tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884505430722749942024-03-12T22:38:57.642-07:00HPT BlogBrian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-86567393748347571412018-01-07T11:03:00.000-08:002018-01-07T11:03:01.730-08:00Proactivity? Or Reactivity in Diguise
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></i></span>eing proactive is a sought after
quality</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtHaVtkR7JQa4y2Qh46Jko28OWq6x_YIJNTVrMWdndhZ8yY-e4dIIv0504K356JXCieCr8DLHstYkbGAtYtPIKsXLpCQji4u149jGdQokbkBifngi7hOlZPhe2X-jvLvo6hlRD8A7j-fG/s1600/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="300" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtHaVtkR7JQa4y2Qh46Jko28OWq6x_YIJNTVrMWdndhZ8yY-e4dIIv0504K356JXCieCr8DLHstYkbGAtYtPIKsXLpCQji4u149jGdQokbkBifngi7hOlZPhe2X-jvLvo6hlRD8A7j-fG/s200/art.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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WE ALL APPRECIATE THE SKILL to look into the future,
evaluate potential impediments and then spring into action in an
effort to resolve/mitigate the likelihood that they will occur. This
is what we look for from our leaders.</div>
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This way of being is in stark contrast
to reactive managers. No one likes working on a reactive team –
it’s chaotic at the very best. I think of my time as a “sustaining”
engineer, on a team that released monthly bug fix patches. There
wasn’t much planning, just fixing the next batch of critical issues
as quickly as possible. REACTING to the deficiencies of the product
produced by the “Core” team.</div>
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Where we run into issues is when the
lines between proactive and reactive blur.
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Sanger calls this “the illusion of
taking charge”. </div>
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What he means is <span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">false proactivity</span></i></span> </div>
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As a child of “the Enemy is Out There” syndrome, (where external forces are identified as the
cause of all organizational/departmental woe) the illusion of taking
charge attempts to remedy the mal-effects ahead of time –>
“proactively”. But care must be taken to consider whether these
in-advance solutions are changing the company for the better (accelerating learning), or if
they are merely REACTIVITY in disguise.</div>
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From the example that Sanger cites, I
propose a cost benefit analysis as the determining factor. If the solution is proactive
(ahead of the issue), then there is time to consider (a heads opposed
to true reactivity in the heat of the moment). A back of the envelope CBA is sometimes enough to determine if the
solution is beneficial to the organization.
</div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-20817713874915534262018-01-06T15:23:00.004-08:002018-01-06T15:23:52.067-08:00Organizational Learning Disability - I am my position
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span></i></span>e</span>ter Senge describes the serious challenges that many organizations face when they learn poorly. </div>
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Unfortunately, because of the way we have been taught to think, these disabilities are very common. In his book, The Fifth Discipline, he reviews seven of these challenges that he defines as Organizational Learning Disabilities.<br />
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The term "learning" however, is defined differently. Rather than referring to the most common usage, Senge's meaning is more about how an organization achieves its potential - for itself and for its employees. Growing in a meaningful way, better able to face new market challenges, and avoiding the fate of many corporations -> an early extinction.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first leaning disability </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">addressed is named </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I am my
position"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first leaning disability addressed is named "I am my
position".</span> </span></div>
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This is a fairly familiar syndrome and I'm sure that most of us have either said (or been in conversations with people that have said) "I'm a <insert here="" job="" type="">". We identify with what we do. THIS is the most common symptom of this disability. However, it is not the only manifestation.</insert></div>
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In "I am my position" there is also a hyper-focus on a person's individual role and
responsibilities. With that singular vision, there is the concern that contributors fail to see how they connect with those around them. As an example of this, Sange gave the example of the
Japanese v. US auto makers.<br />
<br />
To summarize the example, Japanese engineers secured their engines with the same bolt in all three mountings. Contrasted that with US automakers, who assigned each of the 3 mounts to separate engineers - each responsible for one
mounting bolt. Because the US engineers focused on THEIR mount only, and not thinking about how they connect with the other engineers, they each chose unique bolts. Because of that, assembly took longer and was more costly – had to keep multiple
bolts in inventory.<br />
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Think about how this may be in-play in your organization. Do you produce monthly status reports? Do you have multiple
deliveries of these reports in individual formats and decks? Are there multiple meetings? If so, your resources are spending time
doing redundant work - just like the engineer with the
engine bolt that should have conferred with his fellows. Management
team should standardize on status reporting. <span style="color: #741b47;"><i>AND </i></span>in an agile environment, status report standardization is easy. </div>
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This is one of the organizational leaning disabilities that is addressed and remediated by Systems Thinking and the growth of the Learning Organization. </div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-15383898505217567282017-04-02T06:02:00.003-07:002017-04-02T06:02:39.973-07:00Times, they are a chang'inOne of the toughest things to deal with as an agent for change is how people deal with change.<br />
<br />
As any type of manager, we constantly look for efficiencies.<br />
Even leaving "process innovation" and its goal of 10x change out of the equation, there are significant gains to be had by implementing a continuous improvement program. Whatever system we are working with, near the top of our managerial todo list must be improvement. This means process efficiency.<br />
<br />
Efficiency comes in many flavors and doing a deep-dive into current processes gives us the insights needed to streamline and make better. However, a mistake is to think that our changes (no matter how nobel) are going to be accepted. We have to understand what we are asking and plan strategically for the implementation.<br />
<br />
There are <u>two types of change</u>: <b>technical and adaptive</b>.<br />
<br />
