DISQUS

Ed,

Let me tell you something. I have failed at most business ventures I've started. I tried multi-level marketing, investing in real estate, and briefly dabbled in internet marketing. The one thing I've learned is that you have to be willing to fail. You have to embrace it and keep learning from it. You have to take everything light heartedly and know that if you don't succeed, it's not the end of the world. This will give you the motivation to keep going. I think you explain that very well in one of your 30DC 2008 videos where you say that failure isn't a character flaw (or something like that)

I started the 30DC 2 months ago and chose a niche (the new Palm Pre cell phone... which is touted to kill your beloved Apple iPhone) I followed your advice, did research, built links, etc. and ended up on the second page of Google for the term "palm pre review(s)" Then, Google dropped me... for like 2 weeks. What's worse is that while promoting my blog, I left signatures with a direct link to my blog on Palm Pre blogs and forums. I learned that it was bad manners and I learned to be more subtle. I knew when I started this particular blog (www.PalmPreReviewer.com) it was just to learn SEO and internet marketing, and that if I could get the steps down, I could do them for the other niches I had in mind. So I used the time that my blog as "sandboxed" to start another blog. At the time of this writing, my Palm Pre blog is back on page 2 of Google and the new blog I started is on page 1 of Google for my keyword phrase (14000 monthly searches) and on page 3 for my secondary keyword phrase (74000 monthly searches)! This all happened in less than 2 weeks and with less than a handful of backlinks!

In martial arts they say, "it's not how many years you've studied, it's how many hours you've put into your years" Internet marketing is hard work, but if you dedicate yourself to learning it properly, it can be quite successful.

Failure and mistakes are a a part of the process. You just have to keep on moving and look at everything as a game. It's more fun that way.

Thanks for everything Ed.

Raza

What about checking in and out of your hotel via your mobile phone? You make a reservation online and mark preferences for your room (temperature, newpaper, tv channel, etc.) and when you get to the hotel, the lock on the door reads a message sent from your phone and "open sesame"

We're working on it right now and have gotten a strong response from brand name hotels... But, would it make your life easier? Would you use it?

Hardest: Remembering you're not all things to everybody
Easiest: Getting excited by the possibilities

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

Thanks for sharing the vid. I created a Twitter account but I'm a boring guy and have no friends :-(

I'm a dork, even my 8 month old son thinks so, so I'd love to use it for marketing my business.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

Fred,

Isn't that just the nature of capitalist societies? I mean, shallow minded VC's and business owners look forward to the obscene payday if and when they get acquired. The acquirer's eyes bulge at how the recently acquired firm can give them competitive advantage, access to new technology/markets, etc. Shareholders salivate over what it will mean in terms of dividends.

But at the same time the best employees leave, the owners may take a world tour for a few months and then start another firm, users lose interest in the service, and industry analysts start talking about the next new, sexy, shiny, app.

We have a disposable-consumerist-throw-away society, so isn't this to be expected? I don't know that much about economics, but as a layman it looks like these companies and the services they provide are pawns that are bought and sold. It's a cycle.

I learned this when I read about the Vitamin Water acquisition. They were bought for 10x's their revenue. I mean it's crazy, I understand that it makes Coca Cola more competitive, gives them access to new markets, etc. but I just don't think this is sustainable.

You have a small group of people that make money very quickly... only to look for the next opportunity. I don't know, it just doesn't seem sustainable to me.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

Word up!

Engage, engage, engage. Pique interest, give people something thought provoking. Stop talking about how great you are and provide something of value. They'll naturally follow you.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

That's awesome. Thanks for tipping me off to College Mogul.

John,

This was one of the most reassuring marketing articles I've read in awhile. As a business owner I'm always hustling to close deals and I occasionally get caught up in trying to learn the latest elusive marketing 2.2.117 tactic.

You helped me remember that the power is my hands to take small, consistent, measurable tried and true actions. If anything I'll just hire an expert to execute those nifty web tricks to get clients.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

There was an article in one of the WSJ blogs about small business and startup PR. It profiled a small, 5-person chocolate company. It showed that a majority of press came from the CEO's own PR efforts (she did have a PR firm as well)

Guy Kawasaki has a good post on why DIY PR is better than working with an agency on his blog. Definitely work checking out.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

You're a cool guy Tim. Wish I could be there. You're living the life most people want to live and showing them how to do it.

