Here's The Thing

Happy People Watch Less TV

2008-11-21T16:28:36-05:00

Happiness is inversely correlated to watching TV. Cause or effect? They don't know. But some correlations are just easier to adopt than to figure out.

I am vindicated!

The new winners are not always the old winners.

2008-11-19T13:55:38-05:00

This is one of the more interesting takes on the music industry I have seen in print, from Topspin CEO Ian Rogers.

It's a reminder that just because the old guard loses, that doesn't mean there is an industry in duress.

Insert whatever industry you want into this paradigm. The US auto industry, typesetters, buggy whips, boxed software, railroads, long distance. The music industry is thriving. It's just that the money is going elsewhere.

My favorite blurb:

"The lamenting we read in the press is not the story of the new music business. Continuing to talk about the health of the music industry on these terms is as if we’d all been crying about the dying cassette business in 1995. The difference is that when we moved from cassette to CD the winners were the same (big companies who owned access to cash, distribution, and marketing) and the definition of winning was the same (more units sold for these big companies)."

Alan's "O" face.

2008-10-23T12:46:13-04:00

As in "oops."

No matter who you're voting for, this is genius

2008-10-02T14:43:56-04:00

This is about getting involved, getting connected with people and their energy. It would be a great idea for a company, but it's brilliant for a political campaign.

The Obama iPhone app.

Anything can be rethought

2008-09-22T10:51:05-04:00

Rethinking is happening with classical music right now. Going to the symphony is a fine thing, no doubt. But it is an undertaking. Get dressed up, file in, stay silent, clap at only the prescribed moment, file out. Most people are, quite honestly, nervous at the symphony. And it isn't really a natural way for many of us to enjoy music. No talking, no drinks, feeling uncomfortable and uninformed.

The folks at Fringe are changing that. I went to my first Fringe event on Saturday, and I was completely blown away. Its was laid-back and cool. There was beer, wine, and finger food. People clapped when they felt inspired by the music. We wore jeans. The musicians wore jeans. There was art and DJs before, during and after the event. Short movies and documentaries about the performers before the shows. And, like at any great concert, an obvious connection between the musicians and the audience. Rather than a room full of frozen penguins staring at a stageful of frozen penguins, there were just artists and music lovers. Smiling, clapping, and just generally having an awesome time. Fringe transformed classical music from something you do to feel adult, to something you do for fun.

It was an interesting lesson in how to rethink anything. Anything at all.

What exactly is the point of these things?

2008-08-12T23:31:30-04:00

I sent an email to a friend at KPMG. At the bottom of the reply is this. Why do these things exist? Is there any POSSIBLE way I am legally bound by this? Is this designed to make the lawyers at KPMG feel like they are earning their salaries? Or to scare me? Or what?

This email has been sent from KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership (which is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP), from KPMG Europe LLP or from one of the companies within KPMG LLP’s control (which include KPMG Audit Plc, KPMG United Kingdom Plc and KPMG UK Limited), together "KPMG". KPMG Europe LLP does not provide services to clients. None of KPMG Europe LLP’s subsidiaries have any authority to obligate or bind KPMG Europe LLP. This email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the addressee or an intended recipient or have not agreed with us the terms on which you are receiving this email any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on the contents of this email or its attachments, is at your own risk, prohibited and may be unlawful, and to the fullest extent permitted by law KPMG accepts no responsibility or liability to you. When addressed to our clients any opinions or advice contained in this email or its attachments are subject to the terms and conditions expressed in the governing KPMG client engagement letter. Anything in this email or its attachments which does not relate to KPMG's official business is neither given nor endorsed by KPMG.

"We don’t beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well."

2008-07-25T16:56:15-04:00

I never met Randy Pausch, but I sure wish I had. He died today at 47, but not in vain. He left behind a 90-minute blueprint for how you beat The Reaper in the short time you have.

Test post from iPhone 2.0

2008-07-10T13:02:10-04:00

Huzzah!!

WiFi as public charity

2008-06-17T21:36:18-04:00

Remember when your Pets.com stock raced down from $60 to $2 and you didn't sell? That was a bad idea. You regret that, because it was wildly overvalued even at $2 and deep down you knew better. But the Fallacy of Sunk Costs consumed you, and you were determined to make something of your investment. We all know how that story ends (mine ends with a big basket of Webvan).

