Great Video on Google+

Why Google should not let businesses on Google+

In a few weeks Google is planning to open up Google+ to businesses to setup their own accounts. On Facebook these are called Pages. Essentially differentiating between a person and a business. Unless those guys have thought of something that defies the laws of social media degradation and has had Tom from MySpace on speed dial during development ... I think this is a big mistake to let business ruin Google+.

Please Google....don't let businesses on Google+.

Based on my experience with facebook, most businesses do not understand that over-posting doesn't make people want to trade in their gold..it only makes people hate you. I am not sure what makes businesses think that posting impersonal shout outs on everyone's wall is a sure fire way to get people to pile into your store. Unfortunately there are some businesses that do follow netiquette and try to engage their followers with meaningful messages that suffer because of all the noise created by spammers.

Facebook tries to minimize the abuse and noise by making businesses create pages and not profiles. Of course people abuse that too....but for the most part Facebook can manage your stream and of course you can always stop following a page. But this is really not what I am afraid of....it's more the tone it sets. If google allows businesses to be on google+ then it sets an impersonal tone to users saying "ok...the fun personal talk is over...now come the commercials". To me it has the potential of ruining a very vibrant and interesting conversation happening right now....and turning it into a faceless exchange of digital business cards with no souls.

It will make people think their boss is watching even though he is not in their circle. It will make people fear losing their job because they can be linked back to a business page. The party will be over. And we will all have to get back to work.

No matter what happens....stay gold pony boy.

Seven Things I Love about Google+ ...

Here are some of the things I love about Google+ (or more to the point - hate about Facebook).....

1. No poking. Seriously... why on earth would anyone poke you??? This feature was probably created by Mark Z. in version 1 of FB, and that is the reason it's still there.... I can see the developers now - "accidentally" deleting the code for "POKE" each time they upgrade.... and Mark throwing a fit in the meeting --- (in my best Mark Zuckerberg impression) - "ummm, guys... I logged in this morning... and didn't see the POKE button... can someone please tell me who the %&$ is CEO here??? MEEEEEE....%$*#($*%% .... that's who...."

2. Better News Feed. I think the News Feed in Facebook is useless. It is probably because I have more (facebook) friends than I should... but I also think it could do a lot better finding out what posts I like. It forces me to basically kick someone out of my feed forever, which may not be what I want. With G+ I have my circles, and if I am in the mood to see what my close friends are doing I can click on that circle, and if I want to read random ramblings of people I barely know - I have a circle for that too....

3. No Farms.  If I get another request to join someone's farm - I am going to kill someone. Starting with Last names that start with Z. Watch your back Mark - Mafia Wars is not just a game.

4. Privacy.  This of course is the big thing everyone talks about - but very few people really understand. Facebook's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy is a joke. They change it whenever they want, and whether you know it or not - they own everything you have done there, everything you will do there. I am not saying Google is any better - but based on their track record and so far their approach/concern for privacy - my guess is they will be better (because it is their competitive advantage to be better).  

5. Simplicity. I enjoy innovation and new applications... but I am also a realist - and know if it is not "simple" - then no one will use it - especially me.  Facebook started off simple, but then they went on this bi-polar development rage that took something elegant and useful, and made it into Social-Sausage. Google has the advantage of their platform being more spread out (they can have other applications like Gmail, Picasa (photos), Blogger, Calendar, etc without screwing up G+1).  To me that is what Google is best at - taking a relatively cumbersome, slow process and making it simple and fast.  Just like they did with search... they are now doing with social networking.

6. Photos. Let's face it... photos is a big part of social networking. Everyone wants to share photos. Facebook's photo interface sucks. Google not only made it slicker - they also streamlined it by allowing you automatically upload your photos on the phone to your Google Photos account - and then give you the option to share. I love this, because it brings together my personal Photo albums (which I want to save forever) and allows me to share what I want.  Facebook doesn't.

7. I hate Mark Zuckerberg.  "Hate" is a strong word, but let's face it - the guy is kind of a douche.  (just kidding Mark, I'll poke you later)

Why Google+ is the beginning of the end for Traditional Media....

One of the coolest things about Google+ is that you are able to follow people that you may not know (much like Twitter, but better)..... I realize this sounds creepy, and slightly like stalking.... but it's actually ok, because you only see the posts they want the public to see... and the people I follow for the most part are bloggers, entrepreneurs, editors, etc (people who want to be followed).

Why is it cool???  Because you get to hear the "news" straight from them. When a write of the popular tech-blog Techcrunch posts something on G+ he is unfiltered and not hindered by the constraints of an editing staff.  Another example, is following the CEO of Google... you get to see first hand what he is thinking as well, or simply see the human side of him when he posts pictures of himself wind surfing.

I realize this sounds like a new "paparazzi" following celebrities around hoping to catch a glimpse of something absurd... but that is really not why I feel this is cool.... the reason why this is so powerful, is that it is the beginning of the breakdown of tradition media (which I hate btw).

I know what your thinking - "Yeah, but Twitter does the same thing - so why is this so different???".

Twitter was never really a social network - it is micro-blogging. And as weird as it sounds... the message is the medium. Because Twitter launched as a micro-blogging platform which is a one-to-the-world communication - people use it only for that purpose. It's too late to change. Much like how Facebook chose to be a "uber-social" network being launched out of the colleges - it also is stuck in it's path it chose.

With Google+ - they have built something that not only allows people to be themselves, be personal and also be a voice to the public - it creates an attitude among the users (including the CEO's, editors, Industry leaders, and John Doe) that it's ok to be "real" and to speak your mind..... and if you feel like you want a few people to hear it, or the whole world... you have the ability to determine that for the first time.

