Mark Brenneman - Social Technologist

Staring at Screens

I stumbled upon this video on trends by Paul Graham (of Y Combinator fame). Overall, I think his points were right on. His thoughts and insights are extremely valuable to the entrepreneurial community.

One trend that kept me thinking was #10: Things on Screens. In his description of this trend he suggested choosing to devote more resources to making an online video than bolstering the local theater. Further, he mentions that more people are going to stay at home, staring at their glowing screens. Is that really where things are headed? Spending less and less time with real-world contact? I don't know about you, but I still get MUCH more gratification by spending time in the presence of others than writing on someones Facebook wall or even having a video chat on Skype.

This way of thinking also makes it sound like we are following the screens. The screens are inside, so that is where we will be, soaking in the reality show glow. This may have been a technology barrier originally (TVs are not mobile), but I think screens are making their way outside the house to come to where we are, not the other way around. Screens are getting smaller and more mobile so they can follow us out into our lives.

To go back to Paul's analogy to local theater, I think the portable screens will bridge the two choices (make an online video or revitalize local theater). Video recording and the internet will be with you while you are at the local theater, enhancing the experience.

Buy Experiences, Not Things

Over the past few weeks I have seen a few reports crop up regarding happiness and its relationship with money (here and here). These reports seem to align well with my thoughts on money. Namely, that investing in leisure activities makes people happier than investing in physical things. Sure, I would love a Lamborghini, but for the same price, I could take my friends and myself on an unforgettable vacation.

Growing up, I was blessed with a family that understood this. We lived modestly and chose to spend more on frequent vacations. One of the best things about vacations or any unique experiences are the stories. With new and exciting experiences you get to unlock a new story (like unlocking a Foursquare badge). Not only can you share these stories with the other vacationers, but sharing these stories can actually connect you to people who were not there.

The experiences don't even have to be extravagant. My friends and I still reminisce about our 4 hour Tahoe boat adventure. I am sure I have spent more time talking and laughing about the events that transpired that afternoon than we actually spent on the boat. These stories alone have strengthened many relationship and even formed some new ones.

Thanks to all the family and friends who have helped create these unforgettable experiences. It has surely contributed to my happiness and I hope that I can (and do) return the favor. Create a great new story this weekend.

The Team Text

I am not a planner. Inevitably Friday rolls around and my friends and I have not thought about what to do. I have made a few products to help (example) but we still end up deciding last minute. By that time on a Friday evening, many people are bunkered into their home, not wanting to budge. My friends and I have developed a targeted attack to get them to come out and socialize, even with this short notice. The Team Text.

A Team Text is simply a synchronized text message from many people targeted to one individual. Performed correctly, the experience of receiving successive texts from many people can persuade even the most entrenched couch potato to join the party. Here are a few examples:

1. The Echo

Team Texter #1: "Join us!"

Team Texter #2: "Join us!"

Team Texter #3: "Join us!"

2. The Disjoint

Team Texter #1: "Where"

Team Texter #2: "Are"

Team Texter #3: "You?"

Notes: Leave time between texts because the order matters. You don't want them to receive "Are Where You?"

3. The Conversation

Team Texter #1: "How fun is this?"

Team Texter #2: "Wow, so fun, but who is missing?"

Team Texter #3: "You!"

Notes: This has the added benefit of being confusing, they might think you are talking to them originally.

4. The Sneaky

Team Texter #1: "Wow, this is fun, you should come!"

Team Texter #2: "Just got here. When are you coming?"

Team Texter #3: "Come out!"

Notes: This is intended to appear as independent texts to the recipient, further convincing them that they are missing a great time.

These are just some example, but creativity is rewarded in Team Texting. Also, there is no reason that team texting be limited to social gatherings. Send a creative Birthday or Congratulations Team Text. It shows more thought and coordination than a regular text or email while not being as slow as a written letter. What else can you do with Team Texting? Do you have any other ideas?

The Mario Moment

I grew up when video games were just appearing and love Mario, Tetris, and Zelda. I can remember staying up all night trying to beat Mario without warp whistles or spending hours competing with friends in Starcraft.

Mobile games have yet to have that breakout, mass-market success. Part of this has to do with the context the games are played. Mobile games are played in subway trains, at bus stops, etc. They excel when you have a few moments to play, which is not conducive to the engaging campaigns like Zelda or Mario. So, what kind of games align well with mobile?

Lightweight - You need to be able to have a meaningful experience in the game in a short period of time.
Social - The phone is a communication device by nature. Games that incorporate multiplayer modes are natural and make the game that much more engaging.
Location-based - This is something that desktop and console games can't do. There is still a lot to explore in this area but Foursquare and Gwalla are starting to show how powerful location can be.
Native Controls - Phones are increasingly aware of their location, movement, orientation, and suroundings. Games that utilize these new control mechanisms will trump those that attempt to mimic the old joystick controls.

When discussing this with a friend it got me thinking about what mobile applications or games will achieve cult status. In 10 to 15 years we will look back and point to a few mobile apps/games that built and empire. What is the Mario of mobile?

