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Steve Olson

3 months ago

in Is California setup for a brain drain? on Scobleizer
Robert, there is a huge swath of the country that isn't experiencing the same problems the rest is. I've chatted with you about this on friendfeed a couple of months ago. It's from North Dakota and Minnesota straight south... all the way to Mexico. Some of these states have the most business friendly policies in America and cheap real estate and good education systems (relative to the coasts and the rust belt). South Dakota and Texas are the best. You couldn't pay me enough to move to California right now, but I'd consider South Dakota or Texas in heartbeat.

My wife has a small bootstrap start up and she's going to start hiring shortly. We are expanding in spite of all of this. But we could do much better in South Dakota or Texas. You can buy 3000 sq ft homes on 10 acres for less than 300K!

You can see the pattern in this map

5 months ago

in Welcome to Black January: Microsoft, Intel, IBM and others lay off tons on Scobleizer
Rob, James, and Patrick... Great ideas... One of the biggest problems today isn't too little regulation, it is too much. Regulation like Sars-Ox stifles startups and protects the dinosaurs. Self-Employment should be encouraged, not taxed. Innovation and small business is our way out of this. Right now you pay twice as much payroll tax (SS and Medicare) if you are self-employed as when you work for a corporation. It should be the other way around.

5 months ago

in Welcome to Black January: Microsoft, Intel, IBM and others lay off tons on Scobleizer
Robert,

How can we create one million new startups with a failing/failed VC system?

We won't. The cost of starting up will have to come down. Labor cost will drop as will the cost of office space and technology. Spending millions in VC on startups isn't going to be they way we come out of this. Bootstrapping is going to be the way we come out of it, and it's going to take a while. Expectations will change. People are going to be dragged kicking and screaming into reality. We've been pretty fat and happy for a while, now were going to learn the hard way. Don't live beyond your means. Too many people believe you can get rich quick, especially in tech. It might be true in some cases, but in most it isn't. I'd much rather see a million 1-2 person shops that are modestly profitable than these giant tech behemoths. I think that is the direction we are headed.

7 months ago

in 2009 could be the year of small social media AND… bloggers | Broadcasting Brain on Broadcasting Brain
Mark,
I am not a 'social media' blogger (I am not entirely sure what kind of blogger I am, and maybe that's a problem), but I am intensely interested in what all of you are talking about. In 2009 blogging will expand as will social media, have no doubt, in a recession these tools will become more valuable not less.
1 reply
Mark Dykeman's picture
Mark Dykeman I'd say there are 2651 people who don't have any major problem with your direction. :)

8 months ago

in You Don’t Have To Do Anything on How To Split An Atom
I understand everything you said here. A lot of times I don't have anything worth saying, other times I do. I think that is why I maintain the amount of subscribers I do. I try not to waste their time. Right now I don't much to say except about politics, and I don't want to write about politics anymore because it almost impossible to have an intelligent conversation about politics. I'm not interested in yelling and arguing and defending this politician or that politician. I'm interested in ideas not personalities and not parties. No one is talking about ideas right now.
3 replies
sbspalding's picture
sbspalding Agreed. I am seeing a huge swing towards economy/political posts with very little emphasis on tech, even from tech bloggers. I think what it boils down to is that we are all human and we tend to follow whatever trend lines are the strongest -- right now, for better or for worst, this is the most widely reported news in the country so many of us report on it.
Porch Lifts Man, you're not kidding about the politics. 4.25 more days :)
show all 3 replies

8 months ago

in I Hate Blogging on How To Split An Atom
This is the problem isn't it, Steve. It is one of many reasons why I keep my day job. If I blog for money, it won't be fun. I can tell from the type of content I read from pro-bloggers. In the first 6 months of blogging, I drew huge traffic and then I realized I didn't like where it was heading. It was no longer personal, it was checkout aisle nonsense, "12 ways to be less bitchy". That's when i realized, screw it, I don't have to do this. So I don't.
1 reply
sbspalding's picture
sbspalding Agreed, I couldn't really stomach having to be "topical" all the time in order to make a living from blogging. I'd rather it be a part of an overall career than the career itself. It gives me more freedom to do what I want, and actually (gasp) enjoy writing every once in a while.

