Oh, How the Mighty Fall

Just remember this the next time you think that your iPhone or Android is the best and that it will never ever be a turd: in 2000, Nokia's market cap was worth over $245B (with a B) and the industry was still abuzz of the infamous meetings between Bill Gates and Jorma Ollila, which pushed Nokia to form and launch Symbian. Today, Microsoft, not necessarily at the top of its game, acquired the Devices and Services business at Nokia for $5B and some access to patents for $2.2B.

10 years (maybe even 6 years ago) ago, if I had told you that Nokia would have to buy Symbian to keep it alive before eventually ditching it and licensing Microsoft Windows, then Microsoft would buy Nokia to keep it alive, you would have thought me the fool. Oh, an Blackberry is on the block for sale for pennies on the dollar.

That would have been hard to believe, but change happens. Over and over. It will happen again. As Ray Noorda said: "Cause change and lead, accept change and survive, resist change and die."

Wow, I could have had a startup V8!

Sometimes it feels like I need to schedule my bathroom breaks it's so busy. There's seems like there's never a shortage of fires or even dull, menial things to do. The fires seem to grow out of control quickly, and no matter how long I procrastinate, there are no magic elves that complete the other daily tasks. I'm sure this is not just a startup phenomena but universal for any small and medium businessperson.

Dude! You spent your precious time doing what?!?

We find ourselves spending time working on tasks that are important but are not core to our business or do not add clear enterprise value. Still, we need to pay the bills. Employees like to work with lights on, it seems. It's excusable when there is no other option, but sometimes there are expert service providers at economical or even free prices that will do the work for you. You have people. This is especially true and important when it comes to real estate.

I've recently gone through two different office searches using a combination of drive-bys, online searches, cold calls, and office visits. I can't tell you how much time I personally spent driving around, calling, visiting and searching online. Yet, there are corporate real estate professionals that would have done this for me. They spend their time and expertise to filter and curate, for free. That's a 4-letter word that any entrepreneur can enjoy.

The sheer fact that its cost effective is great, but the biggest benefit is the time that you recover to spend on the task list items that are core to your business and your clients. Additionally, these professionals not only know the market better than you or I, but since:

1. This is their job, they know the latest before it happens and shows up on showcase.com.
2. They know how to negotiate, what to ask for, and what to look for in leasing agreements.
3. They are doing this for not only you, but for many others like you, so they have economy of scale and knowledge.

Here in Dallas, there are some local corporate real estate professionals, like Brian Brooks (Brian.Brooks@cnl.com) and Campbell Henry (Campbell.Henry@cnl.com) of CNL Commercial Real Estate that focus specifically on startups and entrepreneurs that not only need to worry about getting comfy, convenient and cheap digs that attract talent but have an eye to the future for when they need to grow or reduce.

It's always good to have people in the know, especially when you're struggling to find time for a bathroom break.

Foodie Sleuth

Miss your old-school Whole Foods challah bread?  Us, too.

We missed it so much, we ask "what the what" happened overnight to the delicious, soft challah that we bought weekly.  It was great to crap overnight.  We were told, quite kindly, that Whole Foods shut down their local Dallas bakery and were now shipping their breads up from Houston.   Figures.  What the ef do Houstonians know about bread?

Your friend in baking

Well, we lamented for a few months, and it occurred to me that the Dallas location of the Whole Foods bakery was still open and active.  Except, it was no longer called Whole Foods Bakery, it was called the Village Baking Company.

So, I informed the Mrs. Yonks of this serendipitous discovery and low-and-behold: they bake awesome bread.  The esteemed Mrs. says she will no longer buy bread elsewhere.  And, this, solely from partaking in their scrumptious Ham Croissants and French Baguette.

Moral of the story: don't accept second rate bread and definitely get pissed when someone takes away your challah.  Good things comes to those that dig.

Remarkable

I read a great Seth Godin piece once that spoke about the need for products and services to stand out, to literally be remarkable.  That is, provoke people to say something about it.

As we look at all the marketing knobs from our top level goals down the creative and copy used in campaigns, it sure helps when what you are talking about is remarkable.

From a startup perspective, this is so critical.  Sure, you can always slap some lipstick on the pig.  What is much harder yet has much more impact is to look seriously at your product or service, the business needs, the user needs, and technology or real-world opportunities and limitations and truly improve it.