Making things that are fun

A while ago I wrote about making things that are magical. I think fun is also magical. You can make many things fun by changing the incentive structure just a little. Take speed limits for example:

By adding a lottery system, following the speed limit does pay off. But do they work? It seems so:

These videos get me excited about other areas where I could add fun to make myself and others better. How about a game system to keep my apartment clean? Or making public transportation more fun? Foursquare seems to have nailed a incentive system to help people explore their cities and get out more. I look forward to see what they do next. What can you inject fun into?

iPhone 4 vs. Evo (Comparison charts = Fail)

In sorting through the deluge of iPhone 4 comparison posts I stumbled upon this comparison chart. It reminded me of Apples ability to appeal to the mass audience.

Normal people don't care about:

Processor
Memory
Screen resolution
Multitasking
Features (FM Radio)

Normal people care about:

Carrier (people hate AT&T)
Looks
Battery (not the size, just that it doesn't run out)
Use-cases ("I can video chat with Timmy")

Normal people don't want to mess with settings or task managers. They want to call, text, watch, play, listen, etc. Apple has nailed this with the simplicity of their devices and ads. Steve always puts it well:

"In multitasking, if you see a task manager... they blew it. Users shouldn't ever have to think about it." -Steve Jobs

Further, users only care about use-cases, not features. They don't care what the screen resolution is as long as it looks good (bonus points if they can impress their friends with it). Users don't care about a front-facing camera, they care about being able to play Chatroulette on their phone.

Follow Apple's lead. Keep it simple and stay ruthlessly focused on what the customer cares about & nothing more.

Disrupt Yourself

"If there are a set of disruptive changes coming it is incredibly important to go on offense" - Marc Andreessen

This quote is from Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series with Marc Andreessen. It jumped out at me right away as extremely important, mostly for existing companies (startup companies are already trying to take advantage of these disruptive changes). This is one area where I think Microsoft and Yahoo stumbled. So who succeeded?

Intel - This is the classic technology example of going on the offensive. When they realized the processor business was where the money was, they ditched memory. Intel put all their eggs in one basket with processors and it paid off well. Unfortunately, they might have missed the jump to mobile devices (Snapdragon & A4 seem to be the standard now).
Apple - Recently Apple has been killing it. They just destroy other tech companies and are on an unbelievable tear. But go back a few years. When they saw that MP3 players would eventually be merged with phones they introduced the iPhone, cannibalizing their own massively successful product. Apple couldn't let someone else do it first.

Any other companies that have disrupted themselves?

Make Things that are Magical

"When something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical" -Jony Ive

This is an awesome concept and I have been thinking about how to incorporate it into Skydeck and my side projects. At Skydeck, we want to make Caller ID magical. You should no longer have to deal with telemarketers or spam callers. We are working toward a smart application that lets you know who is calling and why, making talking on the phone much more pleasant.

Magical things spread. People love to talk and play with them. Here are some examples:

Wii - The Wii is a great example. You can now control video games in a completely new & intuitive way. The magic spread, and now it is one of the best selling consoles ever.
Smule - Their musical, communal applications have always been a hit. Who knew that the iPhone could auto-tune your voice? Users wanted to show off their T-Pain skills at parties and the word spread.
Dropbox - Although the premise is boring (computer backup), Dropbox made it so simple and easy-to-use that it became magical.
Bump - There have been many contact sharing applications, but making such a simple and intuitive product has made Bump magical.

These are just a few magical products (post others in the comments). There aren't many, but if you have one, don't let it go.

Facebook is People Magazine 2.0

It's ironic that most of the time spent on social networks is inherently antisocial. I spend time reading status updates from friends I haven't talked to in six years, or look at photos from recent events that I didn't go to. Sure, you can leave a comment or wall post which is social (and gets you some social proof within your FB friends circle). But I have found that Facebook is mostly an extremely engaging, always-updating, personalized People Magazine. Sure, it is a great communication platform, but for every person that communicates there are 100 that consume (read, look & watch) that communication, making the "magazine" more engaging.

It is time to use Facebook (and other social technologies) to enhance real world interaction. Why can't we easily friend someone we meet at a bar (Bump + Facebook connect app)? Or how about connecting a photobooth to Facebook? Just login and snap an auto-tagged photo. Foursquare is a great example of merging real life with social technology but it still has a long way to go. Social technology needs to move away from the living room (with our desktop & laptop) and get out where we are being social (almost always away from the computer).

My weekend Twilio project

I have been really interested in what Twilio has been doing. After hearing about the SMS API, I had to give it a try. The result: my own SMS assistant.

I have noticed that the largest fraction of my cell phone communications revolve around a few simple questions:

Where are you?

&

What are you doing tonight (or near future)?

Many times, I miss calls or texts from friends asking these questions, resulting in missed opportunities to hang out or socialize. So, I decided to remove myself as the bottleneck. Now, if I miss a friend's call, instead of an old voicemail prompt, my SMS assistant (complete with personal greetings) will ask if they want a text with my location and plans for tonight.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Give it a try (call me). If you get routed to voicemail it is because you aren't in my contacts or it is broken. Either way, let me know and I can add your number or fix it.