I’ve been interested in a tablet for a while now (since iPad was announced last year), but I’ve held out until now. Why?

1st Generation Apple Products Leave Me Wanting More

The original iPad was (and still is) a great device. I’ve got many colleagues who own and love them. However, as with the iPod and iPhone, I’ve found that 2nd generation products tend to be a lot closer to what I want. No doubt Apple has created entire markets and helped drive technological innovation. There weren’t a lot of touch screen phones before the iPhone, but now it’s difficult to buy a new phone that isn’t a touch screen device. Tangentially, Apple is probably the single biggest driver of the recent strides in mobile web and the app culture that we live in today. But the original iPad didn’t have a few things I wanted. Namely, cameras and Flash.

I’m Too Ingrained in the Google Ecosystem

Everything of mine lives on Google. I use Gmail, GCal, Google Docs, Reader, Google Contacts, Google Voice etc. Google knows me better than my family in all likelihood. I have an Android phone (original Motorola Droid) as well. Switching to iOS would be a lot of headaches for me just in having the device help manage my life.

iPad 2 Wasn’t What I Was Hoping For

I was on the fence between the Xoom and the newest iPad for a while. However, after reading lots of the rumours about iPad 2 (many of which turned out to be correct) I just didn’t think there was much that it was going to offer me that I couldn’t get from the Xoom. iPad now has cameras and a dual-core processor. The cover is neat, but it makes me worry about the Apple franchise when they use that as a selling point. As for app versions of Garage Band and iMovie, well… they are cool, but I don’t use those kinds of programs now, so that wasn’t a deal maker for me.

What’s To Love

There’s a lot to love about the Xoom. I find myself reaching for it instead of my laptop or even my desktop for web browsing. Honeycomb (Android 3.0) is a magnificent upgrade. From setup to web browsing to media, this device does exceptionally well.

Setting up my device was even easier than I expected. At Best Buy, we powered it up and I signed into my Google Account. After just a few minutes my Xoom had synced not just my Gmail, Calendar and Contacts, but also began downloading all the apps I have on my Droid. In a matter of 10 minutes, my Xoom was fully functioning.

This device is exceedingly snappy. You can really feel that dual core processor working. It responds to every touch and swipe with no hang, no stuttering, no hesitation. I’ve only been using it on Verizon’s 3G network so far and web pages download extremely fast. They display wonderfully, and scrolling and zooming are fast and responsive.

Flash is reportedly coming soon, but I’ve already watched a few YouTube videos and one on Vimeo, so it’s not a huge deal that it’s not available on day 1.

Coming in a software update soon, there will be the ability to add an SD card to increase total device memory (internal and SD card) to 64GB. Additionally, when it becomes available, you get a free upgrade to Verizon’s 4th generation LTE network which should make this already blazing fast device even faster.

Last, but certainly not least is the screen. It’s hard to describe in words, but stunning and gorgeous would be good places to start.

In just about every hardware way, the Xoom meets or exceeds the iPad 2.

Where It’s Lacking

Apps. That (for me) is the only place where the Xoom is really lacking. There are only a few tablet-optimized apps right now on the Android Market. That will change in time though. I will say that I’ve got about 50 apps that auto-downloaded and only one of those didn’t work on my Xoom. All the rest scaled beautifully. Words With Friends looks really good on a bigger screen, as does Twitter. And the native apps (Gmail and Calendar) are just beautiful both in look and functionality.

In Summary

The Xoom has already become my go to device. A lot of people like to point out that it’s more expensive at $800 with no contract. But what many fail to also mention is that with a two year contract (as little as $20 per month for 1GB, though I opted for the $35/3GB package) it’s actually cheaper than a comparable iPad (32GB wifi + 3G is $729). With contract, the Xoom is $599. And honestly, anyone that uses 3G likely won’t turn it on and off on a monthly basis, which is the selling point of the AT&T plan. If you plan on using the data plan anyway, you might as well get a cheaper device.

For me, the Xoom was a great decision. I don’t have the slightest bit of buyer’s remorse and I’m loving having a device that’s easier to carry than my laptop. Typing on it isn’t too bad either. For example, I typed this entire post on it.

This is a series of Startup Myths. I’ve been hearing lots of people talk about starting their own businesses recently and would like to quell some of the misinformation that I’ve heard circulating.

