Project83 Blog - Commentary on web development, standards and small business

August 19th, 2008

LAUNCH: FeedMyInbox.com

“What’s a feed?”

I hear this question at least a few times per week. In short, feeds are the future. A feed is a document that keeps track of updated content on a website. Blogs and news sites are the most common places to find feeds since the content is updated pretty often.

When you subscribe to a feed, you can be notified when the content is updated without having to visit the website. Geeks use feed readers, like the one google has. I personally follow about 60 different feeds from my reader. It is much more convenient to have all the new content from those sites on-demand rather than visiting the sites individually.

Since experts say that only 3% of people use feed readers, we need a way to bridge the gap and help people figure it out. Feed My Inbox is our solution. When a feed you have subscribed to is updated, we will send you an email with the new post(s).

About Feed My Inbox

The concept is designed to be as easy as possible for the 97% out there that is figuring out the feed scene. All you have to do is enter a website, and enter your email on the home page. The application will go to the website, find any available feeds there and subscribe you. Simply click the link we email you to confirm the subscription, and it’s all set.

It literally takes 30 seconds or less to add a feed. No new software or learning is required.

Each time the feed is updated, you will be notified through email. However, if a feed is updated more than once in a 24-hour period, you receive one email with all the updates. This is designed to keep your inbox tidy, as no one wants more email than they already get.

How Long Did it Take?

I talked about this a lot on my twitter feed, but we tried to create this entire application in 1 day. All in all it took a little over 2 full days, but all the design and front-end stuff was done within the first day. We just wanted to make sure the technical side and emails were done right, so that part took a little longer.

Building something this way is great for a number of reasons:

We built ONLY features that were absolutely necessary to launch, then added the rest to a list for “someday maybe”.
All working together, 100% focused on the goal for an entire day, was a great source of momentum. We all pushed each other, and as a result, things happened quicker.
After only a couple full days of work, we have an extraordinary sense of accomplishment! You can’t beat that with a stick.

I Thought You Built Websites, not Software

We DO build websites, and thoroughly enjoy it! However, we like to work with our own ideas too. It keeps us sharp, motivated and always learning new things. So to make these ideas a reality, I partnered with the same two guys to create a software company called Brightwurks. I will make Brightwurks announcements on this blog from time-to-time.

Feed My Inbox is the first of many web-based software applications Brightwurks is building. We have 3 more in the works. We would love to hear what you think of this one.

Posted in Brightwurks, Software, Web Development - 3 Comments

August 14th, 2008

Oddities in the Business of Sports

It seems that major professional sports in America get to play by a different set of rules than other, less-publicized industries from a business perspective. I would not normally bring it up in this blog, but these issues effect anyone living in a city with a professional sports team. Plus, I find it to be an interesting debate.

As a sports fan myself, 2 issues in particular have provoked many questions for me …

1. How Teams Pay for New Venues

The business of building new sports venues in America is big. More than 50 have been built since 1990, with more under construction. What I don’t get is how in the world these venues are financed and paid for mostly by taxpayers, yet owners make all the profits.

Cities sell the public on these stadiums, citing all the long-term economic benefits. However, no new jobs are created from new stadiums, and per capita income does not increase. So how do the taxpayers benefit again? The City of Pittsburgh paid for nearly ALL of their baseball team’s (the Pirates) new stadium just a few years ago, a $262 million “bargain”. And this is standard procedure all across the country, which goes without mentioning all the other things local governments SHOULD be spending the money on.

Leave it to the New York Yankees to knock this one out of the park. This New York Times article from 2004 is the laughable proposal for the NEW Yankees stadium scheduled to open next season. The Yankees originally told the city they would pay for most of what they said would be a $700 million stadium. The city and state was originally asked to only put up around a total of $100 million, including parks, garages and so forth around the stadium.

So how have things shaped up since then? The new Yankees stadium will be the most expensive ballpark in American history, costing more than $1.3 billion (and still counting). But the city/state is only in it for $100 million, right? WRONG. Taxpayers are now responsible for $204 million of the park, then another $300 million for parking garages and parkland.

