Interview with Guy Kawasaki
April 29, 2008 in An interview
Guy Kawasaki's "no-bull-shiitake" wisdom and style makes him an endearing and inspiring figure. He is best known to entrepreneurs for his writing and speaking. (His excellent Art of the Start is required reading for all WorkHappy readers.)
He also runs Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. A couple years ago he started his own blog and posted a flurry of excellent posts that pulled his blog into A-list status in a hurry. Then lately he has started a couple ventures of his own. Last year came Truemors, and this year, AllTop.
WorkHappy.net was included on the AllTop directory for startups, and since I had his attention, I asked him to spare a few minutes for some questions. Here they are:
1. So you busted Steve Ballmer's chops pretty hard. It made a ridiculously entertaining and enlightening interview, did he thank you afterward?
He did, as a matter of fact. Other than throwing my Macbook Air on the ground, he was rather gracious. Time Magazine had me write a profile of him, so I’m going to get the last shot.
2. You've obviously built a very successful entrepreneurial career of your own, including authoring books, and speaking. But your first claim to fame is having worked for Apple, how did you go from an Apple employee to a Venture Capitalist?
After my first tour of duty at Apple I started a Macintosh database company. Then I became a writer and speaker and then started another Macintosh software company. After that, I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. Finally, after that, I started Garage.com which became the early-stage venture capital firm called Garage Technology Ventures.
3. So with all the advice you've given on pitching VCs, have you seen an improvement in the quality of pitches to Garage Technology Ventures?
Honestly, they’re not that much better. They are still too long, still using meaningless buzz words like “revolutionary,” and still don’t have credible business models. If only they would adhere to the 10/20/30 rule of Powerpoint: Ten slides, twenty minutes, 30 point font.
4. What concepts are you tired of seeing?
A fill-in-the-blank version of Facebook. That is, Facebook for guinea pig owners, Facebook for senior citizens, Facebook for Loch Ness monster believers. I’m getting anti-social in my later years.
5. When being pitched, what marketing approach most impresses you?
A product that is so compelling that adoption is close to involuntary. It hardly ever happens, though.
6. What are the most popular excuses you see for people who just can't get going on their venture?
They are working on their business plan. VCs fund people or products or services. They don’t fund “plans.” Step one for entrepreneurs is to build a prototype. That’s what truly counts.
7. You've been launching some new Internet ventures of your own lately (Truemors and AllTop), how closely have been able to follow your own advice from Art of the Start? (e.g. What meaning does Truemors make? What's Alltop's business model?)
I try to follow what my book says—at least until I figure out that my books is wrong. Truemors makes the meaning of democratizing information. Alltop’s business model is to attract people interested in narrow topics like food, wine, economics, China, India, and moms and then to sell ads to these self-selected audiences.
8. If AllTop and Truemors didn't have the buzzworthy name of Guy Kawasaki attached to them, what would you do differently to market them?
Not much. A buzzworthy name can only go so far. At an early point, the product is either good or not. It would be harder for someone without my visibility to market either Truemors or Alltop. On the other hand, more is expected of me, so judgment is harsher. Such is life.
9. Who makes the decision about where a site appears in the AllTop order of things?
Most of the time, it’s me. It’s subjective based on factors like the credibility a feed adds to our topic, the quality of the content, and how much we like the person.
10. Many of us at WorkHappy will read anything you write. Is there an author about whom you feel that way?
You flatter me way too much. I will read anything Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, and one other whose name I cannot remember right now. He always writes about snipers. As you can tell, I’m not a cerebral reader.
11. Are you done writing books?
Nope, I have a new book coming out in October. It’s called Reality Check. It contains the best of my blog and latest writing from the past three years.
12. You and John Ondrasik are the only guys I know of who like ice hockey (or at least admit to it). What are the rest of us missing?
Ice hockey is a beautiful sport. It combines physics, ballet, chess, and hand-to-hand combat. It’s hard to learn, and it’s hard to master. It is the only thing that I am not good at that I love.
Thanks Guy!
See also:
Did you know Authentic Jobs now has an affiliate program? Sign up and earn $75 per referral.
Authentic Jobs launches affiliate program, pays $75 per referral
April 21, 2008 in WorkHappy.net Advertiser
As I've mentioned before, WorkHappy is partnered with Authentic Jobs to help employers find top-flight web design and development talent, and to help that talent find work. I've used it several times myself to great success.
(You can see the job listing on the top of the sidebar on every page here on WH.net.)
Last week Authentic Jobs rolled out an affiliate program and they pay $75 if you refer an employer who makes a full time job post (or $25 for freelance posts).