Making <b>technical change</b> is about picking up efficiency by shifting process - an example would be moving from sticky notes on a white board to a computerized system like Jira. This requires a change in process and tools and will certainly add the benefit of visibility. It will also make backup and arching easier. It won't however force anyone to think differently.<br />
<br />
Making <b>adaptive change</b> requires an underlying shift in what people believe. This may come is the form of relinquishing power over certain functions and changing scope on the way their team contributes to projects.<br />
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Lets consider a fictitious sales manager who is used to acting as de facto project manager.</div>
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In this capacity, project changes to support sales get weighted heavily.</div>
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This most likely will frustrate an efficient project delivery.</div>
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Changing project leadership from the sales manager to the project manager will force everyone on the tea to behave differently. We clearly see the benefits of this change with more timely deliveries, clear project scope, less stress on the teams, improved customer satisfaction. The sales manager (and maybe even the team) however may find it difficult to ADAPT.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As champions of change, we have been given a mandate for improvement that we are happy to accept. After all, inspiring program efficiency is a worthwhile task and a satisfying aspect of our career. However, strategic change is prudent. Take the time to demonstrate your value first. Plan your changes over time. Remember, the mandate and promise of senior management support today can go away tomorrow if too many feathers are ruffled in the process.</div>
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Good luck!</div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-59900655924638589322016-01-29T12:56:00.002-08:002016-01-29T13:04:19.486-08:00Emergent Design<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Basically this post is to point to a fantastic article at ProjectManagement.com.</i></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">T</span>here are a lot of agile primers out there that explain the basics of running agile projects, but they lack implementation details that we as experienced software professionals are concerned with.<br />
For instance, when I first started to learn about agile (after many years in waterfall), I wondered about up-front design.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">"How can a scalable infrastructure be developed with a focused view of deliverable slices of functionality?"</span></h3>
Dr. Rico has authored a detailed article that explains the ideas of <u>Just Enough</u> planning and <u>Emergent Design</u>. Interestingly enough, he recommended a book by Mike Cohn that I am currently rereading.<br />
<br />
In summary, please read about these techniques and enjoy the references to further reading.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasXpK5XgBe8FGd_yrWrwXrxdHmC847lGbr55Lp_2Ysu6FZMzLMdtBAAU1hg7iPtXfK0x25Pv-41szLUJYNg0DoPJIQJgFt8v6dlnJHnfmSPdmFZj1Ow19fMwsQ3ygBNEwxUGJ8SlL4hW8/s1600/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasXpK5XgBe8FGd_yrWrwXrxdHmC847lGbr55Lp_2Ysu6FZMzLMdtBAAU1hg7iPtXfK0x25Pv-41szLUJYNg0DoPJIQJgFt8v6dlnJHnfmSPdmFZj1Ow19fMwsQ3ygBNEwxUGJ8SlL4hW8/s200/art.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. David Rico</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Read Dr. Rico's article <a href="http://www.projectmanagement.com/articles/274313/Architecture-and-Design-Practices-for-Agile-Project-Management" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></h3>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-21379105550636973502015-12-12T17:36:00.003-08:002015-12-12T17:44:19.970-08:00Brainstorming as a Culture<a href="http://www.brainstorming-that-works.com/index.php/powerbrainstorming/why-called-brainstorming" target="_blank">Brainstorming That Works</a> describes it the following way:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The expression brain storm and the word brainstorming was popularized in Applied Imagination by Alex Osborn. The word is a perfect description of the brain's process. Many synapses start firing and multiple associations stored in the brain get recalled. The point is to get so many thoughts coming up simultaneously and triggering so many other thoughts and ideas that your mind's alter ego that likes to think negative thoughts can't get a word in edge wise.</span></i> </blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvVutO3qFC5uARvopm6OX6N8COcTtRd895jUJlk_SKdKZxiPseWrKzaRtyUqd4p5Quuvn5ov0hI6PNAZDWhyphenhyphen5wUN4Q67WmB26y8DVmtSIv-qf9tOEBFNOJwIw1tQYDmBzv9Y_UwOOKDrx/s1600/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvVutO3qFC5uARvopm6OX6N8COcTtRd895jUJlk_SKdKZxiPseWrKzaRtyUqd4p5Quuvn5ov0hI6PNAZDWhyphenhyphen5wUN4Q67WmB26y8DVmtSIv-qf9tOEBFNOJwIw1tQYDmBzv9Y_UwOOKDrx/s320/art.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; font-size: small;">The little boat is the problem statement :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So what does brainstorming require? Well really, it is a very simple list.<br />
<ol>
<li>As stated above, <u>have a clear problem statement</u>. What is the goal of this session? Don't be so focused that you limit the innovation, but still be clear.</li>
<li><u style="background-color: #ffe599;">Everybody participates</u>. I'm highlighting that one because it is the one I feel is most important. I am dedicated to the Learning Organization and this is a big part of that. I don't think you'll get the best ideas if your STORM is limited to a room of architects. </li>
<li>As Tom Kelley states in his book, <u>set a goal</u> for a one hour meeting. He found that 100 ideas in that time equals a good session.</li>
<li><u>Have fun</u>. Consider this a benefit. You are creating a culture that will attract the best talent. Allow the comedic solutions, in fact, encourage them. </li>
</ol>
<div>
As a <i>Learning Organization </i>we all strive to utilize all brain power to spark innovation. <span style="font-size: large;">Brainstorming</span> is a must-have in this culture. Not once-in-a-while, but <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>constantly</b></span>. </div>
<div>
The more it is used, the more influence it will have on your corporate culture.</div>
<div>
You'll see creativity sparking here and there on a regular basis because the juices are flowing and everyone feels that it is not only allowed to contribute on this level, but expected.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Once word gets out, you'll enjoy knowing that you've just updated your company's reputation to "a cool place to work"</span></blockquote>
<br />
