Business Ideas on Cloudmanic Labs

Why Do People Dislike Basecamp? Blank Canvas Syndrome

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve met many people over the years who absolutely love Basecamp, and also many who hate it. When I ask why they hate it, they often say they “could never really get into it.” At first I thought these people were idiots. OK maybe I still think they are idiots, but that isn’t the point. The point is that over the years I have tried to understand the mindset of a Basecamp hater. And finally, after many years, I have arrived at what I believe is a key insight. What Basecamp haters really mean when they say they “could never really get into it” is that they didn’t like the blank canvas — they had no idea where to start.

It Pays to Know Where You Sit

Wed, 14 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

What is a good seat in this fast-moving business environment? Traditionally, our first thought would be the cozy corner office far away from those bright, naked cubicles by reception. But this is the 21st century and peace of mind is dictated more by solving problems and being productive than creature comforts like a quiet environment or a pleasant view — or even the freedom of a virtual office. No, the "good seat" in business is about managing technology and personnel needs. And that can be done from either side of the hypothetical desk.

Whether you are performing the job or having someone perform it for you does not matter. The important thing is understanding the big picture of what it takes to get the job done. Make sure you have a contract that clearly defines the scope of work, the infrastructure necessary for success, and the procedures for resolving problems. Not understanding the business model and its processes will put you in a no-win situation. Does the upgrade require new hardware or software? What does the maintenance phase look like? Who has control over the data? Will the budget be enough to see the project from start to finish? You don't want to go in half-assed because cutting corners simply won't get the job done. No, you are going to need to be fully assed to sit in that seat over the long haul.

A Few Things to Consider When Hiring an Agency

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

So you have a fresh new idea for a product. Maybe an iPhone app, a web application, whatever. You saved up some money or wangled some investors, but instead of hiring a team to develop your project you want to subcontract out to an agency. Your thinking is that the agency can get your product to market swiftly as they have in house all of the designers and developers needed to build your dream.

In the last 15 years I have hired many agencies. I have also worked for many agencies. Heck, I even ran an agency. Let's say I've seen the agency issue from all sides. So I wrote this post to share a few things to keep in mind when going the agency route. Most also apply to hiring a freelance designer or developer, but the focus is agencies — the types of companies that have fancy offices, charge boatloads per hour, and invite 25 people to every meeting (account managers, project managers, salespeople, developers, designers, freelancers, random dude not doing anything that day).

You Can't Have It All

When hiring an agency you can't expect to get a high-quality product at a good price delivered on a fixed schedule. An agency salesperson will always try to convince you that they can deliver on your schedule. If they are working on an hourly basis they will assure you that they already added tons of padding to the budget. And besides, their designers and developers are the best in the world! Simply accepting that you can't have an outcome where quality, budget, and schedule are achieved — you should maximize for one or two. Don't be fooled into thinking you can have it all.

Most Agencies Don't Care About Your Little Project

The best agencies spend their days working with the big boys, the Fortune 500. These clients have massive budgets and are a good agency's bread and butter. Simply put, your little startup project is not going to get the best resources or the most attention. An agency will always choose a Fortune 500 client over you. Sorry.

Agencies Hire Lots of Freelancers

Agencies rely on freelancers to save money. They pay some eager freelancer $50 an hour (no benefits, no taxes) and bill them out for $150 an hour. The problem with these subcontractors is that they come and go — in some cases halfway through a project. Transferring knowledge from one person to another is costly, jeopardizes the schedule, and can negatively impact quality. Agency turnover can make you wonder if you should have just hired a freelancer yourself.

Your best bet is to make sure your agency is not going to subcontract out your project. If it's unavoidable, be sure that your contract details what happens if things go wrong with the subcontractor. Also, confirm that an agency employee will manage the project. I have seen it happen over and over again: the agency hires a subcontractor for your project, puts you in contact with said subcontractor, and then takes a backseat. Dumping project management on the client is pure negligence on the part of the agency. (I doubt that it happens with their Fortune 500 clients.)

Please Don't Be Offended, but I Think You're an Idiot

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Ah, feedback. Life is unbearable if you cannot speak your mind, but in our everyone’s-a-winner culture anything short of ebullient praise is viewed as an affront. And so, to show that you’re not a glass-half-empty sort — you see the positive stuff, too! — you start with a few compliments before slipping in the unpleasant news. But you don’t want to end on a bad note so you close with something upbeat — another compliment or some hearty encouragement. Congratulations. You just served a “shit sandwich.” In more refined circles it’s called a “praise sandwich.” Either way, it’s a classic rookie mistake. Your protege will take one look at this questionable offering and either see only the praise or only the criticism. You end up with the status quo or a new enemy.

