SharedBook: On Demand

The Ubuntu Experience

My first encounter with the Linux OS was more than 10 years ago during my university days. My friends and I were working with Unix in the labs but we also wanted to be able to do that at home, so we decided to use Linux. Installing Linux back then was not a task for the faint-hearted, it involved a lot of tweaking and hacking of configuration files and boot loaders. Back then there used to be "Linux Parties" held in universities in which you could arrive with your PC and get the help of ubergeeks in installing Linux. Once installed, it was much more stable than Windows (and the PCs seemed to run much faster) but maintaining it still required some hacking.  Getting X windows to work with some video cards was a complicated task and support for other devices such as sound was flaky.

I recently discovered that Linux on the desktop is a whole different ball game. Several months ago, I bought a new PC and decided to hack a bit with Linux, so I installed it alongside Windows XP. I read and heard many good reviews about the Ubuntu Linux distro so I decided to try it. Installation was a breeze and everything worked out of the box: the windowing system (Gnome), sound and networking. It was even better than Windows XP. On Windows, the network card and sound did not work until I installed the drivers that came with the computer. My biggest surprise was when I accidentally plugged-in my Canon S45 digital camera while Ubuntu was running (I was planning to reboot to Windows before that) and I immediately got a window dialog saying that the digital camera was detected and then I could see the photo thumbnails stored in the camera. This worked without installing any drivers (which I had to do on Windows). Almost all of the applications I use on Windows have a Linux version or there is a good free alternative, for example OpenOffice is a good replacement for Microsoft Office, Firefox and Thunderbird are better than IE and Outlook Express. These are the reasons why Linux is becoming a viable alternative to proprietary operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS X.

If you want to experience Linux you can do this without installing anything. Just download one of the freely available live-CDs which you can safely boot and run Linux without actually installing it anywhere on your computer. Give it a try, you'll be surprised.

Last Day to Enter API Contest

This is just a quick reminder that this is the last day to enter the SharedBook Open API Challenge. Entries close at midnight. This will show you how to submit.

The Web development contest will award the best extensions from third party applications to SharedBook in three categories: 1) social networking, 2) photosharing, 3) a desktop application or a collaborative online community.

Anyone that participates is eligible to receive 10% of any books sold as a result of their development efforts, with a 20% share available to the winners in each category. Winners will also receive their choice of either an OpenMoko mobile phone, a 8GB iPhone™, or $500 cash.

Stop Foolin' with My Memories!

In previous posts I’ve been a strong proponent of the use of spokescharacters as part of the marketing mix – in the right situation it communicates brand value without the risks inherent in hiring au courant talent (O.J. Simpson, Michael Vick, etc.).  Today I happened upon an announcement that reminded me of another risk that marketers take – sometimes, it pays off, and sometimes not.

Bob Dylan, of all anti-establishment people, is now flogging Cadillac.  It brings news value, no doubt.  And to a younger demographic, perhaps the imprimatur of an iconic elder is, well, whatever passes for cool.

But I promise you, there will be many who see this as an abrogation of the values, or “positioning” of this iconic figure, and not only shun the act, but also shun the brand behind it.  It’s a bit of a twist, but it has its roots in a corollary to the Veblen Curve (remember your Economics 101?) known as the snob effect.  Generally used to explain the rare occurrence when demand increases as price increases, the snob effect also, in its own perverse way, causes consumers to reject pitches if they conflict with the consumers’ self-image.  As in “I love Dylan, he’s cool, therefore I’m cool, but now he’s sold out to a gas-guzzling SUV, and that’s not cool …”  You can fill in the rest.

This, as they say, is a minefield.  As marketers look to serve them that’s got (Boomers) they must tread carefully.  These folks are very picky about their memories, and that will only become more pronounced as they begin to spend their retirement savings on who knows what.

Kinda makes me glad I work for a company that provides users a way to preserve what they want to preserve in exactly the way they want to preserve it.  At SharedBook, the user rules.

The Holiday Stork Cometh?

Very shortly SharedBook will be launching expedited shipping options - just in time for the holidays. This feature is a significant upgrade to our shopping cart, allowing customers to choose overnight, second day, and ground shipping with full tracking (in addition to our current free standard shipping).

I feel a bit like the proud father waiting for the blessed arrival. Not just because this is my first major project to be released, but because it is one of those great features that touches all aspects of our business. To really see how impactful this new function is, I tend to look at it backwards.

