Not Really Stealthmode http://stealthmode.posterous.com More Francine Hardaway Than You Want posterous.com Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:43:45 -0700 My New Facebook Developer Timeline http://stealthmode.posterous.com/my-new-facebook-developer-timeline http://stealthmode.posterous.com/my-new-facebook-developer-timeline
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:30:23 -0700 Leo LaPorte is a Startup http://stealthmode.posterous.com/leo-laporte-is-a-startup http://stealthmode.posterous.com/leo-laporte-is-a-startup Driving up the 101 from Mountain View to Half Moon Bay in the late afternoon is a frustrating experience. The traffic is unconscionable, and it is exacerbated by the big trucks and the construction along the shoulders (which has been going on for as long as I have been coming to California.) But yesterday I laughed almost the entire way, amused and enlightened at the same time by Leo laPorte trying to get "This Week in Google" on the air. It was a product launch with all the snafus that inevitably happen when you come out of beta and your servers get hammered by more visitors than you expected. Only TWIT is not software, it's broadcasting. More accurately, it is narrowcasting -- a 24 hour streaming tech news network aimed at a rag-tag assemblage of followers from 10 to 100.

You may not think of Leo la Porte, long time radio "Tech Guy" as a startup entrepreneur. After all, he has been in radio since he discovered it at Yale and dropped out of school for it. But when you are the on-air talent in radio, or even in TV, you work for somebody. Until you are Oprah and decide to start your own network.

Leo is having his Oprah moment. With one child in college and one in high school, he made his big move about five or six years ago to become independent, realizing his dream of a network devoted entirely to geek news and views. The success of the original TWiT (This Week in Tech) podcast network led to video podcasts, and Leo outgrew his original studio in a cottage of Petaluma.

For the past six months he has been building out a larger studio and last weekend he finally moved the entire operation out of the TWIT cottage into the new facility. And yesterday he tried to do his first program from the new studio with all the guests remotely streaming in. It was the chance of a lifetime to see how a real professional handles a situation that could easily have spun out of control.

Jeff Jarvis, famous for the hashtag #fuckyouwashington and for his media criticism, was drinking a syrah at his home in New York, where it was already 7 PM when the show was supposed to start. Gina Trapani, software developer, was in her home office in San Diego. And Dr. Kiki, the third guest, was  holding her baby in San Francisco.

Everyone was ready at 4 PM PDT to begin streaming the show, except the equipment. For an entire hour Leo and guests fought a persistent echo, a frozen image, and an inability to get the sound levels right. All this occurred on the air, because Leo streams from the studio between shows as well as during them.

This was thrilling. The technology necessary to mount a show with three remote guests that streams both audio and video, records both, and can be cut and edited into a final product downloadable from iTunes, is so complicated that it takes several people to produce. What's so cool about it is that Leo understands it all. What's equally cool is that he never lost his temper or even got ruffled. Jarvis had the wine fo comfort him, and Gina and Dr. Kiki spent a while talking about babies,  and Leo wrestled with the technology.

And I got to listen to it all. As the person formerly known as the audience, I was fascinated. When the show finally went on, although it was interesting, it wasn't quite as interesting as the pre-show glimpse into what happens behind the scenes.

Leo, Jeff, Gina, Dr. Kiki: it was my pleasure to have your company on my drive yesterday. Thanks for all the happy hours, TWIT, and here's to many more in the future.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sun, 15 May 2011 21:24:38 -0700 Did Microsoft Buy Skype for Kinect? http://stealthmode.posterous.com/did-microsoft-buy-skype-for-kinect http://stealthmode.posterous.com/did-microsoft-buy-skype-for-kinect
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Sent from my iPad

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sat, 07 May 2011 05:35:38 -0700 Wake Up USA: Obama Needs a Program Like Startup Chile http://stealthmode.posterous.com/wake-up-usa-obama-needs-a-program-like-startu-0 http://stealthmode.posterous.com/wake-up-usa-obama-needs-a-program-like-startu-0

From Evernote:

