In keeping with today's theme of self-improvement, it appears that Seth Godin's famous book, the Bootstrapper's Bible now has a free version available in Manifesto form. Its required reading for anyone with any interest at all in self-improvement and entrepreneurship.
Get the Boostrapper's Bible here and take some time to look around ChangeThis.com while you're at it. There's great information to be had all over the site.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Corporation You
A couple posts I've read recently have gotten me thinking about the merits of looking at oneself as an enterprise. In particular, Ben Casnocha's post about upgrading his personal IT infrastructure put my thoughts on the subject over the top and into the territory of writing a blog entry.
As an entrepreneur it makes sense to work this way, treat yourself as business and get the most from yourself. I don't mean this in a harsh or cold way but in a personal improvement way.
Think of your accomplishments as profits, your goals as earnings targets, and yourself as the product. What would you change or do differently in your life if you were running it as a business? From deciding whether you can reduce costs by living in a different place or apartment or changing your diet to reevaluating how effective your current technology use is, there are many ways to examine your life from an entrepreneurial perspective.
Put the same effort into your everyday life that you would put into a new business and the change in revenue may surprise you.
As an entrepreneur it makes sense to work this way, treat yourself as business and get the most from yourself. I don't mean this in a harsh or cold way but in a personal improvement way.
Think of your accomplishments as profits, your goals as earnings targets, and yourself as the product. What would you change or do differently in your life if you were running it as a business? From deciding whether you can reduce costs by living in a different place or apartment or changing your diet to reevaluating how effective your current technology use is, there are many ways to examine your life from an entrepreneurial perspective.
Put the same effort into your everyday life that you would put into a new business and the change in revenue may surprise you.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Where Do You Want to Go Today?
The blog Wisebread has an interesting post on the merits of doing the safe thing vs. following your dreams. I don't think I've ever seen it so logically summed up as in these two paragraphs:
Lest you think I'm just a sentimental idealist, we also realized (how practical of us!) that the relative value of the financial security we were pursuing wasn't very high. Even if we paid off all of our debt more rapidly than we could possibly imagine, we wouldn't be satisfied. We would be more secure, but not happy. The money that we could then accumulate (when we were not longer using it to pay off debt) could not buy us our dreams, nor the years spent not pursuing them. For us, that price was simply not worth paying.
The truth is that we're not quite throwing it all on the line here. We didn't just throw ourselves on the mercy of anyone who will help. We have a plan, and that plan includes (and even focuses on) our finances. With my job and his jobs, we will be fine financially. We may not pay off our debt early, but we'll make our monthly payments on time. We may not buy a home or have a kid for a few more years, but I'm not convinced I'm ready for that anyway. We will probably be living on a tighter budget than most of our friends, but that's a sacrifice we're willing to make. We're willing to be less successful financially to be more successful as whole human beings.
It begs the question, just how successful are you if you achieve the rewards of taking the safe route?
Friday, March 23, 2007
Function vs. Flash
In thinking about what I've written recently, it is very important to remember how critical content is in any offering.
Google succeeds with a plain page because it's search is better.
Berkshire Hathaway doesn't have a flashy website but it's content is incredibly popular because the mind of Warren Buffett generated most of it.
While marketing and persuasion are important, the ultimate barrier to entry is better content.
Google succeeds with a plain page because it's search is better.
Berkshire Hathaway doesn't have a flashy website but it's content is incredibly popular because the mind of Warren Buffett generated most of it.
While marketing and persuasion are important, the ultimate barrier to entry is better content.
Why Google and YouTube will prevail
BusinessWeek published an article today regarding the video site that Newscorp-NBC is planning. The article debates the possible effects this will have on YouTube and Google. The gist of the article is that NBC and others can use their already established media rights and catalogs to make inroads into Google's giant market share in the online video arena. The problem, and one I think the author of the article has missed, is the power of the Google brand and the reason Google has become so popular.