In summary, by implementing brainstorming into your planning or sprints, you'll generate more innovative ideas, foster a more collaborative environment, strengthen your learning organization, and build a better reputation that'll attract and retain the best talent. .<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh yeah, and it is practically free :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">ENJOY</span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-18941905620716225692015-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:002016-01-28T09:10:19.085-08:00The Lean Startup<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaebfVzC2-QZVbxtFBoYNiGueyczY5brcW6-f0QYHE_HdsGPOnzSRBd_Vp3OkYxMqL5wZJyzVuWrBQAHiI7UW2n_xKl0Eq-YNGvVz3_8iPT1YDeAg7e-R6yQQXqotn-1qP5uZWuq3bNB0/s320/art.jpg" width="211" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nvxv2R01po" target="_blank">The Lean Startup on Amazon</a></div><br /><br /><br />I've been re-reading Eric Ries' amazing book.<br />It is just as good the second time through - not a skim and jump around read, but good enough as a text to go cover to cover.<br /><br />What you'll find here is the foundation for building a company. This book wasn't around when I was doing my MBA, and we were given "The New Business Roadtest". I'm sorry for that, because this book belongs in the required reading of any MBA, especially those that focus on entrepreneurship.<br /><br />This book complements some of my other favorites, The Fifth Discipline and Davenport's Process Innovation.<br /><br />For companies that strive to build a Learning Organization (and the best ones do), the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop is integral to driving for success.Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-36986722785862850642015-10-14T16:58:00.000-07:002016-01-28T09:10:19.108-08:0010X v 10%<div>The title looks like a horrible math problem.</div><div>However, in reality what it comes down to is "Innovation & Improvement: Not the Same Thing"</div><div><br /></div><div>I've recently decided to go back to basics and re-read the best book on 'Process' ever. I refer to Davenport's HBS edition of <u>Process Innovation</u>. If you can read past the early 90's predictive voice in regards to IT, the rather immutable facts present themselves. Its best to start by just getting the terms defined.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a lot of confusion in the terms -to name a few:</div><div><ul><li>Process Redesign</li><li>Process Improvement</li><li>Continuous Improvement</li><li>Process Innovation</li></ul></div><div>Davenport makes a dramatic distinction between Process Innovation and Improvement.</div><div>Process Improvement sets it's goals at 5 to 10%</div><div>Process Innovation however has goals of 50 to 100%. That's a 10X change</div><div>So does that answer the question as to whether these terms are interchangeable?</div><div>Yes, there is a huge difference between them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Does this mean that we should choose Process Innovation over Process Improvement?</div><div>No, they work together.</div><div>Buying a new car is a big change, but you need to have a maintenance plan or it'll break down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Process Innovation effort makes large cultural changes across organizational areas (big risk - big reward). Process Improvement continuously updates the resulting processes to make them more efficient over time.</div><div><br /></div><div>These two disciplines work together for the health of the business.</div><div>Process Innovation handing off to Process Improvement.</div>Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-11133321604985326262014-06-08T10:57:00.001-07:002014-06-08T10:57:15.114-07:00Does a Klout score matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.alexbraunstein.com/klout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alexbraunstein.com/klout.jpg" height="67" width="320" /></a></div>
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Early last week I was at lunch with some folks that I work with time and again. I was checking my klout score on my phone because I have been monitoring its fluctuations based on what was happening with my social accounts. I'm always curious about impressions that others may have, so I asked how the rest of the group felt about Klout scores. Overwhelmingly, the group was aggressively anti-klout. Now if it stayed there I would have given more weight to their arguments, but then it became an anti-social networking discussion. I want to share with you how it went and what my thoughts are after this give & take.<br />
<br />
First off, we're a friendly bunch. Yes, we can be intense at times, but I am very comfortable with the folks that I was eating with and like them very much. They are all bright people and that is why I was soliciting their feedback. It turns out that they didn't know much about Klout and asked me what goes into the score. <br />
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Klout's algorithm is proprietary I'm sure, but I know that it takes accounts that I sync up with into consideration (whether it uses them all at this time, I have no idea). But you can sync up Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Instagram...etc.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000;">And here is where the Devil's opinions came out to play</span></h4>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">There was a tidal wave of negative feelings towards social media. Some of the comments were: "waste of time", "I don't get it" and "who cares". I reminded the group that it also takes blog sites into account and that lead to a sub-conversation - <i><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Is Blogging Social ?</b></span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
I have the opinion that blogging is not social.<br />
I am happy to entertain arguments that consider it social (because I could see that POV: following blogs, or commenting on posts, even sharing blog posts), but I think there is more to it than that.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>As a blogger I feel that I am contributing to the community</b></span></h4>
Bloggers don't just consume information, we contribute or even curate content for use by others.<br />
Don't we all want to be viewed as <i>Subject Matter Experts</i>? The web gives us the most amazing opportunity that mankind has ever seen to get our opinions, experiences and research out into the world. By contributing, others can benefit and we in turn build our reputations.<br />
<br />
By this time, I brought up the now famous story of the marketing exec that lost out on a job because his Klout score was a 35 v. a 65 for the guy that got the job. My point was that other industry professionals are valuing this metric. One response from the table was "I wouldn't want to work for a company that took Klout into consideration." ---- HERE IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS POST<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
A executive marketing position means that the candidate understands marketing in 2014.<br />
A high Klout score means that the candidate has worked hard to be seen as an influential person on the web. Web marketing is where it's at and where it will continue to go. Therefore, I would rather hire a marketing person with a high Klout score too.<br />
<br />
I really get frustrated with people that I work with if they don't cultivate their online presence. Does this mean that they don't understand how business is done now, or they don't have a vision for how business is moving to a global - distributed model? I have a hard time accepting that.<br />
<br />
Klout measures how much weight you have on the web.<br />
I don't know it their algorithms will stand the test of time, or if other, better ways of measuring will come up, but the discussion is the same.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Is being influential on the web valuable?</b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Of course, I say "immensely"</b></h4>
<br />