The local community had no input on the decision to move forward with the stadium. No vote, no public hearings. Mmmmm, democracy. All in all, the Yankees ownership will end up paying $650 million, while taxpayers will pay over $500 million. Yet somehow, and this is the kicker, the city makes NOTHING from this “investment” other than sales tax. The Yankees will make all the profits (tickets, advertising, souvenirs, etc.), have no rent to pay (like they do currently), and will continue to thrive as baseball’s biggest spenders in the game.

Not only are taxpayers stuck with the bill, but they may not be able to afford season tickets next year. Not only does a ticket priced at $12 in 1990 cost $250 in 2008, but the same ticket is expected to cost $500 or more next year. These numbers are based on the top ticket price for a box seat.

Thankfully, because I have to end this on a less depressing note, some organizations choose to be responsible about new stadiums. For instance, the San Francisco Giants (baseball team) built the first privately-owned stadium since 1962, requiring almost nothing from taxpayers.

How many of you out there would be willing to fund Project83, and our software company Brightwurks? We will happily take your money, however you won’t make any of the profits and will still have to pay the regular price to use our software or have access to our services. Any takers? I didn’t think so.

For more on this issue, check out Field of Schemes by Neil deMause and Joanna Cagan.

2. Re-negotiating Player Contracts

Why is it that players in all major sports are not only able to demand unbelievable sums of money for performing on the field, but if they actually do their job and live up to expectations, they want to re-negotiate their contract for more money before it is up? Yet if they get a big contract, then don’t play up to their pay grade, management has no right to re-negotiate a contract in the other direction.

Since the football season is upon us, there is always a group clamoring for more money because they want to be paid like the other guys are. This year’s crowd includes Devin Hester, Anquan Boldin, Kellen Winslow and Steven Jackson. Those players all had great years last year, and all but one have ended their holdout in favor of a big fat contract. But how about the guys making a ton of money that did not deliver last season? Where are those contract re-negotiations?

Maybe I’m old school, but if you sign a contract, you play for the money you agreed to until the contract is up. Period. If you want to re-negotiate in the middle, then general managers should be able to do the same upon a lack-luster performance.

I wonder how that philosophy would work in the real world. Major executives just stay home and decide not to come to work because the guy in the same position at their competitor now makes more money. I am pretty sure in most cases that executive can forget about having a job at all.

The best thing for pro sports would be to simply make player salaries PRIVATE. That way there is no basis for comparison. This exact same thing happened when Corporate CEO salaries were made public (Predictably Irrational has a great study about this). When the rule was instituted, regulators thought that it would force companies to keep salaries low and prevent public outcry. That never happened, only the opposite. CEOs began demanding more based on what “the other guy” was getting. And off to the races we go …

As a sports fan, entrepreneur and taxpayer, I think these issues are very important to come out against. I would encourage others to speak up and end ridiculous practices within this industry, which have a profound effect on our lives OUTSIDE of sports too.

Posted in Business, Random - 1 Comment

August 5th, 2008

Core Values at Project83

All great companies strive for something more than profit. They have a mission; a higher purpose, called values. A company’s value system guides their every decision, and defines internal culture. Most importantly, it separates them from their competitors and enables them to achieve great success.

Semco values empowering and trusting their people. Zappos values their customers. Southwest Airlines values a bargain. While Project83 will never be as big or influential as any of these companies, it is still important to define what we value most. We don’t want to be big, but we do want to be great.

5 values have helped guide this business from the very beginning, and continue to influence our every decision today:

1. Be Honest and Upfront

Scope and budget are 2 things that can easily get out of hand in a web project without the proper management and foresight. When they do, the project ceases to be fun for anyone.

Before making any financial commitments with us, you will know exactly how long and how much. Period. Even when the answer is not what you want to hear, you will get the truth. And we will stick with it until the project is finished, unless something on your end changes.

