Isn't it time for our industry to stop using booth babes once and for all? There used to be an annual tradition around Comdex--Every year, a week or two after Comdex (and then later CES) InfoWorld or Computerworld would write an editorial complaining about the use of "booth babes." at the … [Read more...]
50 Secrets for Successful Consumer Technology Products Revealed
Our New Product Success Deck Offers 50 Principles for a Better Launch, More Successful Product, and Happier Customers I'm happy to let you know that today we announced the publication of our Product Success Deck. The card deck teaches any company--startup or established--how to turn technologies … [Read more...]
Ten steps to a better launch, more successful product and happier customers
There’s a lot that goes into making and launching a great consumer technology product, far more than just an affordable price tag, an attractive look-and-feel or even a great product. In fact, it’s the whole experience surrounding that product - from the moment a customer begins the … [Read more...]
The CEA and Public Knowledge: Fighting for Consumer’s Rights
I'd bet that most people outside the industry (and even some within) don't know much about the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and if they do know anything they probably know it for their annual trade show, the Consumer Electronics Show or better known as CES. Also, few outside of … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Launches: Orders vs. Pre-Orders
This is a tale of two Silicon Valley startups that chose late October - just one month before the kickoff of the biggest shopping season of the year - to launch their new products. The first company is Lytro, which announced an ultrasmall camera of the same name that utilizes light-field … [Read more...]
Jawbone Hits a Customer Service Home Run
Very shortly my "Product Success Deck" cards will be out and two of the most important cards are #12: "It’s not that problems won’t arise, it’s how you rise to the occasion when they do" and #13: "Support is brand and relationship building not a cost center." Clearly from what happened this … [Read more...]
Apple forgets that “Less is More” with iOS 5
One of the reasons that Apple has become a leader in consumer electronics products is because it tends to follow one of the golden rules of selling to the public: Simplicity sells. From the earliest iPods to the iPad 2 today, Apple’s products - the devices themselves, as well as the software … [Read more...]
Sometimes, the best product update is a rollback to the original version
When a company releases a software update, whether to fix issues in an older version or to roll out new features, it should have a plan in place in case users revolt - even if that means offering a way to roll back to the old way. In recent weeks, there’s been some backlash against Facebook for … [Read more...]
Red Carpet Rollouts: Theatrics are important but can’t make a weak product launch better
Who among us has never seen - even if only in news coverage - the annual parade of animals being led into a big tent where a circus will be held over the next few days? The parade is cheesy, for sure. … [Read more...]
The Times’ Lawyers Should Advise Not Decide
In my talks I always explain why lawyers should be advisers and not deciders. Lawyers can help asses risk and but they can also tend to try to keep clients from getting anywhere near risk. … [Read more...]
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