Dylan Bland's Blog

Lessons from Webstock

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:14:34 +1300

I don't usually go to conferences. Webstock 2012 was not only my first Webstock, but the first conference I've paid to attend.

It was great.

Above all else, Webstock does a brilliant job of inspiring you to do great work. The event itself is run to a super-high standard which infects and inspires both the speakers and the attendees. It sets the stage for brilliance. The execution of the basics is world class on every level. The web site, the communication with attendees, the programme, the ID tags, the goodie bag, the venue, the graphics to introduce the speakers, the guest speakers, and of course the all-important after party. Every detail was thought through and highly polished and it motivated everyone to step up.

I tend to avoid conferences because they don't feel like valuable work. By their very nature they pull you away from your desk (and in my case, my home city) and away from your focus. They distract you, and some people might say they even risk becoming a back-slapping exercise to remind ourselves we're all masters of the universe. But Webstock has taught me they have their place and I'll most certainly be back in 2013. It was truly refreshing to be sat at a table full of web geeks I'd never met, who cared about the things I cared about and really spoke a language I understood. I felt part of a club. It was a great energy and it was refreshing.

I read somewhere once (or perhaps I even heard it from one of the speakers) that you forget what people say and what people do, but you never forget the way people make you feel. The same is true of Webstock. To be honest I didn't walk away with pages and pages of notes or practical tips to rush and apply to my own projects (although I did pick up some). But that wasn't really the point. I came away feeling great and I met some fantastic people. Already I am busy making evil plans with people I met and hope that it's the beginning of some new and rewarding working relationships. That's what it's been about for me.

Which brings me to my final point. Webstock proves without a doubt that New Zealand is full of talented designers and developers with the motivation to do world-class work. But I'm truly surprised by how few actually use their skills to work on their own projects. I met lots of people with jobs and looking for jobs, but very few working on their own thing and loving it. And I think that's a shame. The guys at 37signals have banged on for a long time about how you don't need to quit your job or raise VC money to start your own thing, and how working for a couple of hours each night or in the weekend is sufficient to get something off the ground. Working on your own stuff doesn't mean throwing in your job and doesn't mean taking stupid risks. Matt Haughey taught a similar lesson at Webstock where he revealed he worked for years and years on MetaFilter and was happy if he made enough to cover the hosting bill. Building something and unleashing it on the world is a fantastic experience in itself, and you don't need anyone's permission to do it.

A big thanks to Tash and Mike for dreaming up and working hard on such an amazing event. I know they're proud of what they've created, and they should be. See you in 2013!

RIP Phillip Cottrell

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:44:25 +1300

I'm saddened by the news this week that Phillip Cottrell died of the injuries he sustained from an assault walking home from his regular shift as a journalist at Radio NZ in Wellington. While details of the attack remain sketchy, Police have revealed that Phillip was a quiet, unassuming man who died for the sake of a few dollars taken along with his wallet.

It was also revealed that he had a degenerative bone condition, or "brittle bones".

As someone who lives with the same condition (I don't know Phillip's exact diagnosis) I feel especially moved by this tragedy. Over the years I've experienced dozens of broken bones including arms, legs and vertebrae…mainly from simple falls that most people get up and walk away from.

I can appreciate first-hand the terror Phillip must have felt as his attackers approached him. He stood no chance of defending himself, and would have known his fate before the first blow hit his fragile body. I wonder whether he pleaded for his life.

Phillip's death serves as a reminder to everyone that our actions often cause unintended consequences. Police have labelled this a murder, but chances are the attackers never meant to kill him. I don't say this to excuse what they did (any assault of any kind is inexcusable) but rather to highlight they probably had no idea of his condition and that their blows would prove fatal. They've probably assaulted dozens of people before, with their victims barely making the back page.

Unfortunately this time, they chose the wrong target.

"Treating others as you'd like to be treated" is a worthy philosophy in which to live your life, but I wonder whether it goes far enough. We're not all equal, and we're not all strong in the same way. Whether it be verbal abuse, seemingly innocent name-calling, bullying, physical assault or anything in between, we need to be mindful that not everyone is as strong as we think they are. Some people wear their weakness, or their difference, on their sleeve. Other people bury it deep within.

RIP Phillip Cottrell.

It was also revealed that he had a degenerative bone condition, or "brittle bones".

I can appreciate first-hand the terror Phillip must have felt as his attackers approached him. He stood no chance of defending himself, and would have known his fate even before the first blow hit his fragile body. I wonder whether he pleaded for his life. They broke his arm, his neck and crushed his skull.

