Randy Weber » Randy Weber

Machiavelli and New Product Development

Randy Weber — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:45:04 +0000

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian philosopher and writer. He is best known for his work The Prince. Most people think of this work as a political science or philosophical treatise. It’s also used in management training.

But I’ve always thought that Machiavelli had a lot to say that’s relevant to start-ups, product management, new product development, and partnership/business development. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

It Was a Beautiful Day Today in Northern California

Randy Weber — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:17:14 +0000

What do you think she was looking at?

REVIEW: Millbrae Karaoke House

Randy Weber — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:04:15 +0000

I went to the Millbrae Karaoke House for the first time last night. We had a good time there. I have every intention of returning.

There are multiple rooms of various sizes. We had a group of 4 and paid $25/hour. The room was comfortable and had plenty of space for our group.

You could see the lyrics on screen easily from any location in the room. The sound system was good and loud, though this also meant you could hear sounds from other rooms if you didn’t have any music playing.

The selection of music in English was adequate. The background music for the songs wasn’t the best that I’ve heard, but it wasn’t the worst either. It definitely doesn’t sound as good as CD+Gs that you might buy yourself. Also, the songs were only listed by title. It would have been nice to have them cross-referenced by artist and genre.

They sell water, soft drinks, and beer at the front counter. It’s reasonably priced – water is $1. There’s no food.

The bathroom was clean.

You park on the street, so you might want to leave the big SUV at home.

Negotiated Partnerships Do Matter

Randy Weber — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:40:36 +0000

This is installment number 3 of why you shouldn’t build your business around another company’s product for which you have no contractual relationship. For prior posts on this subject, see:

This time, Twitter provides the example. From Tech Crunch, Twitter releases Blackberry app and acquires Tweetie.

Way back in February the writing was on the wall: Twitter would compete directly with third party developers who were creating Twitter apps. Twitter investor Fred Wilsonreiterated that threat just a few days ago when he said most of the apps that third party developers had created were merely “filling holes,” not truly creating “something entirely new on top of Twitter.”

That sure sounds ominous. And then, BOOM. Twitter released its own Blackberry app and acquired Tweetie, which has a popular iPhone and desktop app. The threats are over, Twitter fired missiles at its developers.

Way back in February the writing was on the wall: Twitter would compete directly with third party developers who were creating Twitter apps. Twitter investor Fred Wilson reiterated that threat just a few days ago when he said most of the apps that third party developers had created were merely “filling holes,” not truly creating “something entirely new on top of Twitter.”

You cannot build a business by simply adding a feature to someone else’s product without a partnership with that other company. While it’s possible to make some money this way in the short run, if you are OK with staying small, or perhaps (and this is a very long shot) by getting bought by the larger company, in general this strategy is not going to work for you. They will copy you and crush you. Every company is going to do this. It would be dumb of them not to. That’s how business works. Never forget this.

Technology and Me – A Day in the Life of

Randy Weber — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:16:40 +0000

This is the third post of three about technology changes over the last decade. First I covered what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010. Second I covered what I consider to be the biggest changes for me over the last decade. Today I’m covering how these changes have affected me on a day-to-day basis.

A typical day for me begins with the following before getting out of bed:

1) turning off my alarm (iPhone 3GS)

2) start download of the day’s WSJ This Morning podcast (iPhone 3GS)

3) checking the temperature (iPhone 3GS)

Once I get out of bed:

1) I get dressed to take my dog for a walk while listening to the WSJ podcast that has finished downloading.

2) I feed myself and my dog while continuing to listen to the WSJ broadcast.

3) I connect my iPhone to some powered speakers and finish the WSJ podcast as I shower and get dressed for

work.

As I leave the house to go to work:

1) I listen to music on my iPhone as I walk to bus stop.

2) While waiting for the bus I check my personal and work e-mail.

3) After checking e-mail, I play games and listen to music on my iPhone until I reach work.

It’s amazing how fast time seems to pass when you have so many productivity and entertainment options

available.

Depending on what I’m doing that day at work, I might listen to music, Pandora, or local sports talk from

Dallas (the ESPN Radio iPhone app is great) as I work.

At work I’m always connected to the Internet and most of my collegues are located remotely or at another

office. Work is done primarily via e-mail and chat. I’m on the phone no more than once or twice a day.

Prior to heading home from the office, I start the downloads for a few ESPN podcasts which keep me company

until I get home and walk the dog.

Once, I walk my dog and feed the two of us. Then I catch up on TV shows waiting for me on my DVR. I’ll

typically surf the web and read the days news and tech blogs on my laptop as I watch TV.

When I crawl into bed at night I set my alarm, plug in the charger, and turn on some relaxing tunes on my

iPhone 3GS.

As you can see, the iPhone has been deeply integrated into my daily activities. I have a hard time seeing

how I’d get by without it.

