Hope you all have a great Holiday! I'll be taking next week to spend time with the family in Oahu. Bhairavi has found a house on a quiet beach where we'll be playing with the kids. I hope all of our clients take the week off as well so we can collectively catch a breath.
Will be posting some pictures next week.
I do have a data card, so I will be in touch.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
2006 UNH CEPS Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes Silicon Valley entrepreneur
Earlier this year, UNH surprised me by giving me this award. It was quite an honor. It is posted below:
2006 UNH CEPS Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes Silicon Valley entrepreneur
Electrical engineer finds new applications for innovative technologies
DURHAM, N.H.— Silicon Valley entrepreneur Rajiv Parikh is the recipient of the 2006 University of New Hampshire College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
“Twenty years ago, when I first came to UNH, I never thought that I would someday receive an honor like this,” Parikh said after receiving the award at a dinner co-hosted by the New Hampshire section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the CEPS Alumni Society on April 21. What’s amazing is that a lot of the professors I had are still here, and the passion is still here for uplifting students and taking them to the next level.”
The annual dinner meeting was also attended by engineering seniors just inducted into the Order of the Engineer. “You are taught a structured way of thinking, and that is something that offers tremendous value, not only to yourself, but to society,” Parikh told them. “As long as you are passionate about what you do, you’ll succeed.”
Since earning his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from UNH in 1990, Parikh has been an entrepreneur and executive in the high-tech and life sciences sectors, specializing in matching innovative technologies with new applications. “I had a hard time trying to determine how to describe Rajiv’s career because he has been so successfully involved in so many different ventures,” said Mike Dalton, chairman of the society’s award selection committee. “Passionate, dedicated, entrepreneurial and innovative are some of the adjectives that can be used to describe him.”
After graduating from UNH, Parikh worked as a sales manager at AT&T Global Information Solutions, before earning an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997. He then held senior positions at Sun Microsystems and AltaVista Company before co-founding Aperon Biosystems. He led the venture-backed medical device startup, which has so far raised more then $20 million in investor capital, for two years. He has also worked in the software, hardware and wireless industries.
While visiting UNH, Parikh toured the newly renovated portions of CEPS’ home in Kingsbury Hall. Currently under construction, Phase II of the project includes a computer cluster that Parikh and his wife Bhairavi Parikh ’91 helped finance. “I was really excited to walk through the new Kingsbury,” he said. “I saw the same great professors, but a much better facility, making it more fun to work in the labs.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Rajiv Parikh accepts the 2006 UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award from Mike Dalton, chairman of the CEPS Alumni Society award selection committee.
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Copyright 2006 The University of New Hampshire • College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
UNH is part of the University System of New Hampshire.
Kingsbury Hall • 33 College Road • Durham, N.H. 03824
Phone: (603) 862-1781 • Fax: (603) 862-2486 • E-Mail: ceps@unh.edu
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Big Win at Position2
Today we secured a significant new client at Position2. This firm is a significant, public software company. Since we did this through a partner, we can't mention the name yet, but we will be able to leverage our experience with db40bjects and Pathworks Software to grow their base of leads.
The best part is that the client chose us over a major SEM firm that did not expend the resources required to properly serve them. This is for PPC and SEO.
There will be even greater momentum next month.
The best part is that the client chose us over a major SEM firm that did not expend the resources required to properly serve them. This is for PPC and SEO.
There will be even greater momentum next month.
Why Goodbye to Nixon
As a fan, it's sad to see dedicated, hard-working players like Trot Nixon are not re-signed. He gave the team everything he had and it's probably why he injured himself so often. I'm sure he would have re-signed with a hometown discount.
I'm sure the Red Sox were looking at Nixon's stats and the declining number of games and power. His slugging average has dropped from the .500s to the .400s though he's maintaining his OBP (maybe the A's will want him). Meanwhile JD Drew has stayed in the .500s even coming off of an injury year.
There's one thing that most don't factor in is that Nixon does poorly against left handed pitchers (LHP). Typically, Nixon is not played on days with a lefty starter. This reduces managerial flexibility and pumps up his statistics. Drew vs. Nixon against LHPs is .814 vs .620 OPS and .263 vs. .207 BA over the last years. That's a huge difference.
The one thing is character and Nixon has it in spades. It is telling that someone is willing to opt out of a $11 mil/year contract for a $14 mil/year one. We hope the atmosphere of the team is contagious.
If you want a real in-depth analysis, go to the Dec 6 post of the Weekend Sports Page. It's really well put together.
I'm sure the Red Sox were looking at Nixon's stats and the declining number of games and power. His slugging average has dropped from the .500s to the .400s though he's maintaining his OBP (maybe the A's will want him). Meanwhile JD Drew has stayed in the .500s even coming off of an injury year.
There's one thing that most don't factor in is that Nixon does poorly against left handed pitchers (LHP). Typically, Nixon is not played on days with a lefty starter. This reduces managerial flexibility and pumps up his statistics. Drew vs. Nixon against LHPs is .814 vs .620 OPS and .263 vs. .207 BA over the last years. That's a huge difference.
The one thing is character and Nixon has it in spades. It is telling that someone is willing to opt out of a $11 mil/year contract for a $14 mil/year one. We hope the atmosphere of the team is contagious.
If you want a real in-depth analysis, go to the Dec 6 post of the Weekend Sports Page. It's really well put together.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Managing an Operation in India
Today over dinner I was asked a number of questions about running an operation in India. Many hear the press reports about call centers where people "fake" being an American or where getting an Indian technical support rep means incomprehensible service. What people do not hear about the success stories: large scale, successful technology projects that deliver quality deliverables on-time and on-budget or successful services delivered by American sounding customer service operators. These examples are occurring over and over with greater frequency. The media would rather focus on examples of failed implementations run by poor management teams who did not hire, train and operate based on the realities of the people and market.
