Scott Barstow

Birchbox Man - My Journey Into the Land of Products

Wed, 30 May 2012 08:11:00 -0400

A while back I wrote about Birchbox and how much I loved what they were doing. My wife treats the day that her Birchbox arrives like a holiday. A few months ago when the company launched Birchbox Man, my wife signed me up for it. It was nine parts curiosity and one part self indulgence.

A few days ago the first shipment arrived. I happened to be out of town, and finally got around to opening it on Monday. The Birchbox Man box is $20 per month, which is twice as much as the women’s version.

Here’s how it went:

As usual, Birchbox did a great job with the packaging. The box opened like a drawer and had a card on the top that told me about everything I was about to gaze upon.

The contents of my Birchbox Man were as follows:

A bag of bacon flavored spicy caramel popcorn (yes, you read that right) from Ovenly
Two decks of playing cards from Dan & Dave
Some shampoo (which as you can see from the picture below I do not need) from Kerastase Homme
Shave gel from Zirh
Cologne from John Varvatos

Of all the items in the box, the thing I liked most was the cologne. The popcorn was not a hit (and I love popcorn). The playing cards were nice, but not sure how much use I will get out of those. The shampoo I will end up giving away, and I already use a product called the Cooling Fix that came in my wife’s Birchbox a long time ago for shave gel. I will still try this one, but I love the other one.

I guess I was a bit disappointed by the contents of the Man box. It costs twice as much (as I said above), and I don’t feel like I got twice the value. I will probably give it another month because I trust the people at Birchbox to deliver based on our history with them, but if it’s not significantly better that will be it.

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 6 - Pick Yourself

Tue, 29 May 2012 07:57:01 -0400

We have been taught to stand around and wait to be picked. We stand and wait to be picked for the kickball team. We apply to college and hope we are picked. We look for that perfect job and hope we are picked.

Instead of waiting around to be picked, pick yourself. Go and do the thing that you want to do rather than thinking you need some special stamp of approval from someone else.

I had coffee with a guy yesterday who has been out of school for two years and not had a job yet that he really enjoys. He is interested in building a company in another country at some point in the future and is seeking a new job now to get the training he needs for the future. In the course of our discussion he started to tell me about an idea he had for helping small businesses grow and scale. As he told me about his idea, he got more and more excited. I said at some point “I think you should just go do that now. You don’t need another job. You need to do the thing you care most about. If that doesn’t work, you can always get a job somewhere.”

I hope he takes my advice.

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 5 - Why Aren't You?

Mon, 28 May 2012 07:46:53 -0400

The big idea I took away from my day in NY was simply to keep asking this question over and over and over.

If there are reasons why you are not doing the thing you think you should be, you need to be willing to get to the root of it. Make a list of the reasons you think you can’t do it and work to eliminate them one by one. Then comes the hard part.

Zig Ziglar has the obligating question, which goes something like: If we get rid of the obstacles you have identified, are you willing to make the decision? If you have ever bought a car, you know how this goes. ”If I can get this in your price range, are you ready to buy the car today?” It forces you to say “yes” to something or admit that you aren’t really serious about it.

Into the breach…

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 4 - Follow No One

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:01:14 -0400

“How long have you been following Seth?”

The question seemed innocuous enough, and yet it really rubbed me the wrong way. I was asked this while sitting outside after the event. I don’t consider myself a “follower” of Seth Godin. He is someone that I pay attention to, listen to, and certainly respect. Follow? No. I can’t, and it would do me no good anyway.

The people that make a real difference are those that borrow from the past but chart their own course into the future. One of the central themes of the questions being asked throughout the day was “What’s the magic formula where I will wake up and be someone different than I am right now?” The tough answer to hear was, of course, that there is no genie’s lamp to rub. We all get to figure this stuff out for ourselves because we are all different.

It made me think that Twitter needs a new verb to replace Follow. Following implies that I will go where you have already gone. We don’t need more of that. I like Listen as a verb. I will Listen to what you say and then figure out what it means for me.

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 3 - It's About Connection

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:38:12 -0400

“We spend most of our time focused on the product. The focus should be on the harder work of connection.”

As a builder of products, this is one that I have a hard time with. It’s hard for me to imagine that the connection is more important than the product itself. If you connect a bunch of people, but the product stinks, that’s a problem.

We all know the best products don’t always win however. If obscurity is the real enemy, then connection is as or more important than the product. Not sure I am convinced of it yet.

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 2 - The Enemy is Obscurity

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:02:04 -0400

“The enemy is obscurity, not piracy.”