Many individuals and firms out there will tell you what you want to hear upfront in order to get the contract, then not deliver. I see this all the time, and we have lost jobs because other companies over-promised. Project83 may not be the cheapest price or shortest timeframe upfront, but you can bet that what you see in the beginning is what you get in the end.

2. Give 110% to the Process

Our process of building websites works, and we dedicate 110% effort to each step along the way. No matter what the size, scope or budget of the project, we stand behind the process and don’t take shortcuts.

3. Do Great Work

Our number one goal when starting a project is to do great work. Not only do we strive for perfection aesthetically, but also in the structure and overall “user friendliness” of the site. Make the design more WOWing, make the code a bit lighter, or add one small touch that makes things easy for users. Whatever it is, we strive with each project to do better work than the one before.

It doesn’t matter if no one seems to notice the subtle gradient or intelligent use of typography. If it enabled you to do great work for the client and get better at the same time, it is a win-win.

4. Partner with Quality People

Like any other business, the web business comes down to people and relationships. Our goal is to create positive, long-lasting relationships with people founded on mutual respect. We interview our potential customers, and that’s been a huge benefit for both sides starting out.

One thing I will be clear about is that we don’t take orders. We go into every project with an open mind, willing to learn from what the client has to offer, and we expect the same from the people we work with. If you can’t come to us willing to listen to ideas and suggestions that will help the project succeed, then please don’t come to us at all. Since value #3 requires us to do great work, that means your users’ best interest is always the top priority. Notice I did not say your best interest. The customer or user is the #1 priority.

5. CANI (Constant and Never-Ending Improvement)

A great friend and mentor taught me the concept of CANI, constant and never-ending improvement. Everything we do is constantly under a microscope, and we are looking for ways to do better. We spend significant time CANI’ing everything we do..

Thanks to advanced analytics and tracking data on the web, you can always find ways to CANI your project. So we always look to make measurable improvements in building sites, or optimizing them.

We think these 5 things make Project83 rather unique in our space. What makes your business unique? What is your higher calling past money? Consciously be thinking about what your company values, and how it can be used as the foundation to build a better business.

Posted in Business, Project83 - 1 Comment

July 24th, 2008

Why Wall Street Has it All Wrong

I can’t help getting frustrated when I read about the mentality on Wall Street. I do not understand all the talk about valuations, projections, analyst opinions and other BS that is all purely speculation. Did someone forget that projection is another word for guess? Educated guess at best.

Shouldn’t all the brilliant people in this industry be hedging their bets on something a little more concrete than a guess?

Forget creating great products. Forget making a positive contribution to society. Forget providing extraordinary customer service. Analysts and investors force companies to maximize profit at all costs. It is the only number they see. Grow, profit, grow, profit, that’s all that matters. Forget about long-term vision and success, all that matters to these people is next quarter.

There are some amazing companies today, doing great things in their industry. And they all have one thing in common: ideology rules, profits do not. History proves time and time again that great companies are built on solid values, and an ideology that takes precedence over anything else. Profits are simply the end result.

Ricardo Semler puts it masterfully in his book, The Seven-Day Weekend:

“The minute I hear conventional explanations for business practices, like the idea that companies are required to grow, that profit is paramount, I know I’m encountering calcified thinking …

Why do we have to make more money every quarter or face being downgraded by analysts on Wall Street? Because Wall Street needs to guarantee income to pension funds, which in turn finance ever-increasing numbers of retired people? Because it must compensate for too many bad bets on start-ups, dot-coms and mature players that are no longer ready for prime time? Because it has hired too many MBAs who make too much money and drive costs even higher?

None of these is a convincing reason for relentless growth.”

Bottom line, the profit-centerd mentality pushed on public companies by analysts and investors in the past several years has reached an all-time low.

Companies are bigger than ever, thanks to merger after merger and growth for the sake of higher profits. Public perception of these companies is lower than ever, and for good reason. Everyone hates their cell phone provider because the customer service is a joke. Why? Because it’s cheap for providers to outsource customer service to India and infuriate their customers on a daily basis.