Well, that's what is about to happen in Philadelphia, where the Mother-of-All-Bubbles, Municipal WiFi, is going to be attempted once again. When that project is done, hopefully the mayor will turn his attention to more pressing citywide issues, like the distribution of free Betamax to every taxpayer.

This will either fail mightily, or become a very large pubic works project.

Crazy idea: NOT lying by default

2008-05-18T17:18:03-04:00

This is a truly astonishing article. It chronicles the very limited, rogue trial by a tiny fraction of hospitals and doctors to not lie by default when they make a mistake.

Yep, they are, against most advice and some twisted conventional wisdom, going to try the option of apologizing for mistakes and doing their best to make things right.

Municipal WiFi very much like the Edsel

2008-05-13T19:52:01-04:00

The final nail is in the municipal WiFi coffin. It's fitting that it is also in its birthplace.

If only someone would have predicted this...

Whatever will I do without TV?

2008-05-02T12:48:40-04:00

So I gave up TV about 3 years ago. And I get a lot of different responses when I tell people that. Some think I'm crazy. Some think I'm making a political statement. Most, I suspect, think that I am posturing myself as a bohemian hipster of some sort. A poet.

But it really didn't start as much. I moved into a building with no cable. And I wasn't going to live there long. So I silently protested the purchase of a $500 Satellite box, by having nothing at all.

It was uncomfortable at first. I was used to just...having it there. The familiar "bum-bum" of Law and Order keeping me company in the background. Casually perusing through the channels stumbling upon a Seinfeld rerun, or a Hitler documentary. Sometimes watching really excellent stuff too, like Battelestar, or Discovery. But in truth, I rarely sought out content, even with Tivo. I would just....have it on.

So when I moved into my new place, I figured I had gone a year without TV, and that I should get me some cable. But I had changed. I had found other things to do. I interact with the world differently. I just never watched it, and so I cut it off 3 months later.

I still watch shows sometimes. Either on AppleTV, or from Netflix. But there is something about the...deliberate... nature of my consumption now that reduces it by a factor of ten. I never have anything on in the background. TV does not keep me company.

I didn't fully understand the meaning of it all until I stumbled upon this article. The author makes a great point- a societal-changing point about the meaning TV has had in the world since it became popular. That is was our response to something we had never really had much of before the 20th century. Free time.

I don't know if it's true or not. But it sure is an interesting read.

For me? Much happier. Much more productive. A political, bohemian, crazy poet.

A few highlights of my evening at Emory

2008-04-28T12:53:48-04:00

I spoke on a panel last week at Emory. It was great fun, and I met some very cool people. One of the gentlemen in attendance, Joe Koufman, did a quickie synopsis. Thankfully, he trimmed out all the dumb things I said, and only left in a few smartish sounding things.

Who are you?

2008-04-14T11:33:02-04:00

Everyone knows your weaknesses.

Or your quirks. Or your strengths. The truth is, you rarely fool anyone (Which is why people like people who are just themselves. Watching a charade is exhausting).

I learned this again last week in a most unusual way. My girlfriend threw a surprise party for my 40th birthday. But not just any surprise party - a roast.

All manner of speeches, videos, props, pictures, and jokes were levied. From my very oldest friends, to my very newest. Truthfully, it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, and might well go down as the best night of my life.

But the striking thing was that every speech, joke, video, and prop was a caricature of what I thought were my most obscure personality traits. Phrases, thoughts, values, and mannerisms that I think of as relatively minor, and figured probably went mostly unnoticed. 25 years of friends - some of whom I have not seen in 20, some of whom I've known for less than one - pulling out the exact same stuff.

Turns out, it's those things that make up much of the core of what makes me different - and thus - define me to my friends.

I think this applies to companies as well. I think company leaders have a tendency to focus on the big things that define them: Products and performance and such. All important of course. But I bet it's safe to say that the accolades, or the complaints, or the jokes about a company probably come from the little things. The little things that you do all of the time but don't think about. How the phone is answered, how clean the bathroom is, how you react to certain requests. Most likely, once you have a customer ( just like once you have a friend), the big things take on a much smaller role, and the small things become defining.