If you are used to hiring US high school graduates for a call center or highly scripted technical support operation and are experiencing high turnover, what would you expect with Indian college graduates? There are cost and quality advantages with an Indian team, but if there's a labor cost advantage of 10:1, it is unlikely to translate into a 10:1 total advantage. Why? Buildings and computers cost the same. Quality management will not mirror the cost advantage. There will be training and communications costs. While 2:1 or 4:1 is certainly achievable, you have to account for other costs, especially in the beginning. As you grow, the cost advantage can be signficant.
From a quality standpoint, I have seen equal or better quality. People coming out of Indian colleges are well versed in their field. We get the best of both worlds as many on our team have advertising, marketing and business backgrounds and also have a strong comfort level with math and statistics. Moreover, they enjoy the challenge of working on an international client. There's a strong desire to prove how good they are. While many are accustomed to a hierarchical system that does not encourage thinking in the workplace, when people are "given permission" to think, quality of work and efficiency soars.
I've seen this already in my team. People really enjoy their work. They are always coming up with creative ideas. Supporting groups find ways to buttress line operations. Our senior management is so strong that I don't need to be there more than every other month or so.
This requires a lot of work, trust and calls on Skype. So don't believe everything you read. There are a lot of quiet success stories that far outweigh the failures. Failures have more to do with poor execution than anythign else. I can tell you that my Indian team can go toe to toe with anyone.
I'm going to spend a lot more time on this subject, so feel free to comment.
If you are used to hiring US high school graduates for a call center or highly scripted technical support operation and are experiencing high turnover, what would you expect with Indian college graduates? There are cost and quality advantages with an Indian team, but if there's a labor cost advantage of 10:1, it is unlikely to translate into a 10:1 total advantage. Why? Buildings and computers cost the same. Quality management will not mirror the cost advantage. There will be training and communications costs. While 2:1 or 4:1 is certainly achievable, you have to account for other costs, especially in the beginning. As you grow, the cost advantage can be signficant.
From a quality standpoint, I have seen equal or better quality. People coming out of Indian colleges are well versed in their field. We get the best of both worlds as many on our team have advertising, marketing and business backgrounds and also have a strong comfort level with math and statistics. Moreover, they enjoy the challenge of working on an international client. There's a strong desire to prove how good they are. While many are accustomed to a hierarchical system that does not encourage thinking in the workplace, when people are "given permission" to think, quality of work and efficiency soars.
I've seen this already in my team. People really enjoy their work. They are always coming up with creative ideas. Supporting groups find ways to buttress line operations. Our senior management is so strong that I don't need to be there more than every other month or so.
This requires a lot of work, trust and calls on Skype. So don't believe everything you read. There are a lot of quiet success stories that far outweigh the failures. Failures have more to do with poor execution than anythign else. I can tell you that my Indian team can go toe to toe with anyone.
I'm going to spend a lot more time on this subject, so feel free to comment.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
How Entrepreneurs Look at Things
My wife and I were driving with an executive of one our companies. We were joking about how every time someone talks about a problem, we see a new company.
Later on, Bhairavi brought up an idea she had. I saw great potential. In fact it would be more of a clinical trial situation than technology hurdle. Meanwhile, you could see the, "Here they go again," rolling of the eyes with our exec. As sharp as she is, all she sees is risk.
When most people see risks, entrepreneurs see great potential. We like 10% probabilities because there are great rewards if and when we make it work. And we feel we can make things work.
If you are going to think, think big.
Later on, Bhairavi brought up an idea she had. I saw great potential. In fact it would be more of a clinical trial situation than technology hurdle. Meanwhile, you could see the, "Here they go again," rolling of the eyes with our exec. As sharp as she is, all she sees is risk.
When most people see risks, entrepreneurs see great potential. We like 10% probabilities because there are great rewards if and when we make it work. And we feel we can make things work.
If you are going to think, think big.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
effinfunny live!
I'd like you all to check out effinfunny.com. It a new site started by Sandeep, an improv comedian, director and now entrepreneur over in LA. The site will add a new original clip a day by up-and-coming comedians that were shot with a live studio audience over at The Empty Stage in LA. One of Sandeep's friend, Rich Kuras, finds great comedians and books them. Then the team puts the whole event together and edits the clips.
My team at Position2 put together the site. We worked with Sandeep on the strategy, design, development and marketing. We put together an amazing content management system for the site that is flexible and powerful enough for a new media content and community site. We are operating and running the marketing of the site. I must say that the group did an amazing job.
It started as a brainchild of mine when I was thinking about cool new media projects. Imagine having comedy clips that you can view anytime you want. Sandeep gave life to it by focusing on edgy, intelligent comedy and running the operation. Some of the stuff is over the edge. Other stuff is just really clever. You'll never look at an ATM or your wife the same way. Many times, I find it even funnier the second time - it's that good.
Check it out and leave comments. We want to improve. We wouldn't mind if you click on an interesting ad either :).
My team at Position2 put together the site. We worked with Sandeep on the strategy, design, development and marketing. We put together an amazing content management system for the site that is flexible and powerful enough for a new media content and community site. We are operating and running the marketing of the site. I must say that the group did an amazing job.
It started as a brainchild of mine when I was thinking about cool new media projects. Imagine having comedy clips that you can view anytime you want. Sandeep gave life to it by focusing on edgy, intelligent comedy and running the operation. Some of the stuff is over the edge. Other stuff is just really clever. You'll never look at an ATM or your wife the same way. Many times, I find it even funnier the second time - it's that good.
Check it out and leave comments. We want to improve. We wouldn't mind if you click on an interesting ad either :).
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Landing Pages - Gotta Have 'em
When you've been in this business for a while, you simply expect people to understand the value of landing pages. A meeting with a client the other day really brought this to life for me because it's hard for people to get away from the home page mentality of website development.
What is a landing page? It's a place that you land after you click on a PPC ad (there's value in SEO, but we'll focus). It's the place that tells your prospect more about the ad they clicked on and encourages them to contact you or buy your product or service. The page is different than your home page where you are trying to give the visitor the ability to find whatever they are looking for. This includes products, services, management info, press, contact info and so on.