And, differentiate it in a meaningful way.

When your product is truly remarkable, it will speak for itself.

Hooray for Booze!

I like the "Hooray" for Extra Effect

'Nuff said.

Be a Sissy!

Being the male of the species, it's often difficult to discern the wants and needs of a significant other.  In the case of where we needed to go out to eat this week on date night, my mission could not be any clearer, Sissy's Southern Kitchen and Bar on Henderson.  My lovely wife, with her Latin accent, kept asking for what could only be understood as Cici's, but I was reasonably sure that she did not want buffet pizza.  Now that we have tried Sissy's, even if I was wrong, I believe I have won some reputation points for the meal.

The dining room was very comfy and the waitstaff were warm but respectful of our time and space.  They were all dressed in throw back apparel completing the 50s vibe of the dining room.  The place was packed, with people waiting up front.  A real mixed crowd, from blue hairs to tattoos.

We opted for no appetizers, saving room for desserts, and headed straight to Sissy's Jalapeño Margaritas.  They were made with blood orange juice and you could see the jalapeño seeds swimming in the drink.  Not too sweet, just the right amount of bite.  ¡Perfecto!

My wife pretended to look at the menu, but it was very clear before she entered the beautiful, she was going to order the fried chicken.  I'm pretty sure she looked at the menu just to preview the desserts and decide what I should order, so that she could try a second dish.  Needless to say, as metal buckets of fried chicken were delivered to several adjacent tables, it was clear that my wife was not alone in her obsession.

I opted for the Texas Fish and Chips.  I don't know why.  There were several intriguing comfort food options that will need exploring in future visits (spoiler: I liked it and will definitely return) including the Crispy Chicken Fried Streak, but I was quite content with my selection.  The fish and the fries were perfectly crispy on the outside yet cooked to perfection.  The fries had great seasoning, though I'm sure that some might think they are too salty, but as the song says, "That's what fries are for...keep smiling, keep biting..."

The desserts were both good, though I will admit that I will opt for the appetizers next time, as the savory won out handily over the sweet at this establishment.  Oh, and I will be back.

The Most Fortunate Person in the World

One man's pittance is another's fortune.  While I might not have been happy with the quality of the pizza I ate Friday night out with the family, for many in our communities, that pizza might have been the only meal they would have had all day.  Maybe, for several days.  It puts things in perspective.  Mine are first-world problems, when many here in North America suffer what we would consider third-world problem, but the awareness of the issue is low.

Andre Angel of TangoTab, Jay Ratliff and Cliff Geathers of the Dallas Cowboys at Minnie's Food Pantry

As we approach summer, the problems of hunger in North America get more difficult.  Food bank shelves are challenged.  Many kids who rely on school meal programs no longer know where food will come from some days.

Last month, we took the kids and friends to see the opening of the Calatrava bridge in downtown Dallas.  As we drove on the highway, the bolt on the bike rack came off and a bicycle flew off the rack to oncoming traffic behind us.  It happened in an instant, and we were in panic.  As we pulled off the road and looked back, we were amazed at our fortune.  All the cars avoided the unintended projectile.  No one was hurt.  Even my son's bike survived unscathed.  I still can't believe it, but I am so thankful that nothing bad happened.

Accidents happen to people all the time.  The recession has humbled and hurt many.  You may never know, because they hide their troubles behind their pride.

Look in the mirror.  Count your fortunes in small denominations and be happy and appreciative every day.  Others are not as fortunate, but we can do very easy, simple things to help them.

Donate.  Volunteer.  Use free services like TangoTab, and help feed the hungry, just by dining out like you normally do.  You will feel wealthy regardless of your financial status.

Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

We brought the kids yesterday to Bass Pro Shops, where to my metrosexual amazement, my son was in redneck heaven.  It was like watching a pig in mud.  Don't know where he gets the passion for fishing and hunting from, but I should likely administer a DNA test, because its not from me.

Watch out for sharks and gators...

Let it be known, the lessons we learn in the new digital and social marketing world that we live in are always applicable in the physical world, and vice-versa.  For example, as we were walking from guns back to bows to the waterfall, where parents were gathering with their kids for Aunt Mikki's Kid Fishing in the pond around back, we were not-so-subtly accosted by a gentleman.   I thought he was just providing directions to where we should congregate.  No, actually, he was selling discounted rooms at some family lodge Bass Pro Shops owns in Branson.