Let us all learn somehow from my night of personal humiliation!

And thank you to everyone who made Saturday possible. Especially you Krystin.

But also to you Homer, Angie, Stacy, Lisa, Harlan, Caroline, Dave, Julie, Sergio, Evan, Marie, Tony, Diane, Cyndi, Nathan, Joe, Rich, Flo, April, Morris, Eli, Jason, Abigail, Patrick, Gretchen, Matt, John, Haley, Larisa, Beth and the many others who could not make it but were there in spirit.

Oh, and another thought for you, my dear friends...

Watch your backs, bitches.

Getting more from work

2008-03-31T12:19:16-04:00

Seth Godin had this post this morning. It's about getting more from school, work, whatever.

It's an interesting thing to mull as an employer. People often think that their employer has a plan for them. And while we might well have some sort of a plan, it's not nearly as fleshed out as it could ( maybe should) be.

So what's the best way to get more from work? More fulfillment, more experience, or - the real currency of the new economy - more learning experiences?

Initiative.

Initiative is really the only way. Even the best, most well-meaning employer can only give so many opportunities. And in the absence of initiative, I feel like instead of giving someone an opportunity, I am loading them up with work. Because I just don't know the difference. Maybe you're excited to help with the newsletter - or maybe you think it's a drag. Maybe you are dying to grow the company and be a leader! Or maybe you're looking for more family time. And without initiative... well, I have to be a really good mind-reader. And I think I am about as good at that as any employer. Which is to say - marginal.

So how does one go from waiting, to taking? I think it's pretty easy actually. You walk into your employer's office, and say "I have an idea."

Then you volunteer to help make that idea a reality. That's the hard part.

I am so powerful

2008-03-21T16:43:52-04:00

Well, not really. But the blogosphere is!

Sony changes their mind for the better.

Perhaps Sony could invert the message they are sending?

2008-03-21T10:55:50-04:00

So, when you buy a new computer, it invariably comes preloaded with trial software, promotional stuff, and generally a whole host of speed-sucking, annoying software pre-installed. This is fondly known as "crapware."

Sony, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to charge you for the luxury of buying a computer that comes free of such detritus.

This is just going to piss people off. When I saw it I shook my head. And I thought, well, that this would be the end of my post. Bad Sony.

But that's not really fair or realistic. Sony is in business to make money, just like everyone else. And they get paid to preinstall that software. Trail software is a legitimate, if annoying, revenue source.

But the tactic still sucks, and will create bad feelings toward Sony, because the psychology works like this: That is my computer. I am paying $1500 for it. I don't want you loading it up with paid advertising that I am going to spend precious time uninstalling. How dare you charge me extra to send me my computer the way I want it?!?

So how could they accomplish their goal and not patently piss people off? Create a discount instead of a charge. Knock $50 off of the price of my new laptop if I allow Sony to preinstall the software. Now it feels like a choice - $50 dollars for my time. Now I kind of appreciate Sony for giving me the option.

Who cares? The net result is the same, right? Not really.

It's not logical I suppose, but "give me the salt,'" and "please pass the salt" invite very different relationships.

Ripple [hearts] baristas

2008-03-17T19:16:02-04:00

Looking for something to do on Thursday nights? Wanna see something you probably haven't seen before?

Come on out to Octane on Thursday night at 9:00 and watch a barista throwdown. What the hell is a barista throwdown?

Well, this is what baristas do for fun. They have latte art competitions. With rules. Money goes into a hat, winner takes all. It's hard to explain why it would be cool. But it is. So cool that Ripple is the Platinum Sponsor ( the Platinum Sponsor I say!) Here's a video of an impromptu one last Friday.

octane latte art throwdown from chemically imbalanced on Vimeo.

See an art form you probably didn't know existed, have a few beers, and watch the future rock stars, artists, and scientists of this century making the most of their college job.

Please, PLEASE let this catch on

2008-03-05T22:09:36-05:00

I would give huge bonus consideration points to anyone using this for their resume.

Failing with grace

2008-03-03T17:32:46-05:00

Michael Hyatt today wrote a great post about failure, how to get past it, and how to learn from it. Wisdom nugget of choice:

Once you acknowledge failure, you take away it’s power. You can then begin to turn it into something positive.

