Intelligent Seating

Seat Guru is a cool site.

It lets consumers choose where you want to sit and even gives you information including comments on the exact seating / plane type :



•Detailed seat map graphics
•In-depth comments about seats with limited recline, reduced legroom, and misaligned windows
•Color-coding to help identify superior and substandard seats
•In-seat power port locations
•Galley, lavatory, exit row, and closet locations

Well what if you could take it to the next level? Choose who you actually want to sit next to or at least be seated by someone with a similar interest set? Would your trip not be more enjoyable? We all have horror stories about that one person on that one flight we sat next to and how horrible it made our trip. On the other hand we also have those great trips where we are seated by someone we get along with great and because of that our trip goes that much better.


Here is the idea.
The majority of consumers have Social Networking accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn etc.) The sites have profile information, significant knowledge about us including algorithms and facial/photo recognition technology integrated to let them know: what we like, how we react to advertisements, the next sites we visit….


If the airlines industries opened up their ticketing services to include a feature for consumers to integrate their social networking profile to search for other passengers with complimentary profiles you would have a winner - not to mention a premium service consumers would pay for. It’s a pretty simple and novel idea which would offer a more relaxed and a more comfortable environment for seating.


Theatre, event hosting and other transportation companies who deal with seating could profit off such an implementation as well. Integrating an existing network into a seating system could provide consumers with options of not only seat location but partner seating options. Would your trip be more enjoyable sitting by someone in your network? First, second or even third degree? Would your trip by more enjoyable sitting by someone who shares the same interest as you? Matching very skinny people next to a larger person as opposed to two large people next to each other, a Mormon next to a Mormon, a lawyer next to a mute: Consumers would pay a premium for such a service as people pay for comfort.

That 11 hour flight to Tokyo from LAX might but a bit more enjoyable seated next to someone you can actually talk to or someone that might leave you alone based on your profile preference. The airlines do not need to reinvent the wheel here just use what has already been done. I don’t see Google or Facebook getting into the airline business but who knows...

The applications of integration of Social Networking are endless. The integration into other sites/models makes life easier/safer for consumers. Some other applications could be seen even in online dating sites where consumers face problems when networks (especially first degree connections) are matched – this creates awkward situations. Integrating an existing network into the online dating platform would provide privacy from chosen degrees of networks. This adds extreme value not only to the reputation of the site but the users experience and trust in the site.


The real question is can we limit visibility on search engines of personal information? In ten years when I type a friends name on Google search will the same results be displayed for my network then people completely outside my network I have no connection to? Can technology be integrated to limit searches to only chosen networks and not just IP addresses?

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/05/social-networking-future/

St. George Ironman 2011 Race Report

I read so much negative PR about this race I felt I had to write something after finishing it. So here is my experience at St. George Ironman 2011. I hope this helps future participants and feel free to contact me direct if you have any other questions.

Lodging

So obviously there are many options to choose from in St. George. Most of the hotels are pretty much the same that are in the $100-$150 range. We stayed at Budget Inn & Suites. This was about a nine iron from the Expo and a mile from the start so it was convenient. It was a nice hotel for the price: jacuzzi; continental breakfast; good Mormon employees and a plethora of Mormon vacationers (26 total, 3 families) on a pit stop to their final destination. Total cost for four nights was like $350 which helped me save lots of money that I could lose gambling (quickly) for my Vegas trip coming up after the race .


Altitude

St. George is at 2860 ft (872 m). So if you have been living and only training sea level you will feel the difference.




Elevation gets me pretty bad but I do acclimate quickly. The first practice swim I did when I got out of the water I felt a bit disorientated. Not a big deal but altitude affects people differently hence why fat out of shape smokers with money can summit Everest and in shape sober athletes come down with pulmonary edema while getting smoke blown in their face by other climbers carrying them back down.

My friend said he felt the same after the swim and had been training on the East coast at sea level as well. This was on Thursday two days before race. If you have time I would take a few days to acclimate if you can. It probably won’t make much of difference but any edge I guess would help especially if you’re shooting for a Kona spot.


Swim
The swim takes place at the Sand Hollow Reservoir about 20 miles from T2 so it’s a drive just to check out. Buses will bring you down there in the morning so no worries on race day about the commute. I heard horror stories about wind and cold temperature the year before so I went in thinking I was going be swimming in the arctic sea during a typhoon. To my surprise - The reservoir was clean and glassy before and during our race and the temperature was in the low 60 degrees Fahrenheit which was great as I had been training in the same temperature in the Pacific Ocean at home. Maybe we got lucky? I heard the year before it was cold because they filled the reservoir with cold mountain water weeks before the race. Either way you have a wetsuit so you should be OK.



The swim start is not a land start so if you are racing for time you will need to get in the front early as the gun will go off as participants will still be coming down the ramp. I found a nice little island to hang out on the right before jumping in if the water was cold. I got down about 15 minutes before gun past the pack, left my friends, stood on the island and took in the scenery and got my head into race mode. I sat and watched people wade in the water for 30 minutes wasting energy before the gun went off. Bring a few red bulls, get on that island and wait. It’s a good place to be.

When the race started things were pretty smooth. Since so many people dropped out of the race and it did not even sell out I did not feel as claustrophobic as I have on other races. It was one loop and people spread out pretty evenly. I started on the far right and just swam with an easy comfort level to get me ready for the bike ride ahead. Overall the swim was the best I have experienced in all my triathlons. Water was a pleasant temperature and it was not choppy like the usual ocean swims I am used to with potential sharks beneath me.


Bike
The bike is two loops but the first 15 miles or so is outside the loop. Once you finish the swim you are basically going up to the loop once you leave transition. The roads are very smooth going up with lots of support. The day called for heavy winds (25 MPH) and strangely the first 10 miles I felt the wind the strongest (probably because the direction) even at 830 AM. It was hitting me from the side pretty hard. I got used to it quick and just concentrated on what I could control.

Once you get to the start of the loop the road gets rough… I heard about this ( an Aussie participant from the year before intimidated me “it would shake the fillings out of me”) so it did not shock me. However on the second lap my water bottle holder fell off the back from consistent vibration (see picture). The screws fell off. This was no good because I lost my ability to hold water on a very hot day. I got creative and just stashed them in my jersey after it fell off and looked even more akward. Make sure your accessories are tight before the race.



The heat really got up there – 95 degrees and I had not been training with salt pills. I took almost 20 during the entire ride (2-4 an hour). I really stayed hydrated but got a bit sick from the salt. I threw up a couple times during the ride but nothing excessive. Get your body used to salt before the race.

I saw at least 7 flat tires on the course during my ride. I tried to count them but became superstitious and stopped. Know how to change your tire. Assume you will blow one as I assume there were many more then what I saw. I heard many stories about mechanical failures from some serious athletes so I am blaming this again on the rough road. 80 miles of bumpy roads will shake things loose like that cocky SOB Aussie who talked too much told me.

Overall the ride is tough. The elevation rise is a lot but it is very gradual. I went in thinking much worse from all the negative blogs and press I read. The scenery is beautiful so you almost do not recognize you are going up- But you are and you should realize this. I live in Southern California so my training rides usually went from Newport Beach down to Oceanside and back which is very hilly (up and down) but not significant so I felt big similarities as my training.

There is one huge hill you do twice during the loop at mile 50 and 90. I don’t know what the name of it is… but its there. I felt it the second lap significantly but there is hope. The last 10 miles of the loop is downhill and smooth roads so it’s an amazing relief you get twice. This downhill is where you realize how much you have climbed in elevation. First time down I was amazed as I did not even know it was so much of a decline and the second time down I coasted, threw up a bit, took down some disgusing gels and just enjoyed the ride and got ready for the run ahead. The real race.

Run



So now you are done with the bike. Get ready for some pain. This is where things get bad. The run starts and you go straight up to the bluffs of St. George- up and down, twist here, turn there and then back down to the finish to do it again. Its two 13.1 mile loops in a hilly, red desert with nothing but your trisherpa, caffiene and your desire keeping you going. Literary you are never on flat ground. There are some big hills and even worse what goes up must come down so some big downhill’s which hurts me worse than the uphill’s.

Up or down is how you will go with little or no flat. Include the heat and things can get pretty bad out there. I saw a lot of people drop out from the run and walk. Running is usually my strong suit – and I felt some serious pain. During the second lap I had to walk some of the hills as I was throwing up and not keeping anything down. On my second lap I would say 35-45% of the people were walking the entire way. Make sure you do some hill runs with heat. The support is great as every mile or so you can hit an aid station for whatever you need. It was a well supported event. Coming down the final stretch seeing the sun go down behind the mountains afar I realized why I was here and what I had accomplished with my friends. I felt like nothing like I had felt in my life. It was a great day.

Overall Thoughts


I actually really enjoyed the race. If I did it over again I would have trained more on the run and would have taken some longer rides on the bike – especially in heat if I had the location and time. My longest run for training was only 14 miles and my longest ride was 90 miles. This probably explains why I came in short on the run regarding time and was hurting late in the ride.

After all the hype and negative press I heard about this being the hardest Ironman on the circuit I feel it’s doable for anyone. I would put most my attention to hilly rides and hilly runs – with lots of up and down, heat, salt pills, mechanics, and being positive. Bring some support as that will help always.

My friend gave me good advice before the race:

“any Ironman is going to hurt so just realize it’s going to be tough”

I went into it with that quote and decided to not even check the course out before the race so I would not psyche myself out.

Couple that with the support of the people in St. George and the organization of the event and things will go well (except for the two bikers who got hit by cars in separate occurrences)


Times
Swim 1:05:05
T1 4:57
Bike 6:29:03
T2 6:38
Run 4:44:35
Overall 12:30:16

RENTi - Film! Upload! Protect

RENTi from Erik Ahroon on Vimeo.

Have you ever had a problem with your Property Manager or Landlord? Have you ever wondered why you only received a small amount of your security deposit or even no security deposit back at the end of your lease? Have you ever had a problem with an appliance in your rental and did not who to contact, have contact information or when trying to contact your Property Manger or Landlord to fix it never heard back? Have you ever been blamed for these appliances failing and later required to pay for their repair or even replace them?

RENTi is a company dedicated to solving these problems for tenants worldwide!
Film. Upload. Protect!

RENTi www.renti.com provides a patent pending system/platform for users to document condition of their rentals before and during their tenancy, upload their documentation to RENTi’s secure system for

 time-date stamping
 geo-code stamping
 watermarking
 report building - file nomenclature

RENTi efficiently sorts and locks documentation (photos, videos, notes) and when needed provides necessary reports to legally help tenant’s protect their security deposits! Problems that can occur with rentals during a lease period can be documented where case files can be securely stored for maintenance alerts, objective data and real time property management viewing. All information crucial for questionable deposit returns.

All over the country hundreds of millions of dollars are lost each year because the majority of tenants do not take the necessary steps to protect their deposit! RENTi does this for you!

Our RENTributionTM report is a non-biased document built by users during their tenancy. Any documentation of rental units from move-in to move-out are logged and documented in an organized manner and easily printed to show facts – not - thoughts or opinion. RENTributionTM provides a simple, safe and effective route for tenants to protect their security deposits!

True Lead Generation

I listen to Pandora Radio for the majority of my day at work. Usually when I find a song I like – I go straight to Itunes – purchase the song and then right back to Pandora to continue listening. I’m sure many people do this. I recently saw that Pandora provides a link to purchase the song at Itunes directly at the site. (I never saw it)



Pandora - probably time to make it a bit bigger/a bit easier to see so users can see it if you want users to buy from your platform.

I am assuming this is probably one of many routes for them to monetize their platform by taking a commission of the price from the song when users purchase direct from their site. A basic lead generation or advertising type model. Apple is also probably an ideal exit strategy for Pandora as well so they link them up nice and close under the same covers. (Amazon is also a choice but not MSFT platforms – Rhapsody?)

Even though Pandora does provide the Itunes button (link) on their platform I never have used it and don’t plan to. Buying songs direct from the Itunes store is simple and it is what I am used to. 100% of the time I have bypassed this button. I go straight to Itunes to purchase my music. What does this mean for Pandora? It means that they are now not getting the commission they would have (if that is part of their business model) should I have pushed this button to link up to Itunes. Or are they?

This raised a big question to me? Can publishers track user behavior even if users don’t go direct to advertiser’s site on their platform? This is relevant really to anything on the web. I mean Google and Yahoo etc. (search engines) derive the revenue from advertisings based models- What if you by pass the link?

Advertising on the web comes down to three models:

Cost per Click (CPC)A cost per click ad pays you a certain amount—typically between a nickel and fifty cents—each time a user clicks on an ad.

Cost per Impression (CPM)CPM means cost per thousand impressions and refers to the amount you are paid for showing 1000 ads. For example, suppose an ad campaign pays $1.00 CPM. You would earn a dollar after a thousand views.

Cost per Action (CPA)You may only be paid for the first unique click from a particular user, and your ad agency may take a percentage.

Are these models going to start changing as technology evolves?

Advertising is the name of the game for revenue on the web. Everything now is free and many premium services will become free as advertising takes shape. The advertising from Facebook actually sometimes makes my life better. They know my interests and habits. Many times they have advertised music shows, products etc. that I have purchased. I actually enjoy their ads. They personalize it to a level that is scary. I sent an email out to a travel agency recently using my yahoo email account (seeking information on Barbados Island) and the next day I am getting advertisements on my Facebook about the island and packages to go. Coincidence? If they had better deals maybe I would have pulled the trigger. Ill wait it out and see what happens when I email them my budget :)

However, I’m curious to know if it is possible to track user behavior when users choose alternative routes to get to a site/product/service which was triggered from a location/link/image that was bypassed.

Could Pandora still know that I purchased the song from Itunes even though I did not use the link? Could Google know that I hired the law firm on the top of their list when searching for firms in the local area even though I did not click on the link, could Amazon know that I bought a product from another site when I researched it on their site?

Does this happen now? Ongoing sessions? IP addresses? If so how are they doing it? Im a little freaked out here.

Aggregation of Feeds to One Site with Filters

-I see feeds from Facebook all day long on my phone.
-I see feeds from LinkedIn on emails.
-I see feeds on Myspace Music.
-I also see feeds from Twitter which get dumped into Facebook so occasionally see them twice.


It’s getting out of hand and as more networks pop up, more services pop up and more feeds pop up – more nonsense pops up.

The problem is 99% of this information is useless to me. I don’t care that John is at the mall, that Susie and Chris broke up for the 10th time this month or that some girl I hardly know is on Farmville or someone struck it Rich on Mafia Wars. Sure I can block these contacts from my feed but when an anomaly occurs and they produce something interesting I want to see it. Blocking him/her is not a solution. (I will block Susie and Chris next break up.)

I do enjoy learning that my friend got engaged, it is my friends Birthday or a new blog is up by a good buddy through a Facebook feed. I enjoy learning that an old colleague got promoted or a new job on a LinkedIn feed or even that my neighbor has a new song up on a Myspace feed. But I do no need to see the continual engagement photos, videos of some girl dancing at a club, or consistent comments people place on the feed that make us all dumber. The nonsense that is starting to flow on social networking is getting out of hand.

Solution: Aggregation of Feeds to One Site with Filters

One site that I can login to - all of the feeds pour into one feed and that feed is controlled by filters the users put in place. I stress the filters – without them you only have an aggregated feed of nonsense. It allows me to check my feed without having to login to LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace and so on – I login once. I care about things that I let the site know: Birthdays, Anniversaries, Job Promotions, Weddings, Events, maybe even comments that get more then 10 thumbs on Facebook get through my filter, letting my network decide on what enters and what does not. The possibilities are endless but the bottom line is I control what gets in.