Phillip's death serves as a reminder to everyone that our actions often cause unintended consequences. While Police have labelled this a murder, chances are the attackers never meant to kill him. I don't say this to excuse what they did (any assault of any kind is inexcusable) but rather to highlight they probably had no idea of his bone condition and that their blows would prove fatal. They've probably assaulted dozens of people before, with their victims barely making the back page of the local paper.

Unfortunately this wasn't the case for Phillip. Unfortunately this time, they chose the wrong man to beat up.

"Treating others as you'd like to be treated" is a worthy philosophy in which to live your life, but I wonder whether it goes far enough. We're not all equal, and we're not all strong in the same way. Whether it be verbal abuse, emotional abuse, name-calling, bullying, physical assault or anything in between, we need to be mindful that not everyone is as strong as we think they are. Not everyone is as strong as we are. Not everyone wears their weaknesses on their sleeve.

RIP Phillip Cottrell. My thoughts go to you, your friends and your family.

It's not 1999 any more

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:50:05 +1300

Lance Wiggs blogged yesterday on Air New Zealand auctioning themselves to the lowest bidder. I added my own thoughts in the comments, but I thought I'd take a moment to explain why I think Trade Me is wrong to assume they will continue to be the default venue of choice forever and ever amen.

Trade Me works because it has the greatest number of buyers and sellers. If you want to sell something (e.g. a heater) you want to sell it in the marketplace with the greatest number of people looking to buy a second hand heater (Trade Me). If you're looking to buy a second hand heater, you want to shop in the marketplace with the greatest number of second hand heaters for sale (Trade Me). It's a "winner takes all" cycle that's difficult to break and it's allowed companies like Trade Me and eBay to remain dominant for over a decade despite their relative lack of innovation compared to would-be competitors.

But the thing about auctions, is that you only need two people to want it badly enough to achieve a fair market price (add a Buy Now, and you only need one). In the case of Air New Zealand auctioning international airfares for $1 reserve, there will be no shortage of people willing to suffer the pain of taking 30 seconds to sign up to a new site in order to place a bid. It's worth it, and Air NZ wouldn't be choosing alternative venues year after year if it wasn't working for them.

And this leads me to my second point. Trade Me is often considered the default venue for selling just because it has the highest volume of traffic. This is a lazy argument. It's qualified traffic that really matters. You don't need millions of visits a month to sell a handful of airfares at $1 reserve. Likewise you don't need millions of visits a month to be Mighty Ape and sell more copies of a new release videogame than Trade Me or any other NZ retailer. People might not visit Mighty Ape to buy a second hand heater, but they'll visit to buy a copy of Skyrim or Battlefield 3.

You just need to look at how specialist e-commerce platforms are destroying eBay's core business in the USA to realize that the world is different today than it was a few years ago. Customers have billing relationships with multiple e-commerce providers, and finding them is just a click away thanks to Google and Facebook. In fact, the way Facebook allows e-commerce providers to leverage the social graph and instantly build trust is eroding the network effect advantage that eBay and Trade Me have enjoyed for over a decade. In 2010 you can build a new site and fill it with customers much more quickly than you could back in 2005 or 1999.

Trade Me may indeed still be a better fit for Air NZ, but it would be arrogant to assume that's because Trade Me has more traffic. Air NZ don't need Trade Me's natural traffic to run a successful auction, and that argument flows through to a growing number of vendors who are looking to start selling online.

Trade Me works for most people because it has the greatest number of buyers and sellers. If you want to sell something (e.g. a heater) you want to sell it in the marketplace with the greatest number of people looking to buy a second hand heater (Trade Me). If you're looking to buy a second hand heater, you want to shop in the marketplace with the greatest number of second hand heaters for sale (Trade Me). It's a "winner takes all" cycle that's difficult to break and it has allowed companies like Trade Me and eBay to remain dominant for over a decade despite their relative lack of innovation compared to would-be competitors.

But the thing about auctions, is that you only need two people to want it badly enough to achieve a fair market price (add a Buy Now, and you only need one). In the case of Air New Zealand auctioning international airfares for $1 reserve, there will be no shortage of people willing to suffer the pain of taking 30 seconds to sign up to a new site in order to place a bid. With Facebook Connect - you can now sign up to site with a single click. It's worth it, and Air NZ wouldn't be choosing alternative venues year after year if it wasn't working for them.

