An Open Letter to the Class of 2011:
Saturday, April 2, 2008. The Beijing Olympic Games were less than a week away. Speculation and anticipation about the two presidential candidates’ running mates was building. Snoop Dogg and 311 were a few hours away from opening a two-night gig at the Backyard. And here on campus? The Class of 2011 was gathering at the business school for orientation.
There was some good stuff said that night - important information about expectations, career services, student resources and upcoming events. Yet, I have a feeling most of you didn’t pay a lot of attention - and that’s not a criticism. In fact, I don’t blame you. I’m sure most of you were too busy scanning the room and evaluating your future classmates. You were filled with a healthy mix of enthusiasm and anxiety. Your mind was racing with questions: How will I measure up? What did I get myself into? Does that guy really think that shirt will pass for business casual?
Now, a full year has passed and you have successfully completed the first year of a top-notch graduate program. You have made new friends, learned new theories & applications and settled into a demanding routine of work, school and everything else. Congratulations on a job well done. Now, I need your help.
On Saturday, we will welcome a new class into the TEMBA family. The Class of 2012 will undoubtedly have many of the same questions and concerns you had last year. In the spirit of “if I knew then what I know now,” I am seeking your wisdom and advice. What should I tell them? What do you wish you had known back then? What should the new class know now in order to get the most benefit and value out of the program?
Being vocal doesn’t seem to be a problem for you guys, so let me hear from you. Shoot me an email, give me a call or leave a comment after this post on the blog, http://trentsrunningcommentary.blogspot.com/. I’ll take your feedback and work it into my remarks this weekend.
So, congratulations again on a successful academic year. I have enjoyed getting to know you all and look forward to a new year that will bring new academic challenges, more networking opportunities and, of course, an exciting trip to Beijing. Have a great break. We’ll see you at the Austin Intensives.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, July 10, 2009
Perhaps I was late to the game, but I didn’t fully realize the potential of successful iPhone applications until I read an article about Ethan Nicholas in the New York Times a few months ago. For all of you iPhone snobs out there – and you know who you are – you’re probably familiar with ishoot, Nicholas’s app that spent 26 days atop the best selling list earlier this year.
Nicholas, until recently a member of the Java development team at Sun Microsystems, developed ishoot last year as a way to make some extra money following the birth of his second child. He worked day and night for nearly six weeks on an application based largely on the computer games he enjoyed as a kid.
The initial paid version was moderately successful, netting Nicholas nearly $3,000 in the first two days of release. That alone would make a nice feel good story, but it gets much better. Once sales leveled off, Nicholas decided to release a scaled-down free version in an effort to spark interest in the original paid application. The strategy worked and Mr. Nicholas raked in over $800,000 over the next five months – not bad for six weeks of hard work.
I bring this up because I have recently been following the work of TEMBA alum Eric Mills, primarily through his Facebook and Twitter updates. Eric is one of the more innovative and entrepreneurial-minded people you will ever meet, so it came as no surprise to learn that he was working on an iPhone application in his role at AVAI Ventures. Yesterday, Eric announced that his company’s application, Pace Race, had received its first review. I immediately clicked on the link and read what AppChatter had to say about the new app. Here it is:
PaceRace, by AVAI Ventures Inc. is a simple, yet challenging, game of speed. All you have to do is find all of the numbers from 1 to 60 on the screen in 60 seconds or less. That is one number per second. When the game starts, all of the numbers are on the screen in a fixed position. Finding each number can prove difficult under pressure, though. As you find the letters, tap on them and they will be highlighted in a circle. The longer you play the game, the easier it gets. There is a pattern to the placement of the letters on the board. Once, you figure out the pattern, the game becomes much easier.
Pace Race keeps track of your fastest speed (how many numbers you find per second) as well as your average time. If you enter in your email address and a display name, you can participate in the leaderboards. Then, you can see how your score stacks up against others playing the game. In my case, I quickly saw that I was nowhere near as fast as some people. However, I was able to get fast enough to find all the numbers before time ran out.
Pace Race is a fun game for those of you who like timed puzzles, and it is simple enough for anyone to pick up.
Pace Race is $0.99 in the iTunes App Store.
After reading the review, I sent Eric an email and asked if he would be willing to share his thoughts on this application, the whole app phenomenon in general and any words of wisdom he might be willing to share with current TEMBA students eager to enter the iPhone app sweepstakes. Here’s what he said.
TT: Tell me about your role at AVAI and the mobile division specifically.
