Startup Minutia

Haven't read much on Hacker News about the daily minutia of running an online side business / startup at a "one man" shop.

But does this list of activities sound about right to you?

Jan 21, 2012|Permalink

Fotoblur Badge

This holiday season I've been spending some time developing some new features for Fotoblur. This widget allows any member to display a portion of their gallery on their own blog or website.

Jan 1, 2012|Permalink

How Startups use Propaganda

It can be difficult for start ups, competing in the same space, to differentiate themselves. I've always been fascinated by the tactics employed by some to do just that. This article reviews the use of card stacking, a propaganda technique that seeks to manipulate audience perception of an issue by emphasizing one side and repressing another.

Dec 19, 2011|Permalink

Why is StumbleUpon Stealing Your Google Analytics Data?

Something is wrong with this picture. StumbleUpon badges send your Google Analytics cookies back home.

Check out what I found when looking at the JavaScript dropped by StumbleUpon's share button.

Oct 27, 2011|Permalink

Social Interaction Tells Us We Exist

In our world, like it or not, we need each other to validate our own existence. We need to tell each other our ideas, our fears, our problems, and our occasional triumphs. It gives us reassurance and validation that our ideas are real, that we are real. Without this social feedback we lack the capability to understand our own existence.

Oct 25, 2011|Permalink

Hey You, Don't Waste Your Life

You won't get today back ever...EVER! Really think about that. Don't lie dormant. Your days are limited. Maybe you've got a week, a month, a year left. Then, life moves on without you.

Oct 14, 2011|Permalink

What Do You Stand For?

Apple inspires us to Think Different. Nike urges us to Just Do It. Sony says Believe that anything you imagine, you can make real. The common thread is successful companies believe in more than just creating stuff! They have a mission.

This story is how I came to learn the importance of having a mission.

Oct 7, 2011|Permalink

People Matter More Than Stats

Bragging about your website's stats, or how many new members you've signed up this week, or your latest press articles is cool, right?

I'm of the opinion that a website's traffic stats and member counts don't matter much unless you change people's lives. Change people's lives and you've made a difference.

Oct 5, 2011|Permalink

Laws of Productivity

If you think crunch times are a great idea, and working 12+ hour days plus weekends is commendable, then you might be interested in what corporations and scientific studies have reported on the subject.

Laws of Productivity: 8 productivity experiments you don't need to repeat

Sept 13, 2011|Permalink

How to Successfully Procrastinate

Work, work, work. Everyone I know is obsessed with it. People today are too concerned with how they can become more productive. What they really need to learn is how to successfully procrastinate.

Sept 3, 2011|Permalink

Attention to Detail

When details are perfected, a user experience can be quite enjoyable. For example, Apple's laptop sleep indicator mimics the rhythm of breathing which is psychologically appealing. Fine dining restaurants replace silverware between each course. Car dealerships wash your car after an oil change. Starbucks baristas remember your name. Attention to detail is everywhere.

July 28, 2011|Permalink

What You Don't Do

Sometimes it is what you don't do which defines you. It is the negative space that shapes your life.

It is the things you don't say, the decisions you don't make, the actions you don't take.

These things can set you apart from those that do.

July 20, 2011|Permalink

Followers are Paralyzed by Inaction

Few things feels worse then when your competition does something you recognize as a good idea. Possibly a worse feeling is when you had the same idea but didn't act on it.

We all have great ideas which break from the norm. However, for one reason or another, we usually don't act on them.

July 11, 2011|Permalink

Everything You Did This Week was Meaningless

How many things did you accomplished this week that meant a damn? Better yet, how would you even know?

If there was at least one, you are among the lucky few. Whatever that one thing was, learn how to repeat it and do it some more.

July 10, 2011|Permalink

Simpler is Better

The thought of less doing more, or better, is fascinating to me. Whether I’m writing code, designing a webpage, or writing this article, I remind myself, how can I make it simpler and still retain its core meaning and purpose.

I think it is because simpler is better. It is an intuition, a gut feeling.

July 10, 2011|Permalink

Focus Means Simplifying

When you have focus you get things done quicker and better. When you don’t you squander your time and efforts.

Focus provides clarity. With clarity, solutions to problems are found more easily and complexity is reduced.

Focus means simplifying.

July 10, 2011|Permalink

Change Your Mental Perspective

Sometimes you can improve your results by simply changing how you look at a situation. However, a mental perspective change on its own does nothing. The key is that by changing your mental perspective your actions will likely change to align with it. Not until your actions change will you see the results you are after.

July 1, 2011|Permalink

Companies Suffer from ADHD

In an ADHD company, disasters and crises constantly occur. Meetings get called and priorities are changed, often. Distractions are constant. Changes in planning, direction, and priority are the norm rather than the exception.

Do you work at an ADHD company?

June 30, 2011|Permalink

Do the Opposite

While doing the opposite I started to see that there were other ways of approaching a problem. The conscious effort to do something in an opposite way led to a different outcome, but an outcome which I knew I caused intentionally. Doing the opposite had the unexpected side effect of being in control.

June 27, 2011|Permalink