When is your start up no longer a start up - when "It’s a f*cking startup" and it shouldn't be...

A great blog talking about start ups and what it really means to NOT be a start up anymore. The whole piece is here. 

Something that we look at Justaxi - Manchester's best taxi comparison and booking app - is how long as an idea we have been running for and when we should pivot. When we should call time on our idea and change it - or when we have enough traction for NOT being a start up anymore. 

It is funny that perhaps this is something "Americans" need to look at as well as "After $336 million in VC funding, reaching a valuation of $1 billion and a staff of 700 employees, how did Jason Goldberg describe his troubled company Fab last month?

It’s a f*cking startup.

In a public memo, now deleted from his blog but preserved in angry amber by the snarkers at Valleywag, he sprinkled the f-word around more liberally than a Tarantino character and hammered out the message that despite it all, the company was still a startup.

Today, Fab is making more layoffs and will be down to 200 employees.

The black hole

There’s a point at which the word “startup” becomes a crutch.

That’s arguably what has happened with Fab. Starting out as a gay social network before metamorphosing into a flash deals site then into a more traditional style-orientated online retailer, the amount of money, time and people poured into what now looks like a black hole would be shocking to any sector besides the startup world.

At his previous startup, Jobster, Goldberg managed to burn through $48m in VC funding. So far it seems Fab’s greatest success is to chew up even larger piles of other people’s money.

Fab culture

The reason I’m picking on Fab in particular is that it illustrates a problem with the world “startup” and the culture that comes along with it in forty foot high neon letters.

Even after all that investment and ramping up Fab to hundreds of employees, Goldberg was still clutching on to the notion that it was somehow early days, as if defining your business as a startup and not a grown up company is a kind of cheat code for avoiding the inevitable.

No amount of kooky soft furnishings and free food can make employees feel better about the dawning reality that jobs are going and money isn’t coming.

Just a phase

The idea that it’s fine to take your time working out how to make money as long as you can hustle up enough venture funding was further strengthened by the announcement earlier this month that Quora is joining the latest batch of Y-Combinator companies.

The five-year-old Q+A site has raised over $141 million – $80 million of that this year – but is joining the accelerator, normally a berth for early stage firms, as “an experiment”.

To at least some of those investors who’ve put tens of millions into Adam D’Angelo’s baby the move must have been more than a little worrying. Quora has said it wants to “remain independent forever” but what about a return on investment?

At some point, a company has to grow up. Its time as a startup should be a productive phase not a way of life.

Of course keeping the best parts of the startup mindset is important – flexibility in roles, optimism, quick decision making – and corporations spend millions trying to suddenly inject those qualities into their hidebound, siloed organisations.

But you have to grow beyond that.

There would be fewer job losses and less wasted investment capital if more founders were focused on building businesses that left the startup label behind than clutching on to it as a safety blanket. Fab is not a startup, it’s a business that’s failing.

---

Mic Wright is the founder and CEO of The XX Corporation, a new kind of media company. He was previously Chief Tech Blogger at The Daily Telegraph, held staff roles at Stuff and Q Magazine and has written for almost every British national newspaper. He currently lives in Dublin and tweets at @brokenbottleboy.

Read Mic's column every week at Tech City News.

This post originally appeared on Tech City News, VentureBeat's editorial partner in London.

More than 13 things to think about, about mobile.

More than 13 things to think about, about mobile. Taught to the good people at Mobile Entertainment by Google and Golden Gekko. Worth thinking about for my client working in geo location mobile apps in Manchester - Justaxi. 

Those stats are: 

1. Smartphone users spend 87 per cent of their time on apps.

2. A great digital experience is no longer nice to have, it is expected by the consumer.

3. Wearable tech is already mainstream in areas such as sport and health.

4. The greatest opportunities for the tech are within the enterprise and productivity space.

5. The internet of things is quickly going mainstream, and will impact businesses whether it’s within cost saving, revenue generating or improved customer care.

