Why I'm Late to the Blog Party

I’ve been in the web publishing industry for a dozen years, and yet, I hadn’t started blogging until…well…a couple weeks ago.  Sure, I thought about it.  I even dabbled with LiveJournal as a personal open journal, but stopped abruptly when I realized my ex-girlfriend shouldn’t have been reading my outpouring of pain from losing her.

As a software development manager and product manager, I had plenty to blog about, but I chose not to.  I’m not the best writer (although I’m far from the worst), but that didn’t stop me.  Why did I wait until now?

It’s simple.  Who would want to read my blog?  And if I got a ton of readers, would I just be duping them?  Could I live with that?  Sure, I felt that I was very good at what I do.  But was I an “expert,” and wouldn’t blogging be inappropriately declaring myself as one?  How much experience did I have?  Was my opinion or experience relevant?

But in this new age of social media, loaded with blogging, microblogging, user-generated content, social bookmarking, etc., I’ve finally realized I missed a very important point.  It doesn’t matter if I’m an expert or not.  The beauty of this world is the ability to spur conversation and thought.  It doesn’t matter so much whether my opinions or “right” or “wrong,” but instead it matters that it triggers thought.

This is why all of these Twitter ranking services make me a little ill (although I’ll admit that I always know my Grader Twitter grade).  Self-proclaimed experts are the worst kind, and unfortunately, the most common kind.  So, while I certainly believe that I’m great at what I do, I’ll let you decide whether or not I’m an expert.  And if you follow me on Twitter, thereby increasing my Twitter Grader or twitterrank, does that make me an expert?

No, it does not.

But should that stop me from blogging?

No, it should not.

And so, here I am.  Please send me your non-expert blog links, and I’ll be happy to add you to my blogroll.  And please, let me know what you think about what I’m saying here.  That’s the whole point.  Waiting for your comments…

Four Keys for Traditional Media Companies to Tackle Digital Ad Networks on the Web

I just read Did Standards Kill the Online Ad Business by Saul Hansell on nytimes.com.  It is true that standard ad sizes lowered the cost of entry for digital ad networks, but these networks would have emerged and succeeded even if standards weren’t formalized.  Informal standards would have been dictated by the largest publishers or ad networks.  The success of ad networks has everything to do with their business models, and nothing to do with standards.  Furthermore, the online ad business is far from killed; it’s maturing.  Ad networks simply makes sense, on a medium where publishers are plentiful, and not limited by bandwidth over coaxial cable, printing, or distribution costs.  With the large quantity of publishers, mostly with a relatively small share of Internet reach, ad networks become necessary.  Most publishers can’t afford large sales teams, and don’t have the distribution to pull in scalable deals.

I would argue, though, that many large traditional media companies  have brought this tough competition on for themselves.  Many of them have turned to these same ad networks to back-fill the ad inventory they were unable to sell-out with their internal sales teams.  Why would a large advertiser pay a premium to buy ads on a premium site when they can pay a tiny fraction of that amount to get their ads on the same site through the ad network?  These publishers can typically block specific advertisers or industries on these ad networks, but unless every major publisher issues such a block, the savvy advertisers will continue to find cheap ways to get their message out using these standard units.

Here’s how traditional media companies can beat the effect of digital ad networks on the web:

1. Deliver a product people truly want to your audience. Migrating newspaper content to the Internet is simply not compelling enough to accomplish this goal.  You need to differentiate yourself from an overcrowded set of publishers.  And stop with the one way broadcast, already!  Engage your users!  Lucky for you, many advertisers still want their message on premium brands only.
2. Deliver innovating ad products that really pay off for your advertisers. This is difficult, because many advertisers are still not savvy enough to go after custom solutions.  Additionally, these solutions can be very costly.  That said, if you can show a few success stories, you can make it happen.  The bottom line is that you need to help your advertisers accomplish their goals if you want to keep them.
3. Don’t be so rigid, try something new and take a chance. Go out on a limb and try something that you’ve never tried before and can’t guarantee success with.  Just be sure to measure success, and have a plan in place so that you can make adjustments from what you learn.  Again, differentiate yourself!
4. Be and early adopter for all new media platforms, including social media. Rich Sanchez?  ’nuff said.

