Category: web 2.0

Tech bubble v2.0

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

I recently blogged about the unrealistic valuation of Facebook, seems there’s many who agree with startupblog. Sure web 2.0 is heating up, but as usual they’ll be stayers and those who disappear. The only thing that changes…. This is a really clever and fun parady.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtdV3z9eCm8]

If we want to be here in the long run here’s some simple advice:

Offer a service people need, ensure it has a built in way to make you money, not an exit plan which sells eyeballs – these only work for a few ‘wordbeaters’ (like facebook & youtube).

Facebook Apps vs Advertising

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

There’s no shortage of both of these now, although we’d like to know why anyone would invest money in advertising on facebook, when one can more cheaply create an application?

 

There’s no shortage of useless apps out there…. No I don’t want to be a vampire, but I do want to:

If I’m interested and the app is good, it will find me. If there is an advertisement in a side bar, I’m generally going to ignore it. I’m not on facebook to look at advertisements, no matter how targeted.

At Rentoid.com today we launched “Where did my money go?” An app which  

–          helps calculate the value of idle assets

–          gives cools icon gifts to share

–          shows people how to unlock their idle asset value

–          enables users compare the value of their stuff

  facebook-where-did-my-money-go.png

All while being part of the reason people are on facebook. We did this with just a little bit of coding. Check it out here.

 

Good app’s which are fun, useful and have a reason to link back to your business are an absolute boon. We can always improve an app over time by paying attention to user feedback. We’ve been gifted to have a free open platform with 52 million members. Instead of advertising on facebook and being an ancillary, build an app and be part of the ball game!

 

Market leaders & innovation

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Guitar maker Gibson has just proven that market leaders ‘can be first to market’ with something so innovative it’s awesome – The self-tuning Les Paul Robot Guitar. Check it out below. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UnvIgRAxN8] 

So the next time you’re told it can’t be done in your start up or conglomerate, show them this. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention advertising isn’t required with an innovation like this, their community of passionate users will do that for them. 

Kudos to Gibson. 

 

Simple motivation

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

After a few wins in a start up – one buddy emailed this image to another buddy with the obvious inference that he was “On Fire”

 fireman.jpg 

It didn’t cost anything. It only took a tiny effort, but it helped both buddies stay pumped and work harder on their start ups.

Inventing Jargon

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

 sethgodin.jpg

web 2.0

permission marketing – Sethsethgodin.jpgsethgodin.jpg

interruption marketing – Sethsethgodin.jpgsethgodin.jpg

bootstrapping

startup

SPAM

BACN

badvertising (startupblog)

radvertising (startupblog)

goodvertising (startupblog)

longtail

Blog

ideavirus – Seth

Purple cow – Seth

Cutting edge

TV industrial complex – Seth

……

People like jargon for a few reasons. It puts them in the inner circle, it makes them feel smart & exclusive. When it’s great jargon, it simplifies an important explanation.

But jargon’s a bit like fashion. Things come and go and it’s important you’re using ‘fashionable’ jargon and avoiding the old embarrassing terms like ‘thinking outside the box’.

Seth Godin is a master at ‘inventing jargon’. There’s a little “Seth” next to his ones.

Taking the lead from Seth we’ve invented some jargon to explain important concepts for rentoid.com the place to rent anything including:

Unlocking idle assets

Conuserism

Digital networking of temporary needs

Go on and invent some jargon to sell your story.

Did you build it?

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Did you build the website? Yes

Did you build your blog? Yes

Did you design the property development? Yes

Did you renovate your house? Yes

Did you launch the product? Yes

Did you manufacture the product yourself? Yes.

Did you landscape your own garden? Yes.

Did you make that advertisement? Yes

Did you self finance the business? Yes

Yes you did all these things, and more, every bit of them. You orgnaised the project, you had the idea, you got the finance from the bank, you conceived it and you made it happen. Never mind if the advertising agency made the creative, the PHP programmer coded your website or the bricklayer built the house.

You did it with your mind, your management skills and your ability to execute the project. None of it would have even started without you.

So whenever anyone asks if you did it? You say “Yes”.

Best way to differentiate your online startup

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Have an actual phone number listed on your site where you can be called. Anytime.

A real phone number, with a real person answering, in real time, for real customers / members / web surfers. Real easy.

Why? Have you ever tried to call Yahoo, Google or Ebay?

There’s no easier way to differentiate your start up and outdo a big guy.