This was a quote I wrote down about half way through the day. In an era where we can read any book ever written or listen to any song ever recorded, whether or not I can copy the material is of almost no concern. The much larger issue is will I care enough to listen to you or read your writing in the first place.

The question is: Will anyone miss you if you are gone?

Lessons From Seth Godin - Part 1 - Entrepreneurs and Freelancers

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:01:55 -0400

“Many freelancers think that they are entrepreneurs, but they are freelancers. If the first person you hire to do the real work is yourself, you are a freelancer not an entrepreneur.”

I have to confess that this one stung a bit. It’s something I am guilty of all the time. If I can do the work, I usually do. It’s easier to hire me than to find someone like me to do the work and give up some of the revenue.

The implications for this view of the universe are significant. The tendency when you are getting going on your own is to do everything yourself. It’s cheaper (short term) and there is a bit of mystical attraction to it. ”Look, I can do it all!” However, I think the point Godin was trying to make in drawing the distinction is that you have to be willing to jump out of the nitty gritty as soon as possible to focus on the bigger picture.

I don’t think he was being critical of freelancers. If you are successful, it can be a great way to enjoy a lifestyle very different from the average Joe. His point was that being a freelancer does not make you an entrepreneur in the classic sense of the word.

Are you freelancing or building something bigger than yourself?

A Day with Seth Godin

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:02:20 -0400

I had the opportunity to spend last Wednesday with Seth Godin. Seth is a guy that I think has a great story, and is someone whom I hold in high esteem.

The format for the day was simple. Seth gave a bit of a speech at the beginning on how he sees the world, and then opened up a five hour Q&A session about anything that the audience wanted to discuss.

The topics were widely varying, from how to be productive every day, to publishing (as you might expect) to the state of the Internet as a revolution.

Over the next week or so, I will be sharing some of the best moments for me from the event and how I think they apply to the road ahead.

The $100 Startup - A Book Review

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:27:00 -0400

A few days ago I got a welcome surprise in my mailbox: A copy of the new Chris Guillebeau book The $100 Startup : Reinvent The Way You Make A Living, Do What You Love and Create A New Future.

If you are not familiar with Chris, he runs one of my favorite web properties, The Art of Non-Conformity. The reason I say it was a surprise is that I had not ordered it, though I have ordered other things from Chris in the past. So, thank you to whomever found it in their good graces to ship me a copy!

Chris is a guy who practices what he preaches, running his empire from the road while attempting to visit all 193 countries before April of next year. He is currently just ten shy of the goal. He also runs the Travel Hacking Cartel, a property dedicated to helping subscribers travel the world for as little as possible by making the most profitable use of miles and other promos. He is, in short, a man who wears many hats.

All of those hats, however, have a common theme: Live life on your own terms and don’t settle for ordinary.

His new book is jam-packed with great examples of people who started their own businesses either out of necessity (losing a job) or out of a desire to no longer live beholden to someone else’s view of the universe. What I like about the book is that it’s not just a collection of anecdotes about strangers, but also has a lot of practical tips and hints for assisting the new small business to get up and running.

Furthermore, there is a focus on creating value and making money, not just “finding your passion and following it” as other books in this genre tend to do. As he says, businesses exist to make a profit. It’s not just about what you are passionate about, but rather the intersection of passion with value creation, a concept he calls convergence.

I recommend this book if you are looking for that kick in the backside to get moving on doing your own thing. Chris has done it all and bought the T-shirt. I wrote down four or five ideas for things I am going to look into in the near future as I was reading. Even if you don’t buy the book, you owe it to yourself to start listening to Chris. He will challenge you to do your best work.

The Right to Install My Own Software

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:42:46 -0400

I recently got a friendly reminder from an application I use extensively on my computer called Growl. If you own a Mac, you probably use Growl as well. It is a great notification engine that lots of other applications use to send messages to the user from background services.

The reminder was about the fact that I needed to update the application, something I have not done since I updated to the latest Mac OSX. The reminder was nothing new, and it happens all the time for various applications. What was new for Growl, however, was that the update was only available through the Apple App Store for Mac.

It’s a subtle shift, and seemingly unimportant. The App Store makes it easier. The App Store means it’s been reviewed. Those are all good things. Right? Furthermore, most apps are still available through the previous distribution channel of downloading a DMG. For now.

What are we giving up for the convenience of having all applications distributed through the App Store? Apple now has control over application distribution in the same way they have control over content distribution for other forms of media on their other devices. We have already seen that Apple is not afraid to block apps that violate either their sense of propriety or business relationships that they value highly (remember Skype and Google Voice?)

I like to have full control over my PC. I also really like the Mac OSX operating system. Is it possible that at some point in the very near future that those two ideals will be incompatible?

