The Underdog Effect

Stop talking. Start doing.

I'm very proud of my wife. A couple of days ago she joined the entrepreneur club with the launch of Slingflower, the world's first social media-driven floral delivery service. (If you live in the Boise area, check it out on Twitter or Facebook.)

While it has only been a couple of days, she has deemed it a success based on her number of sales, Twitter Followers, Facebook Fans, overall buzz, and amount of fun she's having. Here are some things any would-be entrepreneur can learn from her approach:

1) Stop talking. Start doing. Nothing happened until she started, slowly but surely, putting in the time and effort to stop planning and start executing.

2) Have low expectations. Jennifer's not trying to get rich, she's just trying to build a cool little company.

3) Keep the overhead low. She's using PayPal while she's in Beta. She's using GoDaddy hosting. She's doing everything she can to keep expenses down.

4) Have friends. Many of her early sales came from friends who want her to succeed. As Seth Godin said, the first thing you need is 10 customers. Several of Slingflower's first 10 were friends. THANKS!

5) Be different. And not marginally. If people can't see your difference and can't express it themselves, then your story is too difficult to share.

6) Focus on today, tomorrow will take care of itself. She's taking it one delivery at a time. Get through the first one, then think about the next. No rush. Things will be fine. (see #2)

7) Don't let perfect stand in your way. This doesn't mean it's OK to suck. It just means that it is OK to launch fast and get input so you can...

8) Be flexible. Jennifer already has plans to tweak the service based on customer input. Now, she's not going to change her vision. Slingflower is not meant to be for everyone. But she is going to adapt were it seems appropriate.

RFPs and underdogs don't blend.

[This post was also posted on Rizen's 314 Blog.]

This one is tough to write. A couple of my favorite clients are the result of Rizen Creative responding to an RFP (that’s "request for proposal," for those who don’t speak in acronyms).  RFPs are used by organizations to efficiently (for the RFP issuer, at least) get details about services, prices, etc. from vendors and ostensibly initiate a sort of bidding war.

In an effort to prove accountability and reduce favoritism/corruption/nepotism government organizations are often required by law to go through the RFP process. Fine. So what I’m about to write only applies to those NOT forced by threat of arrest to issue RFPs:

A true underdog should never issue an RFP.

Underdogs and RFPs don’t mix for many reasons:

1| RFPs are inherently selfish. 90% of the effort, thinking and creativity involved in RFPs is pushed from the issuer to the respondent. Healthy relationships (with your girlfriend, parents, friends or creative agency) don’t begin so one-sided.

2| RFPs attempt to get something for nothing. Or at least something for real cheap. TANSTAAFL: There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. It’s a law of economics. Sorry.

3| RFPs encourage bait and switch. What is promised and what is delivered often bear no resemblance. RFPs encourages those who respond to act as politicians – what great ideas come from politicians?

4| RFPs reward the wrong things. Answer right, win the business. Firms who are forced to respond to a lot of RFPs hire specialists who know little about the craft, but do know how to write RFP responses. In even more cases, RFPs reward “gamblers” who have the time/insanity to throw man hours at responding to an RFP.

5| RFPs ignore the most important part of any working relationship. The relationship. As in a state of connectedness between people. Remember those? You like the good ones.

6| RFPs are inefficient. The basics (How much does this sorta thing cost? Do you have capacity? What’s your approach? Are you qualified?) can be answered through referrals, web site research, and a couple of emails. If you're in charge of your organizations marketing and don't already have a focused list of companies that would likely be a good fit for you, you're not paying enough attention.

7| RFPs make everything a commodity. By definition, extraordinary service and work isn't.

8| RFPs provide false sense of impartiality. Points or no points. Committee or no committee. Process or no process. The decision will be made by humans. Humans suck at impartiality. In fact, that's what makes us useful. To pretend otherwise is idiotic.

9| RFPs provide a false sense of confidence. Just because you put a lot of time, energy and money into something doesn’t make it great. It just helps you to convince yourself that it's great.

10| RFPs limit your options. To those that are on your list. To those that actually have the time and inclination (at that very moment) to respond. To those that don’t despise RFPs.