You Need an NDA

The Myth: You need an NDA to protect your intellectual property.  Some unscrupulous person could steal your idea and make millions of dollars from your hard work.

The Truth: A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) can be a useful document.  However, it’s designed in most cases to apply to employees.  They should not be used with investors, co-founders, advisors, etc.  There are a few reasons why this myth is complete bunk.

1. VC’s won’t sign them. If you take an NDA to any Venture Capitalist or serious Angel Investor… they will immediately stop taking you seriously.  Why?  Because it creates a huge liability for them.  Imagine, if you will, that I’m an angel investor.  You come to me with an idea for a mobile app that does XYZ.  I sign an NDA.  Then maybe I talk to Brad Feld and during the course of our conversation he asks if I’d be interested in partnering with Foundry Group to invest in a mobile app that does XYY, which is similar, though not identical to your app.  I decide to pass on your app and invest alongside Foundry.  You hit me with a lawsuit claiming that I stole your idea and passed it along and am now profiting from your idea.  To quote Guy Kawasaki:  ”If you even ask them to sign one, you might as well tattoo “I’m clueless!” on your forehead.”  So you might as well burn the thing.  If you think I’m just blowing smoke here, here’s three more example from VC’s and Angel Investors such as Anil Dash, Fred Wilson, and Andrew Warner.  In fact, the thing that will whet more investor appetites is telling them why you’re going to succeed… what differentiates you from your competition.  I’m not saying you should feel free to post your b-plan on your website, but don’t treat your idea like the Holy freaking Grail.
2. Your idea is worthless. This has been repeated ad infinitum, but apparently it needs to be said again.  The success of any business is in the execution.  The best post I’ve seen on this is from Paul Graham, founder of YCombinator.  Example:  Woot and Groupon.  Same basic business model (with some tweaks), but vastly different execution.   So you have an idea for a deal-a-day website?  Big deal.  What makes Woot successful?  The personality of the company.  You can’t really copy that.  There are a number of things (flying monkeys with Woot capes, bags o’ crap, Wootoff lights, etc.) that all add up to differentiation.  And if you’re just doing a copy and paste business (meatballs) then there’s no reason to protect that idea either.

The bottom line is that an NDA can provide you with valuable protection.  But you need to make sure that you use it wisely.  Do your research and see if the investor you’re pitching has written about them.  If in doubt, then don’t ask them to.  If your idea is really that good, use it to hook them in.  If it’s not, maybe you shouldn’t be talking to an investor in the first place.

As I was checking Twitter this morning, I saw this come through the pipe:

I told Mark that I didn’t think you could teach innovation at all. He then asked for clarification, maybe a list of qualities that led to innovation. So I did a quick search of some of the articles I’ve read and here’s what I’ve come up with.

What is Innovation?

I think we should first define what innovation is.  Here’s an excellent article (PDF) from Paul Harmon on Innovation.  In it, he offers several definitions and methods.  For my purposes, I’m going to differentiate innovation from invention, as the two are not the same.

(Disclaimer – I stole these directly from the notes I took during a class with Dr. David Strutton)

Invention

Invention refers to a dimension of uniqueness – the form, formulation or function of something.

Innovation

Innovation refers to an overall process whereby an invention is transformed into a commercialized product or service that can be sold profitably.  Innovation must deliver practical or perceptual value that benefits someone; someone who is also willing to give up something of value to attain it.  For a new something (product, service, etc.) to rightfully be described as an innovation it must also be useful.

So we have here a reasonable definition of what innovation is.  Following that, I’d like to posit several traits that I think most innovative people have.

Traits of Innovative People

Creativity

I think this is an obvious one, as innovation by it’s very nature requires something new and new “stuff” comes from seeing the world in a way that’s different than the status quo.  The hard part of creativity is the execution. Sure, there are creative ideas, but it’s long been my belief that ideas aren’t worth a penny.

Being a Polymath

I recently read a blog post by Brad Feld, where he reviews a new book (that’s on my Amazon wishlist) about innovation called The New Polymath (Kindle edition here).  Don’t worry, I had to look up polymath at Wikipedia too.  It’s what we’d most likely call a jack of all trades today.  My reason for this being a helpful trait of an innovator is this:

When you have a certain level of expertise in more than one area, you start to make connections between those fields.  For example, if I was relatively well-read on the subjects of computer science and behavioral economics, I might start seeing connections between object oriented programming and observation bias (that’s not a great example, but I’m trying to pump this out before a conference call).  These connections are the source of creativity.

