The TrueTalk Blog

The "What" and "How" of "Interesting"

In a socially-networked world which presents a humongous number of choices, who do you connect with?

For me, some connections are purely topical. If I'm interested in a particular subject domain, I look for experts in that domain and follow them. I am seeking their ideas, information, knowledge, influence about something in particular. This is why I watch Mario Batali or listen to Mike And The Mad Dog. For me, they excel in their domain-expertise. I listen to them because I'm interested in "what" they're talking about.

But other connections are more broad-based. This is the case when you find someone whose perspective, point of view, mindset is, in itself, interesting. I am interested in this person's "take" on things, no matter what those things might be. This is why I eagerly await anything by Malcolm Gladwell, Frank Rich, Van Morrison or the Coen Brothers. I listen to them because I'm interested in "how" they talk about things.

Vertical social networks, focusing on specific subject domains (everything from auto racing to knitting) are springing up everywhere. The question I have pertains to their sustainability. Unless I'm really, really, really (yup, three reallys) into a domain, I'm much more likely to seek out interesting people so that I can get their perspective on a wide-range of issues. I guess this is related to me being a fox rather than a hedgehog, but I wouldn't swear to it.

How about you? Whom do you find yourself engaging more frequently: "what" or "how" people?

What Are The Most Important Social Network Incentives?

Why people engage with others in social networks is a key question today. The other day, I made a video giving my thoughts about the adoption of video uploads. Now, I'm reading Charlene Li's new book, Groundswell, which only strengthens those opinions.

One key question remains: what are the most important social incentives for engaging in social networking? We know that "belonging" or "affiliation" are important motivators, as are "recognition" and "status." But, what about you? Why do you participate in networks? Why do you create material for blogs or vlogs? What's in it for you?

Surging Backwards

I don't really do much politics here on the TrueTalk Blog. Leadership's more my thing.

But, the current events in Iraq caught my eye today, as the Iraqi government attempts to assert its leadership in a situation in which it's clearly overmatched.

We've all seen this. A leader is put in place as a puppet. Everyone knows s/he's a puppet, but we all nod and go, "harrumph, harrumph, yeah, that's the leader" when we all know perfectly well that the leader is somebody else behind the scenes.  OK, most times, no problem.

Flash over to Iraq.

For the past year, we've watched as more US troops have stabilized Baghdad. Not much surprise there. You put 40,000 of the finest American service personnel in a city, they will establish order.

But, everybody involved knew it was a charade.

The only reason the surge had created the kind of widespread stability that we've seen is because we bought off this weasel, Muqtada al-Sadr.

We've heard this fellow described in lots of different ways over the past few years but one thing is clear: he's a leader. He has a substantial militia at his disposal and he knows how to leverage that street power into political advantage.

In the last 48 hours, the Iraqi government has decided to take al-Sadr on in Basra. That's not just a tactic, it's a change of leadership strategy. We're betting on al-Maliki to make this happen, with the help of a shitload of air cover. We'll see.

If this doesn't work, if Baghdad starts to blow up now, then we have to assume that the leaders of our efforts have not succeeded in their earnestly pursued goal of establishing local order.

There is no disgrace in that. Our leaders went into the situation knowing the odds of actually reversing the consequences of five years worth of decisions were very small, and did a terrific job trying to pull our bacon out of the fire.

Great example of leadership under General Petraeus.

I hope it works.

YouTube By The Numbers

I've made a lot of YouTube videos. I've found the experience to be very beneficial. I  have met some fascinating people and learned a lot about the ways social media affect interpersonal relationships. I've also used my channel as a way to explore ideas out loud, a method which I've always found suits my temperament.

My videos are unusual on YouTube, certainly not for everyone. A couple of months ago, YouTube gave the members of the YouTube Community Council (I am one of five inaugural members of that group) a glimpse at a new set of statistics that today were announced for wide release. The tool makes for interesting browsing. Here, for example, is a picture of the viewing pattern for a recent video:

The tool permits producers to isolate views by continent and by country over time. It turns out that this video was a big hit in Germany and Sweden! Who knew?

Anyway, nice job by the YouTube development team in releasing this interesting tool and encouraging video producers to obsess over the reasons for their videos' view curves! 

Who's Here?

Sometimes it's hard for those of us who blog and vlog, who spend time on Twitter, Seesmic, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, FriendFeed and who knows what else every day to remember that we're crazy.

