The Andy Hadfield Blog

#ManDay. Now you VOTE!

2013-05-17T13:07:00.000+02:00

Some very cool submissions for the ManDay campaign. Now. You VOTE. So yours truly and some of the wonderful peeps that took part can go on a Sporting Experience.

Oh - and I'm sure you figured it out. But #ManDay... it's all about the MINI Paceman. They have this... very manly positioning. So they're sponsoring us a day. By us, I mean ALL MEN. A day where we can loaf off, smoke cigars, scratch our asses, watch sport and drink beer. Stereotypes HO! But who wouldn't want to do that?

Anyhoo. Go VOTE FOR ME. Thank you.

#thatisall

#ManDay is coming. What makes a Man a Man? [COMPETITION]

2013-05-13T16:07:00.000+02:00

OK! Here's the deal... Men. #ManDay is coming. A day for cigars and steak, not nappies and paperwork. It's on the 20th May 2013. And to prepare for it - I've been asked, to ask you, to help me come up with the Top 5 Things That Make A Man A Man.

We're then going to go head to head with some other bloggers/personalities and if we win. 5 of you and me will get a pimping "sport experience". Those are all the details I got.

I repeat:

Tell me via Facebook / Twitter or in the comments below what makes a Man a Man
I'll choose the Top 5
We go head to head against other bloggers with some crowd voting
If we win, the 5 best of your submissions and I win a rad "sporting experience".

Let's get to it. I'll collate all the crowdsourcing below. Make it funny. Make me cry. Get all testosteroney on each other. Yee haw!

CROWDSOURCING: THE TOP 5 THINGS THAT MAKE A MAN A MAN.

which we can now call...

THE TOP 30 THINGS THAT MAKE A MAN A MAN.
(the top 5 as entered into #ManDay are in bold)

@petrivoges - Most men can do with more cowbell.
@petrivoges - Cutting your nose hair with a weed eater. snorting enos and squirting acid in your eyes with your tequila.
@petrivoges - Ability to reverse.
@petrivoges - Sleeping through Schindler's List but tearing up when that perfect chop falls on the floor
@braaiface - Ability to talk bullshit. Disengage brain, open mouth, say the first thing that doesn't make sense, engage brain!
@braaiface - A 5 year absence between mates only requires a grunt to catch up!
@braaiface - I'm on it, Guy speak for "it's on the list", but will only happen with beer as incentive
@JeanineBornman - Understanding what 'The Matrix' is all about first time round
@Johannpollard - Knowing how to properly braai a good steak
@Johannpollard - Chivalry. Opening doors for ladies and such.
@Johannpollard - Licking the can lid you just opened for said lady. Doesn't matter the contents, got to taste!
@Johannpollard - Ability to watch any sport and shouting for a team. Even Curling. Convincing the other people in the room that you understand the sport and are a fan. Yes, even Curling.
@Johannpollard - Opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Knives, spoons, shoes, swords etc. It can come in handy when you least expect it.
@wzwick - Knowing the difference between a phillips and a slotted screw driver.
@wzwick - Being able to use said screw driver.
@wzwick - Using the weed-eater. Raising it to trim the bushes as well.
@wzwick - The removal of bugs and other 'creepies'
@wzwick - Knowing what the offside rule is
@wzwick - Being able to say "pfft - that's easy, I can do that, hold my beer!"
@nickjackson - Telepathic ability to know where the remote is, and to be able to sense the channel being changed while sleeping.
@nickjackson - Ability to assemble furniture etc with fewer than the "required" parts.
@nickjackson - Ability to recognise how many layers of clothing the days weather requires.
@nickjackson - Confidence that allows them to think that, on a good day, they have a realistic shot at picking up any woman.
@nickjackson - Any man will always look their best in either a tuxedo, or jeans and a white t-shirt.
@wzwick - Being able to start a fire with a ball of newspaper and then feeling the need to cheer once the fire gets going.
@wzwick - a good throaty burp... woman.just.can't
@wzwick - being able to punch your mate for being a dick and then going for a beer afterwards
@wzwick - carrying in all 10 bags of groceries in one trip because two trips is for pussies
@wzwick - enjoying a trip to builder warehouse (its like shoe shopping for men)
@petrivoges - consider farting in public without detection a skill

Man Day is coming...

2013-05-08T11:02:00.000+02:00

Cool little campaign I'm getting involved in for the next 2 weeks. Man Day. What could be better. Keep an eye on the blog / twitter feed for details. More info about the campaign here: http://www.manday.co.za.

ZA Tech Show Episode 255 - Too Cool For School

2013-05-03T09:04:00.001+02:00

Brett Haggard, Steven Ambrose, Andy Hadfield and a bottle of DMZ Chardonnay get together this week to discuss, at length:

A report back from Microsoft’s Tech-Ed;
Why is cool so important in tech today?
Is the new cutting edge in hardware or software?
Galaxy S4 coming soon and the question is the battery life;
How impressive the Kobo store is;
The content ecosystem and landscape;
The appetite for 7-inch Android tablets; and
The possibility of a new Blackberry tablet

Our technology picks of the week are:

Steven Ambrose picks ‘Fake Follower Check’ on socialbakers.com and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0;
Andy Hadfield picks on ‘The Internet’, picks @Earth_pics on Twitter and TuneUp in Mac App Store; and
Brett Haggard picks the new Macheist nano bundle.

Click through to stream or download the audio of the show!

Innovation Prize for Africa Announces 2013 Finalists

2013-04-25T08:27:00.002+02:00

I always like sharing any information on African Innovation - tech or otherwise. It's important for us all to realise that the opportunity lies within our own continent, not in the First World. We innovate despite our situation. We have real, practical problems to solve. It's a good place to be.

Here are 10 cool innovation ideas that have been shortlisted for the Innovation Prize for Africa. Big up to the South African contingent. What an awesome collection of #notfirstworldproblems.

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, April 25, 2013/ -- Ten African innovators have developed practical solutions to some of the continent’s most intractable problems. Chosen from more than 900 applications from 45 countries, the finalists for the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org) 2013 provide practical examples of Africa’s investment potential.