A typical day for me begins with the following before getting out of bed:

1) Turning off my alarm (iPhone 3GS).

2) Starting the download for the WSJ This Morning podcast (iPhone 3GS).

3) Checking the temperature (iPhone 3GS).

Once I get out of bed:

1) I get dressed to take my dog for a walk while listening to the WSJ podcast on my iPhone that has finished downloading.

2) I feed myself and my dog while continuing to listen to the WSJ podcast.

3) I connect my iPhone to some powered speakers and finish the WSJ podcast as I shower and get dressed for work.

As I leave the house to go to work:

1) I listen to music on my iPhone as I walk to bus stop.

2) While waiting for the bus I check my personal and work e-mail.

3) After checking e-mail, I play games and listen to music on my iPhone until I reach work.

It’s amazing how fast time seems to pass when you have so many productivity and entertainment options available.

Depending on what I’m doing that day at work, I might listen to music, Pandora, or local sports talk from Dallas (the ESPN Radio iPhone app is great) as I work.

At work I’m always connected to the Internet. Most of my collegues are located remotely or at another office. Work is done primarily via e-mail and chat. I’m on the phone no more than once or twice a day. I used the phone far more when I was doing Business Development.

My primary applications include Outlook, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Excel on a 10″ Dell laptop running Windows XP docked with dual 20 inch LCD monitors. I use Word and PowerPoint far less in product management than I did in Business Development.

I also keep Meebo’s web-based chat application open all day on a small USB monitor to access AIM, Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. I keep up with industry news using Google Reader and Techmeme.

Prior to heading home from the office, I start the downloads for a few ESPN podcasts which keep me company until I get home and walk the dog.

After I walk my dog and feed the two of us, I catch up on TV shows waiting for me on my DirecTV DVR or stream some music using my Apple TV.

I’ll typically surf the web and read the days news and tech blogs on my laptop as I watch TV or listen to music. I have a 17″ Dell laptop running Windows 7. I primarily use Google Chrome to browse the web at home.

I actually have print subscription to Business Week (it was free).

When I crawl into bed at night I set my alarm, plug in the charger, and turn on some relaxing tunes on my iPhone 3GS.

As you can see, the iPhone has been deeply integrated into my daily activities. I have a hard time seeing how I’d get by without it.

Game Developer’s Conference – San Francisco

Randy Weber — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:33:27 +0000

I went to the Game Developer’s Conference this week. GDC was great. I met some interesting people and saw some cool technology. It’s really great watching the Internet and the gaming industries converge. I love this business!

This first guy is in what amounts to a giant hamster ball. He’s wearing virtual reality goggles and carrying a blaster.

He kept his balance much longer than I thought he would. In the end, he ended up disoriented and flopping around.

This implementation probably isn’t ready for prime time, but it was one of the longest lines at the show.

This second guy was dancing around in a black body suite with a few dozen sensors attached. The computerized image behind him moved on screen in real time with his movements.

Looking at these pictures that I took with my iPhone 3GS, I think I’m going to bring a real camera with me to the next show.

The 28th Amendment?

Randy Weber — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:51:12 +0000

The Internet sure has come a long way over the last few decades. According to a BBC World Service study, the majority of Internet users believe that Internet access is a “fundamental right.”

GigaOm summarizes the research this way:

Do you feel that Internet access is a fundamental right? Four in five adults in more than 26 different countries agree with you, according to a new poll sponsored by the BBC World Service. The poll asked more than 27,000 adults about their attitudes towards the Internet, and found that 87 percent of those who regularly use the Internet believe that access should be “the fundamental right of all people.” More than 71 percent of non-Internet users also felt that they should have the right to access the global network. In both South Korea and Mexico, more than 90 percent of those surveyed agreed that access was a fundamental right.

I’m all for the right to Internet access.

Top Tech Changes For Me Over The Last Decade

Randy Weber — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:30:47 +0000

This is the second post of three about technology changes over the last decade. Yesterday I covered what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010. Today I’m covering what I consider to be the biggest changes for me over the last decade.

The four biggest technological changes of the decade for me were:

1) Time-Shifting TV (TiVo and later generic DVRs)

2) Combo of Broadband, Wi-Fi, and Laptops

3) Mobile Voice, Internet, and Apps (iPhone)

4) NFL Sunday Ticket

The Internet was old news for me coming into 2000 having been online since 1993. I was primarily using a

company-provided laptop with dial-up access to get online. I made calls using a landline and a Nokia

cellphone. I was watching TV with basic cable and a DVD player.

The most significant change came a few years into the decade when I added digital cable and a TiVo. Watching

TV has not been the same since. Other than sporting events, I no longer watch live TV. I also used the TiVo

to connect to my server so I could navigate and listen to my MP3 collection using my entertainment system.

It worked amazingly well for this purpose. In fact, it was better than the current version of Apple TV.

