What started the post-PC era

Whenever I read something that talks about the iPad ushering in the post-PC era, I can't help but think that it's wrong. It wasn't the iPad that kicked it off; it was the iPhone. And it's smartphones that will dominate it.

Tablet PCs, while very popular, will remain a form factor of the smart phone used primarily at home; a stopgap until smartphones improve to the necessary point.

Tablets provide a larger screen, better HW, and more power (in some cases), but ultimately most of these benefits will be available through smartphones at a level that satisfies most users' needs.

At that point we'll see the same thing that happened with laptops and desktop computers; most people will consolidate to one device. The mobility and portability offered by smartphones will more than offset the smaller screen size, which will be mitigated through docks or some other solution.

So what's missing for this to happen? Amongst other things, a blended operating system like Windows 8 that will allow people to use both mobile apps and desktop apps off of their phones.

PS I wrote this blog post on my phone using voice dictation (and some manual editing). Pretty freaking cool.

Consistent app icons...almost

I like the idea of using consistent branding on apps, especially for a company with a strong brand like Amazon. It can help the apps stand out in a crowded marketplace...and with so many apps available, it surely is a crowded marketplace.

But I wish that Amazon would go 100% of the way in making the icons consistent. There are 3 different icon styles above:

1. Student and Deals are using the same style - well done!
2. PriceCheck has a different amazon logo, a light outline around the bottom portion, and a different gradient
3. On the main app, the white portion is thicker and the amazon logo is much larger

Putting out consistent icons shouldn't be that challenging. With layers, it's just a matter of replacing the image.

Propped-up tech start-ups

My friend sent me a story a few weeks ago about Facebook buying Gowalla, a location-based check-in startup out of Austin. It's a good thing that they were acquired, because otherwise, I think the company would have died a slow death. Gowalla was competing head-to-head with Foursquare, even if they didn't care to admit it, and they lost badly. The eventually tried to pivot into social travel-guide-type service, but that didn't pick up much traction either.

I used Gowalla for a long time, and I wanted them to be successful, but I eventually realized I wasn't getting much value from it; I was using it purely out of habit.

From a broader perspective, Gowalla is one of many, many tech startups that I read about all the time that is based on a cool idea that no matter how cool or well-executed/well-designed it is, just isn't enough to build a sustainable business. The only reason the companies can survive is because they are propped up by VC funding. This lasts until:

• the company finds a sustainable business model (rarely seems to happen)
• the company is bought by another company, generally at the height of its hype or once its death is imminent
• the company goes out of business

Gowalla tried to build a business model off of custom stamps that other companies could buy for their "storefront" in the Gowallaverse. It was never clear to me what value these stamps brought to either users or companies. As a company, paying to have a custom stamp wasn't going to drive more traffic or purchases to your stores; there was no ROI. The traffic drivers on the app were proximity to stores, total check-ins for a store, and your friends' check-ins. How did a custom stamp fit in?

It seems like a lot of tech startups focus on building the cool idea first and then eventually try to figure out how to make money off of it (with advertising being the go-to solution). The business model is hacked on to the company at the end, without much forethought.

For all but the smallest handful of companies, this is a terrible approach. The business model deserves as much attention, care, and love as the idea if you want to build a sustainable business. That's why I'm surprised at the general disdain tech entrepreneurs hold towards MBAs and vice versa. Combining both disciplines should lead to a much stronger tech start-up than trying to go it alone. As any fan of horror/sci-fi movies knows, hybrids are always stronger.

Know your priorities

I've been pretty busy the past few weeks on a project for work, and during that time, I've had to make tradeoffs on how to use my time (obviously the blog has not come out too well with those tradeoffs...).

Although I've been busy, I've still been able to maintain a pretty good balance, putting time into my top priorities almost every day. That certainly wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't identified those priorities well in advance, a step that I think is essential to the whole life balance process. And it is a really straightforward step, but at the same time, I think it is easy to overlook.

The next step for me is to periodically reassess the list and make sure it is still accurate.