On the Job with Steve Jobs

A personal Steve Jobs memory...

I've been selling/marketing/promoting Apple products and related tech since 1982-- the Apple II and Apple III days.

In 1985, I worked in Boston as a sales rep for Businessland and I understand I was one of the top salespeople of Macs among all the Businessland stores nationwide. I ate and drank Macintosh night and day and somehow got companies to buy the original dinky 128 Macs by wowing them with them with cut and paste in MacWrite and its wacky San Francisco font. Whenever someone came into our store looking for a Mac, they'd get sent my way...

One day (much to my chagrin), I was out of the store on my lunch break when a unshaven guy with dark hair, black turtleneck and jeans came walked into my place of employ. While I would have recognized him in a nano-second, my colleagues didn't recognize this ungainly character who said to the salesperson who went up to serve him:

"I'm looking for a computer for my business, what can you show me?"

The other sales guy replied:

"Well, if you're looking for a business computer.... you're going to want an IBM PC."

Steve Jobs looked him in the eye and said "Wrong answer!," and walked out of our store over to the Computerland store across the street where their Mac guy replied to the identical question with "A business computer? There's really no choice other than the Apple Macintosh."

The guy in the black turtleneck said "Right Answer," and promptly put in an order for 20 Macs.

I don't take lunch breaks any more.

Steve and the company he built has kept me employed, informed, entertained and engaged ever since.

Thus while I knew his demise was imminent, I can't help feeling "iSad"

For all of us who owe our jobs to you, thank you Mr. Jobs.

Patrick Rafter/Valuecasters (Wellesley, MA)

prafter@valuecasters.com

All I Needed to Learn about Biz, I Learned on Nantucket

Photo: Scott Kirsner + Bill Warner at #ACK2011

In an age where we’re using new technologies (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) to make personal and business connections, I was especially happy to be reminded this week that the old fashioned way to network is still the best.

For the past 12 springs (including last week), I’ve been fortunate to be able to attend and participate in the annual Nantucket Conference. For those who don’t know of it, The Nantucket Conference is a gathering of circa 100 tech leaders who choose live and work in New England.

An antidote to all those deadly events at the Newton Marriott (where there’s too much talking at people and not enough exchange,) Nantucket stands out among industry conferences I’ve attended within the past 25+ for these reasons:

The ACK Conference is a unique gathering where attendees genuinely connect with other participants not to benefit themselves, but to find common ground and to help one another.

While I’m sure the bucolic setting, steady flow of food and alcohol have something to do with it—Nantucket unites the entire ecosystem of technology (entrepreneurs, thinkers, investors, facilitators) in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect.

Whereas other moderators at other conferences let the presenters drone on with their standard spiels, on Nantucket open & candid reflection is the standard for speakers and audience members alike, encouraged by conference Co-Founder and Content Czar Scott Kirsner, New England's Innovation Economist.

Paraphrasing Robert Fulgum’s “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten”, leaving the island, it occurs to me that “Everything I need to know about the right way to do business, I learned at the Nantucket Conference.”

Here's What I Learned (or Re-Learned) on Nantucket:

Keep talking
Sure asynchronous messaging through email and Tweets help us communicate, but nothing compares to a great face-to-face conversation in which both participants speak honestly and directly, and listen to each other without distraction.

Give and ye shall receive
A significant number of Nantucket’s attendees are successful serial entrepreneurs of whom a handful stand out because having made their millions--- now they want to give of themselves to help other entrepreneurs on the way up. Bill Warner (founder of Avid and myriad other ventures) and Jit Saxena (founder of Netezza and Applix) are two notable examples.

Follow your dreams
There are lots of ways to make a living. I’m always impressed by Nantucket attendees who follow their dreams, and who pursue their ambitions (despite being told by others to do otherwise).

Blend the best of youth and experience
Circa ten of the attendees at this year’s events were startup CEOs under the age of 30. This group embodied an enthusiasm and fearlessness that is common among young entrepreneurs, and often sorely missing among many older workers. At the same time --- I was impressed by two things: i) Respect shown by the young CEOs in how they talked with and learned from the more experienced, gray-haired attendees. ii) Similarly, I enjoyed seeing people in their 40s, 50s, 60s engaged in deep discussions with people more than half their age.

Be customer-focused
Whereas many industry conferences are filled with self-important pundits who are inhaling their own exhaust, a recurring theme of Nantucket this year was that conducting business with the interest of others front of mind is both smart business, and right-minded. War stories and perspective from Gary Hirshberg, (CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm Yogurt) on “How to Make Money and Save The World” were inspiring. Comments from enlightened marketer Mark Troiano (Principal of Holland-Mark) who exhorted us to be “solely focused on delivering value with those that follow us” rang true for me as well.