Landing pages are different. You paid for the click. You have every right to limit their choices. Using your home page as your landing page offers too many choices and only delays a decision. Or worse, people forget about why they are there in the first place. Searchers have ADD. Either give them what they are looking for or go elsewhere.
Make sure the landing page is consistent with your ad. It seems intuitive but many do not do that. They forget to repeat or build on the messages of the ad. For example, if your ad says “2 easy steps to sign up. Hassle free” in the ad. The landing page should clearly show step 1 and step 2. It should have a box with benefits that would highlight why it is hassle free. We've seen dramatic improvements in conversion rates (rate at which you click turns into a lead or sale) when the landing page is aligned appropriately. Moreover, it is said that it improves your quality score with Google. That means you pay less or get higher position on your ad.
Keep it simple. Do not clutter your landing page with all kinds of information. Less is more. There's no need to confuse people.
Don't forget about the big red or green button. You know, the one that tells people to contact you or buy now. Study after study shows that this works. So use it and make sure it is front and center. This was a key area of discussion with a client.
Place a form on your landing page. Try to make it simple and unobtrusive. It allows you to track the success of the campaign, have a lead to contact and have another prospect in your database for newsletters, updates or special offers.
Use references to increase your credibility. This could be customer testimonials, parter quotes, logos of the Better Business Bureau, etc. Anything that makes that decision easier, especially if you in a very competitive market.
Use human faces, especially for services. Nothing sells and increases comfort more than the happy face enjoying the benefit of your product or service. Notice how Apple uses the gyrating dancing men and women to push the iPod. We have seen dramatic improvements with this. So much so, that we put people on our front page.
For easier tracking, use confirmation or thank you pages to complete the contact process.
Try to use text over text images. It makes it easier to make modifications, especially if you do a ton of pages to tune your campaign.
This goes without saying but keep with the look and feel of your brand. You customers will see you again. Don't confuse them into missing you.
Finally, test and retest. Never stop testing. Use split testing or even better Taguchi testing (see Andreas' slides on the beta of Google's MultiVariate Testing software). You would be amazed how many times the page that you considered as the worst, turned out to be the best in conversions.
Thanks to Soumya for helping with her comments!
What is a landing page? It's a place that you land after you click on a PPC ad (there's value in SEO, but we'll focus). It's the place that tells your prospect more about the ad they clicked on and encourages them to contact you or buy your product or service. The page is different than your home page where you are trying to give the visitor the ability to find whatever they are looking for. This includes products, services, management info, press, contact info and so on.
Landing pages are different. You paid for the click. You have every right to limit their choices. Using your home page as your landing page offers too many choices and only delays a decision. Or worse, people forget about why they are there in the first place. Searchers have ADD. Either give them what they are looking for or go elsewhere.
Make sure the landing page is consistent with your ad. It seems intuitive but many do not do that. They forget to repeat or build on the messages of the ad. For example, if your ad says “2 easy steps to sign up. Hassle free” in the ad. The landing page should clearly show step 1 and step 2. It should have a box with benefits that would highlight why it is hassle free. We've seen dramatic improvements in conversion rates (rate at which you click turns into a lead or sale) when the landing page is aligned appropriately. Moreover, it is said that it improves your quality score with Google. That means you pay less or get higher position on your ad.
Keep it simple. Do not clutter your landing page with all kinds of information. Less is more. There's no need to confuse people.
Don't forget about the big red or green button. You know, the one that tells people to contact you or buy now. Study after study shows that this works. So use it and make sure it is front and center. This was a key area of discussion with a client.
Place a form on your landing page. Try to make it simple and unobtrusive. It allows you to track the success of the campaign, have a lead to contact and have another prospect in your database for newsletters, updates or special offers.
Use references to increase your credibility. This could be customer testimonials, parter quotes, logos of the Better Business Bureau, etc. Anything that makes that decision easier, especially if you in a very competitive market.
Use human faces, especially for services. Nothing sells and increases comfort more than the happy face enjoying the benefit of your product or service. Notice how Apple uses the gyrating dancing men and women to push the iPod. We have seen dramatic improvements with this. So much so, that we put people on our front page.
For easier tracking, use confirmation or thank you pages to complete the contact process.
Try to use text over text images. It makes it easier to make modifications, especially if you do a ton of pages to tune your campaign.
This goes without saying but keep with the look and feel of your brand. You customers will see you again. Don't confuse them into missing you.
Finally, test and retest. Never stop testing. Use split testing or even better Taguchi testing (see Andreas' slides on the beta of Google's MultiVariate Testing software). You would be amazed how many times the page that you considered as the worst, turned out to be the best in conversions.
Thanks to Soumya for helping with her comments!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
My Asthma Returns... There's Hope
When I came back from India in late November, I returned with that familiar feeling in my chest. I have been starting to feel it as of my last couple of trips from India. It's that tight, coughy feeling - that shortness of breath. There's a feeling you get when you breathe in too deeply. You can't go all the way. A number of times I had a difficult time in the rickshaws breathing in the soot from other rickshaws. It's a long way of saying...the asthma is back.
It's a sad feeling - been over 25 years since I last felt symptoms. The memory never goes away, but I really thought I beat it. Well this time when I went to see my doctor, he listened to me describe my symptoms and prescribed Advair - inhaled corticosteroids with a long acting bronchodialator. Usually I despise medication, but I took it as I felt a great deal of chest tightness. There was some impact within days but it's still there. I know that a low dose of Advair takes a while to have impact.
The story twists here... Well I went over to the Apieron office this weekend to measure my exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) levels. As many of you know, Bhairavi and I started Apieron. We are building a device that measure exhaled nitric oxide or eNO at the parts per billion level. eNO is indicative of inflammation of the airways. High inflammation leads to symptoms. If you can catch and control inflammation early, you are much less likely to feel symptoms. In my case, I've been typically measured at in the low 30s over the years. Today, I was at 46 ppb - this is after 3 days of Advair. Much much higher than normal. While there is no established protocol for treatment in conjunction with eNO measurement, it's clear that lowering eNO and inflammation is the way to go.