Two Types of Entrepreneurs: Risk Takers vs. Small Bettors

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Over the course of my career I have had the good fortune of working with many innovative business partners. Regrettably, some partnerships ended poorly because my temper got the best of me. For years I was convinced that I did not get along well with others. But recently, upon deeper reflection, I concluded that something else was to blame because I have many great business relationships that have endured the test of time. So what sets me off? What makes a partnership toxic for me? In a nutshell: risk takers. I do not like taking risks. It's not my style, and I can't relate to it.

A scan of the entrepreneurial landscape suggests two fundamental types: risk takers and small bettors. Apple (under Steve Jobs), for example, took large risks — betting the company many times over. In contrast, Twitter has few big bets in its history (heck, it started as a side project), growing instead through iteration — one small bet at a time. Because both forms of entrepreneurship can lead to success, the question of which is better is settled by your tolerance for risk. I prefer to make a small bet, analyze the results, and build on that effort because it is the more risk-averse approach to growing a company.

When forming a business partnership make sure your entrepreneurial styles align. Compatibility with respect to risk can help you avoid painful and costly conflict down the road. Maybe take a trip to Vegas together: if your partner is sitting at the blackjack table the entire time while you sip fancy drinks by the pool, maybe you're not a good match.

Technology Might Not Be the Core Challenge for a Digital Startup

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

There is a trap I have fallen into more times in my career than I would like to admit. I tend to stay too focused on the technology because that is what I know and am passionate about. The thing is, there's more to a successful digital startup than the technology. For illustration purposes, let's say I come up with a great idea for a service that will really help me and possibly others: a social network for dogs called DogBook. As a technologist I can pretty easily map out the digital design and development processes that need to happen to launch the service. But in the case of a social network for dogs technology is not the real challenge — marketing is.

That's right. Getting the attention of possible users in a cost-effective way is the real nut to crack. I hate to break it to you, but if you build it they still might not come. All good startups set out to solve a problem. But when deciding whether to chase an idea it's important to determine if the core challenge is technology or marketing. For example, in the case of Google the biggest hurdle was technology: building a badass search engine. In the case of DogBook, the difference between success and failure is marketing: customers need to be aware that DogBook exists and is awesome.

When You Screw Up in Business Make It Right

Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I have been working since age 12. An almost daily occurrence since my first day of work is that I screw up. I am human, just like most of you, and all humans make mistakes. What distinguishes good entrepreneurs, good employees, and good people is how we handle our screw-ups. Clearly, all screw-ups are not created equal. They can be as minor as showing up a few minutes late for a meeting or taking longer than necessary to respond to a customer — or as major as blowing a deadline or delivering the wrong product. But because screw-ups are about as inevitable as death and taxes, in business the most important thing is not what happened but what happens next. That is, owning up to the mistake and making it right.

All my professional life I have offered, as a matter of course, some kind of restitution when I screw up. As a consultant, if there is an issue with a deliverable I often lower my price or don't bill at all. As a service provider, if I am not timely answering a support request I often credit the customer's account with a few months of free service. It simply never occurred to me not to compensate a customer negatively impacted by a mistake I made. Only recently did it truly soak in that other professionals do not necessarily live by the same code. Over the past few months the employees of some companies I have been doing business with let me down by screwing up repeatedly. Oftentimes, when confronted, they owned up but offered nothing in return to make up for my losses. Not compensating for a significant mistake borders on dishonest.

The Art of the Long Email

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Most people hate receiving long emails. In fact, some people think emails should be no more than 3 lines long (or 2, or 4, or 5). This is not my personal style. I like to give recipients everything they need in one email. I believe that doing so optimizes my time and theirs. One of two things happen when I send a long, detailed email to someone: either they never read it and drop off or they appreciate having all of the pertinent information in a single reference document. Either way, it amounts to one focused episode in my life versus scattered smaller ones.

Let's look at the first case in which the recipient never reads my email. Maybe this person is a contractor, vendor, employee, friend looking for advice, or my mom :). If the person is not detail oriented enough to read and process my long email (my nice way of saying they are lazy), then they simply are not a good fit for me in terms of communication style (sorry, mom). And, most likely, working together is not in our best interest. In the case of friends or relatives seeking my advice, many simply move on and get the advice elsewhere if a long reply is too much of a hurdle for them. Simply put, long emails can serve to weed out lazy and needy people — a real time saver in the long run.

In the second case, in which the recipient of a lengthy email is appreciative, the flow of information is optimized to reduce the likelihood of lots of back and forth dialogue. This is a good thing because the fragmented nature of lengthy email exchanges makes them hard to follow and too often results in offhandedness. Providing a single, thoroughly informative document to which the recipient can refer as needed is much more efficient.

Need to Make a Decision? Ask the Magic 8 Ball

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The first phone app I ever downloaded was Magic 8 Ball. Technically, the app is called Fortune Ball for trademark reasons, but the ersatz legalistic name does not obscure its identity. (Just as a freezer pop is a popsicle and sparkling wine is champagne, trademark and terroir issues be damned.) I was thrilled to have a digital Magic 8 Ball to help me make decisions, in no small part because it is much more portable than its analog cousin.

