All posts by alicelankester

Reading & books, Technology use

Walking to work life balance — thanks #FitBit, #Audible, #Withings, and #LoseIt

At Friend2Friend we’re shortly to be launching a very complex LinkedIn API integration on behalf of LinkedIn and Samsung, in our capacity as a leading Certified Developer Partner. Called “How Do You Match Up,” the campaign is designed to build awareness for the Samsung Knox phone.

Samsung "How Do You Match Up"
Samsung “How Do You Match Up”

One of the actions in the app is to ask visitors for tips on how they manage work/life balance. Presumably this aligns with the brand messaging for the Knox phone, which works as a personal and a work phone.  In testing the app, I naturally had to think of an answer, and that got me to appreciate the way technology has helped in whole new ways for me this year.

I was an early adopter of the #FitBit. I bought one almost as soon as it came out, and happily fell in and out of activity with it, regularly reaching 10,000 steps a day. But I did it alone.fitbit

2014 welcomed a whole new FitBit regimen.  With a small group of friends and family, I am now part of a FitBit ladder, where we regularly Taunt and Cheer who is at the top of the weekly walking list.  Having the FitBit, in combination with the ladder, has wholly changed my approach to my day. Small changes, like parking further away and always taking the stairs. One of our ladder actually empties the dishwasher one item at a time to get more steps….and wears it on her bath towel so as not to miss early morning steps. That’s some psychology at work.

But it has also encouraged huge changes, like my daily commute is now two hours of walking at what has been referred to as “a jaunty pace” for the round trip between home and Caltrain. At first this was a challenge, but now less so. I’ve discovered the family can wait an extra hour until I get home for me to cook dinner. And, actually, they can also shop well under instructions, and cook, so it’s even ready when I get home.

It’s all about psychology.  It’s amazing the difference ‘counting’ makes. And counting with friends is so much more fun. When I have done a studly 20,000 steps a day, I am cock-a-hoop. No doubt irritatingly so.

This has all added up to a huge difference in balancing work and life.  Instead of going to the gym, I walk and listen to books. I think about the day, and my plans. I make phone calls. I schedule appointments. I think of ideas for what to do this summer with the family. And I delegate parts of the running of the family to my capable teenagers. In combination with Audible’s impressive range of books, the walks are both invigorating for the mind, and the body. Finding the time is fun and welcome. And, finally, having linked together FitBit’s app with the Withings scale and LoseIt, I’ve also said goodbye to 15lbs since January.

This is wearable tech at its best.

Startups

Should you start a business with a friend? Or a family member?

This is a tough one, and one I’ve felt personally. Multiple times.  Both as an observer. And as a startup founder. Today’s Pando “Startups anonymous” tells a sad story. 

But here’s the problem: in the Valley, friends are co-workers. Co-workers are friends. We meet after work. We talk about work. All the time. Work is our passion. It consumes us. And we gravitate towards partners and friends who feel the same way. It’s what makes the Valley so incredibly powerful. Many of today’s tech startups get kicked off in Dorm Rooms. Don’t tell me those startup founders aren’t friends.

It’s often simply unrealistic to do it any other way.

It’s hard to start a company with someone you don’t know well, and trust. Those who qualify are usually your friends/partners/family.  So either you go it alone, or you do it with a friend, life partner, and/or family member. Or sometimes someone who is all three!

So given that reality, what is a startup founder to do?

Bring in a great team as quickly as possible. Get a great board of advisors who are mature, experienced, and not close friends, family members or life partners. Of anyone. Share the responsibility beyond the friend/partner/family member. Find time to keep the relationship solid outside work. Openly discuss difficulties the moment they appear. Be honest. Be human. Be kind. It can be done.

Reading & books

Yes. The return of a storytelling indeed.

Link

Yes. The return of a storytelling indeed.

So delighted to read this in the New York Times today. Audio books rock, and are not just for old people. But be sure to pick the ‘voice’ very, very carefully. Listen to the entire sample. You’re going to be ‘living’ with that voice for hours on end, so you’d better not find it in the least bit grating. Personally, I’m working through the slightly more dense members of the Guardian’s 1,000 “Must Read” books as audio books. Last weekend’s hikes allowed me to finish A Passage to India, narrated by Sam Dastor. Joyfully done. Bring it on, Audible.com!

Movies, TV & Viewing Entertainment, Reading & books

I’m starting to get TV on my own terms

Back in 2009, I wrote about how I wanted ‘movies on my own terms.’ I came across that blog recently.  I was pleased that things have got better, but I realize that we still have a way to go.

An update on the ‘hardware’ sitch… I still have TiVo and Amazon hooked up together. But now, purchasing is vastly improved, and I can instantly download from my Amazon account to the TiVo and have it appear in the list of shows to watch. Check.

