Posts - Page 1

  • A Copywriter Writing About the Right Way to Write Copy

    Jul 26th, 2021 - Category: Strategy

    Even though I’m a technical writer sometimes I stray away from writing technical papers, user manuals, and datasheets and find myself writing copy destined for marketing. It’s definitely a different mindset. While it still requires distilling product complexity into a “user friendly” form, writing for marketing requires actionable facts rather than explanation. For example, a manual should clearly explain the various functions of a sound level meter and how to use its features: levels, frequency, and weighting networks. However marketing copy might focus on the benefits of using those features in a specific industry like automotive or telecom.

  • Who Should Own What in Cyberspace: API Copyrights and App Store Monopolies

    Apr 27th, 2021 - Category: Strategy

    First, two massive companies, Google and Oracle, went head to head recently in a battle of epic proportions. Very few people probably noticed or understood the topic, “Are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) protected by copyright law.” It’s a fight that has been going on for over a decade that finally ended up in front of the US Supreme Court with Oracle seeking billions in damages from Google. The allegation was that Google copied “37 API design specifications and implementations and 11 source code files” from Oracle’s Java programming language when Google created the Android mobile operating system.

  • Is Google Heading Down the Same Path as Yahoo?

    Aug 20th, 2016 - Category: Strategy

    Google Billboard This post is a continuation of last week’s post, “What Cameron Learned From 10 Years of Doing PR for Apple” which ended by asking if Google could eventually end up like Yahoo. It was a sad ending for the company that was the Google of its day. Verizon paid only around $5B for it (it was worth $125B in 2000). One of the reasons commonly cited for Yahoo’s prolonged decline was simply “a lack of focus.” A recent New York Times article, “Yahoo’s Sale to Verizon Ends an Era for a Web Pioneer” has the details and there are some eerie similarities to Google.

  • The Key to Creativity - and Success - Is Truth (via Gwen Stephani)

    Apr 15th, 2016 - Category: Strategy

    I have written about Taylor Swift extensively on Elephant Tech, but when I came across this post on LinkedIn by Gwen Stefani “The Key to Creativity - and Success - Is Truth,” I was a bit shocked. This is LinkedIn, not Facebook, so why is pop star Stefani considered a LinkedIn Influencer? Influencer is a designation given to approximately 500 professionals who’ve been invited to publish on LinkedIn because they are leaders in their industries and they discuss topics of interest. It is a big deal to receive this honor and the massive audience that goes with it. Of course, her 50K followers on LinkedIn are nothing compared to her 7.6M on Facebook so she must be doing it for a reason.

  • You Don't Know What You Don't Know Redux

    Feb 21st, 2016 - Category: Strategy

    Almost three years ago, I wrote the post, “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.” Today, the phrase is still a great reminder to always take a moment to consider the deeply hidden aspects of situations. The point was recently brought home again when I saw the Michael Moore movie “Where to Invade Next.” The name is a bit misleading: it’s really about great ideas created in the US that other countries have adopted successfully. Michael Moore goes to Italy, Finland, Germany, Slovenia, France, and Portugal to show how these ideas have improved their societies and cultures. The “invasion” idea is to suggest that America might benefit from adopting these ideas again. Despite extensive travel, I certainly “didn’t know what I didn’t know” about many of these topics.

  • Right Intent: Exploring the Idea of Maybe

    Jan 25th, 2016 - Category: Strategy

    It is easy for engineers to fall into the trap of binary thinking since many technical decisions are black and white. However, in the bigger world outside of spec sheets and cost/performance calculations, shades of grey dominate. Good technical salespeople constantly grapple with questions like should the customer be told the “truth” about a marginal product at the risk of losing a sale? Should management be alerted to a potential quota miss ahead of time and how soon? Should a promising product feature that is technically complete be delayed to the next release to compel users to upgrade? These are just a few examples of questions that fall into that grey area of “maybe.” These questions come up so often that some ancient belief systems have stories to illustrate the detachment crucial to making the right decision when faced with uncertainty. Here’s one story from the Taoist tradition:

  • In the Google Alphabet - C Should Stand for Customer Service

    Nov 15th, 2015 - Category: Strategy

    Alphabet Structure In case you missed the news, Google changed it’s name to Alphabet Inc. a couple of months ago. As Google says, “Alphabet is a holding company that gives ambitious projects the resources, freedom, and focus to make their ideas happen,” but it looks more like the beginning of a weird chapter in Google’s history. It reminds me of a situation I’ve seen many times. A company reaches a high level of success and then turns its energies inward. What follows is predictable: reorganizations, efficiency initiatives, price “optimization,” and other efforts focused on everything except the “customer first” attitudes which made the company successful. It can start small with changes like a middle manager revising customer service policies or, as in Google’s case, it can be a massive company wide shift.

  • The Damage Bad Products Can Cause - Google's OnHub

    Oct 26th, 2015 - Category: Strategy

    A company’s portfolio of high tech products and services is valuable and interconnected. Therefore, if one (or more) are not meeting customers’ expectations, it is critical to fix them or discontinue them as soon as possible. Inconsistent pricing or policies are another area to review. For example, some companies charge high prices for standard cables, add large mark-ups to computers sold with systems, or charge inappropriate restocking fees. Salespeople are trained to provide appropriate excuses such as ”We’re not in the computer (or cable) business” or “the computer costs more because we test it for compatibility with our systems.” Great, but that’s the company’s problem, not the customer’s. I used to regularly tell customers to buy certain common cables or computers online. It was the right thing to do and besides, customers aren’t stupid. When they discover these outrageous costs for themselves, it often leads them to start questioning every line item in a complex system, jeopardizing the entire sale. Even worse, those products and policies can make customers have doubts about an entire product line or company.

  • Learning to Run a Company in One Afternoon

    Apr 6th, 2015 - Category: Strategy

    Skunkworks In case this is a rough Monday already, here is a great inspirational quote from the book “Skunk Works” by Ben Rich. It was written in 1996 and the quote was from decades before that, but it is still excellent. Skunk Works was the elite, secret division of Lockheed that created breakthroughs such as the U-2 surveillance aircraft, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the stealth bomber. It was the original industry “disrupter,” much like the startups of today.

  • Is that the Light at the End of the Tunnel?

    Mar 18th, 2015 - Category: Strategy

    Or is it a train? A bit dramatic, but drama seems to be everywhere in the wireless industry these days. With T-Mobile’s extremely successful “uncarrier” programs (roll over data, etc.), Sprint clawing their way back into the game, and AT&T / Verizon’s arrogance (and high prices), it is a soap opera of epic proportions.