Category: startups

Just one customer

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

If we had just one customer how would we treat her?

If we had just one customer what would our business relationship be?

If we had just one customer at what lengths would we help her?

If we had just one customer we’d hope she told others good things about us.

If we had 1 million customers it would be different. We’d be too busy to do any of that stuff. We’d have projects and financials and meetings and someone answering our phone and daily issues to resolve….right?

As far as she is concerned, we only have one customer.

So it must be true, we only have one customer. We ought treat her that way.

Simple permission marketing – in action

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

You may recall a blog entry I did on Simple permission marketing. The basic premise being, if we have a startup which is ‘interesting’, it’s not difficult to get some good media coverage which is ‘content’ – not advertising.

In the spirit on practicing what one preaches, here’s a little summary of how we’ve achieved this for rentoid.com

* You can see the article for each by click on each listed below:

–          The Leader Newspaper (metro ciculation)

–          The Herald Sun Newspaper (biggest circulation in Australia)

–          The Age Newspaper (most respected broadsheet in Australia)

–          The Age – Livewire (web weekly of above)

–          The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney’s broadsheet)

–          ABC radio – National Public radio – interview

–          The Australian Financial Review (Wall Street Journal of Aust)

–          The Pod Cast Network – G’day world interview

–          Multiple targeted magazines & blogs

Net cost of all this was zero. No PR firm, no dodgy deals. Just honest conversation with people about rentoid.com and what we are doing.

It works, but it takes 2 things: effort and a lot of follow up.

Try it for your start up, and let start up blog know how you go!

15.4%

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Only 15.4% of the worlds population have ever accessed the internet.

If we think the internet is ‘world changing’, then let’s imagine what would be possible if ‘the world’ actually had access to it? The idea sharing, the education, the cultural understandings….

trs80-computer.jpg

Maybe start ups should be thinking of how to give the remaining 84.6% of the world access to the net rather than working out a new social paradigm to leverage.

Top 10 viral marketing campaigns ever

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

The factors we’ve considered:

There needs to be an actual business or brand behind it

Not just something funny

The idea or product was primarily spread by others.

Not ‘driven’ by paid media.

Based on effectiveness only, (ignores insensitivities / political / religious views)

A little explanation is next to each

 In order. 

  1. The story of Jesus Christ (before digital technology or even the printing press, this ‘story’ crossed borders and oceans)
  2. 911 ‘Al Queda’ launch (3 weeks free media coverage on every media channel in every country)
  3. Polaroid Instamatic Cameras (product usage = product demonstration)
  4. Hotmail (the first viral product of the internet age)
  5. In Rainbows album by Radiohead. (true brand handover to passionate users, fan chooses price – even free, resulting in massive free media & blogosphere coverage, then goes to number 1 on US charts on physical album release)
  6. Google (usability & effectiveness which led to absolute domination)
  7. Youtube (was the ultimate user experience and so won the game. There were 240 other video sharing sites when it launched!)
  8. OK Go – Ok Here it goes film clip. (first to leverage youtube commercially. 27 million views and counting. No 2 on the charts to boot)
  9. Blair Witch Project (set a new paradigm for movie promotion & brand hijacking)
  10. Mini Cooper S Campaign (first ‘real’ personalized campaign message)

Add to, agree, disagree, complain and disdain in comments below!

 

Fringe benefits

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Today it is 42º Celsius / 107.6 Fahrenheit, where I am (Melbourne, Australia).

So I went surfing.

steve-sammartino-surfing.jpg

Start up blog author enjoying fringe benefits!

I got up early and worked until about 10am and then headed down the coast to cool off in the heat of the day. It was very refreshing. At times I was just chilling out and catching waves, at other times I was thinking about some current projects and business issues I’m facing.

The main point is I have the flexibility to plan my hours as I see fit. Something most employers talk about, but rarely institute. It’s a great fringe benefit for all entrepreneurs.

So when considering your corporate exit, or for those who already have, don’t forget to take advantage of the fringe benefits you’ve created.

The richness of life is far more important than getting rich.

Ideas are free

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

An excerpt from the blog of Seth Godin today. I had to post it:

“This isn’t about having a great idea (it almost never is). The great ideas are out there, for free, on your neighbourhood blog. Nope, this is about taking initiative and making things happen.”

Vicious circle

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Do we…

Work in a job we don’t like

To buy things we don’t need

To impress people we don’t like

?

 

To be really happy we need to ensure one sub optimal arrangement doesn’t feed another. This holds true if we run our own business or hire our time out to a company (have a job).