Magic 8 Ball had been a trusted guide of mine since childhood. My older sister had one that I borrowed when she was not around. I became enthralled and decided that she did not appreciate its true value, so I neglected to return it. In its physical form the Magic 8 Ball invited contemplation. It had the heft of a scaled-down bowling ball and the gravity of its dark horse namesake and was filled with a mysterious liquid that concealed the answer on the icosahedral die until it floated into view in the circular window.

That Magic 8 Ball was eventually dropped one too many times, developing a crack and losing an alarming quantity of its inky lifeblood — which led to its confiscation by my mother. I didn't buy or pilfer a replacement, but its power as a decision-making tool stayed with me. And then, years later, some magical thinking programmers developed the Fortune Ball. The app lacks the comforting solidity of the original, but it is surprisingly satisfying as so many physical things that we once believed could not be replaced digitally are. (Not that long ago I couldn't imagine buying shoes online. I now buy shoes online almost exclusively. Sorry, shoe stores.)

B2B Is Bi-Curious But Unwilling to Admit It

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Before we investigate this thought-provoking claim, let's do a quick review. Conventional wisdom holds that the fundamental difference between business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) sales is the purchaser. Furthermore, although in both cases the marketing goal is to guide customers through the purchasing process, the tactics employed with businesses and consumers differ significantly. But things change, and the line between B2B and B2C is blurring.

Traditionally, B2B has been associated with old school sales techniques. Think dealmaking between a salesperson and a business representative — over golf and martinis, maybe. In contrast, B2C entails advertising across a variety of media to cultivate brand awareness and loyalty among individual consumers. Making the B2C sale has historically involved retailers and salespeople — but in many situations these intermediaries are fast becoming relics of the past. (So is the 3-martini lunch.) Social media and the troves of information available online now empower consumers to become well informed before making purchases. They are also more comfortable with — sometimes preferring — a self-directed role in transactions. Think self-service. At home in your pajamas at midnight, if you like.

In recent years B2B has begun to look a lot more like B2C. Although Skyclerk, Cloudmanic's bookkeeping application for small businesses, is essentially a B2B product, we do not have dedicated salespeople. Instead, we market the product in the very same ways we would a consumer product. We use mobile apps stores, social networks, and online promotion to bring attention to Skyclerk and acquire customers. The product itself is our golf-playing salesperson — meaning it has to be designed to effectively sell itself.

When Your Devotion to Quality Makes Time (and You) its Bitch

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Is your work style get-it-right or git-r-done? That is, are you more process oriented or results oriented? If you're habitually the former, chances are you pay for your obsessive tendencies with time. Remember that task you were totally sure you could bang out in one hour? The one you labored over for six? How did that happen? Sure, the final product was a marvel of perfection (or so it seemed at the time), but was it worth it?

They don't say time is money for nothing, and tumbling down the rabbit hole without regard for the relative importance of a task is not a profitable business model. But is it really just a matter of poor time management? To avoid a time warp, some experts advise that you start by identifying the components of a task and budgeting time for each. This advice might be sound in theory, but it can be difficult to follow. To wit: I tend to set time limits and then blow them successively. One hour mushrooms to six because the finish line keeps moving. This tendency is not, however, entirely due to a pathological inability to accept that good is good enough.

It's also partly the result of a tenacious devotion to quality. Great ideas do not form on command, after all. And occasionally I need to take the time to address a knowledge or skills gap. Sometimes good might be good enough for the job, but not for me personally. In such cases, the additional time spent is by choice. If I think getting something just right is important and I have the time to sacrifice, I will ignore the insistent tick-tocking of the clock. True, the extra effort might not be readily apparent to others or immediately rewarded, but the value of developing my abilities and doing my best is intrinsic.

An Angst-Free Workplace

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Like most people I ask myself regularly, what is important in terms of my career? Typical answers include salary, benefits, type of work, location, hours, and the like — but recently I concluded that angst is my top concern when it comes to crafting my career.

Often, working conditions cause a lot of angst. You might have a difficult client. You might be managing a difficult employee. Your coworkers might drive you nuts. Your workload might be too much. Your deadlines might be too tight.

Sometimes angst is minor and other times major, but angst in any form can lead to stress, lack of motivation, and unhappiness. Why would anyone want to spend 8+ hours a day working in any state other than utter delight? Of course, some might say that a workplace where everyone is free of angst is a fantasy. I respectfully disagree.

Removing angst from the workplace has to come from two places: management and employees. Management needs to foster an angst-free workplace, and employees need to stand their ground and not allow the work environment to cause them angst. That said, simply ignoring things that cause angst is not a solution I would recommend or tolerate at Cloudmanic Labs. Instead, you must identify angst and destroy it (carefully, of course).