Media conglomerates have typically missed the boat when it comes to creating effective online media. The reason being that the Internet is a far different animal from the areas that big media is used to playing in. Take one look at a website like MSNBC.com and you'll see what I mean. It's cluttered and overtly commercial and when compared to a site like GoogleNews it is relatively inconvenient to navigate. Big Media companies are taking a miss-guided approach when they haphazardly outsource their web presence development. They lack the technological culture of Google and from this once-removed position they come up with web products and services that, while functional, typically miss the mark.
Google has the pre-established market share and the "net cred" both underground and mainstream that will make it tough for others to compete. With younger users, especially those who have grown up since the new media wave ushered in by Napster, Big Media has made another mistake. They're taking taking a similar route to the one taken by the music industry; bringing large copyright lawsuits (We've seen how well that's working out for the music industry...). If recent history is any indicator, this will inevitably lead to backlash. It seems we've reached a point where the edge in public favor goes to that of the "disrupter" or the innovator and not to the big, old-fashioned and possibly outdated traditional company. Google wins because it is a tech company at heart, has a huge network and a lot of capital, and its focus is on features and usability.
Have we reached a point on the the Internet where anyone who attempts to tighten copyrights or revert back to old ways will be on the losing end of their battle? I for one am torn on the issue of intellectual property but definitely fall on the side of the disrupters when it comes to progress. What do you think?
Media conglomerates have typically missed the boat when it comes to creating effective online media. The reason being that the Internet is a far different animal from the areas that big media is used to playing in. Take one look at a website like MSNBC.com and you'll see what I mean. It's cluttered and overtly commercial and when compared to a site like GoogleNews it is relatively inconvenient to navigate. Big Media companies are taking a miss-guided approach when they haphazardly outsource their web presence development. They lack the technological culture of Google and from this once-removed position they come up with web products and services that, while functional, typically miss the mark.
Google has the pre-established market share and the "net cred" both underground and mainstream that will make it tough for others to compete. With younger users, especially those who have grown up since the new media wave ushered in by Napster, Big Media has made another mistake. They're taking taking a similar route to the one taken by the music industry; bringing large copyright lawsuits (We've seen how well that's working out for the music industry...). If recent history is any indicator, this will inevitably lead to backlash. It seems we've reached a point where the edge in public favor goes to that of the "disrupter" or the innovator and not to the big, old-fashioned and possibly outdated traditional company. Google wins because it is a tech company at heart, has a huge network and a lot of capital, and its focus is on features and usability.
Have we reached a point on the the Internet where anyone who attempts to tighten copyrights or revert back to old ways will be on the losing end of their battle? I for one am torn on the issue of intellectual property but definitely fall on the side of the disrupters when it comes to progress. What do you think?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Go Forth and Prosper Joblog
As an extension to the blog I've added a free job log to help others like my in their post-graduation job search. The StartUp Joblog is a result of my travels through the job search maze that is the first few months after college graduation. As comprehensive as the internet has become, its still pretty darn tough for a recent graduate to find jobs in new ventures and startups that they didn't have a hand in starting. It becomes exponentially more difficult if you're are looking for non-programming jobs with these new ventures. A job feed serves the company equally as well. They make one posting and have it broadcast to a ready-made pool of targeted applicants. Some websites are making progress with the concept of the job feed but run into problems when it becomes too broad in scope. The feed gets bogged down for the searcher and inefficient for the employers. This joblog makes an attempt to target those individuals interested in working for newly formed ventures with a focus in the realms of internet, technology, social entrepreneurship, and eco-entrepreneur firms. The goal being to simplify the process for all involved. Want to post a job? Send the posting to b (dot) maier (at) umiami.edu
Take some time check out the Joblog. It's free for potential employers and potential employees and will remain that way.