6. Mobile offers could damage a business if used too much as consumers could get offer fatigue.

7. Companies too quick to hand out mobile offers will lose out on revenue as consumers may have bought the product at full price anyway.

8. Loyalty solutions are better and should be a priority, offering VIP treatment, rewards without discounts, CSR initiatives or a points program.

9. Forrester estimates that the amounts spent on a consumer app is 35 per cent of the true two-year cost.

10. When making an app, if the developer tries to make it perfect before release, budget and time may run out.

11. There is no hard and fast answer on how to properly test an app.

12. Minimum requirements for testing apps include distribution tool for test version, plus distribution list, minimum of 14 testers, collecting and listening to feedback.

13. Projects with end-to-end user testing have eight-times great chance of success.

Here are some bonus stats:

-  50 per cent of workers use collaborative apps on their device.

-  64 per cent of employees never or rarely use enterprise software

-  32 per cent decision makers say integration with backend is a major challenge

-  50 per cent of businesses have experienced a data breach.

11 Signs That a Company Has a Serious Culture Problem

As I start to look for a couple more things to do...

Perhaps even for one company to work for.... I loved this article about BAD culture.

And I smile to myself and hope to heck that I remember my mistakes of the past. Please if you are looking for a new job or a new role listen to these top ten things to look for... as the author Shane Atchison rightly says "No one of them, by itself, should turn you off. But if you see, say, five of them, you know you have a problem on your hands."

Funnily enough if I had known this before my last two interviews I would not have worked for the clients :)

Here they are:

1. They make a big deal out of the Ping-Pong table. Having a Ping-Pong table is fine; bragging about one is not. Why? The corporate world has somehow equated owning one with having a fun loving-culture. If your potential employers emphasize theirs, it may be a sign they’re checking off boxes rather than giving their employees what they really want.

2. The place is a dump. Whenever I walk into an office, I look along sightlines. If I see boxes sitting in the aisles and chairs piled up in meeting rooms, I know no one cares about the place. And there is probably a good reason why.

3. Only the leaders have offices. We’re always leery of a place where everyone has a cube except for the bosses. That usually indicates a hierarchical structure in which management and employees are at odds.

4. No one talks about culture. Companies should try to sell you on their culture. If the person interviewing you only wants to talk about your qualifications, ask yourself what she’s not telling you about the work environment.

5. Leadership demonstrates bad culture. Culture always flows from the top. You may not have a chance to meet senior management, but you can probably track down a video of them. Your initial reaction may speak volumes about how much you’ll enjoy working at the company.

6. Your interviewer talks about excellence. Every organization strives to succeed. That’s a given. A company that emphasizes excellence may also hold its employees to unachievable standards. Rather than focusing on your job, you’ll be worrying about your job.

7. It just seems weird. A happy workplace should hum. Some people should be up, moving around, and talking to one another. They should not seem bored or stressed. So take a look around, and ask yourself if the average person seems happy or not.

8. The company values are posted on the wall. If you see this, don’t bother with the interview. Simply find the nearest exit and walk through it.

9. It’s five o’clock, and everyone is buried in work. If you can, schedule your interview late. Five o’clock gives you a great opportunity to see how a company manages the work-life balance. A few people working late are fine, but some should be heading home.


10. People talk in hush tones in different languages. 
Apparently for no reason. As this is, in my mind, simply rude. If you can speak English once you can do it again. Or at least say why you are not... This doesn't come from anywhere racist or imperialistic (i.e. everyone should speak English) it is a personal communication issue i.e. surely everyone needs to know what people are saying? Communication is key especially in small teams where isolated people is not an option.

11. If they ask you if you have a question, ask this: “How much time do you spend with your coworkers after 5 p.m., and doing what?” Good answers include having a beer and playing softball. Bad answers include anything to do with work, unless it happens only occasionally.