Execution

This is probably the most important trait of an innovator.  I can sit and think of great ideas that are creative all day long.  But if I don’t act upon those ideas and turn them into tangible products or services or processes, then it’s all for naught.

Risk

This might just be the startup guy in me, but a certain amount of risk is inherent in innovation.  To truly innovate, you must move your mindset from “This better work” to “This might work” and be able to figure out what to do when it doesn’t work at all.

Conclusion

To answer Mark’s original question…. yes it’s possible to teach innovation to college students.  But not directly.  I’d argue that if you teach them the following, then the innovating will take care of itself:

• Creativity
• Curiousness (Polymath)
• Don’t Just Think About It, Go Out and DO IT! (Execution)
• Calculated Risk

And of course all of this should lead to a new invention that is useful.  If it’s not, then try something else that “might work.”

For further reading:

Where Good Ideas Come From – Steven Johnson (also buy the book if you’re interested)

The Medici Effect – Frans Johansson

Linchpin – Seth Godin

One of my favorite companies/products, Tungle.me recently released a plugin for WordPress, which you can see in the sidebar on the right there (RSS Subscribers have to visit my site, neener neener).

Tungle has freed up a lot of time for me.  Seriously, how many times do you try to meet with someone and it takes a week just to do the email back and forth:

“Well, I’m free Tuesday night, how’s that look for you?”

“Not good, I’m busy.  How about Wednesday around 3?”

“I’ve got a dentist appointment.  Wednesday evening?”

…ad infinitum.

Tungle takes all of that away.  I’ve got the widget here, and a link in my email signature.  This way, when someone wants to meet with me, they go there, pick out a few times that work for them, and viola!  It’s done.  The best part is that you don’t have to have a tungle.me account to schedule a meeting with me (though I highly recommend it).

My favorite part is that I’ve got it synced up with both my personal Google Calendar, as well as my work Outlook Calendar.  It’s my goto to see if I’m free at any given time.

If you meet with other human beings with any regularity, you should definitely give Tungle a try.

Last week, Drew Blas quietly announced the launch of his newest venture, Roundhouse. Roundhouse is a service that allows web developers to focus on code rather than your software stack. I’m not a developer, but I deal with them everyday, and I can honestly say that they/we spend an inordinate time dealing with software stack issues.  Roundhouse is currently accepting flagship clients at a free/reduced rate to start getting the word out.  If you’re interested, you can contact me, our use the contact form on the Roundhouse site.

I was sitting in a marketing lecture the other day, when the presenter (whom I have tremendous respect for) said something startling to the audience.

“Being truly sincere is the best way to be a good marketer.  If you can fake being sincere, then you’ll be a great marketer.”

That really disturbs me.  Maybe he didn’t get the memo, but the newest generation (Gen Y or Millennial, depending on who you ask) can tolerate brands making mistakes, but as long as you (the company) are playing it by the book and not trying to deceive your customers (by being insincere), you’re going to come out ahead.

There’s probably a plethora of examples of companies that have been insincere when they said/did something.  However, in the next 20 years, the only companies that will have real, sustainable growth are those that are sincere.  The bottom line is that when a brand tries to snow over this new generation of intelligent, I-trust-my-friends-over-you, review-leaving, twittering, facebooking people… you’ve broken that implied trust.  Marketing is all about relationships and when that trust is broken, either by making my gas pedal stick, overselling my flight, spilling oil, or anything else… our relationship is over.

For a better approach to maintaining relationships with your customers (and remember a customer doesn’t necessarily mean someone who has already purchased your product or service), see my previous post from Gary Vaynerchuk.

“You have to mean it. … I punch these marketers in the face in these meetings cause I’m like, ‘It’s so easy for you now, you’re a logo, so we can scale this.  Let’s hire 800 people to be behind this.’   You know, instead of buying $40,000 billboards that don’t mean dick… cause I don’t know if you drive, but anybody who’s buying outdoor media needs to look inside their head because they’re not looking at the billboard.  They’re not even looking at the f-ing road!  They’re texting!

‘So what’s the ROI in social media?’  I dunno f-face?! What’s the ROI on having a real relationship?