How Do You Build An Angst-Free Workplace?

Every workplace is different. Every manager is different. Every employee is different. Therefore, no one solution can work for every company. The best advice I can give is to encourage every member of the team to be the guardian of their own angst. For example, if the way tasks are assigned to you is causing angst, consider the possible alternatives and collaborate with your managers and coworkers to enact a solution.

Price Is A Feature

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

In general, I tend to use top-quality products. This might not be for all things in my life (just look at my car) but it is true for most things that I really care about or use on a regular basis. I tend to seek the best of the best. Lately, I have been noticing a new data point in my decision making process: price.

I can think of several specific examples when price was a tipping point that made me use one product over another:

I really like my Android Nexus 7 tablet. In fact, I am in love with it. However, when I compare it to the iPad, I sort of wonder why I love it when the iPad is so much more loveable. When I compare the two, I realize that I'm more drawn to the iPad. Yet I own a Nexus 7.
I'm also in love with GitHub (such a great service). Side-by-side, GitHub is a better product than Bitbucket in all accounts. But I find myself using Bitbucket more.
I am madly in love with Linode. It's a far better product than Digital Ocean, but more and more of my needs are migrating to Digital Ocean.

In all of these examples, I've found myself actually using the less expensive product. If price wasn't a factor, I would only be using an iPad, Github, and Linode.

Deadlines Are Harmful To The Creative Process

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Here at Cloudmanic Labs, we pride ourselves on doing excellent creative work. To keep up a constant stream of high quality work from happy employees, we did something a bit unusual: We're a deadline-free zone.

There were many reasons that factored into this move, but first and foremost: Deadlines are harmful to the creative process. Let me walk you through how that happens, and why losing the deadlines can be beneficial.

I would say 99% of all deadlines are soft deadlines. What I mean is, if a soft deadline is missed, the world will not come to an end, you will not be fired, your company will continue to stay in business, and profit will stay on track. When you look at most deadlines they are nothing more than a date a manager randomly picked on the calendar, or some date the sales guy told a client. Of course, if the deadline is external it's never good for your company's reputation to miss; however, it is much worse to deliver crappy work just to hit a deadline.

Before I get too far, yes, I realize some deadlines are hard deadlines. I would say these hard deadlines only happen 1% of the time. For example, if you're a retailer doing promotions for the Christmas season, missing your deadline and completing the promotions in January is pretty harmful. But I'm not talking about those deadlines. What I'm suggesting is that better management could lead to hitting the deadline, while operating as a deadline-free company.

Learning Is Hard: Hire Employees With A Learning Scale Of 10

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I have been in the process of some major self reflection lately. Typical me, everything I conclude I want to translate to the business world. Give me a moment to setup my thought and then I will connect it back to the business world.

Point blank, learning is hard. Learning requires pain. Learning requires dedication. Something I have been wondering about for a while is: Why am I really good at learning something and completely suck at others? I was this way all through school, both high school and college. Get my attention and I am all in. If I am not interested, I am going to be a complete failure.

For over 8 years now I have been trying to master Portuguese. I have studied by myself. I have taken classes. I have visited Brazil many times. Still my growth rate is very slow. There is no question that I really want to learn Portuguese.

During the same period of time I have learned a handful of programming languages, studied the financials of over a hundred companies, and studied business concepts from the world's leaders.

Why is it so hard for me to learn something that I want to learn but so easy for me to learn something I really really want to learn? Why is my focus so hard to tame on things I am interested in but yet so easy to tame when I really really want to learn something?

I concluded this thought today while snowboarding with my wife. She likes snowboarding. She is not willing to really push it. She wants to get better and better. However, she is not willing to go through the pain and stress it might take to really become a pro snowboarder. She is ok learning the sport slowly, very slowly. I realize we all have a learning scale.

The Concept of a Learning Scale

So I would like to enter into record the concept of a learning scale. Maybe many people before me have come up with that. If you think I am a moron for just thinking about it now move on to your next blog post.

For those of you that have stuck around: I think a learning scale is a number between 1 and 10 — a measurement of how much you really want to learn something. A learning scale is a measurement of passion. I guess my learning Portuguese scale is about a 3. I want to learn it but I do not really want to learn it. My passion is just less than other topics. I am unwilling to go through the pain and suffering to be a master.

My learning scale for programming and business seems to be consistently at a 10. I am willing to put in the hours and stress to fully understand.

Ok, why did I bore you with my personal soul searching? I think this relates directly to business and the act of hiring. As a growing company we are always looking for talent. I realize today I want to look for talent that has a learning scale of 10 when it comes to the subject of their employment.