The power of this medium, is that the messages are different. You can already see that if you use the service... the posts are not the same as Twitter or Facebook. The Posts seem to be more thoughtful, more real (in some cases) and less trivial.

So why is Google+ going to end Traditional Media???

Simple... why wait to read the news tomorrow, when you can read it directly from the writer when they post on Google+?

Why not follow Arianna Huffinton on G+ (https://plus.google.com/103233967921245494760/posts) instead of visiting her blog? Or follow Robert Scoble (https://plus.google.com/111091089527727420853/posts) if you want to know what is happening in the valley?

Want to know what Michael Dell is thinking??? Follow him - https://plus.google.com/100523784851251213675/posts

Why wait for the traditional media, if you can see pictures of what really is happening being posted by people on the street (e.g. Citizen Journalists). We have already seen this happen on Twitter... but because Twitter is so difficult to navigate and lacked the multimedia (until now) to really create a more visual and expressive medium it has only been effective in a handful of major events (Hudson crash, Egypt, Weinergate, etc)

If you want to see who is "most followed" on G+ - or if you want to search for someone you would like to follow this is a cool website just launched - http://www.findpeopleonplus.com

Don't be afraid to follow, it just may help us kill traditional media as we know it - and that would be a very good thing.....

Google+ Video (Very basic introduction)

I have watched a lot of videos on G+ ... but this one seemed to break it down the best in a very simple explanation of what G+ is.... for those of you who have no idea (or are new)... definitely watch this video

My first (random) Hang Out on Google+

This morning I decided to check out the Google+ Hang Out Feature in more detail. I had tried it once already to chat with some co-workers on my trip - and it worked great. It is definitely more convenient than skype or other video chat services, because 1) It's integrated with G+ - so its easy to find friends and 2) You can run it anywhere without having to install software, etc.

BUT.... what I really wanted to see is how people would use Hang Out in a more public setting. Where people open up video conference chats and allow anyone to join. My initial fear.... Chatroulette on steroids. I am not sure I could handle 9 people with their pants off at the same time.

Lucky for me, the first experience was very tame. This popped up on my feed, and it seemed interesting.

Mohamed is one of the great tech minds I have met...he does a lot of amazing Google Chrome work.. anyway... I joined in on the chat. There were people logged in from all over the world - one guy from India, another from Africa. It was entertaining to listen in to the conversation, because of the wide range of interests. For the first few minutes, the conversation focused mostly on Google+ and how to best use the Hang Out feature. 

This was the first time I saw Google Hang Out work in an "unorganized" chat - where everyone is talking, and having fluid conversation. Occasionally it would get clunky because the picture changes to whomever is dominating the conversation (which is cool in a controlled environment, but a little hectic when everyone is talking)..... but I quickly found you have the option to click on the video thumbnail of the person you want to watch.  

So what did I learn about Google+ Hang Out

1. It is definitely a tool that can be used for work or personal use to easily video chat with your friends. To me it is better than skype because you can have more than one person (for free) on the chat, and you don't have to deal with everyone having a skype account. It will be more likely someone will be on G+.

2. The second thing I learned is that people are truly using video as part of the social networking experience. Once I got involved in the conversation, it quickly because more social than tech. I even forgot for a moment I was on a computer... it really felt like I was hanging out with these guys talking about technology, Google, etc. For the first time - I saw the power of social networking using video chat. Pretty cool. 

Google+ and SEO

(Note: Only waste your time reading this if you care about better rankings for your website in Google.)

In my last post I mentioned how GOOGLE+ can help Your rankings in Google search.  I want to give a more in depth look into this....

You will notice Google has implented the +1 button in its search engine...and also allows people to embed on their websites as well (much like the facebook like button).

They are using the +1 to not only improve their search results for Everyone but also using this to personalize results for You.  This is the real reason why Google+ is so valuable to Google (and you) . They will learn what you like and build a better search engine and deliver better ads.  Thus making their ecosystem more powerful and relevant.

So how does this effect SEO and your rankings.   The more people who +1 Your site the better rankings you will have.

Tip #1 - Get people to +1 your website. 
You can embed the +1 on. Your site to make it easier for people as well. Go to http://code.google.com/apis/+1button/ to learn how.

Next thing that will help boost your SEO will be links from posts on Google+1.   The posts have to be public in order for Google search to index them. You can start by posting links on Your own profile.  Don't spam or post too much - this can hurt you. 

Tip #2 - Public posts on G+ to Your site will help your rankings. 

This includes any links to your website from a post, but also more importantly how many people +1 or share your link. This data will become part of Google's algorithm on how they rank the importance of your website. Much like how they look at the "number of links" to your site... now they will also factor in "number of shares and +1s".  So, find creative ways to include your website into comments (for example, blogs, new articles, videos, etc)

Example Post: "Hey everyone, I just took a trip to New York, check out the great restaurants I visited on my blog at http://startupflorida.blogspot.com." (and attache a couple photos).

(note: make sure you post to "PUBLIC" or else Google won't index in the search results)

Tip #3 - Optimize your Profile with relevant keywords

One of the things Google will also look at is the content within your profile. This is how they will determine some of the basic keywords they will attach to content you post. If the word "actor" shows up a lot in your profile, then Google will consider this in how they place your links.  The more "social" content becomes, the social profile is the anchor to all the content your post. If your profile is empty or inactive, then this will be a negative in Google's eyes.... so complete your profile and make sure you include information that is relevant to who you are and how you want to rank.

If you find any other tricks let me know - follow me on G+ here.

GOOGLE +1 for Beginners (Step 1: Create Circles)

I have been getting a few comments, emails from friends asking me about the basics of Google+1. I thought it would be good to write down some basic points on what I have learned using the service.

First let me give you a good analogy.

Google+1 is more like a dinner party - where you were invited, and you know most the people there, and the few you don't you quickly get to know through your "circle" of friends.

