scott’s posterous

This a brilliant slideshow about Apple and publishing.

1) Lead with benefits, not with features: Whether you are developing software or selling it on your Web site, your focus should be “What problem does my product solve?”

Most people don’t come to you looking for specific features. They come to you with a problem. If you lead with features, you are forcing your audience to think in your framework — i.e., software vs. their framework, and i.e., um, fix my stupid problem.

It’s like telling someone a car has Fortera TripleTred tires instead of saying, “These tires are safer in the rain.” Most people aren’t familiar with that tire so it means nothing to them, and you are probably making them feel stupid if you assume they should.

2) Know your audience: Your app is going to make you rich and famous. You are going to be playing craps in Vegas and drive a fancy car, right? That’s why EVERYONE must buy it.

Guess what? Software is really competitive. If you don’t pick a niche and really dominate that niche, your online message AND your app will be a muddled pieces of crap.

3) Don’t get too dumbed down: What is your app, and what makes it exceptional? The hardest part to a Web site is the one-liner, but if you can answer it effectively, you’ll convert a lot more.

4) Have a brand your employees and customers can be proud to recommend: Yes, this means spending money on an actual designer and forgoing ridiculous stock images of people around a computer.

Seriously. Stop it. Even though your app should speak for itself, one rarely does. It’s amazing how many crappy apps have customers because of good branding, and how many good apps have no customers because of crappy branding.

5) Um, listen: People ask you questions about your software. Guess what? Put the answers on your Web site. The more frequently a question is asked, the more prominent the answer should be on the site. The better your site is, the less time you can spend on the phone explaining your software to them.

You should never hire anyone for something you haven’t first struggled to do on your own. It’ll teach you most of what you need to know to actually interview candidates, it’ll allow you to understand the nature of the work better (do I even need to hire or can we outsource?), and you’ll know exactly what a job well done will look like. It’ll also give you a sense of whether the job is big enough for a full-time hire yet or if you can skimp by on your own (the latter is preferable if possible).

Jason didn’t hire me to help him program Singlefile (now defunct) before he had a sorta-just-barely-working prototype running off his own PHP skills. I didn’t hire Mark to do system administration before I had spent a whole Summer setting up a cluster. Jason didn’t get Sarah on board to do support before he had first done it for years on his own.

The benefits of having done the work yourself before seeking help doesn’t stop at hiring either. You’ll be a much better manager of roles that you’ve already held than when you’re completely in the dark about what it takes to perform. You’ll have empathy available when the going gets tough and it’s not their fault — and a stern voice when it is.

Don’t let big titles scare you off either. What does a business development person do? Find out by trying it on! Call people, make a few deals. Think you need a usability tester? Try a simple session on your own first with friends. No, it won’t be perfect. That’s okay. What you’re paying in initial execution will be repaid many times over by the benefits above.

This explains the last year of my life and its the best advice i could hand out to anybody.

Five Things You Can Say At a Social Event

It turns out that lots of people still don't know what to do or how to connect at face to face social events (like conferences or meetups or family parties). I've got a few spins on what's normally said, and how you can navigate those socially challenging waters. If you're stuck for what to say to someone to start a conversation, here are five suggestions. Pick one or two that work for you and practice them.

1. "So, what are you into when you're not hanging out at social events like this?" I use a variation on this often. It lets the person talk about themselves without asking the dreaded, "What do you do?" (I loathe that question. My answer? "I type.")
2. "Do you ever wonder what Adam West is doing right now? Me neither." A non sequitur accomplishes a few things. It sets a level of the other person's sense of humor, their pop culture knowledge, and many other things. Just replace "Adam West" with whatever fringe character you want to use to identify what the person might share in common with you.
3. "I'm always unsure what to say at events like this, so I thought I'd start with 'hi.'" You can't get much simpler than this. It lets the other person know you feel just a hair awkward, but it's straightforward and direct, and lets them know you're hoping to say a few things. Follow this up with, "I'd love to know more about what you're into."
4. "You look like the kind of person who has a different opinion than the mainstream. What's your take on this so far?" This sets yourself up for talking with the kinds of people who always offer the biggest value to your perspective.
5. "What were you doing three years ago?" This one sets a person back a moment. They tend to either answer with a wistful smile or a guarded "who wants to know?" You learn something from this exchange, too.

Small victories. I'm working on eating better to improve my health. Last night, at the airport, my choices were: Philly cheesesteak, Sbarro Pizza, or a smoothie. The first two choices were 700 or so calories. The second was just under 200 when I added a scoop of protein to it. That little victory made me feel good. I made a good choice.

Failure happens. We fail often, and yet we're somehow always worried about it. What I try to do is mourn those moments quickly, accept them, and then get back in the game. I learned this by observing athletes.

"Do" is better than "think."  Sure we think about things, but if we're not doing them, they're not yet done. I know that sounds simplistic, and yet, people who take a shot at something always find success much faster than those who talk about it or plan it.  

Im going to start using this. Very smart!

There's power in smiles, you know. They are actually small human programs that we launch and execute into our environment.

First, did you know that primates smile to indicate fear? Exposed teeth in the ape world only show up in two occasions: to bite things or to show fear. Isn't that jarring to consider? And, depending on your religious perspective, that means that we smile when we're nervous, too. Does that resonate? Does with me.

I just read in Cialdini's book, YES, about studies performed on smiling, and how they improve people's perceptions of the work they're doing, of the service they received, and many other things. I couldn't agree more. My field tests on smiling have been greatly successful. I've learned that smiles can fix several missteps, can improve rocky moments, and can help you navigate confusing social interactions.

Have you ever heard of the Sullivan Nod? This is a nod used by salespeople to earn positive response from you. Here's how it works (restaurant servers use this often):

Server: Can I serve you a margarita today?
You: That sounds great, actually. Haven't had one in a while.
Server: Should I make that a Patron margarita? (nodding while saying this)
You: That will be fine, thanks.

The difference, of course, is about $2 more for the premium liquor, and the server will use this effect throughout the dining experience. Now, whether or not you were interested in Patron, the Sullivan Nod adds to your possibility for saying yes, because we humans mimic the expressions and behaviors of people around us.

Use these powers for good. Smiling at adversaries is often fun. Smile with people who need cheering. Smile as often as you can stand it. If you practice, you'll find results within a week.