I was happy about one thing - eNO works. My measured level is much higher than normal. As a mild asthmatic, my normal level is higher than non-asthmatics. To see it this high really hit home. It is one thing to hear presentations on studies that have been conducted. It's quite another to feel it directly. The measurement works - our device has value.
Every week, I plan to go back in to see the decline. When it gets low enough, I plan to see if I can switch to a pure inhaled corticosteroid vs. Advair.
In one way, this stinks. In another way, it's heartening that our collective hard work can truly help the world.
It's a sad feeling - been over 25 years since I last felt symptoms. The memory never goes away, but I really thought I beat it. Well this time when I went to see my doctor, he listened to me describe my symptoms and prescribed Advair - inhaled corticosteroids with a long acting bronchodialator. Usually I despise medication, but I took it as I felt a great deal of chest tightness. There was some impact within days but it's still there. I know that a low dose of Advair takes a while to have impact.
The story twists here... Well I went over to the Apieron office this weekend to measure my exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) levels. As many of you know, Bhairavi and I started Apieron. We are building a device that measure exhaled nitric oxide or eNO at the parts per billion level. eNO is indicative of inflammation of the airways. High inflammation leads to symptoms. If you can catch and control inflammation early, you are much less likely to feel symptoms. In my case, I've been typically measured at in the low 30s over the years. Today, I was at 46 ppb - this is after 3 days of Advair. Much much higher than normal. While there is no established protocol for treatment in conjunction with eNO measurement, it's clear that lowering eNO and inflammation is the way to go.
I was happy about one thing - eNO works. My measured level is much higher than normal. As a mild asthmatic, my normal level is higher than non-asthmatics. To see it this high really hit home. It is one thing to hear presentations on studies that have been conducted. It's quite another to feel it directly. The measurement works - our device has value.
Every week, I plan to go back in to see the decline. When it gets low enough, I plan to see if I can switch to a pure inhaled corticosteroid vs. Advair.
In one way, this stinks. In another way, it's heartening that our collective hard work can truly help the world.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Bonds Signing - More Than Meets the Eye
Today, it was announced that the SF Giants would sign Barry Bonds for $16 million base and earn up to $20 mil for one search. Given that Bonds seemed to have no other place to go, various writers in the SJ Merc and SF Chronicle are talking about how crazy it seems.
And it does seem crazy except for one thing. The Giants do need Bonds more than he needs them. A comment from a good friend and season ticket holder gave the answer - personal seat licenses and a big price increase. The 7 year personal seat licenses for season ticket holders are up. They have a choice of either renewing for some ridiculous rate + the game package or a much higher per game ticket price.
By keeping Bonds, the Giants are more likely to get the renewals and keep cash flows going before Bonds leaves.
Why not pay less like $7 mil? Well even if Bonds accepted it from the Giants, he would probably be unhappy and spread that around the clubhouse. That would wreck the season and turn off the fans. So Magowan had no choice but pay extra, get the big personal seat license and season ticket renewals, and then let Bonds go after the season.
I'm sure Bond's agent knew a little bit about this as well...
And it does seem crazy except for one thing. The Giants do need Bonds more than he needs them. A comment from a good friend and season ticket holder gave the answer - personal seat licenses and a big price increase. The 7 year personal seat licenses for season ticket holders are up. They have a choice of either renewing for some ridiculous rate + the game package or a much higher per game ticket price.
By keeping Bonds, the Giants are more likely to get the renewals and keep cash flows going before Bonds leaves.
Why not pay less like $7 mil? Well even if Bonds accepted it from the Giants, he would probably be unhappy and spread that around the clubhouse. That would wreck the season and turn off the fans. So Magowan had no choice but pay extra, get the big personal seat license and season ticket renewals, and then let Bonds go after the season.
I'm sure Bond's agent knew a little bit about this as well...
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
PPC for More Traffic, More Sales
For those who previously visited our site, you will see a new look. We have changed our tagline and added a whole host of content. We found that many clients did not really understand PPC or Pay Per Click Advertising with Search Engines.
So we asked them, "What do you want?"
"More traffic, more sales." That became our tagline.
Here's why... because we've been delivering. Here are some recent examples:
Why? We've adapted our knowledge to build worldwide infrastructure, technology and processes to offer high quality services for a wide variety of clients.
Contact Position2 to learn more.
So we asked them, "What do you want?"
"More traffic, more sales." That became our tagline.
Here's why... because we've been delivering. Here are some recent examples:
- MIT OpenCourseware: We recently grew traffic over 100x with the same daily ad spend.
- Finance Business: Grew their sales volume 4x while maintaining cost of acquisition.
- Enterprise Software Firm: Doubled their lead volume while cutting lead cost in half.
- Internet Membership Firm: Grew their paying members 6x in 3 months while maintaining cost per acquisition.
Why? We've adapted our knowledge to build worldwide infrastructure, technology and processes to offer high quality services for a wide variety of clients.
Contact Position2 to learn more.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Aviator - Inspired Entrepreneurship
Many people like to use pro sports as a means to release stress. Yell at the team. Yell at the refs. It's a lot better than yelling at the kids or your employees. Well, I'm definitely there for the Pats and Red Sox. I was definitely at that point for Aviator, starring Leonard DiCaprio as the eccentric entrepreneur, Howard Hughes. This was especially during the Senate hearings where Senator Owen Brewster tried to smear Hughes for war profiteering and all sorts of seemingly unsavory practices. He was basically in the pocket of the CEO of Pan Am.
If you want to get me going, talk about anti-competitive policy in the national security or interest realm. The Senator used his office to hold back competition from a visionary player.