Facebook is more like a crowded bar - where you come with a few friends, and recognize a lot of people by face (but don't really know their name) - and most the people in the bar you just want to ignore.

(don't forget to add me to your following circle - http://goo.gl/5MYD1)

CIRCLES

The main reason why they are so different is because Google+ gives you the ability to create CIRCLES.  In basic terms, a Circle is simply a grouping of people. You may have a family circle, a friends circle, a work circle... or go even more specific and have a "Friends at Gym Circle" or a "Softball Team Circle".  This is how you keep your posts relevant to people in your network.

For example, if you post pictures of the Softball Game last night and only select the CIRCLE = "Softball Friends"... then they will only see it. It makes the post more relevant to the people who see it... and more importantly it doesn't clutter up what other people may see (which eventually if you post a lot, they will remove you).

You can direct your POSTS to who WANTS to see them, and who you WANT to see. This makes the content on Google+ MUCH MORE RELEVANT and valuable to both the sender and reader.

CIRCLES is what will keep Google+ from becoming an overwhelming flood of messages that are difficult to prioritize (e.g. Facebook)..... into a very elegant way to view posts.

SUGGESTIONS:

1. Create a Circle for work, for friends and for family (atleast). If you are involved in other groups (like clubs, sports, etc) then form circles for those as well. Remember you can add a friend into multiple circles. So for example, you can add your friend John into your FRIENDS CIRCLE and your SOFTBALL CIRCLE.
2. Remember you can always share with EVERYONE (Google calls this PUBLIC) which means if you share a post with the PUBLIC than everyone in the world can see it. They also have the ability to share with YOUR CIRCLES which would be sharing with everyone in your circles. (So there is no need to create a circle with everyone in it)
3. The smaller the Circle the better. Google+ ranks posts higher if they are shared with a smaller circle versus a larger circle (this also reduces the SPAM effect you see on Facebook). For example, if I have 4 friends in one circle (BEST FRIENDS) and 150 friends in another circle (ALL FRIENDS)... and I share the same post to BEST FRIENDS it will show up higher in their stream versus if I share it with ALL FRIENDS.
4. When creating circles - don't think just SOCIAL.... think of how you communicate in real life to people. There are some things you only want to share with Family... and some things you may only find relevant to people at Work. Use Circles to increase your engagement with Google+1.  Think about posts, articles you share, photos you post, videos you think are funny, videos you think are educational, etc..... sharing is now secure and focused. Use it.

More to come......

GOOGLE+ (10 cool ways to use it) --- Final Installment

I am finishing off my post with the final four things that are cool uses for Google+.  The last two posts are here and here.

(follow me on Google+ here)

I already hit all the key features... so here are some things that are a little more obscure and some things that I would like to see happen (which I am sure Google is +1 ahead of me)

7.) Gmail and +1.  If you are like me - you never really liked the way email works.  It just feels like someone throws 100 envelopes at you in the morning and you spend all day picking them up and reading them - in not particular order or priority. It really doesn't make sense.  If I get an email telling me I am the lucky winner of 10,000,000 euros - I want that to be the first one I open :)

Enter +1 ---- I have a gut feeling that we will soon be able to integrate G+ Circles and our messaging. This may be the best thing since PB&J.  If I could sort my emails by circles in an easy way... and automatically set priorities on which ones are important, personal vs. work - and most importantly which ones are from people I don't even know (e.g. blocking spam).... that would be great.

Integrating social networking and email. Could be very cool. (also, it would be nice to have my Contact Database on my Gmail and my Google Phone be always up to date - synced with G+ accounts).

8.) Sparks.  What is a spark? First, It's weird Google would use such an obtuse name. Usually Google branding defaults to literal terms like Mail, Docs, Photos... and suddenly they start using fancy branding like "sparks" and "huddle". Anyway... what is a spark? Apparently it is simply information you get excited about. If you want to follow the latest news on a topic... you setup a spark.

Essentially, it creates a very personal news feed within +1... which can be very cool. I am using it to track news about businesses I follow, but also to track things that I am interested in. For example: I happen to be in NYC this week, and I tracked "New York Restaurants" --- and it gave me some cool things to read about openings, reviews.

I am not sure how "sparks" fits into the whole strategy of Google+1 - - - but I think it can be a cool feature if you just put some thought around relevant feeds you want to follow. I would use it more for "real time" stuff... and I think you will see more value.

9.) SEO.  If you are in the "biz"... and trying to get your website higher rankings on Google. Well guess what... Google is using +1 in their search and also favoring websites that are linked from within the +1 network..... so start making it a habit to post links to your website when relevant (don't spam because that will hurt you).

10.) Viewing Profile as.... in case you didn't see this feature - it is the best thing for people who are nervous that the picture they just uploaded of them drunk at the Holiday party won't be seen by their boss... they can easily double check by using this feature.... what a great idea (once again making it clear that Google wants you to use it for personal and business....)

GOOGLE+ (10 cool ways to use it) --- continued....

Here is the 2nd installment of GOOGLE+ (10 cool ways to use it)

For the first article go here.

4.) Share your Location. One of the big issues with "geo-location" features in social media applications is privacy. Nobody wants to be tracked all the time, so anyone can see their location... and many times "checking in" (ala Foursquare) is hard to remember too... but with G+ you can include your location (optionally) when you post.  Its a great way to trigger a meetup.... (and you can share only with the people you want to using circles, which makes it great for people who have hundreds of stalkers).

At some point, I am sure they will add Google Places, and essentially be another Foursquare-like app.

