bitstrategist :: thoughts about 1s and 0s http://bitstrategist.com Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:42:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Pinterest: The crack cocaine of digital consumption and sharing http://bitstrategist.com/2012/02/pinterest-the-crack-cocaine-of-digital-consumption-and-sharing/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/02/pinterest-the-crack-cocaine-of-digital-consumption-and-sharing/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:42:41 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1933 The latest poster child for social sharing sites is Pinterest, which has seen hockey-stick growth over the past four months and is the topic du jour for discussion on tech blogs. Recent Hitwise statistics have Pinterest among the top 10 social networking sites, and other data suggests Pinterest generates referral traffic that rivals Twitter, topping YouTube, Google Plus, Reddit and LinkedIn combined. People are talking about how Pinterest may have cracked the social shopping nut that Facebook and others have been pursuing for years. Pinterest is just the shiniest example of image sharing sites; everyone seems to be jumping on this bandwagon (see Pinspire, Gentlemint and Tastespotting for the most obvious clones). Putting aside the accolades and buzz, why are sites like Pinterest so popular? The answer to many is obvious: they're fun and beautiful, allow you to discover new things, and connect you with people with shared interests (there's actually a Quora thread on Pinterest growth worth reading). On top of that, they let you find and share cool stuff, beautiful images, products you might want to buy. What could be better? Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/02/pinterest-the-crack-cocaine-of-digital-consumption-and-sharing/feed/ 0 A Digital Strategy Manifesto http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/a-digital-strategy-manifesto/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/a-digital-strategy-manifesto/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:08:50 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1758
"A word that can mean anything has lost its bite."
  – Richard Rumelt, "Good Strategy, Bad Strategy"
Throw a rock online these days and you're likely to hit someone talking about some flavor of digital strategy: Web strategy, social media strategy, mobile strategy, content strategy, search strategy, hottest-topic-of-the-month strategy. You name it, and someone is writing about it, strategically. A lot of smart and experienced people are sharing good ideas on any digital topic you can imagine, often claiming to provide the strategic keys to the digital kingdom of success...But are they really talking about strategy? And if they are, how can you separate the wheat from the chaff? Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/a-digital-strategy-manifesto/feed/ 0 Path: The magic of missing links http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/path-the-magic-of-missing-links/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/path-the-magic-of-missing-links/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:05:45 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1862 Path released their social networking application / platform back in November 2010 to a lot of buzz, followed by a collective shrug. It wasn't really clear how to use the service, or what its value proposition was relative to the other social networks where people were already spending their time (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). In late 2011, they completely redesigned their iPhone application and expanded the number of users allowed in a given network, and things got more interesting. Usage exploded. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/path-the-magic-of-missing-links/feed/ 0 The misguided quest for the UX polymath http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/the-misguided-quest-for-the-ux-polymath/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/the-misguided-quest-for-the-ux-polymath/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:09:50 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1817 Experience design for the Web is all about tradeoffs: you have to balance what you can design (which is limited only by imagination) with what you can build (which is constrained based on existing technologies). This delicate dance between design and technology has existed ever since people started wanting Web pages (and experiences) to go beyond something you could create with a crayon. Branded experiences and useful applications need good interaction and information design, solid visual design, and an implementation that is faithful to both and performs well. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/the-misguided-quest-for-the-ux-polymath/feed/ 0 Why specific predictions about Internet business are pointless http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/why-predictions-about-internet-business-are-pointless/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/why-predictions-about-internet-business-are-pointless/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:31:30 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1798 Everyone loves making predictions, especially pundits and bloggers who need to keep cranking out ideas and content to pay the bills. Beyond this drive to publish, it's an important part of the human condition to wonder about the future, dream of what might be, and imagine how to reap benefits from it. The beginning of each new year brings a flood of these prognostications, especially in the world of what I'll loosely call "Internet business." While it's a fun exercise that makes for good reading, it's basically pointless, in my opinion. Not only is it a waste of time, but it also gives the damaging impression that business follows a predictable set of trends, and that strategic decision-making might be guided by these predictions. It's just not that simple. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/why-predictions-about-internet-business-are-pointless/feed/ 0 Social media and the new economics of plenty http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/social-media-and-the-new-economics-of-plenty/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/social-media-and-the-new-economics-of-plenty/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:41:06 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1779 A recent Schumpeter article in The Economist lamented the "howling hurricane of noise" and "blizzard of buzz" in the world of social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). The writer posits that these new modes of communication are potentially more trouble than they're worth for companies and individuals, using the economics of scarcity as a foundation for his argument (i.e., that things derive value from their scarcity). He ultimately seems to conclude that because so much information is available through social media, it ultimately lacks value. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/social-media-and-the-new-economics-of-plenty/feed/ 0 My Three Words for 2012 http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/my-three-words-for-2012/ http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/my-three-words-for-2012/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:35:18 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1771 New Year's resolutions are easy to create; I could write a list as long as my arm without really trying. The problem is keeping them, because there's a big difference between a resolution and action. In fact, resolutions are often just wishes without any real resolve behind them at all. Even if there is resolve, our yearly resolutions are often tactical, goal-directed and small in scale and scope (e.g., lose the tire around the midsection). Chris Brogan has an interesting solution: ditch your resolutions and come up with three words that will serve to give you direction in the coming year, themes by which you will live your life. With these in place, do whatever it takes to make those words your reality. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2012/01/my-three-words-for-2012/feed/ 0 Five strategies to keep high-octane in your brain http://bitstrategist.com/2011/12/five-strategies-to-keep-high-octane-in-your-brain/ http://bitstrategist.com/2011/12/five-strategies-to-keep-high-octane-in-your-brain/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:33:16 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1759 My brain has been running on fumes for the last few weeks. Ever since returning from an extended vacation in New Zealand, I've had a hard time finding mental energy for much beyond day-to-day routines and work. No amount of surfing the Web, sci-fi-book-reading or self-motivation has filled my mental tank. The problem? Not enough high-octane fuel. Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2011/12/five-strategies-to-keep-high-octane-in-your-brain/feed/ 0 Don’t be a hamster: Own your routines http://bitstrategist.com/2011/11/dont-be-a-hamster-own-your-routines/ http://bitstrategist.com/2011/11/dont-be-a-hamster-own-your-routines/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:46:25 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1741 The best thing in the world to break your routine is a vacation (preferably to someplace new and exotic). From when you wake to the moment your head hits the pillow, everything is outside your daily routine: where you sleep, what you eat, the places you go, the people with whom you interact. The comfortable slippers of your daily life are gone. It's a fantastic way to inspire creativity, stimulate your mind and re-energize your spirit. And then the vacation ends. You come home. What happens when you get back? Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2011/11/dont-be-a-hamster-own-your-routines/feed/ 1 Find the Steve Jobs in you http://bitstrategist.com/2011/10/find-the-steve-jobs-in-you/ http://bitstrategist.com/2011/10/find-the-steve-jobs-in-you/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:03:56 +0000 Ryan McCormack http://bitstrategist.com/?p=1734 Steve Jobs was an icon. He typifies the tech visionary, entrepreneur and businessman. His achievements are nearly unparalleled in the world of Internet technology: iPod, iPhone, iPad and iTunes as a media distribution platform (encompassing 317 patents). He eclipses almost everyone in the modern technology business, and served as the premiere spokesperson for the value of great product and user interface design. Who could possibly hope to accomplish everything he did? Continue reading →]]> http://bitstrategist.com/2011/10/find-the-steve-jobs-in-you/feed/ 0