? Share your thoughts, let's talk about it!
Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:32:06 -0700 - The nightly popularity contest of social networks
As I am currently many time zones away from just about everyone who reads this blog (I'm on Hawaiian time) when I wake up and first check my email, it's already mid-day on the continental United States and I am noting an interesting phenomenon: with all the social network notifications that I receive, every morning is like a mini-popularity contest now.
Well, maybe a popularity contest of just me, because I can't see what level of invites other people are getting, of course!
Whether it's someone who is now following my Twitter feed or FriendFeed, or friended me on Facebook, LinkedIn or even become my pal on Digg, it's a fascinating experience. (I don't get notifications from MySpace because I receive 20-40 friend requests each day, usually from spambots)
This morning, for example, I wake up to see that Steve Rubel has subscribed to my FriendFeed, Kealeboga Segola has added me as a friend on Facebook, Dave Henderson and condredege are now following me on Twitter and Marvin Turner, JD MBA has forwarded me an introduction on LinkedIn.
I wonder whether the growing popularity of social networks is simply because of this daily affirmation that we're popular and have even more friends than we did yesterday...
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:13:34 -0700 - How do you interview people for your blog?
One question that I encounter occasionally from neophyte bloggers is about one of the most powerful methods of building content and also (shhhh) one of the best ways to build up some very high quality inbound links for your weblog: interviews.
Now I'm not talking about bringing your camera crew and lining up some local production team to help the "location shoot" look great (though if you're at that level you doubtless already know what I'm talking about) but more the humble interviews built around either email or phone-based question and answer sessions.
Standard approach is to identify a half-dozen or so celebrities or highly visible people in your market and ask them directly if you can interview them. Generally, this is a good place to slip in an ego stroke or two, like "I've been talking about your new book for a year now, it's so great" or "really appreciate your insight on the current bond market" or "I'm really interested on how you gained your sharp perspective on politics". Think of it as grease on the wheels, perhaps.
Why approach more than one? Because some folk will just ignore your request or reject it, sometimes because they want to be paid and other times because they're either buffeted by these sort of queries or just uninterested in you and your project. No worries, lots of other people say 'yes' so you should have success!
As part of your invitation to be interviewed, I encourage you to highlight that you'll do the production work (formatting the final document, editing the audio, whatever) and that you're then happy to make that available for their own promotional purposes. This gives them a further incentive and since there's no cost other than time, if you flub it up horribly, they can always skip referencing it on their own site / newsletter.
Making participation easy and efficient is a definite win and will increase the chance of you succeeding in your fledgling interview efforts.
I prefer email interviews, personally, because I'm a text guy so I'll tell you that my secret here is to ask if I can interview them, then send them a list of 10-12 questions and highlight "if you don't like these questions, edit them, skip ones that aren't interesting and add new ones if you'd like". This lets them help move the interview towards areas they want to highlight and I can always mail back "one more question" if they are skipping an area that I think is of particular importance. More importantly, since I'm not seeking a Pulitzer for investigative reporting, it lets them retain some control of the interview too.
For a phone-based audio interview you can use the same general approach by emailing questions in advance of the call. This also lets you ensure that your interview goes well because your subject has had a chance to prep and perhaps pull together some notes. You can do the same: have your homework in front of you so instead of saying "you have a big company" you can say "Your company sold $35.3 million worth of widgets last year..." or similar and sound smart. And that's undoubtedly a good thing.
Finally, when you are done, spend the time and effort to clean things up, edit for coherence, spelling and grammar (as appropriate), clean up audio passages to chop out the ums and ahs, the interruption from the cellphone call at minute 13, etc. Then send a copy of it to the interview subject simultaneous to publishing it, with your gracious thanks for their participation.
For bonus points, you can also ask them if they have any colleagues who would enjoy being interviewed, and if so, whether they could perhaps send out a quick introduction for you. That can open doors that you might otherwise never even know are there.
Finally finally, a quick example: my interview with Spain Dad, which came out of us connecting and me being surprised at the level of personal information he published on his blog. I think it's an interesting interview. Do you?
Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:59:40 -0700 - Google Maps smacked down by the Pentagon
I read this headline in the Wall Street Journal and said "well, duh, yeah."
Pentagon Bans Google Earth from Mapping Military Bases.The article explains that "A message sent to all Defense Department bases and installations around the country late last week told officials to not allow the popular mapping Web site from taking panoramic views inside the facilities."
Michael Kucharek, spokesman for U.S. Northern Command, said: "the decision was made after crews were allowed access to at least one base. He said military officials were concerned that allowing the 360-degree, street-level video could provide sensitive information to potential adversaries and endanger base personnel."
I can only be aghast at the poor judgment of military police who let any Google Map (or MSN Earth, etc etc) teams drive onto a military base and take detailed panoramic photographs of the facility and its exact layout.
In my opinion, it's worrying enough that you can pick any random military base and find a nice aerial photograph of it. For example, here's Andrews Air Force Base, quite close up:
Now this image unto itself isn't necessarily going to help a terrorist plan an attack, but the level of detail is rather extraordinary and if you look for a larger military establishment like Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base it's certainly foreseeable how good on-ground intel could aid a foreign national far more than a Marine who seeks to figure out where "building 1101" is actually located on base.
I think that the challenge of finding a balance between vigilance and openness is a tricky one, and the ever-wider availability of geo-data makes it a particularly tricky issue. But it's not just limited to Google Maps and military establishments either: services like Yahoo's new Fire Eagle make it easier for someone to track your location (assuming you sign up for the geolocation service, still in early beta). Is that a good thing?