The lodge looked nice enough.  He wanted everyone to pay attention, even my son, who just wanted to put a worm on the hook of his fishing pole and fish.  Still, I let him go through his pitch, out of courtesy and curiosity.  I said, "thank you", but we don't have the money right now to buy a vacation, and that I would be happy to take some information to talk with my brother and his family when we planned our next vacation.

I'm not sure I could have said something that should have turned off a sales person more that, "I don't have money to spend."  But, that wasn't enough.  He would not let us go.  I then politely mentioned that my son was itching to go to Aunt Mikki's Kid Fishing activity, and I was not going to plan a vacation right now.  Only after a little more cajoling did he let us go, expecting us to come back after the fishing.

Intent is just as important in the physical world as it is online.  He could have spent that time with someone who gave a poop.  I mentioned specifically, I plan these sorts of family vacations with my brother and his family, so in a way, I was not the sole decision maker, and certainly, though an advocate, my son was not.  This is something you can find out in the physical world that you most times cannot in the electronic world.  Lastly, I had somewhere else urgent to go, so he did not respect me as a customer, which is as critical in the electronic world as in the physical.  Pushy sites are just as bad a pushy sales people.

As I think back, the only question he asked all of us is what we like to do.  He should have asked if I was planning any family vacations in the future and he would have been able to cut the sales call down to 5 seconds and everyone would have been happier.

An Amazing Concept

When I grew up, we received 4 TV channels.  I remember my brother and I, in the winter, watching TV together, lying down in front the TV with our feet on the baseboard heater, probably much too close to the TV, which has undoubtedly caused permanent damage in later years.

free comic book...you know you want it...

As Seth Godin has said about the TV Industrial Complex, communication and marketing to consumers has changed.  When I grew up, when there was a commercial on TV for Captain Crunch, it was obvious that we needed to go to the store immediately and buy some Captain Crunch.  The TV said so.

In the current age of information overload, spam mail, spam email, and getting Groupon'ed to death with emails and mobile notifications, people don't have the time and patience for outbound marketing anymore.  We fast forward through most TV commercials.  We read out news in 141 character bites. It's a huge challenge for many brands, but I would contend that this puts the largest stress on the most important element for brands to keep their customers engaged: a great product or service.

I know.  I'm amazing.  Hold the applause, please.  Hey, having other reasons for customers to come back for great content is awesome, but if you don't deliver on the goods they care about the most, ain't no one gonna care anyway.

Lead by Error

I've been off the blog wagon for several weeks, and it's not for lack of interesting stuff to talk about, just that life in the startup has been all-occupying.  We've made amazing progress, yet, I keep looking up and the mountain is not getting smaller.  Yes, this is actually fun!

As with any multi-person venture, large corporation down to small startups, leadership is important.  Setting a vision.  Clear goals.  Passion.  Mentoring and improving the team.  Honest, data-based assessments.  Leading by example.

One of the most difficult leadership skills is admitting mistakes.  We always want our kids to tell the truth, admit their mistakes and clean up their messes.  To lead well, you need to admit when you err, correct it and move on.

Our employees are like our kids, and they don't necessarily learn from what we tell them.  They more often learn and inherit traits from what they see us do every day.

Hair Grows Back

Well, for some of my bald friends, they would disagree, and for that, I am truly sorry.

Hair Cut or Head Enlarged?

I am, on occasion, an odd bird, as it is sometimes called.  My wife had made comments to me about both her unhappiness of the use of "product" in my hair (women like to comb their fingers through my hair, unhindered, you know...) and the fact that within days of getting it cut, it would inevitably form the classic Christmas Tree (as named by my children) faux hawk shape, which was also not agreeable with the missus.  So, I walked over to Dork Clips after work last week and got a buzz cut.  A number 1 guard, for those of you in the know.

I got home in time to pick up the wife and kids for the presentation of the winners at my son's science fair at school.  My 9-year old son's reaction was, "Dad, you should really wear a hat!" with a look of embarrassment on his face.  My 5-year old daughter chimed in, "gross!" and they both asked when it would grow back.  Clearly, I had not pleased the masses with my decision.