Why Good Ideas Fail

I certainly have my own theories on why good software ideas fail when rolled out to the real world.  As a product manager, I believe I know why good ideas fail.  Here are some questions to answer if you think your good idea is failing:

1. Does the idea solve a problem that causes a real frustration for users?
   You may have a good idea, and it may solve a real problem.  But do your users care enough about the problem to use your product?  Perhaps solving the problem just isn’t worth any effort or change in behavior for your prospective user-base.  If this is the case, you’re toast.
2. Does the solution require a larger investment from the user than the existing alternatives?
   It may be difficult to see this in your own product, but perhaps it’s just too darned hard to use.  Or perhaps it takes too darned long to accomplish a task.  I’m getting frustrated just thinking about this one!  It’s common to start with a simple solution that balloons by the time you get to completion, making it harder for users than what they were doing before.  Perhaps it’s time to go back to square one, and look for an easier solution.
3. Was a prototype of the idea tested on real users before and throughout development?
   Launching an entirely new product without prototyping and user testing throughout the process is like playing darts for the first time.  Good luck!  Do you really want to find out your execution was awful…after you’re done, or after a huge investment of time and money?  Better late than never, try it now.
4. Did somebody else do it significantly better before you got to market?
   Notice that I didn’t ask if someone else did it first.  I asked if they did it better and first.  It’s time to start thinking of versions 2 and 3, because you need to play leapfrog.  Fast.
5. Were enough resources put on the project to make it succeed?
   I’ll admit I’m not a big tennis fan, but I have heard of no man’s land.  It’s that area in the middle of the court when you can’t get to the net, but you can’t back to the baseline.  If you don’t stand in the right place, you don’t stand a chance to succeed.  If you can’t commit to the right resources and the right amount of resources, you’re going to fail.  You can either scale back on your goals, or pony up.  Commit.  Or quit.
6. Has the idea been given a true chance to flourish?
   Don’t give up so fast.  Some ideas just need time to catch on.  Which leads to the next point…
7. Was the idea aggressively marketed to the right segment?
   Some people believe the right solution will market itself.  I believe that may be true, over time.  But marketing is more than just consumer marketing.  You need to make sure you target the right potential audience for your application.   Demographics (age, gender, income range…), verticals, etc., who’s going to use it?  How are you going to make sure they know you have a solution to their problem?  Now you know who they are, just make sure you tell them.
8. Do all of the stakeholders buy in?  Completely?
   If not, change stakeholders or cut and run.
9. Did you define success and failure before you launched?
   How can you succeed if you never defined success?  Do it now, and lay out your goals for today, tomorrow, next month, next year, and the next three.  Hurry!
10. Is it priced right, or is there a real revenue model?
    “If you build it, they will come,” but can you afford for them to come?  Are you asking too much from people?  Or did you think at all about how you will make money?  Some companies, like Twitter and Facebook, use the technique of building audience first, and getting a business model later.  This could work.  But then again, it could not. Get yourself a business model, or fail.

Disagree with any of these?  Have some ideas of your own?  Please share, I’ll keep this list updated.  Perhaps you may even have some suggestions to get a bad idea to succceed!

Update 2/27/2009 – Check out a good related post by Seth Godin, Three things you need if you want more customers.

On Twitter, Everyone Knows You're a Dog

I’m feeling inspired, after ready Marty Cagan’s “Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love.“  Marty describes some clear best practices for success when creating a new product, or updating an existing product.  He references segmentation, and points out the importance of using personas when planning features and releases.  I finished the book last night, and I immediately started to think about whether or not I truly know my user base.  Truth be told, I don’t know as much as I need to about the users who come and quickly leave.  But new tools such as Twitter and Facebook make it possible to understand your users better than ever before.