I want to hire people that love the idea of learning new things (in relationship to their field). Most of the creative and engineering types we hire are people that need to be able to learn (and learn fast). They need to keep up on bleeding edge technologies and concepts. If they do not have a learning scale of 10 for their field they will be a waste of resources for us. We need to hire people that are currently passionate about staying current and always learning.

From now on I am only hiring people with a learning scale of 10 for their field. If you are a small growing company I would recommend you do the same.

NDAs Are Often Misused & Dumb!

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Startups without a product are always asking me to sign a NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), and every time I think about refusing. It just seems misguided. There is a time and a place for an NDA but starting a company is not one of them. I realize lawyers are advising their clients to play it safe. This is poor advice; it does not holistically help your company succeed. Lawyers are focused on protecting you. They are not focused on building a great team, marketing to the masses, and building buzz around your company and product.

When you are starting a company you want everyone in the world to know about your product and service. Marketing is expensive and time consuming. Why not get the ball rolling? Why not tell everyone in the world what you are doing? The sooner possible customers, partners, and employees start to engage with your company and get energized, the better.

Most people think they are protecting some great idea. I would guess 99% of all ideas have already been thought of by someone else and someone is already working on it. If your idea is so powerful you should be filing a patent to protect it, not NDAs. It is about how you execute. It is about the million decisions you make day in and day out that leads to the special DNA of your company and your product.

Again, if your idea is so special, go apply for a patent. In all other cases start focusing on how you are going to build a great company with great products. Rather than hiding behind NDAs, stand on the tallest mountain you can find and tell everyone about how you are going to change everything with your company. Rally the troops and start building!

Loyalty, Its Important

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I hear the term "It's business" over and over again. It seems to be this universal way of saying "I know I am doing the wrong thing but I can justify it because it makes my company more profitable." It seems to be a crappy way of saying loyalty is not relevant in the business world. In my world loyalty has a higher currency than "it's business." To me "it's business" is short term and loyalty is long term.

Let's first define loyalty. Loyalty can be found in many different forms. Personal relationships are just one example. Loyalty is much deeper. An employee can be loyal to a company or its mission. A vendor can be loyal to a customer. A company can be loyal to a supplier, and so on. It is easier to talk about loyalty in terms of people and their actions, so I will stick with these examples, but organizations as a whole can be loyal to each other.

Loyalty is about being 100% dedicated. I don't mean by this that your entire life is consumed by the relationship. I mean that you are always going to do your best work when in a loyal relationship. You are always going to prioritize based on loyalty. You are not going to jump ship for a brighter future when you are truly loyal. You are going to continue to think about how you can make the loyal relationship stronger via continued growth.

A great example of loyalty is Sheryl Sandberg COO at Facebook. She has made her money at Facebook. She could move on to bigger and better things. It is publicly known she has been offered many CEO jobs. It appears she is loyal to Facebook. She is committed to the mission. She is not going to leave a company that has been so good to her. Loyalty is going to fend off temptation. Maybe she will jump ship someday, but it does not seem to be something she is going to do anytime soon. I am sure Mark and the Facebook board recognize this and are giving her the same level of loyalty back.

Loyalty has always been very important to me. Something I have learned over the years is you can't force it. Everyone has their own level of loyalty. Just because you feel loyal to a person it does not mean you can expect it back. True loyalty is not something that just happens. As a manager, as a friend, as a husband, when loyalty binds it is truly a magical thing and the long term dividends will be big.

A Special Thanks To Wildbit

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

People say business is cut throat. It is a snake or be snaked world. If you run a business you are in a dark silo where it is you against the world. As far as I'm concerned, these are just strong statements that get thrown out into the wild to get people's attention. Companies like Wildbit are proof this is simply not true. Wildbit, the makers of Beanstalkapp and Postmark, are working hard to help out fellow bootstrapped companies.

The team at Wildbit knows how hard it is to grow a company without piles of cash in the bank. To help bootstrapped companies they are willing to give away extra services for free (contact Wildbit for more information). Wildbit is also building a mentoring community called Think Strapped. Think Strapped is "A mentorship community for encouraging sustainable growth in software start ups". You can learn more about Think Strapped at their website thinkstrapped.com.

It is not every day we highlight other companies on our blog, but we were overly compelled to express our gratitude to Wildbit for their support of the bootstrapped community.

Thank you Wildbit.

20 Mile Hikes

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I am currently reading Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck — Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen.

First of all, what a great book! Second, the book mentions two explorers on a quest to hike to the South Pole. Each explorer leaves at the same time to try to beat the other to the South Pole. The two journeys have a great deal of parallels to running a business.

One explorer uses amazing focus and discipline and hikes 20 miles a day every day regardless of weather or conditions. He progresses 20 miles a day. Never more never less. The other explorer would sit in his tent on bad days and hike big long days on nice days. One day he might hike zero miles the next day he might hike 40 miles. The first explorer made it to the south pole and back. The other explorer died.