I wonder how many people are actually acting on your advice. Do you find that people live vicariously through you without actually taking action? As an author and all-around nice guy, do you find it frustrating that the people you're trying to help don't actually take control of their own destiny, even after you've clearly laid out the steps for them?

I think I sent you a link in InformationWeek that your readers would find beneficial about the rise (and success) of solo entrepreneurs, but I don't remember.

Either way, I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you this, but I really appreciate you sharing your experiences with us (and it's free to boot!)

Best,
Raza Imam

Great lessons, thanks for sharing.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

Yeah, this really was a good post. I guess that's why people say it's good to be grounded, or down to earth. When you start excelling, you separate yourself from the support network.

There is a saying in Islam that states "The servant of the people is their master" It means that a great leader is a servant, a care taker, a guardian, a shepherd, a shield, and a fortress for those that he leads. And the way he keeps himself humble is by serving the people. Yes, charismatic CEO's bring immense value to their companies, but they do crash and burn at some point. Think of Howard Hughes.... 'nuff said. Is it impossible to lead an amazing company, lead a nation, or inspire kids to be all they can be without having a messianic aura? I think so. I may be accused of having a bias, but if you read the story of Muhammad (prophet of Islam) and how Islam spread during his life, you'll see a man with no court, no castle, and no material wealth that was treated and loved like a king.

You can still do great things and not self-destruct. Just keep yourself grounded.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

Having conviction and discipline is a sign of maturity. Mature, stable businesses define themselves... they know what they can do and what they can't do and they stick to it.

We're a software development firm that works with a lot of seed stage companies. Incidentally, we're offered a lot of cash/equity deals. Although a lot of them are really interesting, and we're tempted to do them... we have to turn them down for one reason or another.

On top of that, we've seen a lot of offshore projects fail, so we're very picky about who we do business with. Our stubborn adherence to our own rules has lost us a fair amount of business, but it was something we had to do. Poor businesses just chase cash... they over commit and jump into situations expecting the best-case scenario. The dot com bust really demonstrated that to me. Everyone thought their idea was a cash machine (including some very smart investors) Telecom companies had 10 years of inventory on hand expecting to make bank, but we all know how that went. I know people who were poli sci and psych majors who went into programming back then because they heard there was a lot of money in it. They ended up being crappy programmers and were hit the hardest when the bubble burst.

This short sighted, get-rich-quick, unrealistic optimism comes from not defining exactly who you are and what problems you solve. There are a lot of temptations to divert you from your goals, but there's nothing that can't be accomplished with the right amount of conviction and discipline.

After all, isn't that how Kwai Chang Kane got admitted to the monastery?

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshop.com

Interesting points... and I mostly agree.

My question is where do VC's fit into the picture? As I see it when VC's step in they hinder the creativity and vision of the founders. Afterall, they're pouring millions of dollars into the thing. Don't they constantly bust chops and stifle creativity? Hey, I'm from the Midwest, we don't know jack about how VC's work.

I don't think corporate incubators are that bad of an idea... as long as they mind their own business and give entrepreneurs plenty of space.

I'm not the smartest guy, but don't big companies fund R&D at universities and then benefit from the resultant breakthroughs? Doesn't seem that far off from the corporate incubator concept. I do agree that true entrepreneurs would never want to be anyone else's thumb... and that's a big enough reason for them to run from corporate incubators. I think that they'll attract smart people, just not the ballsy, daring, aggressive risk takers that founded some of today's best companies.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

Thanks dude. I wish I was there, but reading your take on what's going on is the next best thing.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

Hey Bro, I think your blog sucks (I'm kidding, I'm kidding)

Here's the thing, most people give up when they don't become multi-lingual-internet-marketing-master-international-tango -champion-body-building-best-selling-author-kung-fu-master-chick-magnet superstars overnight.

So...

I would put in a "How I Did It" section with case studies on how normal people solved problems that we all face. People love stories because they can relate to them... some of my favorite parts in your book are when you describe how you (or someone else) did something. For example, how your friend got expert status in 3 weeks.