And this leads me to my second point. Trade Me is often considered the default venue for selling just because it has the highest volume of traffic. This is a lazy argument. It's qualified traffic that really matters. You don't need millions of visits a month to sell a handful of airfares at $1 reserve. Likewise you don't need millions of visits a month to be Mighty Ape and sell more copies of a new release videogame, DVD or Blu-ray than Trade Me or any other NZ retailer. People might not visit Mighty Ape to buy a second hand heater, but they'll visit by the truck load to buy a copy of Skyrim or Battlefield 3.

You just need to look at how specialist e-commerce platforms are destroying eBay's core business in the USA to realize that the world is different today than it was in 1999. Customers have billing relationships with multiple e-commerce providers, and finding them is just a click away thanks to Google and Facebook. In fact, the way Facebook allows e-commerce providers to leverage the social graph and instantly build trust is eroding the network effect advantage that eBay and Trade Me have enjoyed for over a decade. In 2010 you can build a new site and fill it with customers much more quickly than you could back in 2005 or 1999.

On procrastination

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:13:38 +1200

I've pondered recently the true impact of procrastination and come to realize the real problem isn't that you get less done by procrastinating, it's that you're less happy during the time you spend avoiding doing something unpleasant.

Consider for a moment the prospect of going to the gym. Few of us actually look forward to going. It's uncomfortable and quite frankly, boring. Promise yourself you'll go in the evening, and you'll spend most of the day dreading the thought of actually going. Your mind will wander, you'll complain to other people and wind up being less happy throughout the day than you might otherwise have been.

The same applies to most anything unpleasant. Filing a tax return, having an uncomfortable conversation, doing the dishes, finishing an assignment and so on. There's no doubt you'll wind up doing all of these things anyway, you'll just make yourself unhappy thinking about it beforehand.

And that's the huge irony. Those who procrastinate inevitably wind up investing exactly the same amount of time doing something unpleasant compared to those who don't. Tax returns take the same amount of time to file no matter when you file them. The difference being those who file early won't worry about it while they're suppose to be enjoying a night off.

As someone who's always asked for the good news before the bad, I think I've finally woken up to how the other half live.

Shane Bradley on Grab One and secrets to success

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:30:00 +1200

New Zealanders aren't usually ones to blow their own trumpet, so I'm making it my business to talk to some of our less-known industry leaders and gain insight into how they got to where they are today. First up is Grab One founder, Shane Bradley.

In case you've been living in a cave for the past year, Grab One - founded by 33 year old Shane Bradley - rose quickly to become New Zealand's #1 daily deal coupon site (65% market share), despite being third into the market and up against some deep-pocketed competitors including Trade Me, Mediaworks, and US-based Groupon and Living Social.

By all accounts the site is a run-away success, having recently sold $500,000 worth of coupons in a single day, and with a growth curve not seen on a kiwi web site this side of Trade Me. So, how did he do it? And more importantly, what lessons can be learned and applied by other up-and-coming Kiwi entrepreneurs?

Like so many "overnight successes" Shane's rise to the top didn't actually happen over night. Shane's been chipping away on various web projects for 7 years - first with his gumtree-inspired classified site Finda (now a fully-fledged business directory, later sold to APN and then Yellow Pages Group) and more recently his online auction site Sella. His tendency to set lofty goals combined with a courageous willingness to change course quickly has created the foundation for where he is today. "Don't be afraid to make mistakes and change things as you go along. Set a goal and work backwards from there. Do whatever it takes."

Shane's eagerness to knock off something big probably has a lot to do with who he looks up to. When asked who his heroes are he's quick to rattle off the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Ernest Rutherford and Graeme Hart. Curiously absent from his list are the usual tech-inspired suspects such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Although not afraid to get is hands dirty (whilst on his OE in the UK, Shane setup a maintenance business and taught himself how to do all sorts of jobs including electrical, building and plumbing work) Shane is not a designer, doesn't know "a thing about coding" and doesn't even consider himself overly technical.

A numbers guy (his ability to pull specific dates, facts and figures was quickly apparent during our interview) with a passion for helping small businesses, it seems almost natural that he finds himself running Grab One and helping other business owners to be more successful. "When I was in the UK, no body came to me and told me how they could help my business, especially online. Lots of small business owners don't even know how to use the Internet. That might change with the next generation, but there are still big opportunities for the likes of Grab One to come in there and make a measurable difference. We treat businesses right. We're there to help merchants run their business better."