EM: AVAI is a technology service provider with a background in the integration of hardware and software for the smart home industry. I worked at the company before my MBA as a software developer and decided to return after TEMBA. About 9 months ago we decided to launch a new line of business, Mobile Solutions, in order to create native mobile applications. I was chosen to lead the venture as Program Manager, and it has been amazing. Starting a new line of business is similar to starting a new company. You start with no momentum and lots of enthusiasm. It takes a lot of work, but I'm up to the challenge and hungry for market share! I spend my day designing iPhone apps, closing deals, planning resources and managing the general P&L for the line of business. After a slow start, we are doing really well. In addition to our custom iPhone app development business, we are launching a new product next month which will enable all types of companies to execute a mobile strategy.
TT: How did you come up with the Pace Race idea?
EM: A new customer, North American Pace Associates, approached us about bringing their existing content to the iPhone. They have traditionally offered instructor-led classes on advanced reading skills. Their courses have been taught by Sylvan for years in order to increase the reading comprehension and speed. After seeing the traction the iPhone and iPod touch were getting in the App store, we decided to break their exercises up and release them in a game format.
We all know that playing games is fun, so why not actually work to increase your peripheral vision at the same time? The Pace Race game is really just a single exercise in the Advanced Reading Skills curriculum.
The key lesson to learn here is that all types of existing content can be monetized on mobile platforms. Now that we have over 40 million iPhones and iPod Touches out there (almost as many as Nintendo Wii!), and now that Apple is handling all the distribution and payment processing through the app store, the time is right to re-examine your digital assets to see if they will work on a mobile platform.
TT: Where do you see this industry going?
EM: Most people don't realize that last year more people accessed the Internet from a mobile device than from a PC. In the past year, the world changed. Having the power of the internet in mobile phone is a game-changer. People will not be dumping their smart phones for dumb phones. The opposite will happen. Everyone will have a smart phone in the near future. Now that the hardware has reached an acceptable price/performance point, real innovations will come in mobile applications. Being able to interact with the world around your from your phone is going to be huge. All platforms are going to try to compete against Apple in the mobile applications space. Apple has such a huge lead right now that I don't see anyone overtaking them for the next few years. If you don't yet have a mobile strategy, start with the iPhone as it is currently accounting for about 50% of the mobile traffic.
TT: Any advice for those who have an idea for an app?
EM: Absolutely. First, look at the competition before you do anything else. There are now over fifty thousand apps in the App Store with over a thousand being added per week. Look at the prices, descriptions, and most importantly, the reviews. Secondly, determine the value proposition you can offer. What is going to make someone download your app? Do something entertaining, useful, or informative.
Remember, it is an iPhone app, not a piece of enterprise software. Do a few things really well, and have a beautiful user interface. Lastly, design the app before you start development. Build out all the user interface screens before you write a single line of code. You won't regret it.
Best of luck, Eric. We’ll be pulling for you.
You can follow Eric and his progress on twitter http://twitter.com/snowbird122
This is the first of what I hope will become a monthly series of TEMBA success stories incorporated into my Running Commentary. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please send them my way.
Nicholas, until recently a member of the Java development team at Sun Microsystems, developed ishoot last year as a way to make some extra money following the birth of his second child. He worked day and night for nearly six weeks on an application based largely on the computer games he enjoyed as a kid.
The initial paid version was moderately successful, netting Nicholas nearly $3,000 in the first two days of release. That alone would make a nice feel good story, but it gets much better. Once sales leveled off, Nicholas decided to release a scaled-down free version in an effort to spark interest in the original paid application. The strategy worked and Mr. Nicholas raked in over $800,000 over the next five months – not bad for six weeks of hard work.
I bring this up because I have recently been following the work of TEMBA alum Eric Mills, primarily through his Facebook and Twitter updates. Eric is one of the more innovative and entrepreneurial-minded people you will ever meet, so it came as no surprise to learn that he was working on an iPhone application in his role at AVAI Ventures. Yesterday, Eric announced that his company’s application, Pace Race, had received its first review. I immediately clicked on the link and read what AppChatter had to say about the new app. Here it is:
PaceRace, by AVAI Ventures Inc. is a simple, yet challenging, game of speed. All you have to do is find all of the numbers from 1 to 60 on the screen in 60 seconds or less. That is one number per second. When the game starts, all of the numbers are on the screen in a fixed position. Finding each number can prove difficult under pressure, though. As you find the letters, tap on them and they will be highlighted in a circle. The longer you play the game, the easier it gets. There is a pattern to the placement of the letters on the board. Once, you figure out the pattern, the game becomes much easier.
