I went to Craigslist to test a market theory. I wanted to offer to buy used iPods to anyone williing to sell them to me. So I start an ad thingy and submit it to San Francisco. I let it run for awhile I see it appear. Okay cool, I think I get how this works. So I go to LA and say to myself. Maybe some people in LA want to sell me their used iPods as well. Literally, kind of like an academic research project, just trying to see how many people will do it. Except for real--I will send them money for their iPod--I'm not faking anything.
So I submit to LA and like two minutes later. My ad on SF's Craiglist is flagged and rejected. So I submit my LA ad, and I see a similar ad to my own except much more obtrusive and think, "hey I wonder why my ad had trouble that one is basically the same thing." Then I go back to Craigslist and post in their forum and I get all kinds of very useful information about categories and possible reasons. And then my LA ad is flagged and rejected. But never at any point is it explained to me why these other guys with massive ad campaigns get to keep their ads day after day on the site but mine gets whacked in a minute.
I think I wrote something like: "Sell me your secondhand iPod." In the body I said something like: "I'll pay cash for your used iPod, click here for details on the offer."
I go back to the Wanted section in LA and this guy has a giant image, like 1/4 of my screen with "Cash for your ipod" on it! And his ad has been running, apparently for many, many days, maybe weeks. His sticks, mine gets booted. So what gives?
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
MARKUS GIESLER: iPOD STORIES
I was checking out Markus Giesler's research site at http://www.ipodstories.com/. Very impressive project! The ultimate 21st century consumer experience is and probably will be defined by the iPod experience. Understanding the iPod's susccess is like Ben Franklin's key on his kite. If you touch the chord of its power ZAP! The shock may fry you, but it may also give birth to quite an unexpected Eureka!
Giesler has some unique perspectives on how consumerism and planed obsolesence coincide. And he even suggests that consumers take action. The prime issue in summary is: What do you with an old iPod 1 year later after you've bought the new one? In an even worse case scenario, what if it breaks? What do you do? Well, off to the landfill it goes. But this non-sustainable business model as it applies to iPods is but the lightning rod for the larger issues faced by a tech trend consumerist market.
Why not send that old iPod to someone who will give you a couple of bucks for it? There is an emarging "sustainable growth" market around recycled and secondhand iPods. Even more interesting is that market is shifting from "the kid who couldn't afford it the first time around" to the "responsible consumer." I'd like to think of myself as a responsible consumer--so I'm putting into practice my preach!
I'm headed off to buy, yes, my very first iPod! And a second hand iPod it will be!
I bought mine here! http://stores.ebay.com/The-Drop-Spot
Giesler has some unique perspectives on how consumerism and planed obsolesence coincide. And he even suggests that consumers take action. The prime issue in summary is: What do you with an old iPod 1 year later after you've bought the new one? In an even worse case scenario, what if it breaks? What do you do? Well, off to the landfill it goes. But this non-sustainable business model as it applies to iPods is but the lightning rod for the larger issues faced by a tech trend consumerist market.
Why not send that old iPod to someone who will give you a couple of bucks for it? There is an emarging "sustainable growth" market around recycled and secondhand iPods. Even more interesting is that market is shifting from "the kid who couldn't afford it the first time around" to the "responsible consumer." I'd like to think of myself as a responsible consumer--so I'm putting into practice my preach!
I'm headed off to buy, yes, my very first iPod! And a second hand iPod it will be!
I bought mine here! http://stores.ebay.com/The-Drop-Spot
SATMETRIX, NET PROMOTER, AND EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT
The last book I read that deeply affected my approach to managing a business was Jim Collins' Good to Great. I've read many book since but few that resonated with me. Now I get to add a new one to the list: The One Number to Grow.
I know, I know, NetPromoter.com launched long ago. And Fred Reichheld's book has been out for seemingly forever now. But the impact of measuring business performance based on the golden rule: "treat others in the way you want to be treated." Is not a trivial insight. That paired with an effective methodology to measure the effect of that treatment on your customers is really mindblowing.
At the end of the day, what does loyalty measure? How trapped a customer is? And what does does satisfaction measure? How you performed on a task for a customer that they don't place any value on?
