Entries tagged as ‘technology’

Class is now in Session

August 30, 2008 · 1 Comment

I am excited. Two very good girlfriends of mine have asked me to help them out.

One of them is a coach - her offer is diverse, and her clients are varied. She provides guidance on intercultural leadership and communication, corporate management and team building, family coaching, one-on-one career coaching and successful generational wealth transfer.

The other is a lawyer. She is a partner at a small employment firm and manages not only other attorneys but a large case load.

They’re both super clever and I have a lot of professional respect for each of them. Both are interested in learning about technology in a broad-based way because they want to diversify their careers and have asked me to provide instruction. Not only am I flattered, but I feel that these ‘tutorials’ as I’ve been calling them, will be a great mental exercise and excuse to do some research into a space that I’ve become active in.

Having little to no experience in tech (Facebook, instant message and a few different email clients sums up their familiarity), I put together a list of 7 tutorials I want to explore. My goal is to provide a framework for them to understand the trends occurring today and the major shifts in innovation, media and culture. To do that one requires perspective and history. So we’re starting at the beginning. Here are my topics:

1. History of the WWW
2. Buzzwords & Definitions
3. Business Models
4. Major Players in the Space
5. Media Evolution
6. Social Media & Cultural Impact
7. Green Tech

My coach friend is interested specifically in learning more about the dynamic between young entrepreneurs, their start-ups and the VCs that back them. My lawyer friend is looking to leverage her legal experience and apply it to a different vertical - potentially technology.

Our second geek session is tomorrow over brunch. Might be a few guest posts in their homework assignment. Check back in over the next couple of weeks.

Categories: Media 2.0 · Tech Tutorial
Tagged: , ,

Shiny, Desirable Developer Magic

March 10, 2008 · 1 Comment

Anyone spending money wants to feel it’s money well spent. And can you blame them? After a retail therapy session I sometimes have buyer’s remorse. I’ve often been thankful for the 30 day exchange policy most department stores offer.

When that money is tied to marketing, the return on the investment is paramount. Different folks gauge a successful spend in different ways. Networking is valuable. Evangelizing the brand is important. Leveraging an audience is crucial. How can I get the most bang for my buck?

These days, due to an influx of web 2.0 technologies, custom solutions have become the norm. But customization has become about more than just integration. Media will forever evolve with technology. Media is technology. That’s kind of an all-encompassing statement, but it’s true.

Due largely to the magic of developers, a marketer wants more for their dollar because technology allows them more. They want a sort of ‘brand infusion’. It’s not enough to merely generate leads. They want a seamless presence with subtlety. A gentle look and feel. They want to market effortlessly, without appearing to market.

I’m not envious of those with careers in marketing. Sounds like an intense workload. They have to have a deep understanding of the technological possibilities that exist, choose the best channels, diversify those and then apply them to their organization’s message. One can never be complacent, as technology will never stop evolving.

I’ll stick with sales for now.

Categories: Media 2.0
Tagged: , , , ,