You have a brilliant idea. There’s just one problem: there’s someone doing something similar, and they’re really entrenched. They command 80% of the market. They have much more capital than you, and a stronger brand. Yet, you believe that you can take them – because the way you solve the problem is better. A famous […]
Author Archives: alex94040
Emotional Connection with The Computer
OK, this article isn’t about virtual pets, Sim-girlfriends, or robots that cook better than your wife.This article is about why people buy Apple products, and what you need to do to create that same level of fanatical following for your company’s stuff. iPhone is a killer device – and it’s successful not because of its […]
The Core Pillar That Drives Technologists
This article is about putting labels on people. If you’re a technologist – a nerd at heart – I’m going to put you into one of three categories. I’ll call them D, T, and P. I’ll explain what they are in the end. D’s like beautiful code. They love complex algorithms, elegant systems, clever hacks. […]
Hungry Artist Paints Way Better
When you are running a startup, it’s easy to imagine how great life is for the head honcho of the Microsoft Bing group. They have all the resources in the world available to them. The company is pouring money at them – BILLIONS every year! There are thousands of people working on the product! With […]
Startup Factory
What do you do if your business succeeds? If you make up a startup, struggle for 7 years, and become the overnight success – suddenly exploding to a hundred people – what do you do? You’re by no means Microsoft, and you’re most likely not Mint.com either. You’re probably in some niche business, and your […]
The Whole Is More Than the Sum of the Parts
Aristotle suggested that the whole of a system – be it a human body, an organization, or a device – is more than the sum of the parts. Most recently, a brilliant gentleman named Gary Flake* has been applying this same concept to information that surrounds us. Every day, we’re inundated with massive amounts of […]
A niche that’s bigger than a green field
I don’t believe in Facebook. No, let’s try it again – I don’t believe in YOU being able to create another Facebook. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not you – I can’t make one either. And it’s not because we’re dumb – it’s because facebook solves no particular problem at all. Nobody had a need […]