February 2012
2 posts
2 tags
Five little problems with Twitter's UI →
I rarely use the Twitter web UI, but have certainly felt like it’s gotten worse in the last couple of revisions. This post does a good job of pointing out a few issues.
Listen to Your Community, But Don't Let Them Tell... →
Really enjoyed this post by Jeff Atwood. Resisting the temptation to implement feature requests from users can be really tough. However, the point of talking to your users isn’t to harvest their ideas, but to gain insight into how they think.
January 2012
1 post
1 tag
iBooks Textbooks
I don’t pretend to be very familiar with the publishing world, but I’m not willing to bet against Apple at this point. I remember hearing that 30% was a lot off the top for apps. Then that charging for a developer’s license and forcing developers to use obj-C would mean that the app store would never take off. We still hear that seemingly arbitrary rejections from the store will be the end of...
December 2011
2 posts
1 tag
The Dumbest Idea In The World: Maximizing... →
I’d be curious to hear a counter point arguing for the safe harbor provision and stock-based executive compensation.
1 tag
Kindle Fire Usabilty →
I haven’t spent any time using a Kindle Fire so can’t comment on whether I think the analysis is accurate. It does look like the issues raised can be addressed in software though - so that’s good news for Amazon.
I thought the most interesting part is the prediction: “7-inch tablets have either a glorious future or will fail miserably”. I’m inclined to agree. I...
October 2011
1 post
1 tag
Steve Jobs
I’ve been really struggling with what to write about Steve’s passing. He was the person I admired the most in the world. He was insanely great(tm) at something I place an enormous amount of value in - being right. Other people have called this having great taste, but I don’t think that really covers it.
His hypercritical eye and legendary attention to detail empowered his...
September 2011
2 posts
3 tags
I wouldn't have split up Netflix
This morning, Reed Hastings (CEO, Netflix) announced that amid the backlash over the recent pricing change, Netflix would be split into two brands: Netflix (online streaming) and Quickster (DVD delivery).
In the announcement he said:
Our view is with this split of the businesses, we will be better at streaming, and we will be better at DVD by mail. It is possible we are moving too fast – it is...
1 tag
WatchA great introduction to Metro, a genuinely unique design language and model for applications introduced in Windows Phone, but further realized in Windows 8.
I really like how Jensen takes the time to explain the intention and real user benefit of a lot of the decisions. I really look forward to trying out a Windows 8 slate in person.
August 2011
9 posts
2 tags
Thoughts on software patents
Working for Microsoft, a few things I’m working on are being considered for patents. As someone who believes that patents on software are a bad idea, I’ve got mixed feelings about this.
This paragraph from Lukas Mathis’ post ”It’s broken“ pretty much sums up my beliefs about patents:
Patents make sense when there’s a huge initial investment, the resulting...
2 tags
Solving the wrong problem - why agility matters →
2 tags
Startup Genome Project: first report available
Download link (form required)
The one person who should be thrilled about this is Eric Ries. A lot of the findings boil down to what we’ve heard out of the lean startup community from some time now. Except instead of the insights of few luminaries, we seem to be getting a fairly similar set of findings from a somewhat scientific approach*. Stuff like:
Have more than one founder, ideally...
2 tags
Lion terminal: nice touch
What’s going on here?
I’d just restarted my machine (installing 10.7.1 update) and had opted to ‘Reopen windows when logging back in’ (another nice new feature). The terminal pops up with my previous session still visible but greyed out to indicate that it’s not current. Nice attention to detail.
Some intern got pretty busy upgrading the terminal app. Other...
2 tags
Great company: drchrono
Drchrono is a silicon valley based company that makes a modern suite of medical information products including an iPad based EHR (electronic health record).
I found out about these guys while listening to a recent episode of the startup success podcast.
I’ve been fascinated by the state of medical record keeping for as long as I can remember. As a kid I remember worrying about whether I...
“Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous...”
– Ben Horowitz (link)
1 tag
The day everyone thought I'd killed someone
I’ll start this by saying that I mean no disrespect to the family involved and hope that they are doing well. No one should have to endure the loss of a child, especially to senseless violence.
In 2005 I was living in Ottawa, working for the government - ok, hardly working for the government. I was playing frisbee six nights a week, going out lots and hooking up with girls - life was...
3 tags
Updating Mac apps: still shitty
I think the Mac App Store is awesome - it sure beats the crap out of sites like macupdate.com. After buying my first app through the store I was bewildered why buying and installing software hasn’t always worked like this. I’ve spent more on desktop software since it’s come out than I had cumulatively beforehand*.
However, upgrading an app without going to the store kind of...
Normal people having app ideas is a good thing
You knew we were at the height of the dot com bubble when your dropout friend messaged on ICQ about his wicked idea for a website - lawn chairs.. online!
Something similar is happening today - your friend/sister/uncle who told you two years ago they’re not a “computer person” is asking how to get started with their great app idea. I was at a nerd meetup the other night and I was...
July 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Windows Phone needs to be more than a phone
Windows phone is a great product that’s failed to gain any traction in the marketplace. I believe that the Samsung Focus is the 3rd best phone on the market (behind the two iPhones for sale). However, like Palm before it, it doesn’t seem to matter.
A simple explanation would be that I’m wrong - the market picks the best products and the market is screaming failure for the...
2 tags
Idea: Rdio remote control
After a recent hard drive failure I switched from iTunes to Rdio and I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far, and not just because I have friends that work there.
In addition to a few artists not on Rdio, I’m really missing the ability to control the music playing on my home stereo from my phone. Apple’s ‘Remote’ app worked brilliantly - I could pause the music as...
June 2011
4 posts
1 tag
Idea: prediction market for startups
Everyone in the tech community has opinions about which of the current breed of startups will succeed and which are stupid ideas that will end in tears.
How about being able to place some bets?
Update: I’m working on it! It seemed too fun and too easy to pass up. Check progress at http://startupbookie.heroku.com
1 tag
Idea: PayPal + Facebook mashup
PayPal is great - it’s the easiest way I know of to send money to someone. It could be a lot better though. Presently I have to:
Ask the recipient if they have a PayPal account, and if so what email address to use
Go to the site
Go through the artificially prolonged login sequence (do people really believe it’s more secure or something??)
Click through their advertisement
Select...
1 tag
Idea: screen writing software
Nearly everyone in the film / tv industry uses the same writing software - final draft. It’s standalone desktop software without any collaboration or sharing capabilities. Someone should do better.
Brad Smith (CEO, Intuit) at Startup Lessons...
On May 23 I hosted a simulcast of the ‘Startup Lessons Learned’ conference on Microsoft campus.
Brad Smith of Intuit was the only real representative from a large company to speak at this year’s conference, so his interview was of particular interest to me working at Microsoft. I was really impressed. He was more transparent and straightforward than anything I’ve heard from...