R. Ethan Smith

Technology is for Moms.

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:29:42 -0500

Seriously. It is.

Web and consumer technology companies generally track users, customers, and activations as their metrics for success. Typical. I’m not sure users/customers/activations are all that indicative of mainstream success, though. The best current measurement for mainstream success, I think, is the mom factor.

Think about it. The most popular technology is largely used by, and is, arguably, made for moms. Facebook? You’re mom is on it. My mom is on it. My mom’s mom and dad’s mom are on it. iPad? My dad’s mom has one. My friends are buying them for their moms. iPods and iPhones (and Kindles)? MOMS. Email? Moms run it. Current up and comer’s Twitter and Pinterest? Momfest 2012. Amazon, Etsy, and the rest of ecommerce? MOM MOM MOM.

Tech and moms are on a collision course. Nothing is sacred, no one is safe.

Currently Reading: The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:16:00 -0500

In a world where people are quick to insert “in this economy” into any and every conversation, it seems that few people actually know how “the economy” works. Having taken both micro- and macro-economics courses during my time at university, my understanding is probably just 0.75% more comprehensive than the average American with the surface level understanding that “good economy = more jobs and more money” and “bad economy = I lost my job, have less money, and things cost more…”.

Adam Smith is credited as being the father of capitalism and with constructing the foundation of what would become modern economics. Reading his The Wealth of Nations should theoretically give me a deeper understanding of economics in general, as well as a closer look at capitalism (which is, like, important, because I have been known to be sympathetic to those championing the cause of capitalism).

Those concerned that my education is a bit narrow will be interested to know that Keynes and Marx are next on the list.

you're an idiot. keep living with your eyes closed

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 23:54:16 -0400

I assume you are referencing my views on Occupy.

My eyes are very much open. I see crowds of iPhone toting, Levi wearing, members of the middle class declaring that they are the 99%. Anyone with their eyes open can see that, compared to much of the rest of the world, WE ARE THE 1%.

If belief in hard work and contentment is idiotic, I am willing to live life as an idiot.

Good day, anon.

Occupy Nothing.

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:23:00 -0400

I am calling bull on the Occupy Wall Street “protests”. This supposed progressive movement is at the least a slap in the face to the very real, meaningful, and risky protests taking place in Middle Eastern and African countries. At the most, it is a laughable and disjointed collection of people, each with different a different motive and reason for joining the protest.

From what I can tell, Occupy Wall Street is more about occupying things than it is a protest against corporate greed, government corruption, animal cruelty, unemployment, and “the media”. Occupy Wall St. or whatever the general Occupy movement is calling itself now seems to be nothing more than a public complaint festival. From New York to California and Wall St. to Main St., the disgruntled are gathering not in unison over a set of ideals, but because they are simply disgruntled.

How can the subjects toward which the occupy movement is directing their anger, much less American public, take these protesters seriously with meaningless chants of “All Day, All Week! Occupy Wall St!”. The slogan ranks among the emptiest rally cries ever uttered. It means nothing! And the pictures below (via Gawker) as well as the documented wierdos only lend support to the incredible emptiness, pointlessness, and general chaos of the demonstration.

Sick and Tired? Get off the streets, take some meds, go to bed. Problem solved.

Nice banner, bro. What does it even mean? Meh. Whatever it needs to mean, bro.

Nice helment, man! Now, you and I both will agree that Wall St. hates to pay for things, like taxes. So, let’s hike ‘em up! But wait. If we raise “Wall St.” taxes, they will still hate to pay for things, so they’ll pass the costs along to us. So…

Civil disobedience, protests, etc. are extremely meaningful and necessary when people are actually having their inalienable rights violated. The civil rights movement, women’s rights movement, and the movement for marriage equality all demonstrate that. What sets these movements apart from the Occupy movement is the unifying set of principles and deep socio-political implications. Unfortunately, Occupy Wall St. is little more than a collection of post-modernists, encouraging one another to protest their independent gripes, together. Occupy Wall St. is a movement born of entitlement and disgruntled Americans lamenting their under-realized American dreams.

Occupy nothing. Work harder. Make your life what you want it to be.

PopTrends 2011: Whistling

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:56:00 -0400

What do the Seven Dwarves have in common with Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Brittney Spears, and One Republic? They all have an affinity for whistling while they work.

Extremely cheesy lead aside, whistling is in. 3 of this week’s Billboard Hot 100, and perhaps all 4 had I taken the opportunity to write this when I noticed it a few weeks ago, mix the carefully controlled flow of air through lips with carefully controlled vocal prowess, instrumentation, and production to create 3 second riff which begs the listener to participate. Not conviced? Watch/listen for yourself.

The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars
I Wanna Go - Britney Spears
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5
Good Life - One Republic

(This is where I would normally embed the music videos, so that you could listen/watch easily. Unfortunately, YouTube/Vevo/Record Labels don’t like their productions embedded. So with a the same “screw you” attitude displayed by the aforementioned parties, I will kindly tell you to find and watch ‘em yourself. Carry on.)

fastcompany: Hijacked! laughingsquid: Looting Google

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:22:52 -0400

fastcompany:

Hijacked!

laughingsquid:

Looting Google

» Google could be the fastest to 100,000,000 and why it doesn’t matter.

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:48:00 -0400

» Google could be the fastest to 100,000,000 and why it doesn’t matter.:

Bill Gross is super-smart, and super-obvious…

Currently Reading: Brewing Up a Business

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:44:06 -0400

Written by DogFish Head founder Sam Calagione, this book is best described as an unabriged version of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It! BUAB digs a bit deeper into your motivation as an entrepreneur, knowing yourself and your company (DNA), and drops quite a few tips/tricks/knowledge bombs from his personal experience in building one of the (if not the largest?) craft breweries in the U.S.

I wouldn’t say it’s a must read, but I am enjoying it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to turn their hobbies/something they love into a viable business.

I wouldn’t really be surprised if this one managed...

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:20:37 -0400

I wouldn’t really be surprised if this one managed it’s way onto the radio waves as a late summer hit. Classic BEP. Basic but killer and catchy beat and melody, super-coverable, and super-repetitive - which means it’s easy to remember and sing-along.

9-bits: Josh Collie has been doing some fantastic mockups on...

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:30:16 -0400

9-bits:

Josh Collie has been doing some fantastic mockups on Forrst for a desktop Google application.

It’s Rihanna channeling her inner T. Swift. Interesting,...

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:14:51 -0400

It’s Rihanna channeling her inner T. Swift. Interesting, at the least, and generic.

This Week in: [in]Effective Marketing

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:21:55 -0400

This managed its way into my inbox today. Exactly how desperate for subscribers are the magazines these days?

I honestly have no recollection of ever ordering Money magazine in the first place. It has been showing up at my house monthly for almost a year now, but I honestly have no idea when I ordered it. If I did, it was probably some dirt-cheap sub-$5 fee for a year’s subscription. $10 to re-subscribe isn’t bad, but I see no reason. Each issue is the same. Talk about the economy, solve someone’s money management problems, and talk about hot new investments. It gets old.

The fun part is their enticing marketing copy! If I renew now, I am actually helping the environment because they won’t send me any more enticing re-subscription offers! That puts me in the position of power, now doesn’t it? Of course they couldn’t save the trees by just continuing to barrage my email inbox. What’s more, they could save a tree or two by taking a hint. I haven’t responded to their last ten re-subscription requests, nor will I be responding to subsequent ones.

Just for the sake of snark, let’s look at this just a tiny bit deeper. If I continue to let my subscription lapse, they will continue to “harm” the environment by sending me paper correspondence via mail. I think I am willing to make that sacrifice considering the natural resources used to print a year’s worth of magazines for me would be far greater than those used to produce a one page letter in an envelope.

I have enjoyed Money for as long as I have been getting it. I don’t want it anymore, and a half-baked eco-friendly marketing play isn’t quite enough to keep me on their subscription register.

Feel free to take this opportunity to submit your nice pics/screen shots of your favorite pit of [in]effective marketing this week. Stay excellent, friends.

Social Media BS: Brand Engagement

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:23:00 -0400

FYI: This is one of those posts that could easily be understood as a snark-fest. I promise, I don’t intend for it to be that way. I just want you to understand that people are much better at judging a company/brand’s intentions than “marketers” give them credit for.

I don’t like social media. I hate the term, I hate how the term is used, and I believe that if you are doing “social media marketing” you are already losing. I think most “social media experts” complicate the social web in such a way that they actually cause their clients to lose the sense of authenticity and originality that is so necessary.

On the other hand, I like Twitter, I like Facebook, I like blogs, and I think that they, along with others, can be extremely effective tools to inform and interact with customers.

