Here's an excellent article about data exploration and user needs.
A must read: Building smarter software: Proactively deliver insights.
./M6
A must read: Building smarter software: Proactively deliver insights.
./M6
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Low-Fat Presentations
Presenting may be an art, but presenting without boring the audience is actually easy.
There's a lot of blogs, books and opinions about the subject, but the main idea is the triplet: message, focus and design.
The message is easy: it's what one needs to communicate to the audience.
This main principle is to open your presentation with the conclusion, i.e., show what the audience will see next. Then show how to get to conclusion, or how did one got into that conclusion.
Focus is an exercise that must be performed at each presentation step.
For each step one must ask the question "is there anything that I can remove?" This will maintain the presentation focused on the message, so that no unnecessary "fat" will be included.
Contrary to the common believe, design is not hard to achieve.
Start by using a clean and professional good looking template and keep things simple. Don't stuff loads of text that no one will read nor retain. Pick a good font that is easily read when projected, take into account the fact that size does matter and people on the back of the audience need to see it clearly.
Use graphics, workflows, etc. whenever possible, it usually is more eye appealing and much less boring than it's similar text description. Please use good looking graphics, picking from clipart that's bundled with office suits and alike is usually a bad choice, since it's looks usually very outdated.
Finally, be consistent by using the same lettering, colors, etc..
Here's a set o articles which I recommend:
./M6
There's a lot of blogs, books and opinions about the subject, but the main idea is the triplet: message, focus and design.
The message is easy: it's what one needs to communicate to the audience.
This main principle is to open your presentation with the conclusion, i.e., show what the audience will see next. Then show how to get to conclusion, or how did one got into that conclusion.
Focus is an exercise that must be performed at each presentation step.
For each step one must ask the question "is there anything that I can remove?" This will maintain the presentation focused on the message, so that no unnecessary "fat" will be included.
Contrary to the common believe, design is not hard to achieve.
Start by using a clean and professional good looking template and keep things simple. Don't stuff loads of text that no one will read nor retain. Pick a good font that is easily read when projected, take into account the fact that size does matter and people on the back of the audience need to see it clearly.
Use graphics, workflows, etc. whenever possible, it usually is more eye appealing and much less boring than it's similar text description. Please use good looking graphics, picking from clipart that's bundled with office suits and alike is usually a bad choice, since it's looks usually very outdated.
Finally, be consistent by using the same lettering, colors, etc..
Here's a set o articles which I recommend:
./M6
Developers That Market Are Dangerous
I've came across this great post about how the road a developer goes can make him dangerous.
Developers are valuable for organizations, but when they learn to market, they become dangerous, since they move from a valuable asset into a dangerous competitor.
A must read for all developers that wish to walk the entrepreneur road: Being a Developer Makes You Valuable. Learning How to Market Makes You Dangerous.
./M6
It takes three years to build a business
A very interesting post about quiting your day job and own business expectations: It takes three eyes to build a business.
./M6
./M6
Value Proposition
While reading about marketing and web site design if found this interesting small post about value proposition
This is business centric, since it states why should customers choose you instead of your competition, and every business people should have that clear on their head.
Here it is: Value Proposition: A free worksheet to help you win arguments in any meeting. Don't forget to check the related links. ./M6
Here it is: Value Proposition: A free worksheet to help you win arguments in any meeting. Don't forget to check the related links. ./M6
No Capital? No Problem. What You Get For Free Is Priceless
A small post about bootstrapping a business idea without money: No Capital? No Problem. What You Get For Free Is Priceless
./M6
./M6
The Math Behind Consulting Companies
An entrepreur friend pointed me to this very interesting post about the math behind consulting companies.
Here it is: The unfortunate math behind consulting companies.
./M6
Here it is: The unfortunate math behind consulting companies.
./M6
SaaS Metrics – A Guide to Measuring and Improving What Matters
I've came across with this great post about Software as a Service metrics aimed to improve what matters, essentially cash, profitability and growth.
Here it is: SaaS Metrics – A Guide to Measuring and Improving What Matters
./M6
Here it is: SaaS Metrics – A Guide to Measuring and Improving What Matters
./M6
How Technology Can Screw Business
I'm searching for an automatic SMS send service, something sending a SMS via a web service.
Somehow two of the biggest Portuguese mobile operators, TMN and Optimus, don't provide this information on their web site, contrary to Vodafone that explains all their solutions and provides the corresponding prices and conditions.
This has forced me to contact the operators personally, so that their sales team can engage in a conversation with me and try their sales techniques that I'm already immune to.
For TMN I've requested that they call me back "immediately" as their form option said, but no phone call came from them. Maybe its because I'm competitor customer and they don't wish to make business with me. Or maybe it's just the form submission that didn't work. Whatever has happened, TMN did not called me back.
For Optimus, I've sent them an email to a specific email address that they provide in their web site. Here's the response:
Isn't it great when technology screws your business big time?