Grab One's strategy in the local market was to come in hard and fast. The site was built in just 4 weeks (probably less time than most people take to write a business plan) after Shane burst into the office one morning and ordered everyone to stop working on Sella and "starting working on this new thing". With a small team of just seven people, they churned out the site and kicked off with a (revolutionary at the time) $4 movie ticket deal that saw over 35,000 New Zealanders sign up to the site in the first day. "We pretty much knew we were number one from day dot, and since then we've become obsessed about tracking our competitors and making sure we hold our position. We track religiously, and we've held our market share as the market has grown. Every day I wake up and give a shit. It's our game to lose and we've only just begun." Another key factor to Grab One's explosive growth has been social networking, and in particular Facebook. "Four or five years ago, you or I might have shared something cool with two or three people by email. These days its much easier to share it with two or three hundred people via Facebook."

When quizzed on the threat of being gobbled up by offshore mega-businesses like Groupon and Living Social, Shane admits that, like most other #1 deal sites around the globe, to having been contacted by lots of them. "They kind of present deals in a take-it-or-leave-it kinda way, which didn't really work for us. This business isn't just a technology race, and will require solid person-to-person relationships with people on the ground. They're unlikely to have three sales people down in the likes of Tauranga and we're confident we're building long-lasting relationships with our merchants."

Biggest regrets? Not having entered the Australian market earlier. "If we'd setup the same thing over there as we did here, we'd literally be five time as big." This is a lesson often learned the hard way by Kiwi entrepreneurs, and not one that will be repeated by Bradley who plans to launch any future project on both sides of the Tasman at the same time. When asked about the lure of setting up a global company from the heart of Silicon Valley, Shane doesn't see the attraction or the need to be based there, preferring to stay loyal to the emerging technology scene in Auckland, New Zealand. "Auckland is fast becoming an attractive place to live for web and technology guys. Wellington has some great businesses such as Trade Me and Xero, but I'm noticing a slight gravitation toward Auckland. It was interesting that Peter Thiel spoke in Auckland, not Wellington recently."

Shane, now a father to two girls, has plenty to offer in the way of advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps. Having dropped out of both high school and a University MBA, he believes people should find what they love and what they're passionate about, and not be afraid to change their mind as they go along. He believes University is the right place for some people, but not others, and when it comes to his own girls, will support them in whatever path they take so long as "they love what they do and they do it well." "When I was a kid I used to help my parents in their own businesses with accounts, sale and purchase agreements, setting up their computers and the like. I loved it. It's important to give kids and young people the freedom to do what they want to do. Don't tell your 7 year old boy to play rugby if he's interested in sailing. Don't tell your 7 year old girl she has to play netball. I tried everything and started wanting to be an architect. Now I find I love building businesses not buildings."

When looking to partner with new people or make an investment, Shane believes people should spend "less time reading Techcrunch, less time talking and more time getting out there building a product. Create a plan and start executing it. Don't just come to the table with an idea that you think is worth a billion dollars." Clearly someone who values networks and deep relationships, Shane is also far more willing to work with people he's known for at least a few years, perhaps a hint young entrepreneurs should spend more time creating relationships for the long-term. "I get cold calls all the time, and about once a month I agree to hear a pitch just to remind myself why I don't want to do business that way. I prefer working with people I know and trust. People I know are at home working on their idea in the weekend rather than throwing together a presentation before hitting the mountain for a bit of skiing."

His long-standing relationship with media company APN (a 50% partner in Sella and Grab One - later increased to 75%) also bears a striking resemblance to these qualities, describing his relationship as "pretty damn cool" with an obvious appreciation of the personal connection he built with their senior management team, relationships Shane believes he would have been unlikely to cultivate had he partnered with a much bigger media company. "They were and are the perfect size. They've been with me every step of the way and I've learned a lot."

During my brief chat with Shane it was hard not to get swept up by his enthusiasm. He talks faster than anyone I've ever met and his iPad chimed at least 20 times with new emails. Having myself received a couple of emails from Shane before I'd even made it home, I'd be willing to bet he replied pretty damn fast too. And that really sums up the kind of person Shane Bradley is, a maturing businessman with deep experience but with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that belongs to a more naive 20-something fresh out of high school. It's a powerful combination, and one we'd all do well to keep an eye on in the future.

Know another Kiwi success story just waiting to be told? Get in touch.

