Disqus - Latest Comments for irina

Re: The Quick on QIK

irina — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:14:11 -0000

Here is my attempt at Qik streaming : http://is.gd/create.php I used my Nokia N80. Not a great quality video, but has it value for a sketch recording and quick info recording.

Re: hazard pay

irina — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:16:19 -0000

A Russian native, I have been living in the States for the last 16 years. My mom often asked me if I want to come back and live in Russia for a while. But the truth is, it is a very difficult business environment and it will require a major adjustment on my part.

Frankly, I am not sure if I would be able to adjust.

As a small business owner who works for herself, I don't want to collect my account receivables with a help of a hit man, or pay a bribe to get a hotel room. Things like that would drive me nuts. But Russian business people don't think twice about that.

If you think we got problems in the States, try to navigate your way in Russia for a year and not as a well-paid corporate America employee, but on your own. When you come back, you will re-discover how good we have it here even with the recent economic turmoil.

Re: hazard pay

irina — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:15:03 -0000

@bubelah Yes. We are different now. I am Russian, but I am don't belong in Russia anymore. It is sad. I feel more at home any other place but Russia.

Re: how to enjoy life, or not

irina — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:32:00 -0000

Health and Youth. Most readers are fairly young here. Please enjoy every minute of your youth and relative health. I was there once. It might be hard for you to imagine yourself in your fifties and beyond now but that will come and fast.

Don't abuse your body, feed it right and preserve it. It is easier to prevent major breaks (illnesses) in your body than to try and fix it when it is broken.

I recently fell into yoga. I wish I started practicing it 10 years ago. It works for me. I feel sharper mentally and physically.

Next, planning to sign up for a comedy sketch writing class. I believe that laughter might be just as important as food and water. I want to be around laughing people and people who create laughter.

Re: What to do if you’re laid off in 2008 recession

irina — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:15:02 -0000

Love the idea of posting on YouTube. Get on Twitter too. If you want some low tech advice that will get you away from your computer, I got some here. http://is.gd/XZc

As a self-employed in the last 4 years, I still remember what it means losing a job. It is terrible if you can't earn and you need money NOW.

In short, you can learn how to make a few balloon animals. It will be easier to meet people.

Re: The Future of Tech in South Florida

irina — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:20:59 -0000

Thank you, Brian. I suggest we start with #3. Anyone got an idea for a profitable business? I'd be glad to set up a panel to validate your idea and help you along. Today, you don't need millions to launch a successful business, you need an idea, great mentors and hard work. If you got any ideas & desire to work hard, I will find you mentors. I already mentor a few people in Miami and they can tell you: I mean business and I am tough! (LOL)

Re: The Future of Tech in South Florida

irina — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:52:27 -0000

To add to my previous comment, here is a primer on how to get ideas for a profitable star-up that everyone would want to support: http://paulgraham.com/ideas.html

Re: The Future of Tech in South Florida

irina — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:16:05 -0000

What I would like to see more at our South Florida techie meet-ups is a serious talks about seriously profitable business ideas.

A good business ideas is solid and good when it can be validated using this or similar framework: http://bit.ly/2Vtm7z

My background is in corporate tech PR http://thepengroup.com and I talked to a number of business and academic leaders in this community about the future of tech in South Florida.

I don't think that an incubator would solve the problem. We need to be more serious about generating and validating our ideas.

Good ideas can be executed in a garage, at home, on the street. And angel support is always available for great ideas.

Validate your ideas using this frame work: http://bit.ly/2Vtm7z and I will personally help you to present them to Beacon Council http://www.beaconcouncil.com or at The Launch Pad of UM http://www.thelaunchpad.org/ or FIU Global Entrepreneurship Center http://www.entrepreneurship.fiu.edu/ and, most importantly, I will help you to seek mentors who succeeded in Silicon Valley at similar businesses.

Once you start validating your ideas using this framework: http://bit.ly/2Vtm7z you will, hopefully, be on the your way to a great idea. If you are serious, I am here to help.

Best way to reach me is at @mylifeandart or come and I am at the most meet-ups.

Re: The Future of Tech in South Florida: The Government’s Role

irina — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:48:05 -0000

I think once we figure out an efficient way to get to know each other and who works on what project, we might discover that we have all the resources we need within our RefreshMiami community already.

But then again, we might not. But we don't know yet,
because we don't know who is working on what.

How can we solve that?

1) A simple website that list everyone who wants to be listed with a short description of what they do and what help they could use?

2) A YouTube Channel where every member of Refresh has 3 min preso? Just think.. LOL 1500 videos... to watch.. LOL

3) A live *speed-dating event* so everyone gets to know each other better?

As for money, I support Paul Graham theory on *ramen profitability*
http://www.paulgraham.com/ramenprofitable.html
I believe, start-ups need good ideas and customers. The first money should come from customers. If a business can't get revenue from customers, it is unlikely it will stay in business.

Granted, not everyone needs or wants to start a business here. Some people just want good job assignments.

What about joint meetings with other professional groups? Let's organize a meeting with a South Florida professional group that potentially need developers....

Well, it is 3 am, so I am signing off now... but I'll be baaaacckkk. LOL

Re: The Future of Tech in South Florida: Individuals / Entrepreneurs

irina — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:19:42 -0000

Great discussion, Brian. Thanks for starting it up.. Here is what I am thinking..

Tweet-ups are great and Refresh is great for building community, it is very important but it is not enough.

For Miami to become Silicon Beach, developers would need to become more serious about what they are working on.

It is not enough to come up with an idea, developers need to validate their ideas before they spend countless hours working on them.

How do you validate an idea?

You start with answering questions. Such as, Who is your User? What is the User Experience you plan to offer? What is your Value Proposition to the User? I can go on and on, I have about 30 questions for you, if you are serious...

My point here is don't waste your time on developing something before you validating your idea. It will be sad experience for you and everyone else....

Once your validate your idea, you go and you ask your prospective buyers to write you a check. And, if they don't write you a check, your idea is not very good one. Buyers will always buy what they need or want. If you can't sell to at least 100 buyers, go back to *the idea drawing table.*

What I see is too many people working for months without having any buyers or talking to anyone about anything and that is really sad...

Another advice I have is to read on emerging trends, on business strategies, and, last but not least, case studies on how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs go from an idea to a business to exit strategy. Read at least 100 of those case studies and you'll get a solid how-to idea.

Funding will not be of much help here. Lots of well-funded companies went bankrupt. No government assistance will help you with this. If they could, they would help themselves.

I highly recommend to focus on yourself and how your spend your time. What you do, what you read, what you are working on is what really matters here, not funding, not government assistance or anything else...

I am always glad to give feedback to anyone who is serious.....But you are not going to hear from me how great you or your ideas are. Most likely, I will send you to do lots of reading, thinking and doing your idea validation work.... even if you are a genius... you still will have to communicate your brilliant idea well, execute it well, position it well and sell it to the world... so start thinking and talking to others... find someone to validate your work...