Unfortunately TiVo dropped the ball by not partnering with the cable providers and not launching an HD

version soon enough. I ended up using the HD DVRs that were provided by Comcast when I bought my first HDTV

- a 34″ widescreen, CRT from Toshiba. I’m now using a DirecTV dual tuner HD DVR with a 65″ plasma HDTV from

Panasonic.

Moving from CDs to MP3s wasn’t significan’t until I got my first iPhone. I had an iPod but I didn’t take it

with me everywhere. More on that later.

Netflix came along pretty early in the decade, but I’m not ready to say it changed the world very much for

me. I dropped it after about a year. I later took up Blockbuster’s offer during a period of unemployment

when they were giving 2 free in-store rentals, free swaps in-store, plus 3 movies out at a time. With this

setup I was able to have as many as 8 DVDs at a time if I was willing to drive a mile to return my movies in

store. It was worth it. Blockbuster clearly was not making any money on me. They’ve since repriced this

option from about $16 to $35 a month. Since moving from Dallas to Alameda, I’ve given Netflix another try.

I’m unimpressed with their streaming content so I probably won’t remain a member past the start of football

season in Fall 2010.

The second most significant change came in the form of DSL from SBC with a wireless router and a new laptop.

No more dial-up. This was a MAJOR change for me. It was fast and portable. I could be online in any room in

my house or even outside on the patio. My Internet usage skyrocketed with this change. Once you’ve had

wireless broadband with a laptop, there is no going back.

Over time, I used my landline less and less. When I moved from Arlington to Dallas in 2007, I had a landline

that I seldom used. The ringer wasn’t turned on and I didn’t give the number to anyone. I stuck mostly with

my Nokia semi-smart phone running an early version of the Symbion mobile OS. Now that I’m in California, I’m

without a landline.

In late 2007 I added my third most signifcant change in the form of an iPhone. I was devastated when my

Nokia died. It was my 3rd Nokia. I tried the latest Nokia smart phone, but I hated it so I gave the iPhone a

shot. The iPhone was great with a nice web browser and decent web-based apps (this was pre App Store). I

soon forgot all about my Nokia. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. I love having music, Internet, games,

and e-mail (personal and work) all in one small device. Having all my music as MP3s is great now that I have

my iPhone with me at all times.

My fourth most significant change came in the form of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (I know, I was a late

adopter). I spent my first year in California not being able to watch Dallas Cowboys games and frequently

being limited to just 2 afternoon games dedpending upon the Raiders’ and 49ers’ schedules. I did not want to

watch the local teams. I dropped cable for DirecTV prior to football season in 2009. It is GREAT! Of course

if your local market team is your favorite team, then there’s really not much reason to get the Sunday

Ticket or DirecTV. DirecTV is over-priced.

The four biggest technological changes of the decade for me were:

1) Time-Shifting TV (TiVo and later generic DVRs)

2) Combo of Broadband, Wi-Fi, and Laptops

3) Mobile Voice, Internet, and Apps (iPhone)

4) NFL Sunday Ticket

The Internet was old news for me coming into 2001 having been online since 1993. I was primarily using a company-provided laptop with dial-up access to get online. I made calls using a landline and a Nokia cellphone. I was watching TV with basic cable and a DVD player.

The most significant change came a few years into the decade when I added digital cable and a TiVo. Watching TV has not been the same since. Other than sporting events, I no longer watch live TV. I also used the TiVo to connect to my server so I could navigate and listen to my MP3 collection using my entertainment system. It worked amazingly well for this purpose. In fact, it was better than the current version of Apple TV. Unfortunately TiVo dropped the ball by not partnering with the cable providers and not launching an HD version soon enough. I ended up using the HD DVRs that were provided by Comcast when I bought my first HDTV - a 34″ widescreen, CRT from Toshiba. I’m now using a DirecTV dual tuner HD DVR with a 65″ plasma HDTV from Panasonic.

Moving from CDs to MP3s wasn’t significan’t until I got my first iPhone. I had an early generation iPod but I didn’t take it with me everywhere. More on that later.

Netflix came along pretty early in the decade, but I’m not ready to say it changed the world very much for me. I dropped it after about a year. I later took up Blockbuster’s offer during a period of unemployment when they were giving 2 free in-store rentals, free swaps in-store, plus 3 movies out at a time. With this setup I was able to have as many as 8 DVDs at a time if I was willing to drive a mile to return my movies in store. It was worth it. Blockbuster clearly was not making any money on me. They’ve since repriced this option from about $16 to $35 a month and quit sending you new DVDs at the same time that you exchange one in store. Since moving from Dallas to Alameda, I’ve given Netflix another try. I’m unimpressed with their streaming content so I probably won’t remain a member past the start of football season in Fall 2010.