The hardest work thing I have ever done - Part II

2008-02-21T23:07:28-05:00

"We have got to get them to understand that this is important."

Someone said this in a managers meeting once, not too long ago. Well, actually, we had all said it at one point in time over the previous 14 months. About how we - The Managers - needed the get them - The Employees, to do something or other.

"When did they become 'them'?" someone asked.

My heart actually stopped. I knew right then that something was awry. We were not lean enough. Lean organizations are too busy fighting for The Cause to have a them.

And when I came upon the decision to make a management change (that's a euphemism for firing your friends) a few weeks later, I knew what Ripple 3.0 had to look like. It had to look like Ripple 1.0.

There is no them.

The hardest work thing I have ever done - Part I

2008-02-18T13:51:47-05:00

For those of you who are really in the know about Ripple, you know that I laid off three members of my management team about five weeks ago. Which is to say - almost all of my management team. Why?

Why would I let three people of their caliber get away? All three - passionate, smart, driven and loyal. Really the kind of folks you dream of hiring. All three great friends. All three the kind of person most aspire to be like.

The short version was cost, and the balance of producers with managers. We simply could not support so many managers, so many "departments" with so few people reporting to them. Everyone understood that at some level, and everyone was supportive of the decision, albeit sad - including the three folks on the losing end of the choice.

But the bigger question I ask is: How did I get here? How did I get to place where I had three people on my team that I could let go? Because we had no particular catastrophe; no big loss in revenues, no big jump in expenses, no one had screwed something up. We just got to an unsustainable place very slowly.

And upon reflection, it was the slowness. Ripple has been around a long time. Those folks had mostly worked here a very long time. And I tend to see people for what they deserve first, and what suits the company second (martyr alert!). That is the part of me that wants to develop people, which is, of course, the really fun part of the job.

Every one them deserved the job they had, the title they enjoyed, the salary they earned. The truth is - had I made a series of earlier hard decisions, I wouldn't have had one big hard decision later. We never had a need for all of the positions we had, but we had people that belonged in those positions. People I care about a great deal. People I had to look in the eye and fire - for no fault of their own.

Balancing fast growth with stability is a hard thing to do. I think I always understood the challenges of growing quickly- simply that it is a difficult endeavor, and that it requires a lot of energy, planning and effort. But people rarely talk about the downside of growing slowly. That people develop in their careers - and that they deserve to. But that energy has to be absorbed somewhere. Either in smart decisions... or in hard ones.

Test Post

2008-02-05T00:41:56-05:00

My lord. A blog post via email. Praise the Interwebs!

Rob and Julie Haag - Changing The World

2008-01-29T15:59:28-05:00

Rob and Julie Haag - and their son Michael on CNN (this is video) - making the world a better place. When I wrote about this 2 years ago, it made me proud to know the Haag's. It still does.

Atlanta #1 wireless city

2008-01-15T15:12:36-05:00

Per Forbes magazine.

When we started giving away WiFi 4 years ago, Atlanta wasn't even on the list. Lots of people chipping in to do their part. We're just happy to be on of them.

5 steps to saving lives (or your business)

2008-01-03T20:38:50-05:00

This is maybe the most important article I have ever read.

I'm not kidding. And I read a lot of articles.

This is an astonishing testimonial to the power of putting aside your pride and realizing that systems COMBINED with smarts is exponentially powerful.

The takeaway: Checklists prevent problems. Checklists for things we already think we are good at.

In this case, literally thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars were saved at just a handful of hospitals using a simple 5-point checklist - for stuff everyone already "knew."

The article is just plain interesting for it's own sake, but it also begs the question: What simple steps might we take that would save untold hours of time, and make dozens of clients happier, safer, and more productive?

The ATL

2007-12-11T14:21:06-05:00

December 11th. 72 degrees and sunny. Atlanta, GA. Summer is forgotten and forgiven. :)

Shameless Plea for Brilliant IT Peeps

2007-11-30T15:24:56-05:00

Hello Loyal Reader!

Ripple is looking for brilliant, experienced Service Engineers. And I, as shameless CEO, am putting the word out here. There is an official job description and everything.