The winners of the IPA 2013 will be announced at a gala dinner on 7 May in Cape Town, South Africa hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and the Sekunjalo Development Foundation. The winner will receive USD 100 000 for the best innovation based on marketability, originality, scalability, social impact and clear business potential. A runner up will receive USD 25 000 for the best commercial potential and another finalist will receive USD 25 000 as a special prize for social innovation.

“As global leaders gather for the World Economic Forum on Africa to discuss approaches to deliver on Africa’s promise, these innovators demonstrate that the best way to build Africa’s capacity is to invest in local innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, a co-founder of the African Innovation Foundation and the IPA.

From Tunisa to South Africa, the IPA 2013 finalists are leaders in the areas of agriculture, environment, health, ICT and manufacturing. They include:

Zero-Blade Wind Convertor (Tunisia) – Innovators Hassine Labaied and Anis Aouini from Saphon Energy, a Tunisian R&D start up, developed a wind turbine with no blades that does not rotate – it uses sailboat technology to create cost-effective energy through a back-and-forth 3D motion.

SavvyLoo (South Africa) – Innovator Dr. Dudley Jackson developed a waterless toilet for rural areas and temporary settlements that separates liquids from solids to improve environmental impact, decrease the potential for disease, reduce odour and ensure easier removal.

The TBag Water Filter (South Africa) – Innovator Prof. Eugene Cloete created a water filter that uses electrospun tea bag material to ensure one litre of the most polluted water is 100 percent safe to drink.

The Malaria pf/PAN (pLDH) Test Kit (South Africa) –Innovator Ashley Uys created a new rapid malaria test that indicates within 30 minutes if treatment is effective. The test kit is one of only nine developed globally and is the only test of its kind fully-owned by an African company.

The Fonia Husker Machine (Senegal) – Innovator Sanoussi Diakite developed an electric and thermal powered machine that husks 5 kilograms of fonia – a West African cereal – in just 8 minutes.

Novatech Construction Systems (Cameroon) – Innovator Njokikang Faustinus created an efficient construction process. Its flagship product is a manual brick press that more easily produces 3,000 interlocking bricks per day.

Mobenzi (South Africa) – Innovator Andi Friedman and his team has developed a software that provides mobile data collection and field research solution, allowing sophisticated forms of research to be conducted across Africa online or via mobile phones.

Mimosa for Solar Powered Production (Nigeria) – Innovator Justus Nwaoga developed a new way to collect renewable solar energy by using the mimosa pudica weed, an organic African medicinal plant.

Agroforestry Model Farm (Sudan) – Innovator Muna Majoud Mahoamed Ahmed created an agro-foresty model farm in Khartoum that produces innovative sources of income from moringa leaves, seeds and jatrofa seeds.

AgriProtein (South Africa) – An innovative team of researchers from AgriProtien Technologies developed a new source of animal feed protein that lowers the cost of feed for African producers and farmers.

"We see a strong trend emerging of innovations that have significant social impact for Africa," said Dr.Francois Bonnici, Director Bertha Centre for Social Innovation at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business.

The prize encourages Africans to develop creative ways to overcome everyday challenges.
The IPA selection committee represents private equity investors, seed funders, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and development leaders who are looking for ideas that move Africa forward.

The call for applications for IPA 2014 will be announced in July 2013. For detailed information of competition categories, conditions of entry, and submission details, please visit: InnovationPrizeForAfrica.org (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org). For highlights and more information, follow the IPA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/IPAprize) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/InnovationPrizeforAfrica).

The new MINI Paceman JHB launch. 2 double tickets for readers!

2013-04-17T07:47:00.000+02:00

I have fairly recently become a MINI fan. Well, actually been a fan for a while, but couldn't find one I'd like to drive - and kept on getting told that driving the convertible would make my wife worried that I'm not that interested in her anymore. Say whaaaat? :)

Turns out though. Roving entrepreneur + MINI Cooper S (which goes like a bat out of hell even if it is a little go-cartish = perfect for this time in my life). Hence hooked up with the MINI guys and gals and have been interacting a lot more with the brand recently. Who wouldn't want to. It's one helluva brand.

A particular competition piqued my interest. Typically I hate competitions, this one somehow sucked me in. I think it was the copywriting. MINI Paceman Man Challenge. Competition is closed but I think you should still be able to play through the campaign. Addictive, no?

Anyhoo. The MINI Paceman is launching in JHB. I'm going. And the kind folks at MINI gave me 2 double tickets to give away to readers. Email me on andyhadfield at me dot com and tell me why you want the tickets. And... GO.

I'll choose the funniest/best request for tickets and give them out next week Thursday (25/4/2013). Check the details and make sure you can go. Looks fun.

MindBullet: Justin Bieber's Digital Demise (Dateline: April 2017)

2013-04-08T10:14:00.000+02:00

Can't get more link baiting than dropping in Bieber death. But, this MindBullet from the FutureWorld chaps does highlight a bloody interesting scenario. Where:

a) our lives are so connected to public facing technology
b) facts aren't checked as much as they used to be

You could very well get the situation where a false-positive from one of these connected technologies (think Nike Fuel Band on steroids in 5 years time) causes the crowd to get a whiff - and then, well, the truth is what you read.

Scary.

Or cool. Depending on how much you like the Bieb.

---

"I ain't dead" claims the pop idol, but nobody believes him
Dateline: 1 April 2017

It all started when The Bieb began wearing the new Nike LIFE+ bracelet. It's more than a sensor device; it's a 'whole life' application too. LIFE+ monitors your every movement, what you eat and when you sleep. It knows what you're doing at all times, from wildly gyrating on stage to bedroom antics.

Justin's mistake was selecting maximum exposure. Now every move he made was reported in real time on Twitter, Facebook and everywhere else. No need to manually update your lifestream. What a pleasure!

Until something went wrong. The bracelet Tweeted:

"Justin is driving his new Ferrari, rather fast."

"OMG Justin has crashed! His heart has stopped!"

In fact, it was a minor bumper bashing, and Bieber was unhurt. But his LIFE+ app kept insisting that he'd met his end. Millions of teenage girls all over the world are in a state of shock and mourning, and news headlines keep debating the truth of the matter.

The fact is that it's not easy to deal with this bug. Justin's contractual obligations with LIFE+ mean that it will take an army of lawyers and a team of surgeons to remove the bracelet, so for the time being all he can do is feebly protest on Facebook: "I ain't dead!"

