Sunday, February 7, 2010

Seth Godin’s Random Rules for Ideas Worth Spreading

If you’ve got an idea worth spreading, I hope you’ll consider this random assortment of rules. Like all rules, some are made to be broken, but still…

  • You can name your idea anything you like, but a google-friendly name is always better than one that isn't.
  • Don't plan on appearing on a reality show as the best way to launch your idea.
  • Waiting for inspiration is another way of saying that you're stalling. You don't wait for inspiration, you command it to appear.
  • Don't poll your friends. It's your art, not an election.
  • Never pay a non-lawyer who promises to get you a patent.
  • Avoid powerful people. Great ideas aren't anointed, they spread through a groundswell of support.
  • Spamming strangers doesn't work. Spamming friends doesn't work so well either, but it's certainly better than spamming strangers.
  • The hard part is finishing, so enjoy the starting part.
  • Powerful organizations adore the status quo, so expect no help from them if your idea challenges the very thing they adore.
  • Figure out how long your idea will take to spread, and multiply by 4.
  • Be prepared for the Dip.
  • Seek out apostles, not partners. People who benefit from spreading your idea, not people who need to own it.
  • Keep your overhead low and don't quit your day job until your idea can absorb your time.
  • Think big. Bigger than that.
  • Are you a serial idea-starting person? If so, what can you change to end that cycle? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.
  • Try not to confuse confidence with delusion.
  • Prefer dry, useful but dull ideas to consumer-friendly 'I would buy that' sort of things. A lot less competition and a lot more upside in the long run.
  • Pick a budget. Pick a ship date. Honor both. Don't ignore either. No slippage, no overruns.
  • Surround yourself with encouraging voices and incisive critics. It's okay if they're not the same people. Ignore both camps on occasion.
  • Be grateful.
  • Rise up to the opportunity, and do the idea justice.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Infographic: If You Printed Twitter

An infographic is a “visual representation of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly” (Wikipedia).

Via Creative Cloud:

Infographic: If You Printed Twitter

Friday, February 5, 2010

Infographic: If You Printed the Internet

An infographic is a “visual representation of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly” (Wikipedia).

Via Creative Cloud:

Infographic: If You Printed the Internet

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Infographic: The State of the Internet by Focus

An infographic is a “visual representation of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly” (Wikipedia).

Via Focus:

Here we take a look at exactly who is using the Internet the most, how they are using it and how much the amount of usage is increasing. At a glance, we can see that there are the same number of men and women who use the Internet. However, their age, educational background and level of income may influence how much time they spend online.

Infographic: The State of the Internet

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Infographic: The Apple App Store Economy

An infographic is a “visual representation of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly” (Wikipedia).

Made for GigaOm by Column Five Media:

Thanks to everyone for weighing in about the infographic. The data used was given to us on an exclusive basis from analytics firm Flurry. Indeed, three-quarters of the apps in the App Store are “paid apps,” which was used to calculate the average app price and the subsequent revenue figures in the previous version. However, only one-quarter of the apps actually downloaded are “paid apps,” so the average price per transaction (paid + free downloads) is actually much lower than the average app price in the store. The graphic has been updated to reflect this price. Also, some of the averages in the Flurry data were calculated using projected user numbers from the first quarter 2010; that has been corrected to reflect only data up to the end of the year.

Read the full article.

Infographic: The Apple App Store Economy