I've been using Twitter for almost 3 years, well before it became what it is today. I haven't paid much attention to how its changed what I do in the social media sphere until just looking at my last posting for "The Words of Phive Tacos" blog site. I haven't posted since October. If I go back another 6 months, I haven't posted but a few times. So over a year, maybe 2-3 posts...I think I'm finally at the point where I no longer will do full blown out blog posts.
Therefore, I'm signing off from blogging and if you'd like to follow along with my microblogging, you can go to my twitter page where I'm constantly talking tech, entrepreneurship, learning, and startups.
Maybe I'll post again but for the foreseeable future, I'm out.
See you on twitter.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Off to PodCamp Boston 4...
Starting Saturday morning, the staff, audience, and organizers of PodCamp Boston will start its 4th year of educating the New England region about everything social media. (blogs, twitter, facebook, openness, collaboration...)
PodCamp Boston is an opportunity, and for an extremley low price for the experience, to learn more about the technologies, people, and ideas that foster the use of social media in your personal or business lives.
My first experience at PodCamp Boston was a few years back. It was there I learned how to be "social" using available technologies, how to communicate through blogs, and really, what social media is. This time around for me, I'm sitting from on a different side of the event. (there really aren't sides since everyone is on equal ground so as to faciliate ideas/learning)
At 11:15, members of the City of Boston, Boston World Partnerships (staff and connector) and other members of the new media community will host a session called "What is the progress of Boston 2.0". This session will discuss how Boston is helping to connect area entrepreneurs to who/what they need from Boston and/or the global community to fund, launch, or grow ideas and products. We'll also solicit ideas for what else would be needed to make these interactions, connections, happen faster?
I look forward to PodCamp Boston 4 and experiencing it in a different way as well as hearing everyone's thoughts/ideas about making the 2.0 in "Boston 2.0" mean something.
I hope to see you there.
5tacos
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Dusting off the blog...
March 6, 2009 is my last post. Just looking at the date seems like it was yesterday but it has been almost 5 months. Sheeze!!
Where have I been? Engaged is where!
Over the last almost 5 months I've had my ear to the ground, listening and identifying the actions I need to take in order to manage through the downturn. Things like:
- What are my audiences needing; how can I fulfill that?
- What do they need as they manage their downturn; how can I help them?
- What has changed on their business horizon; where do I change my product in order to get them to their new goals?
I'm obviously committed to writing about the things I see and do, but the time between posts, I felt it was more important to focus on assisting my audiences as they work through their decisions in order to leave them in a better position once this mess corrects itself...and it will!
The actions I've taken over the last 5 months are already producing the outcomes I planned for. When I see that happening, I feel less guilty about not being totally committed to "The Words of Phive Tacos".
Now that I see the road clearer, I'm hopping back into the mix, which is good, seeing all of the good things happening around the globe with technology.
- The State of Wireless Broadband: 225M Subscribers & Growing (http://tinyurl.com/nnt3kn)
- Who can access 3G/4G services in 2013? (http://tinyurl.com/l6pveo)
- How people share content on the web? (http://tinyurl.com/lpjbmn)
- Google Says Mobile App Stores Have No Future (http://tinyurl.com/lfo4va)
Just so much to start talking about again. I'm looking forward to it.
5tacos
Friday, March 6, 2009
Better days ahead...
Almost 3.5 years ago I started following a woman named Carlota Perez. She’s a senior research fellow at the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance at Cambridge University, and author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, a book she wrote to discuss financial cycles in technological revolutions.
Let me digress for a second and I’ll come back to Carlota.
I watch a lot of different things, but the assignment of our country’s first Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, is the most compelling indicator that the next generation is upon us. If you don’t take the time to read about Vivek, just keep this in mind…he’s all digital, and should he not blow the opportunity as Obama’s CIO, he will have at least 4 years (if not 8) to reshape the way our country operates using IP technologies.
Other present day indicators: (linked to articles)
Reid Hoffman – CEO of LinkedIn
“I actually think every individual is now an entrepreneur, whether they recognize it or not.”
Adeo Ressi – Founder of TheFunded.com
“wants to do his part to help jump start the economy with fresh ideas and leaders.”
The Big Shift: Constant Disruption
“If this premise is right--that the pattern of disruption followed by stabilization has itself been disrupted--then it may be we're facing the mother of all disruptions, a big shift into a world without equilibrium, one that will continue to shift rapidly even once the current recession has passed”.