Trade Me valuation and future threats

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:48:58 +1200

Recent news that Fairfax may float part of the Trade Me business they acquired in 2006 has led some Internet commentators to speculate the auction giant may now be worth much less than the NZ$750 million they paid in 2006.

Unlikely.

Online auctions may be yesterday's news, but in a "Web 2.0" Internet where many ventures remain cool but wildly unprofitable, Trade Me continues to truck on and generate upward of NZ$80 million per year in earnings for Fairfax - and growing.

If we apply the same earnings multiple used by Fairfax in 2006 to Trade Me's 2010 performance the business would now be worth around NZ$1.2 billion. This is a realistic valuation, especially compared to the dizzy heights reached by Linkedin earlier this month when it achieved a US$8 billion market valuation from profit of just US$15 million - a multiple of over 500. Sure, a company's only worth what someone's prepared to pay for it, but in today's environment, off the back of current earnings, I'd bet it's worth a lot more than the original NZ$750 million paid by Fairfax.

So what are the threats to Trade Me's long-term earning potential? Probably not a lot.

Competitors come and go (learnt that the hard way - doh), technologies evolve and improve, but the network effects required to create a successful online marketplace remain difficult to crack (sellers prefer to sell in the marketplace with the greatest number of buyers, and buyers prefer to shop in the marketplace with the greatest number of items for sale. Getting the two to happen at the same time whilst existing in the shadow of Trade Me, is hard).

When we launched Zillion back in 2005 we learned that it takes more than a shiny new web site to topple Trade Me - and I don't think much has changed. If there's one difference, perhaps it's Facebook. Facebook provides a unique opportunity to grow networks and connections at an unprecedented rate. At Mighty Ape we're acquiring "fans" at the rate of between 400-500 per day and will likely exceed 100,000 before the end of the year. Leveraging the social graph, it's now much easier for people to recommend new sites and services to their friends, and hook them in. Just look at the explosive growth of Facebook-enabled sites like Groupon and local guys GrabOne to see the evidence of that (great deals, often subsidised, helps too of course). There's likely an opportunity there for emerging auction and classified sites - but it will require quality execution in other important areas such as product design, brand, customer service and so on.

Perhaps the question is not "how to topple Trade Me" but "how to build a business as good as Trade Me". Trade Me is built on the back of people selling stuff. It's transactional, and auctions are but one way of achieving that. In the early 2000s Trade Me was the logical place to look to buy something - they were the only game in town. These days you're increasingly more likely to search Google and buy directly from savvy online retailers. It's never been easier.

Times are a-changing, but provided Trade Me keep up with emerging technology, retain key talent and its potential new owners don't get greedy and abuse the site's near-monopoly position - the auction/classified game is still Trade Me's game to lose.

What do you think?

Make small deposits

Sun, 22 May 2011 16:58:26 +1200

Small deposits are an investment in our future, and made often enough, they can add up to something big.

We all know about deposits in a monetary sense, but deposits can be just about anything: a small favour for a friend, consistently arriving early to work, doing little things to show your partner you care, remembering your friend's birthday, answering a call for help from a colleague, always replying to email in a timely manner, checking in with family and friends who live outside your weekly routine, paying your bills on time, going out of your way to do small favours for customers, being punctual to appointments and so on and so forth.

Life is a lot easier for people who consistently make small deposits, and equally difficult for those who don't. Favours are more willingly given to friends who help friends. Employers are more flexible with time off for errands or illness when employees are punctual or have been generous with their own time. Colleagues are more likely to have your back in a tight situation if you've previously helped them in kind. Friends and partners can forgive tardiness or forgetfulness if you've been consistently thoughtful and made time in the past. Customers forgive screw ups if you have previously demonstrated attention to detail and good service.

Cut yourself some slack. Make small deposits.

The thing about small deposits is they add up to something big and you get to cash them in. Life is a lot easier for people who consistently make small deposits, and equally difficult for those who don't. Favours are more willingly given to friends who help friends. Employers are more flexible with time off for errands or illness when employees are punctual or have been generous with their own time. Colleagues are more likely to have your back in a tight situation if you've previously helped them in kind. Friends and partners can forgive tardiness or forgetfulness if you've been consistently thoughtful and made time in the past. Customers forgive screw ups if you have previously demonstrated attention to detail and good service.

Cut yourself some slack. Make small deposits.

How to raise $1000

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:11:57 +1200

The 40 Hour Famine has moved into the 21st century and delivered a master class on how to set goals and achieve them.

