Perception is Reality

When I was in high school I was involved in competitive speech and debate, something I really enjoyed and was fairly good at.  I would often joke with my classmates and my coach that “perception is reality.”  If you appear confident, you will be perceived as more engaging.  If you dressed the part, you’d be taken more seriously.  If you walked in with file boxes of literature and research, you had immediate credibility.  You could help judges and competitors focus on your strengths by playing them up.  I find that this was an important lesson when I was sixteen, and is just as true today.

I recently wrote a post about the relationship between storytelling and branding.  In it, I pose the relationship between the reality of the product offering a company brings to market and the perception of the customers about how that product affects their lives.  In essence, all great brands leave their customers with a feeling - sense of being part of a larger story, movement, or idea.  Just like the file boxes make the debater more “serious” and “prepared,” so all products affect how individuals view themselves.  The perception of the brand in the mind of your customers, is in fact, the reality of what your brand stands for.

As we march towards the public release of the web application, Remarkable, I am challenged to define the few things that I want my customers to feel about themselves when they buy, use, and recommend the product to others.  Do I want them to feel technologically-saavy (not if that makes that application too difficult to use)?  Do I want them to feel thoughtful and connected to people in their lives?  Do I want them to feel organized and “with it”?  Do I want customers to feel creative (without overwhleming folks with options that detract from simplicity)?  How can the service itself make people feel proud to be associated with it?  So much so, that they want to use it again and again and recommend it to others.

It is these discussions that help drive the product design to focus on the things that are most important to the customer experience.  These decisions help reinforce the feelings of our customers.  I can’t wait for you to experience it and give me feedback first-hand.

Sign up for the beta (and encourage others folks you know and want to impress to do the same) and I guarantee you will feel like a part of an elite and exclusive group when this Summer I let you take an early peak at the application.

This cool picture is from Retinal Fetish on flickr.

I’m not taking one vote for granted

Here we are in the April and the campaign for the Presidential election in November is in full-swing.  I must admit that I am a bit apolitical.  I have opinions about things as everyone does, but this early in the race, I try not to pay much attention to who said what about whom.  It is exhausting and perhaps I take a page from Tim Ferriss’ when I choose to filter my news and media intake, so that I can focus on the things that I am passionate about and have time to do the things I want to do (although, for the record, it still takes significantly more than four hours a week).  That said, the nation is starting to narrow its focus on the upcoming vote (and this week I gave the DMV my new address so that I’d be able to participate and you should register, too).

I was reading a story in Danny Meyer’s excellent book, Setting the Table, about how Jeb Bush, then governor, called a restauranteer in Florida who had just opened a new location to give him a special number “just in case you need any roads moved or bridges built for your company.”  This story sent a message that the governor was not taking a vote for granted.  Danny went onto explain how this is the view that he takes with his customers as so much of his business depends on repeat visits to his New York City restaurants. 

I actually wish more businesses took this approach.  That they didn’t take my vote (or my order, my visit, my referral, etc) for granted.  I want Creative Outlet Labs to be the kind of company that creates raving fans and shows appreciation in new and unexpected ways.  Along this line, I’d love to hear your ideas on how we might do that as we approach the release of the web application later this Summer.  What are some things that other companies have done (or should have done in your opinion) to appreciate their customers?

The Best Job Ever!

Some girlfriends and I slipped away last weekend to a retreat where we could visit, reflect, and relax (and find some snow falling if you can believe it…in late April!).  At the retreat we played some games and in one a friend asked me what my favorite job of all time had been and why.  Without thinking about it much, I mentioned working for a software start-up early in my career.  There were tons of things I didn’t know, we weren’t terribly successful (all things considered and by benchmark standards), but, man, I will tell you that we had a lot of fun.  I don’t think I haven’t laughed so hard at work since those days.  Thanks to every colleague and customer who made that experience possible!

It could have been because the group and company was small (see a great post by the good folks at 37Signals about the concept of ten-groups, very provocative and right on the money in my experience).  It could have been because we were making creative software and selling it to schools.  It could be because I was learning so much and having fun stretching my professional muscles.  In any case, that is the position that came to mind.

Later, I was reflecting on my answer and thought that what I am doing with Creative Outlet Labs might be my favorite job ever.  After all, I am posting an article to the blog at 10:25 PM!  I am back learning, creating, and risking in new ways.  I so enjoy the creative process that I don’t consider it work and I have literally paid (instead of been paid) for the privilege of being involved in an inspiring project like this.  By all accounts and measures, this might be my favorite job.  The “job” of an entrepreneur.

I think the only job I would like more is to be the leader of a successful business.  I feel like I am on my way there and can’t wait and will someday soon be honored to invite a whole new group of customers (you!) to be a part of this journey.  Sign up for the beta to be a part.

What has been your all-time favorite job and why? 

Testing and More Testing

I apologize that things have been quiet on the posting front lately, but we have all been very busy in development and testing.  And testing.  And more testing.  Did I mention there was some testing involved?  It is great to get to know the application and I can’t wait to share it with you…but alas we haven’t done all the cool things we want to do yet, so it will be a few more months.

So, while we code, design, and test, sign up for the beta and encourage your friends and family to do the same.  Should be something remarkable!

#1 Tip for Spring Cleaning

 

As the weather turns warmer and the flower bloom, thoughts turn to cleaning up and cleaning out.  Clearing away the cobwebs and all unnecessary things to begin afresh.  A founder of Twitter wrote a great blog post that was worthy of repeating here.

Tip for cleaning out your closet

Don’t ask, “Can I imagine wearing this?”  Instead ask, “Can I imagine this ever being the best possible thing in my closet to wear?”  Works for other things, too.

So, as we are busy building Remarkable for you, I can’t help but think about this.  Rather than asking “Can I imagine anyone using this feature?” I should instead be asking “Can I imagine this being the best feature of this product and the reason people use it and tell their friends?”  If the answer to the second question is “no,” then it might not be worth the effort.  Trust me, early indications are that the application will be extremely useful in practical and surprising ways and will really make your life easier.  If not, then we are doing our part.

This unbelievable (but apparently true) photo is from sidewalk_story on Flickr.

A Beautiful Day

Today was a remarkably beautiful day in Portland, Oregon.  After several weeks of overcast coldness, Spring finally emerged into bright sunshine!  After dinner and gelato with the family, came back to alpha test and work on more details about Remarkable.

I ran across a quote today attributed to James Barrie that summed up today…”Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” 

I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying this phase of the process.  And I know it will be even more fun to have other people using the application to collaborate and celebrate in new ways.  The application is turning out to be very cool, the problems we are finding seem solvable, and I am reminded every day of the importance of what we are building.  It really isn’t work at all!

It All Starts With You

If you are interested in being part of our alpha test, or better yet, you have an occasion coming up in the life of someone you love that is worthy of celebrating, please let me know.   Unlike our upcoming beta test (sign up here), we are not releasing code access or allowing people outside our team to use these early versions, but parallel to that we are working on mastering the work flow and human processes that will be streamlined and automated with the new Remarkable by Creative Outlet Labs.

So, here is where I can use your help (and in plain English): if you are looking to celebrate a milestone birthday, graduation, retirement, or some other notable occasion with someone you love in the coming months and want to do something incredible for them (and you are willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that you won’t tell all of our secrets before its time), I’d love to hear from you.  Email AlphaMe@CreativeOutletLabs.com with the details and hopefully we can work together on something remarkable for the someone in your life that is remarkable!