Back to Carlota:
She answers two questions in her 2005 Strategy + Business interview that I feel shed more light into the environment we are in now and what’s to come:
S+B: On the airplane here, I read two articles about the future. One predicted economic clear sailing and the other foresaw crisis and collapse.
Perez: They’re probably both right. We may well have a jolt or two in the near future, and then a great boom probably lies ahead. But the Nasdaq collapse of 2000 was not big enough to force the changes necessary to get there.
S+B: For people who lost their retirement savings, that’s a difficult statement to hear.
Perez: I couldn’t agree more, but that’s the price we’ve historically paid for our ability to reach great booms. The collapse has to be disastrous enough to make it clear to everyone that the time when the stock market drives the growth of the economy is finished. Finance capital has done its job; it’s brought forth the resources to pave the way for the next wave of technology. Along the way, it’s created an environment in which companies like Microsoft, Intel, and Google could emerge and flourish. Now we need to spread out the new paradigm of our era through all the economies of the world, just as in the past.
Our country is calling for more innovation, business leaders are helping by creating avenues to product creation, the world is in a major shift, and a long wave theorist (with credibility) is saying this is really the beginning and not the end.
When I read items like this, it doesn’t tell me we’re done, it tells me we should be taking advantage of this opportunity by creating new products, opening lines of communications, creating more value with existing products, and driving more innovation into our customer businesses.
This is how we navigate this pullback and ready ourselves for better days.
Ben
Let me digress for a second and I’ll come back to Carlota.
I watch a lot of different things, but the assignment of our country’s first Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, is the most compelling indicator that the next generation is upon us. If you don’t take the time to read about Vivek, just keep this in mind…he’s all digital, and should he not blow the opportunity as Obama’s CIO, he will have at least 4 years (if not 8) to reshape the way our country operates using IP technologies.
Other present day indicators: (linked to articles)
Reid Hoffman – CEO of LinkedIn
“I actually think every individual is now an entrepreneur, whether they recognize it or not.”
Adeo Ressi – Founder of TheFunded.com
“wants to do his part to help jump start the economy with fresh ideas and leaders.”
The Big Shift: Constant Disruption
“If this premise is right--that the pattern of disruption followed by stabilization has itself been disrupted--then it may be we're facing the mother of all disruptions, a big shift into a world without equilibrium, one that will continue to shift rapidly even once the current recession has passed”.
Back to Carlota:
She answers two questions in her 2005 Strategy + Business interview that I feel shed more light into the environment we are in now and what’s to come:
S+B: On the airplane here, I read two articles about the future. One predicted economic clear sailing and the other foresaw crisis and collapse.
Perez: They’re probably both right. We may well have a jolt or two in the near future, and then a great boom probably lies ahead. But the Nasdaq collapse of 2000 was not big enough to force the changes necessary to get there.
S+B: For people who lost their retirement savings, that’s a difficult statement to hear.
Perez: I couldn’t agree more, but that’s the price we’ve historically paid for our ability to reach great booms. The collapse has to be disastrous enough to make it clear to everyone that the time when the stock market drives the growth of the economy is finished. Finance capital has done its job; it’s brought forth the resources to pave the way for the next wave of technology. Along the way, it’s created an environment in which companies like Microsoft, Intel, and Google could emerge and flourish. Now we need to spread out the new paradigm of our era through all the economies of the world, just as in the past.
Our country is calling for more innovation, business leaders are helping by creating avenues to product creation, the world is in a major shift, and a long wave theorist (with credibility) is saying this is really the beginning and not the end.
When I read items like this, it doesn’t tell me we’re done, it tells me we should be taking advantage of this opportunity by creating new products, opening lines of communications, creating more value with existing products, and driving more innovation into our customer businesses.
This is how we navigate this pullback and ready ourselves for better days.
Ben
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Social Network is more than just "Connecting"...
Social Networking is more than Facebook, MySpace, Ning, LinkedIn and any others. They are considered tools in helping people connect with each other.
Social Networking was destined for the enterprise and Groundswell just reported how far into the enterprise it goes. Here are some quick facts:
* 91% of these technology decision-makers were Spectators -- the highest number I've ever seen in a Social Technographics Profile. This means you can count on the fact that your buyers are reading blogs, watching user generated video, and participating in other social media. Note that 69% of them said they were using this technology for business purposes.
* Only 5% are non-participants (Inactives).
* 55% of these decision-makers were in social networks (Joiners) -- despite as mature businesspeople and not college students, you'd think they'd be participating a lot less.