With so many fake online identities and celebrity lookalikes, mass hysteria prevails, as the verified, official LIFE+ app keeps posting: "Justin has... left the building."

Published 4 April 2013

Disclaimer: Despite appearances to the contrary, FutureWorld cannot and does not predict the future. Our MindBullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, challenge and stimulate strategic thinking. Use these at your own risk. Any reference to actual people, entities or events is entirely allegorical. Copyright FutureWorld International Limited. Reproduction or distribution permitted only with recognition of Copyright and the inclusion of this disclaimer. Public domain image.

CROWDSOURCING: Biggest vs Most Exciting eCommerce player in South Africa

2013-03-18T13:57:00.000+02:00

eCommerce is an interesting space to keep an eye on in South Africa. There's plenty of VC flowing into the sector, which tells me they're on a 3-10 year plan to start turning around what has previously been known as a "tough sell".

In eCommerce, we're still absolutely dominated by airline ticket sales. From what I remember, 2012 was about R9 billion in airline tickets and R2 billion in "other" eCommerce. Still... when was the last time you bought an airline ticket from a travel agent? That's what the VC's are betting on. The culture will spread, like it has in other digitally empowered nations.

I asked on Twitter who people thought were the biggest vs most exciting in the South African eCommerce space. Answers were interesting.

BIGGEST eCOMMERCE PLAYER IN SOUTH AFRICA (crowd voted):

Kalahari.net (6 votes)
TakeALot (3 votes)
Woolworths (2 votes)
iTunes SA
Pick 'n Pay
Bid or Buy
Groupon South Africa
Zando
Kulula
Amazon
Mr Price

MOST INTERESTING eCOMMERCE PLAYER IN SOUTH AFRICA (crowd voted):

Yuppie Chef (4 votes)
CityMob (4 votes)
TakeALot (4 votes)
NicSocks
Daily Dish
Dion Wired
Incredible Connection
TravelGround
LekkeSlaap
Zando
Go Gifting
Ormsdirect
SA Camera
PrintWild
Safari Now
One Day Only
5 Rooms

Are there any gaps? Essentially, we've crowdsourced a little hit list of interesting players to research in the eCommerce space. Nicely done lads and lasses.

The Hype Cycle of Entrepreneurship

2013-03-18T07:59:00.002+02:00

Can't remember exactly where I got this, but it's been rehashed a few times - let's credit "the Internet". It's a slightly tweaked version of the Gartner Hype Cycle - designed to show the peak of expectations and slump of disappointment that most new businesses / products / industries go through. Survive that and the winners start emerging.

I think it's useful for every entrepreneur to go back to this every few months and try plot your progress. Be realistic, you're probably not as far along as you think you are. But like all things, it's a process. 90% of entrepreneurship is just gritting it out.

ZA Tech Show Episode 248 - Faces for Radio

2013-03-13T13:15:00.001+02:00

Brett Haggard, Andy Hadfield and Adam Oxford get together for a roundup of what’s been going on in the South African technology over the past week or two. The news discussed includes:

8ta is no more;
New Unlimited ‘Red’ plans from Vodacom;
The Free State’s R140m WordPress site;
Evernote’s been hacked, now change your password;
Twitter kills Tweetdeck apps;
Is Facebook burying content that isn’t ‘paid for promotion’?
Intel Clovertrail, Clovertrail plus and Baytrail coming; and
Bradley Manning received record number of nominations for Nobel Peace prize.

This week on the rumour mill:

IS the Apple iWatch coming?
Samsung Galaxy S4 to contain ‘eye scrolling’?
iPhone 5s rumoured to have a fibreglass body and plastic back?

Our technology picks of the week are:

Andy Hadfield picks on Rwanda (again) and picks his launch of www.mybeer.co.za;
Adam Oxford picks on Solid Gold Bomb (on Amazon) and the recent TED talks; and
Brett Haggard picks the Olloclip for iPhone 5.

Download the audio now!

Report back from the Clarens Beer Fest / MyBEER Launch

2013-03-04T13:01:00.000+02:00

What a weekend. What a festival. How cool is it to have a BEER APP? :)

Here's the report back from the Clarens Beer Festival where we launched MyBEER (think Real Time Wine for Beer).

The pic is of the rad dude from The Cockpit Brewhouse...

SAB BRINGS BEER HEROES TO CLARENS CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

Festival-goers at this weekend’s third annual Clarens Craft Beer Festival, sponsored by The South African Breweries (SAB), were among the first to become ‘Beer Heroes’ by using the new MyBeer app.

For those who know their stout from their ales or wish they did, MyBeer was launched in the small Free State town this weekend, to assist the beer-loving community to rate, review, discover and share the best beers South Africa has to offer. Users can also see the top 10 trending beers, as voted by the community, in real time, and view prices.

“MyBEER, the new online beer community, was commissioned by SAB to encourage beer lovers to share their beer drinking experiences with each other. MyBEER is educational, fun and a valuable resource for old and new beer drinkers alike,” said SAB’s Chief Brewer, Martin Brooks. “Spurred on by the burgeoning craft beer movement, experimentation with different kinds of beers is a growing trend in South Africa. SAB hopes that MyBEER will broaden the horizons of beer lovers around the country by encouraging this experimentation and promoting knowledge sharing.”

The beer app can be downloaded for free at http://mybeer.co.za.

As part of its support of the Festival, SAB sponsored the Best Beer on Show prizes which were selected through a rigorous Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) tasting. The first prize for best beer in show went to the Red Amber Ale by Chameleon Breweries, based in Hartebeespoort. The second prize was the Natal Chilli beer, made by Mtunzini Brewery in Eshowe and the third prize was the Mustang American Pale Ale from Cockpit Breweries, located in Cullinan. The People’s Choice winner, for the second year running, was the Farmer’s Draught from Rustenberg’s Brauhaus am Damm brewery. All the winners received malt and hops from SAB.

For the Clarens Festival, Sandra Innes, one of SAB’s brewers, brewed four exclusive beers, enjoyed only by the more than 3 000 festival-goers and not available commercially.