Here are a couple real-world examples of Wall Street logic simply not adding up in the last week:

Example #1: Google

Google, a great company with a solid values that guide their business, announced Q2 profits last week. They profited $1.25 billion, up from $925 million last year in the same quarter. Unbelievable, a 35% increase year over year, reporting a profit of $4.63/share. However, since “analysts” had predicted a return of $4.72/share, the stock plunged as much as 12%. Huh?

Example #2: Apple

I’m not ready to call Apple a great company, but there is no doubt they make great products. In Q2 Apple sold an unprecedented number of Macs, 2.5 million to be exact. Not to mention the other phenomenal product offerings that have been leaping off of shelves. Their profits neared a 31% increase over last year. Yet Apple’s stock plunged almost 11% because they only issued $1/share earnings, instead of the “projected” amount of $1.23/share. Are you kidding? Best Q2 in the company’s history and stock goes down double digits?

The attitude on Wall Street (no offense to the street, I love working right next to it) is all wrong, and I would go so far as to say that it (and the media) has had a large impact on the current state of the struggling US ecomony.

I for one will not subject myself or any of my companies to such ridiculous and flawed thinking. Growth is NOT always the answer, and it does NOT always mean a greater level of success. Companies that put values first, profits second, win.

Posted in Web Development - No Comments

July 18th, 2008

Summer Reading List

“Summer Reading List” — those 3 words struck fear into my heart throughout grade school. However, now they take on a whole new meaning because I get to read what I want to read! As an entrepreneur and self-proclaimed geek (others tend to proclaim it for me as well), continuing education is the most important part of my work.

Here are some AMAZING reads that get my highest recommendation for your summer reading list …

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

QBQ is a message that so dearly needs to be heard in our culture. Everyone you know can benefit from this book. In less than 100 pages (about 2 hours beginning to end), Author John G. Miller will change the way you look at personal accountability. Learning from the principles in this book has had a profound impact on my personal AND professional life. I just finished reading it for the second time.

The Innovator’s Dilemma

This is a “research” book from one of the world’s foremost thinkers on innovation. I will warn you, I found myself re-reading about every other sentence. However, the principles and lessons learned in this book are beyond priceless.

Clayton M. Christensen studies various industries, and the disruptive innovations that eventually led to the demise of otherwise great companies (good management, good culture, etc.). The takeaways from this book completely changed my perspective about innovation, and how great companies sustain their edge.

Defensive Design for the Web

This “oldie but goodie” (published in 2004) from 37signals is one of the best books about web development available. They examine “best practices” in how to handle errors and things that go wrong on a website, something that deserves much more thought and consideration in our industry. Their definitive research walks through stuff like error pages, site help, form validation and search. Fantastic book, and for more from these guys, see Getting Real.

Mavericks at Work

I have only read about 25 pages of this book so far, but I know already that it has great wisdom for entrepreneurs. The title could not be more fitting, as it profiles companies that break the rules, and are winning BIG as a result. My biggest takeaway so far, which was first iterated in Built to Last, is that profits and competition don’t drive great companies. Core ideology always rules, and the rest follows. It’s a shame these kinds of companies are considered “mavericks” and are not more common.

Posted in Business, Reviews - No Comments

July 14th, 2008

Highlights 7/14

7 great links definitely worth a minute of your time on a busy Monday …

An Inside Look at Zappos

There was a must-see story about Zappos on ABC News this past week. I have been enamored by this company since hearing CEO Tony Hsieh talk at SXSW in March. What a great company culture, I hope we can make it out to Las Vegas this year to get the tour in person.

Yahoo Design Stencils

Yahoo just released a really great stencil kit that helps anyone create high-quality wireframes. We use OmniGraffle for all wireframing, which I highly recommend. Other file formats available for the stencil kit are Visio (XML), PDF, PNG and SVG.