* 43% are creating media (blogs, uploading videos or articles, etc.) and 58% are Critics, reacting to content they see in social formats. Again the numbers are very high compared to other groups we've surveyed, and again the level of participation for business purposes is also very high.
Its not only finding its way into the enterprise; its becoming a standard in the overall buying process.
The part I like most about the report is when it says, "If you're a B2B marketer and you're not using social technologies in your marketing, it means you're late". Not "you still have time" but "LATE". The last thing you want is your company & products to be late to the game. Not taking a stance now will only leave you like Microsoft, who pushed out the Zune years after the iPod, only to see it slowly dwindle away.
Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption said it best, "Get busy living or get busy dying" or "Get busy being social or get out of the game".Ben
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Realization Through Learning
I pulled this together over the last couple of weeks. Little here and a little there.
I wanted to get it posted before this week since I'm taking time off. The slideware is me offering my thought on the importance of learning and communities in product creation. Just had a thought and figured I throw something together.
Hope you see what I see.
Ben
I wanted to get it posted before this week since I'm taking time off. The slideware is me offering my thought on the importance of learning and communities in product creation. Just had a thought and figured I throw something together.
Hope you see what I see.
Ben
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thank you Mr. Ortega...
A couple of weeks ago I went to meet with my son’s class to talk about “Circuits, Switches, and Everyday Communications”. Here is the presentation if you’re interested. What a great time I had watching them LEARN about our topic.
Now remember, these are 9-10 year olds, so their understanding of communications and telephony is nothing like ours. We get most of it and understand how we got to these points in technology but they don’t fully know. They don’t know what internet dial up was, or what Crocket held to his ear, and most importantly what is in front of them.
What they do know is the DSL or higher internet experience, cell phone availability, wireless internet connectivity, and even Facebook. Yeah, one of them mentioned it as a form of communication which is what Jeff Pulver is arguing is a growing market right now at the SocComm meetup in NY.
The kids knew that these technologies were around them but they didn’t know how delivery was accomplished and as I started to dive into how the fundamentals of an electrical circuit and switch have led us to where we are today; their mouths dropped. They couldn’t believe it. The same thing happened to me about 9 years ago when I first learned how packet based voice works. I couldn’t believe it was done so fast.
Of everything we talked about, my highlight was when one of the kids said, “American Telephone & Telegraph is AT&T…now I get it”. It was so cool to see it come together and I think I was having more fun than them.
So as much as they’ve said “thank you” to me…I have to tell them, THANK YOU!
I can’t wait for our next session.
Ben
Monday, December 15, 2008
Amazing Storm...
I'm not speaking of the financial, housing, banking, or business storms, I'm talking about the ice one that just finished hitting New England this weekend.
Over the last few days my family and our community have been recovering from a very damaging storm. Look at how much ice accumulated in a 8 hour period:
The night of the storm was incredibly loud. It was impossible to sleep because every time you got to the point where you'd doze off, a tree would break and it would startle you because it sounded like it was falling right near your house. (Here were my twits)
I live in an established neighborhood so the trees around us have been around a while. It was amazing to see how the additional layers could bring them to their breaking point. There wasn't anything that they could have done; they were at the mercy of the storm. The look and feel of our neighborhood will suffer.
Now that the storm is over, in its wake is the clean up. Here is a pile I built up from my backyard.
I'd ask a neighbor for help but since they were also impacted, I had to handle the care and load on my own. It was good exercise but getting it done took much longer than expected.
Overall I took a lot of good out of the storm. I got to spend time with the family in ways I couldn't have created myself and it isn't everyday you boil water in your fireplace or listen to PBS on the radio.
It felt good to step back to a day when life was simpler.
5tacos
Over the last few days my family and our community have been recovering from a very damaging storm. Look at how much ice accumulated in a 8 hour period:
The night of the storm was incredibly loud. It was impossible to sleep because every time you got to the point where you'd doze off, a tree would break and it would startle you because it sounded like it was falling right near your house. (Here were my twits)
I live in an established neighborhood so the trees around us have been around a while. It was amazing to see how the additional layers could bring them to their breaking point. There wasn't anything that they could have done; they were at the mercy of the storm. The look and feel of our neighborhood will suffer.
Now that the storm is over, in its wake is the clean up. Here is a pile I built up from my backyard.
I'd ask a neighbor for help but since they were also impacted, I had to handle the care and load on my own. It was good exercise but getting it done took much longer than expected.