The point is, being disciplined and focused every day (in business) makes for a better outcome. Trying to grow too big too fast is a mistake. Continue on a 20 mile hike every day. Even if you think you can do more. Even if it is tempting to go faster.

I think in general at Cloudmanic we have maintained a pretty good 20 mile hike, but I am going to be more aware of our pace after reading the above book. Sometimes I get frustrated that we are not moving fast enough. Sometimes I want to add more features or products. Sometimes I want to be all things to all people. Sometimes I want to slow down and relax. I think if we stepped on the gas pedal or became complacent we would not build great products. We would get lost on our hike.

Consistent UI Design For Apps & Marketing Sites

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Over the last year or so Google has rolled out a new consistent look and feel across all their properties. While I am not in love with the design, I am in love with their consistency. One aspect that I think all start-ups should learn is being consistent between the apps and the marketing sites. Every google property has a marketing site that tells you about the application and convinces you to sign-up for it. Every software as a service start-up has the same thing. So many start-ups do not carry the same look and feel all the way through from the marketing site to the application to the mobile app and beyond. Here at Cloudmanic Labs we are guilty as charged.

Most users do not know what a marketing site vs an application site is. Nor do they care. They just want to be able to get what they want when they want it. So when you start with one look and feel and transfer to another look and feel users might think they have left the site. Imagine driving down the road in a desert. All of a sudden, you blink and you open your eyes to find yourself in the middle of a city. You are still driving down the road. You are still fine. However, you would have to take a few moments to process the change.

I think we owe it to our users to focus on a consistent experience across all our properties at Cloudmanic Labs. Users should be able to flow between our sites and apps fluidly without having to recompose when going from one site to another. It might take a while (well over a year) but we are going to start refactoring our properties to be more consistent.

Hiring Programmers When They Are Excited

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

From a young age all the way up through college I was completely addicted to snowboarding. Every day I was not snowboarding felt like the world was coming to an end. I used to be on the first and last lift ride up for the day. I was competing. I was talking to possible sponsors. I was working for the mountain as a snowboard instructor. Sadly, in recent years that drive and passion for the sport have gone away. I visit the mountain less each year. I spend less time at the mountain when I do go.

Today I was reflecting on why I lost the passion. I have become complacent in my snowboarding. I have peaked. I don't see myself landing more complex tricks as life goes on. I am just going to the mountain to enjoy a nice day. I do not have any goals such as to learn a new trick. There is not something new and exciting for me to conquer. I feel I have mastered snowboarding as much as I ever will.

Clearly, the period in my life where I really wanted to grow and progress in snowboarding is past me. This is ok. I will find new challenges in life.

There is, however, some drawback to losing my passion for snowboarding. I don't think I will be winning any future competitions. I don't think sponsors will be knocking on my door. I don't think mountains will be fighting to hire me. As I am no longer bringing passion and excitement to the table my return on investment as a snowboarder has declined. Simply put, my snowboarding career is a declining asset.

The same relationships apply to hiring software engineers. I want to hire a programmer while they are still in the growth period of their career. I want engineers that feel every second they are not programming is a wasted movement. I want to hire engineers that are always challenging themselves to learn something new. After an engineer peaks they are a declining asset; they lose the passion. They stop spending the weekend keeping up on the latest technologies. They stop looking for new and exciting ways to solve problems; they stick to what they know. When the passion and excitement wear off, the employer's return on investment decreases.

I am not suggesting that every engineer peaks. I think more times than not engineers lose the passion. Everyone is different. Some peak early and some peak later, some don't peak at all.

Also, I am not suggesting we fire every employee that has already peaked. I'd rather work with a good employee to give them new challenges and to find areas they have not yet mastered, but for which they can use the expertise from the previous years, such as managing a team of programmers. I am, however, suggesting that, when hiring, years of experience can sometimes be a bad thing, even though not always.

To find engineers who will grow with the company, what I look for when I hire is engineers that consider programming a way of life not just a job — just like snowboarding was a way of life for me.

I Don't Care About Your Resume

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Last week I made a comment on twitter about how I did not want to hire a candidate without previously having a Github account. I got some backlash more or less calling me a fan boy of Github. While I am a fan boy of Github, that was not the reasoning behind my comment.

If you have ever read a programmer's resume you know it is a big listing of every programming language they have ever looked at. All languages are the same right? Once you know one you know them all right? I call bullshit on this. Yes, once you know some CS fundamentals jumping into a new language is easier. You do not need to go back to college or anything. You can generally figure it out — but you cannot figure it out overnight. Just because you are considered a senior programmer in one language it does not make you a senior programmer in another language. As a small business we can not afford to hire someone that is going to need ramping up time. We need someone that can hit the ground running. We need someone that is going to produce high quality code, quickly.