Pace Race keeps track of your fastest speed (how many numbers you find per second) as well as your average time. If you enter in your email address and a display name, you can participate in the leaderboards. Then, you can see how your score stacks up against others playing the game. In my case, I quickly saw that I was nowhere near as fast as some people. However, I was able to get fast enough to find all the numbers before time ran out.
Pace Race is a fun game for those of you who like timed puzzles, and it is simple enough for anyone to pick up.
Pace Race is $0.99 in the iTunes App Store.
After reading the review, I sent Eric an email and asked if he would be willing to share his thoughts on this application, the whole app phenomenon in general and any words of wisdom he might be willing to share with current TEMBA students eager to enter the iPhone app sweepstakes. Here’s what he said.
TT: Tell me about your role at AVAI and the mobile division specifically.
EM: AVAI is a technology service provider with a background in the integration of hardware and software for the smart home industry. I worked at the company before my MBA as a software developer and decided to return after TEMBA. About 9 months ago we decided to launch a new line of business, Mobile Solutions, in order to create native mobile applications. I was chosen to lead the venture as Program Manager, and it has been amazing. Starting a new line of business is similar to starting a new company. You start with no momentum and lots of enthusiasm. It takes a lot of work, but I'm up to the challenge and hungry for market share! I spend my day designing iPhone apps, closing deals, planning resources and managing the general P&L for the line of business. After a slow start, we are doing really well. In addition to our custom iPhone app development business, we are launching a new product next month which will enable all types of companies to execute a mobile strategy.
TT: How did you come up with the Pace Race idea?
EM: A new customer, North American Pace Associates, approached us about bringing their existing content to the iPhone. They have traditionally offered instructor-led classes on advanced reading skills. Their courses have been taught by Sylvan for years in order to increase the reading comprehension and speed. After seeing the traction the iPhone and iPod touch were getting in the App store, we decided to break their exercises up and release them in a game format.
We all know that playing games is fun, so why not actually work to increase your peripheral vision at the same time? The Pace Race game is really just a single exercise in the Advanced Reading Skills curriculum.
The key lesson to learn here is that all types of existing content can be monetized on mobile platforms. Now that we have over 40 million iPhones and iPod Touches out there (almost as many as Nintendo Wii!), and now that Apple is handling all the distribution and payment processing through the app store, the time is right to re-examine your digital assets to see if they will work on a mobile platform.
TT: Where do you see this industry going?
EM: Most people don't realize that last year more people accessed the Internet from a mobile device than from a PC. In the past year, the world changed. Having the power of the internet in mobile phone is a game-changer. People will not be dumping their smart phones for dumb phones. The opposite will happen. Everyone will have a smart phone in the near future. Now that the hardware has reached an acceptable price/performance point, real innovations will come in mobile applications. Being able to interact with the world around your from your phone is going to be huge. All platforms are going to try to compete against Apple in the mobile applications space. Apple has such a huge lead right now that I don't see anyone overtaking them for the next few years. If you don't yet have a mobile strategy, start with the iPhone as it is currently accounting for about 50% of the mobile traffic.
TT: Any advice for those who have an idea for an app?
EM: Absolutely. First, look at the competition before you do anything else. There are now over fifty thousand apps in the App Store with over a thousand being added per week. Look at the prices, descriptions, and most importantly, the reviews. Secondly, determine the value proposition you can offer. What is going to make someone download your app? Do something entertaining, useful, or informative.
Remember, it is an iPhone app, not a piece of enterprise software. Do a few things really well, and have a beautiful user interface. Lastly, design the app before you start development. Build out all the user interface screens before you write a single line of code. You won't regret it.
Best of luck, Eric. We’ll be pulling for you.
You can follow Eric and his progress on twitter http://twitter.com/snowbird122
This is the first of what I hope will become a monthly series of TEMBA success stories incorporated into my Running Commentary. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please send them my way.
Friday, July 3, 2009
TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, July 3, 2009
You would have thought it was the priceless work of Leonardo da Vinci the way I treated it. I didn’t let anyone touch it on the way home and no way was it going in the trunk. I had already carefully selected the location for it to be hung – the most visible location on the most prominent wall in my bedroom. Yes, this would be the showpiece of my collection.
Yet, this was no Mona Lisa. This was not a masterpiece inspired by the Italian Renaissance. It was simply a poster. A pin-up produced by a couple of Kent State dropouts whose previous claim to fame had been selling anti-war and black-light posters in the greater Cleveland area. Yet, this poster would change everything.