Which is pretty juicy if you've got a website that might cater to this crowd.
The signup and management of this is just brilliant, incidentally. So simple and clean. Payments are made through PayPal and are paid instantly each time a referral listing is purchased. Take that complicated affiliate management programs!
p.s. they've also got a new API you can tie into with this for you technical types.
Happy Link - Gary Vaynerchuk analysis
April 10, 2008An excellent post by Jason Fried on the inspiring Gary Vaynerchuk provides an analysis of what makes him successful. Well worth studying.
Happy Links - Ecommerce Best Practices Edition
April 8, 2008 in Happy LinksI struck gold finding this blog packed with great information for those in online retail. (via)
A few examples:
- Welcome Email Usability Tips for Online Retailers
An excellent and thorough analysis of the subscription practices of 118 of the largest etailers. (42% used HTML layouts, 15% offered incentives like free shipping on next order). - Registration Usability - 87 Registration Forms Tested
This report discusses common fields requested during registration and how often they are used (e.g. Required First / Last Name - 54%, Required Birthday - 7%), discusses the ideal registration form length (as simple as possible, natch, but be creative if you need a lot of info), and ends with 13 registration form usability tips (e.g. Avoid hiding important information in graphics that look like ads or buttons that can be overlooked). - Losing Customers at the Register: 12 Checkout Blunders
Examples, dead-end receipt pages, and upselling at checkout. - Registration Usability - Permission Email Dos and Donts
In summary, don't send marketing emails to folks who sign up with you, unless they specifically request it. Otherwise you erode trust and lower open rates. She takes a few companies to task, then offers an 8 step checklist (Don’t pre-check the boxes for subscriptions).
Happy Links - Kevin Kelley Edition
March 18, 2008KK has been on some kind of wicked roll with a couple must-read essays.
- 1,000 True Fans
This mind-opening case for building a successful business by reaching the conceivable goal of having 1,000 true fans is at once exhilarating, motivating, and inspiring. I read it two weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about it. He confines his essay to artists, but I think it can easily be applied to what many of you are doing, "artistic" or not. It's the flip-side of The Long Tail and it's sure to get you thinking. - Better Than Free
Another gem making the case that the Internet is a giant copying machine dismantling previous models of selling copies of something. As such "When copies are super abundant, they become worthless. When copies are super abundant, stuff which can't be copied becomes scarce and valuable." He then goes on to outline eight things which can not be copied, and can therefore be sold. They are Immediacy, Personalization, Interpretation, Authenticity, Accessibility, Embodiment, Patronage, and Findability. He conspicuously leaves out advertising, which he addresses at the end of the essay.
Happy Quote
March 17, 2008"Persistence isn't using the same tactics over and over....
Persistence is having the same goal over and over."
Happy Links - Best of Jakob Nielson
February 26, 2008 in Happy Links
Taking Jakob Nielson seriously is difficult when he has his glamour shots done by Deb. But, this perennial curmudgeon manages to stay relevant and important when it comes to researched findings on web usability. Here are a few of his recent gems.
- Amazon: No Longer the Role Model for E-Commerce Design
Many design elements work for Amazon.com mainly because of its status as the world's largest and most established e-commerce site. Normal sites should not copy Amazon's design. - Web 2.0 Can Be Dangerous...
AJAX, rich Internet UIs, mashups, communities, and user-generated content often add more complexity than they're worth. They also divert design resources and prove (once again) that what's hyped is rarely what's most profitable. - Top-10 Application-Design Mistakes
Application usability is enhanced when users know how to operate the UI and it guides them through the workflow. Violating common guidelines prevents both. - Usability ROI Declining, But Still Strong
The average business metrics improvement after a usability redesign is now 83%. This is substantially less than 6 years ago, but ROI remains high because usability is still cheap relative to gains.
Interview with Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com
February 19, 2008 in An interviewI first started paying attention to Mint when my brother, a dirt-poor college student sent me an arm-flapping, breathless, urgent email telling me how he'd signed up at Mint.com and that it found a $9 per month charge from an obscure company. Mint had flagged it to his attention. It turned out to be a scam. After a struggle with the scammers my brother got a $328 refund, and a stop to the bleeding. He had spent five minutes with Mint.com. Not a bad ROI.
Aaron Patzer started Mint when he was just 25. One of those freakishly-smart guys, he started playing around with computers when he was six years old, ran a BBS when he was 10, and started his first web development business when he was 16. Which was in 1996.
He attended Duke University earning undergrad degrees in computer science, and electrical engineering, and computer engineering. He then started a Ph.D. thinking that was a requirement of any good inventor. He found that to be "thoroughly impractical" and instead earned his MSEE from Princeton University.