The Peary, a crowd pleaser at last year’s Cape Town Festival of Beer, fermented with 100% pear juice, had a medium sweetness and was clear and pale gold in colour. The traditional Weiss beer, Sunset Wheat, had clove-like flavours and moderate fruit esters. A Chocolate Stout, called Willy Wonka, was an indulgent rendition on the popular milk stout, while a lighter version, the Chaleur, had fruity esters with subdued roasted flavours of a classic stout.

Proceeds from the sale of these beers and SAB’s popular #luvbeer t-shirts amounted to R27 000, which was donated to the SAB Boucher Conservation Fund, which is raising funds to register South Africa’s threatened rhino population on a DNA database. The database will create a direct link between a horn and a carcass, making it easier to convict poachers. The campaign, driven by retired South African cricketer Mark Boucher, hopes to raise R1-million in its first year and is on target with more than R300 000 raised thus far.

BIG news... The launch of MyBEER!

2013-02-22T19:29:00.000+02:00

Phew. I'm exhausted writing this. Which means my teams at Prezence and Quirk must be equally exhausted. And it's only Thursday. Had to schedule this post because tomorrow, I drive up to the Clarens Beer Fest to launch MyBEER with our brave and pioneering sponsors, SAB.

I wanted to give you some behind-the-scenes context on this blog. So, no official schwarmy press releases, just some cool insight about a product that we're all really proud of.

By now, you're wondering if me and my team are starting to become booze hounds. Perhaps. But alcohol is an amazing product category, one where we need to be responsible - but also one where we see more product loyalty and engagement than most. As with any social product, you need to have a topic that people want to talk about, a vertical that people want to engage with. Engage with more than once. I love toasters. But I'm not sure I'd check into one :)

The other thing you will have noticed is that Real Time Wine was never really intended just for wine. Wine was the first play. And one that worked extremely well and we're going to keep putting as much love into it as we always have. Beer is the second play. And there's more coming soon.

I believe fundamentally in communities. The world is too noisy not to. We are creating product vertical communities where passionate fans get to engage and discover more about their favourite products. And have fun doing it.

Onto MyBEER, proudly sponsored by SAB.

MyBEER is targeted at all beer drinkers in South Africa. We're trying to putting a product engagement layer ontop of South Africa's favourite product vertical. It's not as much about reviews as it is about experiences. What beer are you drinking? Where did you find it? Where are you? What are you doing? How does it taste?

Not only that, but we're also witnessing an amazing growth (mega trend) in craft beer. Craft Beer is a definitely a product set that could benefit from some peer referral. First time I heard of Pumpkin and Mint beer, I think I threw up in my mouth a little. But it's actually pretty nice :) Now I can tell someone about that. Digitally.

MyBEER runs on the same platform as Real Time Wine. You'll see the similarity in UX - good news for everyone that likes Real Time Wine! I'm particularly fond of the design. Quirk pulled out what we can only describe as cartoon-gentlemen-western. Or gentlelady. Lady Cowboys are cooler anyway. So are Lady Beer Drinkers :)

Quirk did the design. Prezence did the dev, front end implementation and worked with us on product structure. SAB taught us all that we really know nothing about beer! A cool collaboration.

Enough from me. Go out and play with it! Android app is live in the Play Store. Apple App should be live in a day or two (they're hard to predict, those Cupertino boys and girls). Otherwise it works perfectly on your mobile browser or desktop.

If you're coming to the Clarens Beer Festival - pop by and say hi. I'll be the douche with my nose in my phone and a beer in my hand.

MyBEER. A community of Beer Heroes. Saving the world... One Beer at a Time!

I'm personally looking forward to discovering some cool craft beer. Don't get me wrong. Hansa will always be there, through the good and bad. But I'm in the mood for some litchi-pumpkin-super-hardcore-something-with-a-hipster-name. Bring it.

See you on the app!

PS. That pic is of a Native Ale by Darling Brew. Taken outside Soccer City while having a skottel in the parking lot. When we ask you to share a "beer experience"... THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKIN' ABOUT!

PPS Thanks again to my investors and advisory board for believing in this company.

PPPS. I had another strap line. It didn't make it through. I'm going to stick in here. Because I can. And it gives you a little personality insight into this community. It's oh so melodramatic.

Beer Heroes aren't found. They're Born.

Andy out.

ZA Tech Show Episode 245 - Time is Relative

2013-02-14T11:43:00.000+02:00

In a bumper episode of the ZA Tech Show (1 hour and 24 minutes to be exact), Brett Haggard gets together with Real Time Wine’s Andy Hadfield and Connect Magazine’s Adam Oxford to discuss the past week’s tech news. Topics on the agenda include:

E-commerce heading on over to Twitter;
What would make for an awesome next-generation gaming console;
Where Valve thinks gaming market is headed over the next few years;
The ‘BMW Genius’ initiative;
Mailbox.app for iOS (we’re still waiting for our invite #justsaying);
The sellout of the MS Surface Pro and Blackberry Z10; and the fact that
Ubuntu Phone Edition is coming soon.

Our technology picks of the week are:

Andy Hadfield picks Google Groups and picks-on Rwanda (or more specifically, the Rwandan domain registrar);
Adam Oxford picks MOOCS (Massively Open Online Courses) and www.coursera.org; and
Brett Haggard picks Adobe Creative Cloud.

Our listeners pick:

Alicia Keys’ tweet from her iPhone (she’s Blackberry’s worldwide creative director remember);
The Google Nexus 4 charging orb (just google it); and
Stephen Fry at iTunes Live Festival 2009.

Click through to grab the audio version!

Cutting through the clutter. The power of micro communities.

2013-02-07T10:59:00.001+02:00

I've been thinking about this for a while. The Internet (especially social media channels) are just too damn loud. Messaging overload is an understatement. We're deluged with communication. Multiple social networks, multiple messaging platforms, emails, phone calls, voicemails, advertising, television, radio - it's a little scary to be honest.

And brands have to play in this mess. They have to find a way to stand out, to "cut through the clutter" as the saying goes. How? By being valuable and useful - sure. By being emotional, remarkable, fun... Sure. But when everyone is trying to be that, it's hard to tell the good from the bad. Which makes it hard to care. Which makes it hard to engage.