I don't know what happened with TMN, but clearly something went totally wrong. It may have not been a technical problem, but in that case my contacts were loaded in their call center database and they've should have called me by now.
When it comes to Optimus, well, the answer is clear. Someone forgot to delete some old mails, haven't they? Or someone goofed big time with Microsoft Exchange Server, why is it configured to ignore customers? (Side Note: I love the last sentence where I should "contact the recipient direct", what am I doing by sending the recipient a direct email? I'm not contacting it through a middle man...)
Whatever the problem was, I'm almost positive that it was technical and that is how technology can screw business: by pushing them to competitors. What would their shareholders react if they knew this?
Good work Vodafone, it seems you're the one and only Portuguese mobile company that truly cares about your customers, at least you don't ignore them.
./M6
Somehow two of the biggest Portuguese mobile operators, TMN and Optimus, don't provide this information on their web site, contrary to Vodafone that explains all their solutions and provides the corresponding prices and conditions.
This has forced me to contact the operators personally, so that their sales team can engage in a conversation with me and try their sales techniques that I'm already immune to.
For TMN I've requested that they call me back "immediately" as their form option said, but no phone call came from them. Maybe its because I'm competitor customer and they don't wish to make business with me. Or maybe it's just the form submission that didn't work. Whatever has happened, TMN did not called me back.
For Optimus, I've sent them an email to a specific email address that they provide in their web site. Here's the response:
Delivery has failed to these recipients or distribution lists:
16939@optimusnegocios.pt
The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now.
Microsoft Exchange will not try to redeliver this message for you.
Please try resending this message later, or contact the recipient direct
Isn't it great when technology screws your business big time?
I don't know what happened with TMN, but clearly something went totally wrong. It may have not been a technical problem, but in that case my contacts were loaded in their call center database and they've should have called me by now.
When it comes to Optimus, well, the answer is clear. Someone forgot to delete some old mails, haven't they? Or someone goofed big time with Microsoft Exchange Server, why is it configured to ignore customers? (Side Note: I love the last sentence where I should "contact the recipient direct", what am I doing by sending the recipient a direct email? I'm not contacting it through a middle man...)
Whatever the problem was, I'm almost positive that it was technical and that is how technology can screw business: by pushing them to competitors. What would their shareholders react if they knew this?
Good work Vodafone, it seems you're the one and only Portuguese mobile company that truly cares about your customers, at least you don't ignore them.
./M6
Morgan Stanley Report about How Teenagers Consume Media
Morgan Stanley has released a study made by a 15 year old summer intern, Matthew Robson. Matthew researched about his friends and colleagues habits of media consumption and the results are very interesting, in particular when compared with adult people habits.
How Teenagers Consume Media
./M6
How Teenagers Consume Media
./M6
Once Accenture. Always Accenture.
Yesterday I attended to Accenture Alumni cocktail party.
It was an event exclusively for former Accenture employees and, obviously, for Accenture Senior Managers and above.
I've been with Accenture twice, and loved it both times.
I always felt that Accenture really care about its people. The proof is in such meetings, Accenture cares about you even if you're no longer with them.
The event itself was very nice and allowed us to chat with people that we haven't seen for awhile. Many of us updated the mobile numbers between two drinks, sushi and ice cream.
Obviously such events have a business return. There were a lot of business cards changing hands, contacts updated and new contacts made.
There's also the marketing part of it, people that attended surely chatted about it with current coworkers or write about it in their blogs.
And precisely how many companies do you know that invite former employees for a cocktail?
On the way out, everybody got a Bonsai with a "thank you" card for helping Accenture to be the company that it is.
Well, tank you Accenture for the cocktail and for the challenges that I was given and that allowed me to be a better professional.
./M6
It was an event exclusively for former Accenture employees and, obviously, for Accenture Senior Managers and above.
I've been with Accenture twice, and loved it both times.
I always felt that Accenture really care about its people. The proof is in such meetings, Accenture cares about you even if you're no longer with them.
The event itself was very nice and allowed us to chat with people that we haven't seen for awhile. Many of us updated the mobile numbers between two drinks, sushi and ice cream.
Obviously such events have a business return. There were a lot of business cards changing hands, contacts updated and new contacts made.
There's also the marketing part of it, people that attended surely chatted about it with current coworkers or write about it in their blogs.
And precisely how many companies do you know that invite former employees for a cocktail?
On the way out, everybody got a Bonsai with a "thank you" card for helping Accenture to be the company that it is.
Well, tank you Accenture for the cocktail and for the challenges that I was given and that allowed me to be a better professional.
./M6
Mediocrity is a choice
As Seth Godin states on a small post, quality is the result of choices one get to make every day.
Here's the full post: On the road to mediocrity.
./M6
Here's the full post: On the road to mediocrity.
./M6
Success is a Continuous Journey
Business success is a continuous journey, not a destination. I've learned this long ago, but I couldn't say it better than Richard St. John:
It's not about falling, it's about getting up again...
./M6
It's not about falling, it's about getting up again...
./M6
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