Thanks for the read and the comment mate.

8 months ago

in While blogging in crisis job #1 is listening on Scobleizer
FYI,
I didn't post anything last week about the financial situation because there wasn't anything to talk about but fear. There was nothing concrete. Today, I think this is all quite complex but yet simple. In a nutshell, the government is trying to prevent massive deflation. Read about deflation. It's a killer. We don't want it. Unemployment, bank failures, bankruptcy. Unfortunately, it might be unavoidable.

8 months ago

in While blogging in crisis job #1 is listening on Scobleizer
My opinions change all the time. My interest and focus also changes constantly, which makes it difficult to connect to readers at times (but not all the time). Call it ADD if you want, but I won't stay in one little niche, preaching to the choir. It bores me. If I had to do that I'd quit blogging. Fortunately I can do it my way because it is my blog.

I understand what you are saying in this post. I've read things this weekend I would have told you were hogwash a year ago, but now with all this turmoil I'm not so sure. Maybe that means I've jettisoned some dogma and am starting learn.

10 months ago

in 2008/08/20/friendfeed-for-collaboration/ on Mashable - The Social Media Guide
Chris,

No doubt FriendFeed could be the way to manage teams and projects over distance, culture, and time. The problem is getting people out of analog and into digital mode. We are working on it and when it comes it will be a beautiful thing. I'm working it hard with my family and friends. And I'm getting results. Now I just need to get my 78 yo dad on board. He is the (OG) the original geek.

10 months ago

in No- I Dont Sleep on Chris Brogan
Chris,

I've got to do some more reading on this site. But just so you know I find highly useful and I've been telling everyone in our marketing department about you. Our Sr. VP of IT is also reading your stuff now. He gave you a thumbs up. I don't know how you do it, I assume you have kids too. Don't burnout because alot of us really love what you're doing. You are an inspiration. On your advice, I ordered the book on Self-Esteem. I also had a meeting with few executives the other day and quoted some of things you've written about taking charge of your life... we all agreed that we want to hire people who believe they are the CEO of their life. Keep it up, I'm a big fan.

11 months ago

in The Web’s Dirty Little Secret on How To Split An Atom
Steve,

Great insights. Most people just don't have time and don't care. And you're right, they won't until it solves a problem for them. The upcoming generations may make the social media mainstream if we can hold on that long. And if the whole thing doesn't morph into something completely different in the next several years. The other question is... What happens when a few big newspapers shut their doors. What will happen then?
1 reply
sbspalding's picture
sbspalding That does worry me a little. The fact that we have displaced a certain percentage of popular media means that we have a responsibility to try to hold it together for long enough for someone to make something of it.

Hopefully, it won't be too long. Recently I've seen some pretty cool uses of social tech in research and development, now I just need to start seeing some viable commercial applications.

12 months ago

in Thing to Remember When Your Kids Are Driving You Frickin’ Insane on The Cranking Widgets Blog
I'm in the same place you are. The why's drive me nuts. It is the worst when I am with him all day and we have 14 straight hours of temper tantrums and inane conversation. I love the little bugger, but parenting isn't all euphoric joy. Sometimes parenting is just a really long grind. But watching them grow and knowing you are contributing to the future makes it all worth it.

12 months ago

in A huge pile of off-topic blog comments on Broadcasting Brain
Rumors of this comment's death are highly exaggerated. Blogging is too personal for comments to truly die. For the large networkers like Scoble yes they may disappear but for the great mass of bloggers they won't. Comments are the best way to engage in conversation with the blogger and the bloggers other readers. Freindfeed is great of consolidation of your stuff, but it won't take over your blog entirely.
1 reply
Mark Dykeman's picture
Mark Dykeman Sorry, Steve, just saw your comment now. I agree - blog comments aren't going away.