I don't know how to solve this problem. Yet. Couple of years ago (back in FNB days) I wrote a strategy which included the trend "Retreat to Niche", where consumers, desperate for value would retreat to smaller communities with more manageable communication levels. Seems I was wrong then - social blew up, everyone has 500 fake friends and a suitably propped up ego. But I might not be wrong now.

Look at international startups like MightyBell. From the one of the Ning founders. You'd think you couldn't get much more niche than Ning (your own private one-click, out the box social network) - but she's succeeded. She's building a micro community platform for "more meaningful messaging". Intimate communities. It's exciting. And necessary.

That's why I'm launching a new test project into the Real Time Wine community. The SuperFAN Club. Here's some context.

Wine farms are highly fragmented (4500+ independent producers of wine in SA alone)
Wine farms have limited budgets (margins in wine aren't great, fragmentation means building a brand is hard, long and expensive)
Real Time Wine has some hyper engaged users.
Hyper engaged users love to be treated differently and rewarded for their, err, hyper-engagement.
Wine farms need to get closer to wine drinkers at an affordable price.
Wine farms can't afford (usually) to compete in the cluttered marketing space. At best, they take long term organic approaches (some highly successful, Warwick for example, some not).

Get my drift?

So. We've set up the Real Time Wine SuperFAN Club. Only accessible to Bottle Bandit status level and higher. If you're a Real Time Wine user, you'll realise how much work is required to get to that level. We have 68 hyper engaged hero users in that group so far. Wine farms pay a small fee and we all get to engage on a mailing list.

Small. Intimate. Personal.

What do I expect wine farms to do?

sell wine to the community - highly engaged users are suckers for a good deal
try out new products on the base
seed new products into Real Time Wine and social media, pre-release
talk to wine buyers about their marketing messaging - what's working/not working
chat about how to reach consumers in general
ask for feedback on campaigns / events
find out what ordinary wine buyers like in a wine / wine brand
find out how ordinary wine buyers choose wine and where they're likely to buy
find out what offers, specials, packages, deals would appeal to wine buyers & their social circles
publicise events, festivals and content through this community & their social circles (get retweets, likes & content sharing started - through the people that actually care)
generally chat and engage with SA's wine superfans

It's not a new idea. Jason Calacanis (This Week In Startups Host / Entrepreneur) stopped blogging for quite a while, moving readers onto a private, one way email list. Subscribers hit 30k if I remember correctly. That idea pivoted into the This Week In Startups BackChannel community, of which I'm a paid member.

Will it work? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm tired of the effort required to get signal instead of noise. Micro communities could be the answer.

We'd like to welcome Haut Espoir as the first Wine Farm member of the SuperFAN club. Congrats on being brave. It should pay back in spades.

What do you think?

Get involved. Email the team on info at realtimewine dot com.

MindBullet: Now We All Talk With Our Hands (Dateline: July 2016)

2013-02-07T08:11:00.001+02:00

I remember having this debate on the ZA Tech Show when Siri came out. Were we moving into an age of vastly different interfaces into technology. Mouse became touch became voice. But voice doesn't work everywhere - imagine repeating your request for Siri to deliver a certain sports score, 3 times at high volume in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Still a way to go.

But touch could very well become gesture. Not on a tablet, but in the air around you.

Whatever happens, one thing I know, is that the mouse has really been iterated in 20 years. Sure touch is good, but the vast majority of us still use a mouse/trackpad for 90% of work activity. It's ripe for a change.

Enjoy this MindBullet from the FutureWorld Group. Always available to host keynotes, facilitate or consult on your business and the future.

NOW WE ALL TALK WITH OUR HANDS
Sensor technology changes social behavior

Dateline: 30 July 2016

Once we used to tease Italians for talking with their hands. Now we're all doing it!

This is a classic example of how technology can change social behavior. Just as touch-screen devices introduced a whole new range of hand movements into our world (like spreading your fingers to make something bigger), so the latest generation of 3D motion control devices are making communication much more physical.

Writing in the air with our hands, wearing a stylish 3D glove, or even via sensors built into rings or wristwatches, and seeing that turned instantly into text on whatever device we are using, is old hat! The technology is becoming so sensitive and accurate that it is now being employed in a whole series of industrial and business applications.

Surgeons are operating with new precision, driving electronic scalpels without actually touching the patient. Engineers, architects and designers are using it to draw and create everything from models to finished products. Pilots are flying aircraft without actually touching the controls; just by coolly waving their hands about. And the gaming applications are endless! No more plastic guns - just point and shoot!

Think of what that means. It's revolutionizing education - it's completely natural for children to use their hands to learn, and this technology simply enhances that activity, preparing them more quickly for the new world.

Of course, the good old computer mouse is rapidly disappearing. Gesture control enables us to create virtual keyboards anywhere we like and control screens with a flick of the wrist. Who needs a plastic box?

So now its not at all unusual to see people in cafes, in the street, in stores and offices, waving their hands around as they communicate. Guess the Italians had it right all along!

Disclaimer:
Despite appearances to the contrary, FutureWorld cannot and does not predict the future. Our MindBullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, challenge and stimulate strategic thinking. Use these at your own risk. Any reference to actual people, entities or events is entirely allegorical. Copyright FutureWorld International Limited. Reproduction or distribution permitted only with recognition of Copyright and the inclusion of this disclaimer. Picture: Neil Jacobsohn

The Post Office isn't dead - it's just been reinvented! [MINDBULLET November 2014]

2012-12-11T07:58:00.002+02:00

Excuse the shameless plug for the FutureWorld Group here, but this is a fascinating little scenario. With all the Stamps.com ads I'm hearing on international podcasts, it's pretty evident that the world of the Post Office is under serious disruption. And we've always been looking for a mainstream application for 3D printing.

What do you do with a business that has a massive footprint and an archaic product/service offering? A business mashup. What do you think?

Dateline: 9 November 2014
They're becoming high-tech 3D print shops

Five years ago everyone was predicting the collapse of postal services from Argentina to Zimbabwe. After all, the use of 'snailmail' had dwindled to a trickle and postal services were incurring massive losses.

So who would have believed a bold leap by PostPrint, the newly-renamed postal service of Holland, would change that future?