5.) Huddle.  Group messaging is an absolute must if you want to truly have a powerful social networking platform. For some reason, Facebook missed the boat on this one (they bought Beluga but haven't done anything yet). Huddle allows you to easily send a text message to numerous people, and begin a group chat. This can be an amazing tool for quick "mobile" meetings with select co-workers or if your traveling with a bunch of people on a trip and want to keep track of everyone. The uses are endless and by Google putting this feature in release 1 of G+ means they are serious about mobility.

6.) Group Chat.  With Google Hangout... they really create a whole new layer of awesomeness on +1. The fact you can easily bring numerous people to a video-chat window is so cool, you will want to do it, just to do it. I may even use this in the office, instead of walking down the hall.

more to come later....

GOOGLE+ (10 cool ways to use it)

"let me count the ways...." - Shakespeare

Follow me on Google+

As I continue to work thru Google+1 I find myself seeing all the possibilities of using G+ in my daily life (including work of all things - which doesn't make sense??? I thought social networking was about not HAVING to do work).

If you read my last article, I touched on some key differences between G+ and Facebook... I'll touch on some more here as well.

But first lets talk about what cool things you can do with G+ that you maybe didn't think of:

1. Social Bookmarking - This may be the most basic function within Google+ but it may go unnoticed to some people who never got into Delicious, Technorati, etc. Essentially, when you +1 a link its not just about sharing the link, but it also bookmarks the link in your Google+ profile.  (click on your profile, and then click on "+1s".).

I use this as a way to bookmark links I want to revisit later in the day, or blogs I want to read in the future. It allows you to easily delete the link when your done as well.

2. A Better Twitter - I often get asked "Why do people use Twitter?". My answer usually discusses the value of having a real-time news feed and ability to follow people who have influence in your industry or access to information you are interested in. In short, I only found Twitter useful as a "read-only" medium. Primarily because I rarely feel people read my "tweets". So it's always been a one-way medium for me, and probably for most people. With G+1 it makes "tweeting" or micro-blogging more of a two-way, because it is built on a more natural social network.  

I can "follow" people (just like twitter), but the content is displayed much more like Facebook (with embedded pictures, comments, etc). It just feels more powerful and interactive then Twitter.

So, something you may not do - but should - is find some people you want to "follow" and see what they post. For example, I follow the CEO of Google, a few Venture Capitalists in the Valley, and other people (that I don't know, but interested in what they post). FOLLOW on G+ by adding people to your Following circle... its a BETTER TWITTER.

3. A Professional Image - One of the biggest weaknesses of Facebook is that it was born as a pure social network for college kids. Thus, there was never any real consideration for people who have jobs, that don't want their friend to share photo of them doing tequila shots at the local bar with no shirt on. Thus, most people avoid "friending" their coworkers or anyone in their professional "circle".  (which is why networks like LinkedIn, FastPitch even exist).

But now with Google+ ... you are given more freedom and ability to build professional circles, and keep your personal life and professional life separate online. Although it doesn't come close to replacing the features native in LinkedIn, FastPitch - it does introduce another network where sharing with co-workers is "ok".

So I suggest taking baby-steps in building an online relationship with your co-workers.... ultimately this will help business-oriented social networks - because people will become more disciplined and take the time to learn how to be "professional" online. 

These are three cool things you can begin to use G+ for.... more to come later.

Follow me on Google+

GOOGLE+ vs. Facebook

I just got my invite to Google+ and I have had some time to poke around.  Here is my take on G+ versus Facebook.

1. Google circles is really the key differentiation.  Allowing people to select who they want to share content to makes social networking more pertinent.  In facebook its too difficult to set this up and too cumbersome to go back and make lists work.  Google starts off right by making people build circles thus making there experience more relevant and giving you a sense of content control.

2. Google allows for you to follow too. Like twitter you may want to follow someone in your industry.  You don't HAVE to be friends.  This is powerful for professional use.  And because of circles the content is more relevant.  I don't have to hear about the personal habits of people I follow....just the broadcast worthy posts

3. Google was playing chess while facebook was playing checkers.  It is clear with G+ that it is going to be a layer over all applications within Google.  The most important one is android.  By owning its own mobile OS it is positioned to dominate social applications on the phone.  Facebook has no such path.  Over time more social traffic will be mobile due to photos, at-work browsing, etc.   I don't see facebook gaining ground here.  It is clear Google sees mobile as the future - you can see it in the user experience.   Simple and mobile driven.

4.  The big advantage G+ has is being able to learn from facebooks mistakes.  Being new and fresh is an advantage too.  Everyone likes the new car smell...and because Google has the ability to generate viral sharing with its massive distribution it is one of the few companies that can have millions signup in less than a week.  Facebooks key competitive advantage was the network itself.  People won't switch because their friends are only on facebook.  Google puts a major dent in this advantage.  Facebook made the mistake of allowing their users to get bored.  And Google took advantage of it.  The last few facebook announcements were underwhelming and zuckerbergs greed keeps users from feeling a part of facebook. 

5. Google+ has no ads.  Atleaat not yet.  Which is really nice.

6. Google huddle is a game changer.  Facebook was slow to innovate in the collaborative communication space. Facebook chat was weak and until now with Skype ignored video chat.  But with huddle Google brings functionality for professional and social use. Plus the group texting functionality ( Ala Beluga which Facebook bought)  is icing on the cake.

There are many other aspects I would love to discuss later. I think the scariest aspect of G+ Is that It feels like Google is holding back. Almost like the Best is yet to come.  And if that is the case....facebook is in trouble.

Time for zuckerberg to learn a lesson he would have learned if he finished Harvard business school ----

Why the HuB works (part II)....

If you read my last article, you learned about the genesis of the HuB, and how important it was for us to embrace the creative process. The HuB was a simple concept when we started - 

"what if we just create a place where creative entrepreneurs can come together to work, connect and ultimately create whatever they wanted to".  