The Thrashing of Patents

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:02:58 -0400

It’s considered high-minded right now to come out railing against patents. Everyone is doing it, from Mark Cuban to Fred Wilson to Twitter.

It seems to me that the picture is not quite as black and white as one might think. Cuban talks (albeit a bit tongue in cheek) about a janitor being sued for a how they mop the floor. However, are we to believe that if Cuban had come up with some special HD sauce while starting HDNet and patented it that he would not have defended it against potential infringement?

The issue, I think, is not with the use of patents but rather with the granting of them by the USPTO. The people granting patents, I would imagine in most cases, have no real idea about the impact of the grant on the marketplace or whether or not it’s truly a unique idea. With software patents in particular, there are so very few truly unique ideas that the granting of them should come almost never.

I was involved in a patent dispute back when I worked for Bandwidth.com. We had a competitor file a patent for how they were selling business Internet services online. As a result of the filing, we had to file our own patent application as a defensive counter-measure. It cost us a lot of money and a lot of time and ultimately meant nothing for either party. There was nothing intrinsically unique about what either we or they were doing.

To me, these are the kinds of patents that we should throw into the “frivolous” bucket, and I think they are the patents everyone is most concerned about. They are an extension of our bent toward litigation as a way to resolve disputes or gain advantage.

There are, however, legitimate patents that deserve protection. Real money is invested, real innovation is discovered, and it should be protected. I am not sure, however, that a better way to check out on an e-commerce website is something worthy of protection (as an example).

So What If vs. What If

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:03:30 -0400

There is a big difference in the question of “what if” vs. “so what if.”

They are two completely different ways of looking at every decision or circumstance one is faced with.

More “so what if.”

Three Hundred

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:00:24 -0400

This is my 300th post on this blog.

I have been at best inconsistent and at worst negligent. I used to pay attention to all of those “10 steps to a Million Readers” kinds of articles. I have tried doing the thing where you end every post with a question because that’s how you engage readers (supposedly). However it never felt like me.

What’s been true over the last few years as I have written is that I have my best responses when I write about the things I care about as if we were sitting around talking about them. It’s what makes it worth doing, regardless of the number of subscribers I have.

Thanks to all of you who are the faithful few that read almost everything I write and even post responses from time to time.

The Threat to the Open Internet

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:28:05 -0400

I am reading a fascinating book right now called The Master Switch : The Rise and Fall of Information Empires by Tim Wu. The premise of the book is that information empires (the telephone, film, and TV) all undergo a very similar lifecycle as they mature.

They start out as open platforms with the introduction of the new disruptive medium. Gradually, corporate giants move into the space and take control of the space, reducing innovation and establishing monopolies. These corporations take virtual land in the name of the best interests of the consumer and knowing what is best, while working with the government to establish laws that help to protect their positions.

Wu makes a really good case for the Internet as just another in the long line of information revolutions following the same pattern.

I read two articles in the past week that lead me to believe he is absolutely right about where the Internet is heading. The first is Facebook’s support for the latest US government bill regarding internet privacy. With hundreds of millions of users, Facebook is in a position of tremendous influence. Note the language used by Facebook’s lead counsel in defending their position:

Importantly, HR 3523 would impose no new obligations on us to share data with anyone –- and ensures that if we do share data about specific cyber threats, we are able to continue to safeguard our users’ private information, just as we do today.”

Loosely translated, we are looking out for our users. Can’t you see? Facebook’s support of this bill is, in most people’s opinion, an affront to the what the Internet stands for.

The second article was an interview with Sergey Brin of Google. In it Brin warns of the growing storm clouds surrounding the Internet as an open platform. While Brin no doubt has an axe to grind against Facebook and Apple, I like that he is speaking out about what he is seeing. One could argue that Google belongs in the list of companies that are a threat to the open Internet, but I don’t see Tim Cook or Mark Zuckerberg taking public positions like Brin does here.

I highly recommend that you get Wu’s book and use it as a lens through which to view what’s happening right now with the Internet giants.

In the Arena

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:55:19 -0400

I heard this quote last night while watching a TED talk. Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena.” This should be posted somewhere where you have to walk by it every day.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself on a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who is at worst, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.”

Amen.

A Captcha Alternative

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:39:07 -0400

On last week’s 350 Third podcast, Anders and I talked a lot about the evils of Captcha (shameless plug). It’s a technology idea whose time has come and gone. I hate it, as does most of the civilized world. It’s remarkable that we put up with inferior, outdated ideas as long as we do.

Anyway, we talked about using better technology to solve this problem, and also talked about ways to turn the problem into a business that advertisers could use for real engagement with potential customers.