What followed was work for IBM working on the Cell microprocessor (used in the Playstation 3, and it has three of his patents on it) then for a startup, Nascentric where he learned how to build a company from scratch.
During this time Aaron was working 70-80 hours a week, and neglecting his finances. After a disappointing experience with Microsoft Money, and Intuit's Quicken he figured there had to be an easier, quicker, and more automated way to organize his finances.
The company that would become Mint was born.
In mid 2007 he emerged from stealth mode and launched Mint.com at the Techcrunch40 conference on September 18, 2007. Among 700 startups, narrowed to 40, Mint went on to win the event.
In its first month, Mint signed up 50,000 users.
By the end of the year, it had passed the 100,000 user mark.
My interview with Aaron:
Continue reading "Interview with Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com"
Interview with Founder of Mint.com - A Preview
February 14, 2008 in An interviewNext week I'll be posting an interview I did with Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com. To whet your appetite, here's a (very killer) preview:
The first few months were tough. I was 25 at the time, and basically oscillated day to day between thinking "This is the greatest idea ever!" and "This will never work. Who am I to take on Intuit and Microsoft? If this was a good idea, someone would have done it before." It’s very emotional, and I don’t think people ever tell you about that. You see your net worth quickly draining, you have no idea what’s going to happen next, and you’re sitting alone in a room with no help, no resources, just your brain and sheer will-power. When ever I got down, I would listen to "That’s Life" by Frank Sinatra, or think about a Shakespeare quote I liked as a kid: "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we might oft win, by fearing to attempt."
Happy Quote
February 7, 2008"Be mindful of the link between present action and desired future outcome. Ask yourself: if I repeat today’s actions 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?"
—Roz Savage (Rower, writer, speaker. Working to become the first solo woman to row across the Pacific Ocean from California to Australia)
Happy Quote
January 9, 2008 in Happy Quotes
"I view my life in a way … I'll explain it to you, OK? The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that's how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That's the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apply tomorrow, and I will be better."
50% off Authentic Jobs posts till Jan 15th '08
December 31, 2007 in WorkHappy.net Advertiser
Looking back at 2007 I'd like to thank our primary sponsor and partner Authentic Jobs. I've used them a half-dozen times myself to find qualified candidates and they've always found me a great match.
If you're looking for some top talent to start off the new year, you can post your job between now and January 15th for 50% off the normal listing price by using the promo code HAPPY08 (and of course they still, and always have a money back guarantee).
And with that, here's wishing you a Happy New Year - thanks for reading and loving me in spite of my spotty posting (this being an entrepreneur stuff takes a lot of darn time).
Happy Links - best of Seth Godin edition
December 4, 2007 in Happy Links
The Scarcity Shortage
Thought provoking piece pointing out that we're running out of scarcity, which traditionally has been the cornerstone of our economy. He offers some ideas on what to do about it... and what not to do about it "the worst strategy is whining--about copyright laws and fair trade and how hard you've worked to get to where you are. Whining is rarely a successful response to anything. Instead, start by acknowledging that most of the profit from your business is going to disappear soon."- How to make a PowerPoint chart
As a master presenter himself, Seth took on Power Point years go with Really Bad Powerpoint and now offers this updated installment. "Sooner or later, you're going to be tempted to use actual data in a presentation. Powerpoint makes it easy, and it also tempts you to do it completely wrong. Here are some ideas to help." - How to create a great website
Yes, surprisingly, most of us still don't get it. And it's still a good reminder for the rest of you.
"1. Fire the committee. No great website in history has been conceived of by more than three people. Not one. This is a dealbreaker." Ten principles in all. - The caricature of your brand
No really, it can be a good thing. Killer marketing advice. - The opposite
Do you know who your opposite is?
Happy Quote
November 12, 2007 in Happy Quotes"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats."
— Howard Aiken, computing pioneer and innovator
Happy Quote
November 9, 2007 in Happy Quotes"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain
Happy Links - Ask 37signals edition
October 26, 2007It's been a while since we've given the attention-deprived signals some love, but their recent series of Q&As has been interesting. Here are a few I thought were pertinent to entrepreneurs.
- How do you handle the pressure to grow?
The answer is always the same: We are growing, but not physically. You can grow without “growing.” In fact, I think it’s a healthier path. - Do I need a designer to make pretty?
Thinking of designers as someone who paints the application pretty in Photoshop is a common but unfortunate misconception. - Is it really the number of features that matter?
