Start Up Blog

Taking the lessons from neighborhoodies.com we’ve upgraded our response to a question on the contact page of rentoid.com

We think it shows we’re real, and says something about us and our values at rentoid.

 You can try it here.

While in the airport I was accosted by airport spruikers from Citibank. They were selling an offer to switch credit cards. I’m sure it’s a good deal, and that’s why they’re there.

I’ve seen them many times now, though they never have any success while I’m there - No one seems to stop. It must be a very difficult job. I’m certain their success rate’s lower than direct mail (1-3%) as 300 people will often disembark from a plane with zero stoppage rate. In fact, people purposely avoid them. Given they are still working the airport floor, it must have a ‘certain level’ of success.

Here’s the problem according to startup blog. Given it’s so ‘targeted’ Citibank ignored the fact it’s really ‘annoying’. People in airports are either; in a hurry, working or on holiday. All of which aren’t good times to consider changes in financial institutions.

Today marketing and entrepreneurship is much more than being targeted, it’s about being considerate.

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur of the year according to Inc magazine, provides some sage advice:

“Great things will never happen with VC’s or professional managers. They have high drive, but they don’t have creativity or insight.”

Startup blog agrees.

Elon Musk was co-founder of Paypal and now heads up Tesla motors among other ventures.

I just saw a great documentary on New York called: 1977 – the coolest year in hell. It covers the music scene, politcal upheavels and social problems which spawned in that year. No – it’s about a the pop culture revolution which happened! Which ironically include a diversity as wide as Disco, Hip hop, Punk, and New wave.

The interesting thing about the documentary was how creative people made stuff happen with limited resources as a response the decline of a city. Like all revolutions the change evolves bottom up.

In one scene the hip hop crew talk about taking electricity from a street lamp to get the power needed for their DJ. Awesome.  

It has the wicked bonus of an inspiring retro graphics overlay throughtout the doco. Not to mention cool music and generally stimulating visuals.

Like all revolutions there’s some ugliness in this one too. You can decide which bits fit this description. But it emphasizes the infallible truth that environment shapes behaviour.   

It’s all about unleashing energy, feeding on the creativity and energy of others, bootrapping, creating change, viral marketing and theatre. Doing stuff because it’s cool stuff to do.

Here’s a link about it form the VH1 website. I couldn’t find it on youtube(?) So if anyone has a link to it or some grabs, please add to comments.

All entrepreneurs should check it out.

Before enlightenment:

Chop wood. Carry water.

After enlightenment:

Chop wood. Carry water.

Via Amy Campion.

Would you know what this shop is selling?

I wouldn’t.

Sometimes our shop front, work car, uniform, office, church or website is where the decision is made on whether or not our service is for them.

The good news is, just like a shop window we can:

• change it if we’ve got it wrong (all of us at some point)
• use for promotional purposes (Ebay)
• rotate the message (fashion outlets)
• keep it clean, defined and single minded (Google)

If our business is in the digital world we have the advantage of a low cost change over.

Start up lesson – make sure people know what you offer the instant they arrive.

The two most important things we need on our web interface are direct opposites.

We need to be sticky & slippery – simultaneously.

Sticky – we need to keep our audience interested engaged and curious. We’ve got about one second to convince them of this when they arrive.

Slippery – we only grow when our audience feels confident enough to ‘pass it on’ and it’s easy to do.

What makes something do both of the above is different for every on line proposition and the principals change everyday.

[We found this out quickly with our facebook app for Rentoid.com which was blogged about here. It kind of sucks - it’s too boring, so it's not slippery. We got it wrong and we'll fix it quick. If we don't we'll miss out on the holiday season web surfing period!]

For all web sites and apps our challenge is not to let the technology to lead us to do something, just because we can. We should lead the technology to do something only because it makes us more ’sticky or slippery’.

In Australia 20 billion text (SMS) messages will be sent this year. In a population of 20 million people that’s 1000 texts each a year, or 3 per day. Amongst this of course are some text addicts.

The question is how can we use a text (SMS) message to improve a service?

My dentist sends me one the day before my appointment confirming the time in the message. It costs them very little, but it helps me a great deal. I’m happy to receive it given the appointment is booked so long in advance. But it’s not the same to receive an annoying unsolicited promotional message, just because someone has your mobile number.

Start up blog says: Use a text service if;

It improves your service to your audience.

They know about it and are happy to receive it.

The rock band - Red Hot Chlli Peppers know something about staying the course. And proof of that is the fact that everyone reading this knows who they are. They endured many a hardship and even the passing of guitarist Hillel Slovak. So here’s a little parable about their breakthrough album.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers launched Blood Sex Sugar Magik in September 1991. The album was produced by Rick Ruben (a guru producer) who actually had refused to produce for them previously, but they weren’t perturbed and asked again and this time he said ‘yes’. It was their 4^th album and 8^th year of being in a band.

They knew they had something special with the record. They didn’t define themselves, just did what they thought was right, played their type of music, which happened to be what they also did on their previous three albums. The fireworks were few when the album was released. Nothing happened. Well not exactly. They went on tour again, in their old blue Chevy van with their instruments and continued to play to converted ice skating rinks which were one two thirds empty.

To quote bass player flee “We we’re touring our asses off” and the band wasn’t getting any bigger. They soldiered on, as they had the past 8 years.

This continued for 6 months into the release of the album, then suddenly, lives were changed forever. In late 1991 the song ‘Give it away’ went into heavy rotation on MTV and radio. After the Chili’s had been ‘giving it away’ to hardcore fans for eight years, the masses were lining up overnight, for concert tickets. (a bit like the i-phone)

In early 1992 their song ‘Under the bridge’ also did a job on the mainstream and solidified their position in rock history forever. The album was selling more 100,000 copies a week and has now sold more than 12 million copies.

Nothing really changed from 1984 until they hit the big time, the world caught up to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And more importantly, they stayed the course.

What could we learn in 150 hours?

A language? Maybe get a diploma or study a course?

If we drive 15,000 kilometers a year that’s 150 hours of potential learning time, so why not use it? Turn your car into a university on wheels!You can do it with CD’s or by linking your ipod to the radio and listening to your favourite podcasts.

A well chosen radio station can be a boon of up to date business & social information. Some great stations include:

NPR -  in the USA

News Radio - in Australia

BBC world - in the UK and Europe.

All of which have podcasts you can download from the net on your favourite topic!