If I was a betting man, I would place a big wager on the future of wearable computing devices like Google Glass and similar products. Despite countless critics dismissing it as a niche product for geeks and nerds, I take the opposing stance and believe its future more closely reflects that of mobile phones. I would argue that the value to consumers and society are largely obvious, just yet unrealized by much of the public.

However, there are significant hurdles that could prevent these innovative concepts from becoming part of our every day life. Beyond the technical challenges faced by these innovative manufacturers, I think there are some obvious and non-obvious challenges on the road ahead. The bottom line is that there are certain and very specific things that will need to occur in order for wearable computing devices to become widespread and prevalent.

Here are a few:

1. Diminished public concern for privacy

Privacy is likely among the top concerns for the general public with regards to Glass-like products. Most people don’t want to be recorded without their explicit knowledge and that is one of the more fundamental features of such technology.

Yet, as been evident over the past decade, the concept of privacy in American society is evolving (and arguably degrading) to the point where people care less about privacy and more about access. Younger generations appear more willing to sacrifice privacy in the name of other things (safety, communication ability, etc). The growth of social tools are an example of this. As people become less concerned about privacy, the fear/uncertainty that comes with widespread wearable computing devices will diminish as well.

2. Wider acceptance of geeky/nerdy style

Style is so deeply ingrained in every culture or group, regardless on how you define the word style. A huge challenge to the growth of Glass-like devices is the manner in which they move from a geeky-looking design (which is where the current version is closer towards) to a more inconspicuous and sleek looking design.

Fans of the Star Trek style can easily relate to the current form factor of certain wearable computing devices, but it doesn’t quite yet resonate with soccer moms, students and everyday people. However, as with most technology advancements, society will likely become more comfortable with it because of the ‘coolness’ of the technology itself.

3. Working versions for people with glasses or contact lenses

Over 60% of Americans wear some form of prescription glasses or contacts. In order for wearable computing devices to reach the scale that I’m expecting them to, people with vision issues must be served.

My instinct tells me that manufacturers of these innovative devices have already put serious thought into this and will likely create a form factor that works for this. I think the release of these ‘enhanced’ versions will be clear in versions 2, 3 (etc) depending on how demand plays out.

If a contact lenses or glasses-friendly version isn’t created, I don’t think these devices will be able to reach the threshold necessary to have the impact that is anticipated.

4. Consumer-friendly price

As of now (May 2013) it is difficult to speculate what the price of Glass-like devices will be for end consumers.The initial price for early developers was ~$1,500. Logic would indicate that the average consumer wouldn’t pay anywhere nearly this amount quite yet.

As the supply/demand curve for this product normalizes, I suspect that the price will reach a point where the avid yet common technology consumer will be comfortable and able to purchase it. Whether that figure hovers closer to ~$500 or ~$1,000 is yet to be determined. But in order for these wearable computing devices to become truly widespread, the price will have to be a figure that people are comfortable paying.

Closing:

If and when these hurdles are overcome by the manufacturer, I’m strongly inclined to believe that we will commonly see students, mothers, young professionals and even senior citizens wearing complex devices on their face that perform all the actions that we will come to accept.

Will everyone own one? Clearly not. What will be the more likely outcome is that someone will walk down the street wearing one and you won’t take a second look. Time will tell.

Entrepreneurs often think they are pretty smart, otherwise, they likely wouldn’t attempt to create a business through a process that is so difficult. They love technology and you build tech and web products that do really cool things. Whether you are an entrepreneur, sales guy or hacker in the tech space, you know the technology of your product and its features. The problem is that you probably often forget that your customers or users don’t understand technology nearly as much as you. To be honest, most times, they don’t care how it works. All they care about is that it works. However, this technological disconnect between you and your customers is important to understand.

In marketing, web design, sales pitches and every interaction point between your customer and the product, your customer needs to understand all the value that your product offers. Communicating the important aspects of value is important, but can be extremely difficult when dealing with very technical products. Focus on what matters and what will be easiest to persuade a potential customer convert into a paying customer. Using language that they don’t understand will not achieve this goal.

For example, if you are selling enterprise software to the human resources department, don’t begin the first conversation with details about the agile development process you used, hosting server environments or how robust your software will be. Upon immediate interaction, these things don’t matter. A human resources officer understands human resources issues. Communicate and discuss why your software will be useful and valuable. As much as we like to brag about the real differences between our product and the other guys, we must work to hold it back sometimes.