So when looking at someone's Github account I can quickly see what language makes them high. I can see what technologies they pursue in their own time. You don't publish code on Github unless you are at least somewhat proud of it. Going to anyone's Github account shows you within seconds what language is their primary focus. I am only interested in hiring people that share the same primary focuses we have. When hiring I want the best of the best in the field we are looking for, not someone who can learn to be the best or who is the best at something else.

Lastly, the technologies we use have all made Github their official home. The leaders and maintainers building these technologies have made Github their official hangout. If you are not part of this community it is a good indication to me that you are not truly passionate about your programming craft, (or at least the craft we are looking for). If you are truly passionate about skiing you do not live in Florida do you?

Generally, I want to hire people who have a natural fascination with the technologies we use. In programming passion and fascination are much bigger motivators than a paycheck. Not having a Github account in my world says to me you are just looking for a paycheck.

Communication with Your Virtual Team

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges of working with remote/virtual workers is communication. Email tends to be the go-to way to communicate, but is it the most effective way? Usually not.

One of the best things you can do to improve your business communications is before you send an email, take a few minutes to think about what the best method of communication is.

IM

Instant Messaging is perfect for two different types of communication — quick things where you need a one line response or collaborative tasks that are easier to accomplish in real time.

If all you need from Bob is a quick, one-line response, and you need it NOW, then IM is your best course of action. It's simple, it's fast, and it's immediate — you don't have to wait for Bob to check his email, then get back to you.

On the opposite side of the coin, sometimes IM is best for longer, real-time sessions, such as a brainstorming session. In this case, don't interrupt Bob — set up an appointment, and then come appointment time, hop on your IM client of choice and get brainstorming. Also, most IM clients let you save a transcript, so you can also refer back to the conversation if need be.

Micro-Blogs

Sometimes you want to throw out a new idea or give a general status update to everyone. If your company is using a micro-blog type app such as Flowr or Yammer, this is perfect for that. It allows everyone to view the idea or status update and comment on it in their own time, along with seeing what everyone else contributed.

Project Management Apps

Many project management apps offer you the ability to post a status update or comment on a task. If you are assigning a task or have a question about a task that was assigned to you, and are using a project management app — this is the most efficient way to go.

Document Collaboration

When it comes to real-time document collaboration, Google Docs is where it's at. You can have multiple people log in and work on the document at once, see where each person is working in a document, and even IM each other in a side-panel, perfect for discussing ideas, content, and editing.

Intranet Sites

For frequently repeated information or documenting procedures so team members can refer back to and reference them, you can't go wrong with an intranet site. If you're using Google Apps for business, you can easily create an intranet site using Google Sites. Or you could use something like PBWiki or SocialText. The main thing is creating a place to house and document procedures to eliminate repetitive questions.

How do you handle communication with virtual team members? Do you use any of the above?

Co-Working 101: What Is It, How To Find Co-Working Spaces, and Is It for You

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As more and more people are working remotely, co-working and co-working spaces are becoming more and more popular. Today we're going to take a closer look at exactly what co-working is, how to find co-working spaces, and how to decide if it's for you.

What Exactly IS Co-Working?

Co-working in a nutshell is a shared workspace where everyone pays a fee to help cover overall costs. In turn, the workspace offers desks, an internet connection, and usually things like a printer and fax machine. People can rent a desk at the workspace, see and meet other new people, and have a different four walls than the ones they're used to. It offers more privacy and quiet than a coffee shop, but less than a private office. In turn, it's more expensive than a coffee shop, but much cheaper than a private office.

How to Find Co-Working Spaces

You can always try Google, but there are a few different places that make it a bit easier to find a co-working space.

The Co-Working Wiki

The Co-Working Wiki is your one-stop shop for all information related to co-working, including a directory of co-working spaces across the world. In addition to the directory, they have information on co-working for all levels — whether you're just investigating, have co-worked before, or are interested in starting your own co-working space. It also includes information on how to get involved, media coverage of co-working, and links to other resources. Definitely start here.

DeskWanted

DeskWanted allows you to search for co-working spaces both by location and lease terms, such as Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly. It lists spaces from all over the world, but has more of a focus on Europe.

Loosecubes

Similar to DeskWanted, Loosecubes allows you to search for co-working spaces by location and minimum stay. One of the nice things about Loosecubes is it lets you find and reserve desks for as little as one day — and you can make the reservation straight through Loosecubes. Loosecubes also lists spaces from all over the world, but has more of a focus on the United States.

Is It For You?

Well, it never hurts to try. And some co-working spaces let you rent for the day, so you can test it out and see how you like it.

However, if you're on the fence about trying and any of the below statements ring true, it might be worthwhile to look into:

While you enjoy working remotely — and/or working for yourself — you find yourself lonely and missing co-workers.
You find yourself easily distracted at home and miss having a designated workplace.
You have a hard time separating work-time and home-time. Leaving and going to an office space might help you distinguish and create work-boundaries.
Although you prefer to work from home regularly, you think it might be nice to get out and try something new.