Obviously the biggest benefit is to the customer receiving their book as fast as possible. So the delivery and associated tracking capability they'll have is vital. Just preceding this is our operational staff who oversee the production of the book and all the new accounting processes to monitor the costs of such a service.

Before this can take place is the development of the web site changes to quote customers the price (which depends on the number of books and where in the world they'll be shipped). And even more complicated - the estimated delivery date for the shipment so users can make an informed decision.

Prior to that is the marketing message to bring customers to our doors. From emailing registered users about the last order date to ensure delivery in time for Christmas to working with our Business Development group to help our partners get the word our about the value of their content as the perfect gift book.

Come to think of it - this feature has many expectant parents. Cigars for everyone!

Connecting Offline

So much of the Web world in which we work is about social networking and online communities. We make a ‘connection’ or have an exchange, whether it be on Facebook or MySpace or LinkedIn or any of the myriad sites that exist to share one’s interests. But ultimately, these are often fleeting and incomplete relationships and it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the offline communities in which we operate day in and day out. The importance of in-person connections came into play this week as one of our colleagues watched from afar as her family on the west coast was dramatically impacted by the wildfires in San Diego. We, as a community, pulled together to provide clothing and assistance and a non-virtual helping hand to hopefully contribute in a small way.

At SharedBook, we often hear that our Reverse Publishing technology is retro. We have passionate debates about whether the printed form will become obsolete, now that whole generations live their lives on the Web. But we believe with equal passion that not every experience can be virtual and ephemeral, that there are stories and ideas and photos and experiences that demand the weight of the printed form. We’re here to make them real.

Digitized Content and Customization: A Perfect Marriage

As consumers continue to move more and more into the digitized world, content owners such as magazines, music and recording studios, and TV and radio companies, are scrambling to digitize their archived materials.  But what is their main purpose for doing this? It can’t be solely to preserve the content in a medium that has a greater shelf life. One has to assume that digital distribution is playing a major role in how media companies are looking to monetize these treasured assets.

Almost every aspect of how we consume media and even communicate has gone digital. CD Players (although digital) have given way to MP3 players such as the iPod. Cars have GPS and navigation systems (I can’t remember the last time I bought a map) and many home phone users are switching to VoIP. Fortunately, people still find value in one medium that dates back centuries:  the book. People still like to read books. For some reason the digital world has not completely devoured this form of media altogether. Book stores are still thriving while record stores are unfortunately being closed in droves.

Another phenomenon that has come to the media world by use of digital distribution involves user generated content and the customization of content delivery. People are now getting used to being able to receive the content that is relevant to them based on their personal preferences. All this brings me to believe that we at SharedBook are on to something. With our platform, media companies that have digitized their archived content - articles, photographs, etc. - can now allow their online users the ability to select the content that is most relevant to them and create a book. This will enable media companies with deep content to monetize their assets in a way that just wasn’t available or even economical before. Imagine going to your favorite media company that has the content you are interested in and being able to build a customized book from that information. Now that sounds like a perfect marriage to me.  

Juggling (a typical day in the life of a high tech mom)

One of the reasons we started this blog was to offer a peak inside SharedBook to show how our business works and introduce some of the people involved in the process. In keeping with our original intent, I would like to use this opportunity to share what a typical day looks like for me. My guess is there are many who will be able to relate to my experience in today's fast-paced business world (startups and beyond), especially those with children. Juggling and sports activities are part of what keeps me focused. I'd love to hear what you find effective.

I like juggling. Tossing balls in the air with great concentration and making sure none of the balls fall to the ground at any time is fun -- no matter how crazy the drills can be. I first learned to juggle in one of the management workshops I attended, as a useful drill to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and continued doing so because I enjoy it.

I am also a woman, a modern woman. This means I was brought up to believe we can do it all, and do it all well -- live happily ever after with Mr. Perfect, raise kids, lead successful careers and a few extras. I am not being cynical, I definitely believe women can do it, and I also believe it requires hard work and concentration, just like juggling.

When I think about it, my entire life is one big juggling session from the minute I open my eyes in the morning until I go to sleep at night. Being the mother of two amazingly cute kids (I know I am biased, can’t help it J), a wife and a manager in a startup company (oh, and also racing triathlons and road bikes for fun) is rather challenging.