One of the best methods for determining if your message is simplified enough is to pitch something to your family member or friend is who is not like you. Find a family member who knows absolutely nothing about technology and explain something to them. If you begin receiving any looks of confusion, hesitation, daze, or any form of being puzzled, take this as a sign to reorganize your strategy. I often used to find myself discussing potential new features with family members or friends and I would begin using complicated and convoluted terms. Everything was “tech talk.”

Therefore, just because we live and breathe tech talk doesn’t mean that everyone else has the same understandings or viewpoints as we do.

Your closest competitor just received great exposure in a major publication and then landed $5 million in venture funding. You are probably thinking that it is time to chase the editor of a great news source then start pitching your company to venture capitalists as well. Before you go and try playing catch up with who you think is your direct competitor, pause for a moment to consider your thought process.

David Cancel wrote a truly insightful post on this very topic, where he outlines that your biggest competitor is customer apathy. It is not the company who sells the same product to your target market, it is customer apathy. Why? For many market segments, especially in this post-recession period, your customer will be making the decision of whether or not to use your product or service or nothing at all. You will be fighting harder than ever to earn their dollar. Positioning yourself against the competition is not the key.

You don’t have to price your products or services below your competitors’ price. Focus on providing the most value to your customers and potential customers, and define your company as one of quality, service and commitment to innovation. However, setting yourself up to be found by customers is equally important. Not worrying about your competitors doesn’t mean that you should not worry about who your potential customer will find first. Optimize your search engine listings, market your brand and be found. Upon being found, focus on the value of your company, and nothing else.

If your business is in a hyper-competitive market, your approach should be to first ensure that the customer can find you, second, that you properly convey the value of your product or service, and third, you should get your customers to take action by making it easy and convenient to make the purchase of your product or service.

Upon taking these steps, you will avoid wasting time on focusing on your industry competitors while putting effort into your customers. This is what matters. Regardless of how amazing or horrible your direct competitors are, apathetic customers won’t buy your product or service. Focus on the big picture and your business will be fine.

Because of the great success of so many internet giants like Facebook and Twitter, the door has been opened for web developers and entrepreneurs to leverage the large masses of users and data to build great products and services. Once a great internet company provides access to their platform through their open API, you can be off to the races creating the next Farmville or TweetDeck.

However, building your product or service on the platform of a bigger company has its costs and its benefits. Here is a list of risks and rewards that any entrepreneur should be aware of prior to getting the wheels rolling on a platform-dependent startup:

Risks

– If the platform shuts down or kicks you off, the livelihood of your business is in jeopardy

– Site outages will affect the experience of your users (their downtime = your downtime)

- There may be a limited number of competitive advantages because other startups may have access to same information that you will

Rewards

– Significant less development costs and development time = Quicker time to market

- Scale very quickly gaining rapid user growth/adoption

- Streamlined/pre-established marketing channels

- Investors & potential hires may want to get involved based on the success of the platform itself

When building any business, you assume the many risks that revolve around whether or not people will actually use your product or if you can even make it successful. However, when developing a concept that is dependent on another platform, there are additional concerns. As someone who is building an exciting project that is an example of platform dependency, I have become extremely interested in the ideas and opinions of building on established channels.

As large social networks or popular developer platforms continue to grow in notoriety and user base, startups will continue to build on them. Investors and entrepreneurs alike seem to be discussing this concept as it becomes more relevant. Mark Suster, of GRP Partners, wrote an excellent post about why the threat of internet giants eating your lunch shouldn’t scare you. His argues that you should diversify your functions and dependency, while constantly striving to create more value than anyone else in your space. Furthermore, just because your startup will be under potential threat of attack by these platforms doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it.

With that being said, continue to add value to this tech ecosystem. Whether it is by way of building on existing platforms or by creating new ones, use the successes of those companies that have come before you to propel your startup. Don’t fear the giants, but don’t be naïve to potential threats. Build, prepare and continue to innovate.

If you were paying attention to tech news this week, you may have come across an interesting article in Business Insider written by Alyson Shontell. It was a brief discussion that stemmed from the final episode of Bloomberg’s ‘TechStars’ show, in which audience members (and participating entrepreneurs) appeared to show applauding support for companies that raised venture capital funding while not being as excited or supportive for companies that attained success through organic growth and funding through customer revenues. One notable tech investor and entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk, pointed this out and expressed a contrasting view.