Have you tried co-working before? What did you think of it? Is it something you'd do again?

The Web Is Hard

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As a 4th generation entrepreneur, and as someone who grew up in a small town, being a business owner has a very different meaning to me than to someone from the Silicon Valley. I grew up watching my father and grandfather build businesses on their own with nothing more than an idea, willingness to take risk, and maybe some capital from savings. Half my friends had parents who ran some sort of small business in the community. None of these companies had investors, none of these companies had boards of directors, and none of these companies were being built to be sold. Many of these companies had revenues in the millions even. Many of these business owners did end up selling their companies, but as a form of retirement.

Maybe I am jaded because I am in the Internet business, but I talk to future entrepreneurs every day — people with dreams and plans of running their own business. I have been talking to such people for over a decade now. More and more I am hearing from people not thinking about starting businesses the traditional way for traditional reasons. Everyone wants to start an Internet company. It makes me wonder: is the small town entrepreneur dead? Are we entering into a period when the market is no longer the small town, but the world? Are we entering into a period when hard work and a little savings are not enough to start a company and be one's own boss?

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with building a web business. Heck, I am no one to criticize since I have founded several Internet companies (as well as several small town businesses). We hear all the time that most start-ups fail. I think people need to be clearer about what it means to affirm that "most web start-ups fail." I think the chances of success, defined by not having to close down your business in the future, are much greater in the traditional model described above. I am rather sure the number of failed Internet start-ups is higher than the number of failed traditional businesses.

All this begs the question: In a world where more and more future entrepreneurs are turning to the web, is the entrepreneurial spirit going to decrease because the success rates are much lower?

How to get hired: What not to do

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Job hunting? I've been there. Less than a year ago, I applied to more jobs than I can remember and went on five interviews before I landed a new position. It was a learning experience, or so I thought. Recently, I found myself on the other side of the table as a member of a hiring committee. This time, I was the one sifting through scores of letters and resumes, evaluating qualifications and conducting interviews. And every time I shook my head at a novel-length cover letter or a resume that looked like it belonged to a 16-year-old, I realized I was learning much more about job hunting than ever before. Here, then, are some tips from someone who's been there. But this isn't a how-to for applicants; it's a how NOT to.

DO NOT:

Cover letter

Use a generic opening. There are only so many times — maybe twice — I could read "I would be a good fit for this position because…" before my eyes glazed over. Obviously you need to explain why you're the perfect candidate, but you don't need to bore people to death doing it. Make the reader want to meet (read: interview) you. (Aside: I went with unusual openings when I was a job seeker, and I'd like to think the tactic helped me land those five interviews.)
Define the company. The person hiring you already knows what the organization does, what its mission statement is and whom it serves. Proving you can look up a website will not give you an edge.
Re-write your resume. The cover letter and resume are different for a reason; one shouldn't be a re-worded version of the other. Use the cover letter to detail your most relevant work experience, or share something that isn't in your resume. It's where you should explain any questions your resume might bring up: Gaps in employment, lots of jobs in a short period of time, little relevant experience.
Get too wordy. One page is fine.
Make typos, use incorrect grammar or spell things wrong. Yeah, you already knew this, but apparently some of you think you're (not "your") much better editors than you are. This is the time to swallow your pride and ask a perfectionist friend (or two) to check things over for you. Trust me, it's worth it.

Resume

List an objective. Really, who cares? We know your main objective: To get this job.
Use personal testimonies. I can hardly believe this needs to be said, but I honestly saw a resume that had quotes from friends and co-workers about how wonderful an applicant was. It was unnecessary (that's what references are for) and just plain weird.
Talk about irrelevant experience. You have CPR certification? Great! But if you're applying for an upper-level marketing position, it's not a benefit and looks like you might have applied for the wrong job.
Go too long. That's not to say you have to keep it to one page, as has been the rule. Unless a length is specified, no one is going to throw out your application because your resume goes on to a second page. However, it shouldn't go too much past a second page. Say what needs to be said.

Interview

Be vague. When asked about your experience, bring up specific projects. Talk about what you actually did and what tools you used to do it.
Get off topic. If the question is long or complicated, feel free to ask the interviewer to repeat it. Write it down if necessary. Generally, it's a good thing if the person interviewing you is writing notes as you answer. If she's chewing the end of her pencil and staring vacantly at the clock, wrap it up. Fast.
Act cool. You want the job, right? Be enthusiastic. Don't worry about seeming desperate. I'd rather hire someone who seemed desperate for a job than someone who seemed like he didn't need it.

There you have it: Everything not to do if you want to land that job. I can't promise these tips will get you hired — if I could, I would be in the Bahamas on my yacht right now — but I can promise they'll keep your application from being immediately sent to the shredder.