Lead by the Dutch example, postal services all over the world are running 3D printing centers in their 'post offices', backed by high-speed local delivery of the goods people order online.

"We realized our core strengths were a nation-wide branch network, high public trust and excellent local logistics - we have postal vans running all over the country," says PostPrint CEO Joost de Boer.

"So we've turned every old post office into a high-tech 3D printing shop where we rapidly produce pretty much whatever people order - and then we deliver the finished product, often with two hours."
More than 20% of retail products, from kitchen appliances to shoes and smartphones, are now made through 'additive manufacturing' or 3D printing as it is commonly known. PostPrint were quick off the mark in recognizing this trend. Now their example is being followed all over the world - breathing new life into what was a dying business.

"What FutureWorld told us is true," says De Boer. "If you understand the future, you can design and create the future you want!"

Published 6 December 2012. Read more MindBullets here.

ZA Tech Show Episode 231 - Whine About the Wet Spot

2012-12-11T07:30:00.000+02:00

Brett Haggard, Andy Hadfield and Dominic White congregate for episode 231 of the ZA Tech Show to discuss:

The launch of Windows 8 some corporate levers for BYOD and how it measures up security-wise.
Reuters, Gizmodo slam the Surface and WinRT.
Security around Windows 8.
General password and security tips.
Google’s device launch: Samsung Nexus 10 Tab, LG Nexus 4 Smartphone with wireless charging.
ICS finally makes it onto Motorola Razr in South Africa.
Steve Jobs’ yacht launches.
Windows Phone event – 120k apps.
Apple announcements, price drop on 3rd Gen iPad.
Facebook’s paid-for post promotion mechanism.
Anonymous threatens Zynga.

Our technology picks of the week:

Andy Hadfield picks funny WiFi networks, and leancanvas.com.
Dominic White picks unotelly.com, totalspaces and totalterminal.
Brett Haggard picks Vodacom LTE service and Joss Whedon’s Youtube on Mitt Romney.

Grab the full audio version of the podcast here.

South African Wine Lovers Make Themselves Heard

2012-11-13T17:12:00.000+02:00

Latest press release about Real Time Wine. Thought I'd share with all ya wine punters who read my blog. Some interesting stats about traction and more specifically - the kind of things we're starting to aggregate out of the data. Hope you've downloaded the app and registered!

--- snip ---

South African Wine Lovers Make Themselves Heard

With the popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter at an all-time high, South African consumers are increasingly relying on the opinions and recommendations of their peers when it comes to making purchasing decisions.

The wide availability of online forums and blogging networks has given the average South African a voice, enabling members of a growing online community to source informationabout various products and services from those with similar backgrounds, interests and tastes.

The astonishing popularity of the recently launched crowd-sourced wine rating application, Real Time Wine, clearly reflects this emerging trend. The app, which allows users to share their ratings and reviews of various wines, has already been downloaded more than 4,500 times since its launch in July 2012.

“Not only does this application offer South Africa’s wine lovers an avenue through which to express their opinions, but also makes the sometimes daunting task of deciding which wine to buy decidedly less difficult,” explains Real Time Wine founder, Andy Hadfield. “Our rapidly expanding community is starting to generate information that is really useful for theaverage wine drinker, who can now easily identify the country’s most popular wines, based on aggregated reviews rather than panels and guides.”

In an effort to ensure that the app remains relatable, industry jargon and clichéd terminology have been banned. Choice phrases like ‘sweaty saddle’ and ‘integrated tannins’ are blocked by the app, which offers users handy alternative suggestions.

“We want real opinions from real people,” says Hadfield. “You check into the wine you’re drinking and leave a comment. We then share that with the community. This data drives the “trending list” and also populates a personal profile for each member. Finally, you can figure out what your actual favourite farms and varietals are!”

In the 4 months since the application launched, it has already generated over 3,000 reviews from approximately 1,600 registered reviewers. The app’s unique and playful rating scale, which allows users to classify wines as ‘Yum’, ‘Hmm’ or ‘Yuk’, has also proven exceptionally popular, with 7,000 ratings having been captured to date.

“We’ve seen incredible traction over the past few months, with over 2,000 unique wines already reviewed or rated,” says Hadfield. “The level at which people are using the application is incredible, and their involvement is allowing us to provide more and more added value in return.”

Among the application’s key offerings is a weekly shopping list, which is updated each Friday based on the most popular wines of the week. A location-based specials search is also in the works, which will allow users to identify which wines are available at discounted rates in their area.

“We’re constantly working to make Real Time Wine more engaging and fun for our users,” explains Hadfield. “We’ve heard the voice of the people, and we’re quickly starting to see what South African wine drinkers really think, what their price points are and what makes them choose certain wines. We’re working to incorporate all this information into the application, so watch this space as there’s plenty more to come.”

For more information, visit http://realtimewine.com, or join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or the Real Time Wine blog.

To download for iPhone from the App Store, head to http://itunes.apple.com/za/app/real-time-wine/id537695945?mt=8

To download for Android from the Google PlayStore, head to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.real_time_wine

The website has been specially optimised for Blackberry – to access this, direct your Blackberry browser to http://realtimewine.com

Examples of aggregated consumer wine opinion

Top 10 Trending Wines in South Africa as of 29 October 2012

#1   The Chocolate Block by Boekenhoutskloof (2011) R180
#2   Chardonnay Pinot Noir by Haute Cabriere (2011) R70
#3   Frontier by Guardian Peak (2007) R70
#4   MCC Blanc de Blanc by Secret Cellar (2007) R103
#5   Synergy by Beyerskloof (2009) R80
#6   Whole Berry by Springfield (2010, Cabernet Sauvignon) R103
#7   Sauvignon Blanc by Diemersdal (2011) R54
#8   Borealis Cuvee Brut by Krone (2009, MCC)
#9   Chenin Blanc by Cederberg (2011) R79
#10 Rabelais by Thelema (2008)

Real Time Wine ALL TIME Top 20 Consumer Choice Wines

2011 Beyerskloof Pinotage
2010 Nederburg Baronne
2011 Haute Cabriere Chardonnay Pinot Noir
2010 Diemersfontein Pinotage
2008 Warwick The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Springfield Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
2011 Thierry & Guy Fat Bastard Chardonnay
2010 Springfield Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Cafe Culture Pinotage
2011 Diemersfontein Pinotage
2010 Warwick The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Raka Quinary
2009 Alto Rouge
2010 Rupert & Rothschild Classique
2010 Warwick Three Cape Ladies
2011 Warwick The First Lady Unoaked Chardonnay
Non Vintage Haute Cabriere Pierre Jourdan Tranquille
2011 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap Red
2006 Rupert & Rothschild Classique

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: You Don't Need Bandwidth To Be Awesome

2012-10-10T18:24:00.000+02:00

If the West Indies have a flair for cricket, don't you think Africa has a bit of flair for tech innovation? We're just not good enough at PR and instead of telling our own stories, we tend to focus on the technology innovation happening in the First World.