Though Hughes was definitely over the top, he was a true innovator in the aviation and film industry. His story reminded me of the movie, Tucker: Man and His Dreams. Preston Tucker was an innovator who's ideas later became part of automobiles years later: disk brakes, fuel injection, seat belt, safety windshields and padded dashboards. Like Hughes, the established players tried to run him out of business using the Congress as their stick rather than innovations. That backward attitude is why the US auto industry suffers today against Japanese competitors.
Our government should find ways to foster innovation and not prevent it. It should not allow corporate money to stifle entrepreneurialism.
For me, Hughes inspired me to continue creating innovative business. Nothing's more fun than holding the "tiger by the tail."
If you want to get me going, talk about anti-competitive policy in the national security or interest realm. The Senator used his office to hold back competition from a visionary player.
Though Hughes was definitely over the top, he was a true innovator in the aviation and film industry. His story reminded me of the movie, Tucker: Man and His Dreams. Preston Tucker was an innovator who's ideas later became part of automobiles years later: disk brakes, fuel injection, seat belt, safety windshields and padded dashboards. Like Hughes, the established players tried to run him out of business using the Congress as their stick rather than innovations. That backward attitude is why the US auto industry suffers today against Japanese competitors.
Our government should find ways to foster innovation and not prevent it. It should not allow corporate money to stifle entrepreneurialism.
For me, Hughes inspired me to continue creating innovative business. Nothing's more fun than holding the "tiger by the tail."
Monday, November 06, 2006
Please Vote
As many of you know I have strong views on just about everything. I love a good rigorous debate on just about any issue. Whether we are on the same side or not, one thing I'd encourage you to do is get out there and vote.
It is your right. It was fought for by our Founding Fathers. It is what our soldiers do for us every day. It is your responsibility. You do not have the right to complain about what your government is doing or not doing for you and your country unless you lend your voice.
In California where there is a plethora of initiatives, your vote can have tremendous impact - whether it is on access to abortions, funding for infrastructure or taxes on oil and cigarettes. You can sit back and say it is all too confusing or you can do some research and make a decision.
Please don't make a call based on a TV ad. Most of them are appealing to base fears or are distortions. Read what the legislative analyst wrote. Read both sides on the web. Check up on a few newspaper sites (San Jose Mercury or San Francisco Chronicle). It may take a couple hours, but it is your money and your children's money. Make sure it is spent on things you care about.
Also, if its too much of a hassle to remember to visit your polling booth on Election Day, then become a permanent absentee. You can sit there in your own living room, fill it out and mail it in. If you don't get around to it fast enough, you can still deliver it to your polling place.
No excuses - just vote.
It is your right. It was fought for by our Founding Fathers. It is what our soldiers do for us every day. It is your responsibility. You do not have the right to complain about what your government is doing or not doing for you and your country unless you lend your voice.
In California where there is a plethora of initiatives, your vote can have tremendous impact - whether it is on access to abortions, funding for infrastructure or taxes on oil and cigarettes. You can sit back and say it is all too confusing or you can do some research and make a decision.
Please don't make a call based on a TV ad. Most of them are appealing to base fears or are distortions. Read what the legislative analyst wrote. Read both sides on the web. Check up on a few newspaper sites (San Jose Mercury or San Francisco Chronicle). It may take a couple hours, but it is your money and your children's money. Make sure it is spent on things you care about.
Also, if its too much of a hassle to remember to visit your polling booth on Election Day, then become a permanent absentee. You can sit there in your own living room, fill it out and mail it in. If you don't get around to it fast enough, you can still deliver it to your polling place.
No excuses - just vote.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Patriots: Win
Yeah baby! Another blowout Patriots performance. Beat the Viks 31-7. The Pats totally threw the Vikings off their game with tons of passing and a swarming defense. When Bollinger replaced Johnson at QB, he was sacked all three downs, losing 20 yards. Ridiculous!The great part is after the victory, there was little celebration on the Pats side. Belichick was already looking towards the Colts. Same with Brady. They talked about mistakes they made in offense. That's right - after 372 passing yards.
This is what makes a great team. Always being ready for the next challenge. Never get too high or too low. Always looking to learn and improve.
Just let the fans celebrate!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
New Comedy Site: EffinFunny.com
Today marks the beginning of a new era... when robots take control over the world of comedy...OK, so I'm not as funny as Sandeep, the man behind the robot.
Wouldn't you like to get your comedy fix every day? It's just like what has happened with music, now we can see and laugh at material that we truly enjoy. There will be a new clip every day, with a huge archive of material. Fans can rate and comment, even communicate with their favorite comedians. Moreover, there will be sketch comedy, improv, and maybe even a few shows.
This new site opens a new world for up and coming comedians. EffinFunny is what you'd expect - edgy comedy that makes you think. The comedians are hand-selected and filmed at the Empty Stage in LA. Then the material is edited down to its sharpest material. This site will redefine comedy by giving great opportunity to high quality comedians by giving their material great exposure. There will be profile pages and schedules where you can see them live.
And yes, my crew at Position2 had a lot to do with this. We conceptualized it with the creator, put the pieces together and even got one of our clients to sponsor the site. Next we'll help spread the word. The name is a hit...the site will be even better. Call us to learn more.
Right now, the site is in beta so we're still testing and fixing a number of items. The clips work, the functionality will get there quickly. So be a little patient and give some constructive criticism. Click on the ads, too.
Check it out at http://effinfunny.com
Ok, if you don't it there, try http://beta.efinfunny.com/beta
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Best Line of the Day
This was the most memorable line I've heard in a while,
"I'm not going to chew yesterday's breakfast,"
-Jim Leyland, manager of the Detroit Tigers about "the Smudge" on Kenny Rogers' hand in Game 2 of the 2006 World Series.
