Category: Lessons
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Thoughts on “Scaling Technology”
I had the privilege to take part a panel discussion on “scaling technology” for go1’s offsite. It got me thinking… Software products are (usually) written to meet product outcomes. Initially, these outcomes tend not to include deliverables like “used by millions” or “developed by 1000s”. As a product grows and matures, these concerns start to…
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Why Facebook is having a tough time regulating content?
It is a diversity problem. Facebook sees its users as a singular global community, much like how we are all citizens of planet Earth. Facebook regulates by having a common set of rules it has decided as the community standard. This standard evolves and changes all the time as it is challenged with new and…
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A litmus test for strategy
Recently, I was questioning why I felt uneasy about some strategy talks I’ve been having with my peers. While something felt off, I was unable to articulate the why. Things didn’t come together till my friend, Scott Horn, threw in this great heuristic. It is a wonderful litmus test if you are thinking strategically about…
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Can diversity help your company?
ReplyAll is an awesome podcast from Gimlet. For those who listened to “Startup”, this is Gimlet’s second podcast. Couple of weeks back, they put out a show about diversity. There were some interesting insights shared during the show. (start at 11:50 for the diversity story) ReplyAll – #52 Raising the bar (more notes on the website)…
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Mobile First Design
If you are designing for many screen sizes, where should you begin? Traditionally, most designers will start the design process at desktop size. This is where most content is going to fit in well. Then you figure out how to squeeze it down to a tablet, then a phone. I believe this is the wrong…
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Why techies make crap early adopters
Recently, I’ve been working on apps and business ideas like AlwaysHungry, 60Hz and Secret Hotels (for lastminute.com.au). Finding early adopters to test these products are not easy. Things are even more complicated because my friends and colleagues tend to be very tech savvy. It seems like people associate early adopters with being able to use…
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How to create a great pitch video for your idea
Creating a professional video is expensive and extremely time consuming. When done right, a video can be very effective in getting users and spreading your idea to a large audience. For a small startup, videos might end up taking their entire marketing budget! I’ve been exploring ways to pitch an idea effectively while keeping time and…
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How to make an Android App (video tutorial)
I did a brownbag session at Wotif office about how to make an Android app. It covers a lot of the basics of making an app with Android Studio. This is an introduction session for Android. It covers the following: Resources: Email me or leave a comment if you’d like to see more videos like…
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2 things your app can focus on to be successful
Apps that do really well on the App Store focus on PASSIONS & PRODUCTIVITY. The higher you rank in the scale on these two categories, the better chances you have of making a kick-arse app concept that resonate with its users. People are passionate about all kinds of crazy things. What’s important is that passions…