I asked this one in the last place I worked - they told me most people work and go home. I tried to change this and tried to get people to stay behind on a Friday afternoon - it only happened three times and twice I bought the beers from the store. Which speaks volumes about the management I thought.  

A lot of people would say that work should be a place for work and that these days any job is a good one.
Agreed. Obviously you should get the job you can if you’re having trouble finding one.

But if you have a choice of employers, try for one with a good culture. You’ll be happier, and your career will thank you. In fact, the only downside to a good culture is that you’ll never become famous for ranting about your boss on Twitter. Then again, that 15 minutes is probably best left to someone else.

Note to self - stop ranting about ex bosses on twitter *I am kidding.

13 reasons why people buy and a bonus inside from Seth as well.

Two great blogs that join together to form a rather lovely whole. One from new boy - Barry Feldman and the other from legend - Seth Godin.

We will start with the new boy - who makes a great point (or 12 points) about why people buy. Reminding us that... we shouldn't "make the mistake of believing it’s rationale we rely on to make decisions. Louis Vuitton doesn’t create data sheets for their $1,000 handbags. They create completely irrational pulses of leathery lust for a logo that says “luxury.”

Here are 12 desires you need to use to trip buyers’ triggers.

1. Control

We want to be in control of our relationships, health, finances, jobs, pets, toys, environments — and everything else that matters to us. What don’t you want more control of?

We’ll fight like hell to avoid surrendering control. This is why we fear change. However, as marketers, we aim to affect change. Consider the all-powerful control button when you write content of any kind. Promise to put the reader in control of his or her destiny. Provide choices and options for getting in and getting out.

2. Belonging

Want to fit in? Welcome to the club. Marketers must heed the human need to belong. We are social animals looking to connect. We long to put our trust in others. We want to share our experiences. We need validation.

The words you choose should assure readers they’re in the right place. Make it clear they’re amongst others with similar challenges. Make your readers comfortable. Give ’em some group therapy.

3. Time

Our most precious asset is limited. You might be capable of saving your customers a variety of things, but you’ll never top time.

Respect your reader’s time by getting to the point. Respect how your customers value their time by offering ways to use it wisely. Assure them what you have to say or offer is worth their time. Preview time commitments by revealing how much time something will take. In every possible way, put time on your side.

4. Love

As you know, sex sells. Love trumps it though. It lasts longer and means more. It’s fragile. Powerful. Priceless. A long list of adjectives could go here.

“… And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” ~ Lennon and McCartney
Ain’t it the truth? Spread some love with the words you write. Help people find it and keep it. I wish I could tell you exactly how it’s done. I can’t. Your best bet is to do it any way you know how.

5. Achievement

We’re competitive beasts forever fixated on scaling higher heights.

Philosophical types often say it’s the journey, not the destination that matters most. Psychological types will call bullshit on that one. Sorry philosophers — in marketing, psychology wins.

Tap into the individual’s quest for achievement. Define it how you like… victory, money, power, sway. The achievements will vary. The human desire to achieve will not.

(This is fully behind the psychology of gamifaction - mini victories and achievements which I love.)

6. Discovery

“Dead” is the best way to describe someone who no longer has an appetite for discovery? The joy of finding new things is absolutely universal.

Think about how much pleasure you get from discovering the latest, greatest product, or story, or movie, or album — or anything that floats your boat. Why? You want to be the wise one to spread the gospel.

Tap into this desire. Present a new idea, a new twist, even a new application for an old product. Deliver your message with a touch of the unexpected and you’ll produce a message destined to be shared.

7. Fun

How dull would life be without fun? In a world of predictability and repetitiveness, our lust for fun is undeniably powerful.

Can you offer your prospects a break from the same-old-same-old? You should and you must.
Inject your marketing with a sense of escape. Be funny. Promise stress-relief. Add a gaming element (often called “gamification” see above...) to whatever you can.

Give your prospects something to play with and they will play along.