It's been a week, and its grown back a bit, and I get better comments now.  Probably, the sympathy has started to kick in.  Either way, in 3 weeks, I will have the equivalent of a new small, hairy animal on my head.  I likely was uglier (tough to believe that this extra state was achievable) than normal, and the decision was probably not my best.

But, in life, like in business, the stakes were not critical, and hair grows back.  Build a bridge, get over it.

¡Habanero Margarita!

It's been a fun first month on the job TangoTab, and I started a new blog series on TangoTabloid called "Let's Tango with..." where I get to post my 5 extra-special questions to chefs and restauranteurs and hope that they don't retaliate with kitchen knives.

I had the immense pleasure to start this series by interviewing Chef Anastacia Quiñones of Komali and Owner and Chef Abraham Salum of both Komali and his namesake restaurant, Salum.

The cool and comfy confines of Komali

It was super interesting and funny.  So, Let's Tango with Chef Anastacia Quiñones of Komali with Special Guest Abraham Salum!

To Meet or Not to Meet

There's an excellent article from a few days ago in the Wall Street Journal about a growing trend for companies to adopt elements from Agile software development, including not sitting during meetings.  The idea is to force efficiency.  Just because Outlook defaults to 1-hour meeting increments doesn't mean that much time is needed, or that I actually want to spend that much time with you.

Who called this meeting?

Here are my 4 rules of meeting invites:
1. Have a goal:  If I don't see a goal in the meeting invite, then I am calling and asking for one.
2. Have an agenda:  Lord knows that we might mention the Super Bowl, or the latest Damn You Auto-Correct or People of Walmart post, but a framework helps march the team towards the goal and keeps the animals in the zoo, contained.
3. Invite the Necessary, Spare the Innocent:  'Nuff said!
4. In-and-out, no one gets hurt:  If it only takes 5 minutes, you're my hero!  I try to book meetings in 15 or 30 minute increments to force the issue, but if it really doesn't even take a meeting, just walk over or pick up the phone and save everyone the time and effort.

Forcing people to stand and taking away tables so they won't be playing Cut the Rope during the meeting is fine, but hopefully, you work with adults and not the chimps from the CareerBuilder Super Bowl commercial.

The old adage that time is money is too simple to explain the impact, though.  First, you are not only wasting your time (T = $), you are multiplying the time waste by how many people you've invited (T x N = $$).  Also, all time spent meeting is time not spent on opportunity (T x N - O = $$$).  Finally, when you really need to discuss and communicate in a structured format, you are likely trying to make important decisions that affect business, so doing it well is critical.

Save a dollar, kill a bad meeting.

Taking the Plunge, Again

Only now, as I look back, do I realize how fortunate I was to work for a startup so early in my career.  It was part-MBA, part mom-and-pop shop, part family, and a whole lot of fun.  It engrained so many values into me and I learned so much.  A lot of long hours, hard work, lifelong friendships, and some occasional stress as pressure mounted, especially that last Christmas holiday before we were purchased trying to get the product ready.  I didn't know, when I returned from vacation, if we would still be in business, so I took a programming book with me to study in case I needed to find new employment.  Who can resist such adventure?

Because...when you eat, they eat, too!

So, when I started to look around for new challenges, I knew I wanted to get back to the startup vibe.  My friend and the CEO of my first startup experience (Pixel), Jim Fontaine, introduced me to Andre Angel, the founder and CEO of TangoTab (and founder of CODEKKO, NTRglobal, and Work Meter).  Andre founded this venture that not only promised the excitement and challenge of building a new business, but an innovative service that uses a portion of its proceeds to fight hunger.  Wow!  And, it revolves around restaurants and dining out, a couple of my core passions.

TangoTab is a marketing tool for restaurants that allows them to make a controlled amount of offers to their customers, many times the same offers they are making anyway, and only when a customer redeems an offer, they pay TangoTab.  No risk.  The fun part starts from there, as TangoTab then donates a portion of the proceeds to the local food banks and hunger charities in the cities where we are deployed.

So much fun.  So useful.  So gratifying.  And, that is why I have taken the plunge, again.

Go check out TangoTab yourself and learn about the fight against hunger.  We're still working out some kinks, so register and access us via the website, as we need to post a fix for the iPhone app.  If you are in an area that we currently serve, try the service, and I'd love your feedback and your wish list of restaurants.  If you are in an area where we do not currently serve, let me know, along with your favorite restaurants, and I will let you know when we launch in your area.  You can reach out to me via twitter.

