I am running an informal survey and will be reporting the results back here. If you have a moment, please take this short survey asking about consumer shopping online, and how you think it might change. Take the survey!
Don’t believe in magic
Two observations: 1. Very little happens in a startup if you don’t make it happen. 2. Very little is done right if you don’t examine best practices and iterate your own efforts. Common sense, right? And yet here are some further observations: Right after I posted about demo tips and the importance of practice, I ran into someone who was …
Getting Comfortable with Networking and Demos
Last night I attended the NYC Fashion 2.0 meetup where four startups showcased their products and goals. It got me thinking about networking and demos, so here are some thoughts / tips: NETWORKING For many people, networking with strangers is like jumping off a high diving board for the first time. Your animal brain says “noooo we won’t” and your …
Post-mortem on a UI “input” screen
Today I am working on some UI/UX changes to our product, and thought I would quickly talk through a UI example (soon to die under my axe) from our beta. Some context: in the spirit of getting a beta up as quickly as possible, our first user experience (FUE) was pretty crude. After registration (also soon to disappear), the first …
On Parenthood and Entrepreneurship
A startup is filled with countless roadblocks and challenges, many business, some personal. I feel lucky that I don’t struggle with a sick parent, Asperger’s, or something truly serious. My biggest personal challenge is simply being a parent of young children. When I was younger, startup life was simpler. I could completely obsess about a startup, my hours were truly …
Yes, You Need a Co-Founder
UPDATE: people have made very valid points that I have oversimplified the issues here, and I have decided that I agree. I neither want to be wishy-washy nor stupidly dogmatic. While I will leave the original post as-is below, consider it my *case* for why you need a co-founder but know that I acknowledge the complexities of this topic. The …
SMB Ecommerce, Advertising, and the False Assurance of Numbers
I’ve been talking to a lot of SMB ecommerce players lately, especially in areas such as lifestyle, fashion and homeware. Most of them have tried online advertising, but backed off. They looked at the conversions, decided the numbers did not add up, and instead focused energies on customer service, email lists and social media. I’ve also been talking to a …