10 Questions to Ask Before Using Flash

We get requests weekly to use flash, and very seldom does it really fit the bill. Usually there is a better, much more user-friendly way of presenting content or graphics. Future Now came up with 10 questions that make the decision rather easy.

SEO Guide for Designers

Awesome beginner’s SEO guide for anyone doing web development. Definitely worth a read.

Twhirl - AIR Twitter Client

I am relatively new to twitter, but fell in love with twhirl immediately. It is built with Adobe AIR, is more reliable than twitterific (in my opinion) and also syncs with FriendFeed.

Vertical Centering with CSS

I recently found this article very helpful in trying to vertically center a site within a page.

What was Google thinking?

I’m as big a Google fan as any, but I can’t imagine why they would choose to change their favicon. I was spellbound … a lowecase “g”? I just don’t get it. This article has the scoop …

Posted in Highlights - No Comments

July 2nd, 2008

SHOWCASE- Heartprints, Lampion and Andy Andrews

Today I posted three new showcase sites that we launched in the last couple of months. Amazingly, all three sites are for individuals. Two own very successful consulting companies, and one is a renowned speaker and New York Times bestselling author.

Heartprints Adoption

Heartprints Adoption is the company of Sharon Brani, and she is fully dedicated to helping to-be parents navigate the complicated waters of the adoption process. Through many years of experience, she also shares excellent advice and information about adoption on her blog. It was a pleasure working with her, and a company doing such good work for people.

Lampion Consulting

Lampion is the company of Paul Heagen, a seasoned and very experienced corporate consultant. He works directly with CEOs and leaders of major corporations (Verizon, Disney and Cisco to name a few), and helps them communicate better with employees, shareholders and customers through a number of services. Paul is also an author, with a book called Real Owls Don’t Bark available from his website.

Andy Andrews

Andy was one of our very first clients three years ago (still one of our favorites!), and his accomplishments are far too lengthy to begin listing in a couple simple paragraphs. He is a New York Times bestselling author, corporate speaker to virtually every major company you can think of, and more recently has begun blogging (thanks to some gentle prodding from us).

This project was a re-align (for a definition, see this article) from the previous version of the site, improving functionality, focusing on a couple main objectives and moving the whole site to our Springboard content management platform. We could not be more pleased with how it turned out!!

Posted in Project83, Showcase, Web Development - No Comments

June 29th, 2008

Taking a Leap to New York City

This past Thursday my wife and I completed a move from Nashville to New York City for the summer. It’s always been a dream of mine to be here, and we are very excited about finally taking the leap, even if it is only a temporary leap for now.

The primary reason for being here is to continue growing Project83 as a company, working with new and existing clients on some exciting projects. Our friends and hosting/merchant partners at Voxel Dot Net and MerchantPlus have provided a space for me in their beautiful offices at 29 Broadway (next to Wall Street), so luckily I get to grow the company in style.

My hope with this post is to establish some overall objectives for the summer, and follow-up on them in a subsequent post after we come back to Nashville in September. I fully expect it to be an unpredictable, busy and educational summer.

1. Take Advantage of Proximity

They say proximity is power, and I want to take full advantage of what’s happening within a few square miles of the office. For the first time, I am actively seeking out new clients and partners that can benefit from the services we provide. Of course, our clients come from literally all over the place, and that’s not going to change. However, my goal is to make a concentrated effort at creating relationships here that can help us grow the company while providing a great benefit to the client.

I believe Project83 and our team of guys does incredible work, and provides stellar expertise about the web without the “know-it-all” attitude. Lots of small and medium-sized businesses need people like that, and my goal is to seek them out.

2. Enjoy the Commute

This marks the first time I have had to get out of my pajamas in order to go to work unless I have a meeting. All of our guys work remotely from home, and it works really well. Now that the office is a separate place, it forces me to make the very most of my time there. Staying focused and being as productive as possible in a new work environment is really important. Also, figuring out what hours work best productivity-wise is definitely crucial.