It was 1977 and the poster I brought home that day from Spencer’s was the now iconic Farrah Fawcett red swimsuit poster. It was the best two dollars I ever spent. It would replace my impressive collection of collegiate pennants and become a symbol of the changing interests and priorities of a teenage boy.
I was not alone. During that single year, Pro Arts – that tiny company started by the two college dropouts – turned over its inventory 24 times and sold more than three million copies in February and March alone. It would go on to be the top selling poster of all-time.
Farrah Fawcett was my first celebrity crush. My bedroom was a veritable shrine to the actress with posters, magazine clippings, t-shirts, a lunch box and even a tumbler & coffee mug set bearing her image. If she was on it, I had it.
Fittingly, Charlie’s Angels was my favorite TV show and the first program I successfully persuaded my parents to let me stay up and watch on a “school night.” Honestly, I couldn’t tell you a single plot from any episode…but that didn’t matter. To a teenage boy in 1977, there was simply nothing better than Farrah Fawcett.
Perhaps appropriately, her death last week occurred on my sons’ 13th birthday – the very age I was when I discovered this swimsuit-clad goddess from Corpus Christi. It brought back fond memories of those formidable early teenage years and the wonders and discoveries those years hold. I smiled as I thought of what lies ahead for Ben and Sam and wondered if there was anyone out there today as shrine-worthy as Farrah. I think not.
After a year or so, my Farrah collection was replaced by a now somewhat embarrassing beach theme, complete with wicker furniture and a wall mural. The poster was relegated to the basement where it likely remains today along with the Schwinn Sting-Ray, the LP collection, the weight bench and other reminders of my middle and high school years.
I’ve heard that the Farrah poster is now bringing as much as $250 on ebay – a decent return on that two dollars - but don’t expect to see mine on the auction block anytime soon. Nope, to me it is much more than a poster. It symbolizes a period of curiosity, independence and intellectual & physical growth – a period of life that helped shape me and one that will now undoubtedly shape and influence the lives of my sons.
Like I said, it’s not the Mona Lisa. But to me and nearly every other guy who came of age in the late 1970s, it is undeniably a masterpiece.
Yet, this was no Mona Lisa. This was not a masterpiece inspired by the Italian Renaissance. It was simply a poster. A pin-up produced by a couple of Kent State dropouts whose previous claim to fame had been selling anti-war and black-light posters in the greater Cleveland area. Yet, this poster would change everything.
It was 1977 and the poster I brought home that day from Spencer’s was the now iconic Farrah Fawcett red swimsuit poster. It was the best two dollars I ever spent. It would replace my impressive collection of collegiate pennants and become a symbol of the changing interests and priorities of a teenage boy.
I was not alone. During that single year, Pro Arts – that tiny company started by the two college dropouts – turned over its inventory 24 times and sold more than three million copies in February and March alone. It would go on to be the top selling poster of all-time.
Farrah Fawcett was my first celebrity crush. My bedroom was a veritable shrine to the actress with posters, magazine clippings, t-shirts, a lunch box and even a tumbler & coffee mug set bearing her image. If she was on it, I had it.
Fittingly, Charlie’s Angels was my favorite TV show and the first program I successfully persuaded my parents to let me stay up and watch on a “school night.” Honestly, I couldn’t tell you a single plot from any episode…but that didn’t matter. To a teenage boy in 1977, there was simply nothing better than Farrah Fawcett.
Perhaps appropriately, her death last week occurred on my sons’ 13th birthday – the very age I was when I discovered this swimsuit-clad goddess from Corpus Christi. It brought back fond memories of those formidable early teenage years and the wonders and discoveries those years hold. I smiled as I thought of what lies ahead for Ben and Sam and wondered if there was anyone out there today as shrine-worthy as Farrah. I think not.
After a year or so, my Farrah collection was replaced by a now somewhat embarrassing beach theme, complete with wicker furniture and a wall mural. The poster was relegated to the basement where it likely remains today along with the Schwinn Sting-Ray, the LP collection, the weight bench and other reminders of my middle and high school years.
I’ve heard that the Farrah poster is now bringing as much as $250 on ebay – a decent return on that two dollars - but don’t expect to see mine on the auction block anytime soon. Nope, to me it is much more than a poster. It symbolizes a period of curiosity, independence and intellectual & physical growth – a period of life that helped shape me and one that will now undoubtedly shape and influence the lives of my sons.
Like I said, it’s not the Mona Lisa. But to me and nearly every other guy who came of age in the late 1970s, it is undeniably a masterpiece.
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