"I'm not going to chew yesterday's breakfast,"
-Jim Leyland, manager of the Detroit Tigers about "the Smudge" on Kenny Rogers' hand in Game 2 of the 2006 World Series.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Newspaper Ad Sales Decline
A number of articles in the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times discuss the decline in newspaper advertising. Here's a quote from today's NY Times article:
You can even see some desperation on the part of newspapers. I still get the Wall Street Journal paper delivered at home (there are certain places where the laptop is not feasible). I noticed that the vaulted Journal now has cheesy color ads on the front page and editorial section. The need to make up for lost dollars is so great that ads show up where no self repecting editor would have ever allow them. The next thing is to have paid logos/mini-ads of the reported companies in the actual article.
Still, if the content can be of high quality online, smart journalists will do well. The distribution infrastructure will diminish and the online ads can be tracked more effectively. That would command a premium vs. other sources for ad placement. Moreover, like nytimes.com, wsj.com and ESPN Insider, subscription fees can go directly to the bottom line as opposed to subscription fees that only pay for the actual paper and distribution. In the end it is about strong content, the normal AP reporting has less value online unless it is breaking news.
The challenge will be for the traditional newspaper will be to find it's strongest niche. Today, it was reported that the NY Times is losing money on the Boston Globe, a paper it purchased in $1.1 billion . Why read the Boston Globe when the NY Times general online content is better? So, the Globe has to focus more on deep local analysis and sports outreach online. This is something that it really has not tapped. While there are good articles, polls, and chat online, I know the ads are tuned effectively to the reader. The current online Globe Sports section has this awful bowling ad that eats the screen. If they were smart, they would know I'm a Sox fan from California and give me something more relevant to me - ad to buy 2007 A's - Red Sox tickets.
Because things that were forecasted in the mid 90s are finally happening this whole area will be very exciting to watch.
"Advertising sales continues to sag at major newspaper publishers, judging by the quarterly results reported today by The New York Times Company and the Tribune Company, owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday.
For the third quarter, The Times Company’s overall revenue declined to $739,6 million, 2.4 percent less than the comparable quarter last year, mainly because of a 4.2 percent fall in advertising revenue, the company reported. At Tribune, revenue fell to $1.35 billion, a 2.5 percent decline from a year earlier; revenue from print advertising fell 2.2 percent, mostly because of weak sales at Newsday."
The explosion of online media, advertising and classifieds is reducing the share of spend in newspapers. For example overall advertising spend is forecast to be in the low single digits whereas search advertising is in the 20-30% growth range. This makes sense. First, the eyeballs are moving. Fewer and fewer read the newspaper when there is searchable and customizable content on the web. Second, why bother culling through a reams of tiny print when you can search for a car, home, or baseball tickets using a local search engine or a free listing service like Craigslist.You can even see some desperation on the part of newspapers. I still get the Wall Street Journal paper delivered at home (there are certain places where the laptop is not feasible). I noticed that the vaulted Journal now has cheesy color ads on the front page and editorial section. The need to make up for lost dollars is so great that ads show up where no self repecting editor would have ever allow them. The next thing is to have paid logos/mini-ads of the reported companies in the actual article.
Still, if the content can be of high quality online, smart journalists will do well. The distribution infrastructure will diminish and the online ads can be tracked more effectively. That would command a premium vs. other sources for ad placement. Moreover, like nytimes.com, wsj.com and ESPN Insider, subscription fees can go directly to the bottom line as opposed to subscription fees that only pay for the actual paper and distribution. In the end it is about strong content, the normal AP reporting has less value online unless it is breaking news.
The challenge will be for the traditional newspaper will be to find it's strongest niche. Today, it was reported that the NY Times is losing money on the Boston Globe, a paper it purchased in $1.1 billion . Why read the Boston Globe when the NY Times general online content is better? So, the Globe has to focus more on deep local analysis and sports outreach online. This is something that it really has not tapped. While there are good articles, polls, and chat online, I know the ads are tuned effectively to the reader. The current online Globe Sports section has this awful bowling ad that eats the screen. If they were smart, they would know I'm a Sox fan from California and give me something more relevant to me - ad to buy 2007 A's - Red Sox tickets.
Because things that were forecasted in the mid 90s are finally happening this whole area will be very exciting to watch.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Russian Power
After many years as a superpower, Russia has risen again. While not superpower that previously threatened the US and the Free World, but Russia is definitely in a stronger position with its special form of centralized democracy and capitalism. 2 areas define its power - oil + military weapons.
As oil and natural prices have risen, Russia has used its position to take control of Russian energy companies (e.g. Yukos) and surrounding states like Georgia and the Ukraine. This new energy wealth has strengthened a country that was once seen as a step-child at G-8 meetings.
An overlooked area is military weaponry. While traditional Western powers like the US, Britain and France supply much of the world weapons, Russia has not necessarily reduced its capability or sales. In fact, take a look at the bottom of this page to see the list of high tech arms sales to China, India, Indonesia and Nepal. There's everything from a new destroyer which China could use to threaten Taiwan (and by proxy the US), helicopter sales to India, warplanes to Mexico and Brazil, and anti-aircraft missiles to Nepal.
Military weaponry not only provides jobs and hard currency, it also funds the development of high technology and of course...new weaponry. Moreover, the client country is bound to the weapons supplier for spare parts. As we've seen in Iran with its airplanes - no parts, lots of problems.
Combined with the ability to withold energy, you now can influence countries in ways that may not make sense to a rational outsider. Would Mexico or India side with the US on proliferation is Russia is against it? If the West wants to isolate a country for belligerent activity, Russia can prevent action if that country is a client.
It's all an intertwined set of interests that grow more complex every day...
When Putin came to power, Bush said he could read into his soul. He felt that Putin was trustworthy. Interesting...a former head of the KGB running the country. With no democratic tradition in the country, did anyone believe he would tolerate free speech. Today (10/17) I heard on NPR that many NGO's in Russia are now illegal because they were late in applying for permits. Permits. If you don't register, you are now illegal (check out the NYTimes article on it). With many of the media outlets now state controlled, it is hard to see how democracy can exist or grow.
Again, more complex...