How do we balance privacy, security, pragmatic vigilance, optimism and openness in the twenty-first century?
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:13:47 -0700 - Vote for Startup Story Radio on the Clear Channel network!
If you've been paying attention, you'll know that I'm the informal co-host of Startup Story Radio, with my pal Rob McNealy. We have a great time and every Saturday at noon you can even listen to the live audio stream on the KKZN AM760 site.We broadcast through the Clear Channel network and they just announced that they're doing a listener survey to find out which programs are popular. Rob and I would most appreciate if you would spend 90 seconds and vote for our program!
Remember, we're broadcast out of Denver on AM 760 and if you're not a resident of Colorado then please indicate that you listen to our live audio stream.
Thanks!
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:31:55 -0700 - Connect with the brightest folk in Colorado @ BrainJam!
Early in 2007 I hosted an event that we informally called BrainJam and was really delighted at how it worked out. We had about 30 people attend this informal "unconference" and while I admit that we kinda made it up as we went along, it worked out really well: everyone who attended got five minutes in front of the room.
Some people talked about their new startups or their idea for a cool startup, some people tried to hire developers or other people to staff up their companies, some just talked about relatively random stuff that was of interest to them and one or two talked about their skillset and asked to be hired.
Most importantly, it was egalitarian. Everyone got five minutes and everyone listened, so we all had a good time and there was a LOT of networking going on, especially over the pizza boxes.
Last year we had the event at Mobius (thanks Brad!) but this year we've booked a larger, more posh venue at Rally Software Development in Boulder. It's going to be awesome!
But don't sit here, quick Go to BrainJam and sign up!
...and if you're interested in sponsoring the event, email me separately. Thanks!
Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:26:48 -0700 - Startup idea: GrabMyName.com
I just blogged a muse on the newly reborn Business Blog Consulting entitled Do we have to join every social network? but I'm still thinking about the dilemma.
The problem is that once you absorb the message of you are your brand then it becomes increasingly important that you grab your "standard handle" on new sites as they arise.
From reserving your "channel" on YouTube to the external URL on MySpace or handle on Twitter, it's an increasingly big challenge.
And so, my idea for a startup: GrabMyName, a service where, for $5/month, the system will automatically "pre-sign" you up to any new social network or social networking tool that comes on the scene. You enter your email address into the GMN system and every time it signs up to a service on your behalf, it emails you a notification along with the temporary password it's set up.
Would you pay for a service like this?
Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:03:52 -0700 - Should you ever issue a press statement about your competitor?
Even though they never let me keep the multi-room music system that they sent as a review unit :-), I have still always admired Sonos as a company, with their combination of terrific product, attractive packaging and smart marketing. In many senses, they're like a mini-Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) , albeit minus The Steve.
Nonetheless, the chutzpah of the message they sent out in response to an announcement by another cool company, Logitech (Nasdaq: LOGI), is quite something:
Hello Dave,
As someone that has seen and met with Sonos in the past, we wanted to drop you a note about a new product launch that is scheduled for this week that has been positioned as a competitor to the Sonos Multi-Room Music System.
Following their launch at CES, we understand from all of the information we have gathered that Logitech has positioned the new Logitech Duet as a price-cutting alternative to the Sonos Multi-Room Music System.
Since we have been in the market for over three years now and have shipped more than 300,000 units, we felt this would be a good opportunity to clarify a few and update you on a few things about Sonos and the relation to the Duet.
With your permission, we would like to send you a one-page document that covers four questions we have commonly received about the comparison of the Sonos Multi-Room Music System and the Logitech Duet over the past month.
Of course, if you would like to speak with a Sonos executive about the upcoming Logitech Duet launch or anything else related to music and entertainment in the digital home, just let us know and we’d be happy to arrange.
Thank you as always for your time.
Regards,
Thomas Meyer
Sonos, Inc.
In all my decades of being in the industry, I can't think of a previous communication from a PR company or corporate flack that was quite as brazen. At least they didn't include the "four questions" about how the Sonos unit is superior to the Logitech unit, but it's still quite a remarkably aggressive approach.What do you think? Can you envision similar sorts of communication between similarly sized corporations and do you think it's a good strategic move?
Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:59:56 -0700 - A Surprising Social Network Barrier to Growth: Invitations
I've written before about the mistake that many people make using the default invitations - in particular with LinkedIn (see don't send generic LinkedIn invitations!) - but what's amazing to me is how many of the newer and perhaps less well known social networks aren't learning from the experience of the big guys.
Two cases in point that are in my inbox right now, one from Naymz.com and one from Fast Pitch.com.
Here's exhibit A, the invitation from Naymz:
click for a full-size imageWhat the heck? This is really extraordinarily ugly and formats so poorly in my email program (Microsoft Entourage) that it makes me wonder if the people with Naymz have ever actually received an invitation. Yech. I won't join just because it's ugly.
Exhibit B, from Fast Pitch, is even more interesting:
click for a full-size imageMy understanding is that Fast Pitch is a legitimate professional networking site, but really, this whole coy "a colleague has invited you" is a huge spam warning flag and there's also no way in heck that I'm going to join a network that sends that kind of invitation.
So what the heck? Is it so hard to produce attractive, coherent, intelligible invitations to join new social networks as they are created?
Sheesh.
Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:58:31 -0700