The greatest benefit of the 29 Broadway office is the fact that I can separate work from all other stuff much easier. I am enjoying time at home, taking longer walks with the wife and dogs, and overall learning to relax much more as a result of this shift. My hope is that enjoying life a bit more away from the office will make my time in the office much more productive.

3. Blog More

Fact is, this blog is our #1 marketing tool, and a great way to contribute to what is going on in our industry. Blogging is a quality investment of time, so with that and my new personal twitter feed (I know, I’m waaaay late to the twitter party), I am poised to make it a much larger priority. Putting this objective in writing adds just the pressure I need!

4. Launch a new Application

A while back, we had a fantastic idea for a simple web application. We built the basics in about a weekend. I have been using it for over a year, and it has been incredibly useful. SO useful in fact, that we wanted to create it as a service other web developers could use. After getting a little off track for a while, we’re back to actively working on it and won’t stop until it is finished.

The goal is to finish this application up and launch it in September. So I hope to shed more light on it then.

Hopefully these lofty objectives are encouragement to anyone else out there that needs to make a “leap” in their life of some sort. Whether it relates to business or personal life, I STRONGLY recommend making that leap and never turning back. Take some calculated risks, do what it takes to grow your business and enjoy yourself in the process!

Posted in Business, Project83 - No Comments

May 22nd, 2008

2 Great Documentaries

Ever since receiving the gift of Netflix for Christmas (one of the best gifts ever), I have had the opportunity to see some incredible films I probably never would have seen otherwise. Two documentaries in particular have been both eye-opening and inspirational, a great investment of some weekend lounge time.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

In the economic climate of today, I’m sure this one is flying off the shelves. But I want to start by saying this movie was not what I expected. It tells an unbelievable story that most people have not heard. The story of GM’s EV1, subsequent electric cars from other manufacturers and their eventual demise is tragic. But it IS a story everyone needs to see in order to bring about action with major auto companies and our government.

The documentary has a happy ending, much of which is still being written today. Slowly, people are understanding that hydrogen is NOT the answer (probably never will be, duh), and electric cars have a place in the future of the automotive industry.

Look no further than silicon valley startup Tesla Motors for proof of the amazing progress. Just this month, Hymotion released an unbelievable product to convert Toyota Prius models into plug-in hybrids, and in some cases TRIPLE the gas mileage. Google was one of the first companies to invest in and partner with Hymotion, with their RechargeIT project. Maybe someday our Prius will get one of those!

There is a movement going on in the automotive industry, and this documentary has played an important role. Here is the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Hacking Democracy

Being in a computer-related field, the premiss behind this movie instantly peaked my interest. What would it be like to hack a voting machine? Is it possible? Has it ever been done? Most importantly, why aren’t voting machines Macs?

Surely the private companies that sell these machines and our government have the proper checks and balances in place to ever prevent a problem, right? The answer will floor you.

I want to be clear that this movie is not a partisan bandwagon of sore losers from the 2000 Presidential Election, or any other one for that matter. It is quite simply an investigation into the practices of Diebold (nation’s largest provider of voting machines), and how their fraud, corruption and stupidity has called into question NUMEROUS elections over the years. The makers of the film prove it, too. Truly amazing film for geeks and non-geeks alike, which is hopefully a call to action for local governments around the country to make a change. Here is the trailer:

Posted in Reviews - 3 Comments

April 25th, 2008

Design Gallery: eCommerce Progress Bars

We do a great deal of eCommerce research, design and development for clients, and one design element I am always fascinated by are progress bars. A progress bar is one of those “best practices” for a checkout process, which shows the user how many steps are in the checkout process, and what step they are currently on.

I always find myself searching for good examples of progress bars, and decided to devote significant time to seeing what was out there. It was interesting to see the ones that got creative, the ones that were downright boring and even the merchants that lacked a progress bar at all. Here is a gallery of what I found, in alphabetical order by merchant. Just click on the thumbnail to see the full-size version.