Overall I took a lot of good out of the storm. I got to spend time with the family in ways I couldn't have created myself and it isn't everyday you boil water in your fireplace or listen to PBS on the radio.
It felt good to step back to a day when life was simpler.
5tacos
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Give Thanks...
I wished a bunch of friends a Happy Thanksgiving today and most of the responses I got were to have the same.
I'm thankful everyday for what's going on in and around my walk in life. Some of the things I'll be most thankful this year are:
- health & safety of my family
- my mind
- the ability to be helpful to others
There are more but those are core to me. I couldn't move the way I do without knowing my family is safe and healthy. I don't even know where I'd be without my mind. Being a helpful creative type, I am extremely thankful for the ability to help others whether it be in business, life, or financially. I enjoy that so much.
I hope everyone has a great day celebrating things they are thankful for.
5tacos
I'm thankful everyday for what's going on in and around my walk in life. Some of the things I'll be most thankful this year are:
- health & safety of my family
- my mind
- the ability to be helpful to others
There are more but those are core to me. I couldn't move the way I do without knowing my family is safe and healthy. I don't even know where I'd be without my mind. Being a helpful creative type, I am extremely thankful for the ability to help others whether it be in business, life, or financially. I enjoy that so much.
I hope everyone has a great day celebrating things they are thankful for.
5tacos
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Get your Sketch On!!
I'm not sure how long its been out but I just stumbled on Google's new 3D drawing application called, "SketchUp".
I downloaded and trialed it out today and all I can say is, it is very, very cool. I'm not an architect or mechanical engineer and you don't have to be in order to enjoy this application. It is extremely easy to use and their tutorials are easy to follow in order to get going quickly.
I showed it to a friend and she said, "all my engineer friends can kiss their years of experience using other drawing software goodbye".
Go check it out and if its not something you want to use, I'm sure someone you know will.
5tacos
I downloaded and trialed it out today and all I can say is, it is very, very cool. I'm not an architect or mechanical engineer and you don't have to be in order to enjoy this application. It is extremely easy to use and their tutorials are easy to follow in order to get going quickly.
I showed it to a friend and she said, "all my engineer friends can kiss their years of experience using other drawing software goodbye".
Go check it out and if its not something you want to use, I'm sure someone you know will.
5tacos
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Second time I've held off blogging
Its been over a month since the last time I posted and there are good reasons, mostly medical.
I've been through my spell of medical attention so it wasn't me, it was my wife. While everything has been going on I didn't feel it necessary to hop on blogger and update, although I have remained active on Facebook and Twitter. Actually for a while there I was enjoying the limitation of 140 characters since it meant I didn't need to have a long post in order to throw something up on the web. A pure benefit of Twitter.
I'm about 90% back and so I am now turning my attention back to writing down my thoughts.
With so much going on I'm not sure where to start so over the next few days you'll begin to see more posting. It will be nice to be back sharing my thoughts about the paths in which I walk.
It's good to be back.
5tacos
I've been through my spell of medical attention so it wasn't me, it was my wife. While everything has been going on I didn't feel it necessary to hop on blogger and update, although I have remained active on Facebook and Twitter. Actually for a while there I was enjoying the limitation of 140 characters since it meant I didn't need to have a long post in order to throw something up on the web. A pure benefit of Twitter.
I'm about 90% back and so I am now turning my attention back to writing down my thoughts.
With so much going on I'm not sure where to start so over the next few days you'll begin to see more posting. It will be nice to be back sharing my thoughts about the paths in which I walk.
It's good to be back.
5tacos
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
No Innovation...??
Did we go wrong somewhere? Have we forgotten what its like to innovate?
I'm not talking personally, I'm talking industry wise. I'm not picking on any industry in particular but it seems that unless your "GREEN" right now, you aren't innovating.
So I'll ask again, where have we gone wrong? Or better yet, did we go wrong?
I don' get it. Consumers are demanding new products, new approaches to the same, lower cost items, more efficient products, better emotional connections, and the list goes on. With the habits of consumers changing in such a big way, why aren't we innovating more? Have we become afraid of risk? I can't see how too much risk would impair innovation with the cost of developing something being so low.
So other than green tech, how do you see companies innovating for the consumer?
5tacos
I'm not talking personally, I'm talking industry wise. I'm not picking on any industry in particular but it seems that unless your "GREEN" right now, you aren't innovating.
So I'll ask again, where have we gone wrong? Or better yet, did we go wrong?