<br />Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-731628033047715912014-05-12T17:20:00.001-07:002014-05-12T17:20:13.857-07:00Price Wars in Cloud 1.0 LandThere is not much to say on this that hasn't already been written about in Forbes, TechCrunch and the like. Well, except that it makes me very happy.<br />
<br />
It seems that Cloud 1.0 services are perceived as a commodity these days. The innovation in is happening in Cloud 2.0 (and not by the big guys that are slugging it out 1.0 land). So that leaves giant providers like Google, Amazon and Microsoft to create value by slashing their prices. In April, Amazon had their 42 price reduction since 2008. This is great. It is just what we all expected of IaaS. We get great service, security & stability, set-it and forget-it functionality and falling prices. I am happy to benefit.<br />
<br />
But what about Cloud 2.0?<br />
I'm happy where I am, but I always want more.<br />
AWS gives us tier pricing and we can pick different specifications, but cloud 2.0 will allow us to build our own. This functionality will allow us to save even more.<br />
<br />
Question is, will we see a new innovative company emerge to challenge the giants, or will they be assimilated? I'm sure a little of both. But however it works out, it'll just keep getting better for us.Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-69291448296183388772013-11-04T08:59:00.003-08:002013-11-04T08:59:43.583-08:00What's on your To Do List?It helps when I start the day with a plan of what I want to get done.<br />
This doesn't always happen, but when it does I always feel really productive.<br />
Simple, this isn't brain surgery, it is basic Covey 7 Habits stuff.<br />
<br />
What is striking though are the items that show up on my list.<br />
As a startup guy, it could be anything and the kitchen sink.<br />
<br />
Looking at my list right now, I have<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>3 separate ppt presentations to work on</li>
<li>A couple of invoices to deal with</li>
<li>Creating a post mortem template</li>
<li>Answering client emails</li>
<li>Blogging</li>
<li>Updating my financials</li>
<li>Going for a run</li>
</ul>
I think the idea is that working at a startup demands that we all wear many different hats.<br />
Ya, duh - everyone has heard this before, but we have to be great at changing gears and quickly.<br />
<br />
This can be a bit overwhelming at times, so take a break now and then I suppose.<br />
Learn to embrace the fluidity of this path.<br />
<br />
<br />Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-32565979419196763782013-11-01T08:32:00.002-07:002013-11-01T08:32:55.712-07:00"Prethink" - Yah, It's a WordI was a pretty active Toastmaster a couple of years ago.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75;">First off, what a fantastic organization -> I'm not going to do my self-improvement sales pitch right now, but it's coming.</span><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></h3>
In Toastmasters, members prepare and give speeches in order to further our public speaking skills. A member of the audience is assigned to critique the speech on a number of points, one of them being grammar.<br />
<br />
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After one of my speeches, the person assigned to giving me feedback mentioned that I had used the word "prethink". Their point was that this was in fact not a word and I should find another way to say what I meant. Let me dispute this.<br />
<br />
I believe that "prethink" is a word with a meaning that is applicable and critical to numerous aspects of our lives. Prethink means to plan in response to potential ad-hoc conversations or scenarios. An example would be: "I have a call with so-and-so in 10 minutes. How should I respond if they ask me about that issue they were concerned with?". <br />
<br />
You may argue that "Plan" is the word for this, but I see this as a much more fluid and on-the-fly skill. It's about building a short-term strategy for an important interaction. "Planning" is good, but I want to use it for more brick&mortar style decisions. Just like saying "cloud" instead of "time-sharing", prethink conveys a different energy than plan.<br />
<br />
What do you think?<br />
Is this a term that should make it into every-day use?<br />
<br />
~BrianBrian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-8205080501422549362013-10-30T07:24:00.001-07:002013-10-30T07:24:42.656-07:00Managing the Flat, Blank Parts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember the pieces of vinyl that separated the tracks on an
album? They would look like circular borders that gave a pause to the music.
They were the easy places to drop the needle before the song you wanted to
hear. A startup software company has those flat blank parts too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a few reasons that I can think of that result in a
“breath” in development. Hiring, financing, code freeze, perf testing, or any
of the many other causes can all result in a flat blank part for the team. It
is important to manage these so that you maintain your momentum.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter how well you manage to process, or how big your
team is (if you’re lucky), there are always items marked as “deferred”, and
these are not necessarily just bugs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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commenting code<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>post mortems</li>
<li>reviewing the backlog</li>
<li>process improvement</li>
<li>updating estimates</li>
<li>functionality research</li>
<li>usability reviews</li>
<li>producing white papers</li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We can go on and on here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A startup cannot afford to misuse their pauses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They are there, and when you see one coming get ready to
make the best use of it. Your team will come out of it stronger then ever and
with the feeling of increased stability. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-20429280055930111232013-10-19T08:28:00.004-07:002013-10-21T05:55:25.110-07:00Editorial: Ties Suck (but you knew that)The WSJ got me all fired up this AM with an article <i>The Tie is Dead (Long Live the Tie)</i>.<br />
I'm on the "No Tie" bandwagon and Richard Branson seems to be leading the parade.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPJUdObb2SWVVS3UWKxe2yVxfFjD08ZALzLOkczVUPKg7q8cKGqALvaENVoHEjvXY6aoSFzdYJPDJ0EN-csWLg5vA9zG4wP4-rdmEZ6cbwF5OFMgv-xW5fu_JYWj7sdl45VO6JthiO-Pk/s1600/branson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPJUdObb2SWVVS3UWKxe2yVxfFjD08ZALzLOkczVUPKg7q8cKGqALvaENVoHEjvXY6aoSFzdYJPDJ0EN-csWLg5vA9zG4wP4-rdmEZ6cbwF5OFMgv-xW5fu_JYWj7sdl45VO6JthiO-Pk/s200/branson.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Branson is famously anti-tie.<br />
There are stories of him using scissors to cut the tie off of unsuspecting employees that broke his reverse dress code.<br />
I don't think I have ever seen a picture of Branson with a tie.<br />
So, this defeats the idea that a tie is a necessary accessory for<br />
success in business.<br />
<br />
But is there other data to more firmly indicate the direction of menswear in the new millennia? Yes<br />
The WSJ article showed that by 2008 tie sales had dropped 92%. This is a key indicator, but it isn't a fun one. I think I have better and more conclusive proof that we can hold farewell party for this antiquated accoutrement. Let me lay out my case.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li> Bogie looked great in a hat. He was what <i>cool</i> was. To be cool in his era, you wore a hat.</li>