Frightening Brand Extension

2007-11-20T09:40:41-05:00

Hot on the heels of this brand extension tour de force (The....drumroll please....Levi's Mobile Phone!), I'd like to announce that Ripple will be introducing a line of designer sausages just in time for the holidays.

How'd that cellphone move work out for Hummer, I wonder?

Another Voicemail Hater!

2007-11-15T18:21:36-05:00

Woohoo! One of these days the utopian world of no voicemail will be upon us! And then I shall exact my revenge!

Let's all save the world a collective 2 million seconds a day, and follow these guidelines.

A Most Unfortunate Brand Name...

2007-11-14T16:39:07-05:00

Mike

Where should this blog go?

2007-10-23T00:22:07-04:00

So I have been thinking a lot about this blog and what it should do, and where it should go.

I started this as a way to experiment, and collect my own thoughts. I thought a few friends would dig it maybe. But I'm not sure I am offering anything here that has much meaning. It seems to me that to provide real value to anyone a blog needs to be deep. As in: What am I an expert in that no one else is? What could someone learn from me? And how might that provide you (reader), and me (writer) some benefit? What would be interesting?

The only thing I am a true expert in is Ripple, my own company. At first blush I thought "is that boring?" Maybe it is. Or maybe it is damn interesting. I mean we watch TV shows about individual characters all the time. I love to watch a character develop. Warts and all. And a business is a huge culmination of characters. It is a massive boiling pot of values, ethics, compromises, risks, mistakes, fear, elation, second-guessing, and pure unadulterated passion. I have never had anything in my life teach me more lessons, test my values, or define my humanity like running Ripple. Maybe there is something to learn there for others. The idea would be to have a running dialog about Ripple, not just a positive spin type blog, or a place where we announce new products. You know, warts and all.

I feel like the pros are as follows:

People could really learn from my experience (it's interesting to try to understand why we as humans feel the need to give back - I'm glad we do, but it's interesting nonetheless).
Prospective clients and employees could get a meaningful window into what makes Ripple, and Mike Landman tick.
It could be an interesting way to demonstrate what we are great at.
When people see what the real motivators and values are behind Ripple they will be more understanding of us in general.
It could be a great feedback loop for clients, prospects and the world at large.

I feel like the cons are these:

People could come to see the mistakes and imperfections as weaknesses that make them want to work with another company.
Prospective clients and employees could get a meaningful window into what makes Ripple, and Mike Landman tick. :)
Competitors might leave armed with nifty information.

What do you think? Interesting? Just another CEO blog? Waste of time? I would love to get your input. Email or comment whatever you think.

And, before I forget: Thanks for all of your support to date. It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me so far.

Hey, I know! Change the world for the better.

2007-10-01T15:10:09-04:00

This professor, Randy Pausch, is the professor I always imagined all professors would be like when I got to college. Brilliant, interested, able to bring out the best in me. Inspiring. Better than me. Approachable. The reality is that very few professors are actually like this.

This is his last lecture as a professor. It is about how to realize your childhood dreams, how to help others realize theirs, and some lessons learned over his career spent doing both. It's 90 minutes long. I know, it seems really long. But if there were 500 more men like this in the world - even 5 more men like this in the world, the impact would be astonishing. We should all aspire to be like this man.

Oh, did I mention? He's going to be dead by Spring. He's 47. Yeah. It shouldn't matter, but it does. I will probably watch this 5 more times. Watch 9 minutes, then let me know if you were able to stop.

I had a few great professors while I was in school. But only one who really took an interest in me, one who I got to know. It was this man, Constantine Sedikides. So a little shout-out to you CS. Thanks. I often wonder if I would have finished school without you.

Thanks to Michael Arrington for the link.

Completely Failing Customers

2007-08-20T11:43:25-04:00

It's really astonishing how Microsoft is failing their customers. Here are two of Microsoft's biggest proponents absolutely SLAMMING Vista ( Jim Louderback is the Editor of PC Magazine, and Joel Spolsky is a famous developer that came from Microsoft). Even the box it comes in.

Rightfully so. Vista wasn't even close to being ready to ship. It probably won't be for 6 more months. Actually, it never will be. But the ecosystem that lives around Microsoft will eventually intervene and shore up the OS, because it will be forced to.