In business one learns quickly, you can never win an argument. Never. If you need to be reminded of why this is--go back and re-read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Nothing matters but how your customers feel about your business.
In my own companies it bears out as true that facts and even right and wrong are ultimately irrelevant. All the matters is how your customers feel about you...even more specifically do they feel strongly enough to consistently and repeatedly reccommend your business to others?
If you want to learn how to grow good profit and create a truly powerful customer base. Read Collins' Good to Great and then read, Reichheld's The One Number to Grow. His discussion of Net Promoter measurement is invaluable--I think especially invaluable to start-ups--where this measure is most easily lost in the chaos of getting to market.
For more info check out: NetPromoter.com
I know, I know, NetPromoter.com launched long ago. And Fred Reichheld's book has been out for seemingly forever now. But the impact of measuring business performance based on the golden rule: "treat others in the way you want to be treated." Is not a trivial insight. That paired with an effective methodology to measure the effect of that treatment on your customers is really mindblowing.
At the end of the day, what does loyalty measure? How trapped a customer is? And what does does satisfaction measure? How you performed on a task for a customer that they don't place any value on?
In business one learns quickly, you can never win an argument. Never. If you need to be reminded of why this is--go back and re-read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Nothing matters but how your customers feel about your business.
In my own companies it bears out as true that facts and even right and wrong are ultimately irrelevant. All the matters is how your customers feel about you...even more specifically do they feel strongly enough to consistently and repeatedly reccommend your business to others?
If you want to learn how to grow good profit and create a truly powerful customer base. Read Collins' Good to Great and then read, Reichheld's The One Number to Grow. His discussion of Net Promoter measurement is invaluable--I think especially invaluable to start-ups--where this measure is most easily lost in the chaos of getting to market.
For more info check out: NetPromoter.com
THE DROP SPOT TO LAUNCH HTTP://BEYONTHEPOD.COM
So TailWind is off and running in its own direction. This has afforded me the time to work with many other companies over the the past year.
In particular, my current obsession is watching the emergence and re-visioning of The Drop Spot (TDS), as founded by its current CEO Derek Harp. Derek has built a pretty successful little business in the consumer end of the broader Trade In / Trade Up market. What is visionary is that he took all that data from all his transactions at The Drop Spot and decided to focus on the highest volume, highest margin part of his consumer Trade In / Trade Up Business.
TDS will be launching a super cool new site call BeyondthePod.com that looks ot become the ultimate destination for any and every consumer interested in getting cash for their old iPod. I mean there are a few iPods out there--like 60 million in the last 24 months! Not only that but well over 30% of iPod purchasers buy another within the first few years. So what happens to all of the second hand iPods? Well, I'd like to think, that long term, they will ALL get bought at BeyondthePod.com.
So Search Engine Optimization is one of the the strategies for finding its way into the marketplace. But there must be a million other ways to crack the code. The market is huge! But how accessible is that market with all the signal to noise ratio out there in the world?
If you've got an opinion, I'd like to hear it!!!
In particular, my current obsession is watching the emergence and re-visioning of The Drop Spot (TDS), as founded by its current CEO Derek Harp. Derek has built a pretty successful little business in the consumer end of the broader Trade In / Trade Up market. What is visionary is that he took all that data from all his transactions at The Drop Spot and decided to focus on the highest volume, highest margin part of his consumer Trade In / Trade Up Business.
TDS will be launching a super cool new site call BeyondthePod.com that looks ot become the ultimate destination for any and every consumer interested in getting cash for their old iPod. I mean there are a few iPods out there--like 60 million in the last 24 months! Not only that but well over 30% of iPod purchasers buy another within the first few years. So what happens to all of the second hand iPods? Well, I'd like to think, that long term, they will ALL get bought at BeyondthePod.com.
So Search Engine Optimization is one of the the strategies for finding its way into the marketplace. But there must be a million other ways to crack the code. The market is huge! But how accessible is that market with all the signal to noise ratio out there in the world?
If you've got an opinion, I'd like to hear it!!!
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