Marketers have coined the term “brand engagement” to refer to a brands purpose and activity across platforms on the social web. Their stringent and unnecessary rules and how-to guides call for brands to create brand pages on all relevant social platforms, to create content for their niche, to respond to all inquiries/mentions, to make funny videos that will go viral, and to just engage, engage, engage, whatever that really means any more. The social web was, and still is, a series of platforms that allow everyone to become media-makers and content creators. To place this exciting open frontier into such a small and confined box is a bit disheartening and completely boring, especially to consumers.

I would submit that brand engagement, as it is largely done now, does not work as a strategy anymore. The general public is privy to the formula. If your intent is to do marketing, you need to know that the average consumer is smart enough to realize it. What happens when consumers know they are being marketed to? The ignore. If you need proof, look no further than the incredibly low conversion rate of display advertising on the web. Still not convinced? Ask anyone that uses a DVR how many commercials they watch.

My suspicion is at this point, and on a much grander scale in the future, that people don’t want to engage with a brand, people want to engage with people - who may happen to represent a brand. A ^name tag to appended to a tweet doesn’t work anymore. ”Engagement” at all levels needs to get real and get personal.

So, what does this look like?

It looks like @ExpressLisaG, the CMO of Express. People know she works at Express and that she shares a lot of information about the company’s newest lines and trends. People also know that she is human because she also share information about her life, travels, meetings, etc.

It looks like @thatdrew who unabashedly owns up to working for the company that developed the TextPlus app. In addition to his pro-texting skills and ability to get his followers excited/evangelized about TextPlus, he also causes a nice corner of the web to have a case of the lolz thanks to his comical/real/raw/caring commentary on life.

It looks like whoever else out there is a brand/product evangelist that mixes business with pleasure (@dens (4sq), @louisgray (My6Sense), @Hup (iSocket), @jonsteinberg (BuzzFeed)), representing themselves and their lives as well as their company.

People don’t connect with brands, people connect with people. Just ask Oprah.

Why Amazon’s MyHabit will Become a Major Flash Sale Player This Week

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:20:55 -0400

Why Amazon’s MyHabit will Become a Major Flash Sale Player This Week:

The title pretty much says it. Tech pubs tend to love to hate on the established companies, in this case Amazon, when they launch a “copycat” product/service, a la MyHabit. For Amazon, the hate is unwarranted. MyHabit is destined for success and a decent slice of the market.

The Future of Business and Tech is Carnage

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:25:00 -0400

Publications seem to have some sort of twisted fascination in predicting and depicting company’s, app’s, and platform’s capitulation to irrelevance in extremely final, violent, and murderous terms.

Take, for example, the following magazine cover via Wired.

Join in on the endless discussion of the homicide of the RSS feed.

iPad users should watch out for other strapped tablet computers and their quest to kill Apple’s device.

Startups are continually left looking over their shoulder at other knife-wielding startups looking to become the hot new villain and category blockbuster (e.g. Twitter killer, Facebook killer, Digg killer, etc.)

The future of business and tech is messy, bloody, and, imaginably like the ancient gladiator games, is a great deal of fun to watch.

No.

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:54:40 -0500

I remember my parents telling stories about how my older brother’s first and favorite word was no. Other parents can probably relate. No is a simple word and it is easy to say, but from birth most experience the word no in a primarily negative context. No resulted in hand smacks, butt slaps, and talking-tos. For the duration of childhood and adolescence no is a powerful and dangerous word. With the exception of the occasional drug proposition, saying no is generally regarded as a negative action. If it is yeses that our parents, teachers, and bosses want, yeses are what we give them - even if they are lies.

Fast-forward to your mid-life crisis and take a look back on where the positively acclaimed yes got you. Yes got you into debt. Yes got you addicted. Yes got you herpes. Yes is why you work 60 hours a week doing your and your colleague’s jobs. Whoever advised you in your favorite business or self-development book to “know when to say no” was wrong.

No should be the default. Parents should encourage their children to say no. Life and business coaches should advise their clients to “know when to say yes, and learn how to say no”.

Saying no makes life more manageable. Saying no preserves your exclusivity and scarcity as a resource. No makes you more valuable. No puts you back in control.

Britney Spears is for Hipsters

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:19:00 -0500

Two things on this one.

1) When it comes to music, I’m not really into Britney.

2) When it comes to Britney, I really am into her writers and producers.

Please disregard the majority of this song and focus on the intro (0:00 - 0:08) and then the breakdown (or whatever it is) at 2:11 - 2:30. Yeah, that’s Britney bumping the bassline dubstepstyle. Well done Ms. Spears (Writers/Producers).