<li>Kennedy updated menswear style by breaking the hat tradition. Automakers even lowered car tops, you couldn't wear a Bogie style hat now if you wanted to.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Now lets look at our often tieless current president.</div>
<div>
The last G8 Summit and this summer's meeting with President Xi Jinping of China showed world leaders sans tie. Is this the repeat of Kennedy's influence on men's hats? I think so. But there is one trap that needs to be avoided. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don Draper!</b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K4wmAFukYiVZ5HQgiWxsH21wis1zVf6__DyQiYn-faMlurN_PLMsdz0KX6iBgf47l8q_jcnEnK9vqqz_-6P45lAqhzcwpB1fkck_6Pt7g4Tb2oOx1-6JO2oHja_YfFL2ybwgzYXL6yyx/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K4wmAFukYiVZ5HQgiWxsH21wis1zVf6__DyQiYn-faMlurN_PLMsdz0KX6iBgf47l8q_jcnEnK9vqqz_-6P45lAqhzcwpB1fkck_6Pt7g4Tb2oOx1-6JO2oHja_YfFL2ybwgzYXL6yyx/s320/Slide1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Mad Men is super popular. It is a great show and I'm addicted to it. I think Don has an influence on us all. Just like Bogie, he is super cool (yes, lots of bad traits that make me cringe, but still super cool).<br />
Are we strong enough to resist the temptation to revert to this look? I think so.<br />
<br />
I've seen my "trying to by hip" friends attempt the hat. Reaction: nope, you can't pull off the Bogie look in 2010. That hat doesn't go well with cargos at all :) LOL. So even though Draper may tempt a few of us to bring back this office formal look the tide is too strong against it. Thanks Mr. President.<br />
<br />
As a last word though, is this <i>Invisi-tie</i> trend completely attributable to Mr. Branson and Mr. Obama?<br />
Nah. It started with us tech guys.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ma9jpCZYqqCT8HUsMu1V_yE8z_AkFMElzzwJyeeKLJddcmOYRokwW_Hr7b7nUNrh1L79y0PqPmWcklr120dSL5X2owpNgG4VBRioPu_HXXytOaGtuMw9zz3AnwzJEI0Ju7bxdz64gKMY/s1600/zuck+hoodie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ma9jpCZYqqCT8HUsMu1V_yE8z_AkFMElzzwJyeeKLJddcmOYRokwW_Hr7b7nUNrh1L79y0PqPmWcklr120dSL5X2owpNgG4VBRioPu_HXXytOaGtuMw9zz3AnwzJEI0Ju7bxdz64gKMY/s200/zuck+hoodie.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Now Zuckerberg is the most well-known example with his statement making hoodie, but he wasn't the first. Lets say that the dotcom bubble was the fuse.<br />
<br />
You can't wear a tie with Birkenstock's, and lots of Birks were sold to software engineers in 1999. This type of thing led to casual Friday for the entire business community.<br />
<br />
Technology has changed the world and has even influenced our president to solidify the tie-less trend.<br />
<br />
AND there is something that you can do to help!<br />
Ahem, change your LinkedIn profile picture.<br />
If you're wearing a tie, get a new shot. You still look great (probably better) just minus the tie.<br />
<br />
Sorry Brooks Bros., you'll just have to sell more socks.Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-39609737080883607822013-10-15T17:07:00.002-07:002013-10-16T06:05:44.116-07:00Cash is King<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The King</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-lF2ifKPgZMGjfVAR_Xkw5co51R8R5zHDhgCWOniW-_cgGV2c8MtZxLd_HzL9Z7fPMfyenzb9gJm45Ccl6psen7oQuxJLbTjFYy1gXO-O0pDZz0OCkBUdXaSGCh91s7C9fT6RjBINVOq/s1600/Johnny-Cash-and-Elvis-Presley+1956+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-lF2ifKPgZMGjfVAR_Xkw5co51R8R5zHDhgCWOniW-_cgGV2c8MtZxLd_HzL9Z7fPMfyenzb9gJm45Ccl6psen7oQuxJLbTjFYy1gXO-O0pDZz0OCkBUdXaSGCh91s7C9fT6RjBINVOq/s1600/Johnny-Cash-and-Elvis-Presley+1956+4.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Cash is King", this is always true.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First off, I enjoy Johnny Cash more than Elvis, so that should be enough to prove my statement right there. I do like Elvis, but <i><span style="color: #274e13;">the Long Black Veil</span> </i>is in its own league.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1epfYdg" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1epfYdg</a> </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #073763;">"Cash is also King in your startup"</span></span></h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2V_jaoKW6vYnkejkIVCyOJSGtAR_BZW8Czsov5k5QPSjXOW_5Cb9WRjZ4Co21gEEwF8UfDGxF04z7tS6HzMlXBJTzsvhtzYDYhVHj9Ge6FvVo_xMKh80GDYafmOPzv4_7lh2KM8PaD0u/s1600/cash.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2V_jaoKW6vYnkejkIVCyOJSGtAR_BZW8Czsov5k5QPSjXOW_5Cb9WRjZ4Co21gEEwF8UfDGxF04z7tS6HzMlXBJTzsvhtzYDYhVHj9Ge6FvVo_xMKh80GDYafmOPzv4_7lh2KM8PaD0u/s1600/cash.jpeg" width="152" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having a set of linked financials is a must have for us. I've listned to a lot of successful entrepreneurs and investors argue both sides of the <i>5 year projection </i>battle, but when it comes down to it, planning a startup is facilitated by your linked financials.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What you need</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For each of the next 5 years: income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet. Also, summary and assumptions worksheets. Everything should be linked so that you (or a potential investor during diligence) can use the data on the assumptions tab as levers that flow through your other worksheets. Think of how incredibly useful this is in working through different scenarios for your business model.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Oh, don't forget another sheet that anchors your assumptions into reality by citing credible resources.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">[Back to Cash being King]</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once the hard work of setting these up is complete, you can pull the levers yourself and check out the viability of your plan as it ripples through your worksheets. Where do I spend most of my time? Right, the <span style="color: #660000;">cashflow statement</span>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a business owner, what do I want to know most? Do I have enough cash to continue to take over the world...er, I mean "to execute on my plan" ;)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The income statement is important to see how we're doing based solely on revenue, but my cashflow helps me to determine how much outside investment I need, and where it is best allocated.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is a resource to download a financial templates:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.score.org/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery" target="_blank">http://www.score.org/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It may be exciting and anti-establishment to work by your gut, but when planning a sales & marketing effort, it's important to see how your decisions will play out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, sit back, listen to Johnny & June Carter sing <i>Jackson </i>and dig in. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It'll be fun. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhzCF77GDo" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhzCF77GDo</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-7677479305526604952013-10-08T10:48:00.001-07:002013-10-08T10:48:15.142-07:00Prioritizing the "Get it Done" List<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5f8FqIaEvDGaiJqAcAet0bqpEppqbuUnqQQ3IZiEEMO7ckWxw-rPDeHJuI4JjDGUYxFxVbx7ufdUgVQPavctLCkbj3RvgyYaEzOY2aUwJtgjxTmQIMq0cMRg3Bz1hh56ysEfGnbUv0Fy/s1600/trap.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5f8FqIaEvDGaiJqAcAet0bqpEppqbuUnqQQ3IZiEEMO7ckWxw-rPDeHJuI4JjDGUYxFxVbx7ufdUgVQPavctLCkbj3RvgyYaEzOY2aUwJtgjxTmQIMq0cMRg3Bz1hh56ysEfGnbUv0Fy/s1600/trap.jpeg" /></a>One of the biggest challenges for an early stage company is balancing one-off requests with developing the features that have wider client appeal. </div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">This is a trap</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It seems like a good idea to focus on the features that your current clients want. It seems intuitive to power through the wish list of a potential sale. </div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I understand the overwhelming urge to continually bubble client requests to the top of the backlog, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but consider:</span></h2>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Each and every request that comes in needs to be evaluated.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Q:</b> <i>"Will it make my product specific to the needs of this one client, or does everyone want this?"</i></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #3d85c6; color: white; font-size: large;">Customer acquisition is the #1 effort for a startup</span></div>
<div class="p1">
More customers proves the business model, gives investors the warm & fuzzies, provides much needed cash flow and provides critical fuel for an early marketing campaign. So, the argument may be made that yes, make this customer happy, BUT our goal is more than just ONE customer. So spending valuable development cycles on features that will only be used by one client should be a hard pill to swallow.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Instead I suggest that every client request gets logged and evaluated. </div>
<div class="p1">
If it is specific to only one client, we must figure out how to create the feature in a way that would be valuable to all, or say </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i> ...Wait forrrr iiiitttt...</i><br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"No"</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
Wow, that is a hard thing to do, but congratulations, you're in it for the long haul.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
With a todo list that is probably very long, it is up to us to sell our clients on why they need the features that will makes us the number 1 choice of the many, not the few. I can't tell you how to work diplomatically with clients & potential clients, but sharing your vision for the product, showing them how well you turn around solid releases of advanced features and valuing their feedback will go a long way in building your brand goodwill.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
So in summary: <span style="color: #b45f06;">evaluate & value the requests,</span> if you need them to sell the product to more clients put them on the top of the list, if not, <span style="color: #38761d;">sell what is on the top of your list to your client</span>. Getting them excited about your product direction and thanking them for their continued feedback builds a collaborative environment. I enjoy working in environments like this.</div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-51711315609339581512013-02-25T13:02:00.003-08:002013-02-25T13:02:42.321-08:00Where to Host<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6XwtQt3h3cdQc2OuJZlgbw3m3pDbW2G8vdE6KumP7txKsxYbnzdDpJ6fCBUgSTUKku9nTDGDVRnG2UqxTAal3l46SPwdICypOSFCL3bLvs0RmqneJtH9NwqfOliJI5FOKcY0HjkkB9PL/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6XwtQt3h3cdQc2OuJZlgbw3m3pDbW2G8vdE6KumP7txKsxYbnzdDpJ6fCBUgSTUKku9nTDGDVRnG2UqxTAal3l46SPwdICypOSFCL3bLvs0RmqneJtH9NwqfOliJI5FOKcY0HjkkB9PL/s200/images.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Maybe I'm late to figuring this out, but as an entrepreneur we have so many daily tasks that once a decision is made it is challenging to revisit it. Thats why I wasn't keeping up on our hosting provider.<br />
<br />
We had been using a lesser known company and enjoying great customer service. They were not only responsive, but they were pro-active. It was a nice feeling of being a valued client. But as a startup, our bottom line is the bottom line.<br />
<br />
Recently we made the decision to move back to Amazon (after a 6 month absence) because of their deep knowledge and compliance with all things HIPAA. I held my breath today when I refreshed my memory on their pricing. Wow, what a difference 6 months makes.<br />
<br />
Network world had a great article (that apparently I missed) outlining Amazon's AWS price reduction.<br />
<a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/110112-amazon-cloud-prices-263895.html">http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/110112-amazon-cloud-prices-263895.html</a><br />
Their pricing page was my first stop: <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/">http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/</a><br />
<br />
Don't take me for a AWS fanboy (yet, at least), I 'm just a startup. While I like the individual service of the smaller provider, I'm busting at the ~5k a year that I'm about to save--I'll sleep so much better tonight.<br />
<br />
Just keep it in mind when you plan your infrastructure.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Brian<br />
http://atomictower.comBrian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-68875092469400541842013-02-20T07:08:00.003-08:002013-02-20T07:08:33.722-08:00Entrepreneur of the Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3tRxfj4G87AXH9L7-9bSvWq0qhyTk4-ADJxtL1yGT-UYFGcD7LB4AyYalkRiFcBG6e_1FaJzXv3jIAhgZSe4Mt5tMf-93WlFckAO0BFvd6JdmjYf-sTmSqnmWTEi68Zlbuuhu4Xk4HZQ/s1600/mail.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3tRxfj4G87AXH9L7-9bSvWq0qhyTk4-ADJxtL1yGT-UYFGcD7LB4AyYalkRiFcBG6e_1FaJzXv3jIAhgZSe4Mt5tMf-93WlFckAO0BFvd6JdmjYf-sTmSqnmWTEi68Zlbuuhu4Xk4HZQ/s1600/mail.jpeg" /></a></div>
Good for the US Post Office!<br />
I am now a big fan.<br />
<br />
For the longest time, they have been in the news as the poster child for failing to adapt. They have been characterized as a burdon on the tax payer - supporting a government organization that is going out of style but not allowed to fail. Well they have done something about that. They have put our principles of creative, out of the box thinking into place to compete in the market place. And it's not about communication.<br />
<br />
The Daily Caller had an article called "Struggling US Postal Service to Launch New Apparel Line: <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/19/struggling-us-postal-service-to-launch-new-apparel-line/">http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/19/struggling-us-postal-service-to-launch-new-apparel-line/</a> . Here is what this cash strapped business did - they decided to take stock of what they do well and capitalize on it. They were not doing so good competing with the internet, so what else do they do? They have mail personel out in the elements in all weather and all seasons!!! Those folks are experts at dressing to stay comfortable in all temperatures and precipitation levels - <i>WHY NOT SHARE THAT?! </i>Brilliant, I say.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaec3481T7JcJPdZz8HmXTOmt0CmrX0-Vk1lOE76w-lq5O-SzQLieX4TSAZ-RNhfJ2r4XZoqHq49dcufFuqcxW_4YzMUzBX4sLDzWAts_8yvZwEcQZoFJtqc76GWSEh7EsZmQHWJ8EKz3/s1600/postal-uniforms-summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaec3481T7JcJPdZz8HmXTOmt0CmrX0-Vk1lOE76w-lq5O-SzQLieX4TSAZ-RNhfJ2r4XZoqHq49dcufFuqcxW_4YzMUzBX4sLDzWAts_8yvZwEcQZoFJtqc76GWSEh7EsZmQHWJ8EKz3/s200/postal-uniforms-summer.jpg" width="108" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEuMe8lF0YyMJpXToCdmUhQGBQS6Y9wOVjA_tyF1TxYxtEZvvR5PifYmO0hw8Jox41EDvhOSsSMpNKeN4gUomZhvSo7PeLYvbPGKwUQN6J7XUICg6DIygiFqy9RlORaP-1BwqMPaat3ot/s1600/postal-uniform-winterwear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEuMe8lF0YyMJpXToCdmUhQGBQS6Y9wOVjA_tyF1TxYxtEZvvR5PifYmO0hw8Jox41EDvhOSsSMpNKeN4gUomZhvSo7PeLYvbPGKwUQN6J7XUICg6DIygiFqy9RlORaP-1BwqMPaat3ot/s200/postal-uniform-winterwear.jpg" width="122" /></a> With this move, the US Post Office demonstrated their execution of the rules that all of us business owners must play by:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>They are flexible - something wasn't working that endangered their business, so they developed and marketed a secondary strength. </li>
<li>They did not abuse power. Too often I read about conflict in our government (both sides) regarding government waste. Well instead of taxing more to support a going-out-of -style department, they got creative.</li>
<li>They are bold. All of us as entrepreneurs have to take risks on what we believe. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Will this work? Will the public respond favorably and buy this gear? I don't know. What I do know is that win, loose or draw, I will think differently about our postal service going forward. I'll think about how they tried to solve their fiscal issues the way that we all try to solve ours. I'll look at them as a model for how government agencies should work. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Congratulations US Post Office - you're my <b><i>Entrepreneur of the Week!</i></b></div>
Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-73683458220382107662013-02-01T11:23:00.002-08:002013-02-01T11:23:51.203-08:00Convert Your VHS Tapes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbIppVsMcmkqwHUxfrbbn2fznqYgqPk_cQafRAcOmBuBJsCpv6UKSPo_xy2qKc3rFJZcKQDwqJH0VwHn0rO5q01PtsuReJIkrHzhO9SDyPL74ZY4j9dn71xiBNjHrDw3tyJUcn-K12mPk/s1600/vhs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbIppVsMcmkqwHUxfrbbn2fznqYgqPk_cQafRAcOmBuBJsCpv6UKSPo_xy2qKc3rFJZcKQDwqJH0VwHn0rO5q01PtsuReJIkrHzhO9SDyPL74ZY4j9dn71xiBNjHrDw3tyJUcn-K12mPk/s1600/vhs.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>I just finished a massive project.</u><br />
<br />
The scope of the project <i>wasn't that big</i>, but the <b>weight</b> of it on my shoulders was heavier than I believed.<br />
<br />
Our early family videos were on VHS tape, in a grocery bag, on the top shelf of our pantry. We don't have our player hooked up any longer, so I stored them out of reach for safe keeping. <i>ONE DAY</i> I would get around to converting them to DVD. That was 7 years ago.<br />
<br />
This project was combined with all of the pics on my phone or harddrive that I hadn't uploaded to Picasa. I knew I needed to so that they wouldn't get lost, but I had more important things to attend to.<br />
<br />
Both of these project by themselves (and most definitely taken together) are a prime example of managing your company. Let things go long enough, and they build a weight on your mind that is disproportionate to the reality of the task - and this causes stress and degrades your performance. <u>Make time for maintenance.</u><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Update your CRM often</li>
<li>Write thank you notes promptly</li>
<li>Blog on a schedule</li>
</ol>
<div>
In short, organize and make it a habit.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know this isn't news to anyone, but it was so "in my face" this week as I spent hours converting my precious life memories that I wanted to share. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-18281845812442003862012-07-23T11:18:00.002-07:002012-07-23T11:18:45.338-07:00Mentor TeamI've been at Mass Challenge for almost a month now. When they said "accelerator" they meant it. Things have been moving quickly.<br />
<br />
One of the first things that we were asked to do was to put together a mentor team from the pool of fantastic execs/lawyers/investors that have generously contributed their time and experience to help out. This was an intense process of multiple "get to know you" events where finalists got to meet and connect with these folks.<br />
<br />
When the smoke cleared I had a good idea of who connected well with me and my company. Comparing this with mentor backgrounds and areas of my business that I want to spend time strengthening, I came up with a fantastic team. We met last week and came up with top level goals for our effort over the course of the program. It feels really good to know there is a group of experienced professionals that are on-hand to keep me on track. This is a short summer/program, not a moment of energy or time to waste!<br />
<br />
So one of the great benefits to Mass Challenge - a superior group of mentors generous with their time.<br />
<br />
<br />Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-74343267529599515902012-07-02T09:00:00.003-07:002012-07-02T09:00:49.793-07:00Password SecurityThere was a great article in the WSJ last week regarding password security on the internet. I clipped it, brought it to the office and threw it away :(<br />
I meant to use it to illuminate and inform and instead I couldn't find my coffee cup and got distracted. I think I can hit the high-points though. I'll try.<br />
<br />
IMPORTANT: use strong passwords.<br />
Coming up with these is easier than you think. They suggested thinking of a song and using the initials of the title in camel case. Ex. "I Dream of Jeanie" would be "IdOj". Then, add your zip code to make it "IdOj02145". You can change song title to favorite saying and add a bible ref number like "6:14". EZ!<br />
<br />
Another suggestion was to have one password for all applications in a specific category. So, categorize for "buying stuff", "family", "web storage" etc. That way you'll have the same password for each site in a specific category. I like this idea, however, I use a password safe (free online) and have a different password for each site. But this idea seems manageable.<br />
<br />
Finally, the author said to create throw-away passwords for one time access - like you have to create an account to respond to a blog post that interests you.<br />
<br />
So, I think I summed it up. What do you think?<br />
<br />
Brian<br />
Atomic Tower - We Power the Cloud!Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-23313867191322110612012-06-20T13:49:00.001-07:002012-06-20T13:49:19.779-07:00Is Linkedin Relevant?In the cold hard light of day in the month of June, 2012, how relevant does Linkedin continue to be?<br />
<br />
Back in the day, it seemed the most important career move one could make on-line. The idea of putting my resume on the web and networking with acquaintances/coworkers was exciting. I could share my accomplishments, thoughts, book recommendations etc. But does it hold up today?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9HEgeW6JvNG8frLJaODjt-neFzoedLUc9UK3YdV-Nqy6s5W8NPMXeFinDbdiL3e6RrrixF0K7ft7K0OdXV4GcBvCi47ULucUqbpgkRxHTZbJmPxhGDOz9ycXf8UFglPPJ730N-7AlF1Q/s1600/linkedin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9HEgeW6JvNG8frLJaODjt-neFzoedLUc9UK3YdV-Nqy6s5W8NPMXeFinDbdiL3e6RrrixF0K7ft7K0OdXV4GcBvCi47ULucUqbpgkRxHTZbJmPxhGDOz9ycXf8UFglPPJ730N-7AlF1Q/s1600/linkedin.jpg" /></a></div>
I try to keep up on the site and have a fair amount of connections. But what is the value? Is the value that folks can view my profile and see that there I'm connected? Well, that is important, but how important?<br />
<br />
Last week Facebook released data that showed active users were dropping off. So if FB is starting to become stale, what about the "premier" business social network?<br />
<br />
What I have seen is very few connections that actually "work" the site. More often what I see is dead air until someone is in need (career-wise) and then furious activity: updated pics, book recommendations, friend requests.<br />
<br />
I caught myself lecturing a couple of colleagues yesterday that they needed to get cracking on Linkedin, but is this good advice any longer? I'm thinking this one through. Any thoughts would be appreciated in the comments section.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Brian<br />
http://atomictower.com - web reporting engine<br />
<br />
<br />Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-90764386964671524322012-05-20T15:15:00.001-07:002012-05-20T15:17:03.233-07:00Leadership<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptsFJhd9EKw5_asuKzxtV8549BeLCoaQLtj7oKHv06EqVpLS3XWXGI8MmFqeZahF_Fp4hBe3Yz_d-S1mmuoC3xjAi6UEV2cN5t9hwDWT5XLm3ggFrVh5sB7ZGM3udsApizH89OM4xhJ1X/s1600/leadership.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptsFJhd9EKw5_asuKzxtV8549BeLCoaQLtj7oKHv06EqVpLS3XWXGI8MmFqeZahF_Fp4hBe3Yz_d-S1mmuoC3xjAi6UEV2cN5t9hwDWT5XLm3ggFrVh5sB7ZGM3udsApizH89OM4xhJ1X/s1600/leadership.jpg" /></a></div>
This is a fantastic book. I don't know if it'll save lives, but it can certainly save a few careers. My recommendation is to get this book. It was suggested for me and straight away I found it useful - especially at a startup.<br />
<br />
Startups are a challenging and demanding environment for all involved: execs, managers, individual contributors, everyone. Not only is it critical to find the right team members that thrive in this fast pace, but keeping them motivated with ever changing priorities is your task.<br />
<br />
Keeping the dev team motivated isn't all that is important. As managers take on more responsibility in the shaping of the new company's direction and emerging culture, it is important to keep the senior management team motivated too. Keeping them feeling comfortable is the way to ensure your continued increasing role.<br />
<br />
To do this, as Heifetz says, we must keep the values and vision that started the venture in constant sight. In real ways demonstrate that you know what is important and are on course. "Answer the 'why' question and you'll increase people's willingness to endure the hardships that come with the journey to a better place."<br />
<br />Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-48514848405408928732012-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:002012-04-20T15:15:53.811-07:00Being Concise<style type="text/css">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I recently spoke about how the application for Mass Challenge required that I answer around 20 questions in a very limited amount of characters. It got me thinking about how the message is delivered. We talked about the need to get your ideas across - hopefully without jargon. <b>Lesson</b>: it is imperative to make everything very clear in as few words as possible. Everyone should be able to understand.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So moving on from our abbreviated answers, I posted a rocket pitch video – pithy and <i>just</i> over 1 minute. Keeping in mind that the goal is to <i>pitch</i> in the time of a standard <i><span style="font-weight: normal;">elevator</span></i> ride. Again, if you're lucky enough to be in an elevator with someone who can help your company out, let 'em have it, and get it right.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After that, if you're asked to give more, have some slides ready. 10 minutes tops. We'll talk about good presentation form next time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cheers,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Brian</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">http://atomictower.com - web reporting engine </div>Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-372386911172818732012-04-13T17:08:00.001-07:002012-04-13T17:09:25.395-07:00Mass ChallengeSo I got some advice recently to enter my company, Atomic Tower, in the Mass Challenge. MC is a competition for startups and the prize is mentoring, office space and capital!<br />
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We entered. <i><vote for="" us=""></vote></i> There was of course an application with about 20 questions that describe the company, problem, solution, competitors, market etc. Big catch, the answers could be either 250 or 500 <u>CHARS</u>! <i><vote for="" us=""></vote></i> This is common. It reminds me that when you have a business you had better be able to explain it plainly in very few words. And if you're looking for funding, you had better be able to make the reader go "Wow! What an amazing opportunity!"<br />
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I think the old-time term would be "Pithy". <i><vote for="" http:="" masschallenge.org="" us:=""></vote></i><br />
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Best of luck,<br />
Brian<br />
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p.s. If you want to vote for us, go to http://masschallenge.org and register as an observer.Brian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388450543072274994.post-53470040743720920682011-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:002011-09-21T18:02:58.089-07:00Set the StageI'm in a lot of meetings a day. The best thing for my quality of life so far has been the wireless headset that I have. After all that coffee, I can pace around and work some of that energy off. But sometimes my pacing has a tinge of frustration as its root. "Whats this meeting about?"<br />
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I get invited to many meetings and I suspect that sometimes it is out of protocol. So bring me up to speed. I try to do that when I know someone is in my meeting that hasn't been involved in the topic being discussed. It really is simple. Take 30 - 45 seconds at the beginning of the meeting to lay out the goals for the a lotted time. This will then allow all participants to understand why they are they, how they can contribute and perhaps be more willing to take on action items.<br />
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Do you think it is possible people don't explain the goals of the meeting up-front because they don't have any goals for the meeting? If this is the case, give everyone their hour back. I've posted before on running efficient meetings and I think this is a good follow up.<br />
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Why are we here?<br />
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Good luck,<br />
Brian<br />
http://atomictower.com - Web Reporting EngineBrian LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14552579768113929957noreply@blogger.com0