I don' get it. Consumers are demanding new products, new approaches to the same, lower cost items, more efficient products, better emotional connections, and the list goes on. With the habits of consumers changing in such a big way, why aren't we innovating more? Have we become afraid of risk? I can't see how too much risk would impair innovation with the cost of developing something being so low.
So other than green tech, how do you see companies innovating for the consumer?
5tacos
Monday, August 4, 2008
Next Gen Wii? & Best Product Development quote…
First and foremost, a “next generation Wii platform” just doesn’t sound right. It is already a game changer (Casual Games Market) and has put a lot of pressure on Sony and Microsoft to compete.
I can only imagine what will be in the next version. Maybe a full body motion suit that interacts with the game? Whatever it will be, it’s going to be interesting.
Now to the quote:
Satoru Iwata, Wii platform president says, “We only turn something into a product after it’s been thoroughly vetted INSIDE the company”.
I don’t care what anyone says, this is rule number 1. Inventing products that you do not use yourself is stupid. I posted earlier about pricing products you don’t use and I think this fits the same bill. If you aren’t using your own products, how do you know how good or bad they are? How do you know what price to set when you don’t understand its value to YOU?
If this is how Nintendo approaches product creation, I would have to say it is a good reason why they have been able to take a lead in the console space so quickly.
They are their own customers.
5tacos
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Relating to everyone with your ideas...
This hits an emotion that you, and possibly everyone else you've ever met, gets enjoyment out of.
All I can say is, "this is FRIGGIN brilliant".
5tacos
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
"Pass the TP"
Mike Michalowicz's "Toilet Paper Entreprenuer" description from "The Big Idea Blog".
This is one of my favorites:
Slant Toward Premature Action – Do not wait for the perfect conditions to start or expand your business. Taking action early is better than taking action too late. And don’t be nervous about these lean times we are experiencing right now. This is the perfect time to start a business. With everyone waiting until the economy is ripe, the startup competition is almost non-existent.
Let's get building!!
5tacos
This is one of my favorites:
Slant Toward Premature Action – Do not wait for the perfect conditions to start or expand your business. Taking action early is better than taking action too late. And don’t be nervous about these lean times we are experiencing right now. This is the perfect time to start a business. With everyone waiting until the economy is ripe, the startup competition is almost non-existent.
Let's get building!!
5tacos
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Seth Godin's newly coined word, "Clowd"...
With Seth's new word...I think he summarizes the times ahead of us in quite a unique way.
Things just keep getting better and better.
5tacos
Things just keep getting better and better.
5tacos
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Decisions made by non-users
I heard a speaker say one time that if you were over 35, you had no clue how to handle the demands of the next generation technology user.
I couldn't agree more and I am north of 35, albeit just by a tiny bit.
If a "leader" who is making decisions that effect the end-user (the CUSTOMER) isn't using the technology like the customer (texting, consuming video, using a converged mobile device, sharing via their social network, using web applications, and/or active in some form of community) I don't think they should be making decisions regarding how to charge for services.
If you aren't using the technologies you're customers purchase from you, then how can you appropriately understand it? If you don't understand it, you shouldn't be allowed to make decisions regarding it.
5tacos
Friday, May 16, 2008
No Femto Needed? Who said that!
Just finished commenting on Jeff Pulver's post, No Femto Cells needed in my home. WiFi UMA works just fine.
I don't agree with his take on not needing femto in the home. I would have made a different purchase decision.
5tacos
I don't agree with his take on not needing femto in the home. I would have made a different purchase decision.
5tacos
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Here I am
Where have I been??
My last post asks the same question but it has nothing to do with location but more with attention.
I haven't posted in two months, which is completely outrageous. All I can say is "busy is an understatement". I can't even start to nail down where all of my attention has gone.
I'm making a commitment to get back up on the horse. It's not that writing has become an issue, it's just I have so many projects in the air that blogging sort of got prioritized down. It doesn't help that my business building activities have increased. There will be more of that coming soon.
For now though, I just want to say hello again and sorry for taking so long to post.
My last post asks the same question but it has nothing to do with location but more with attention.
I haven't posted in two months, which is completely outrageous. All I can say is "busy is an understatement". I can't even start to nail down where all of my attention has gone.
I'm making a commitment to get back up on the horse. It's not that writing has become an issue, it's just I have so many projects in the air that blogging sort of got prioritized down. It doesn't help that my business building activities have increased. There will be more of that coming soon.
For now though, I just want to say hello again and sorry for taking so long to post.
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