Wake Up USA: Obama Needs a Program Like Startup Chile
On a Chilean freeway, being transported by bus from Santiago to Santa Cruz,  Geeks on a Plane hears startup pitches from companies being accelerated by Endeavor, a global nonprofit accelerator for entrepreneurs  with a social purpose.  These entrepreneurs are trying to turn Chile solar, purify water, design solar cars. Endeavor is active throughout Latin America; in Brazil, I met an Endeavor-sponsored entrepreneur whose company brings copper-wire broadband solutions to small communities,

But here is the heart of the story We had already breakfasted with Chilean president Sebastian Pinera (@SebastianPinera on Twitter).

Last night, we attended First Tuesday Santiago to see startups and hear pitches. There are startups everywhere, which is why we're on the bus  heading for a lunchtime wine tasting and a talk by the founder of Vertical, an adventure tour company that has partnered with National Geographic to guide groups up Mount Everest and down to Antartica.
  
That's because the Chilean government, under President Pinera, has taken a bold step: It has started an accelerator called Startup Chile, which will bring  100 entrepreneurs with big ideas to Chile to start companies. The founders get a stipend, expenses, and the attention of the Chilean government. Last night I met a member of the first cohort, Georges Cadena, who is trying to build a plant in Chile for holographic technology that can be used in windows to cut the cost of solar installations in half. He moved to Chile from California. And a Chilean woman from the Bay Area who moved back to co-found a private equity firm for Chilean wineries. Of 23 companies in the initial cohort, 8 will be remaining in Chile.

The people I meet think it's a lousy time to be in the States, with its stagnant economy, group depression, and loss of focus on what immigrants brought to America.

Many of them  believed in America, they went to America for college or jobs, but  they didn't see the American dream or the promised land that previous generations saw. So they turned around and came home. Over half the first "class" of Startup Chile are Americans

They are being treated like royalty. President Pinera told his audience this morning that Chile may have been late to the industrial revolution, but it won't be late to the information revolution. He plans to do everything in his power to change the culture to one tolerant of risk, not afraid to fail and learn from mistakes. He told us Adam and Eve may have been the first entrepreneurs when they ate the forbidden fruit.

For a politician, he "gets it," and he is putting his money where his
mouth is by funding these young companies. Chile may yet produce the first solar car.

0d9071b0d439301c61d9d96850f777 22d7a40fc3ab7469256915cde9ff3f 4ab7054df99aa939ec09f0abca51ac 990098fa99540e483043b39b28fd90
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sat, 23 Apr 2011 09:50:03 -0700 New IPad Magazine of Global Culture http://stealthmode.posterous.com/new-ipad-magazine-of-global-culture http://stealthmode.posterous.com/new-ipad-magazine-of-global-culture
A long-time friend of mine is starting an iPad magazine of global culture. Since this intersects my interests of globalism, culture, digital media, online discovery, and about a dozen other things, I'm going to try to support him. He's raising money through Kickstarter to get it going.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:23:00 -0700 Untitled http://stealthmode.posterous.com/my-memolane-embedded http://stealthmode.posterous.com/my-memolane-embedded

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:14:27 -0700 Flipboard Couch Promotion at SXSW http://stealthmode.posterous.com/flipboard-couch-promotion-at-sxsw http://stealthmode.posterous.com/flipboard-couch-promotion-at-sxsw
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Francine Hardaway, Ph. D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:34:57 -0800 SXSW Is More Than Parties http://stealthmode.posterous.com/sxsw-is-more-than-parties http://stealthmode.posterous.com/sxsw-is-more-than-parties Perhaps fortuitously, Japan's earthquake took place on the opening day of the biggest conference of content creators in the world, Austin's South by Southwest Media Festival (SXSW). "At SXSW this year, there's a lot of discussion and debate about influence. Now it's time to stand up and be truly influential as we raise support for tsunami relief.