I still have a Mac Mini attached to my TV via a video cable. I control that Mac Mini through screen share.  Yes, I realize I could buy AppleTV to do this, but actually having a ‘full’ Macintosh available is cool. I can stream photo slideshows in a screensaver while listening to Spotify music.  I can easily play DVDs of old family videos. It’s fun.

I used to have a Logitech Universal Remote that controlled the whole shebang, but that collapsed, mysteriously, right around the time they launched a new remote. But the price tag was just too steep — around $250.  I can get up off the sofa for a bit longer.

But here’s where we have a long way to go: global entertainment.

I am one of many members of a diaspora. I still love to watch English TV, news, even weather. (Especially weather!) I remain as massively disappointed in the dreck that passes for programming on BBC America as I was back in March 2009.  I can’t be the only one. In fact I know I’m not.  Almost anyone living in the States from anywhere else in the world still wants to stay in touch with entertainment and news from back home.

So why filter it? Why make us jump through hoops to get it unfiltered? Just give it to us. Unchanged. Just like we’re there. That’s what we want. Not filtered through the lens of some American programming team that thinks we want endless episodes of that idiot cook who says ‘fuck’ a lot… whose name I refuse to even remember at this moment.

Which brings me onto Netflix.

Last September, while out in my garden, I was listening to podcasts of the BBC show “Front Row.” The wonderful Mark Lawson talked to Ted Sarandos, head of content for the video on demand service, about the change in how we consume entertainment. The moment the show ended I bought (just a little bit– wish I’d bought more) of Netflix stock.  Here was someone (Ted Sarandos) who talked about the world as an audience for content. Good content. I got the hint (just a hint mind you) that Netflix had its eye on original programming that would work for audiences all over the world. Bring it on.

Indeed in Netflix’s recent earnings reports, Hastings specifically stated:

We haven’t been specific about what country or countries we’re going to expand to. So there’s a number of players in all the major markets and in the smaller markets. They’re all doing good work. I think what we’ve seen with our success in the UK is that there can be very strong players like the BBC iPlayer and LOVEFiLM and Sky and we can still build a very successful business. And so I think the key is having unique content, a great reputation, a good value proposition. And we can succeed and in many cases the competitors can also. So we mostly focus on finding good markets that love content and that will steadily expand in Europe.

Global programming with good content. Yes, the company has made some dumb moves. (Remember Qwikster?) But like Amazon, they’re willing to experiment. And they’re brave.  I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Reading & books

G.K. Chesterton “Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”

Today in The Guardian I read this excellent synopsis of a lecture recently given by the author Neil Gaiman “Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming.”

Everyone should read it.

I am the proud owner of not one, but five Kindles (I think — I’ve lost count). I have bought every version since they first arrived at Amazon. My Kindle has over 150 books (I think — I’ve also lost count). Reading is an integral part of my life. I literally cannot remember a night that I haven’t read before sleep. It would be unthinkable. I experience a mild sense of panic as a good book ends, if I realize I don’t have something perfect queued up.

More recently, I’ve been listening to Audible.com audio books too — a far more palatable way to re-visit the classics. As Mr Gaiman says, you can ‘kill’ a child’s love of books by pressing ‘the classics’ on them. They’ll hate them. Unless they are truly unusual.

So when someone begs you read Austen or Thomas Hardy, be cautious. Wonderful though they are, they can be indigestible to readers who aren’t quite as classics-fit as they once were, when their minds were supple at college or high school. (If indeed they even were back then.)

Listening to them read well is, however, a joy. This past week, I listened to A Passage to India by EM Forster, read by Sam Dastor. Mr Dastor separated the voices beautifully, though I did find the voice of Miss Quested a little grating. Listening to the book again reminded me of the confused and mixed up relationships between India and Britain, and the utter arrogance and stupidity of the Anglo-Indian communities. Beautifully and gently written. I fell in love with Dr Aziz all over again.

Now I’m well into remembering the courage and sadness of the beautiful Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and read by Simon Vance, who does a pretty decent west country lilt.

Listening to books while you’re walking, exercising, or just doing boring housework is a gift indeed.

Reading is a luxury that everyone should have access to. Reading is like dreaming. It allows our minds to go on journeys to places our bodies are unable to go. So with that in mind, here are few more dreams I’ve read since Christmas that I really enjoyed:

Keep on reading!

Social marketing

Who won the #hashtag Super Bowl this year?

I’m not much of a football fan. Not anything of a football fan for that matter. But I do like brand watching. So it was “shut up, I have to listen to the ads” this year, with a furious post-game analysis of my latest interest: hashtag marketing.

