I vividly remember the final battlefield demos at TC disrupt. The strange thing is, it’s not the demos that stick out in my mind, but rather a small fraction of one charismatic founder’s time on stage. When the cohort of decorated judges asked him about his background, he jokinginly admitted he spent three years in the gallows of Wall Street. The disenchanting tone of his answer provoked a supportive response from the audience. Yeah down with Wall Street!
For the last year I’ve spent in the tech ecosystem, I feel like I see people cheering on Wall Street drop-outs as well as overtly hating on the industry wherever I go. I definitely drank this Kool-Aid when I first touched down in …
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Value creation from real estate is not limited to property in the offline world. It exists across web platforms we interact with on a daily basis. The obvious opportunities exist anywhere we can create content. From short bursts to long-form writing, tangible value is created atop digital real-estate.
Each piece of online content serves as a potential touch point for value creation: a potential sale; a relationship; a partnership; the list goes on. People are very good at using content to bridge knodes of connectivity to create these things.
What I find interesting is the amount of online real estate people aren’t leveraging effectively. Money is being left on the table. Every piece of digital real estate is a chance to make …
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Check out this google sandwich
It’s just so savory.
I wanted to share this awesome Savored Picks section because I’m always looking for new date spots or places to “grab drinks.” I can’t be the only one with this problem.
If you feel weird or embarrassed about using a discount on a date, you shouldn’t. It won’t come up because the discount is integrated into the check via the reservation. No coupons.
If for some odd reason it comes up, just tell you’re date she’s lucky to be with such a financially savvy guy…then putting the icing on the cake by offering to go grab a night cap afterwards using the money you saved : )
The heart-warming response and support from friends yesterday after opening the kimono on a sacred part of my life was pretty awesome. I’m really grateful to be surrounded by such a supportive ecosystem.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder about the conversion rate. That is, how many people would actually read that article and take the leap to start talking to the homeless. Far too many people read things, get excited, then take no action.
One of the product lessons I’ve learned that mirrors offline behavior is how challenging it is to effect behavioral change. On the web, this is best done by providing a far enhanced user experience with minimal switching costs.
Within the real world scenario of …
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Every time I step on a subway and hear a declarative “Excuse me” my ears perk up. I quickly scan the rest of the car to find the eyes of a person who has fallen on hard times. As I rise up from my seat and move with purpose towards the man, I feel the curious gaze from those around me grace my shoulders.
No words. No hesitation. Just open arms. I go in for a strong 2 second hug. Then I ask him his name and tell him mine is Scott. We usually talk till my stop at which point I make my way to the door. A smile rests firmly on my face as I step …
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So how is (enter startup name) going?
Many people answer this question with some iteration of “good” regardless of where things stand. I’ve talked with founders who I know are flailing, yet they still come up with some anecdote that things are “going well”. I’m not surprised at this behavior; we live in a world that says show your best and hide the rest. I just think it’s an ineffective, unsustainable paradigm. So save the dog and pony show.
When people ask “how things are going,” it’s far more productive to be honest and authentic. I have far greater respect for and more meaningful interactions with people that are.
Why You Should Always Be Authentic:
Intimacy:
No one is perfect. Everyone just pretends to …
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Two days ago, I was re-reading “Whose Got Your Back” and was struck Peter Gruber’s definition of elegance:
Elegance is the art of exerting the minimum amount of effort for the maximum effect, the maximum amount of power and achievement in our life.
When I signed up for Hipster today I tweeted about how beautiful it was. However, what really impressed me was the elegance of their email notifications.
The biggest problem with email notifications is that users become desensitized amidst inbox overload. By making the first line of text after the message title very short, their notification stood out. With a minimalist approach, they leveraged contrast to achieve their goal. They grabbed my attention.
This small example speaks to the broader theme …
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Just because you can put cool items people want inside of a box does not mean a viable subscription commerce business exists. After the success of Birchbox, so many people are trying to find ways to emulate the coveted subscription commerce model. Why? My guess is because it’s an attractive, easy to understand model.
Over the past 8 months, I’ve heard the “Birchbox” for x countless times. The problem is that this model is not plug and play. I feel comfortable saying this because I tried to start a subscription commerce company not too long ago.
Like many, I gravitated toward the idea of emulating Birchbox in another vertical. From the sidelines, the model just seemed so attractive. So …
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