Beyond the inspiration that Nantucket gives me, the trick of course, is to practice these principles every day. :-)

Back to work.

Wanted: Digital Ambassadors

The ever-savvy Barbara Bix (@bbmarketingplus on Twitter) has written a thought provoking article entitled "Will marketing consultants and agencies switch places with in-house staff in a digital world?" which leads me to think about one of the "side effects" of the shift to a new world of digital communications:

As companies increasingly want/need and can themselves be involved in the design, creation, curation, distribution and management of content--organizations will find out:

1) Communicating is hard, Creating quality content is hard. Both require skills

While the economics of old-line, ad-sponsored journalism has shaken up the world of the Media: the public and businesses continue to have an insatiable appetite for quality content. Becoming world-class storytellers (comparable to professional reporters, editors) is not something many marketers have the skill or the time for. (Ed. comment: Couldn't resist ending the sentence with a preposition!)

2) Self-publishing is attractive, yet requires a major investment of money & resources

As companies see inherent value in publishing their own content-- they'll need to invest and build internal and external infrastructures to author, refine and deliver that content. I think a majority of companies underestimate the enormity of that reality.

3) Social Media changes everything

As Web-based interactivity becomes mainstream-- companies who may have previously interacted with "audiences" and "target" will now find those marketing concepts are disconsonant with the new world in which conversations replace campaigns, broadcasting is replaced by valuecasting (a dialogue between multiple participants on topics of mutual and highly personal relevance). To be empathic and responsive in real-time, while also proactively endeavoring to simultaneously do what is perceived to be in the best interests of the company—is a tall order.

Whoever does social media engagement for a company (internal staff or external consultants) functions as an “Ambassador” for the company. Accordingly those people need to have Ambassadorial qualities: first-rate written and interpersonal communications skills, combined with judgment, diplomacy, tact, patience, and more. Would you trust the public persona of your company to a marketing intern?

4) Will businesses take a leap of faith and trust?

In the producer/consumer, reader = editor, critic today: booster tomorrow environment that the Web has created: companies will need to recognize that proactively cultivating a better relationship with “all those who matter” (formerly known as prospects, customers, partners, influencers) is an imperative for success. In a world where messaging is more honest, dialogue--more earnest, expressions of service and value--more genuine: both buyer and seller win. In a self-regulating information stream, the Web can be an ideal aggregator of content created by and for those who will value it most.

The Bottom Line:
To meet the needs of the new digital world, companies will need to hire a new breed of PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATORS, and staff their evolving requirements with a mix of internal employees and experienced external consultants and agencies who collectively represent a diplomatic corps to represent them.

Organizations who forestall investing in communications talent and the need to communicate better (in order on short-term gains) are penny wise and pound foolish.

Corporate America: Go hire some Ambassadors!

Best-Ever Case for Social Media ROI

Ever since I had the chance to be part of the creative team that produced the uber-successful John Cleese "Institute of Backup Trauma" viral video, I've been a huge fan and booster of the power of small screen programming to entertain, inform, drive traffic & accelerate awareness and revenues.

One of the best wideos (web-videos) I've seen recently is "Social Media ROI: Socialnomics" from Socialnomics' author/creator Erik Qualman. This animation does a great job providing statistical proof of the Return on Investment of social media (or as I like to re-define ROI as "return on interaction).

Erik's masterpiece has all the right elements of an effective wideo:

1) Crisp, simple text treatments

2) Compelling content

3) A catchy, hip rock theme

4) Delivers value to those who watch it

5) Inspires virality

Check it out:

Strunk & Twitter

In an age when "spreading the word" thru Twitter streamlines business communications to 140-character missives... I'm reminded of my favorite maxim from Strunk & White's classic "The Elements of Style"

The advice Professor Strunk gave back in 1918 still rings true today:

Omit Needless Words

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

Say no more.

Source & full text of Strunk's "Elements of Style" online at http://www.bartleby.com/141/

Patrick Rafter

Valuecasters--Helping you connect and engage with those that matter
E: prafter@valuecasters.com T: 617-901-2697

W: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/valuecasters
My LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickrafter
Blog: http://intrastand.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @prafter

MassTLC issues "MassTLC 2020 Challenge" calling on Mass Tech Sector to create 100K New Jobs

Mass Technology Leadership Council Issues

“The MassTLC 2020 Challenge”:
Launching the Next Wave of Innovation
in New England’s Tech Sector

MassTLC calls on tech leaders in Massachusetts
to “Think Big & Play Big,”

and create 100,000 new digital economy jobs by 2020

BURLINGTON, Mass.—April 1, 2010—At its annual meeting yesterday, The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. (New England’s leading tech business association) put forth a dynamic vision for the future of Massachusetts technology: calling for private and public sector influencers to creatively and effectively leverage Massachusetts’ unique assets, to adopt positive new beliefs and behaviors, and to commit themselves towards meeting the challenge of creating 100,000 new technology jobs in-state by the end of the decade.