Peter Steiner created a famous cartoon, captioned “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”  Well, this is simply not true anymore.

Take Facebook, for instance.  I know more about my real life friends than I ever did before.  Just the other day, on Facebook, I got notified with what must be quickest spreading Facebook content ever; “xxxx tagged you in the note 25 Random Things About Me.”  I read, in awe, that years after being the best man at his wedding, I still didn’t really know him.  And here I was, learning more about a real life friend.

Twitter has a tremendous amount of following.  People follow complete strangers to get them to follow back.  People follow others they think might be interesting, and yet others that are accepted thought-leaders.  If you analyze someone’s posts, you can quickly learn a great deal about them.  And some tweeple’s fingers are like loose cannons,  allowing you to even learn about their personalities.  Take this rant from a well-followed Tweep, for instance.  With some tools doing some basic analysis on a user’s tweets, you can learn an awful lot about this user.

This is where social media and social networking start to close the gap between a publisher and it’s users.  With new features such as Facebook Connect, site publishers are gaining a lot more access to this valuable insight available based on users’ contributions to your site, and to others as well.  This insight will really help to identify one or two of the personas you will undoubtedly need to create to ensure you’re building your product for the audience.

Truth be told, on the Internet, everyone knows exactly who I am.

Pulling Out the Monkey Wrench

You’ve heard it before.  And probably many times, too.  “They just threw a monkey wrench in my plans.”

Okay, so what now?  Sorry for stating the obvious, but pull it out.  I learned, long ago, the difference between those that succeed and those that fail.  Those that succeed are the ones that can find a workaround, and don’t quit until they do.  Here’s some advice for how to do it.

1. Focus on the problem you’re trying to solve, not the problem caused by the wrench.
   I find that most wrenches aren’t problems at all, if you focus on the real problem.  Problem-solvers often get fixated in the details of their solution, and forget to consider other potential solutions.  I’ve seen this just about every week of my career, be it a technical problem or a business problem.  For example, let’s say you’re designing a car, and decide that it needs more battery power than any existing battery can provide.  Instead of trying to solve the problem of creating the most powerful car battery, why not see if you can use a two-battery solution?
2. Don’t Go it Alone
   You don’t need to be a hero, and you’re not the smartest person you know (usually).  And even if you are the smartest person you know, others may be able to see things from another angle.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help; even from those who may not be experts in the area of your problem.  In fact, that can often be an advantage.
3. Don’t Get Discouraged
   This is easier said than done.  But depression and frustration inhibit creativity.  If you find you’re getting down over a problem you’re trying to solve, it may be a good time for a small diversion.  I’m not suggesting laziness or avoidance, but something to help you walk away and return with a clear mind.  For example, if you’re editing your own writing, it’s best to walk away for a while and come back.  Otherwise, your mind may recall what you were thinking while you’re reading, and inadvertently ignore mistakes seen with your eyes.  Go watch a hockey game instead, and come back later.
4. Extend Your Circle
   You asked your co-workers and friends, but they couldn’t help.  Don’t stop there.  Try your LinkedIn network (and build it up before you have a problem in the first place).  Ask you friends and co-workers to ask friends, or to give you names of people who could help.  Hire a consultant.  Post your problem on bulletin boards.  Hold a brainstorming session, and invite outsiders (offer beer and pizza).

The bottom line is don’t quit.  Keep attacking the problem, and keep looking for help, but don’t let it consume you 24×7.  Same of these things may seem obvious, but when the wrench is in the machine and the pressure is on, they could be forgotten, so it’s good to keep this handy.

Please post your suggestions too!

Mini-size Me: Web Businesses Think Small

Aspirations.  Aim high.  Reach for the clouds.  Thing big.  Take over the world.

