startups Archives - Page 104 of 117

Invested customers

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

Something strange happened when I updated my preferred twitter iphone app ‘Twitterific’.

The default twitter photo application changed from www.twitpic.com to www.yfrong.com

Here’s the problem: As a customer (albeit non paying) I am hugely invested in twitpic as an application. I already have well over 100 photos of my digital life, ideas, observations and witty comments live in twitpic. Whenever I take a new pic and post it to twitter I’m hoping people will browse through some of my other cool photos, ideas and adventures. My personal brand depends on a consistent distribution channel. Which in this case was and ‘is’ twit pic. Not Yfrog. I can’t have a ‘fragmented effort’.

Once I found out I could change the preferences for pics in the twitterific app, I did so immediately. Even though there was some effort and research involved. I did this because I am ‘invested in Twitpic’. I don’t want to start again. I don’t want to lose my old pics. I don’t want to lose my compound effort. I don’t want my digital stuff to get lost. I don’t want to lose my fans. The switching costs are too high for me.

The question for start ups and webpreneurs is how do we get our customers invested in our stuff?

Trim the ‘to do’ list

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

Small tip for startups for today.

Trim the ‘to do’ list and actually deliver on something.

All to often we get caught up in ‘options’ and priorities and a simple solution is to have 1 priority, and 1 thing to do.

Then do it.

Take your to do list and put everything which isn’t number one and file it in a digital format somewhere to return to later. This way you’ll ensure that the ideas and projects aren’t lost.

I know, you know this. I know you’ve heard this idea before…..

But if you’ve forgotten it, or you don’t do it – do you really know it?

Door knocking – Duncan Bannatyne

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

This a true story about how UK entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne got his start in business. He now has a net worth estimated at £320 and is the 167th richest person in Great Britain.

Bannatyne was told by his mother that, due to the family’s lack of money, he could not have a bicycle. To amend the problem he asked the local newsagents if he could have a paper round job and was told he could have one if he could get a list of one hundred interested people. Duncan painstakingly knocked on many doors and with extreme determination eventually had a list of one hundred customers. Armed with this list, young Bannatyne received the job and eventually a brand new bike.

Startup blog says: there is a strong relationship between being able to knock on doors and becoming successful entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs must change

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

I am a fan of the rock band Talking Heads. Not only their music, but their lyrics. Some of which I find incredibly provocative to this day. Actually – most of them are ahead of their time and almost only starting to make sense to me now almost 30 years on.

One song called Seen & not seen is almost spooky. At no time in history have we been able to transform ourselves like we can now. Both socially and intellectually. As entrepreneurs – that’s our journey. Becoming an entrepreneur is all about social and economic evolution as a person. it’s about unlearning the lessons of school and previous jobs we’ve held. But more so it’s about having a vision and transforming our mind, and maybe, just maybe our physical disposition.

Read these lyrics – and just think about it. I’m not trying to be weird – rather to open your mind.

He would see faces in movies, on t.v., in magazines and in books….
He thought that some of these faces might be right for him….and
Through the years, by keeping an ideal facial structure fixed in his
Mind….or somewhere in the back of his mind….that he might, by
Force of will, cause his face to approach those of his ideal….the
Change would be very subtle….it might take ten years or so….
Gradually his face would change its shape….a more hooked nose…
Wider, thinner lips….beady eyes….a larger forehead.

He imagined that this was an ability he shared with most other
People….they had also molded their faced according to some
Ideal….maybe they imagined that their new face would better
Suit their personality….or maybe they imagined that their
Personality would be forced to change to fit the new appearance….

this is why first impressions are often correct…
Although some people might have made mistakes….they may have
Arrived at an appearance that bears no relationship to them….
They may have picked an ideal appearance based on some childish
Whim, or momentary impulse….some may have gotten half-way
There, and then changed their minds.

This song is worth a listen to as well if you can find it on itunes or the net.

New distribution points

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

One of my favourite marketing strategies is this:

A new distribution point.

The thing that is cool about this is that we don’t need to worry about whether there is demand for the product or service (the idea is to pick a category which is hot) Rather just to ensure expanded availability creates value.

Been Squeeze are on the coffee wagon.

Drive Coffee - Been Squeeze

When I first read about Coffee Drive in’s via Springwise I was a bit skeptical. But I’ve found it to be just the ticket while I’m driving down the coast for a surf. And every time I go there it’s quite busy.

Here’s what’s exactly the same with Been Squeeze and any other espresso coffee retailers:

– the coffee taste

– the price points

– the packaging

– The promotion (based on high traffic location )

Here’s whats different – the way & where you buy the coffee. So what this does for a startup is reduce strategic complexity because the ‘coffee model’ is proven. Demand for coffee exists – they are just leveraging it further. Ther are no prizes for originality in business – just making for making cool stuff and making profits.

The real kicker for me is their service which is very friendly – more like a cafe than a McDonalds. In fact on my last visit on Saturday than even asked for my other coffee cup from the previous day to put in the trash for me. And now I am talking about it.

8 years in the making – Mark Webber

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

Mark Webber has been racing Formula 1 cars for almost 10 years. A lot of people wrote him off in this time as a hack, a guy who just didn’t have it. Others said he needed a better car.

All I know is this. He didn’t give up – he stayed the course and he just won his first race after 130 starts.

Mark Webber win

Entrepreneurs – be like Webber.

Idea vs Execution

Posted on July 11, 2009 by Steve Sammartino

boxing-gloves

For tonight’s heavy weight bout for the Boxing Entrepreneurship Championship of the world we have a much anticipated battle with:

“Excellent idea with Average execution”

vs

“Average idea with Excellent execution”

After 10 rounds of fighting the undisputed defending champion of the world title belt was awarded to Average idea with excellent execution who has managed to defends the title for time in perpetuity. In fact Average idea with excellent execution has an unbeaten record versus all other challenges in too many matches to remember.

Tag: startups