The second most significant change came in the form of DSL from SBC with a wireless router and a new laptop. No more dial-up. This was a MAJOR change for me. It was fast and portable. I could be online in any room in my house or even outside on the patio. My Internet usage skyrocketed with this change. Once you’ve had wireless broadband with a laptop, there is no going back.

Over time, I used my landline less and less. When I moved from Arlington to Dallas in 2007, I had a landline that I seldom used. The ringer wasn’t turned on and I didn’t give the number to anyone. I stuck mostly with my Nokia semi-smart phone running an early version of the Symbian mobile OS. Now that I’m in California, I’m without a landline.

In late 2007 I added my third most signifcant change in the form of an iPhone. I was devastated when my Nokia died. It was my 3rd Nokia and I loved it. I tried the latest Nokia smart phone, but I hated it so I gave the iPhone a shot. The iPhone was GREAT with a nice web browser and decent web-based apps (this was pre App Store). I soon forgot all about my Nokia. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. I love having music, Internet, games, and e-mail (personal and work) all in one small device. Having all my music as MP3s is great now that I have my iPhone with me at all times.

My fourth most significant change came in the form of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (I know, I was a late adopter). I spent my first year in California not being able to watch Dallas Cowboys games and frequently being limited to just 2 afternoon games dedpending upon the Raiders’ and 49ers’ schedules. I did not want to watch the local teams. I dropped cable for DirecTV prior to football season in 2009. It is GREAT! Of course if your local market team is your favorite team, then there’s really not much reason to get the Sunday Ticket or DirecTV. DirecTV is over-priced.

Technology and Me – 2001 through 2010

Randy Weber — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:06:13 +0000

This is the first of 3 posts that have to do with technology changes over the last decade. I’ve been thinking about this since January but finally got around to writing it down this weekend. We’ll start with the basics – what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010.

Technology I used in 2001:

- Nokia cellphone for mobile and long-distance calls

- landline for local calls and Internet access

- dial-up Internet access

- company provided laptop with Windows NT 4 for getting online at home

- basic cable

- standard definition 20″ TV

- cheap battery-powered alarm clock

Technology I’m using in 2010:

- iPhone 3GS for all calls, MP3 player, Pandora, yellow pages, maps, mobile web access, gaming, e-mail (personal and work), controlling my Apple TV, alarm clock, calendar, and contacts.

- NOTE: no landline

- cable Internet access with wireless router

- Apple TV

- Mac mini

- 17″ HP laptop with Windows 7 (personal)

- 10″ Dell laptop with Windows XP (work)

- Samsung Internet-connected Blu-Ray player

- 65″ Panasonic Plasma HDTV

- DirecTV with dual tuner HD DVR, NFL Sunday Ticket, and ESPN Game Plan (no premium channels)

- Hulu for catching up on shows that I may have missed

- Netflix for DVDs and streaming video (but I’m unimpressed with their streaming content, so I’ll probably cancel with football season resumes in Fall 2010)

- PS2 used primarily for Karaoke games

- Harmony remote that controls my Sony receiver, Samsung Blu-Ray player, DirecTV DVR, Apple TV, and Panasonic HDTV

Technology I used in 2001:

- Nokia cellphone for mobile and long-distance calls

- landline for local calls and Internet access

- dial-up Internet access

- company provided laptop with Windows NT 4 for work and for getting online at home

- basic cable

- standard definition 20″ TV

- cheap battery-powered alarm clock

Technology I’m using in 2010:

- iPhone 3GS for all calls, MP3 player, Pandora, yellow pages, maps, mobile web access, gaming, e-mail (personal and work), controlling my Apple TV, alarm clock, calendar, and contacts.

- NOTE: no landline

- cable Internet access with wireless router

- Apple TV

- Mac mini

- 17″ HP laptop with Windows 7 (personal)

- 10″ Dell laptop with Windows XP (work)

- Samsung Internet-connected Blu-Ray player

- 65″ Panasonic Plasma HDTV

- DirecTV with dual tuner HD DVR, NFL Sunday Ticket, and ESPN Game Plan (no premium channels)

- Hulu for catching up on shows that I may have missed

- Netflix for DVDs and streaming video (but I’m unimpressed with their streaming content, so I’ll probably cancel when football season resumes in Fall 2010)

- PS2 used primarily for Karaoke games

- Harmony remote that controls my Sony receiver, Samsung Blu-Ray player, DirecTV DVR, Apple TV, and Panasonic HDTV

My Gift to You – Cowboy Junkies

Randy Weber — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:20:04 +0000

My favorite band is the Cowboy Junkies. Have been since the late 80’s. What can I say, I’m loyal. I’ve seen them in concert a few times (they’re great) and even got some autographs. I had a major crush on Margo Timmins (the lead singer) for years.

They’ve got a great web site with access to all of their music. Here’s one of my favorite albums: