Chris Wake

I'm reading an interesting book by Scott Belsky right now called "Making Ideas Happen," and it's all about how creatives can drive their ideas from concept to reality.

It's funny how much of myself I see in this book, but the following bit really caught my attention, as the emotional roller coaster of launching a startup certainly has you second-guessing what success looks like, sometimes even daily.

Unplug from the traditional reward system. As you shift your foccus away from short-term rewards, you must be willing to go without "success" in the eyes of others. You must embrace a different set of values that may feel uncomfortable to you and may even appear rash or unwise to others. Some entrepreneurs I've met claim to gain confidence when traditional investors doubt their ideas. Such doubts boost their confidence that they are, in fact, innovating rather than simply replicating something commonplace.

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Remember the days we memorized most phone numbers? What else do you remember that you've stopped doing anymore?

— Shervin Pishevar (@shervin) January 21, 2012

It's interesting to think about these things, but even more so because I've considered at length this precise example in the past. I find it funny that while most individuals no longer memorize phone numbers, they still go through the archaic process of trading phone numbers when they decide they want to stay in touch with someone.

Think of it this way - two people trade a short numbered sequence that will allow them to communicate with one another in the future. This is how computers work too - they communicate in numbered sequences.

A very simple example, but consider that when you look at a friend's picture on Facebook there is a unique numbered sequence attached to that photo which distinguishes it from all other photos on Facebook. That sequence, however, is hidden, it's in the background, never seen or used by actual users. Users only see what matters to them, the photo.

Now, why has a method not yet been invented to do the same for telephone communication? Why are users still burdened with trading phone numbers?

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Uh, yeah... if you can't tell the difference between the above picture & the coffee behemoth you're likely to see on every other corner, you may want to step back from your computer for an hour or two. Rest those eyes.

This is an extremely easy one, because the culprit here has focused primarily on copying brand elements - the green, white & black color palette, the typeface, circular logo, etc. The name and logo here could be deceiving, but they are not blatant copies like so many other knockoffs that exist. 

The next time you find a Louis Vitton or Coach bag inside a store you'd otherwise consider a "tourist trap," I challenge you to find even 5 distinctive traits that would distinguish the bag in front of you as a knockoff, as opposed to the real thing. The problem with so many knockoffs today is that they are so damn good! To the trained eye, a knockoff will never be good enough, but to the average consumer the degree of difference is so minimal in most cases that it becomes irrelevant.

And, this is where I see opportunity. There's value in creating a certification system for "other" expensive items, particularly those traded in secondary markets.

Consider, would you ever buy a second-hand diamond without a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America or one of the many other gem certification organizations? Doubtful. You want to be sure you are getting just what it is you are paying for.

So what about an expensive purse, a designer dress, a watch, a classic violin, etc. etc. Unless you are buying the item from a branded store or one with a reputation for quality merchandise, how do you know you are getting what you pay for? The next time you look at eBay or Craigslist, or go to a garage sale, how do you know you're getting what you pay for?

I realize that some appraisers or auction houses will provide a certificate of authenticity or certificate of quality for certain items, but these services are not readily accessible to average consumers, they are overly expensive, and their certification is not universally accepted.

Long story short, there is a lot of room for improvement in this space.

Disclaimer: This concept came out of my Evernote folder for startup ideas. It may be dusty or just plain broken - if you know of something similar or know that the idea would never work, drop a comment. Similarly, if you love the idea, STEAL IT. BUILD IT.

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Simplicity sits at the core of most successful businesses, and it's something I've learned to value highly over the last few years. It is also the reason that I was so impressed with The Blue Goose when I saw it covered in a recent issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.

If you've ever used a designated driver, you get the idea behind Blue Goose - instead of one person getting stuck driving a few drunk friends around, or paying for overpriced taxi service, Blue Goose provides a bus service for students at Georgia Southern University when they've been out drinking.

Drinking and any moral questions aside, I thought this was a brilliant idea. Jon Lockin saw a need, he came up with the simplest solution that also fit his capabilities (no coding experience required), and he created a business that added value. AND he ousted entrenched competition in the process.

This is not a business to get insanely rich from, nor is it one worthy of venture investment. However, Jon is seeing respectable revenue (especially for a sophomore in college!), and he has potential to expand the idea, certainly to other schools in his area, if not more broadly.

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Er... maybe that's not right. I haven't been too sure what to do with this space, hence the sporadic blog posts. Initially I had grand visions of sharing some wisdom, making some smart ass remarks and sharing some funny pictures, but it hasn't worked out anything like I had hoped. So, the next best thing...