But it should specifically focus on the CHALLENGES people faced while embarking on a task. For example, I got into creative real estate really heavily last year (subject to, lease-option, wholesaling, etc.) because I read about how much money people were making with these "no money down" techniques. So a friend and I got pumped, bought some DVD's and went at it. Six months later, after talking to a lot of people, we never closed a deal. Same experience with PPC for my website. I thought that if I start an AdWords account, I'd have a flood of qualified traffic to my site. After a few months I realized that I was just wasting my money. Granted, I made a lot of mistakes and could have done better with both endeavors, but the point is that I went in with a pretty unrealistic attitude. I expected the world to be served to me on a silver platter.

I think you should have a "How I Did It" section a la Joel Spolsky's column "How Hard Could It Be" in Inc. Magazine. I'm really interested in how other people dealt with the challenges they faced, the roadblocks they encountered, and how they eventually overcame them. To this effect, there's a great story about the CEO of a company called SubscriberMail who went to a tradeshow. When he got there, he realized that FedEx lost his booth. Rather than sitting there, he went to every FedEx/Kinko's store in the city and got a bunch of boxes and built a booth from them. Then he hung a sign up saying "Guess when FedEx will deliver our booth and win a box of Omaha Steaks (delivered by UPS!)" Another great story is the Stockdale Paradox that is mentioned in "Good to Great"

The point is that nothing is easy in life. But I want to see how other people creatively solved the problems they faced, maybe it will inspire some creativity in me.

Like my step-dad always says, "It's harder than they say, but easier than you think"

Raza Imam
A Big Failure

I’m an entrepreneur addressing an issue that I see other entrepreneurs increasingly grappling with. So I created a blog as my tool for getting the word out. I didn't really want to brand myself personally, but I did want to brand my no-name little business. The results have been pretty interesting.

More and more businesses we talk to are unhappy with their offshore partners. Small businesses are looking to outsource more than ever, but the problem is that finding a reliable offshore partner is incredibly difficult. Many companies are seeking the cost-benefits associated with outsourcing, but most get burned in the process. I own a Chicago-based outsourcing company and decided to create an humorous blog about this phenomenon. I wanted to make it funny, relevant, and insightful. It shows that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re dead serious about what we do.

I started it a few months ago to liven up my brand and it’s been my main lead generation tool. It’s very hard to differentiate myself from the dozens of “Bob’s from Bangalore” that call on the same prospects I’m after, so I decided to make fun of my entire industry.

The results have been phenomenal. In a crowded marketplace, I all of a sudden stand out. It ain’t safe, but it works.

Mentioning my blog to people helps break the ice because it’s funny. I’ve gotten new clients all over the country, and even one in Belgium because of it. I publicize it like crazy at events and even wear buttons with my blog logo. When I make cold calls, I tell people to visit my blog. I tell them that I’m making fun of my own industry. It differentiates me and has been the main reason for my growth.

I’m not a fancy PR person, but I’m convinced of the power of business blogging to get clients and media attention. Make it edgy and have fun.

Raza Imam

I haven't read both articles just yet, but it's very interesting... Ever since the US left isolationism after WW2, there's been a blatant struggle for power between the US and Britain over places like the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia. It's interesting that for most of its history, China has been relatively isolationist, but they're starting to break out of that shell.

What I think is interesting is what role the Islamic role will play over the next decade. Now more than ever, the Muslim world is abandoning their nationalistic identities (actually created by the British-French from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire via the Sykes-Picot Agreement). If the Muslim world does ever unite, it will be another formidable contender in the rush for global dominance; especially since yesterdays powerbrokers are waning in both power and influence.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

If I've learned anything from open source, peer2peer file sharing, user generated sites like (YouTube, Digg, StumbleUpon), WikiPedia, blogs, RSS feeds, etc. is that the now more than ever you have to PARTICIPATE and offer value. Yesterdays power brokers are today's paupers. You can't force feed information anymore. You have to share stories, mistakes, experiences, etc.