The result? Front page billing for a hashtag marketing infographic for my buddies at Friend2Friend.  Read about it “Almost twice as many TV ads featured #hashtags at this year’s 2014 Super Bowl.”

An interesting endeavor in trend-riding that was preceded by a lead-up article written for ClickZ last week: “How brands with Super Bowl TV commercials could stay relevant after the game.”

Since the Super Bowl, we have tracked the hashtag activity for all 38 brands, and looked at who was able to keep the social conversation going past the Super Bowl. In all cases, there’s a huge spike when the ad runs, and then a precipitous decline. This dropoff illustrates some of the challenges brands face when using hashtags for high-ticket marketing campaigns: first, the content created is extremely ephemeral; and second, there hasn’t been an easy way for brands to surface the best hashtagged content created by fans. Brands and agencies have been required to monitor multiple hashtag-compatible social platforms and then sift through that content to pick the best quality for showcasing.

What a lost opportunity. In scanning through the #BestBuds content, yes there were plenty of images of fat weed buds sitting atop Budweiser beer caps, but there were also adorable #BestBuds puppies, kittens, kids and more .. all shouting out for Budweiser. But can you find that now? Nope. Same goes for #HugFest, #GoodToBeBad, #AmericaIsBeautiful and more.

Increasingly, brands are embracing the hashtag as a means to coordinate conversations, execute campaigns, and call out for fan content. Hashtags

Next up is a follow-up infographic with the ‘one week later’ story in AdWeek, a press release for related product from Friend2Friend, and articles for iMedia and MarketingProfs. Busy week!

Marketing best practices, Startups

Vision, mission, mantra and more

 “It is awfully important to know what is, and what is not, your business.” —Gertrude Stein

One of the most important guiding principles in building a cohesive corporate plan is to align every member of the team behind the company’s vision and mission, and give everyone the tools to tell the story.

The exercise of building a vision and mission statement is not a waste of time, but can be done in a way that wastes time. It needs to be a lively, energetic, and fun process that’s well managed and respects people’s time.

Everyone should watch Guy Kawasaki’s excellent instructions how on how to build a “Mantra.”

Watch the “Golden Circle” TED talk by Simon Sinek — isn’t the center the vision of the company? I think so. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. People buy from you because they believe what you believe. Mr Sinek says we have to communicate from the inside out.

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

Here’s a worksheet I’ve developed that guides discussions.

What is a vision statement?

  • Defines high level goals, and answers the question “Why are you here?”
  • States what you envision for your business, and shows you where you want to go

What is a mission statement?

  • The concise statement of the business strategy from a customer’s perspective
  • States the present, leading to the future (vision) and answers: “What do we do?” “How do we do it” and, “For whom do we do it?”
  • The mission statement may change, but it should always tie back to the ’s vision

Where do people “find” a company’s vision and mission?

They’re typically on the “About” page, if at all. Not every makes them easily apparent. A vision/mission is not a tagline. It’s also unlikely to appear word-for-word on the Home page. It should provide a prism through which view the strategy for your business and make decisions for our roadmap. It should advise you what to do as well as NOT do!

Example vision and mission statements

Apple Vision: “Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.”

Apple Mission: “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.”

Facebook Vision: To make the world more open and connected.

How do you know if you’ve got it right?

The vision is:

  • Aligned with your inner instincts and beliefs in what you are trying to achieve
  • Easy for employees and partners to understand and rally around — unambiguous
  • Goes beyond the immediate future — think 5–10 years!
  • Fundamentally inspiring, memorable and hopeful, but nonetheless realistic

The mission is:

  • Clear enough to help direct daily strategic and tactical decisions
  • Shows who your stakeholders are, our responsibility towards those stakeholders, and the business you’re in

The public statement making it understandable to everyone

When someone asks “What does your company do?” the answer should be understandable, with more detail providing more clarity. Be able to answer:

  • What do we do?
  • How do we do it?
  • Who do we do it for?

Guess the company — can you tell who these companies are? (Answers at the end)

Company A

  • Vision — To become the worldwide leader in retailing
  • Mission — To help people save money so they can live better

Company B

  • Vision — To design and create in this decade the new global network, processes, and service platforms that maximize automation allowing for a reallocation of human resources to more complex and productive work
  • Mission — To exploit technical innovations for the benefit of ??? and its customers by implementing next-generation technologies and network advancements in ???’s services and operations

Company C

  • Vision — Advance technology that touches peoples lives
  • Mission — To enable people and businesses to communicate with each other

Company D

  • Vision — To allow people to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them
  • Mission — ? mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.

Answers

A – Walmart

B – AT&T

C – Verizon

D – Facebook

A Kickass Personal Mantra

Sir Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group

“To have fun in [my] journey through life and learn from [my] mistakes.”