I am going to start sharing some startup ideas (get my creativity firing on all cylinders) and tearing apart some other ideas/ businesses that I find interesting (keeping my analytical skills from rusting completely). I'll commit now to writing at least once per week, and attempt to ramp that up as the year progresses.

My hope is that someone grabs hold of an idea here, whether it's an original idea from me or simply a critique of another idea, and does something with it. Take it, build it, launch it. I'll be your first customer, no strings.

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No one sets out to be ineffective, but it's easy to pick up the habits. Too easy. For instance...

Consuming more than you create -

Effective people tend to create a lot of content. Content can mean a lot of things - but the rule is always the same, create more than you consume. Ineffective people, on the other hand, spend the majority of their time consuming the fruits of others' labor. They are consumate lurkers.

Watching your own vanity metrics - 

Everyone suffers from some level of vanity. A need to be liked. The Internet feeds that need, keeping popularity at the forefront of any online identity with lists of 'Friends,' 'Followers,' 'Connections,' 'Re-Pins' and even the 'Like' itself. Ineffective people tend to feed on these popularity metrics, whereas effective people recognize that these are shallow indicators. Effective people focus more on engagement and strength of relationships; they create quality content to solicit engagement from others, or seek out interesting people and proactively engage them on their own terms.

Starting the day responding to others -

Ineffective people allow others to set the agenda for their day. They start their morning reading or responding to others' requests. Effective people approach each day with an agenda for what they want to accomplish, start their day tackling a task crucial for accomplishing their goal, and respond to others when (or if) it works with their agenda. They know what needs to get done to accomplish their end goal, and they make sure it happens.

Prioritizing the wrong activities - 

Busy work. It is quite literally work that keeps you busy; it saps your time, but gets you no closer to your end goal. Ineffective people tend not to recognize busy work, and therefore, they prioritize tasks that will not move them any closer to their goals. Effective people recognize busy work, and waste little to no time trying to appear busy when they know there are more important tasks to be completed.

Relying on multi-tasking to "save time" -

Multi-tasking is a scam. Being able to walk and chew gum at the same time may be the only true form of multi-tasking worth doing. Ineffective people use multi-tasking to appear busy, or to fool themselves into believing they can reach their goal faster by making minor progress on a lot of things at once. Effective people have a secret weapon to saving time. Focus. Effective people know which tasks are important for reaching their goal, and they focus on each one after another.

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Had to watch this multiple times, b/c... wow! 

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Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

~ Albert Einstein

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One of those days. Found this gem in the SOMA area of San Francisco.

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c/o StartupQuote

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It is very easy in a startup, especially in Silicon Valley, to ignore incremental innovation as something not worth the time or effort to capitalize on. However, everyday you pass by some very clear examples of companies that have capitalized (with great success) on simple, incremental steps forward. For instance, RedBox - it is an extremely simple idea, offering inexpensive DVD rentals via vending machines located in heavily populated customer traffic zones (i.e. grocery stores).

The people at RedBox saw that the economics behind traditional DVD rentals (like Blockbuster) were not sustainable, and so they reconsidered both the customer acquisition strategy (going to the customers, rather than drawing customers into physical stores) and the distribution model (investing in networked vending technology, making it possible to manage inventory centrally while cutting out the expense of physical store fronts, staff, etc.).

The point, do NOT ignore incremental innovation. There are large markets to be served, and potentially huge gains to be had by the right reconfiguration of existing technology and service models. 

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The topic of personal communication has been on my mind lately. So much so, in fact, that I posted the following question on Quora:

Is the telephone ripe for disruption? Despite the advent of mobile phones, conference phones, etc., the process by which we communicate via telephone has remained relatively unchanged; i.e. dial a number to be connected with someone else - are we ready for a fundamentally different way to connect/ communicate?

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to realize that this question was not well-suited to spur the sort of debate I was hoping for. First, the telephone is only one means of communication, and a relatively antiquated one at that. A better question might have been:

Is personal communication (one-to-one, one-to-many, etc.) ripe for disruption? Are the bounds of connectivity ready to be crossed, so as to make any individual reachable nearly 24-hours out of each day?

Sounds a bit intimidating when you put it in those terms, but it's more in line with what I've been thinking as of late. I'm talking about the first all-encompassing connectivity tool. Or, connectivity as a platform; a protocol for making connectivity possible across devices/ services. Consider that when you use most of today's devices/ services, you are performing a one-to-one or one-to-many activity that is platform-dependent; i.e. with limited exceptions, a phone call (whether via Skype or cellular or landline) is between two phone devices, the call will not be transferred to an instant message text conversation on Facebook, or even ring through to GoogleVoice if you're online at the time.

But isn't this level of connection already possible with today's technology? ... And, will someone tackle connectivity as a platform?