But how does this happen? How is it that companies with so much money and opportunity can get things so wrong? Is it hubris? Politics? Greed? I don't really know. But to spend 6 years and countless millions to produce something inferior to your last model is something even the American auto industry hasn't done. Sure, their improvements haven't kept pace, but they rarely go BACKWARD.

If you are huge and own the world, you can keep this up. For a while at least, because people feel they have no choice. If you don't own the world, this is not an option. You must make your product better - all of the time. Just to stay in business.

Come to Bierfest!

2007-08-15T12:51:27-04:00

Every year, Ripple sponsors the German Bierfest put on by The German American Chamber of Commerce. It is an awesome time. Here's a great commercial for it!

Funny Americans

Atlantic Station, Saturday August 25th. 2PM.

Official site

Octane and a Great Brand

2007-07-15T16:35:17-04:00

Probably the most succinct definition of what a brand is comes from Marty Neumeier in Zag. He says a brand is:

A person's gut feeling about a product, service or company.

I have always marveled at the completeness of the Octane brand. How perfectly Octane everything is. How authentically Octane everything is.

The Octane brand isn't really about the things often associated with "brand." They don't do much advertising or traditional marketing at all. It's all about...everything else. The people they hire, the art on the wall, the music playing overhead, the customers they choose to attract.

The thing about Octane is that you can tell what they are all about the first time you walk in. You know what it's like by simply talking to someone who works there. More often by someone who goes there. Octane passes the gut check.

The lesson about brand is universal. Your brand is what are, not what you say you are. More branding is done every time you hire someone than in a year of marketing communications and advertising. Marty gives a last piece of advice about building your brand that Tony and Diane knew before they even started:

(Your brand is) a strategic filter for questions like “What should we do? What should we make? Who should we make it for? Who should we hire? How should we behave?”

A culture of ass-kicking at Octane

2007-07-15T00:03:30-04:00

So I was talking to Ben, a barista at Octane, and he was explaining that he has passed the first phase of their new certification. He was pretty proud. As well he should be. Their certification is hard as hell. So I asked him "why do you do it? Do you get paid more?" I mean I knew he didn't, but I was curious his answer. "Because I want to be the best at what I do."

Almost everyone at Octane feels the same way. Inspired. Inspired to be the best. And that's just hard to do. Is it like that where you work? I know it isn't like that at most coffee shops I go to. At Octane it's in the culture.It makes it enjoyable to be a customer there, and as someone who finds businesses fascinating, I enjoy watching it unfold.

I used to think Tony and Diane were passionate people about their coffee shop. Then I thought they were good at finding people. Then I came to realize that they are gifted leaders. They set a vision, without a trace of doubt, to become to best coffee in the world, starting with the Southeast. They asked their people to get on board and they did.

Unwavering leadership and ass-kicking. Oh, and beer.

Broken Record (Industry)

2007-06-29T15:37:33-04:00

You ever notice that when broken model is in its last throes, it fights like a sad, defeated bully?

If you haven't, witness the record industry villainize an artist who dares to embrace the obvious shift in how music is changing. Prince wants to give away his music. More power to him.

The industry want nothing to do with it. They have a status quo to protect, even though they are the only ones that think it is still viable.

They will be joining an elite club that consists of: passenger trains, horse-drawn carriages, and communism.

Product Leadership At Octane

2007-06-27T12:35:06-04:00

So there is this dilemma that I think nearly all businesses go through. I know we did.

Giving the customer everything they ask for.

When Octane first opened, there was coffee. Then smoothies. Then sandwiches. Then super-large coffee. Then beer. Mixed drinks. I've heard people ask for breakfast, greeting cards, and shoes (seriously). At some point it got out of control and Octane was in danger of losing its essence.

Every customer suggestion should certainly be listened to - but not always acted upon. Octane concluded that it's hard to really stand for something when you're doing everything.

Tony and Diane decided that they would have product leadership. They canned huge coffees. Killed nearly all the Frappuccino ( sorry, "Coolant") flavors, and pared back the food menu. Smoothies are dead. Less beers, not more. They decided on product leadership, and with less than half the items they sold before, sales are up - not down.

Now, Octane invests in 2 things, best I can tell. Coffee excellence and beer excellence. Their baristas go through ridiculous amounts of training for both. They practice, experiment, and study coffee and beer. They eschew the compromise of huge portions which are in direct conflict with a perfect coffee or espresso drink. They resist the higher margins and numerous requests for Bud Light and Coors and margaritas.