Take some time check out the Joblog. It's free for potential employers and potential employees and will remain that way.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Everyone Should Learn To Sell
If you have an entrepreneurial take on the way you live your life, it is likely that you're already familiar with the importance of being able to convey an idea or to present yourself in a way that motivates others to work with you.
In light of my recent experiences in the the post-graduation world, I think that knowing how to sell or knowing the process of making a sale is an invaluable skill to have. A sale is inherently more complex than someone deciding to make a transaction. A sale involves researching to find and target prospective buyers, developing knowledge and understanding of what it is you are selling, and then articulating this knowledge in a persuasive manner so that the buyer decides that your product or service is a worthy or functional purchase.
Believe it or not, transactions like this happen all the time in areas that you wouldn't necessarily think of as the world of commerce. Ideally, the ability to sell is quite helpful in what could be referred to as human commerce. An excellent example occurs in the process of job searching. Effectively, when searching for a job, you're selling yourself to potential employers. If done correctly, you will have taken the time to sit down and decide what skills you actually possess, to research and find companies that are in need of those skills, and once you're knowledgeable of your skills be able to tell these companies that you are in fact capable of fulfilling their need. This then is an example of why it is vital to know how to sell and is where it becomes a skill that can translate to many facets of life. Many would argue that a little sales knowledge could have saved many failed start ups. Its important to realize that many everyday interactions can benefit from sales experience. Getting a loan from a bank, convincing your extended family where to take this years family vacation, and pitching your business plan are all examples of "sales" you might make.
I may be taking a bit of an extreme position here in the interest of playing devil's advocate but I do believe that the ability to sell can serve you many times over and is essential life skill for anyone, no matter their business or occupation. How important do you think it is to know how to sell? Am I using the correct terms when applying it to real life situations? What experience have you had with this philosophy? Has it helped you?
In light of my recent experiences in the the post-graduation world, I think that knowing how to sell or knowing the process of making a sale is an invaluable skill to have. A sale is inherently more complex than someone deciding to make a transaction. A sale involves researching to find and target prospective buyers, developing knowledge and understanding of what it is you are selling, and then articulating this knowledge in a persuasive manner so that the buyer decides that your product or service is a worthy or functional purchase.
Believe it or not, transactions like this happen all the time in areas that you wouldn't necessarily think of as the world of commerce. Ideally, the ability to sell is quite helpful in what could be referred to as human commerce. An excellent example occurs in the process of job searching. Effectively, when searching for a job, you're selling yourself to potential employers. If done correctly, you will have taken the time to sit down and decide what skills you actually possess, to research and find companies that are in need of those skills, and once you're knowledgeable of your skills be able to tell these companies that you are in fact capable of fulfilling their need. This then is an example of why it is vital to know how to sell and is where it becomes a skill that can translate to many facets of life. Many would argue that a little sales knowledge could have saved many failed start ups. Its important to realize that many everyday interactions can benefit from sales experience. Getting a loan from a bank, convincing your extended family where to take this years family vacation, and pitching your business plan are all examples of "sales" you might make.
I may be taking a bit of an extreme position here in the interest of playing devil's advocate but I do believe that the ability to sell can serve you many times over and is essential life skill for anyone, no matter their business or occupation. How important do you think it is to know how to sell? Am I using the correct terms when applying it to real life situations? What experience have you had with this philosophy? Has it helped you?
The Perils of Being First
In light of the discussion floating around in business today regarding the necessity of an incredible idea when starting a business, The Wall Street Journal published an article yesterday pointing out the downside of being the first one to market with an idea. The article is based around a company named Sambazon which imports the pulp of the nutritious acai berry into U.S. Markets. Much of the article is a business profile but the really important part takes place in this editorial aside:
One cornerstone of entrepreneurship is to be at the forefront of trends, pushing the envelope to find and deliver the next big thing. But being ahead of the pack can also be a tough place to be, and -- as the story of Sambazon shows -- being first can be even tougher. From educating consumers to outmaneuvering new rivals and perfecting packaging, trailblazers like the Blacks face a raft of challenges."The first guy on the beach usually gets shot," warns Jeremy Black. "That's the danger when you are a small guy, a pioneer."