This keynotes aims to change that. Exploring 5 themes, from Mobile Payment to Crowdsourcing and Alternative Energy, You Don't Need Bandwidth To Be Awesome is a fun look at a continent that is learning to solve real problems with very little access to resources.

See more keynotes by Andy Hadfield.

This keynote based on the theme presented at SXSW 2012 by Andy Hadfield and Brett Haggard.

ZA Tech Show Episode 228 - Turning the Corner

2012-10-10T18:19:00.001+02:00

Brett Haggard hosts Real Time Wine’s head wino Andy Hadfield and Shop and Ship’s know-it-all David Greenway in this week’s episode. Amongst other serious ramblings, they talk about:

SpaceX sending cargo to Space. Kinda.
The one year anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death.
The Foxconn staff walkout, and possible iPhone 5 shortage.
The opening of the Sony Mobile Store at Vodaworld.
What RAGE was like over the weekend.
Windows 8 and the abolishing of MS points.
You can pay for Facebook post promotion.
HTC missing its Q3 targets.
Rumours that LG might do the next Nexus phone.

Our technology picks of the week:

@AndyHadfield: Google news real time coverage
@DaveGreenway: Google Now and Star Wars Angry Birds, coming November 8th.
@Brettski: Justinguitar.com and Guitar Tuner Built into GarageBand.

Download the full audio for the podcast here!

ZA Tech Show Episode 225 - As Seen On TV

2012-10-10T18:15:00.000+02:00

Nafisa Akabor, Andy Hadfield and Craig Wilson join Brett Haggard this week to discuss:

iPhone 5, the new iPod Touch and iOS 6
Intel’s Haswell Processor details from IDF
Samsung NX Series smart cameras
The next level of filters on social networks
Microsoft Surface pricing
DragonAge 3
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 announcement
Shazam – now with support for TV shows

Our technology picks of the week:

Nafisa: Wireless Wipes (wirelesswipes.co.za) R50 for 12
Craig: Jesus from iTunes support; Wonpro power converter; Phoster for iOS.
Andy: Prismatic.
Brettski: WhisperSync for Audible.

Download the audio for the show here!

Samsung vs iPhone 5. Now THAT is a competitive ad!

2012-09-17T18:17:00.000+02:00

Hilarious. And bold considering they've just lost so heavily in the patent infringement lawsuit. Must say, I like the way Samsung is swinging at Apple. No company will stay on top forever (unless it's SkyNet we're talking about and then still...). Someone has to have a go at them.

That Galaxy S3 actually made me consider switching ecosystems. I haven't done it. And I probably won't yet. But it's the first phone that's made me consider the option.

Enjoy some "Android getting its own back".

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3. It doesn't take a genius.

Funny entries in the #TsogoSale "Entreprenurs need a break" Giveaway

2012-08-31T09:30:00.002+02:00

Some really creative entries came in on the TsogoSun #TsogoSale weekend giveaway that I recently did. Thought I post them all here. Nice effort chaps.

Winner: Shaun Trennery! Let's just hope he keeps the corporate jargon for when he's talking to clients. You don't want to deep dive too much while engaging stakeholders, or you might as well take it offline. Enjoy the holiday Shaun!

Question was: Why do you as an intrapreneur/entrepreneur deserve a break?

@shauntrennery: When I used “eat the elephant one bite at a time” twice in conversation yesterday I knew it was time for a break #TsogoSale cc @andyhadfield *WINNER

@lazygamers: @andyhadfield #TsogoSale I need to win. I can't give you a great reason as I'm so freaking run down :(

(A very close second for @lazygamers - Andy)

@tyronbarnard: @andyhadfield My superhero tights have left me desperately needing a tan #tsogosale

@D1sturbed_Angel: @andyhadfield Had a new baby 8 weeks ago and having a teething toddler as well, we could really do with a good nights sleep or 2 #TsogoSale

@davegreenway: @andyhadfield You know who deserves the #TsogoSale prize? I do... I need a getaway to drink wine & Klout farm while LoL-ing from cats.

@wzwick: @andyhadfield
Look at your entry
now look at mine
back to your entry
back to mine
sadly your entry is not my ...

@jistmee: @andyhadfield I deserve the mini break to @TsogoSun before my daughter gives me a heartattack for killing her cat (By accident) #TsogoSale

(YIKES! - Andy)

@nkathuto: @andyhadfield There's a gun to my head, are you going to pull the trigger and save me with a weekend away? #TsogoSale

(DOUBLE YIKES! - Andy)

@araliaSA: @andyhadfield #TsogoSale I have been a student for 8 years, I could use a holiday to celebrate my Masters degree.

Entrepreneurs / Intrapreneurs deserve a holiday too! #TsogoSale [GIVEAWAY]

2012-08-29T06:48:00.000+02:00

Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs (they're people too!) don't often get a break. It takes a certain kind of commitment to launch a business, whether it's your own, or inside a bigger corporate. Hell I'm typing this up at 22h00 so it can be posted before I hop on a plane to Cape Town to run around trying to sell Real Time Wine to people. And I got vomited on 3 times yesterday by the young one. Good times!

The kind folk from Tsogo Sun are having a 30% off sale. Trying to encourage people to pre-book that break they know they're going to forget about. In order to get some buzz going, they're asking me to give away a Weekend for 2 at a Tsogo Sun Hotel to an entrepreneur/intrapreneur that needs a break.

That's pretty rad. Sure, why not!