It sounds simple.... but it required more than just getting a building and opening the door. It required a few key pieces that weren't easy pulling together.

The FIRST piece was the commitment to invest in the community. We knew in order to grow the HuB, we needed to build and support the creative community around us. Some people call this a "Social Enterprise" - where a business is driven by doing good.... but I think the HuB is more than that - because we not only strive to do "good", but we also actively promote a platform of change that builds a more progressive and creative community. The HuB effects not just the economic development of Sarasota, but also the social and political dynamics   Some of our major community campaigns include "I Love Downtown" (which brought new business to our struggling downtown in the recession), Google Island (which promoted broadband in our community and received national attention), Vote/SRQ (to improve voter turnout in local elections) and many more. These campaigns not only make our community more attractive to the Creative Class, but it also brings attention to our mission and what we are doing at the HuB.  The HuB is not just an incubator, or community workspace, or studio.... its a movement... its a catalyst.

The SECOND piece was our commitment to find ways to attract Creative people (e.g. the Creative Class). Its not easy to find young creative entrepreneurs in our community. Sarasota is one of the oldest communities in the U.S. and our primary industry is tourism and real estate. One could argue that this is the most difficult place in the entire Country to start a project like the HuB.  Despite this challenge, we knew that we needed to become a "beacon". We knew traditional methods wouldn't work. Creatives don't like networking events and they certainly don't respond to advertisements. So how do you attract young talented entrepreneurs and creative minds within a 60 mile radius???? Answer: Throw parties. We knew that in order to rebuild our local economy, we needed to start to build a more dynamic social life.  We went as far to even create a Music Festival.  We knew in order to attract Creative People, we needed to give them a reason to come to us. Who knew beer, music and old couches would attract so many amazing creative individuals.

The THIRD piece was having an Open Door Policy.... we have invested hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours in talking with entrepreneurs and creatives who visit the HuB. Most of the time, they are simple conversations about what they want to do, and how we could help. It can be overwhelming to make a commitment to open a "Free Help Clinic" (especially in a recession with 10%+ un-employment). But we knew in order for us to find the entrepreneurs willing to invest time and take the risk to start the next venture at the HuB we needed to talk to everyone. (Everytime someone walks in, we think "this person may have the next best idea").... and this is what drives the growth behind the HuB. 

If you really think about these three things... you have to ask the question "How the hell can you get anything done???" You probably won't ever find in a business plan or learn while getting your Masters in Business.....

1) Do Good in your Community

2) Party 

3) Help Others Succeed

I admit - it sounds counter-intuitive ..... but then again, that's the point.  Embracing creativity.

Why the HuB works...

A little over two years ago I came up with the idea of the HuB. At the time - it was more of a philosophy than an idea. I certainly did not have a plan - in fact that was the "plan" - NOT to have one. For years, as an entrepreneur and also as an angel investor it seemed like I spent 80% of my time writing a plan or reviewing a plan. And as much I would like to believe you can plan your way to success... I am almost certain that the time we spend on planning is not just overrated, but completely a waste of time.

Before I go into the basic principles of my argument, let me give you some background into the HuB. Before I started the HuB, I spent a lot of time with entrepreneurs developing their ideas, businesses and eventually watching them succeed or fail. I started to see a trend forming over the years. The trend is not scientific, but it is certainly recognizable (perhaps more in a gut feeling) when working with entrepreneurs. I use the word "momentum" a lot when describing why a venture is successful, but more important than momentum is the creativity of the entrepreneur. It was this aspect that I decided to focus on when starting the HuB - CREATIVITY.

I wanted to build a community that embraced creativity over and above any other aspect to building businesses (or for that matter building communities).  In order to do this - I knew we have to embrace the creative process when developing the HuB - which meant embracing these basic principles:

1. GROW ORGANICALLY - This principal is a difficult one to explain to an entrepreneur (and especially an investor). Essentially, what we demand is that a business grow organically without the assistance of unnecessary (manufactured) capital. We realize every venture requires capital to start and grow, but we believe it can destroy a business quicker than any other factor.  It is critical for anything to grow at it's own natural pace, and only leverage capital when it is based on demand (e.g. new customers, need new product designs, etc) and NOT on some manufactured plan and spreadsheet projecting growth on no real factual data. Many people call this bootstrapping or starting out of your "garage", which I tend to agree with - but its also speaks to the idea that "plans are useless".

2. BE CREATIVE - This is the core principal of the HuB. Too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong aspects of their business, and instead of being creative on how they can get a product to market - they tend to find themselves in a holding pattern waiting on an investor or taking too long to develop the perfect version of their product. Anytime we look at a business opportunity, we ask the question - "How can we make this idea happen with the resources we have right now?". If the answer is "We can't" - then it forces us to be creative. We find new paths to make the idea happen. Sometimes we can't and we abandon the idea... but many times we do find alternate paths. Entrepreneurs who are creative will succeed. Unfortunately when we demand entrepreneurs spend countless hours developing a plan - they feel like they can't be creative once the plan is written down - and thus - this typically leads to failure. Don't plan. Be Creative.

3. EVERYONE IS AN ENTREPRENEUR - What makes the HuB different than a tech-incubator, a university or even a start up company - is that we want to create entrepreneurs. We don't want employees. This is a challenge, because most people are programmed to look for a "job" - not to create one. Every person who works at the HuB is an entrepreneur. This is not an easy thing to accept if they have had a job all their life. There is a big difference between having a paycheck and manager - to being 100% responsible for the success of your venture each and every day.

It is these three principles that have been the reason I feel the HuB has been so successful. We embrace the chaos knowing that it is part of the process. Everytime a new creative entrepreneur joins the HuB we expect things to change and we hope it adds another element of energy and excitement for everyone else.

