Eric Friedman

So close to the real thing… (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 27 May 2012 15:21:55 -0400

So close to the real thing… (Taken with instagram)

parislemon: (via Being a Geek on Facebook)

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:34:03 -0400

parislemon:

(via Being a Geek on Facebook)

fastcompany: After years of pursuing high-tech companies,...

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:02:53 -0400

fastcompany:

After years of pursuing high-tech companies, Hobbs will be getting what might be one of the most impressive high-tech novelties around: a 15-square mile, fully functioning but empty town next door, unlike any other R&D facility in the world, that will be used to test everything about the future of smart cities, from autonomous cars to new wireless networks.

To Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb, this is the culmination of three decades of a city trying to reinvent itself. Back in the mid-1980s, it first became clear that the oil and gas industry that dominates this part of the country would no longer employ quite so many people, with quite as many high-end jobs.

America’s Most Innovative Neighborhood: 15 Square Miles In New Mexico, Population: 0

Zelda fireplace art. From...

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:19:58 -0400

Zelda fireplace art. From http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/8-bit-zelda-fireplace-art-final-frame-171278

Photo

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:47 -0400

smokeporch: GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda! Ha!

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:22:20 -0400

smokeporch:

GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda!

Ha!

"The number one thing you need to understand about building a company is that mediocre people drag..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:38:56 -0400

“The number one thing you need to understand about building a company is that mediocre people drag down excellent people — they are cancer and you need to cut them out as fast as possible. Don’t worry about creating holes in the company — excellent people are much more productive when mediocre people are removed from their environment.”

- “You Must Hire the Right People” — www.businessweek.com — Readability (via datainsightsideas)

"Be your own bitch."

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:24:16 -0400

““Be your own bitch.””

- http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2012/05/easy-come-easy-go.html

evangotlib: Game. Set. Match. This is why I love the...

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:20:51 -0400

evangotlib:

Game. Set. Match.

This is why I love the Internet

Computationally Expensive (within project planning)

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:27:51 -0400

When I first started working at foursquare I heard this term as a way of explaining that some things were not possible (right now!) but could be built in the future (soon!). It is one of my favorite terms for a lot of reasons, but mainly because of the challenge of overcoming whatever obstacle is in the way.

For different groups to understand what is possible and what is not, a matrix of sorts is needed to quantify why things may or may not be possible. Things like an overall Company vision and roadmap contribute to why and when things are happening, but scoring things can also bring some much needed transparency into the process.

At first glance this seems like an excuse as why not to get something done - simply blaming “its too computationally expensive” - but as you can see there are a myriad of reasons.

I am far enough away from the time when this was first discussed that I have started to think about the issues that came up in another way. You can easily plot the overall Difficulty and Impact of a project by plotting them on a graph similar to the one below.

Each dot represents a potential project or feature

Scoring would work such that;

Green = justification for immediate completion
Yellow = decide based on subjective views
Red = justification to wait

You can see how almost any discussion between groups, such as BD and engineering, could be plotted on this graph. Something that has extremely high impact but is technically very difficult (red) may not get the hours/work necessary in light of other projects. However something that is high impact and low difficulty (green) could get prioritized right away. Using this methodology brings in some objectivity that may otherwise be absent from a discussion.

There are many subjective reasons why something may end up in a specific area or color, but this at least lets you plot all projects accordingly.

As an organization grows, this allows you to weigh the ideas and complexities of partner requests with that of folks who have longer term (cross quarter) projects currently in motion. Things like engineering hours, PM resources, and design may play a role in the score and color of a dot. Previously running projects have probably the highest impact, but provide justification on a high impact low difficulty project being pushed off a month.

Everyone in the organization should understand how a suggestion or feature improvement could affect the overall goals and timeline of a Company.

I don’t think I will stop contributing grand ideas to the product and eng. teams here anytime soon though ;)

As an aside I was reminded of this recently while watching @cooperb give his talk about our infrastructure stack on MongoDB.

Original Article

smokeporch: GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda! I want to see more of these

Mon, 07 May 2012 22:18:56 -0400

smokeporch:

GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda!

I want to see more of these

brycedotvc: Apple’s welcome letter for new hires. Can the same...

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:42:38 -0400

brycedotvc:

Apple’s welcome letter for new hires.

Can the same be said of the company you’re building?

via @m

Get to the "ask" early

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:55:09 -0400

In most meetings the last 5-10 minutes are used to go over the “ask” or the crux of what folks are there to talk to in the first place.

I have noticed a common occurrence where someone sets up a meeting or call to go over something new or propose something interesting, but they only cover this within the last part of the meeting time. This sets you up to have very little time to present your request, while spending significant time setting up and getting ready for your big “ask”.

Commonly after introductions are made via email and calls or meetings have been setup, folks never dive into the crux of the issue until there is little time for healthy discussion. It can be daunting to go into a big request at the early stages of a conversation or relationship, but you should strike the right balance. Even setting someone up with a brief agenda early, including the “ask” within it can be helpful. This way both parties know that eventually you will bring up the request sooner or later. This can also help in letting them digest the request first, while you setup the story behind the rest of your discussion.

There are a few different types of meetings that happen and each can be handled differently. Sometimes in a sales meeting you need to set up the product or proposal the right way, or give proper background. Other times in a proposed partnership you need to go over some of the important details that pertain to your proposal. Other meetings are used to brainstorm something entirely new, but there are one or two key points that must be a part of the final product. In any of these cases it is always prudent to make sure there is plenty of time to discuss the price, requirements, or demands that you have.

The “big crescendo” at the end of a meeting can sometimes be a surprise to the audience and does not leave them with enough time to process the demand as well as ask questions.

I recommend bringing the “ask” as upfront as you can without harming the story you are there to tell.

Original Article

smokeporch: GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda! Thinking about making one of...

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:07 -0400

smokeporch:

GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda!

Thinking about making one of these

When someone says the word 'pivot', I'm like

Sun, 06 May 2012 01:33:21 -0400

brycedotvc:

runningastartup:

Swear I had nothing to do with this.

Photo

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:26:02 -0400

"We are living in an everyone-is-special-and-there-are-no-losers society. As a result, we are fearful..."

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:55:20 -0400

“We are living in an everyone-is-special-and-there-are-no-losers society. As a result, we are fearful of accomplished people because they can do stuff that we cannot do, and giving them the spotlight would un-level the playing field. We are, as a result, much more comfortable with the famous-for-nothing paradigm, because then, we, the great unexceptional masses, still have shot at celebrity.”

- Worth a read. (via brycedotvc)
I wish Simon had suggested an action item here, but maybe the first step is just identifying the problem.

smokeporch: GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda! Sometimes.

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:32 -0400

smokeporch:

GIRLS ONLY, jk kinda!

Sometimes.

First burgers of the season (Taken with Instagram at Brown Bear...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:42:51 -0400

First burgers of the season (Taken with Instagram at Brown Bear Lodge)

First glass (58th and 3rd) (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:33:26 -0400

First glass (58th and 3rd) (Taken with instagram)