I know what you’re thinking: sore loser. Damn right!

I am sick and tired of selling my soul to complete RFPs when the decision was really predetermined (*shock*). I am sick of being asked to solicited for estimates and proposals with no opportunity to meet the humans I’m going to be working with. I am sick and tired of being asked to give my team’s brilliant, money-making, customer-endearing ideas away for free.

So I’m not going to do it.

But please, still send us your RFPs. We promise you will get a response, just not the one you expected.

Buy The Hole

This may be another crazy idea. But some of the best ideas start out that way. I want the citizens of Boise to consider buying the hole at 8th & Main. Learn, contribute your thoughts, etc. here.

Information revolution is (finally) here.

There's a whole lot of energy being wasted debating whether or not newspapers should disappear. It's a waste of energy because there are bigger forces at work here. Yes, Virginia, the information revolution that we've been promised for so long is finally here.

Just as the industrial revolution began in the late 18th Century, but wasn't felt until the mid-19th Century, the information revolution began in the late 1970s (yes, I know computers were invented almost 50 years before that, but they didn't have mass impact until the introduction of the PC) and we're just now feeling its most dramatic impact: a mass shift in how receive and share information.

And we're just at the beginning.

Just as the timber industry held on for about 50 years after the adoption of mechinized logging, many newspapers will likely cling to a challenged existence for a number of years. But their fate is sealed: the democratization of information is here -- for better or for worse -- and newspaper closings are simply a the canary in the mine.

Local TV stations, radio stations (including my beloved local NPR affiliate), and magazines are all in danger of becoming absolete, first to their respective audiences, then quickly to their advertisers, if they can't get back to the primary purpose of any business -- creating substantial value.

Duh, right?! I wish. Instead of focusing on creating value, too many media outlets (yes, you can extrapolate this to many companies -- including creative firms) are focused on cutting costs, reducing risk, etc. But no matter how fast they run, they won't get anywhere until they get off the treadmill.

Underdog brands, being offensive-minded, get it. They are using the perceived market chaos to seize opportunity. To jump off the treadmill. To run freely. They (you!) aren't looking to be the last logging company. They're looking to be the first in something new, something fresh, something...

Ignite Boise -- it's not just for geeks and marketers anymore.

I've unintentional neglected to mention on this blog that I am actively involved with Ignite Boise. More importantly, I've failed to mention that you're invited. While tickets are long gone, you can still come by showing up at the Egyptian Theatre in downtown Boise at 5:30. Just wait in the general admission line and, viola!, you're in.

I hope you can make it. It's gonna be serious fun.

-Jeff

Ignite Boise presentation ideas.

There are only three days left for you to submit your proposal for the first-ever Ignite Boise, an event that brings together smart people to talk about interesting things. Speakers get 5 minutes and 20 slides, each of automatically rotate after 15 seconds. (Still don’t get what Ignite Boise is? Go here.)

I will not be submitting a presentation this go around. (As an Ignite Boise volunteer, I want to make sure my focus is on the behind-the-scenes stuff.)

That doesn’t mean I don’t have ideas.

Below are 50 topics that I think would be interesting for someone to present at Ignite Boise. It’s a quick list. Not perfect. Many missing. If you’ve been thinking you want to present, but have suffered from presenter’s block, perhaps it will help inspire you.

A couple of notes: (1) I’ve used “how, what and why” as a platform for my brainstorming purposes only. Ignite presentations certainly don’t have to follow that format...you can do it however you want. (2) These are unsanctioned ideas, not endorsed or approved by the Ignite Boise presentation committee -- I've gone rogue on this one. Their only purpose is to help kick-start your brain. Hope they help!

