Today I installed the outbrain widget on this blog. I found out about the widget on Techcrunch where I discovered that Yaron Galai, Quigo founder and a really nice guy, started up outbrain. I interacted with Yaron in 2002 to 2005 period while I worked at Ask.com and Fathom Online.
I really like the outbrain concept and think that if executed as it is described by Galai, could produce much more interesting recommendations and reading than reddit and digg. I'm not sure if outbrain is intended to compete with those services but when competing for my time, it certainly does.
The best part of the outbain concept is that I do not need to remember a web URL to go find the links, instead the links come to me because they syndicate to every webpage that installs outbrain.
The one hesitation I have is, do I want to publish links to other websites and send my audience away? For now, the answer is yes because I'm really curious to see how the results refine themselves over time.
At the bottom of each post, you will now see five rating stars. Please rate the posts and we'll see how the service works (and do not worry about my feelings if you want to rate a post poorly; I gave myself some bad ratings too!).
TANGENT: Why are ratings always on a "1 to 5" or "1 to 10" scale? I like ratings on a "1 to 3" scale: 1. below expectations, 2. met expectations, 3. exceed expectations or 1. below average, 2. average, 3. above average or how about a 2-point scale: 1. did not like, 2. liked. When you introduce a higher point total scale, it seems that the ambiguity factor would increase dramatically. On a scale of 1 to 10, what really is the difference between a 6 or a 7? or on a 1 to 100 scale, what is the difference between 73 and 77? or 24 and 39?
If you want to learn more about outbrain's features, go here.
UPDATE: Outbrain uses cookies to identify users. I use multiple devices. So, my profile and therefore my preference does not carry with me from desktop to laptop to mobile phone :-(
2/18/09 UPDATE: Today I took Outbrain off the site. Users were not using the ratings function. Of the few thousand visits I have had since I implemented Outbrain, there have probably been <20 ratings completed. I still love the concept- just don't know how to get people to participate and today when I saw my page load hang due to the outbrain script, I decided that the test was complete.
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Feb 25, 2008
Feb 22, 2008
Thrivepoint
If you are looking for a marketing design job, then coming soon, I've got the site for you. But let me back up some to explain...
At the end of November, and after 5 years, I left my job at Fathom Online. But this post is not about the past, it is about the future.
For the past three months I have been consulting with various businesses while also working on a more cohesive business plan that would bring together my different ideas under one unified vision. In that time, I have been conducting extensive research, talking to trusted colleagues, meeting with different companies, writing, writing, writing and neck deep in spreadsheet models.
The net net: I am quietly launching Thrivepoint LLC explicitly for the purpose of increasing small business success rates and to help small businesses achieve their thrivepoint™. <-- thrivepoint is a tm - yeah, I've been busy with a lot
I have spent my entire career (and a good part of my childhood) involved with startups and small businesses. It is only natural that I would want to continue working with them. Thrivepoint will be slowly rolling out different services, solutions and products for different customer segments. Right now, my revenue is primarily derived from marketing consulting. But I am very close to launching the first web service - Thrivepoint Design.
Thrivepoint's job is to eliminate or greatly simplify a business' operational activities so that the business owner and employees can focus on the strategic activities that will ensure ongoing success. Thrivepoint Design is a community and toolset for designers and business' to come together to create the best design possible for a business' marketing needs. We eliminate the administrative tasks associated with hiring a designer or agency and get everyone focused on making great marketing materials.
Be it logos, print ads, coupons or signs, Thrivepoint Design provides the admin infrastructure so designers and businesses can spend more time with the design. Thrivepoint Design is free to join and designers keep 100% of their fee. Businesses pay $99 to list their project.
The key difference between Thrivepoint Design and job boards or work exchanges is that instead of submitting a written proposal, designers submit actual design comps (rough drafts) for the business to consider. Many would classify this as spec work only worthy of begginning or struggling designers. However, I would argue that this is a much better way for many designers to work because by focusing on the design instead of the proposal, the designer stays focused on what they do best which helps them work more efficiently, make more money and address their potential customers business needs directly.
We are still working on the final details of the site but are set to launch in March. The site is located at http://www.thrivepointdesign.com
I have not built thrivepoint.com, but that is next (maybe)
At the end of November, and after 5 years, I left my job at Fathom Online. But this post is not about the past, it is about the future.
For the past three months I have been consulting with various businesses while also working on a more cohesive business plan that would bring together my different ideas under one unified vision. In that time, I have been conducting extensive research, talking to trusted colleagues, meeting with different companies, writing, writing, writing and neck deep in spreadsheet models.
The net net: I am quietly launching Thrivepoint LLC explicitly for the purpose of increasing small business success rates and to help small businesses achieve their thrivepoint™. <-- thrivepoint is a tm - yeah, I've been busy with a lot
I have spent my entire career (and a good part of my childhood) involved with startups and small businesses. It is only natural that I would want to continue working with them. Thrivepoint will be slowly rolling out different services, solutions and products for different customer segments. Right now, my revenue is primarily derived from marketing consulting. But I am very close to launching the first web service - Thrivepoint Design.
Thrivepoint's job is to eliminate or greatly simplify a business' operational activities so that the business owner and employees can focus on the strategic activities that will ensure ongoing success. Thrivepoint Design is a community and toolset for designers and business' to come together to create the best design possible for a business' marketing needs. We eliminate the administrative tasks associated with hiring a designer or agency and get everyone focused on making great marketing materials.
Be it logos, print ads, coupons or signs, Thrivepoint Design provides the admin infrastructure so designers and businesses can spend more time with the design. Thrivepoint Design is free to join and designers keep 100% of their fee. Businesses pay $99 to list their project.
The key difference between Thrivepoint Design and job boards or work exchanges is that instead of submitting a written proposal, designers submit actual design comps (rough drafts) for the business to consider. Many would classify this as spec work only worthy of begginning or struggling designers. However, I would argue that this is a much better way for many designers to work because by focusing on the design instead of the proposal, the designer stays focused on what they do best which helps them work more efficiently, make more money and address their potential customers business needs directly.
We are still working on the final details of the site but are set to launch in March. The site is located at http://www.thrivepointdesign.com
I have not built thrivepoint.com, but that is next (maybe)
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