8. Influence

Influence is positively intoxicating.
Draw people in with possibilities to be more influential. Promise to give them the tools: expertise, reach, charisma, attention and recognition.

9. Knowledge

We all want to become smarter and have the knowledge others seek. You got into this article to tap into my knowledge and you made is this far because you’re learning (I hope).

Craft your sales and marketing messages with this angle in mind. Be a teacher. Be a student. Be generous with your experience. When it comes to writing headlines, you simply can’t outperform the powerful pull of knowledge.

10. Peace

How are you feeling? Are you at one with the world and experiencing the bliss that comes with complete peace of mind? I didn’t think so. Maybe we can’t have perfect peace, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting it.

I don’t want to encourage you to promise what you can’t deliver, but almost any solution can provide baby steps toward some sort of solace. Try to help your prospects smooth their seas.

11. Creativity

Maybe it’s the opinion of a “creative,” but I say creativity doesn’t make the hot button hall of fame the way it should. I believe even the world’s most hopelessly left-brained soul is attracted to the notion of expanding their creativity.
And what is creativity? You can be endlessly creative with your definition. Creativity need not be inventing a global game-changer or paving an amazing new path. Creativity can simply be creating something. Think about the perceived limitations of your audience and suggest ideas for busting a barrier, whatever that barrier may be.

12. Satisfaction

sat·is·fac·tion — noun — The fulfillment or gratification of a desire, need, or appetite.
Is this one too easy or obvious? Who cares? Until your target market is done imagining a better life, you’re in the dream fulfillment business.

And as is tradition I add one myself... Which is Nostalgia.

13. Nostalgia

Well I didn't think of it myself but it is the essence of my favourite quote from Mad Men.

"Technology is a glittering lure. But there's the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product. My first job, I was in-house at a fur company, with this old pro copywriter. Greek, named Teddy. And Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising is "new". Creates an itch. You simply put your product in there as a kind of... calamine lotion.

But he also talked about a deeper bond with the product: nostalgia. It's delicate... but potent.

Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means, "the pain from an old wound". It's a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone."

As the world becomes more and more techie - and we try to hold on (and become older as a demographic) so Nostalgia (or retro) thinking will become more and more powerful.

Anyhoo - here is something else from Seth this time which is lovely. It sits in a place on top of all the 12 or 13 reasons above...

The benefit of the doubt

 

Wouldn't it be nice if your work stood on its own?

That design, that bit of writing, that piece of craft--what if what you did was judged solely on the merits, if the people engaging with your work saw it for precisely what it was...

Or consider the doctor, able to heal people merely by providing precisely the right treatment on just the right day.

Or the lawyer, winning the case because she presented the most cogent, rational argument.

Doesn't work that way.

The crowd likes the songs from the singer they came to hear, not the unknown opening act. The patient responds to medicine when he believes in the doctor who prescribes it. The client is far more likely to applaud your work if he's already put down a big, non-refundable deposit.

A huge part of making our work more effective is creating the environment where we will be given the benefit of the doubt.

Often, creating this environment is at least as important as the work itself.

The benefit to both sides is huge.

Doubt is the project killer, and investing in diminishing that doubt is time well spent.

------------

So now you know this - how will this change what you do today? 

13 Ways Launching A Start-up is Like Having A Baby and 4 more...

A lovely post from Holly Hamann - with some great points - to which I add a view more... The absurd number of ways that running a start-up is like having a baby. 