I think the important thing to be gleaned from this statement is not the difficulty of being a pioneer, but the importance of developing a competitive advantage; building a moat of quality, service, or innovation that separates your company from competitors and gives customers a reason to choose your product or service. Dick Costolo, the CEO of Feedburner articulates a critical point in his blog discussion of strategic advantage. Costolo postulates that:
A company's strategic advantage is based around Quantum Hidden Barriers to Entry... Of course, hidden barriers to entry are those great things that cause lots of people to look at what you're doing and say "that's simple, I could do that", only to realize that the more work they do to try to copy your solution or position in the market or whatever, the more they realize they are farther and farther away from what you've accomplished...It's important to realize that these hidden barriers to entry are one of the key reasons that it is more important to just begin working on something and to hash it out by doing than to over-plan and attempt to perfect an idea in theory and on paper before working towards solving the problem in practice. Having the perfect idea or being first to market has less direct influence and less importance than is often thought. The real benefit of being first to market it seems is being the first to work through and solve the hidden barriers to entry. Thoughts?
Hidden barriers to entry are particularly helpful to your company because potential competitors will severely underestimate the level of investment and resource commitment required to compete with you. I cannot tell you how many times since we first launched FeedBurner I have heard the following comments from senior executives at large companies, industry pundits, hobbyists, and my five year old son: "We could build FeedBurner in [a weekend, three months with three people, whenever we wanted]". When you have hidden barriers to entry, you don't get too worked up about these kinds of comments because you know there are lots of pitfalls and issues and challenges that you don't understand fully until you are far enough along in development that you stumble into them and think "oh wow, now what do we do"... [Read More]
Monday, March 19, 2007
Urban Itinerant
I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and try out some new technology at the same time. I'm currently in the process of using some inexpensive web technology to attempt to create a web community for urbanites and urban adventurers with a social venture bent.
UrbanItinerant.com is the home of the community and it brings together the technologies of pbwiki, ning, blogger, and cafepress to create a site that will hopefully act as a forum and gathering place for urban dwellers who see the world a little differently than those around them. As we like to say, Urban Itinerant is for those with a big woods sense of adventure in the urban jungle.
The targeted groups include urban adventurers, outdoor lovers, eco-mavens, travellers, traditional urban dwellers, and the sustainability-minded in an attempt foster discussion regarding urban adventure and responsible city living along with sharing tips, organizing gatherings, getting behind causes, and anything else that might arise. On top of it all, one of the main goals of the site is to give a little something back to the community through the power of these like-minded groups. Urban Itinerant will begin selling merchandise designed for the adventurous urbanite and a portion of the generated profits will go to organizations that benefit the urban comunities and environment that we love so much. So please take the time to visit and look around, maybe something there will hit home with you.
www.urbanitinerant.com
UrbanItinerant.com is the home of the community and it brings together the technologies of pbwiki, ning, blogger, and cafepress to create a site that will hopefully act as a forum and gathering place for urban dwellers who see the world a little differently than those around them. As we like to say, Urban Itinerant is for those with a big woods sense of adventure in the urban jungle.
The targeted groups include urban adventurers, outdoor lovers, eco-mavens, travellers, traditional urban dwellers, and the sustainability-minded in an attempt foster discussion regarding urban adventure and responsible city living along with sharing tips, organizing gatherings, getting behind causes, and anything else that might arise. On top of it all, one of the main goals of the site is to give a little something back to the community through the power of these like-minded groups. Urban Itinerant will begin selling merchandise designed for the adventurous urbanite and a portion of the generated profits will go to organizations that benefit the urban comunities and environment that we love so much. So please take the time to visit and look around, maybe something there will hit home with you.
www.urbanitinerant.com
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