1.  How can we turn the giant hole at 8th & Main into a public space?
2.  How to build [something interesting].
3.  How to quickly glean insights from your balance sheet/P&L.
4.  How to work with difficult people.
5.  How to make a community supported agriculture work.
6.  How do I design a kick-ass web site interface?
7.  How to conduct statistically significant market research on a budget.
8.  How can I write a book in six months?
9.  How to successfully navigate [the DMV, unemployment office, city hall, etc.]
10. How to make Boise the hub of Web 4.0.
11. How to create a progressive conservative political party.
12. How can Idaho move beyond the potato?
13. How can I become a film maker?
14. How can I turn my car electric?
15. How to become a better speller.
16. How do I start a restaurant without losing my ass?
17. How to properly fillet a fish.
18. How to be a good boss.
19. How to be a good employee.
20. How to take more effective notes.
21. How to get out of jail.
22. How to get out of awkward situations.
23. How to work with a venture capitalist.
24. How to take better photos.

25. What can we learn from a cockroach?
26. What can we learn from [1954, 1845, 1972, etc.]?
27. What can we learn from JR Simplot?
28. What are the biggest hiring mistakes?
29. What are the biggest misconceptions about web design?
30. What makes a good story?
31. What are the chances that (intelligent) life exists beyond Earth?
32. What makes great logo?
33. What can we do to improve our health care system?
34. What does the government know about me?
35. What does Proctor & Gamble know about it me?
36. What can Boise do to be more [dog/pet/tech] friendly?
37. What is the purpose of CCDC?
38. What makes a bad word bad?
39. What is the history of the Egyptian Theatre?
40. What does the City of Boise’s org chart look like?

41. Why is aesthetic important?
42. Why are so many Californians drawn to Idaho, then complain about it (or is that just a myth)?
43. Why is Idaho considered part of the Northwest and what are the implications?
44. Why is Idaho considered part of the Mountain West and what are the implications?
45. Why should I use Mac vs. PC (or the other way around)?
46. Why do dogs like people so much?
47. Why do people like dogs so much?
48. Why is turning 18 make us an adult (and should it)?
49. Why are people left-handed and why are they smarter, better looking and more creative?
50. Why is everything now a “syndrome”?

Submit your presentation idea on the Ignite Boise web site.

10 tactics to keep smiling during this downturn.

This is more for me than you, but I thought I'd share. Simple reminders on how to deal with the tidal wave of bad news that surrounds us:

1) Turn off the local TV news. This just in: it adds nothings to your life. Get your weather from wunderground.com and skip hearing about the same gang shooting for three days in a row.

2) Turn off the national TV news. 90% of it is pre-packaged features, anyway.

3) Turn off the morning shows. Matt and company focus way too much on interviewing fringe lunatics and asking so-called experts to predict the future.

4) Save. I don’t care if all those mentioned above tell you the economy needs you to spend.  Save. Saving reduces fear. It gives you the power to make smart, calculated decisions.

5) Manage your personal economy. It doesn't matter what the “national average” is…of anything. All the matters now is that we make sure we each get our own act together. That means simple math: spend less than you earn.

6) Focus on your family. Listen, the worse case scenario ain’t that bad if you’re surrounded by people who you love and love you.

7) Count your blessings. Every day. Really. List them. It will make you feel better.

8) Make a to-do list. Nothing’s more powerful than a (wo)man with a plan.

9) Think small. Personally, I think it is good for humans to feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. My favorite is a hike/drive in the mountains.

10) Smile. Just do it. Remind yourself to do it. Hey, your teeth don’t brush themselves, do they? You have to make a conscious effort. Same thing with smiling. And the more you do it, the better you feel.

Relate don't debate.

Last night I had a few friends over for drinks and conversation. It was the normal mix of wine-fueled catching-up, debating politics, reviewing books and movies, and unraveling the "right" solutions to the infinite challenges that face humanity. Nothing out of the ordinary.

For a brief time, the conversation turned to Twitter. I tried to explain it. The value of it. The unexpected benefits and connections that come from it. I got nothing but blank stares. So I drug out the laptop and prepared a demo. Still...nothing.

The skeptics in my kitchen simply could not get beyond the first impression of Twitter as nothing more than a narcissist-enabler. Eventually, I gave up offering different examples and analogies to try to explain it. They just didn't get it. More importantly, they didn't want to get it. Didn't want to hear it.

More importantly, they weren't ready to hear it.