Here are her top thirteen:

1. The idea to have a baby, or quit your job to launch a start-up during a recession, usually has something to do with tequila.
2. Nausea is the first sign that you are pregnant or have agreed to join a start-up.
3. The vomiting eventually stops in the 2nd trimester, or when you release your beta version, whichever comes first.
4. You are for sure pregnant (or are a co-founder in a start-up) when your partner now owns half of everything that gets produced.
5. You will be sleep-deprived until the baby is sleeping thru the night or you’ve hired someone to handle customer support, whichever comes first.
6. The average birth costs about $50,000 depending on your health insurance policy and PR agency fees.
7. You’ll resist the urge to rip a total stranger’s kidney out thru their left nostril when they tell you your baby is ugly or that your interface doesn’t conform to the latest UI/UX standards. Even if they’re right.
8. It is inevitable that your baby will make a mistake that lands you above the fold on your industry's most popular publication and gets virally propagated across every social network. You will be subject to much public humiliation and embarrassment until another start-up makes a bigger blunder.
9. Plan to fork over an allowance and expect nothing in return. Somewhere between $10 to $100,000 per month, depending on the economy and the cost of a movie-sized box of Milk Duds.
10. Expect to be infinitely patient as your baby (and start-up) experiments with its identity and then eventually grows up to be something far removed from what you originally planned.
11. You will spend the next 10 years teaching your baby, and your start-up, how to earn money on its own.
12. You will instantly forget how much pain you went thru the moment your baby is acquired by a search engine giant for $230 million dollars. 
13. Despite being broke, exhausted, aged, and divorced, you will decide to do it all over again.

Here are mine: 

1. I had my first baby / start up when I was 17 - which is probably a little too early.

2. Some people have them as soon as the leave university with people they met at university. 

3. Having three partners when making a baby / start up is always trickier and less fun than it sounds. 

4. And a very controversial one - and probably where the simile breaks down like it does for Holly on number 12... I have adopted two start ups but in the end the most successful ones were ones I gave birth to. But perhaps not the ones I loved the most (very controversial as I am adopted.) 

5. Once you have had one, you are pretty much hooked and your life never goes back to 'normal' and you wonder what does everyone else do with all that spare time ;) 

And 15 more that are much cooler than my 5 but some are similar ... by Neil MacGregor

1. They keep you up at night
2. Kiss your time-off goodbye
3. Someone always has to do the dirty work
4. You regularly find yourself up to your elbows in shit
5. You better love your cofounder(s)
6. They are lots of fun
7. They start in moments of passion and foolishness
8. You spend more time than you’d like to admit wondering if they were a good idea.
9. Everyone has opinions on how to run them
10. You’re bound to screw up the first one
11. The more you have, the easier it gets
12. They are much more expensive then you’d expect
13. They grow and hopefully won’t need you anymore
14. You celebrate the little achievements while focusing on the outcome.

And like my dad always says…

15. Just when you can’t stand it anymore, they change.

Apols I have been away. So I missed the party but where is Linkedin 11 years on from it's birthday on May 5th...

Many moons ago I wondered whether I should specialise in Linkedin Marketing - as I had done so for a few clients rather successfully, and I really needed a niche. 

A couple of years on - perhaps I should have done it with Mark Williams (the self proclaimed Mr LinkedIn) but no regrets as I decided on Twitter and mobile instead. 

However, LinkedIn, is posting some very impressive numbers after starting 11 years ago on May 5th, 2003 - some 11 years ago. 

1. It has now passed 300 million users
2. There are now over 1 billion LinkedIn endorsements
3. 41% of LinkedIn visits are now via mobile
4. LinkedIn has 5,000 employees
5. 2.1 million LinkedIn groups
6. Average time a user spends a month on LinkedIn is 17 minutes
7. Worth an estimated $7.5 billion
8. The top 5 countries by user numbers are. USA (93 million), India (24 million), Brazil (16 million), UK (14 million) and Canada with 9 million.
9. The top 3 fastest growing countries are Turkey, Colombia and Indonesia
10. The most likely demographic profile is Male, Asian, 45-54 years, Earns $150,000+, No kids and has a Grad school education

Know I don't know what the above all means but I do know that it means that I am buying more linkedin shares today - thanks to etoro. 

As a couple of factors jump out at me - not the number of endorsements (of which I am very happy to say I have quite a few) but more numbers 3, 9 and 10. As these are the growing areas of the world. 