Jointly addressing a public audience of 400 tech executives attending today’s Annual Meeting, Steve O’Leary and Bill Warner (MassTLC Chairman and Trustee respectively) sounded a dynamic and passionate clarion call to “think big and play big.” O’Leary emphatically listed the state’s unique resources and laid out the challenge:

“Massachusetts has potential for technology growth that is second to none. No other place on the globe can match our state’s unique assets: our history of innovation, our higher education leadership, our concentration of venture capital, and our per capita gross domestic product. Much as Massachusetts revolutionized the worlds of politics, industry, transportation and technology entrepreneurship in past generations, the current generation of technologies, infrastructures, ideas, and other innovations can drive a new decade of unprecedented growth and job creation.”

The MassTLC 2020 Challenge calls for concerted collective and individual efforts to make Massachusetts a great place to do business: for tech startups, successful mid-level and large Massachusetts-based companies, and for regional divisions and headquarters operations of world-class, multinational corporations. The challenge also calls on Massachusetts to take advantage of its established leadership in these key technologies:

• Ubiquitous Computing

- Mobile Applications

- Broadband and Web Infrastructure

- Software-as-Service and Cloud Computing

• New Media and Publishing:

- Online Video

- Marketing and Social Media Software

- Digital Games

• IT-Driven and Web-Driven Productivity

- Business Analytics / Workflow

- Healthcare IT

- Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals

- Cleantech, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Green services/tech

• Robotics

• Other innovations to come.

"The technology sector is a crucial driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and job growth for the Massachusetts economy – today and tomorrow,” said Gregory Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “The Patrick Administration looks forward to continued collaboration with the sector to create jobs and opportunity here in the Commonwealth."

Get Involved in The MassTLC 2020 Challenge

“Massachusetts is already home to high-impact entrepreneurial startups, fast growing mid-sized companies, and to the headquarters or innovation centers of multinational technology leaders (including Akamai, AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, EMC, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Raytheon and Verizon),” said Tom Hopcroft, President & CEO, MassTLC. “By 2020, more and more of the world’s most innovative digital economy companies will want to locate their operations and base their teams in Massachusetts. Realizing that vision will require intelligent and diligent effort, imagination, flexibility, risk-taking, and more than anything --- earnest participation, close involvement and regular input from all participants in the Mass tech ecosystem.”

To help meet this challenge, the MassTLC Board is developing an ambitious agenda of
focused initiatives including:

· Expanding programs designed specifically for job creation and growth

· Strengthening the organization’s commitment to fostering startups, while launching

new efforts to help mid-sized companies become billion dollar companies

· Pursuing collaborative efforts with universities, state government, and other industry organizations to train and retain the workforce talent necessary to drive growth

· Helping to make the Massachusetts a national leader in high-bandwidth, broadband deployment

The MassTLC wants to hear what’s important to YOU

Tell us what’s on your mind: What’s working? What isn’t? What’s missing? What’s essential to succeed? Are you on board? How do you plan to meet the Challenge and how can we can we work together to grow the Mass tech sector this decade? E-mail your ideas for initiatives, programs, and policies to challenge@masstlc.org. We welcome your input and look forward to the dialogue.

About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.

The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. is the only business association that addresses the critical leadership issues of innovative technology and technology-enabled companies. Drawing on the rich legacies of Massachusetts Network Communications Council, the Massachusetts Software Council, and the New England Business and Technology Association, Inc., the organization is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and promoting the success of companies that develop and deploy technology across industry sectors. The Mass Technology Leadership Council conducts educational programs, hosts industry events, facilitates networking, sponsors research, advocates in favor of technology policies that promote innovation, entrepreneurship and competition, and recognizes industry-leading companies and people.
For more information, visit http://www.masstlc.org or http://blog.masstlc.org .