I did some poking around this week and found this company working on alternative. Are You a Human is doing some interesting things. They are working on many of the ideas we discussed. I am going to start using them everywhere that I might have previously used Captcha and see how it goes.

The Discipline of Solving a Real Problem

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:32:17 -0400

The question that trumps all other questions when starting out with a new idea:

“What is the question you are answering?”

If you can’t articulate a concise response in less than 15 seconds, I would submit that it’s time to pause and consider seriously whether to continue.

It’s a discipline that flies in the face of the romance of a new idea, and it’s a constant struggle. It is, however, a necessary internal war.

Shedding

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:54:06 -0400

There are times when it’s appropriate to take on new things. Opportunities present themselves that seem like they will lead somewhere, and so time and energy is committed and spent.

Opportunity cost is one of the least-valued costs, and yet is probably the most important factor in any decision. Doing one thing means, in most cases, that something else will be left undone. Or it can mean not having the time to see other opportunities emerging, or simply not giving one’s brain the opportunity to think and ponder freely. Time is the most precious of all the finite resources.

Spring is a time when animals shed their winter coat and get leaner / lighter for the summer. It’s instinctive for animals, but not humans.

Take this spring as an opportunity to shed things that don’t matter, aren’t successful, or aren’t helping you get where you want to go. I am. It’s painful because it often means putting things on the shelf where real financial and intellectual capital has been spent. It’s not, however, more painful than spending MORE on it and looking back six months from now and saying “I should have done this sooner.”

Books to Read - April 2012

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:05 -0400

After a couple of months away due to laziness, the monthly Books to Read list is back. There are some good ones in this month’s list. I hope you enjoy them.

Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin

Sorry, no picture for this one. If you have read this blog regularly, you know that I am a Seth Godin fan. He thinks about the world in ways that are truly unique and inspire me to be better. Stop Stealing Dreams is Seth’s poke at how to re-engineer education in the United States. This is a favorite topic of mine, and Seth as usual does a great job of laying out the problem domain. As with a lot of Seth’s books, this is a collection of “blog post” kind of chapters. It’s meant to ask a lot of questions but not necessarily provide the answers. This book is full of rich content, and it’s free to boot. No excuse not to read it, and then share it with someone else. This book is April’s must-read.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

I am noticeably late to this book series. This book was first published back in the early 90’s. Ender is a young boy recruited by the government to fight off the next attack of the Buggers, an alien race hostile to humans. Ender is the product of years of genetic and social engineering. In a world where only two offspring are allowed, Ender is a “Third”. He is the chosen one, the commander that is the last hope to defeat the Buggers. Together with his brother and sister, they chart a course to remake the world, though they are doing it in very different ways. As with many books, I will read through this one again at some point. Everyone in my family has read it as well. It’s a challenging and thought-provoking piece.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

This was another recommendation by a friend, and again is a book that I am really late to the party on. For those of you that enjoy the struggle of finding meaning in a disposable world, or enjoy reading about personal journey, this is a great book. A classic father-son tale, this book explores life philosophy in the context of driving and fixing / understanding a machine, as well as the understanding of how things work. This book appealed to my inner tug that there is a deeper current to pay attention to in the vicissitudes of life.

Mindfire by Scott Berkun

Scott Berkun is one of my favorite writer / bloggers. Scott worked at Microsoft in the heyday of the company and has since punched out and written a few books in addition to his blog. Mindfire is a collection of his best essays on a number of topics. I find his writing insightful and provocative, and this book is meant to be read in small chunks.

That’s it for this month. It’s good to be back. Let me know what you think of this month’s selections.

Call Us, We Won't Call You

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:06 -0400

I write a lot on this blog about stupid things that businesses do, not so much to be critical of them but to remind all of us that every single interaction counts.

We got a dog a few weeks back and are looking to install an electric fence. There are really only a couple of players in this space: Invisible Fence and DogWatch (at least in our area).

We visited Invisible Fence’s website and filled out the information request. Within a few hours we had a call from a representative with a few options for a time to visit our house. She came out on time, was very helpful, and gave us a few options for how to fence in the yard, as well as letting us know when they could schedule the install if we were so inclined.

We then went to DogWatch’s website and did the same. That is where the similarities end. The DogWatch rep sent us an email saying “Call our office to schedule an appointment.” Um, what? When last I checked we were the prospective customer. We don’t do the leg work. I was really quite surprised at the impersonal, uninterested response.

Given that Invisible Fence is the standard-bearer in this business, I would think their competition would be going above and beyond to earn new business. It seems, at least in the case of DogWatch, that they have all the business they need. What a great position to be in these days.