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Real tests in life are not written or spoken. And success is measured less in the outcome, and more in your own reaction and recovery.

I am being tested. And I am determined to be better for it.

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Hopes and dreams do not equal execution.

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Every entrepreneur has a 'lessons learned' post, and this is mine. These are just a few of the initial things that I picked up when I moved to San Francisco. Like my ABCs for being an entrepreneur.

Always be...

1. Connecting. The most obvious of any lesson in being an entrepreneur is to get out there and meet people, as many as possible. In the Bay Area, this means sign up for StartupDigest, and use Meetup. You can also find some worthwhile events posted to Plancast; though, as with Meetup.com, it may require some searching (Pro tip: follow interesting people, see which events they choose to attend, and GO!). Even if you are not a social butterfly, you can still network like crazy, and without breaking the bank, using Twitter & Quora - both give you great access to information, especially in tech, and give you the means to have worthwhile interactions with people you may not have access to in person.
2. Conversing. If you already have an idea, you should be sharing it with the world; you should be pitching everyone from your mother to your cab driver, looking for feedback, input and advice. Recognize now that no one is out to steal your idea. Ideas are commodities, everyone has them. The only value in any idea is in execution and no other person can execute on your idea as well as you can. Besides, if you're the "business person," you should know that technical people have side projects upon side projects upon side projects - they could care less about your idea, so it's your job to actually sell them on it if you want help. So start pitching!
3. Critiquing. Real ideas get ripped apart & become better for it. Generally only bad ideas remain unchanged, right up to the point they crash and burn. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to recognize the good v. bad ideas, so part of conversing with people (a.k.a. pitching) is asking for critical feedback. This means talking to strangers - your friends, family and acquaintances do not count, because (no matter your opinion) they will sugar-coat their feedback. It is only through conversations with strangers that you’ll understand where your idea is lacking, where its real impact is, and how real people will (or will not) use it. Important: the second best outcome from critiquing your idea is realizing that it is NOT worth your time or energy to pursue. And the best outcome - validating that a real 'problem' exists, gathering input on how people would like to see it solved, and getting critical feedback on your proposed solution.
4. Creating. The concept of waterfall production (i.e. build something, launch, and win big or lose big) is outdated, certainly as it relates to web products. Your first production goal should be a minimum viable product, or the smallest feature set required to test your core idea. And coding is not required here. An MVP is less about product, or code, and more about answering the question: “if you build it, will they come?” Specifically, it’s about creating the least expensive test for your assumptions on customer demand. There are plenty of tools available to help you with this. My personal favorites include Unbounce, Google Docs, Wufoo & MailChimp - you'll be surprised what you can build without a single line of code!
5. Shipping (... ran out of Cs). Nonetheless, every "C" takes a backseat to this simple truth: real entrepreneurs ship! Do something. There is no other lesson as important. And it applies as much to pitching your idea as it does to critiquing, creating, and finally, to coding. Go beyond talking, and get something in front of customers. It's as simple as that. And remember, if you are completely satisfied with your first product, you waited too long. Build. Test. Learn. Iterate.

I posted something similar under this same title at fundable.co in October 2010, though my thoughts have evolved since then, so consider this Lessons 2.0. Thoughts are nothing if not fluid.

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Amazing. As a society, we moved from books to the Internet, and now back to books. I recently found this book, and it's basically a printed & bound copy of pages from eHow.com.

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Klout measures the level of influence you have among your Facebook & Twitter connections, and does an admirable job attempting to attach influence directly to topic areas; e.g. provide context around the influence you have, identifying particular subject matters for which your network listens or responds to your opinions.

Obviously I was ecstatic to see that I am influential on the topic of Ghostbusters. 

But I've had a nagging question lately... how can Klout measure non-promoted influence? By "non-promoted," I mean that which occurs on a one-to-one basis, or many times, offline. And so I had an idea...

A mobile application that interfaces with your calendar, so it knows who you are meeting with at any point. Just after exiting a meeting, I receive a survey of sorts (maybe two questions) asking me for three topic areas discussed, and a rating of the person I met with on each topic area, as well as an overall rating for their influence or 'value.' In addition to rounding out the data on who influences me (capturing one-to-one interactions offline), this would create the reverse of Klout's current graph (or one that maps individuals that influence me).

I imagine that this would create a powerful dataset on subject matter influence that could be quite valuable to the right buyer. For instance, imagine the additive value of measured influence to someone like LinkedIn, where users currently self-select the topics they are versed in... it's the missing link that Quora & Namesake are attempting to capture in some form with endorsements.

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The Curse of Management

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Watch live video from Ignite - San Francisco on Justin.tv

Because who doesn't think knickknacks are evil... check it out (about 12mins in).

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