Here's some more info:

The good folks at Tsogo Sun launch their #TsogoSale this morning and you have the opportunity to snap up a cheeky lil getaway during December 2012 / January 2013 for a 30% discount.

Sale kicked off at 06:00 today - Wednesday 29 August 2012 – and lasts until 20:00 on Thursday 30 August 2012. http://www.tsogosunhotels.com/sun-breaks/more-offers/pages/early-bird-summer-sale.aspx

Righto. Here's how we're going to do this:

Tweet me on @andyhadfield between NOW and Thur 30 August 2012 @ 20h00 about why you deserve a holiday. Make sure you include #TsogoSale.

Most creative answer wins. Judges decision is final. Winner announced Friday 31 August 2012. Have some fun, be honest. Be funny. Be truthful. I'll post and retweet the best ones :)

Does your business need an app?

2012-08-27T13:11:00.002+02:00

Business, small and large are becoming increasingly obsessed with digital platforms. And with good reason. But like any new industry, we need to ask the tough questions up front. Do we really need all the shiny new toys? Does your business really need a smartphone app or mobile app?

What follows is the transcript of an interesting chat I had with Jessica Hubbard of Finweek. Some of the thoughts were featured in an article of hers, but we went into a lot more details - so I'm posting the full interview here. Hope you find some tidbits in here.

--- snip ---

Jessica Hubbard: When does it make sense for a business (particularly SMMEs) to develop an app?

Andy Hadfield: Apps are all about a mobile experience, a single-purpose focus - and target market. So, think through those questions as an SME. What part of your business/proposition is best experience in a mobile environment? Is there one or two things that you can do simply and efficiently through an app (that your customers would value)? And is your target market using apps?

Running through the numbers is quite important. We tend to either grossly underestimate or overestimate app takeup in the SA context at the moment. Let's do some matchbox maths. 8.5 million SmartPhones in the country. Knock off maybe 3 million that are just too old (designing for older Android/Nokia devices can be a nightmare). That leaves 5.5 across multiple platforms (iPhone / Android / Blackberry / Nokia / Windows Phone). Now assume that only 50% of those phones are "app active", as in the users know how and where to get apps. See the numbers shrinking a little?

Then, unless you're going to use the web app approach (designing a highly functional mobisite that you wrap up inside an app), you're looking at developing 5 different applications, 1 for each platform. If you thought designing a website was tough, multiply that by 5.

Now, I don't want to scare SMME's off, which I probably have! But the moral of this story is to do your research and pick your platforms well. Apps can be the most incredible focussed product experiences - and they give you an opportunity to get into your customers pocket. But they don't work for everything... and they can get expensive.

JH: What surprised you most in the process?

AH: The attention to detail required to create a mobile experience. People flippantly talk about the size of the mobile screen, but it's only when you're developing a mobile user interface that you truly appreciate how small mobile screens can get. Small screens mean graphics and fonts need to be big, so your users can see them. It means you can't have too many actions or buttons on the same screen. In essence, it forces you to be simple. You know the saying "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one" - that applies ten fold when designing mobile apps.

JH: What are the major considerations regarding design and distribution?

AH: Simple, sexy, functional design is the name of the game. Remember you're competing with vast US and European app developers and technology companies. Sure, you're offering a different service to them. But your customers are used to using THEIR apps - which means they've become used to a level of design, a level of usability and user experience that you have to work hard to match.

Distribution is an interesting argument. In app stores where the number of apps is in the hundreds of thousands - it's pretty hard to get discovered. You need a way of getting to your customer base to TELL them you have an app available. Don't expect to upload to the app store and "be found". It's highly unlikely that will happen.

JH: What makes a great app?

AH: Usefulness. Fun apps are fine, but fun wears off. If you really want to leverage the fact that your company is carried around in the pocket of your customers - you need to find enough utility to cause them to open that app every day, or at least every couple of days. People may download apps because they're sexy or fun or popular. People use apps because they're useful.

JH: Can you describe your app and what it does? Feedback so far?

AH: Of course! Real Time Wine is a social discovery app for wine. We try solve two problems. Firstly, getting into wine can be a daunting experience. Wine is complicated, the language used to describe wine can be really hard to understand and every year, you've got a fresh new bunch of wines to learn about. How many industries drastically change their products every year?! Secondly, if you've ever walked into a supermarket/retail store, you'll know what I mean by "The Wall of Wine". It's a scary thing, hundreds of bottles lined up from floor to ceiling. We want range from a supermarket, that's why we go there. But with that many options, we often battle to choose.

That's where we come in. Real Time Wine tries to capture and enhance the "moment" you have with wine, be it at a supermarket (trying to choose) or at a restaurant/dinner table with friends and family. In the supermarket, you need options, you need a list to work off to narrow down the choices. We have our Popular page for the crowd favourites and a Wish List that you can add a wine to everytime you stumble across something that gets recommended by the community. A self-populated shopping list! At the dinner table, it's all about the social experience. We believe everyone should be able to give their opinion on wine - and if everyone does, we'll be able to sort the good ones from the bad (at the right price bracket!). The app allows you to check-in to wine (save it to your profile), rate it, review it if you want to (in normal language) and share these recommendations with your friends.

Oh, and then a whole bunch of stuff to make it fun. Well, more fun than drinking wine already is!

Feedback has been amazing. I've been blown away by how many people have jumped on to help test and mature this concept. We had an early adopter community (who got first access and helped us debug before launch) of over 300 people. That's pretty special. On the 10th of July, we had our first record day in terms of number of reviews submitted: 53. That's not ratings. That's people actually taking the time to write something down about the wines they were drinking. Not to shabby for Week 1!

JH: What are your favourite apps?

AH: I'd have to go with Clear and Flipboard. Clear is simply the best To Do app I've ever come across. It's got a revolutionary 3D style interface - but better than that. It's dead simple. Pull down to add a to do item. Swipe to say you've done it. Runs my life, that app...

Flipboard is a sign of the future of how we'll consume news and content. It takes any stream you can find on the internet (from your Facebook friends, to RSS and other curated content categories) and produces a virtual magazine. It has to be seen to be believed. Imagine all the good content being shared by your friends on Facebook and Twitter - now in a beautiful magazine format that you can flip through an explore. It's one of the only ways I read news now.