Because...when you eat, they eat, too!

Take Me to Your Leader

One of the shining moments in 2011 was Game 6 of the NBA Finals, when the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat to win the NBA Championship.  It does not get old watching that video clip.

In 1992, when my wife and I moved to Dallas, the Mavs were flirting with the futility mark set by the '72 Philadelphia 76ers, who went 9-73.  In the words of Charles Barkley, it was turrible.  We were actually in the stands when they won the 10th game, avoiding infamy.  We were jumping, screaming and hugging people in the stands that we didn't know.  We might as well have been shouting, "We're not the worst!  We're not the worst!"  The years from 1992 until Mark Cuban came along were tough, but victory tasted sweeter last year, because the team had come from so far down.

Stuart Scott says to Mark Cuban, "We're very short, you, me and JJ..."

What was the difference from the 2010-2011 Mavs and the 2005-2006 Mavs who lost to the Heat in the finals?  Did they need to live through losing in the Finals before they could win?  Was Rick Carlisle a better coach than Avery Johnson?  Did Cubes show more calm and that helped the Mavs focus more on the games?  Did Dirk elevate his game substantially?  Were his teammates substantially better?  Was it all-of-the-above?  I would contend it was some combination and more, and with successful teams it does not matter.  Separating the individual elements of a team's success is meaningless.  That does not prevent every individual from assessing their performances and setting goals to improve, but accomplishing the team goal is all that matters.

Sometimes the team is much more than the sum of its parts.

Leading in business is quite the same.  Its takes all kinds to make up a great team, and the important part is a single-minded focus on the big goal and to know how to communicate, motivate and grow through both good and bad situations.  When the team wins, some will benefit more than others.  That is natural with meritocracy, but everyone needs equal recognition and fair consideration.  As leaders, though, the most important lesson is that a leader is only as good as their team.  The leader is inseparable from the team.

As leaders, the dangers of putting ourselves above the team are substantial in terms of loyalty, motivation, and loss of leadership equity which is the core catalyst at dynamic companies.  Yesterday, I received a message via LinkedIn from an old friend who worked with me at my first startup.  He sent me a fascinating research paper on the extreme affects when leaders lose this perspective, and how it can affect their decision making based on the wrong criteria.

Sometimes, as leaders, with success, the way to get the most credit is to take none.

Liberty and Sopapillas to All

One of the key principles that America was built on was to "secure the blessings of liberty to all".  The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I totally support the government in its efforts to try to curb pirated content and punishment of those that promote or distribute pirated content, but much like the Patriot Act, there are lines that should not be crossed, when those lines are the fundamental principles that our country is founded on.  First, there are too many cases throughout history of what happens when governments or individuals in power abuse those situations at the expense and welfare of the innocent.  Second, the government has unfortunately demonstrated that it does not understand the technology or ecosystem well enough to be able to legislate effectively in this case.

Take your time, read up on the SOPA and PIPA proposed bills being discussed.  Make up your own mind.  I really like the simple video below that describes the bills and their issues in simple terms:

What can you do?  Take action.  If you agree with me, sign Google's petition here.  If not, I am sure there are equal ways to show your support, as well.  As they say in Spanish, rebúscate (translation: find it, yo' damn self!)

In the meantime, I am working to get our legislators to focus on sopapillas instead of SOPA or PIPA, as I am sure they were confused when this whole thing started, and who doesn't like a hot, sweet sopapilla!

Foursquare, We Have a Problem

I've been using Foursquare for a few months, mostly as a function of my job, to see its potential impact on my client's businesses.  For a while, I was only annoying my less socially-connected friends by my constant posts on Facebook about every time I went running in the morning on the local bike path, for which, I am the mayor, thank you very much.

Embarrassingly too much Tex-Mex

Then, in November, my mom and I went to dinner at ma peche in New York City, and while sitting at the bar, I received a buy-one-get-one-free deal for drinks.  Score!  Then, the week of Thanksgiving, American Express started with their small business deals, getting me money back when I spent at local businesses, here and there.  Very sweet!  Life was good.

The deals have waned, which makes me wonder if this is really enough to get me to check-in.  Even for me, it's a chore to whip out my smartphone every time, when one time out of 8000 gets me a deal, and my wife's stare is burning holes through the back of my head.  I'm not saying that the City of Dallas needs to celebrate my presence on the running trail every morning, but maybe once in a while, a small marching band would be appropriate.