I wake up way before sunrise, to get my daily treat of running, biking, swimming, or any combination of those in first. Then I go back home, wake up the kids, prepare breakfast, schools meals, lunch with little sticky notes to wait in the fridge, and drive them to school –- and that is just the beginning of my day. As I get to the office, I start another busy day of meetings and calls. In a startup company everything is urgent, important and needs to have been done yesterday. So most of what I do is ask questions, set priorities and make sure we are all focused and working efficiently towards our goal. Just like juggling, you have to be extremely focused, otherwise you’ll drop a ball …

Of course, being a woman, I do several things at once. For example, as I drive the kids to school, I also study the course of this weekend’s race (the national championship in biathlons is right in my town, and they have just painted the course marks). As I drive to work, I make phone calls to the cleaning lady, repair man, and other tasks that need to be taken care of. Lunch break is the time to find out how school was for the kids, things like whether my hubby landed safely abroad (on top of everything, my significant other is on a business trip this week, so I am practically a single parent) and to make sure everything is ticking. Just like juggling -– you have to focus your attention on several issues at the same time – throw one ball into the air, catch the other one, and prepare for the third, all at once.

Afternoon is time spent with the kids. Yet, work still sneaks in on you with countless e-mails on your Blackberry. And while you are solving professional issues at work, you have to keep calm with the kids, and make sure you devote your attention to them as well.

No wonder that by night time I am so tired that I drop to bed and sleep like a log … watching out for those balls all day long, making sure they never hit the floor is exhausting!

What do I do when I want to take a break and relax? That's easy: I juggle!J

Open API Challenge Closes Oct. 31

I just want to let everyone know that entries will be accepted for the SharedBook Open API Challenge through Wednesday, Oct. 31 (ten days from now). These are the highlights:

Open to all programming languages, the contest will award the best extensions from third party applications to SharedBook in three categories: 1) social networking, 2) photo sharing, and 3) desktop applications or collaborative online communities. All participants are eligible to receive at least a 10 percent share of any books sold as a result of their development efforts, with a 20 percent share available to the winners in each category. Winners will also receive their choice of an OpenMoko Neo 1973 mobile phone, an 8GB iPhone™ or $500.

If you would like more information, today's announcement is available here.

The Marketer's Apprentice

If Santa is coming to my house this year, he’ll probably be wearing shorts and flip-flops, because Global Warming has hit the northeast in earnest.  If we’re pushing 80 degrees in the third week of October, what will December bring?

There’s one certainty: here in the friendly confines of SharedBook World Headquarters, December will bring expanded holiday Customer Service Hours!  November too.  Between the increased traffic and sales of the holiday period and the addition of several new clients, we’re going to be hopping.  So we’ll have a new late shift, M-F, to better care for our customers west of the Mississippi, and we’re even going to introduce Saturday hours for the benefit of folks who work long hours during the week. All told, we’ll be available 8am-10pm EST during the week and 9-5 EST on Saturday.  Not bad.

All kidding aside, growth really is the best “problem” to have. 

Freedom

Two days ago I encountered this saying of Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Indeed there is a large part of the world that is still in chains. Fortunately, I am quite free.

My personal challenge in achieving freedom involves balancing between the needs of my children, family and work (not excluding my hobbies). “You have to give life in order to get life,” my grandmother said to me. It sounds right to me. You need to invest yourself in what you do to get good results.

Freedom and knowledge are related. When you have knowledge you have more power and capabilities. Therefore, I would like to mention the OLPC project. When you have access to the Internet, you have the world's knowledge at your hands. OLPC is an example of an education project that aims to give a computer and Internet access to all if possible.

As a developer, I am interested in things that give me the “Freedom to do” at work. The best technology enables us "to do" with little effort and good results. Interesting enough this relates strongly to free stuff:

• Open source – the best tools are not those that have "paid support" but those that give the freedom to do as you choose, and offer a really vibrant community.
• Web 2.0 mashups – free to mash and leverage other sites.
• Sharing & free stuff – sharing thoughts, ideas.

Yet, if everything is free, how will one earn? Eventually someone needs to pay. So Free and Freedom sometimes collide. "Radiohead" is selling their latest album for "how much would you like it?" By download, which seems to offer a high degree of freedom while they get the money with very little overhead from the distribution channel. I hope they sell lots.

How does all of this relate to SharedBook?

We enable users to create the books they really want with little effort. When we offer enough “Freedom,” other mashups use it.

There are lots of places one can add Freedom to a product and service. For us, it could be integration as we do today with client content, embedding our product within another product, or as a platform which embeds another application within ours.