Japan faces one of its most devastating natural disasters in 100 years. On March 11th, walls of water swept across rice fields, engulfing towns, dragging houses onto highways, tossing cars and boats like toys and consuming lives. The potential human loss is unimaginable, with thousands missing and early reports of hundreds reported dead. Aftershocks and additional earthquakes continue to threaten the region, sending shock waves across the nation and the world. In the true nature of SXSW, we're putting our hearts, minds and wallets together to raise support for Japan. Our goal: As much as possible. $10,000 is a great place to start. Here's how you can help:

1. DONATE - Make a donation here or text your donation to 90999
2. SHARE - On the web; On Twitter; Mention it in your SXSW talks with #sxswcares and #sxsw4japan
3. CREATE A FUNDRAISING PAGE - Start a page so your friends/family can donate to disaster "

Known more casually as "geek Spring Break," SXSW is the place social media experts, musicians, and filmmakers convene to share best practices, catch up with each other, and party hard. In previous years, SXSW has been a week or two of finding new friends and waking with a hangover after listening too late to an undiscovered band.

But yesterday in the Samsung Bloggers Lounge, the true power of social media emerged. A group of bloggers at one table created "SXSW Cares," a way to donate to the Red Cross's efforts in Japan . That group quickly joined with another nascent effort, SXSW4Japan, to create a single campaign. By the end of the day the group was formed, the website, http://SXSWcares.org was live, and $5395 had been donated. The campaign will last until the end of the conference.

We complain about many aspects of social media: the loss of privacy, the constant marketing, the need to be connected 24/7, the rudeness of people checking Blackberries in church. But when the chips are down, as they are in Japan after the earthquakes and the tsunami, nothing beats the power of social media to spread the word and organize action.

The "geeks" who are involved in creating social media content recognize their power to influence, and are always willing to line up behind a good cause. We don't create content because it's casual and we're kids; we create it because it has the power to move mountains, overthrow tyrants, and be a force for good. Once in a while, we make factual errors in haste, or embarrass people with our transparency.

But social media has enormous power to be an influence for good, and the attendees of SXSW this year hope they can make a positive contribution to help their neighbors in Japan.


--Sent from my iPad2 with it's new pink magnetic case

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:24:50 -0800 Best. Tshirt. #4sq3. #SXSW11 http://stealthmode.posterous.com/best-tshirt-4sq3-sxsw11 http://stealthmode.posterous.com/best-tshirt-4sq3-sxsw11

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:48:00 -0800 @jowyang @dberkowitz showed mine last night at #techset http://stealthmode.posterous.com/jowyang-dberkowitz-showed-mine-last-night-at http://stealthmode.posterous.com/jowyang-dberkowitz-showed-mine-last-night-at

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:44:13 -0800 The new #iPad2 live from the #techset party #SXSW #winning ! http://stealthmode.posterous.com/the-new-ipad2-live-from-the-techset-party-sxs http://stealthmode.posterous.com/the-new-ipad2-live-from-the-techset-party-sxs

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:07:18 -0800 Startup Busses from Silicon Valley visit @gangplank on the way to @SXSW! http://stealthmode.posterous.com/startup-busses-from-silicon-valley-visit-gang http://stealthmode.posterous.com/startup-busses-from-silicon-valley-visit-gang

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:22:25 -0800 Mark Suster's Interview with EcoMom Founder http://stealthmode.posterous.com/mark-susters-interview-with-ecomom-founder http://stealthmode.posterous.com/mark-susters-interview-with-ecomom-founder What's really interesting about this is 1)the entrepreneur's frankness about his company and his previous companies and 2) Mark Suster's discussion of AngelList. It's a great backstage look.


