Ubiquity is Awesome
Mozilla creates some really neat stuff. Ubiquity is like search on steroids.
If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet give it a chance. The learning curve takes one minute.
http://labs.mozilla.com/2008/08/introducing-ubiquity/
Here’s a quick video from Aza:
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
What I learned from: Art of Speed – How to get big things in the shortest time possible
I’m a huge information junkie. I need to work on it. I know. Instead of just taking notes and letting them get lost. I’ll take notes and post them here for me to archive and perhaps other people will find it interesting too.
Panelists:
Mike Cassidy – Benchmark Capital
Tim Ferris – Author of Four Hour Work Week / Moderator of Panel
Cali Lewis – Host and Producer GeekBreif.TV
Evan Williams – co-founder Twitter/Obvious
How to make company move faster?
Mike – raise money in one day, all decision makers are at meeting, all VC meetings on same day, to make a compressed system. Same day close use if then contract. Hiring- reference checks while hiring, here is the offer are you going to accept – 24 hours. Products – Rapid development, every two weeks, forces a discipline inside company and quick feedback.
Why do you think twitter or blogger has grown quickly?
Evan – Communication = viral marketing, getting critical mass, howitzer method of marketing, ask influential people to use products
What are factors to popularity?
Cali – Community and passion, getting out there, meet people, shake hands, and word of mouth, forums, get involved with the community, passion propels vision forward, it has to be real, its about community- love your viewers, it’s a conversation, talk to your audience, be your audience
Tim – Develop a handful of deep relationships
What are the biggest time sinks?
Mike – Building a team is critical- how do you do it? Make the effort and energy to get those key people. Get paperwork out of the way, everything out of the way, set the tone and pace, project plan, projected timeline all ready.
Spreading the message?
Evan - Write it out and build it out, people can get hung up on how people react, it’s tricky,
Cali – Stop talking and do it.
What are the mistakes people do when they get started?
Cali – don’t promote too early, the first ten shows are bad
Tim – “Ready, fire, aim” Move quickly don’t hurry
What are some things you should not rush?
Mike -Internal team moral issues, small team with high moral is hard to defeat, favorite business book: Six Day War (Arab Israeli War), companies generally implode, have a problems- get a direct, take ten minutes and quickly try to get to the bottom of things
Tim – Reaching terms of influencers, don’t skim on relationships, meet in person 1, email 2, phone 3, rifle shot, find one feature and make it clear and introduce it to them,
Cali – Partner with people
Tim – Do what you’re good at and eliminate, subtracting can help improve things, Book: “The Making of an American Capitalist”
FAQ:
Talent Recruitment
Mike: Create huge networks, keep in touch with people
Tim: Develop relationships before you need them
Mike: Make effort to spend time with family, meals with family and friends,
Importance and Tips for Finding a Mentor
Tim: Couple of Keys, very humble and up front with that, make it easy for them to help you, be truthful with referrals, “Who are they and what do they want from me?”- short emails, with less than two sentences, exhaust options
Cali: Aim high
What do you do when company grows fast?
Mike: sell company,
What do you need to readjust and redirect?
Tim: Checking email, create a not to do list, and review it, feel productive instead of bored, schedule something non-work-related schedule bracketing activities, guilt associated with being productive
Find customers?
Tim: Focus on a channel
What happens everything is crashing down on you?
Mike: have to do excel spreadsheet, long term, short term things
Evan: does this matter, very few things, exercise “no” muscle
Tim: let things fail
Recommended Books
Slack – Time de Marco – not 100% time filled, empty spaces for creativity and respond,
Millionaire Next Door
Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf
Link:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/05/29/the-art-of-speed-conversations-with-monster-makers/
San Diego, Ad Tech: San Francisco, and Rest
Real quick update:
I’m in California. I visited friends and family in Los Angeles and San Diego. I flew in and hung out at Ad:Tech San Francisco.
I’ll be posting a few things I learned in the last couple of days tomorrow or the day after.
I’m pooped.
Flickr