For example (on 10/17) I heard on NPR that many NGOs in Russia are now illegal because they were late in getting permits
As oil and natural prices have risen, Russia has used its position to take control of Russian energy companies (e.g. Yukos) and surrounding states like Georgia and the Ukraine. This new energy wealth has strengthened a country that was once seen as a step-child at G-8 meetings.
An overlooked area is military weaponry. While traditional Western powers like the US, Britain and France supply much of the world weapons, Russia has not necessarily reduced its capability or sales. In fact, take a look at the bottom of this page to see the list of high tech arms sales to China, India, Indonesia and Nepal. There's everything from a new destroyer which China could use to threaten Taiwan (and by proxy the US), helicopter sales to India, warplanes to Mexico and Brazil, and anti-aircraft missiles to Nepal.
Military weaponry not only provides jobs and hard currency, it also funds the development of high technology and of course...new weaponry. Moreover, the client country is bound to the weapons supplier for spare parts. As we've seen in Iran with its airplanes - no parts, lots of problems.
Combined with the ability to withold energy, you now can influence countries in ways that may not make sense to a rational outsider. Would Mexico or India side with the US on proliferation is Russia is against it? If the West wants to isolate a country for belligerent activity, Russia can prevent action if that country is a client.
It's all an intertwined set of interests that grow more complex every day...
When Putin came to power, Bush said he could read into his soul. He felt that Putin was trustworthy. Interesting...a former head of the KGB running the country. With no democratic tradition in the country, did anyone believe he would tolerate free speech. Today (10/17) I heard on NPR that many NGO's in Russia are now illegal because they were late in applying for permits. Permits. If you don't register, you are now illegal (check out the NYTimes article on it). With many of the media outlets now state controlled, it is hard to see how democracy can exist or grow.
Again, more complex...
For example (on 10/17) I heard on NPR that many NGOs in Russia are now illegal because they were late in getting permits
Position2: MIT Open Courseware Project
Nothing gets me more excited than to announce our latest client, the MIT OpenCourseWare Project (OCW). We are providing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) services including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC) and Link Building to improve visibility to the over 1400 courses that are part of this project. Our team is especially proud to do this work because students and educators can get free access to super high quality MIT course material.Already, as a result of Position2's work, MIT OCW has received more clicks in 1 day than they had in the previous month. Even critical works like this need to be marketed to the world. People need to know you exist when they search for your topic.
About MIT OCW
In 1999, MIT Provost Robert A. Brown asked a committee of MIT faculty, students, and administrators to provide strategic guidance on how MIT should position itself in the distance/e-learning environment. The resulting recommendation -- the idea of MIT OCW -- is in line with MIT's mission (to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century) and is true to MIT's values of excellence, innovation, and leadership.
Now over 5 years from conception the MIT OCW has grown into a large-scale, Web-based publication of the educational materials from the MIT faculty's courses. MIT OCW provides users with open access to the syllabi, lecture notes, course calendars, problem sets and solutions, exams, reading lists, even a selection of video lectures, from 1400 MIT courses representing 34 departments and all five of MIT's schools. The initiative will include materials from 1800 courses by the year 2008.
OCW Accolades....
"Students need to know about this," says Kunle Adejumo, a student at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. "I couldn't find the information I needed (for a metallurgical engineering course), so I went to OCW.
"Your OpenCourseWare is an amazing and remarkable step! I am currently a student of computer science at BRAC University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and I find it very much useful to learn about my courses. I have always had a dream to study at MIT, since I came to know about the institution, its unique teaching methods, but for many reasons I am not able to do so. This initiative gives me the opportunity to self-teach myself. At least I can reach what MIT teaches to their students. I feel better to access your course materials, to enrich my knowledge. To be truthful, I cannot find words to explain how I feel! Kind of unexplainable feeling, like the feeling one feels when someone falls in love!" - Maruf Muqtadir, student in Bangladesh
"OpenCourseWare expresses in an immediate and far-reaching way MIT's goal of advancing education around the world. Through MIT OCW, educators and students everywhere can benefit from the academic activities of our faculty and join a global learning community in which knowledge and ideas are shared openly and freely for the benefit of all." - Susan Hockfield, President of MIT
Read more stories about MIT OCW's impact...
About Position2
Position2 is a leading provider of search engine marketing services, serving clients around the globe. The VC-backed company improves lead generation, customer acquisition and brand visibility through pay per click advertising management (PPC), search engine optimization (SEO), and web analytics. With operations in Silicon Valley and Bangalore, Position2 offers a full service, performance-driven approach to agencies and a diverse array of growing companies. Position2 was formed in 2005 and is funded by Erasmic Venture Fund, an innovative US/India VC fund. For more information on Position2, please go to www.position2.com.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Iraq Comments
Listening to the current administration's "Stay the Course" and denunciation of "Cut and Run" is getting tiresome. Being a Republican does not mean that you support every military adventure, nor does it mean that a change in tactics is not necessary to fit with the circumstances. With US troops dying every day in Iraq and the continued lawlessness, you have to wonder if we have learned anything from history.
No matter how benevolent, no one likes an occupier. Pick any foreign occupation at any time in the last couple hundred years and this fact is clear. Look at American history. After a while, the British occupation made us weary until we found a way to expel them. The people of a country need to run their own land.
Adjusting tactics. By now everyone acknowledges that US post war planning was disasterous. Sen Biden discussed this at length prior to the attack. Iraqis are not able to control their country, so the government continues to rely almost solely on the US (and UK). The logic is that if we just stay in or hell, send in more, eventually we will wear them down and they will be readied. This is clearly not working. We have bred a cycle of dependency where the democratically elected government cannot raise and effective military or police force. So we step into the breach and continue to no end. This makes no sense. Having a deadline will allow the people to know that we are leaving and will force the government to deal with the situation.
