gdp's Comments

Untitled : The Retail DNA Test

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:54:33 +0000

Haven't looked at the company in depth, but I think they circumvent the really 'tricky' issues by giving you info only on the 'fun' genes. That is, whether you are likely to turn blue when cold. As opposed to predicting your chances of being diabetic. It's like a half-way solution to getting people more comfortable with DNA testing. (kinda like Sony's robot dogs and RoomBa getting people more comfortable with the idea of having a robot around) I was reading an article some time ago about Moore's Law as applied to DNA sequencing costs. Not exactly doubling every 18mo, but the rates have certainly come down since early 2000's.

Michal Bohanes' blog : If I knew that, I wouldn't be here

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:48:39 +0000

I look at a job pretty plainly as a balanced (or balancing) equation. Compensation ($) + Learning/Excitement = Work Output + Stress/Dissatisfaction Endured At any given point in time, each of these four variables will change (some more frequent and volatile than others). If the left-side of the equation is larger, then you've got the better side of the bargain. At which point, the company should either reduce your pay, give you more work, or make you suffer. If the right-side of the equation is larger, than you're getting shafted and should change something or leave. People quit their jobs (or get fired) when one side of the equation tilts and exceeds a 'threshold' - straining the employer/employee relationship. The value of the threshold is different for everyone and for every company. For instance, a person w/ too big an ego (or even false expecations) may have a higher expectation for the left side and lower expectation for the right side. A company w/ a line of applicants queuing around the block to get in may have the inverse. I suppose we live in a world of mix-and-match - whereby these randomly distributed molecules (applicants and companies) collide. Side note: I wonder how you would apply prospect theory to employee promotion or hiring strategies. Maybe using horizontal axis as salary increases/decreases and vertical axis as some sort of subjective work variable? How would this encourage or discourage promoting employees early? How would this help predict salary cuts and the impact on work produced?

Probable Impossibilities : Tumblr Photo

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:09:56 +0000

The goal is to create an integrated solutions offering with multi-product lines. However, I didn't think it smart to compete w/ Intuit's Quicken and Sage on the first go... =/

Internet Marcoting : Eye tracking and Google Adwords

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 13:24:44 +0000

I have to say that every once in a while, I do take a closer look at the right side ads (may not always click though). However, my behaviour to do so is prompted by something catching the attention of my peripheral vision (ie, my 'exact' search terms appearing in the AdText). Most of the time, my focus goes directly to the left-hand organic search results. So perhaps the eye tracker isn't taking peripheral vision and subconscious absorption into account?

Untitled : How important is the 234th review of a product online?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 13:13:22 +0000

What does everyone think of a website like TopTenReviews.com? It force-categorises various product lines but I find the reviews (especially the side-by-side features comparison) quite helpful.

Untitled : How to get traffic on your blog

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 13:57:48 +0000

we should host a competition for next year's IM class... to see who's got the most popular blog!

Untitled : Left behind in the Twitter revolution....

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 13:55:59 +0000

hmm... still not sold. perhaps to me, microblogging isn't a 'need' just yet...

Internet Marketing and myself : Future of semantic web

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 12:03:00 +0000

My knowledge of anything 'semantic' is limited. But I think start-ups like SkyGrid are doing exactly what you described. The hinderance of "Semantic Web" is getting everything meta-tagged... lots of work. Which is why most "semantic" search engines seek to squeeze more info out of existing data (eg, TrueKnowledge, PowerSet) rather than push forward the meta-tagging.

Michal Bohanes' blog : A little rant

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 11:42:56 +0000

1. Quite right - I have yet to see the Fandango model here. In the UK, there are 4 main cinema chains: CineWorld, VUE, EMPIRE, and ODEON. ScreenRush.co.uk just shows clips and info.

Michal Bohanes' blog : A little rant

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 11:40:21 +0000

Response to 8: Companies like MaxRoam and UnitedMobile are trying to solve this issue... but dealing w/ MNOs across countries isn't easy...

