Apr 09
So many people who I follow on the Internet had mentioned Tim Ferris’s “The 4-Hour Workweek” that I thought it was finally time for me to read it. Ferris’s book proposes working with a goal in mind, working less and spending more time on whatever it is that would be fulfilling for you, travel for instance. He proposes a plan to get there by creating a largely self running business using the Internet and relying heavily on outsourcing. It was an interesting book and I am glad I read it but I was left with a more mixed impression of the book.
What I liked
I thought the book was for me a fresh and different perspective. I do like to read things that challenge me and my perceptions, at least from time to time. I am still hard pressed to come up with a product that I could sell as Ferris has (fitness supplements) that would be the good basis for a business. He give some suggestions for how to find or create such a product and a large list of useful links for companies that can partner in manufacturing, fulfillment, sales and support of such a product. I found the list of links to be one of the most valuable parts of the book.
What I did not like
Ferris actually has very little work experience in corporate America and takes pride in the number of jobs he was fired from or deserved to be fired from. His personal experience centers mostly around sales where he found ways to be more productive and spend less time doing it by changing when he made his sales calls and by eliminating clients that were not worth his time. I find that his experience in the working world bears little resemblance to mine. His picture of the working world is a soul sucking machine. No doubt others will relate to that description but I did not. I work as the EVP of Engineering and Operations at a small Internet company focused on creating communities. Before that I have held a variety of positions in software engineering in Silicon Valley. Work has often been for me a part of my creative expression. Most of the time I have derived joy from the people I worked with. There are also fewer shortcuts (at least that I have found) in software engineering than he found in sales.
As Ferris describes the kind of business he is trying to create it is clear that money is the bottom line. What kind of product can I create so I won’t have to work as much? From my Silicon Valley background this seems a passionless exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have the time to travel all the time as Ferris does. But I am not sure that the unconnected untethered lifestyle that is his personal goal would be a good match for me. The process of product and company creation that Ferris describes seemed to me to be passionless and even a bit cynical.
But the biggest problem I had with Ferris’s book was the number of times he expressed an approach to life that I find unethical. I did not count the number of times that he suggested lying to your employer but it was definitely a running theme. His just “Call in sick…” approach to work probably means that it is a good thing for all involved that Ferris is now an entrepreneur. Certainly, I am glad I was not in a position as his boss, but I would probably also not choose to be his partner.
Conclusion
I would repeat that I did find this book interesting. I think that reevaluating “a work hard play later” philosophy could be beneficial to any number of people, myself included. I found the homework that Ferris assigned in the book to be thought provoking if not yet for me life changing. I can recommend the book, even with some serious misgivings about the author’s philosophy.
Popularity: 30% [?]
Mar 28
If you have not heard of BzzAgent it is a company that gets paid by companies to create word of mouth advertising or buzz. I have been a BzzAgent for some time now but had not participated in any campaigns. But recently they had a campaign advertising a new burger (the Smokehouse Bacon Burger) at Chili’s restaurants. Well, I happen to like bacon and burgers and Chili’s is where I took my family for my birthday dinner (the tradition is that the person whose birthday it is gets to choose the restaurant). So this seemed like the time for me to activate from my sleeper agent role and create some buzz.
BzzAgent sent me a kit which included a brochure about the new burgers and 4 coupons to try a burger for free. My wife and I each used one of the coupons and then gave two of the coupons away. The idea then is that I tell people about my experience. BzzAgent is very clear that the agents should tell the truth which left a good taste in my mouth (and hey so did that burger if the truth is to be told).
I then need to report to BzzAgent on at least 3 times that I told some one about the new Smokehouse Bacon Burger (subtle right?). As part of the report I need to attest that:
YES, every person I Bzzed in this BzzReport knows that I’m an Agent and that I received a way to experience the product or service, even if it’s not specifically mentioned in the report itself.
It was an interesting experience. I still find the business model strange for BzzAgent but I found the experience to be more positive that I expected. I understand now why one of my co-workers raves about being a BzzAgent. Besides, I really did enjoy the thick tasty (marinated?) bacon on the Smokehouse Bacon Burger.
Popularity: 29% [?]
Mar 12
You might get the impression from the books that I have been reading that I am working on a “do it yourself MBA by mail” course. The truth is not far from that.
As the chief technologist at a community marketing agency and in my previous endeavors I have lived through many of the triumphs and pitfalls chronicled in numerous business and marketing books.
- I learned, among other things, the value of a “sincere tie” at Watson’s IBM.
- I searched for excellence at Hewlett-Packard back during the days of the HP Way.
- My first startup (Momenta) died trying to cross Geoffrey Moore’s Chasm.
- I learned to start a project with a t-shirt design at Apple as instructed by Kawasaki.
- I bet on the value of internet community with the author’s of Net Gain (dedicated in part to the 3 founders of my current company).
I have built and launched products, hired and managed teams. I have debated the 5 P’s of marketing as they apply to my business, but it turns out I had never actually read about them. I became increasingly aware of my ignorance. Those of you who know me know that I am uncomfortable with ignorance.
And so the process of re-educating, re-making and re-branding my self continues.
Popularity: 30% [?]
Mar 11
I just finished reading two books by the prolific marketeer Seth Godin: Purple Cow and Free Prize Inside. I had heard a number of people discussing Godin’s latest book and thought I would see what I was missing.
Purple Cow is a battle cry to make remarkable products. It is a passionate plea that a product that tries to be all things to all people will be nothing to everyone. Godin makes a case that a product should leave the happy middle ground. Make the cheapest product, or the most expensive, the most elegant or the simplest. The early adopters are the people that you need to win first and they are not drawn to the average product. A remarkable product, literally one that would make someone remark and take notice, will produce “sneezers” who will distribute your “idea virus”.
Free Prize Inside! argues that a series of small incremental changes to your product to add value is better than either a huge marketing or a huge research budget. When Amazon took their large marketing budget and instead spent it on free shipping they created value, a “free prize”, for their customers. Give your customers a free prize, give them value, and they will talk about it.
I enjoyed both books even if I did not always relate to the world he was writing about. Having worked in Silicon Valley startup companies for so long I did not relate to some of the information in Free Prize Inside! about how to sell your ideas to a management chain that would clearly be resistant. I did not disagree that this happens, I just did not relate on a personal level. Also I find Godin’s terminology like “sneezers” to be something that I am likely to remember but embarrassed to repeat.
My favorite part of both books are the concrete examples that I look for in a book in this genre. I am left with questions like “how would I do something similar for my company, my blog or my podcast?” “What free prize could I provide my customers, my readers or my listeners?” So I am left with questions, but those are exactly the kind of questions I am looking for.
Popularity: 27% [?]