As I watched this segment, I too came to the conclusion that the tech community has this thing all wrong. We, myself included, tend to celebrate companies who receive millions of dollars in funding as if the funding is the accomplishment of a business. When companies fail to raise money or choose not but still creates a successful business, we aren’t always as excited. This is flawed logic.

Receiving VC or angel funding means that you have money in the bank to build your business. It does NOT mean that your business is successful. This distinction seems to be neglected by many. If you read the ‘big’ tech blogs on a regular basis, it is extremely likely that you will be bombarded by the countless articles touting how Startup ABC just raised $5 million from Venture Firm XYZ. As this always makes me feel happy for the founders, I realize that their work is just beginning.  They now have the responsibility to provide monetary value to their shareholders. Furthermore, they have less of an excuse (from the public’s perception) for failure. Face it, if you were handed that type of money and you failed, people will wonder how you blew it.

For the entrepreneurs who have not raised money but have built profitable businesses, I tip my hat. Also, I say ‘I’m sorry’ as I acknowledge that I have been caught up in the funding hype at one point or another. Truthfully, I value hard work, with or without funding. However, for the company that built a successful business without external funding, I do view with more of a blue-collar appreciation.

As 2011 has proven to be the year of high valuations and a ‘frothy’ investment market (as a great VC coined the phrase), we will soon see how the multitude of startups that received funding will play out. I wish them all the best but waive caution to the startups who have yet to raise capital. Do so with caution! Know that the funding is step 1 and it is the point where the real work begins. Whatever you do, build a great product or service that your customers can obsess over. If you do that, the rest will work itself out.

As much as I am remembering the great contributions that Mr. Jobs provided us, I am also remembering how he demonstrated the importance of determination, hard work, big vision, appreciation of design, understanding user experience and intent, as well as creating a great product. I created this blog to share my experiences as an entrepreneur and teach all the lessons that I am learning along the way. One lesson that I have learned time and time again is to learn from smart people. Not just from people with high IQs or good grades in school, but smart people. People who understand other people. People who strive to create products that change the world. People like Steve Jobs.

One of the greatest speeches I have ever watched included Mr. Jobs at the 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. As one of millions of viewers of this video, I too have sincerely appreciated his wisdom and advice. As entrepreneurs, we all will go through the ups and downs. We will all have our struggles in our journey of building a great company. Steve Jobs did all of these things. I have included his video from the commencement speech so that you can appreciate his wisdom. Four words that he used will always stand out to me. I think it truly exemplifies what entrepreneurs must ALWAYS do in order to succeed.

“…stay hungry, stay foolish.”

- Steve Jobs

And in case you were wondering, I am back on by blogging game. One of the many things that I take away from this sad event is that you shouldn’t forget about the things that matter to you. Helping other entrepreneurs and promoting the spread of entrepreneurship is important to me. This blog helps me do that. Therefore, I’ll be sure to stay focused from here on out. Thanks.

Michael Jordan and Mark Zuckerberg have a lot more in common than the fact that they both are extremely rich. Both men have found out how to utilize their talents to create consistently winning teams. The best entrepreneurs and businessmen have become experts in the art of marketing, deal-making and product development. However, athletes have also become notable for understanding particular skill-sets and actions that better position them for success. Here are five lessons that entrepreneurs can learn from athletes.

1. Compliment your competitors, while complimenting your own company even more

Consumers are constantly overwhelmed by companies’ advertisements that state how bad their competitors’ products are, or why you should never buy any product except their own. Don’t insult your competitors; talk more about the strengths and advantages of your product instead of the weaknesses of your competition. Anytime you hear a superstar athlete being interviewed after winning a big game or championship, you will most likely hear them say about how great their competitors played and how talented the other team is. Subsequently, you will then hear how much harder the athlete and their team fought and how dedicated they were to winning. Try this tactic when discussing the competitive landscape between you and your closest industry colleagues.

2. View every interaction with customers and media as a potential image maker and breaker.

Lights, camera, action means it’s time to show your best side. Whether it is an email interview with a small blogger or if it is an in-person interview with a writer from CNN, treat every media interaction the same. Value the smallest fish just as much as you value the big guys. It makes a world of difference. Michael Jordan worked hard at presenting a consistent image to the media regardless of what network or media it was for. The same rule applies to your customers. Treat every customer interaction as an opportunity to make a better impression. Whether it is the smallest support question that a customer may contact you about, understand that each interaction defines how the customer views you. Just as the smart athletes strive to sign as many autographs and take as many pictures as possible, you should do the same. One negative experience can cause a ripple effect of negative reviews, and subsequently, one great interaction can lead to the next big business development deal that you have been looking for.

