Single Minded Proposition Archives - Page 2 of 3

Losing the plot – MTV

Posted on April 18, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

I found out the other day that MTV used to play music videos… here I was thinking that the ‘M’ stood for ‘Miscellaneous’

But seriously, they have lost the plot a little. It’s rare to turn it on and find a song playing.

It’s one thing to diversify revenue streams it’s another to forget why you are there in the first place. And this is why alternatives like VH1, Music Max et al had room to move into the market in the first instance.

I get my music from youtube now – on demand. Simply because none of the music channels on cable (pay TV) cut it anymore.

Sure, evolve, but don’t forget why your business / brand / startup exists.

Hemingway – A short story

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) and is said to have called it his best work.

Heads up from wired.

Cool brands

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

Cool brands are put simply, just like cool people. It’s not so hard to believe when we consider that brands (well known ones) have personalities. Brands have values, share ideas and represent something.

Brands are just like people, the personification of things or services.

So what makes a cool brand? The same stuff that makes a cool person.

Cool people:

· Cut new ground

· Dress how they want

· Don’t care about being popular, which is why they ‘become’ popular

· Do stuff they like, not what others like

· Have strong opinions and values, don’t care what others think

· Don’t try and impress – so they do

· Are confident and relaxed

· Aren’t selfish, mean or vindictive

· Are often compassionate and kind

· Are easy to get along with (easy to use?)

· Take a while to be understood

· Get discovered eventually as being – thought leaders

· Cool in a crisis

Hey, there’s plenty more personifications where these came from – so be

like Arthur Fonzerelli and add them to the comments.

I’m a believer – the test

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

I’d spend my last hour working on my startup.

I’d spend my last dollar working on my startup.

Conceptually not just financially, I’m a believer in how I invest my time.

If we don’t believe, how can they?

Belief vs Policy

Posted on March 4, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

Sometimes a belief is more poignant than a policy. Here’s one of ours for rentoid.com

Click the above to see & share it.

What does your start up believe in?

Maxjet bites the dust

Posted on January 25, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

Another business class only airline has bit the dust – Maxjet. You may remember our view on why Ozjet failed.

And on this occasion we have a similar theme, but not quite as extreme. Maxjet had some of their act together and survied 4 years. Like the right routes, nice inflight service and an airline lounge. But it still had a few key flaws which still leaves the question unanswered:

Is a business class only airline a viable business model?

Start up blog says: We won’t know until someone ticks all the following boxes:

A new and modern fleet (18 year old 767’s don’t cut it Maxjet)
A cabin which is world best practice business class (Flatbeds are now the benchmark Maxjet)
Linked to premier frequent flyer program which links to other airlines and allows code sharing (One World / Star alliance)
It has international & domestic coverage in it’s home market
Flights every hour / a large fleet
It has the right level of ground service (Airport lounges / chauffer service)
Credit Card linkages

Maybe the business class only model could only work as a sub brand of a larger network (which Lufthansa is doing). It will be interesting to see how the remaining players net out (Silver jet & Eos)

Insight?: Maybe people who regularly fly business class enjoy looking down on those in coach too much to leave their multi class carrier!

I’d strongly advice against starting an airline. But if you must, show your VC’s this blog entry first.

Big Ideas

Posted on January 18, 2008 by Steve Sammartino

There is no such thing as a big idea.

All ideas are the same size.

Because ideas only exist metaphysically.

An idea that really works, becomes a big idea (after we proved it).To find a big idea, first we need lots of ideas (of which all are the same size). The ideas that worked didn’t have an advantage over the other ideas. They we’re all equal, but maybe other stuff happened to that idea.

Maybe we nurtured it,

maybe we believed in it,

maybe we developed it better,

maybe we tried a bit harder,

maybe kept pushing it,

maybe we modified it slightly,

maybe we resisted the temptation to modify it…

….maybe that idea had an advantage because of the way we treated it?