Today, though, as we brought my wife's niece to the local, up-scale mall, I encountered a more serious Foursquare's challenge: connectivity.  There never is any at this mall.  That's why so many teenagers must hang out here, so their parents can't get a hold of them, and they have a valid excuse.  I was able to sneak a check-in for American Eagle Outfitters, but when I clicked on their deal, the Interwebs failed me.  Most other places, I could never check-in, even though I really wanted to and tried very hard, against my nature.  Most humans would never try the second time.

Clearly, malls are not on the rise, but this is not the only place that I have had Foursquare connectivity issues, sometimes not seemingly caused by connectivity issues.  The problem is not that this will not improve.  In fact, Foursquare might consider subsidizing fempto cells in some shopping areas and malls or encouraging some of the innovative schemes that exist to improve data network and spectral efficiency.

Anything to improve the experience, because most people's bozo bit is more sensitive than mine for new technology and services like this one.  Once it gets flipped, it's hard to reset.

The 9 Circles of Air Travel Hell

Over the past 15 or so years of my professional life, I've travelled too much.  I've seen some amazing things and places, ate some amazing foods, met some amazing people that I count as friends for the rest of my life.

Unsuspecting Travelers...

Before 9/11, my wife and I both have traveled in some unorthodox ways that I will not document to protect the relatively innocent.  Early on, achieving premium traveler status was joyous, but the loyalty cards quickly became badges of shame.  Today, on American Airlines, I am Platinum for life and have over 3 million lifetime miles.  Sad.  Post 9/11, I don't look forward to air travel anymore and often joke that it's exotic: exotic long lines, exotic delays, exotic lost luggage, and exotic mechanical issues.

Being the analytical type, however, I have managed to categorize the stages of air travel corresponding to Dante's Inferno and its 9 Circles of Hell.  Enjoy:
1. Limbo: This is either waking up for the flight in time, trusting that nappy hotel alarm clock or wake-up service, or leaving your client meeting on-time.
2. Lust:  How many times have you been stuck in traffic calculating the time before they won't let you get a boarding pass anymore?  Or, doing circles trying to find a parking spot?  One time, in New Delhi (eating biryani, en route, of course), I arrived 2 hours early, and it took 30 minutes, in the cab to get up to the departure area from the street.  I cut to the front of the line to get into the airport, made a lame "dumb American" excuse why I did not have my ticket to get in, and I did not sit down at all the next 90 minutes until I was seated on the airplane.
3. Gluttony: Some airports are awesome in terms of the efficiency of getting your boarding pass and getting through security.  Then, there is making a connection at Charles de Gualle (CDG).
4. Greed: So, you've woken up, traversed rush hour traffic, and made it through security in plenty of time.  Is there a plane at the gate?  Is your plane the one coming in from O'Hare in January?  So sorry.
5. Anger: Late flight?  Lighting push the planes back?  Inefficient airline staff?  Boarding on-time is always a challenge.  Maybe it's a conspiracy to get people to spend more money in the terminals with the local merchants.
6. Heresy: I honestly can feel this happening to me, as I type it.  I'm on the plane.  Seated.  5 minutes before the departure, but they are not buttoning up the plane.  There's some technician that keeps coming in and out of the plane, checking in with the pilots in the cockpit.  Does this plane work?  One time, we were flying to Barcelona, through Paris, and we had to head back to the gate twice because the weather radar did not work.  Apparently, they did not fix it the first time, or the second...
7. Violence: ...because as we approached Boston at 1AM, the pilot informed us that the weather radar was not working and we would head back to JFK, where we stayed the night.  Will we even make it to the destination...or maybe just land in JFK, instead...
8. Fraud: So, one time I was flying home from Nice, France.  Clearly, I was going in the wrong direction.  Anyway, I've documented some of the challenges of flying through CDG, so I chose to fly through a new connection in Zurich.  First sign of danger was when we waited in the plane, connected to the jet bridge for 2 hours.  Then, second sign of danger was when the plane pulled away and parked at the end of the runway right before take-off.  Apparently, there was some dispute between the pilots, the air control in Zurich and the air control in Frankfurt about our plans.  Regardless, we took off  3 hours later and landed home just as a storm hit.  I started to slump as I saw us turn away from the terminals and approach a massive line of planes, waiting for gates to free up.  Two hours later, we officially landed.  What should have been a 10 hour flight turned into a 17 hour affair.
9. Treachery: Lord knows I've secretly wished that our plane would land somewhere tropical instead of my dull destinations, but it has never happened.  However, my luggage, when I have been forced to check them, have probably been to some amazing place, because they often times do not make it back with me to my destination.  One time, when I was in college, I was visiting my wife and her family in Costa Rica for the Winter Holiday.  I arrived December 20th.  My bags arrived December 26th, two days before I left.  That helps.