I don’t think the number of features is what makes software better or worse. One more or one less isn’t really the issue. What matters is the editing. Software needs an editor like a writer needs an editor or a museum needs a curator. - How to go from clients to products?
You can’t just goof around with science projects, open-ended explorations, and play time with new whiz-bang technology. Instead, you have to deliver real value, real soon. Otherwise the project is simply going to languish as it loses out to the “real work” of paying clients. - What about research?
We do a different kind of research... We build something, then we collect feedback on what we built.... Of course, you might wonder how to start. We build products we need ourselves, so our initial research is made of our own wishes, itches, and frustrations. When it comes to client work, my best advise is to become friends. Spend time together and discuss what they do until you can see through their eyes a bit. - Can I build a product business if I'm just a designer?
Yes, there is plenty of hope for a designer who wants to build a product business. Having business sense will help. Being able to spot and attract other talented people will help. Having a knack for spotting the right opportunities will help. But being curious enough to just figure things out on your own will help the most.
Why you should seriously consider accepting PayPal and/or Google Checkout
October 25, 2007 in An article, Business Intel
Are you accepting PayPal as a payment option for your ecommerce offering? Some studies suggest it's a great way to boost sales.
...according to a recent survey by JupiterResearch. Among Internet users, 33% said they had a PayPal account and 23% called it their preferred way to pay.
----
...other benefits of accepting PayPal ...of the 153 million PayPal account holders, 36 million have used PayPal in the past 90 days, suggesting a large and loyal cadre of PayPal users.
And many of them keep balances in their PayPal accounts, often accumulated through sales on eBay. At any given time there is $2.5 billion in PayPal accounts, and that money typically turns over every two weeks. Much of that gets spent online, and 18% of U.S. online shoppers in a recent PayPal-sponsored survey said they would not have made a purchase if the retailer had not taken PayPal.
Are you taking advantage of the Google Checkout program which is waiving processing fees till 2008, and increasing visibility on AdWords ads by featuring a colorful button? Google Checkout will also give you $10 in free processing for every $1 spent on AdWords starting in '08.
Ritz Interactive, which operates such web sites as RitzCamera.com and BoatersWorld.com, says its click-through rate went up 23% after the Google Checkout badge was added to its ads, and that the conversion rate on those click-throughs went up 24%. Intermix, an apparel retailer, says its click-through and conversion rates went up about 20%. At sporting goods retailer Sportscloseouts.com, the Google Checkout badge boosted click-through rates from about 1.2% to 2.2%, an increase of more than 80%.
(emphases mine)
Source: the excellent Internet Retailer Magazine, October '07 article Google and PayPal collide at the checkout
See also: Adding three or more payment options at checkout has raised sales by an average of 14% according to payments processor CyberSource Corp. - Source July '07 Internet Retailer
Update: I had the Google credit, backwards.
Happy Links: Retirement accounts for the self employed
October 19, 2007 in Expert Advice, Happy Links(For those in the U.S.)
In addition to the faithful ROTH and Traditional IRAs, here's a nice overview of various other retirement options, by Nicole McInerney:
- Simplified Employee Pension IRA (SEP-IRA)
You qualify if you do a Schedule C or F or guaranteed payments from a partnership. You can set one up with the same folks who do ROTH or traditional IRAs, and you can contribute 20% of your net earnings minus self employment tax or $45,000 (for 2007), whichever is less. - The Solo 401K
You qualify only if you have no employees. Finding a broker that offers it might be tricky (try Fidelity or T. Rowe Price), but you can contribute up to $15,500 plus 20% of your business income, with a maximum contribution of $45,000 in 2007. - The Simple IRA - this one is for your employees too.
You can offer it if you have less than 100 employees and you don't have another retirement plan (403(b) or SEP). You can contribute up to $21K for yourself.
- The Keogh
This one is a mess, good grief. But - you can put in up to $180,000 if you structure it right.
And finally - a nice matrix to help you compare, sort it all out and find your best option.
ReviewBasics
October 16, 2007 in 4 out of 5 stars, Collaboration, Design, Free, Hosted software, Productivity, Project managementReviewBasics: Hosted software that allows you to submit, for review by others, a website, an image, a document (Word, PDF, Powerpoint), or a flash video. Others can add comments, drawings, emoticons, text, etc. SharpStyle Labs, Inc. It's an impressive technical accomplishment. It's polished and easy to use. Plus, it offers nice controls for the author: You can have comments visible just to the author, or to all reviewers. You can you write up a set of instructions for your reviewers. It offers a comments history. When done, you can filter all your stuff by date, by reviewer, and by files which have reviewer comments on them. If you need to do asynchronous reviews, and/or if you have a geographically distributed team, this is a great resource. It feels a bit slow (which is probably because it's so rich, so that's forgivable). If you want to submit a website for review, you can't do it as you are creating the workspace (like you can with everything else), you have to create the workspace, then dig around for it (they tell me this is going to be addressed soon). Free Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Why is it the killerest?