Door knocking for sponsors? Gone. Hand-written sponsorship booklets? Gone. Collecting your earnings? Yup, that's gone too.

Replacing all of that is your own personal web page that proudly displays exactly how much money you're aiming to raise. Friends and family can see your goal, and sharing the link via email, Facebook and Twitter makes getting the word out easier than ever. Payments are collected online and sponsors and would-be sponsors can track your progress in real time. Brilliant.

Goals have a funny way of framing expectations. I've set the lofty goal of raising $1,000 for the famine, and in less than a week I've already raised over $800. Would I have raised $800 had my goal been just $100? I doubt it. I'd probably have seen donations of $2 and $5 in place of the $10, $20, $40, $100 and $200 donations I've been lucky enough to receive. Turns out I have some very generous friends.

A big "thanks" to everyone who has donated to my famine, and a "well done" to the organizers for creating a fantastic fundraising platform that leverages both technology and human psychology. At time of writing I'm still $115 short of my goal so if you'd like to help me raise money for kids and families less fortunate than us, I'd really appreciate your support. My famine starts on 27 May. Follow me on Twitter for updates on how I get on.

Volunteers vs. employees vs. politicians

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:25:52 +1200

Paul Watson is one of the most passionate animal rights activists alive today, and this short video beautifully illustrates why he's so effective. He really understands human nature and what motivates people.

Understanding motivation is key to putting together a great team. Paul chooses volunteers over employees because employees are often motivated by money, not passion or a strong belief in the cause. Paul weeds these people out by removing money from the equation completely. This is a great insight for business owners. Paying high salaries isn't necessarily going to attract the best candidates.

Most individuals and organizations are motivated by profit. Every time Paul disrupts a whale hunt he denies the whalers of income selling the whale meat. When the costs of whaling exceed the income, whaling ends. The same principle applies elsewhere. Buying McDonalds isn't smart if you believe factory farming is wrong. Treat your dollar as a vote and choose carefully.

Laws and regulations are only enforced if there's a political or economic gain. Democracy is a popularity contest and politicians are constrained by the need to win votes and secure the appropriate financial resources to secure re-election. Organizations and individuals that operate outside of this paradigm can sacrifice popularity in favour of getting the job done.

The risk of multi-purpose devices

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:11:32 +1300

Our lust for multi-purpose devices has reached fever-pitch. Even an Amazon Kindle is seen as redundant when "an iPad can do all that, and more!" A telephone is no longer a device you exclusively use to speak on, or even communicate with. It's now a phone, a camera, an email client, a web browser, a GPS, a compass, a map, a gaming console, a social media-platform and a computer. And not necessarily in that order either.

It's great, right? Or is it...

The problem with a multi-purpose device is that you're never quite sure what you should be doing with it. Am I sitting at my computer to work, or to read the news? Am I using my iPad to read a book and learn something new, or browse Facebook and chat with my friends? Am I reaching for my iPhone to communicate, or am I just avoiding talking with the people I'm already with? Unless you have amazing self-discipline (and most people don't) it's actually really difficult.

Gone are the days when you knew that if you sat down at your computer, it was time to work. When you picked up your Gameboy, it was time to play. When you knew that if you lay in bed with a book it was time to unwind, read and open your mind. When you knew that if you were five minutes early for a meeting it was time to just be still and mentally prepare.

Aside from the obvious technical benefits of single-purpose devices (E Ink on Kindle, 3D on Nintendo 3DS, reception on a Nokia - j/k) they can also lead to clarity of mind and focus. Their lack of features may in fact be their killer feature. Fewer features means fewer distractions, and fewer distractions means more time focused on what you originally set out to do.

Perhaps this is why so many people refuse to work from home and invest in an off-site office. Perhaps we're learning this valuable lesson all over again.

Talent only gets you so far

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:50:04 +1300

Natural talent is overrated. What's really required is a lot of hard work.

I've had the good fortune to work with some very talented people, both professionally and in my capacity as a musician. However in every case it's wound up being hard work and putting in the hours to gain experience that ultimately got them to where they are today.

We're all born with unique talents, and as children it's easy to identify the especially talented and raise them up on a pedestal. We can all remember the kid at school who could play grade 8 piano at age 9, or who consistently came first in the school cross-country.