If Linkedin cracks mobile and the BRIC like areas of the world - and goes multi lingual and become  a publishing platforms for everyone to use in B2B - then they really will become THE place to go to. Perhaps Mark was right after all. Let's hope I am right about Twitter. 

OK Seth I will. All about taking action after #Fasterclass

#FASTERCLASS

Seth Godin wrote a great blog today and a great one yesterday as well about TIME. Which I referenced at the mid point of my #fasterclass talk sponsored by Justaxi yesterday. 

The #fasterclass event was a great success and the subject of another blog. 

Here I just mention Seth's blog today (as he is virtual marketing mentor of mine) and then at the end - for those of you with TIME - I copy and paste his previous blog. 

This first blog is about "getting rich quick" (well it's a play on this meaning the opposite)  - which is about what James Welch from OVG talked about with his scientific approach to creating a buzz in a city i.e. it takes hard work but if you give more then you create success. 

To reinforce my point and his  - I am going to comment and act on all of the ideas below in reference to Justaxi, Fasterclass, and my own life in marketing. 

Get rich (quick)

Enrich your world by creating value for others.

- I do with my marketing. 

Enrich your health by walking twenty minutes a day.

- I will walk home from the tram everyday rather than getting a taxi from the office (sorry justaxi.)  

Enrich your community by contributing to someone, without keeping score.

- I will do #fasterclass again - even though it was really, hard work. 

Enrich your relationships by saying what needs to be said.

- I will tell our partners what we will do better next time as a group. 

Enrich your standing by trusting someone else.

- I will trust our partners to take what I say on-board.

- I know Chris Marsh will - pictured right...  

Enrich your organization by doing more than you're asked.

- I think I do this already with Justaxi but I can do more. 

Enrich your skills by learning something new, something scary.

- It is time to learn about networking and data science. To become a bit more James. 

Enrich your productivity by rejecting false shortcuts.

- I will put in the time needed to learn deeper mobile analytics from today. 

Enrich your peace of mind by being trusted.

- OK I will take your word for it Seth - and do some more Calm time as well. 

The connection economy pays dividends in ways that the industrial one rarely did. 

Which is exactly what Chris Marsh was talking about at #Fasterclass. 

Seth's second blog is about TIME - which is what I was talking about. 

"I didn't have time"

This actually means, "it wasn't important enough." It wasn't a high priority, fun, distracting, profitable or urgent enough to make it to the top of the list.

Every few days, Twitter and Facebook soak up a billion hours of 'spare' time. Where did that time come from? What did we do before social media was here? Weren't we busy five years ago?

Running out of time is mostly a euphemism, and the smart analyst realizes that it's a message about something else. Time is finite, but, unlike money, time is also replenished every second.

The solution has nothing to do with giving people more time (you can't) and everything to do with creating more urgency, more of an itch, more desire.

Which is a lovely point - nicely mixing with my talk last night for #fasterclass all about speed of marketing - and marketing for the moment. 

A big thanks to Justaxi Manchester best priced taxi app, for sponsoring last night and allowing me to speak there. 

For UKFast for being the venue with some great food. 

And all the companies involved, and especially the speakers who made the event possible - that's Sabine from Apadmi, James from OVG, Chris from UKFast and Dan (that's me) Sodergren from Great Marketing Works. 

Extra special bonus mark for Sabine who got the first blog up there with her notes from the event - all about the role of mobile 

Which is nice as we are a mobile taxi app :) 

Justaxi is Manchester's taxi farecomparison and mobile bookings app - no need to call a taxi - the app gets you the best prices for taxis in Manchester instantly.

No need for taxi numbers or remembering your local Manchester taxi services website - our app find the best taxi prices for you depending on where you are. 

With our app you can book your taxi in Manchester, even by credit card and paypal. It's easy with Justaxi – Manchester’s taxi booking app.

And... if you are really lucky, like the Online Venture Group (picture here) is you can use a promo code and get your mini bus for free.