As a customer, I'll admit I initially found it sort of frustrating. I mean I used to have my own sandwich. I wanted breakfast. Lord knows I would buy shoes there if they sold them. I hounded Tony mercilessly lobbying for what I wanted to see at Octane. Of course that's why it's product leadership. Leadership is never easy. But Octane led me to things they never could have otherwise, and I'm grateful for it. I'm more loyal now than I ever was. I talk about Octane more now than I ever did.

In the old world, businesses won by diversifying and expanding product lines. Big mattered. In the new world, it's just the opposite. Businesses win by kicking-ass.

Right Under My Nose

2007-06-10T23:17:04-04:00

So I have written about Octane several times here. But it occurred to me the other day that it really is an extraordinary business with a lot of lessons to teach any business. I learn from Octane all of the time. So I thought it might be fun to do a series on Octane, what I think makes it a great business, and in the process detail what any business can learn from it. Look for 5 posts over the next week or two to dig into Atlanta's favorite coffee shop.

** Disclaimer: I am wildly biased. The owners of Octane are two of my very closest friends, I am a runaway coffee snob, and I have spent easily 2000 hours at Octane since it opened in December of 2003. Of course that wild bias might just make things better. We'll see....

This Is Just Interesting

2007-06-09T12:44:17-04:00

Seth Godin has a thought provoking piece on voting and how technology has made many of the conventions we hold onto obsolete.

What Does Excellence Look Like?

2007-06-03T12:29:34-04:00

It looks like Octane.

My friends Tony and Diane started Octane less than 4 years ago. Octane is a cool coffee shop, in an up and coming neighborhood. They had a passion for design, style, and general hipness. And they made really good coffee and espresso. And you know what? That could be the whole story. I mean Octane is, by nearly anyone's standard, a runaway success. No one ever complained about the quality of the coffee, it was already the best in Atlanta.

But then excellence isn't about no complaints.

Tony and Diane decided, whatever the risks, that they were going to pursue excellence. And mind you, it *is* risky. Most people don't really know what coffee excellence entails. Coffee excellence means losing the ginormous serving sizes people have become accustomed to. It costs more money, and demands far higher standards from employees. And no one really knows if people even *want* coffee excellence. When Starbucks raised the coffee bar in the 90s, that may be as far as most people want or need it to go. It takes effort to discover what the next level is all about. People just simply might not want to expend the energy.

Of course excellence isn't about what people want.

Excellence is a pursuit all its own. People might want it. Somebody wants it of course. But is it enough people? Is it worth the cost? Tough to say. That's why it's risky. And that's why most people and companies don't even try. Starbucks stopped pursuing excellence 8 years ago. It's hard to say that they are not successful. Of course GM stopped pursuing excellence 40 years ago and it has brought them close to death.

Pursuing excellence isn't about commercial or financial success.

Pursuing excellence is really about demanding more from yourself. It's about knowing, at the end of the day, that you were able to do something few others have done, or even tried. It's about charting new ground and the feeling that goes with it. The nice thing is: you can have commercial success either way, so why not *also* choose excellence?

Seth Godin has a great little book out called The Dip, and it's all about excellence and what it takes to get there. Or, if you are in Atlanta, go to Octane and you can see it in person.

Customers Hate You

2007-05-31T10:25:06-04:00

If you use one of those phone trees that makes us "talk" out the tree options. HATE you.

Look, a voice tree is annoying enough, but when you make me speak out loud like an idiot ("one"..."four"... "Cleveland"... "CLEVELAND!"... "no"...."NO"...) in public, I am consumed with rage before I ever speak to anyone. This is not a great way to start an interaction with your customer.

So in an open plea to the IRS, Delta, every utility company ever, and anyone else out there that uses this ridiculous system (Comcast? are you listening???) - please stop. Every...single...customer that calls in totally hates this futile exercise and is holding it against you.