Things get more interesting in your twenties and as you enter adulthood. Suddenly you're competing with less talented people who've simply put in the hours and wound up being better than you. Play the guitar for an hour every night for ten years and you'll get really good. Add to that a pleasant personality and the ability to relate to people and you'll be invited to join a band and get hired for gigs. The same applies to web design, cooking, running, writing, public speaking, driving, tennis or simply being a good friend.

Of course, things get really interesting when you combine natural talent with a lot of hard work. That's when superstars are born. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Dan Carter, Helen Clark, Mozart, Bach, Russel Coutts, Michael Schumacher, Peter Jackson all displayed signs of their talent at a young age, but are also among the most hard working people you'd care to know.

Before writing-off the success of others as pure luck, God-given talent, family connections, financial good-fortune or whatever else you care to attribute it to, consider that high achievers are often the ones quietly doing the hard yards to do whatever it takes to be the very best in their field.

It's okay to screw up

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:20:13 +1300

Despite our best intentions, from time to time we all screw up. Sometimes badly. The same is true in business.

Flights are delayed, the wrong packages are sent out, appointments are double-booked, wrong amounts are invoiced, an incompatible product is recommended and so on. If you're busy and constantly pushing the boundaries, screw ups are inevitable.

While mistakes should be kept to a minimum, great service is oftentimes about how you respond when they happen.

Tonight I went out for dinner with my friend Philip, and my meal took 40 minutes to arrive. This was fine, but Philip's took took a whole hour longer than that. I'd finished my long black and was ready to go home before he'd even taken his first bite. The restaurant wasn't busy, it was an expensive meal (you're paying for the service), and the whole experience was painful.

I don't know what was going on in the kitchen, but I'm willing to consider someone had fallen ill and they were understaffed. Perhaps the oven blew up. Perhaps someone was just having a bad day and needed to be cut a break. Or perhaps they just didn't know what they were doing.

The key point is that I don't know what happened because I was never told. There was no communication and no meaningful apology. Philip and I mused on the way home that the whole experience would have been absolutely fine (rumbling tummies aside, we enjoyed the extra time catching up) had we been told what was going on. Perhaps they could have offered us a glass of wine while we waited (they didn't), perhaps they could have put some bread on the table while we waited (they didn't) and perhaps they could have apologised and offered us a discount off the final bill so we might consider coming back (they didn't). An opportunity to turn around a pretty bad screw up, missed!

Given half a chance, most people are pretty reasonable and willing to forgive genuine mistakes. The trick is to communicate clearly and then do everything in your power to put it right.

Social Blogging

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:32:47 +1300

Today Facebook revamped the commenting plugin and I've decided to give it a whirl.

I was forced to delete my existing seven (!) comments to make way for the new system, but I'm keen to jump in and see what it's all about. Who knows, maybe we'll look at adding more social plugins to Mighty Ape in the future.

Ignoring some minor visual tweaks, the plugin only took a few minutes to implement.

Benefits for readers:

Assuming you're signed into Facebook (and who isn't?) you can now comment without entering your name, email address or fumbling your way through a captcha;
Comments made by your friends will float to the top of the commenting section;
Your comment now appears on your Facebook wall (you can opt-out of this) to encourage your friends to engage; and
Replies to your comments placed on blogs will also appear on your Facebook wall.

Benefits for publishers:

Comments are now linked to real people. No more anonymous trolls (sadly, one of my seven comments fell into this category) or comment spam;
Increased traffic to your blog via wall posts on Facebook; and
Replies to comments on Facebook walls will also be mirrored on your blog. This is gold, as your blog benefits from activity on Facebook.

I think Facebook commenting is a big win for bloggers and will result in more comments, more traffic and more readers. The only negative is that your commenting data sits on Facebook and readers who don't have a Facebook account can't submit a comment. I understand both of these issues will be addressed in a future update.

UPDATE: if Facebook is blocked at your workplace you may run into problems commenting on blogs. This may actually be a fairly significant problem for many people.

The truth about human nature

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:54:35 +1300

We're brought up to believe it's a dog eat dog world out there. Today's horrific events in Christchurch prove otherwise.

United in grief, New Zealanders and countless others from around the world, come together to show compassion, concern, generosity, bravery, selflessness and above all, love.

This is our true nature and we should never forget it.

On Whitcoulls and Borders

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:21:51 +1300

News broke today that book chains Whitcoulls and Borders have been placed under voluntary liquidation in Australia and New Zealand.

Did the first domino fall? Is the digital revolution upon us? Will this lead to the demise of bookstores all around the country?