The great thing about NOT having a plan.... is every day is unexpected. And that is the way it should be for an entrepreneur.

My (Crazy) Predictions for 2011

I like to think I can predict the future.... I guess if you believe in early meta-physics or in an estranged religion you can argue that you make your future through each subtle action, thus by definition (unconsciously) you are predicting the future.... but for this blog I am going to stick to voodoo and a little ole' fashioned guessin'.

So, here are my (tech) predictions for 2011

1. Google will buy MySpace. This seems like a weird move... but I have a feeling in my gut, that MySpace is a GOOD buy for them... it's losing value rapidly under its current ownership, and at some point they will wake up and figure out nobody wants to be part of a social network that is run by FOX... and I think they could get a nice premium by putting on auction block. Google needs to make a serious commitment in the space, and their "home grown" stuff won't get traction - because they need everyone to "opt-in" to their network - whereas, MySpace already has the opt-in userbase, and a good footprint that is salvageable by someone like Google. It also makes sense to get Google into the Music space as well (where they need to compete with ITunes/Ping).

2.  Open-Source 2.0.  Remember when Open-source was king? The rise of Linux, Firefox, etc.... and then it kind of faded away back into it's sub-culture cave... why? My opinion - it's because it never reached out to the masses. Open Source is a brilliant idea, but it needs to enable the masses to participate. It can't just be for hackers who dive into the code - it needs to include the "user" community (for example - Wordpress). So - my prediction - is that Open Source makes a major comeback this year, but with a new twist. Instead of focusing on Operating Systems and Browsers - it will focus on social aspects of the web. In fact, I will make a "pre"-prediction - The company that will overtake Facebook - will be an Open Source network where users (and developers) can have control and input over the entire social-web experience. (Diaspora is a nice step in that direction, but they need to engage the Users and empower them to participate in the creation of the next social network)


3. Facebook will raise 1B and buy every Social Network in the World. Sounds like a World-Domination plan doesn't it? Well guess what - that's their business plan. Bill Gates wanted a computer on every desk - and Facebook wants every single human being to have a profile. BUT, one problem - it's becoming harder and harder to convert people onto Facebook in other countries. (It's kind of like having a party where all your friends are, and you try to get one person to leave - but they won't leave unless ALL their friends leave). In the early days, it was easy. Now, they need to look to acquisitions. There are about 10 social networks that have dominance in their respective countries. Look for Facebook to start buying them up.

4. Yahoo (or Microsoft or Oracle or SAP or...) will buy LinkedIn. Here comes another bidding war. LinkedIn is one of those interesting social networks that seems to grow and continue to be a useful tool on the web but because it's not "social" in content - it doesn't have the explosive growth and use like a Facebook. However, what it does have is a Professional user base that makes buying decisions for businesses they own or work for. The pressure will be on them to find liquidity soon. They have been talking about going public, but nobody believes the revenue scale is there. Also, it just makes sense to sell for a couple billion and call it a day. Any massive company looking to move quickly into the SAAS world and inherit a nice network of users should buy LinkedIn now.


So there you have it.... now we just sit back and watch it all happen :)

Happy New Year. (Try not to spend so much time on Facebook next year.... there are other websites you know)

Why you need to transform your website into a Blog.

If I looked back at my blog posts I am quite certain I had a blog that talked about the "death of websites" primarily because of the rise of social media. Nobody surfs the web anymore... They visit a few different sites for the most part, and don't feel the need to discover new sites.

Partially this is because the "newness" of web has faded. When we all first got onto the web, everything was exciting. We used to freak out that we could track our packages on ups.com. Not anymore. The typical web user has higher expectations. Not just for quality of content, but quality of conversation. Thus, the challenge. How do you engage users in quality conversation thru your website?

Here are a few steps I recommend:

1. Reduce text. Increase images and video. Nobody reads. We live in a 140 character world now. If you can't say it in 140 chars then don't say it. Remember it's a conversation, if you talk too much it's rude. Let your user be part of the conversation.

2. Be more like a blog. Your homepage of your website needs to engage. It needs to be recent and relevant. Create a voice. A voice that your user relates to. In the dawn of the social web, treat your user like a friend. Be funny. Be honest. Be real. Nobody wants to be a friend to a website. Make it human.

3. Less logo, more love. There is something dysfunctional in brand marketing online. It comes across egotistical. This is why corporate marketing doesn't work on the social web. It comes across like the jerk who loves talking about himself. Don't be a jerk. Give your friends love. Engage them, ask them what they want. Let them talk. Just force feeding corporate marketing and branding down their throat will guarantee they never visit your site again.

4. Be social, but not too social. It's cool to have facebook Twitter, etc linked on your website, but don't go overboard. Keep some good stuff on your website and website only to keep your friends coming back. If you give it all to fb and Twitter, you may lose your friend entirely. For example, capture email or cell phone to keep in contact. Do promotions or clever communications to keep the conversation going. Remember, the user doesn't have to be on your website to engage in conversation. It can happen anywhere.

5. Make website mobile. This seems obvious, but many websites aren't ready for the mobile device. You don't have to go crazy and build an iPhone app, but you do need to simplify the interface for smart phones. The fact is that half the time they get your email or txt message they will get it on their phone. And when they click the link, it will be on the phone.

6. Link, embed and share. Somewhere along the line, the web became a very unfriendly place. When it all started people shared content and linked to each others websites. Then corporate branding got involved, and frowned upon links. Insisting it would cause users to leave. It's time to go back to the roots of the web. Link, share and add value to the network. Blogs brought this spirit of the web back, and it's time your website does the same.