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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:33:56 -0800 @winecountrydog Thanks! http://stealthmode.posterous.com/winecountrydog-thanks http://stealthmode.posterous.com/winecountrydog-thanks

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:28:30 -0800 Untitled http://stealthmode.posterous.com/44878367 http://stealthmode.posterous.com/44878367
There are many places to have.conversatios without sharing links, Ike Quora. I love to share content, which is how conversations often start. I know j talked about this with you, but now that I see it I don't think it is a good change.
See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bstuu
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:01:31 -0800 Women in Tech? There Are More Than You Think | Fast Company http://stealthmode.posterous.com/women-in-tech-there-are-more-than-you-think-f http://stealthmode.posterous.com/women-in-tech-there-are-more-than-you-think-f
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/hu4hy7
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:49:53 -0800 Why Huffpo's Sale to AOL is Different: A Woman Co-founder http://stealthmode.posterous.com/why-huffpos-sale-to-aol-is-different-a-woman http://stealthmode.posterous.com/why-huffpos-sale-to-aol-is-different-a-woman <br />Watch live video from Not Really Stealthmode on Justin.tv 

For all of you on #Quora who are asking about women co-founders. Dog barking in background is angry that this blogger, still in her bathrobe, hasn't take him to the dog park just yet. But this is important, for women, for Huffpo, and for media.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:31:37 -0800 Advertising, Brands and Media: Welcome to the new New York http://stealthmode.posterous.com/advertising-brands-and-media-welcome-to-the-n http://stealthmode.posterous.com/advertising-brands-and-media-welcome-to-the-n I've just spent a week concentrating on the New York startup scene. While not as organized (and insular) as the Bay Area bubble I usually live in, it is very vibrant indeed. And there's definitely money here:-)

You can't help dealing with the media industry if you are looking at entrepreneurship in New York. Most of the large media buyers, and many of the brands they buy for,are there, as are many of the outlets. And the tension between old and new ways of doing things is palpable. The ad agencies are trying to figure out how to consolidate their traditional power around all the new online media outlets, but the power has definitely shifted within the agencies. The creatives can't be the gods anymore, because campaigns can be measured. And what old-school Madison Avenue guy knows what creative will appeal to mobile consumers who buy through m-commerce apps that are just beginning to roll out? How do you brand in this new environment? They haven't a clue yet. No one does.

The media are also struggling. While I was in New York, Rupert Murdoch launched The Daily, a newpaper for the IPad. No one here can figure out how it will make money.
One thing is certain: there's no magic in display advertising anymore, no matter what medium it is placed in. One company I spoke to told me that most click-throughs are mistaken, and counting them is meaningless as a conversion number.

So what actually constitutes a conversion? Well, remember when Dell first went on Twitter and sold out all it's outlet merchandise over night? Remember W00t, which sells one item a day and tries to sell it out? Those were/are meaningful conversions. Conversions, increasingly, are direct sales-- sales that can be traced back to where the buyer found the offer.

That's why Groupon is so successful. The merchant who participates in a Groupon campaign can count the number of people who redeem his Groupon. That makes him want to participate again, and also to make him tell the store next door what he did. (they will undoubtedly ask when they see his foot traffic increase)

Groupon doesn't require heavy-duty creative. It's Val-pak for the 21st century.

However, there is still an unsolved conundrum. Are the Groupon customers the ones who will be loyal and come back even when you want to make a profit on what you are selling? Are they the RIGHT customers?

Probably not. Those customers are the deal junkies, for whom brands don't matter. If you are a brand, you don't want those. They produce too much churn.

Branding DOES require creative, and it takes a long time. And it can't be measured. So far, the agencies that control the brands' budgets are directing them into the same old activities, and not into what really can be measured. After all, where are the fees and commissions for Groupon?

I think another disruption. Is coming as both brands and media come to grips with mobile commerce. My Starbucks app and my Checkpoints app are two sides of the same brave new world.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:31:08 -0800 Processed Meats Declared Too Dangerous for Human Consumption | Natural Health http://stealthmode.posterous.com/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-hu http://stealthmode.posterous.com/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-hu

I am not surprised.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:27:57 -0800 Chocolate caramel bombe!! http://stealthmode.posterous.com/chocolate-caramel-bombe http://stealthmode.posterous.com/chocolate-caramel-bombe

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/405872/fhardaway.jpg http://posterous.com/users/10FzOPDSOe5 Francine Hardaway hardaway Francine Hardaway