Meanwhile, you’re paying for billboards that have 40,000 cars drive by, but no one looks at.  Or you’re paying for a magazine ad.  Really?  You’re paying 1.3 million circulation, cause that’s what the price is based on.  That’s your f-ing impression price.  How do I know if somebody’s going to page sixty f-ing seven and seeing my ad?”

(31:00-35:20 for those who don’t want to watch the whole thing)

From time to time I’ll be posting tips on how to make your presentations better, both by posting what to do as well as what not to do. Here’s the first (therefore most important):

DO NOT READ YOUR GOSH DARN SLIDES TO ME!!! IF I WANTED TO READ THEM I WOULDN’T HAVE BOTHERED SHOWING UP TO WATCH YOU PRESENT!!!

All kidding aside, I see this all the time in corporate America and it drives me effing nuts. Slides are meant to enhance your presentation, not be the presentation. Think of it this way: If I were paying you to present to me as a consultant, do you think I, as your customer, would be happy that I flew you across the United States and put you up in a $200 a night hotel if I knew that you could have sent me the slides instead? If you put every detail on your slides it does two things to you immediately.

1) It makes you, as a presenter, 100% worthless to me. We both could have saved time (and money) while I was reading your crappy Powerpoint.

2) It makes you look like a fresh college graduate at best and a completely worthless presenter at worst.

The bottom line here is that if you want to write a book or manual, then do that.  Don’t write all that and read it to me.  That insults my intelligence.  If you really must have something to print out and give to someone who is unable to attend your presentation, the best thing to do is record it if you can, and then send them the video instead.  As a last resort, you can write up some companion notes (which might be good to give to those in attendance as well).

Warning: There’s a LOT of NSFW language in this video.

But there’s also a TON of really great thoughts.  If you want to be a good presenter, take notes.  Gary doesn’t use a single slide.  He just talks to the audience.  No bullet points, no charts, no graphs.  Just him and the audience.  Notice how he asks for every person’s name when taking questions.  This is something that I’m going to try and work into my presentations.

(hat tip to Drew)

I realize that I don’t post very often.  And I’m about to tell you the secret reason why.

First though, a few things that aren’t reasons for my lack of writing (but I hear them from other people and I think they’re BS):

1) “I’m busy!” – BS!  We’re all busy and you make time for what’s important to you.

2) “I don’t have anything to write about!” – BS! Opinions are like noses, everyone has them.  Just write them down and click publish.  You’ll prove your genius, mediocrity, or stupidity.

3) “Jason Kottke is just too good.  I can’t compare to him, so I’m not going to try.” – BS!  Okay, not really because Kottke is pretty amazing.  But still, if the guys that started Google had this mindset (with respect to Yahoo), then we’d never be able to find anything because we’d all still be using crappy search engines.

So Why Am I So Bad At This Blogging Thing?

It’s not because I’m unaware of what’s going on in the world or anything like that.  My last count on Google Reader said that I’ve read something like 4,000 blog posts in the last 30 days.  So I know what’s going on.  The reason that I never think to write about any of this stuff is because I have the mistaken conception that if I’ve read about it or know about it, then everyone else has read about it or knows about it too!

I came across this discovery the other day when I was reading Brad Feld’s blog and in one of his posts he was writing about something that had happened two or three days prior.  And as I thought that, I also thought, “Chris Sundberg, what the eff are you talking about?!  Three days?!  Who the heck have you become?!”  And I realized that not everyone reads the same things I do.  I know, I know.  I’m having this earth-changing moment over here and you’re thinking to yourself, “Man this guy is an idiot.”  And you’re probably right.

So I’m resolving to post much more regularly about stuff that I know about or have read about because it’s entirely possible that you dear reader, have not read the entire freaking internet!

If I turn out to be really bad at this, then comment away and tell me.  First awesomeness is coming later today.

I’ve come across this video twice now, most recently it popped up on Brad Feld‘s blog (one of my favorite, btw).  And so I thought it was worth reposting here.  Jesse gives a great talk, and I think everyone who uses Facebook would do well to watch it.  If I can muster up the time and energy, I’ll post a commentary about it later.

Also notice Jesse’s presentation style.  It’s simple, but very effective.  His slides aren’t complex.  They enhance his presentation rather than being the focus of it.