Not anymore.  More than ever, I’m seeing businesses with small ideas.  Niche ideas.  Some that have symbiotic relationships with other small businesses.  Perhaps there are bigger ideas they haven’t let out of the bag yet?  Here are some examples, and why they might be onto something.  And why they may not be.

1. ShareThis
   This site offers a social sharing button.  An API.  And a Sharebox for users.  That’s it.  At its core, this is a button.  I love it for a few reasons.  It offers the publisher reporting, an API and customization.  Also, if you don’t want to keep up with every sharing service, ShareThis takes care of it for you.  For ShareThis, they own the data on usage of social sharing sites.  Business model – perhaps advertising, perhaps sharing data, perhaps a tiered pay model?  Who knows.  But they got $15 million in funding in March ‘08.  Still seems niche and small to me, and it’s dependent on all of the sharing services – which do not yet have a proven business model either.
2. TweetDeck
   This application is a Twitter client.  Twitter is still fairly niche, although many are betting for it to go mainstream this year.  There are also a large number of Twitter clients out there.  And Twitter doesn’t even have a viable business model yet.  Yet, TweetDeck closed an angel funding round at $500k.  I highlighted TweetDeck, but there are a ton of Twitter piggy-backers, like Qwitter, who’s only feature is notification of tweeps that stop following you.   That’s about as niche as you can get.
3. Plinky
   One of the newest entrants into the micro-blogging arena (kind of), Plinky managed to get a lot of hype before finally making its premise known yesterday.  They ask a question each day, and you provide an answer.  They basically just prompt you for something to write about, and allow you to share your response on the social grid.  This managed to get a $1.5 series A.

Is this niche company phenomenon due to the recession, or is this a bi-product of Web 2.0?  I think both.  There’s no question that a bad economy triggers more start-ups.  Enter Web 2.0, and we have all of these opportunities for apps with symbiotic relationships.  If you can run a small business and make a little more than you made working for someone else, why not do it?  As long as these businesses are reasonable to support with small teams, they have a good chance to bring in more than they cost.

But the risk is high.  Twitter, and even the major social networking sites still don’t have proven, viable business models.  If these businesses fail, the ecosystem of apps that are dependent on them also fail.

I love the idea of these small businesses, although finding the apps you want becomes difficult in this crowded app environment.   Enter twitdom.com to solve that problem, too.

TTFN.  I have to go start a micro-biz

Heard of Inbox Zero? What about Twitter Zero?

If you’re like me, you’re not in the top 5% of Twitter users (regardless of which system you decided is the best at rating you).  Most likely, you follow more than you’re followed.  Perhaps you follow @scobleizer, @davewiner, @skydiver, @mashable, @guykawasaki, or any number of tweeple that have 10,000 to 50,000+ followers.  Have you tried keeping up with the tweets?  I check every half hour or so, and realize that I still can’t keep up with everything that’s been posted despite following only about 150 tweeps.  @scobleizer follows over 20,000.

I remember the Inbox Zero project; epic fail for me.  But what would be the equivalent for Twitter, rather than just missing all the tweets I simply can’t keep up with?  Well, my honest and disheartening opinion is that I have no alternative.

Not today.

But, perhaps, there is some hope?  Let’s take inauguration day as an example.  At least 60% of my friends’ tweets were about the inauguration.  If  my Twitter client could group tweets on similar topics, perhaps this would have saved me from having to read tons of similar posts.  Sounds simple, although I know in practice it’s quite challenging.  Wouldn’t it be a great start, though?

In the meantime, here are some tips:

1. Continue to follow people who follow you.  It’s not social media if it’s not social.
2. Use an application like TweetDeck, that let’s you create groups.  I have one group for people I actually know, another group for news, and another group for social gurus.
3. Perhaps you can’t keep up with all of your friends’ tweets, but make sure you read replies and direct messages.

Want to know how to be interesting enough for people to follow you?  I can’t help you there   But perhaps the @scobleizer and these other folks can.

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