3. Don’t praise your product, praise your team and your customers instead.

After an exceptional game where an athlete may have scored countless touchdowns or baskets, you wouldn’t hear him talk about how amazing his passing or jump-shots were. You would be more likely to hear him talk about how great his teammates were for getting him the ball when he needed it and how great the fans were for cheering with unwavering support. Take these actions and apply this to your startup. As great as your product may be, understand that it means nothing without a great team to support it and a loyal and passionate customer base to help spread the word. We all know how much time, practice and effort goes into your product, just as a lot of hard work goes into great athletes’ performances. However, it becomes a better story when you take the modest approach and show appreciation to your team and your customers for allowing you to constantly do what you do. Your audiences, both internally and externally, will then take a more vested interest in the success of your business.

4. Don’t expect to score 100% of the time, but strive for it.

No athlete makes all of their shots, catches all of their passes or hits homeruns every time they are at bat. The same rule applies to businesses. Every single product, feature or service will not be homeruns to your customers. Don’t get down on yourself, or your team, if things don’t always work out. Set realistic goals and don’t be afraid to miss shots. There will be days when your product works perfectly or you receive no customer complaints, so enjoy those days. However, when your product’s features receive countless complaints or your server crashes, take it in stride and continue moving. Fix the problem and don’t dwell. Even Michael Jordan had games where he only made just a few shots, but what made him great was the fact that he made shots when his team needed him most. You may have that game where you are missing all of your shots and everything is going wrong, but continue shooting because the one shot that you make may be the game-winning shot. Find your game-winning product, service or feature.

5. After every game, review the game film to find ways to improve.

If your competitors beat you to a valuable strategic partnership or get to market before you do, which may end up costing you immediate profits or traction, take the Michael Jordan approach and study your actions. Watch the game film and see what you could have done better. Look at the metrics you have in place. Was there something that you could have done different, better, faster? It is okay to acknowledge mistakes and failure, but only if you learn from it. You should be constantly reviewing your actions and decisions to determine how to be a better startup. Speak with your customers, iterate and then deploy your product again with better functions and features. This constant customer and product development process will save you tremendous time and effort in the long run.

Therefore, whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a small business owner, use these lessons to provide your startup with the best chances for success. Dealing with your competition, customers or press is not always an easy task. Consider what an athlete would do, and you may find your business running a better operational, public relations and customer service strategy. Therefore, instead of using the old-fashioned expression “What would Jesus do?” ask yourself, “What would Jordan do?”

Building products and services for today’s environment may allow you to build a successful company, but building products for tomorrow’s world will allow you to guide our society into a new age. As a technological society, we have evolved from the early days of content-based websites, to e-commerce businesses, to social networks. The companies who will lead the future will be those who understand what the next evolution of the web will be, how to provide the most value to users or customers, and how to monetize this process.

I came across a great video from TechCrunch with Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and Tim O’Reilly, of O’Reilly Media, in which they discussed what the web’s biggest superstars may look like in the future. Based on their experience and contribution to today’s internet, I find their opinions and outlooks very insightful. This video is a must-watch for anyone who is considering being a leader in the internet space.

Some quick takeaways:

- Better use of cross-platform data: people’s identity, location & interests in real-time

- “Web meets world”: the movement and management of things in the physical world

- Mass customization will be more frequent, likely through local manufacturing

- Vast expansion of peer-to-peer networks across a variety of industries

- Democratization of data

Here is the link:

http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/18/so-is-web-3-0-already-here-tctv/

How will you make your imprint on the future web? Do you agree with the assertions and ideas of Hoffman and O’Reilly? Either way, the web will continue to evolve. The manner in which we use data and technology will continue to change. What role will you play?

If you are a startup in the technology field, you are definitely in a competitive environment. Whether you are a news blog, daily deals site, social network or mobile application, you are probably facing some tough competitors. You need to find some real qualitative differentiating factors between you and them. Game mechanics may be the solution to all of your problems.

First off, you may be immediately asking yourself, what is game mechanics? Basically, game mechanics can be briefly described as a construct of rules and ideas that allow for structured and enjoyable game play. Yes, I am sure more questions are arising. The best way to exemplify it is to look at a popular startup that is using game mechanics extremely well. A prime example is Foursquare.