Press Contact:

Patrick Rafter, Ambassador, Mass Technology Leadership Council

patrick@masstlc.org , 617-901-2697 ##

Twitter Hashtags: @masstlc, #masstlc, #MA, #Mass, #tech, #jobs, #innovation

MassTLC calls for Mass Tech Sector to create 100K New Jobs

Mass Technology Leadership Council Issues

“The MassTLC 2020 Challenge”:

Launching the Next Wave of Innovation

in New England’s Tech Sector

MassTLC calls on tech leaders in Massachusetts

to “Think Big & Play Big,”

and create 100,000 new digital economy jobs by 2020

BURLINGTON, Mass.—April 1, 2010—At its annual meeting, The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. (New England’s leading tech business association) yesterday put forth a dynamic vision for the future of Massachusetts technology: calling for private and public sector influencers to creatively and effectively leverage Massachusetts’ unique assets, to adopt positive new beliefs and behaviors, and to commit themselves towards meeting the challenge of creating 100,000 new technology jobs in-state by the end of the decade.

Jointly addressing a public audience of 400 tech executives attending today’s Annual Meeting, Steve O’Leary and Bill Warner (MassTLC Chairman and Trustee respectively) sounded a dynamic and passionate clarion call to “think big and play big.” O’Leary emphatically listed the state’s unique resources and laid out the challenge:

“Massachusetts has potential for technology growth that is second to none. No other place on the globe can match our state’s unique assets: our history of innovation, our higher education leadership, our concentration of venture capital, and our per capita gross domestic product. Much as Massachusetts revolutionized the worlds of politics, industry, transportation and technology entrepreneurship in past generations, the current generation of technologies, infrastructures, ideas, and other innovations can drive a new decade of unprecedented growth and job creation.”

The MassTLC 2020 Challenge calls for concerted collective and individual efforts to make Massachusetts a great place to do business: for tech startups, successful mid-level and large Massachusetts-based companies, and for regional divisions and headquarters operations of world-class, multinational corporations. The challenge also calls on Massachusetts to take advantage of its established leadership in these key technologies:

• Ubiquitous Computing

- Mobile Applications

- Broadband and Web Infrastructure

- Software-as-Service and Cloud Computing

• New Media and Publishing:

- Online Video

- Marketing and Social Media Software

- Digital Games

• IT-Driven and Web-Driven Productivity

- Business Analytics / Workflow

- Healthcare IT

- Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals

- Cleantech, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Green services/tech

• Robotics

• Other innovations to come.

"The technology sector is a crucial driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and job growth for the Massachusetts economy – today and tomorrow,” said Gregory Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “The Patrick Administration looks forward to continued collaboration with the sector to create jobs and opportunity here in the Commonwealth"

Get Involved in The MassTLC 2020 Challenge

“Massachusetts is already home to high-impact entrepreneurial startups, fast growing mid-sized companies, and to the headquarters or innovation centers of multinational technology leaders inculding Akamai, AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, EMC, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Raytheon and Verizon),” said Tom Hopcroft President & CEO, MassTLC. “By 2020, more and more of the world’s most innovative digital economy companies will want to locate their operations and base their teams in Massachusetts. Realizing that vision will require intelligent and diligent effort, imagination, flexibility, risk-taking and more than anything --- earnest participation, close involvement and regular input from all participants in the Mass tech ecosystem.”

To help meet this challenge, the MassTLC Board is developing an ambitious agenda of

focused initiatives including:

• Expanding programs designed specifically for job creation and growth

• Strengthening the organization’s commitment to fostering startups, while launching

new efforts to help mid-sized companies become billion dollar companies

• Pursuing collaborative efforts with universities, state government, and other industry organizations to train and retain the workforce talent necessary to drive growth

• Helping to make the Massachusetts a national leader in high-bandwidth,

broadband deployment

The MassTLC wants to hear what’s important to YOU

Tell us what’s on your mind: What’s working? What isn’t? What’s missing? What’s essential to succeed? Are you on board? How do you plan to meet the Challenge and how can we can we work together to grow the Mass tech sector this decade? E-mail your ideas for initiatives, programs, and policies to challenge@masstlc.org. We welcome your input and look forward to the dialogue.

About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.

The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. is the only business association that addresses the critical leadership issues of innovative technology and technology-enabled companies. Drawing on the rich legacies of Massachusetts Network Communications Council, the Massachusetts Software Council, and the New England Business and Technology Association, Inc., the organization is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and promoting the success of companies that develop and deploy technology across industry sectors. The Mass Technology Leadership Council conducts educational programs, hosts industry events, facilitates networking, sponsors research, advocates in favor of technology policies that promote innovation, entrepreneurship and competition, and recognizes industry-leading companies and people.

For more information, visit http://www.masstlc.org or http://blog.masstlc.org .

Press Contact:

Patrick Rafter, Ambassador, Mass Technology Leadership Council

patrick@masstlc.org , 617-901-2697

Twitter: @masstlc, #MA, #jobs, #tech, #innovation