** Bonus hate points if after putting me through this humiliation gauntlet, you still don't know my account number**

**Disclosure: I am on the phone with the IRS as I type this. :)

Welcome! (I think you are probably a criminal)

2007-05-29T13:37:50-04:00

So I visited a friend's parents for Memorial Day, for an afternoon of grilling and such. They live in a lake community out in the country. It happens to be a gated community. After approaching the gate guard, explaining that we were on a list, and answering some questions, we were handed a slip of paper. It reads as follows:

Fairfield plantation is a private community. This access has been granted as a privilege by the Property Owners' Association. You should proceed directly to the address as noted on the reverse side and proceed directly back to the gate when your visit is concluded. Please obey ALL posted speed limits and other traffic regulations. Violation of these or failure to display this card may subject you to removal from property. This card is non-transferable and is good ONLY for the date(s) shown. Thank you for your cooperation.

The only thing missing was yellow armbands. I'm quite sure I spied some goose-stepping behind the guardhouse.

Other than being mildly entertaining, is there something to be learned here? Well...yes.

Here's the thing: Criminals are going to be criminals no matter what your blue piece of paper says. Litterbugs don't pay attention to signs, and the only people that will violate a "no solicitors" sign is solicitors. A mean warning does little to stop unwanted behavior, rather it serves to make people that would normally follow the rules want to break them.

It's no more effort to be nice. And it usually works better.

Alas, Someone Agrees With Me About Municipal WiFi

2007-05-22T21:17:37-04:00

The AP reports that municipal WiFi is going nowhere - fast.

"They are the monorails of this decade: the wrong technology, totally overpromised and completely undelivered," said Anthony Townsend, research director at the Institute For The Future, a think tank.

Just think! Someone who's in a think-tank agrees with me. Me!

I'll go out on another limb: BetaMax is doomed. You read it here first.

Anti-Positioning

2007-05-22T10:17:47-04:00

So crazy it just might work!

Well, no.

Charging for deliverables, not effort

2007-05-21T11:47:53-04:00

Here is something extraordinary: A hospital charging for results, not effort. Yep, surgery that works, guaranteed.

Ripple figured this out 4 years ago when we banned charging for time, and focused only on what our results should be. We're not perfect at it (yet), but everyone is aligned with the customer. Customers want less problems - not to get charged more money when problems occur.

What if attorneys worked like this? CPAs? Everyone?

Call Your Customers

2007-05-13T19:41:31-04:00

I received an email over the weekend from a client that had experienced service difficulty. An excerpt:

"I read your blog from time to time, a lot about conducting
good business, etc. Seriously Mike, when's the last time I've heard
from you...?"

Ouch.

When you read something and it stings? That's because it's true.

When we get busy, sometimes we ignore the important stuff. Spreadsheets are not the important stuff. Customers are.

If you are a client of ours, and you are reading this, expect to hear from me this week.

JM, if you are reading this - thanks for the wake-up call.

Crossroads at a startup

2007-04-25T09:24:46-04:00

A colleague forwarded me this story today. It's a great tale of crossroads at a startup. We have had many such moments here, although perhaps none so seminal. My favorite nugget:

"Hope is not a strategy."

A product I love - and how I was influenced into my bias

2007-04-04T12:58:39-04:00

There are 2 truths that I know of in the world for sure:

The gifts pharmaceuticals sales reps give to doctors influence the prescriptions they write.
I hate voice mail.

Here is how they are connected.

Gifts influence behavior and opinion.

First, for those of you who still hold out some hope that free pens couldn't possibly move your doctor (not MY doctor!) to favor one drug over another, read Influence. Specifically the chapter on reciprocity. Even seemingly innocuous gifts and perks have a huge impact.

Gifts influence behavior and opinion.

Well, I was recently hipped to a new service by Guy Kawasaki called SpinVox. Guy persuaded them to give away some free accounts and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of one. While SpinVox didn't solicit me or this blog directly, you are forewarned. I have been influenced. Don't trust me.

Ho. Ly. Crap.

This is the greatest service since vaccination. I am totally hooked and my life is changed. SpinVox intercepts all my cell phone voicemail and converts it to text. Then they either email it or send it via SMS. Sure, I can call in and listen to it if I want to - but I never want to. The transcription is near-perfect, and I get the message within a minute or 2 of the call. It is truly awesome. Go ahead. Call me! Leave me a message. Try to stump it. It's not easy.

Gifts influence behavior and opinion.

But seriously - wow.