My friends aren't neophytes. But their internet usage revolves around reading news, downloading music and watching tv programs -- not sharing opinions and connecting with others. They're not there yet. Only one recently got a Facebook page. And none blog.

For them to "get" Twitter I believe they first need a gateway drug.

Just as many sushi-afficienados love affair began with a California Roll and the path to a full-back tattoo often begins with a tiny butterfly on the hip, most people need a comfortable entry point into Web 2.0.

And it's not just Web 2.0, it is everything. Every day, vast amounts of money are spent trying to convert the un-convert-able. In a down economy, or any economy, this is the absolute most inefficient use of your dollars.

Here are some key ways to ease prospective customers into your product:

1) Make it easy/cheap for them to try.

2) Discuss it as an extension of what they're already comfortable with (from the beginning I thought VoIP should just be called "digital phone").

3) Simplify it.

4) Create a limited-feature sample version (freeware anyone?).

5) Guarantee performance.

6) Dig your well before your thirsty: earn trust in every interaction.

7) Sell the benefit, not the specifications.

The power of an asterisk*.

If you have to use an asterisk when making a bold offer, re-think your offer. Here's an offer I saw on an ad in the Boise airport. The ad was for a local home builder...

Is there no obligation or not? Right away, I'm suspicious. The fine print read something like "some conditions apply." OK. Is that to the no obligation or to the free design? I don't get it.

Underdogs know that the only way to win against category leaders is by cutting the bullshit, acting like an actual human being, and being honest. Asterisks get in the way of that.

* This post has not been reviewed by the underdog effect legal department and may contain errors and/or omissions. Hell, it hasn't even been proofread. Use the information herein at your own risk.

Tips for jobseekers.

Rizen Creative is hiring (an AE and production designer). Every time I go through the hiring process – at once an invigorating and frustrating experience – I learn lots am reminded that common sense ain't all that common.With so many on the job hunt, I thought it time to share some of my thinking. Some trivial. Some not so much.

I’m also going to think about tips for job fillers, but I thought it important to share this right away…

#1 Don’t waste your time applying for positions you are clearly not qualified for. Bone up your skills and get some experience anyway you can, then let’s talk.

#2 If you choose to ignore #1, don’t go the traditional resume route. Stand out from the field by demonstrating specific skills and how they can help my clients.

#3 If you choose to follow #2 (or even if you don’t), please don’t be annoying. It doesn’t earn you any points. Interruption marketing doesn’t work for companies and it won’t work for you.

#4 Spell my name right.

#5 Know what we do. Know our work. Know how you can contribute.

#6 Show your passion. Don’t worry about making an ass of yourself.

#7 Study your craft. Know its history and how we got where we are today. Curious people are usually smart people and smart people are the ones we look to hire.

#8 Follow-up. In an economy, we’re seeing a lot of resumes. Most of them crap. There’s a chance yours could get lost in the shuffle.

#9 Follow us on Twitter. You’ll know us and we’ll like you.

#10 Make your resume relevant. If you worked at Chuck E Cheese in college (like I did) and you’re going to share it on your resume, you’d better be able to explain why we should care.

#11 Don’t use buzzwords. I don’t really care if you synergistically leveraged your company’s heart share ROI. Hell, half of the time, I don’t even know what the hell your talking about.

#12 Make your resume look decent. Nice even. Aesthetics matter. In this business more than most.

#13 Be referred. We take recommendations from colleagues and vendors very seriously.

#14 Don’t oversell.

#15 Smile. People like people who smile.

#16 Ask questions. Good, thoughtful questions: about our approach, philosophies, what we want.

#17 Tell stories. Don't list facts.

#18 Never lie. This happens all the time and it is usually obvious. Not only will it kill your chances, it won't be easy to live down.

#19 Treat industry vendors right. We value their opinion.

#20 Show less, but better work. If you are a graphic designer, we don't need to see everything. After two or three samples, we know a lot about you. Often by simply what you chose to show.

#21 Be on time, but not too early. Late is poor form, too early is kinda weird.

#22 Don't be afraid. Relax. Be yourself. You're great. Let it show through.