And this does not even consider the threat of airport evacuation, which has happened to me twice, once in Paris' Charles de Gaulle and a few years ago in London's Heathrow.  Both, quite exotic.

Privacy

Waves of articles about the embedding of the Carrier IQ quality of service agent in phones in the past few weeks have captured the attention of media and mobile phone users.  It's raises the topic of privacy and the importance of clear disclosure to end users.  Because the bottom line is this: if the phones visually notify the end users of what data they were capturing, what they are going to use the data for, and how the end user can opt-out of such measurement, this is a non-issue.  These 3 privacy commandments are critical not just for market research but for any mobile and internet startup, as well.

Now, in the case of CIQ, this all may have been done, in all cases.  From the press articles, it seems that there may have been some breakdowns between all the parties responsible for delivering the end solution.  Given that the situation has attracted the attention of Senator Franken, and the Senator still does not seem to have received all responses or seem to be happy with those he received, there will likely be more disclosures to the public to understand more.

The commandments sound simple enough, but its amazing how the smallest and the largest companies don't do justice to them.  I have met with startups who gloss over this when we discuss privacy, and when companies are small, they want to focus on building the framework of their business, expecting to plumb the details when money is flowing in.  Fair enough, but the early investment likely does not cost much, if anything, and the importance of embedding the edicts of user privacy are important to seed early and often.  Large companies often do everything legally required, but often embed disclosures and  how to opt-out in the middle of much larger, user agreements that no one ever reads.

The reality is that most users are willing to make the trade-off.  Given clear and definable value, they will let you use their information for benefit and profit.  Actually, being very up-front and transparent about privacy and data usage helps users gain more confidence in companies.  Thinking about opt-outs, data storage and removal, and breaches up front and early is infinitely cheaper early on.

Tell the user up-front and right away what data you want to use and why, make it clear and easy to opt-out, and if you give a service of value, they will give you invaluable access and demographic information.  Win-win.

Invisible Computer

I've commented before about a book, The Invisible Computer by Donald A. Norman, that I forced myself to read about 10 years ago.  It discusses the unnecessary complexity of computers and their software, at the time, and the opportunity to embed computing in smart appliances, where the "computer" was invisible.  It would seem, at least in hindsight, that companies like Apple and Google had learned similar lessons with the advent of iPhone and Android smartphones, but one could say that, as an industry, we are still nascent in our progress.

Newer appliances, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, are excellent examples of what Mr. Norman was forecasting.  What once constituted a computer, it's memory and processing power can be found in extremely miniaturized and inexpensive silicon that are economical to integrate into consumer electronics.  Additionally interesting, that the Nest takes advantage of, is the ubiquity of connectivity in the home, via Wi-Fi, and the value that connectivity adds to a consumer device.  Controlling your thermometer from your smartphone, making it ice cold in the dead of winter for a friend or loved-one, when you are warm and cozy in a hotel room traveling for work, for example.

But for every Nest, there are 10s of examples of connected refrigerators, smart washers and connected televisions that have not found the right formula.  The idea of a connected television sounds like a slam dunk, but the video world is so complex in terms of rights and legacy, the obstacles are challenging.  What is the magic, then?  If I knew, I would be retired on the beach, so take this with a grain of salt, but in hindsight, the final answer is always: how did I do this before?  That is, these great technological advances make something so easy, that you look back at the way you did it previously, and it makes you wince.  How did I do this before?

I don't think the majority of the potential innovations that are hanging before our minds are complex.  Simplicity is key, both for the actual advancement and the user experience of the result.  Simplicity usually indicates a focus on what is most important, keeps costs down, allows for easy investor and consumer messaging, and means a normal human, like my mom, actually might understand it and be able to use it without calling her IT department: me.