Building a web community
I was asked during one of my live twitcam sessions the title of this blog entry, with the number 3 in front of it. What are 3 things needed to build a web community. This is the answer I came up with right on the spot.
- Participate
- Share
- Keep costs low
Participate: Use the service, website and community you are building. Be an avid user and of it yourself, even though you own it or built it. I use rentoid more than anyone and love it. You are not part of a community if you are a spectator. You need to be involved in it. Listen, create, help, assist, but not rule over. It’s not a kingdom or a principality, it’s a community, which means that all participants are equal regardless of their status. It doesn’t matter, if you are the customer or the creator of the community, everyone matters. It should be evident in the organic dynamics that all of the community are valued. everyone has something to offer and add that we can all benefit from.
Share: Share not because you expect something back. Share because we are all humans, and this is how humans roll. We are great at being there for each other a providing support. Doing stuff for the benefit of others for reasons that go beyond the financial. it was once said that the perfect day is the day you help someone who will never have the chance to repay you.
Keep costs low: Not for any economic reason, other than building things of incredible value like communities take time. If you build an expensive infrastructure for your community there will be too much financial pressure on making it work quickly, and communities don’t work like that. They are organic and take time to find a balance and set of values and systems. If you have too much cost associated with what you are doing, your behaviour will become non-community like. It just wont work.
Startup Blog says, Start building.
Notes Page – Make it rad
As you know I’m running my startup school in Melbourne this weekend. we all know that boring stuff really sucks, so why do ‘note’s pages’ have to be boring as well. No reason. But every time I see a great presentation with excellent stimulous, there’s usually a blank page with no stimulous to write on. Not at startup school. Here’s our rad notes page below….
It’s not too late to join us if you’re not doing anything this weekend and are in Melbourne – come along.
http://www.startupschool.com.au/
Great learning environment
Our environment shapes our behavior. Inspiring places create inspirational events, and with that in mind I’ve booked an Incredible location for Startup School Melbourne. The uber groovy Lindrum Hotel. Where the coffee and ambiance are both inspirational. Click on the image to check out the photos I took while checking it out.
At the event we’ll have Barrista style coffee (Lattes, Cappucino, espresso) all day – none of this McDonalds style pot of black muck. As well as great food from the restaurant. Even I’m looking forward to it. It’s also a nice space for a drink after and maybe a game of billiards together.
Still a seat for you. Click here to book: http://www.startupschool.com.au/ and join us in the mass corporate cubicle exodus 
Instructions included
I was working on doing some new instructions for rentoid.com – It’s in an area on the website where things a slightly confusing. Then I thought. Why am I doing this? Wouldn’t it be better to re-design the system so it just doesn’t need instructions at all. Like a chair. It doesn’t need instructions. We just know how to sit on it by looking at it. Next time you start investing time in defining how to do something for our audience think about this:
“If we need steps to explain how things work, the system is broken.”
By definition it’s overly complex because it requires instructions. Especially if our business is web based. It’s a more valuable investment in time to fix the system, thing or service, not educate people how to use it.
Startup School – 1 seat left
I’m very excited that Startup School Melbourne is this weekend. We still have a single seat left which is currently being warmed by this guy….
But we’d love to replace him with you. And if you need any more convincing then I’m pretty sure I’ll have done the job once you finish reading this blog entry.
Firstly – here’s a list of topics we’ll be covering in detail:
- Idea Generating
- Creativity in business. Creative thinking
- Raising Capital
- Art of Pitching
- Legal tips, shortcuts and administration
- Successful outsourcing (digital & production)
- Building an international work force
- Cash flow for startups & budgeting
- Simplified project management
- Personal & business branding
- Selling like a guru
- Generating PR and media
- Building a Team
All of which is fully documented in a take home working manual so you’ll leave knowing exactly what to do and how to do it. Like I have.
We are also being joined by Yvonne Adele – Globally renowned Creativity and ideas guru!
You can’t learn this stuff in school, books or at University. And I should know as I teach Marketing at Melbourne University. You also get me as an on going mentor as a Startup School graduate with unlimited help in your start up. Which is incredible value give what most consultants (with less real experience) charge by the hour.
We are holding the event in the groovy boutique Lindrum Hotel. Where the space is great and the food and espresso is awesome. I tested it.
All of which is included in the price. You’ll be one of 10 people in an intimate learning environment. Not in a room full of people.
If that’s not enough , Startup School comes with a money back guarantee to blow your mind. I can say this because I know the 2 days will.
No, it’s not priceless – it’s priced at $998.
It will be the best investment in your entrepreneurship education you’ve ever made. it will make and save you thousands. This event is a one off, there is no next chance. If you want to chat about it – call me on the phone number in the right hand side bar of this blog.
(Seats still available for Sydney 21st & 22nd of November)
See you on the weekend, Steve.
We all fall – only some get straight up
I’m not a fan of Beyonce’s music. I am a big fan of Beyonce the brand. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what she’s has achieved as well as her persona and professionalism. I’m yet to see a scandal on her, which speaks volumes.
I happened upon this video of her falling (head first) on stage. What I love is her response the situation in this interview on CNN.
Beyonce says: “I just kept thinking, you better get up….. I’ve fallen before the same way…. I’m gonna fall again and I’m not afraid of that.”
Startup Blog says: Go Girl.
Twitter Lists – inauthentic
If you’re on twitter you have probably noticed the new addition of lists to your feed. Which is the ability to create and follow lists of specific people. Cool idea, which many twitter clients like Tweetdeck had implemented a long time ago. What is not so cool, is the inference that it is purported to only be available to a limited group. If you look at the screen grab below (highlight in orange boxes) you’ll see such claims.
I understand why they’ve used such language; to make users feel exclusive, and to essentially make people tweet about it – the antithesis of what they claim to want. But I’m a bit disappointed that the crew at twitter would use such low ball, inauthentic tactics. I say this because everyone I know with 10 to 10,000 followers has been invited to lists.
Startup blog says – stay true.
Startup Blog live tonight.
I’ll be doing another Startup Blog Live session at 8pm tonight – last minute… I like to be spontaneous.
It will be via www.twitcam.com under my twitter sign up which is www.twitter.com/sammartino or @sammartino for current members.
Tuesday 27th October at 8pm – Live. Q & A about your business… I wanna help!
- To see what time that is in your part of the world click here
- I’ll be doing it using my twitter log in which is @sammartino
Unexpectedly Awesome – BBC
Sometimes it’s worth being even just a little bit awesome. We don’t need to change the world, maybe just having a little bit of public fun is enough. The usually conservative BBC did that for me today when I realised the following: The BBC video player has a volume which goes to 11.
It’s what I call unexpectedly awesome. I was delighted. So much that I’ve linked here to little video of Warren Buffett being interviewed. Upon which you can learn something and also pump the volume up to 11.
Startups – do something a little bit awesome.