Highly leveraged force. With the billions of dollars that we have spent on equipment, material, training, we are still not able to fight decisively against a guerrilla army with cheap remote controlled hand grenades and IEDs. Why? Because they see us and we can't see them. Remember Vietnam - we couldn't find where they were coming from. Remember our own Revolutionary War - we fought behind trees and rocks. The British would march in formation, stand in an open field and shoot. Even their uniforms were designed to stand out. American troops were smart - hide behind, trees, rocks and bushes. Attack, then fall back. The British won just about battle, but kept losing people. Remember our surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton - same deal. Guerrilla tactics. Eventually, it became too expensive for the British to continue, so they left after the one battle that the Continental Army could win. It didn't hurt that we had some help from the French.
People will not adopt democracy at the barrel of the gun, yet our administration believed that it was true. In our early history, we went through the Articles of Confederation before we signed the Constitution. Our framers added many protections for minority rights and a slow, inefficient, yet thoughful government. However, they were concerned about mob rule. They did not want uneducated people voting. Neither the Senate nor the President were directly elected. Look at other successful nations like South Korea, Japan and Germany. Democracy took time after dictatorship.
Yet we think people will go to democracy because we think it is the right thing for them. We are now missionaries who seek to push our cause by force. This is what happens when you have an unsophisticated attitude toward Foreign Affairs.
We think there is a loss of prestige if you talk to an enemy. This is silly. Nixon's opening of China was pivotal to driving a wedge between Communist China and Communist Soviet Union and is the basis our current symbiotic relationship. Even Reagan held talks with Gorbachev, leader of the "Evil Empire." Pick a country where this non-communicative stance has been taken - Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria Venezuela and you can see the negative value of the approach.
Watching what is occurring is painful - $300 billion of our treasure, countless lives, more terrorist recruits - yet no change in approach. Reagan "Cut and Ran" from Beirut, Bush I left after expelling Iraq out of Kumait. I remember Kosovo bombing called "Clinton's War" by many Republican leaders. No one thought the US could win by solely utilizing an air war. But it worked. The leadership turned over. While there is a UN and NATO force in Kosova, it is far less expensive than Iraq. $300 at 6% is $18 billion a year in interest that we and our children need to carry as a result of Bush's War.
What is wrong with declaring victory and moving on? Every country knows that if the US wanted to take action, it could. Why do we have to be responsible for cleaning up? No one could match US military power. Why should be be an occupying force? Countries like Iran, Iraq and Venezuela know that the US is bogged down. If we are freed, then some aspect of leverage will dissipate.
In summary, patriotism is one thing. Foolishness is another. Bush came to the President talking about a humble power with limited presence abroad. Now the US is protecting the world and "saving" 25 million people. For what? They don't want us. It is time to start the process.
No matter how benevolent, no one likes an occupier. Pick any foreign occupation at any time in the last couple hundred years and this fact is clear. Look at American history. After a while, the British occupation made us weary until we found a way to expel them. The people of a country need to run their own land.
Adjusting tactics. By now everyone acknowledges that US post war planning was disasterous. Sen Biden discussed this at length prior to the attack. Iraqis are not able to control their country, so the government continues to rely almost solely on the US (and UK). The logic is that if we just stay in or hell, send in more, eventually we will wear them down and they will be readied. This is clearly not working. We have bred a cycle of dependency where the democratically elected government cannot raise and effective military or police force. So we step into the breach and continue to no end. This makes no sense. Having a deadline will allow the people to know that we are leaving and will force the government to deal with the situation.
Highly leveraged force. With the billions of dollars that we have spent on equipment, material, training, we are still not able to fight decisively against a guerrilla army with cheap remote controlled hand grenades and IEDs. Why? Because they see us and we can't see them. Remember Vietnam - we couldn't find where they were coming from. Remember our own Revolutionary War - we fought behind trees and rocks. The British would march in formation, stand in an open field and shoot. Even their uniforms were designed to stand out. American troops were smart - hide behind, trees, rocks and bushes. Attack, then fall back. The British won just about battle, but kept losing people. Remember our surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton - same deal. Guerrilla tactics. Eventually, it became too expensive for the British to continue, so they left after the one battle that the Continental Army could win. It didn't hurt that we had some help from the French.
People will not adopt democracy at the barrel of the gun, yet our administration believed that it was true. In our early history, we went through the Articles of Confederation before we signed the Constitution. Our framers added many protections for minority rights and a slow, inefficient, yet thoughful government. However, they were concerned about mob rule. They did not want uneducated people voting. Neither the Senate nor the President were directly elected. Look at other successful nations like South Korea, Japan and Germany. Democracy took time after dictatorship.
Yet we think people will go to democracy because we think it is the right thing for them. We are now missionaries who seek to push our cause by force. This is what happens when you have an unsophisticated attitude toward Foreign Affairs.
We think there is a loss of prestige if you talk to an enemy. This is silly. Nixon's opening of China was pivotal to driving a wedge between Communist China and Communist Soviet Union and is the basis our current symbiotic relationship. Even Reagan held talks with Gorbachev, leader of the "Evil Empire." Pick a country where this non-communicative stance has been taken - Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria Venezuela and you can see the negative value of the approach.
Watching what is occurring is painful - $300 billion of our treasure, countless lives, more terrorist recruits - yet no change in approach. Reagan "Cut and Ran" from Beirut, Bush I left after expelling Iraq out of Kumait. I remember Kosovo bombing called "Clinton's War" by many Republican leaders. No one thought the US could win by solely utilizing an air war. But it worked. The leadership turned over. While there is a UN and NATO force in Kosova, it is far less expensive than Iraq. $300 at 6% is $18 billion a year in interest that we and our children need to carry as a result of Bush's War.
What is wrong with declaring victory and moving on? Every country knows that if the US wanted to take action, it could. Why do we have to be responsible for cleaning up? No one could match US military power. Why should be be an occupying force? Countries like Iran, Iraq and Venezuela know that the US is bogged down. If we are freed, then some aspect of leverage will dissipate.
In summary, patriotism is one thing. Foolishness is another. Bush came to the President talking about a humble power with limited presence abroad. Now the US is protecting the world and "saving" 25 million people. For what? They don't want us. It is time to start the process.
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