The popular mobile application that allows people to check-in to locations and share it with their friends succeeds partially due to the fact that the concept of earning badges and mayorships excites its users. People inherently like to compete, earn and get rewarded for activities, even if it doesn’t equate to tangible or monetary rewards. Fortunately for Foursquare users, the startup has become successful to the point that certain venues do offer price discounts and rewards for checking in. Think about it in terms of a creative and participatory way of implementing a loyalty or rewards program.

Clearly your business model may not warrant the distribution of badges or mayorships, but it may be viable to find a similar game-like experience. Consider virtual currency, leaderboards or some deviation. By creating an environment where your users, website visitors or customers have added incentives to return to your site or can compete against friends, peers or community users, you have immediately added a new level of value to your user groups. This will change the way that people interact with your company and its product or service. By utilizing this concept, your users will stay longer on your product and will come back more often, both which will increase the revenues that you can potentially earn.

So now you may be wondering, how can I implement such a concept without overhauling my entire product? Enter BigDoor.com. This website is one example of the emerging movement to allow a variety of companies to integrate game-like features into your product. BigDoor.com allows you to easily implement a variety of game features that can immediately transform your website or application into something that people will feel rewarded for using. You will be surprised how this addition changes the user dynamic of your product.

As this concept may not apply to all startups, it does become critical to understand the intrinsic psychology behind it. As it may often be viewed as “childish” or “petty” to introduce game-like features into your product, it is also unwise to believe that there aren’t particular things that make us all tick as consumers. As much as we all would like freebies and tangible prizes, we are often appreciative when we accomplish something and get recognized for it, whether it be through our name being published on a website as the “Most Frequent Visitor” or it be through earning a free coffee for checking in with five of your friends.

I encourage you to consider implementing some variation of game mechanics and test it out to see what the results are. I would be surprised to find any negative effects if a well thought out game was implemented into your website or application. Begin by understanding why and how your users interact with your content or product, and how they navigate through it. This should be the basis of the game-like features. You should incentivize people to do more of what they currently enjoy doing and recognize them for it. Create a competitive community environment that encourages more frequent and engaging activity. This will start you in the right direction. Good luck implementing it. If you have already implemented game mechanics or have anything to add, please feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

The sales process is hard. No question about it. That is why good salespeople are hard to find, and when you do find them, they require a lot of compensation or perks. For startups, paying a salesperson isn’t always a viable option. So if you are involved with a startup that already has a notable user base, consider looking for a salesperson in really unusual places, such as the list of your most passionate customers.

Besides you and your team, who knows your product inside and out? The answer is easy, the customers who use your product every day. If your product provides features or functions that solve a real and impactful need, chances are that you may have some customers who really love using your products. {If your product is in use and there is no one who loves your product, you should consider re-evaluating your business}.

Those individuals who give great feedback about your product on review sites and tell their friends about their positive experience with your product may be the most ideal individuals to help you with your sales efforts. Does your company have reviews on Yelp? Google Places? Facebook fan page? Find these reviews, and find those individuals who are true fans, evangelists and advocates for your company’s product. Leverage these lists of customers to find those people who know understand and appreciate your product. Furthermore, beyond knowing your product, they understand the process that brought them to begin using your product and therefore can find more effective ways to promote, solicit, market and sell your product.

Now obviously, hiring just anyone who uses your product isn’t a good idea. Finding someone that fits perfectly in your company culture is absolutely vital to your success. To more effectively convert a current user into a salesperson, consider using a long-term strategy to attract, solicit and hire the ideal individual. Build a relationship with your most vocal and evangelical users. Find out what makes them tick. When you have a list of potential users whom you’ve created a relationship with, engage them and let them know how much you value their contributions.

If you are fortunate enough to bring someone on board as a result of this tactic, understand how to best utilize them. This person may have been in an industry in which they have colleagues that could also benefit from your product. Their network now becomes your network. This is precisely where the lead generation process starts. By bringing on board someone that already is excited about your product, who may also have positive outlook on the future of your company in addition to having a network of potential contacts, you are setting that individual up for success which provides your company success in return.

By considering unique methods of searching for salespeople, you open up yourself to a variety of opportunities. Give it a shot and if you discover that you aren’t getting the response that you expected, at least you will have learned what your customers like and don’t like, and you will have a confidence booster. If you can’t find any positive reviews, you will know that it may be time to reconsider your business strategies.