Keep the words SHARE and PARTICIPATE in mind when dealing with social media and you'll never ever have a problem.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

First of all, Standout Jobs is a beautiful concept. I wish I would have thought of it. It looks like you guys have the startup market down, I wonder if you guys will cater to more "commodity" jobs at F1000 firms. Either way I wish you the best.

As far as riding trends, my uncle gave me a really good piece of advice. He told me to look at Herb Kelleher, the Google guys.They didn't re-invent the wheel. All they did was do something better. In most cases, that's all you really need. (not to mention beautiful execution)

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

You're spot on man. For the longest time I thought my business was going to go nowhere. I figured that most companies already had a vendor that they like.

Then I decided to get aggressive and see what problems I can solve. I realized that most companies in my industry (outsourcing) are lousy and most clients are unhappy. Then I decided to make fun of my entire industry with a blog http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

The results have been great. I'm unique, personable, and funny. By changing the way I looked at my business I was able to grow with very little money and effort.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

The CTO has to be intimately involved in the business side of things to make sure that her team is solving the right problems the right way.
I think the pressure is really on for CTO's to be innovative and see the world differently. I own a Chicago-based offshore software development firm that acts as a CTO for our clients as opposed to just cheap labor. Our problem is to find simple solutions to the complex problems that our clients need solved. The traditional thinking is that a complex problem needs a complex solution... it just ain't so. We also have to train our developers to think creatively and truly understand the problem they're trying to solve. We've had clients that said they wanted an SOA architecture but had no justification for it; they knew it was a buzz word so they wanted us to implement it that way... in fact he didn't really know what SOA was. Our job was to step back and get them to understand what they're trying to do and have our developers come up with an intelligent way to handle it. A great CTO should be able to instill a vision in her developers. To make rambunctious team of developers work cohesively to solve a problem is incredibly hard.

Seesmic's use of Twitter is a good example of looking at a problem and solving it intelligently, rather than trying to build something from scratch. Successful businesses in any industry know this... Henry Ford focused on a smart process to build cars.

Regarding scalability, Dharmesh Shah had a really insightful post on his blog called "Premature Scalaculation" talking about how startups focus on tangible and safe metrics like scalability at the expense of more ambiguous, yet crucial things like usability, innovation, and increasing adoption.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

I'm an entrepreneur addressing an issue that I see other entrepreneurs increasingly grappling with. So I created a blog as my tool for getting the word out.

More and more businesses we talk to are unhappy with their offshore partners. Small businesses are looking to outsource more than ever, but the problem is that finding a reliable offshore partner is incredibly difficult. Many companies are seeking the cost-benefits associated with outsourcing, but most get burned in the process. I own a Chicago-based outsourcing company and decided to create an humorous blog about this phenomenon www.BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com I wanted to make it funny, relevant, and insightful. It shows that we don't take ourselves too seriously, but we're dead serious about what we do.

I started it a few months ago to liven up my brand and it's been my main lead generation tool. It's very hard to differentiate myself from the dozens of "Bob's from Bangalore" that call on the same prospects I'm after, so I decided to make fun of my entire industry.

The results have been phenomenal. In a crowded marketplace, I all of a sudden stand out. It ain't safe, but it works.

Mentioning my blog to people helps break the ice because it's funny. I've gotten new clients all over the country, and even one in Belgium because of it. I publicize it like crazy at events and even wear buttons with my blog logo. When I make cold calls, I tell people to visit my blog. I tell them that I'm making fun of my own industry. It differentiates me and has been the main reason for my growth.

I'm not a fancy PR person, but I'm convinced of the power of business blogging to get clients and media attention. Make it edgy and have fun.

Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com

Tim,

Nice post. I just got this list today and thought that you and your readers might like it. It's 40 creatively simple gift ideas.

http://thinksimplenow.com/creativity/40-simple-...

Best,

Raza Imam

Bootstrappers are smart. We are creators, innovators, and differentiators.

Sure, bootstrapping isn't realistic for every business. In fact many need to raise outside funding. Bootstrappers are the Navy SEALs being dropped in hostile territory with little more than a knife and a gun. It's life or death. Funded companies are the Air Force dropping bombs from 30,000 feet in the sky.

Innovative companies will tell you your best work comes when you have few resources.

Raza Imam
http://www.BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com