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CNet reports that Bug Labs have sold out until May. And it’s succeeding not just with “hobbyists and tinkerers”, but also with “corporations looking for less-expensive alternatives to custom devices”.
The beauty of Bug Labs, in my opinion, is this. It’s a tool that is inherently personal. It gives the user freedom to choose how they want to use it. By its very nature, it is customized, tailored to their own needs and wants.
When you provide a personal, customized solution - like Bug Labs has - you’re really likely to succeed.
It’s no longer about generic tools and services. It’s not about the mass anymore. It’s about the individual. It’s about being personal.
How can you make your product - or whatever you’re selling - more personal?
I’m proud to announce that I’m now part of the Teen Bloggers Network. It’s not that big a network at the moment, but I think it’s great to see a group of teens doing this.
So, if you have some time to spare, check them out. If you don’t have time to spare, well, you really should make some time to check them out anyway. They’ve got some great young bloggers, really cool, intelligent, creative young people.
And if you’re a teen blogger/podcaster, I really recommend you join the network. I think it’s a great step in bringing together a young community, who can grow together and learn from each other. And I’m really honored to be a part of it.
I’m getting really excited about the Social Media Breakfast in Singapore. 40 people have already confirmed on Facebook that they’ll be going, with another 30+ who said “Maybe”. And not to mention the people who aren’t on Facebook, like myself.
For those of you who don’t know yet, here are the details:
Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Time: 9 - 12.30pm
Place: Frujch @ SMU (Basement 1, School of Information Systems)
Registration: Add your name at the Facebook Event. Registration isn’t necessary, though - you can show up even if you didn’t register.
Cost: $4 per person
Why did I want to bring the Social Media Breakfast to Singapore? To put it simply, to build a centralized community here. I’ve been blogging for almost a year now, and until recently, I never really knew any local bloggers. And it always irked me. I’ve seen the local communities overseas (when I went for Podcamp Boston 2), and always listened in envy when other podcasters and bloggers talked about being able to just call up someone else and go for dinner. A local, real life communities built around social media was something I really wanted.
I got to meet Daryl after an audio comment on Six Pixels of Separation. That was one of the first contact I had with any local blogger. Through him, I found Nabilah’s blog. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone, and that there was a strong social media community here in Singapore, like I always believed, but never found. That’s why I brought the idea of the Social Media Breakfast to Daryl, and thankfully, he liked the idea, and has helped me make it happen. The coolest part of all this? The breakfast will probably be the first time I’m meeting him in person.
So, what’s going to happen at Frujch on Saturday? There’ll be food, and it’ll basically be a time for socializing, meeting new people, and having conversations. That’s all there is to it. You don’t necessarily even have to talk about social media. It’s just about getting to know others, in order to help build a local community. To help lighten the atmosphere, and stir more conversations, we’re taking a page out of Jeff Pulver’s book, and using his “tagging kit” idea.
Here’s Daryl and Sheylara explaining the kit and introducing the location.
I think it’s going to be awesome, and I really can’t wait for it.
Thanks to Daryl, Nabilah and Sheylara for helping to organize it. Thanks to Jeff Pulver for the advice. Thanks to Bryan Person, Connie Bensen and all of you who have helped spread the word, through your blogs, twitter stream, or otherwise. Thanks also to all who have said they’re coming. None of this would have been possible without all of you.
I just thought I’d add my take here. I think the biggest hurdle is the adoption of RSS. When RSS gains mass adoption, it’ll change things.
And I personally don’t think content needs to be that regular. I’d rather updates come when the blogger/podcaster has better ideas.
Christopher S. Penn made a comparison with Seinfeld:
If Jerry Seinfeld’s show was on whenever he and the cast felt like it, how popular would it have become? Jerry Seinfeld’s show had great content, but part of what made it a success is that the audience knew when and where to find it, every week, same channel.
Personally, I disagree with him on this. The difference is that Seinfeld’s show (one of my favorites, by the way), was only available at that slot. You couldn’t get it after that. You can get blog content whenever you want it.
I think a better comparison would be with book authors - authors don’t write on a schedule, they write when they have ideas.
That’s my take. I think the nature of New Media should allow posts to be less regular. But without mass adoption of RSS, that change won’t come that soon.
Or maybe I’m missing something. What do you think?
I haven’t written about soccer or Arsenal in a while, and with the big match against Chelsea coming up, I thought I’d do so. One thing that’s been said a lot about Arsenal is the pace of the defense. Because Arsenal’s defenders are so fast (among the fastest in the league), the team is able to play higher up the pitch, putting more pressure on their opposition, and supporting the attack more. Basically, the speed of the defenders allow them to do a lot more going forward, knowing that even if they get caught out, they are likely to be able to chase back.
So the question I have for you today is, how fast can you respond to setbacks? If you’re able to respond and adapt quickly, the rewards will be great, in my opinion. It allows you to innovate more bravely, to try more things and take more risks.
A pretty obvious lesson, perhaps, but one that needs to be addressed. Are you able to adapt and respond to setbacks quickly? If not, how can you improve in that area?
March 28, 2008 
Posted in Companies, Marketing, Technology 
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