12 months ago

in 5 Slump Busters on A New Marketing
Grind it out is the only thing that works for me. I get down and I have to force my way through it until I get a break and then it comes back better than before.

12 months ago

in Why Some Marketers Are Psychics on The Michel Fortin Blog
Michel,

Great post! I constantly hear people talking about this idea and that idea. The next thing is the size of the market. I usually keep my mouth shut because I don't want to be the naysayer, but I always think... is it viable? Great lessons.

1 year ago

in 24 Hours with Tim Ferriss, a Sample Schedule on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Tim,

Brazilian jiu-jitsu! Are you getting ready for the UFC? I have my son training in MMA at the American School of Matial Arts - it is Royce Gracie certified. Cool stuff. I was invited to be on the SXSW chitika beer bus with you this weekend but I couldn't make it. I look forward to meeting you some other time.

1 year ago

in On work and family and having a “real life” on Scobleizer
Robert,

The point which needs to be made is that regardless of Christopher or Jason or EA or any other company, people... and that means all people (in a free country) DECIDE to work where they work. They DECIDE how many hours they wish to work. These are DECISIONS made of one's FREE WILL. If you don't like where you work... work for someone else.

If you don't like it, quit complaining and create something better for yourself.

Simple stuff.

1 year ago

in Why Vista isn’t as good as the Mac on Scobleizer
I currently run Vista on three different vcomputers and we have installed on hundreds across the enterprise. I've never had a problem with Vista starting and shutting down properly. I haven't been able to find experiences to justify all the negativity about Vista. Robert, I like Vista.

1 year ago

in I Love Customers on Instigator Blog
Ben,
Slight disagreement. Most customers are great. But some customers are nothing but a pain in the ass. They demand more than they are willing to give. When doing retail business online, I've had to tell some customers that I can't do business with them because they are too demanding. It is a small percentage, but some customers just aren't worth the effort. Some of the more succesful retailers have come to this conclusion as well.
Like Best Buy I don't really like Best Buy, but they are on to something.

1 year ago

in Is a Lack of Experience Really Such a Bad Thing? on Instigator Blog
Inexperience can lead to mistake which could have been avoided. That is really all it worth. Howeve experience can lead to myopia and miss opportunity. That why we always need to get outside our comfort zone and do and learn thing we of which we have little experience.

1 year ago

in Dying for Drugs on Will Wilkinson
When I read stories like this, I can't understand why everyone isn't a libertarian at least in ideology. I can see for example why a public school administrator isn't a libertarian, but if he read something like this, I think the selfishness of his protectionist position whould hit home. They always claim the are protecting the patient, or the student, or the public as a whole, but what they don't tell you about is the pain and suffering the protection is causing others.

1 year ago

in How to Stop Checking E-mail on the Evenings and Weekends on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Email is fast approaching a point where it is unusable. It needs to be filtered in a meaningful way. There is no real way to triage 500 emails a day.

Some weekend I just don't check it. I refuse. And by monday I have over a thousand emails. What to do?

1 year ago

in Dating without Speaking? The Weird World of Eye Gazing Parties on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Tim,

I've never heard of this, but it sounds amazing. Eye contact is critical to communicating confidence and attention. But too many people are uncomfortable with it. I concur that practicing eye contact will serve you well in life. Especially if you learn to do it with empathy and curiosity and leave your anxiety behind.

2 years ago

in Why I continue to use Windows Live Writer Beta 2 on Torley Lives
I use Live Writer as well... But lately I've been getting a get.post error and none of the fixes have helped. I'm sad to have lost such a valuable tool.

2 years ago

in A Fantastic Writer! Indeed!! on scan man's notes
Hey cool post...

I just took the test and these are my results... Very similar to yours....

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.
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