People that Inspire Me.

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:51:54 -0500

I don’t like inspirational books. I don’t like inspirational speakers. I don’t like inspirational podcasts, videos, movies, CDs, or cassettes (?). I do like inspirational people. These are the people that inspire me every day.

My dad inspires me to unapologetically be myself, to have fun, to laugh, to be a man, to never stop dreaming, and to be realistic. He inspires me to be unconditionally compassionate, understanding, and non-judgmental, even toward the people that have done me wrong.

My mom inspires me to do the things that are difficult, do the things that I don’t want to do, talk to the people I don’t want to talk to, and help the people I don’t want to help - even when the reward is minimal or non-existent.

My brother Zach inspires me to be reckless. He inspires me to take advantage of what is now, and worry about then when it comes. He inspires me to enjoy education and to make sure that my personal education never stops.

My brother Gabe inspires me to be the best player in the game, and to never stop reaching for what I want until I get it. He inspires me to be positive and encouraging.

My Grandparents inspire me to work hard for everything, and freely give it away.

Philip Anschutz inspires me to succeed quietly and proudly support causes that I believe in.

Warren Buffett inspires me to be contrarian, to think long-term, and to drink Coke.

My dog inspires me to enjoy sleep, to enjoy play, to enjoy relaxation, and to enjoy food.

New Project: #2

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:04:45 -0500

Let’s review really quick.

My first new project of 2011 is TheJawn. Things are going just fine.

New project #2 is called Best in Beta this Week. Best in Beta is weekly (on the Fridays) email newsletter that blasts out the best 3-5 beta-launched startups and web apps of the week. These sites can be discovered elsewhere, but you have to sift through a pile of trivial “crap apps” to find the ones that are worthwhile. Screw wasting your time and subscribe to my newsletter.

New Project #3 of 2011 is coming very soon. Keep biting your nails with anticipation.

The Web is for Narcissists and Voyeurs.

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:42:00 -0500

Here is a picture of me wearing glasses and a scarf on an airplane.

I understand that there is an inherent social value to the web. Many web apps facilitate meaningful communication and personal connection. So, maybe I will have to blame my darkly cynical and skeptical inner-self for what I have written.

Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and countless other socially focused web apps have given everyone a voice. In a completely technologically disconnected world, everyone has a voice anyway, but these platforms have given people a louder voice, a more public voice, and a voice that broadcasts in a synchronized fashion across multiple platforms to multiple people ranging from intimate friends to mere acquaintances connected by some sort of impression or obscure bit of data tucked far away into some atom of silicon.

This voice affords individuals a greater freedom to share with others and learn from others. This voice and ability to share and learn is a powerful mechanism. Where, in the “real world”, it is not exactly normal for you to call, text, or shout to all of your friends and acquaintances that you are about to watch Titanic for the 17th time this year or that you didn’t stop wetting the bed until you turned 12, we practice this regularly on the internet. Where, in the “real world”, it is not exactly normal to invite your friends and acquaintances to ask you anything, solicit their unbridled opinion of you, talk about how delicious your latest batch of raisin brownies (is there such a thing?) were, or boast that we just received a new small piece of graphic art for visiting the local deli more times than anyone else in the past month, we practice this behavior regularly on the internet.

In life outside of the virtual, that is the modems, bits, and lines of code, it seems that we are generally more protected. We value the economics of personal information. We treat them like the scarce resource that they, in fact, are. In the virtual community, where abundance is prevalent economic force, we are more lax opting to post, tumble, tweet, update, and share information freely.

Why?

I theorize it is because many of us, deep down in the bloody capillaries of our hearts, are narcissists and voyeurs. It is not generally accepted or well regarded to be narcissistic or voyeuristic in person, yet web apps afford us the impersonality and even anonymity necessary for us to freely feed our egos without fear of being looked down upon because everyone else is doing the same thing.

Try this exercise:

Go ask one of your facebook friends what color bathing suits their kids wore swimming yesterday. Watch them give you a salty look and tell you to stop creeping on their kids.
Log on to facebook and see a video of your friend’s kids wearing hideous fuchsia and orange bathing suits while they practice cannonballs into the pool.
Sense the irony of how we consider the sharing of information in the physical world versus how we consider the sharing of information in the virtual world.

The web is for narcissists. The web is for voyeurs. Enjoy it just the same.

All this being said, feel free ask me anything, describe me in three words, read facts about me you may not yet know, and stay updated periodically by my thoughts. Cheers in the rest of 2011.