Hitu's Blog : Tumblr Link

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:18:48 +0000

I've seen a few business ideas in this space... the major source of revenue being product placement. They typically have a common audience: women, 22-45, working in an office who prefer to eating lunch at their desk. Based on their surveys/studies, for many ppl within that category, this lunch entertainment is the highlight of their day.

Polina's notes on Internet Marketing class : Tumblr Video

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:04:22 +0000

Love it. That's 1hr of my life I will probably never get back.. but worth every second. For the creator - this is probably one of the highest engagement 'casual gaming' activities you can find. Definitely monetisable from a product/brands perspective.

Scott Hare's Blog : Get a life ... for only $10/month

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Virtual worlds are definitely a monetisable phenomenon. I, too, also thought it was just a fad and an enclave for those who chose to stray away from real-life interactions. I think I'm wrong on this. Virtual worlds like 2nd Life are here to stay. I'd be interested to learn more about studies concerning the quality of interaction - carefully benchmarking virtual versus real worlds. That is, where do virtual worlds outperform or underperform real-life interactions. For starters, virtual conferences (eg, Unisfair) solve a real pain and provide a sensible networking platform where ppl don't need to leave their homes. However, for other interactions of a more personal or social nature (ie, dating), how do virtual worlds compare?

Michal Bohanes' blog : Turning into an Alt-Tab zombie

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 15:19:55 +0000

LoL... maybe you have ADD?? j/k. Multi-tasking is a phenomenon of the internet / information technology age. I think this is a really interesting debate. Some pros are that people (on the whole), are a lot more productive because information and access are at their fingertips. (some say that mid-life crisis has now pre-shifted to the 30s!) However, the other side of the coin is that people are busier and in many facets, 'unhappier.' The opportunity cost of not doing something is sky high given that everyone else has much more access. As a result, people work more, work faster, and multi-task more. So I guess... information technology is like a concentrated dose of RedBull. For better or for worse... *shrug*.

Probable Impossibilities : Just a few tech/venture links...

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:01:23 +0000

lol... no, the time spent on links was a substitute for case reading. the substitute for class was actually trying to meet some of these guys on the links.

emc : My internet insight of the week - It's not all traffic that counts

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:55:42 +0000

The following links also have good traffic stats: www.compete.com www.quantcast.com www.google.com/trends

Untitled : Is the music industry really dying?

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:52:57 +0000

The music industry is certainly not dying (at least I hope not). Music is what connects us - across regions, cultures, and time. I do think the music industry needs to evolve... and needs to do so fast. The NIN phenomenon also came up during Pricing Strategy class. It would be interesting to read more about the various models that artists and labels are experimenting with. Some people argue that a recessionary timeframe is a trendy time to play around with new concepts and business models. I'd be very curious to see what the music industry comes up with in the upcoming year...

adnonsense : New Job!

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:45:48 +0000

Congrats on the part-time job! As Yelp continues its EU expansion, it would be very interesting to see how Qype (the local player) fights back (and succeeds!). No doubt you will find your LBS internet marketing class behind you on this effort. I'm sure many of us (me, certainly) would be keen to read about how this epic battle unfolds on your blog.

http://venkatesh.tumblr.com/ : Is the internet shrinking ?

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:33:23 +0000

The number of sites shrunk by 0.6%. Nasdaq has taken a 35%+ dive... The two are not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I'm not too worried. =) The other metric to use/measure might be the overall connectedness or usage of the internet. I'm sure I've seen stats that it's growing healthily. ComScore reported that overall unique users grew 20%+ last year, and total pages viewed grew by 10%+.

Meenu's Blog : JOB SCENARIO

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:23:16 +0000

In venture, I think things are alright. Hiring is slim pickings, but that's the case regardless of boom/drought economy. A partner at KPCB once said... innovation is always in season.