I've been a blogger for a whopping 100 days, and it's been a delightful and educational experience. Some readers (Omer Trajman, in particular) asked me share my observations about my blogging experience, so here goes: 1. The more popular a person thinks he is in the blogosphere, the thinner his skin and the thicker his [...]
This blog entry is a response to a topic suggestion by Douglas Hanna. It covers the art of customer service, a subject that is near and dear to my heart. 1. Start at the top. The CEO's attitude towards customer service is the primary determinant of the quality of service that a company delivers. If [...]
FilmLoop creates “looplets.” The primary purpose of these looplets was to show a sample of the loop in order to encourage people to install the loop. However, looplets now have gained significantly more functionality. In essence, they are now an end unto themselves. This means that you can use looplets on web pages and in [...]
There are some books that are “must reads” for entrepreneurs; some for marketers; some for salespeople; and some for programmers. And then there are a handful that everyone should read. IMHO, one such book is Influence--Science and Practice by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University. This book provides insights that you [...]
Raindance Communications is putting on another free seminar. This time it's Darcy Rezac, the author of Work the Pond! Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life. Wednesday, April 12th 12 pm to 1 pm EDT http://roi.raindance.com/rndc/roi/upcomingEvents.jsp?lid=30538#s25 Here's a description: Studies show that a majority of people don't enjoy networking [...]
Several people have asked me for a blog entry about executive summaries. My colleague at Garage, Bill Reichert, wrote this explanation, and it's as good as it gets. Writing a Compelling Executive Summary By now, you’ve probably already read several articles, web pages—even books—about writing the perfect executive summary. Most of them offer a wealth [...]
This is the flip side to The Art of Driving Your Competition Crazy. It's meant to help you avoid being driven crazy by your competition. This isn't a top ten--it's only a top five because the key to maintaining your sanity is to keep things simple. 1. Delight your customer. As the old saying goes, [...]
I found a very interesting blog about naming: http://www.namedevelopment.com/blog/ This led me to the most interesting article I've read about finding domain names called The Search for a Domain Name: http://www.yafla.com/dforbes/2006/03/29.html#a302 I strongly suggest you check these two blogs out if you're interested in the topic of naming. Technorati Tags: branding, marketing, positioning
Please send ideas for topics and questions that you'd like me to cover here. I need to know what you want to know. I can't say I'm qualified to do them all, but like my mother used to say, “You don't get if you don't ask.” I could also use about 5,000 links in my [...]
“The purpose of competition is not to beat someone down, but to bring out the best in every player.” Walter Wheeler One of the signs of boom--or at least a boomlet--is that companies start wanting to drive their competition crazy. This occurs when “survival” is no longer an issue and optimization or maximization can become [...]
Check out interviews with Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld, John Sculley, Steve Capps, Mike Boich, and me: http://snipurl.com/oacg To give credit, where credit is due, I saw this here: http://www.tuaw.com/2006/03/26/podcasts-with-influential-apple-figures/ Technorati Tags: Apple, Macintosh
Most of the information that you can find about recruiting is for the employer, not the employee. (I'm as guilty as this as anyone: for example, The Art of Recruiting, I and II.) Let's turn the tables, switch modes, and balance the scales by discussing what a hot candidate should ask a private, venture-backed startup [...]
I made the Technorati 100 today. Thanks, everyone, for your linking, comments, and evangelism! I only need 5,000 more sites to link to be in the top ten! (This is a picture of David Sifry, Technorati's CEO, giving me a tshirt to commemorate breaking into the top 100.) Guy
I recently read a book called What Would Jackie Do?--An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living. The co-authors are Shelly Branch of the Wall Street Journal and Sue Callaway, the former vice president and general manager of Jaguar Cars U.S. The book explains what Jackie Onassis “would do” in various situations. I enjoyed the book because [...]
I received an email from Craig James that contained superb insights into the art of recruiting. With Craig's permission, I provide it below. As the chief technology officer of eMolecules, Craig is responsible for the design and development of the www.chmoogle.com chemistry search engine. Craig worked with chemistry, chemists and chemical databases his entire career, [...]
A friend who worked at O'Hare International Airport told me this story. He once watched a passenger absolutely scream at an airline ticket agent. The ticket agent, however, remained completely calm. After the tirade was over, my friend asked her how she could remain so calm, and she said, “That's easy. He's going to Paris, [...]
The French version of The Art of the Start is now available from Diateino: http://snipurl.com/frenchart The translator is Marylène Delbourg-Delphis, someone who I've known for twenty years. She is the only person in the world who could faithfully translate my book because she knows me well and is bi-lingual--a niche sector indeed! Jean-Louis Gassée, general [...]
On Friday, March 17th, Ryan over at www.inBubbleWrap.com (a fun site that gives away business-related prizes every day), is giving away thirty two copies of The Art of the Start. All you have to do is create an account, click on “I Want One,” answer two silly questions, and you are entered into the random [...]
I've been on both sides of board meetings: as the entrepreneur (a.k.a., the “victim”) and as the board member (a.k.a., the “heavy”). I can't tell you that I've run perfect board meetings nor that I am the world's greatest board member, but I can provide some tips on the art of the board meeting. These [...]
Here's a quiz to determine your “entrepreneurial quotient.” My intent is to test a person's knowledge of entrepreneurship. However, scoring high doesn't mean you're the next Steve Jobs, and scoring low doesn't mean you're not. Some answers are debatable, so there will be many comments. #10, in particular, is tricky so read it very carefully. [...]