Possibly. Far more likely, though, is the large book chains down-under can no longer take the heat from online stores offering a much broader range of books at more competitive prices. On top of this, both Borders and Whitcoulls have been under siege on the high street too, competing with The Warehouse and new entrants JB Hi-Fi in DVDs, Blu-ray and Music.

Over the course of the next decade it's inevitable that digital books will replace traditional books for many people, but we're a long way off that, at least in New Zealand. iBooks is hugely lacking in content, and I only know two friends who own an Amazon Kindle. On the other hand, everyone I know reads books, gives books at Christmas, has books on the coffee table and cookbooks in their kitchen. This won't change any time soon.

It's not all bad news for your neighbourhood bookstore either. Australian author John Birmingham puts forward a compelling argument for the return of small, independently owned bookstores. The type of store you might visit while travelling overseas, or spend an hour or two on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

At the end of that process [the transition to digital] I would expect to see most of the chains gone, but many of our much loved independent bookstores will still be with us, doing what they do very well now. Providing a bespoke service, with a lot of hand selling of small-print-run, high-value books as part of a complete retail experience.

What does that mean? It doesn’t mean sticking Gloria Jeans in the middle of your bookshop hoping that people will buy shitty books along with the shitty coffee. But it might mean something like my local bookstore, which is also a restaurant and cafe, and a really lovely place just to hang out for a couple of hours. It’s deeply embedded in the local community and appreciated - not just for the books it sells, but the amenity brings to the neighbourhood.

At the end of that process I would expect to see most of the chains gone, but many of our much loved independent bookstores will still be with us, doing what they do very well now. Providing a bespoke service, with a lot of hand selling of small-print-run, high-value books as part of a complete retail experience.

What does that mean? It doesn’t mean sticking Gloria Jeans in the middle of your bookshop hoping that people will buy shitty books along with the shitty coffee. But it might mean something like my local bookstore, which is also a restaurant and cafe, and a really lovely place just to hang out for a couple of hours. It’s deeply embedded in the local community and appreciated - not just for the books it sells, but the amenity brings to the neighbourhood.

Digital books are not to blame for the demise of Whitcoulls and Borders. The internet is, and the rising expectations of book lovers. We might be a dying breed, but we're not gone yet.

An ode to the paperback

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:45:26 +1300

Earlier this year Lance Wiggs blogged about The challenge for Fishpond and presented a well thought out arguement for the eventual death of the bookstore, online or otherwise, at the hands of electronic devices such as the iPad and Kindle.

Given time, Lance may well be proved right, but until that time comes I will continue to buy, own and collect paperback and hardback books, and I bet I'm not the only one.

Back in 2001, migrating my entire CD collection to my iPod was a compelling proposition. Finally I could hit the gym or hit the road with my entire music collection in my pocket. It rocked because I could shuffle between my favourite songs quickly, and I was no longer restricted to a single album.

Books are different. I only read one or two books at a time. I don't need my entire book library in my pocket. In addition to enjoying the reading of books, I also gain a lot of pleasure from physically owning books. My books are proudly displayed on my book shelf and serve as subtle cue to visitors that there's more to me than TV and PlayStation. They also serve a decorative function in my apartment. Friends visit, conversations are started, ideas are shared and books are lent out.

Do the iPad and Kindle have a place in my life? Of course. But like the death of the manual transmission, something will be lost in the relentless drive toward convenience and effeciency and I'm not ready to give that up.

Become customer-focused

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:09:43 +1300

At Mighty Ape we're proud to be a customer-focused company that's willing to do whatever it takes to make customers happy.

The warehouse team is measured by its ability to deliver on our promise of same-day shipping of in-stock orders. Our development team scramble at 3am if the web site goes down and constantly respond to suggestions and insights from our customers. Send Mighty Ape a message and you can rate the helpfullness of the reply from our customer service team, and we value this above call and message volume.

In addition to the obvious benefit of generating more business for Mighty Ape, the unexpected payoff from this is that making our customers happy makes us happy too. Receving fan mail is huge part of what makes Mighty Ape such a fun place to work.

I'm surprised at how many companies continue to adopt the opposite approach. Call centres that leave you on hold for 45 minutes and fail to solve your problem. Telcos that hide behind contracts and fine print rather than doing the right thing. In today's world of Twitter and Facebook, expensive advertising/brainwashing will only get you so far, and chances are you're creating a shitty place to work, too.

Good service may take a little longer and require a bit more effort, but the rewards both short-term and long-term are there to be seen.