7. Be raw. Be real. Everything on the web is digested in context. Videos on YouTube aren't expected to be million dollar productions, because YouTube has branded the experience as user generated content. The same can be true with your site, if you be more like a blog. You can upload corny videos shot with a flip cam, if in context. You can upload behind the scenes pictures in the context of building your relationship with users. It's not amateurish, it's real. And friends want reality.

8. Entertain. It's what you do when friends come over to visit, and it's what your should do on your website. It doesn't have to be a huge production....something subtle is fine. Remember the small things in life is what connect us. Expose your personality, and people will be entertained.

9. Speak to first time users, but focus on users who visit more than a few times month. Like a blog, you need to speak to your friends and fans. Most website, treat you like it's the first time visiting. Quite frankly it's awkward. It would be like visiting your friend over and over, and him asking your name every time. It's cold and impersonal. Treat users like friends. People want to go to websites where everyone knows their name.

10. Finally.... Be a good friend. Say thanks. Invites them over for dinner. Send them a birthday card.

The 21 Measurable Objectives for Economic Development from the City of Sarasota

A few people have asked me what exactly are the "priorities" of the City of Sarasota. I am going to post them here on my blog.

I am not going to criticize any of the objectives, but I thought it was interesting how many time the word "explore" was being used for any objective that was focused on entrepreneurship, technology or any kind of new economic development.  I highlighted the objectives that are based on real estate development or retail in red.

RED = Real Estate / Tourism
YELLOW = I have no idea what these mean? They seem obtuse and "immeasurable"
GREEN = Explorations that need to be strong commitments

This why we need to email our commissioners and ask them to make Broadband, Innovation and Entrepreneurship a priority.


Measurable Objectives:


1. Palm Avenue Mixed Use Retail Space: Provide the Commission with a Staff analysis of different options for successful development of the retail space component of the Palm Avenue mixed use project. (2010)

2. Baseball Spring Training: Continue to work with Sarasota County and the Baltimore Orioles to facilitate a successful 2010 Spring Training. (2010)

3. Robert L. Taylor Community Center: Commence construction of the new Robert Taylor Center utilizing local labor force. (2010)

4. Newtown Intergovernmental Partnering: Encourage opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation in the Greater Newtown Area (including Sarasota School Board, Sarasota County and the Sarasota Housing Authority). (2010)

5. Pursue Soundstage: Explore opportunities to partner with local educational institutions and government agencies to locate a soundstage (motion picture and television theatrical production space) within the City, with emphasis along North Tamiami Trail or in North Sarasota. (2010)

6. Ad Valorem Tax Exemption: Explore the possibility of preparing a referendum with Sarasota County allowing for an acceptable level of Ad Valorem Tax Exemption for new and expanding businesses that meet an established set of criteria. (2010)

7. Relieve Developmental Impediments: Create a business friendly City Hall by identifying impediments within any of the City Departments that inhibit successful and timely development and, if found, address and improve where possible. (2010)

8. Explore Economic Development Coordinator Position: Explore the possibility of hiring an economic development coordinator to be jointly funded by the City, DID, Downtown Sarasota Alliance, and the Downtown Council of the Chamber of Commerce. Identify existing efforts being made by the City and County towards economic development. (2010)

9. Improve Administration and Community Interaction: Increase administrative interactions with the following organizations: DID, Downtown Sarasota Alliance, St. Armand‟s BID, Coalition of City Neighborhoods and the Downtown Council of the Chamber of Commerce. (2010)

10. Improved E.D.C. Outcomes: Review the role of the Sarasota County E.D.C. in terms of measurable outcomes for the City of Sarasota. (2010)

11. Public Parking: Prepare materials for the Commission to determine the future of public parking; determine if public parking should be sustained by user fees or Ad Valorem Taxes. (2010)

12. Newtown Community Partnering: Develop methods similar to the East Tampa CRA to advance leadership/ownership in greater Newtown area. (2010, 2011)

13. North Trail Improvements: Continue planning efforts of the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership using local resources to stimulate development of commercial nodes. (2010, 2011)

14. Business Incubator Program: Develop a small business incubator program to support and strengthen the small business initiatives in the Greater Newtown Community. The incubator will work in conjunction with the existing Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) program and Newtown Business and Merchant Association. (2010, 2011)

15. The Institutes for the Ages: Work with S.C.O.P.E. to encourage location of the new Institutes for the Ages within the City of Sarasota limits. (2010, 2011)

16. Wayfinding: Begin implementation of Phase 1 of the Wayfinding SRQ project. (2010, 2011)

17. Downtown Master Plan 2020: Provide suggested changes to the Downtown Master Plan Green Space Policy and make zoning code changes to strengthen Master Plan as needed. (2010, 2011)

18. Marion Anderson Site Environmental Cleanup: Complete a Brownfield Site Rehabilitation Agreement (BSRA) and remediation plan with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to commence an environmental cleanup of the site (extent of cleanup depends on future anticipated use). (2011)

19. Marion Anderson Site Redevelopment Plan: Develop a written process with timelines for the development of the Marion Anderson Site that include an appreciation of current market conditions and economic challenges. (2011)

20. Sell Palm Avenue Parcel: Issue an RFP for the sale of the City‟s remaining Palm Avenue parcel. Sale might be subject to the condition that buyer builds a mid to high-end market hotel. (2011)

21. Water Tower Technology Park: Explore possibility of creating a Technology Park near Water Tower Park to stimulate North Trail development. (2011)

Email our commissioners asking for them to make BROADBAND A PRIORITY! 

Kelly.Kirschner@sarasotagov.com

Fredd.Atkins@sarasotagov.com

Richard.Clapp@sarasotagov.com

Suzanne.Atwell@sarasotagov.com

Terry.Turner@sarasotagov.com

Broadband = Economic Development

Have you ever felt like you are in an episode of the Twilight Zone? Occasionally, I find myself in conversations where I truly believe I am being "punked" by Rod Sterling.  Usually, it happens when the topic of "Economic Development" comes up.... perhaps this doesn't happen at your dinner table - but somehow the topic manages to come up often in my world.