I mean, only crazy people are as far ahead of the curve as we are. Like Lennon said, "Imagine all the people..." just going about their lives, oblivious of the technologies they'll be adopting next year and the year after that.

That's the subject of this lengthy video. I'd very much appreciate your comments.

Starbucks: What To Do When The Coffee Goes Cold

Starbucks has been going through some tough times. The economic downturn naturally hits discretionary spending hardest and, well, a $4.00 latte is nothing if not discretionary spending.

Good companies try new things during tough times. Now, that might sound counterintuitive. You'll often hear people suggest that those are the times to "stick to your knitting," "get back to basics," or, "focus on the fundamentals."

But, everyone else will be "sticking to their knitting" during a downturn, right? Isn't that the time to think about trying crochet?

Here's what I mean.

Business is all about differentiation and focus. Trust me. There are no more important words in business than those two...maybe not just in business. And the harder of the two is the first.

Finding and maintaining a strong point of difference is what has made Starbucks a winner. It's never just been about the coffee. After all, they practically invented the idea of the "third place" in the US. Betting on customer experience as your point of differentiation is especially smart.

Why?

Because most products are just "stuff."

Oh, sure, every once in a while you get one of these, but most of the time, anything you can make, your competition can make, too. If not today, then two months from today.

So, focusing on a product as the key to your differentiation strategy is dicey. You better be very, very good at innovating and at speed.

So, if product differentiation isn't the key to winning, what is?

Well, certainly not price. Again, unless you've got a lot of big yellow smiley stickers you want to smack all over everything you sell.

So, what's left? Well, don't get me wrong. You don't give up on product and price, but if you're looking for a key to differentiation, betting on customer experience at least puts the game in your own hands.

You get to decide what your "store" (or shop, or salon, or website) looks and feels like. You get to decide how you treat your customers. You get to decide how to surprise and delight them with little touches. You get to decide how to involve them in your business. You get to decide...well, you get the picture.

Back to Starbucks.

Given all the problems they're facing, they decided to...surprise...go "back to basics." But, take a look at their basics:

• Begin selling a new everyday brew, Pike Place Roast, named after Starbucks’ first location at Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market.
• Brew smaller batches of coffee to be served in 30 minutes or less.
• Phase in a new espresso machine, the Mastrena.
• Buy Coffee Equipment Co., maker of the industry-favorite Clover single-cup commercial brewer, and introduce the machines to many U.S. locations.
• Give Starbucks Card holders more benefits, including a free beverage when they buy a pound of coffee.
• Launch www.mystarbucksidea.com, a social networking site.

Notice that last bullet.

The new Starbucks social networking site is a blog for customers, a place where new ideas can be collected, discussed and voted upon.

Basics? Hmm.

Listen to CEO Howard Schultz:

By embracing our heritage, returning to our core - all things coffee - and our relentless commitment to innovation, we will reignite the emotional connection we have with our customers and transform the Starbucks experience.

So, if your company's "basics" don't include a strong focus on key differentiators, customer experience and innovation for example, maybe it's NOT time to stick to your knitting. Maybe it's time to venture out into some new territory. Maybe it's time to figure out how to use the most valuable resource at your disposal...the intelligence of your entire value-ecosystem...to discover differentiators that will last beyond the next product cycle.

Whither (Wither?) Authority?

Remember when there were powerful people who controlled things?; whose opinions you listened to and trusted?

Now what?

South Park Fans

If you love Erik, Stan, Kyle and the rest of the youngsters from Colorado, don't miss Comedy Central's latest entry into the world of online content. The site includes a blog, video from all 12 seasons and plenty of other goodies. Have fun!

Hat tip: Jack Myers Media Report

Gratuitious Cruelty

If you've spent any time on YouTube besides watching videos someone forwards to you or things you find on their front page, you'll discover a dirty little secret: there's a lot of nastiness going on there. The people who have the hardest time are those who are in any way "different"; handicapped, homely, helpless. Oh, and women. Women have a rougher time than men. A friend of mine made a video about this disconcerting situation and I made this response.

Hospital Workers Speared

At least two UCLA Medical Center employees will be fired for snooping on Britney Spears' medical records. The didn't get to the psych record, but the fact that they were looking at things they shouldn't have been is proof enough of the kind of madness that overtakes people in a celebrity-fueled culture. The distortive power of fame is so pervasive that it gets even the most level-headed people to act irresponsibly. Be careful what you wish for...