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Altiris Software Virtualization Solution
October 9, 2007 in 5 out of 5 stars, A piece of software, Free, Productivity, VirtualizationAltiris Software Virtualization Solution: A software prophylactic that any PC user can easily use. It's software that allows you to install most any piece of software on a virtualized "layer." Then at any time you can remove the layer or deactivate the layer and it's like it never existed on your system at all. Altiris First of all, it's very easy to use. It sounds intimidating, but it's not, give it a try. I have a client who needed me to rip some video off the web. It was streaming video and there was no easy way to do it, but there were several spooky looking software programs that claimed to be able to do it for me. I didn't want any of those vile characters with their spyware diseases and other incendiary cargo gumming up my system. Furthermore, after the first program didn't work, I didn't want it fighting with the second one I installed (and 3rd and 4th and 12th). It was a dirty, filthy job and when it was done my system needed a long hot shower. Enter SVS. Because I had installed each piece of software on its own layer, when I was all done, I deleted all the layers, and my machine never knew we'd visited the red light district. This software can also be used in an enterprise setting to deliver "software packages" (or layers) out to other computers. Additionally, you can even find pre-virtualized software packages available for download now. Install, test and play with confidence. It's PC only. It doesn't work with some software. (Software that sinks deep hooks into the system. But this is rare.) Free for personal use, $29-$55 for multiple node settings. Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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ThinkFree Portable Office for U3
September 20, 2007 in 4 out of 5 stars, A piece of software, Hosted "Office"ThinkFree Portable Office for U3: A portable, zero-footprint, Microsoft Office compatible office suite you can cart around with you on a U3 USB drive. It includes Write (MS Word clone), Calc (Excel), and Show (PowerPoint). ThinkFree, Corp. The U3 technology is nifty and this is a perfect use for it. It's like having your own private mini-computer with an Office suite that you bolt onto any computer you travel to. It has strong compatibility with MS Office, a beautiful clean user interface. 1/10th the price of MS Office. Surprisingly lightweight. Secure. Theoretically leaves behind no trace on the computer you hook into (which is usually true as long as you remove the U3 drive properly). They've got versions that'll work with your iPod. Plus the obligatory hosted version, and even a server version, and a desktop version. There are a few UI differences in the Office software that take some getting used to. As a company, ThinkFree is going in so many directions their marketing is confusing. Windows Only (because of the U3) but they have other versions (non U3) that are compatible with PC/Mac/Linux.
$50 Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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TaskBin
September 18, 2007 in 3 out of 5 stars, Hosted software, Issue trackers, ProductivityTaskBin: It is a group task management tool. It helps you allocate tasks to your team members and is built around the concept of sharing tasks as a group (or groups). All of your tasks are visible to others and can be shared. Other members can add tasks to your plate or edit tasks already there. Mangospring Very smooth interface, attractive, feature-rich, and for a group working on a project, it offers a simple way to share and keep track of tasks. Nifty constructs like softer deadlines (today, tomorrow, next week, sometime soon) introduce an interesting (and more real-world?) way to prioritize tasks. It has a highly annoying construct where it forces you to add first and last name for anyone. None of the marketing pages outline what the "premium" account is, or what it costs. The confirmation link they email you is beastly-long, but not a hyperlink (easy fix, guys!). Free for everything I could find. There's mention of a "premium" account during signup, but I never saw anything else about it. Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Happy Quote?
September 11, 2007 in An interview, Happy Quotes"I feel badly for these people who have forced themselves to become Don Quixote; who are embracing a project that can never go anywhere. Because if you're working on something that can never go anywhere, you don't have to worry about it ever going anywhere.
That weird uncle who's always got some board game he's dreaming up is safe. His board game is never going to get bought by Mattel. His board game is never going to change his life. He can live under the illusion that he's challenging the status quo, when in fact he is hiding."
— Seth Godin (from this unlike-any-other interview of him)
Happy Quote
August 16, 2007 in Happy Quotes"The key is to just get on the bike, and the key to getting on the bike...is to stop thinking about “there are a bunch of reasons i might fall off” and just hop on and peddle the damned thing. You can pick up a map, a tire pump, and better footwear along the way."
- Dick Costolo - Founder of Feedburner.com
Happy Quote
August 1, 2007 in Happy QuotesThere is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose the ventures before us.
-William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