For those who know our efforts around the Google Fiber campaign (http://www.googleisland.net/) you will already know how passionate we are about broadband, but beyond that campaign we are also working hard on convincing our public and private leadership how important it is to make broadband a priority in our community. Right now, the city has over 50 priorities set for this fiscal year, and broadband isn't one of them.

So, lets take a step back - and redefine what "broadband" is - specifically in the context of things we care about creating jobs, health, schools, safety and the environment.  When I say "broadband" in meetings, I think most people have a picture of a cable pop in their head. This is probably why they are so quick to dismiss the concept of "broadband saving our city" is a "dream". So perhaps this is the challenge we are faced with in educating our leadership exactly what broadband really is....

1. Broadband is the number one asset to any business. If you take away bandwidth, the business will die. If you restrict bandwidth the business will lose to its competition.

2. Broadband is the number one asset in education. Without connectivity to information, to tele-learning, to connect classrooms around the world - our education system will fail to keep up with our work force standards.

3. Broadband is the number one asset of healthcare. Communication, data gathering and collaboration are critical to 21st century healthcare. Tele-medicine, remote monitoring, and mobile devices for managing health care operations are critical to providing state-of-the-art cost-effective health care.

4. Broadband is the number one asset in our environment. Preserving our environment requires research, collecting data, monitoring energy use - all of which requires broadband. Our use of energy is directly related to our ability to monitor date and improve operations leveraging broadband.

Almost every challenge we face as a community you can assume that broadband is part of the answer. We are not simply talking about improving connectivity to the home so we can all download movies faster - we are talking about the lifeline to our community.

Observations from an Outsider....

For those who know me - you know that I don't really like meetings, committees, board rooms and for that matter pants (I wear shorts). However, when we decided to look at economic development as one of the core principals of the HuB - we knew we would have to engage with the community on a more active basis. And for the last six months we have been interacting much more and going to meetings, and being part of committees (but still wearing shorts).

The three "groups" I am part of are 1) The "Design Platform" for Economic Development sponsored by the county and EDC  2) The Regional Incubator group and 3) The Task force for Better Broadband in Sarasota County.

Although all three are organized and sponsored by the local government - they are very different in how they were formed, and also how they operate.

The first one - Design Platform was created as part of a long term economic development strategy by some consultants and community leaders. I am not sure how everyone was picked to be in the group (most are private sector, a couple of government people)... and I am not sure how many of them are really taking an active role in executing the mission. I have gone to a few meetings, and they are getting progressively worse and unorganized. Ironically of the three groups I am part of - there is an actual coordinator and real money being spent on this effort.

The second one was started, because we have four incubator projects going on in the county, and they wanted to have some way to share ideas, work and perhaps leverage experience. Everyone in the group is linked in some way to an incubator project, so they do take an active role in the group since it has relevance to their day-to-day objectives. I volunteered to help orchestrate the group, and help the collaboration process since I was the only one who has actually started and operated an incubator. I want to see this group succeed, because I do believe a healthy economy starts with the entrepreneurs in the community - but I am not sure there is much funding or real economic investment from the city or county on this one.

The third is one I started with the CIO of the city after the Google Island initiative. It is made up of the "tech" leaders from the county, city, school board, hospital. This is definitely an active group or people who understand broadband and play a key role in our future broadband plans. I enjoy this group because it is truly a Task force - we are doing the work - and executing the plan.

There seems to be two key factors that I believe are related to the success or failure of each one of these groups. 1) Expertise and 2) Investment.  As I look at each person around the table at these meetings, I ask myself - How much expertise does this person have in what we are talking about - and how much (time/money) are they willing to invest?

To me - that is the Elephant in the room....

I just want to go around the table and simply ask "What is your expertise you bring to the table and how much are you willing to invest?"

Is that too much to ask??? Am I being rude or politically incorrect?

In my opinion, it would make a group stronger - and more effective... but I fear that the truth may also be exposed, and perhaps that is why we never ask the hard questions. We don't want to know that we lack the expertise for some of these difficult problems, or that the people that should be at the table are not - probably because they don't have the time to waste. And if we truly ask everyone at the table to make an investment of time and money - perhaps we fear the table would be empty before you could say the word - "accountability".

Oil and Water...

It has been a confusing few weeks - almost surreal. Even after reading the reports, and following the news - its hard for me to understand what exactly is happening and why it is so difficult to solve. Unfortunately, we can't control what happened and we can only hope a bunch of smart people have a plan to fix what we have broken. So my focus on this blog, is to try to take a 30,000 foot perspective because the 20 foot perspective is too depressing.

So, here is what we know as fact:

1. Oil is underground.
2. Oil Company drills for Oil.
3. People buy Oil.

So, this may seem a little uncomfortable - but perhaps we need to look at #3 ... instead of focusing on #2.  Can we really live in a free market system with a straight face and protest Oil companies and then drive our Gas-powered car to the movies on Friday night? I am not completely unrealistic and expect everyone to stop buying oil or oil based products (because that would be about 80% of the stuff in your house) - but what I am advocating is reducing our waste of oil. There is a big difference in using oil to build products that we use effectively, and driving around town and burning gas just for the heck of it. (Florida is the 3rd biggest consumer of oil in the United States.)

Ironically, it seems we are arguing over POWER... how much POWER the Oil companies have and how they abuse it, and how little POWER the government has to stop this mess... but in reality neither of these entities have any power. We hold all the POWER. We make the decision whether to use oil or not. We make the decision on the future of energy. We hold all the POWER.