The key here is it does not allow the consistent nonsense that clutters my mind every time I log on to any social networking site. It filters relevant information to me and saves me time,energy and brain cells.

This is not too complex of a business model the problem is most sites would have to allow you to let them tap into their API or we would need to use some other clever method of aggregating the feeds- but it is possible. The key to this business model would be the filter and how the filter is actually implemented into the site.

If I had my druthers I would simply make this service an email/letter service you sign up for. Each day it sends me an email in the AM or PM or both with my feed for the day ahead on everything that my filter will let through. I would start my day knowing full well about birthdays to job promotions and who I should contact. It would also open up a potential revenue stream by advertising lead generation on deals based on the feed.

For instance- it would give me deal on flowers to send Jane on her anniversary or a book John might like (from his interests on Facebook) or even a deal through Groupon based on some network thumbs up on a local restaurant. - the possibilities are endless and the model can be monetized.

There are a few companies out there trying to crack this nut and if you think just a feed would not be a good business model a great example of the potential is Daily Candy This company was purchased by Comcast (CMCSA) for 175 Million with a business model of simply sending a daily letter via email of fun, fashionable, food related, and culturally stimulating “things” or “to dos” in the city you chose.

The business model does not need to be super fancy - it just needs to add value to the user.

Flushable Q-tips

Problem - A Q-tip will clog your toilet when flushed

Solution - A Q-tip that can be flushed
-material change to expedite decomposition in water or add a bit of malleability to get down the pipes, shorter shaft, collapsible shaft…

Race Insurance/After Market Race Entries

Bottom Line - Race Entries are expensive.

• Half marathons around $100 dollars or more
• Full marathons around $200 dollars or more
• Ironman $600 dollars or more – pay late $1200 dollars…


There has been a huge growth in these crazy, unhealthy races for type A individuals continually trying to prove themselves. Settle down!

The problem here is if you would like to cancel your race entry and get a refund or even partial refund due to sickness, injury, something came up and you can’t make it or you’re just not feeling that ambition you felt when you signed up back in early December after drinking that tall warm Pumpkin Spice late the morning after you and your best friend decided to run a marathon – too bad. There are no refunds for races. I think you might be able to squeak $150 or so back from an Ironman entry though Ironman Inc. but it takes some teeth pulling. Consistent calling, appeals to pity, messages, emails… not worth it.

Most races (I would say 95%+) use one platform for online race entry – Active.com. So I have heard when a company pops up that penetrates any portion of the market for online race entry- Active will acquire it. They run a pretty large monopoly on the whole market of online race entry and because of that they make the rules. It’s basically the equivalent of the oil conglomerates but instead of the price of gasoline they control the prices and capacity of the races. They say they may only be the online registration platform for races but I’m pretty sure they provide the boiler plate play book should you wish to become a race director and organize a race – they make the rules.

Why don’t they offer refunds? How hard it is to give back a portion of the money or a full refund especially to races that do and will sell out year after year? Some of these races in the US sell out in hours or even minutes when they open registration. Usually they have significant amounts of consumers late in the game very interested in participating in the event but no dice – it’s sold out. Well guess what lots of people end up not doing the race and these race entries go unused but paid for. Why not see this as an opportunity to generate revenue for the race and the race charities? Also most people say – “Oh well it’s going to charity” – think again – most of these races are not set up as Non-profits and if they are the salaries may be substantial to those involved – The Race Director. They are out to make money – I don’t blame them but please figure out a way to provide refund.

I have two solutions to this problem –

1. Race Insurance – I bought a plane ticket the other day through Taca Airlines(craziest flight I’ve been on in awhile - I think the Flight Attendant was making a call on his cell phone when the plane was taking off and asked me what I was listening to on my iPod during his call). Anyhow, I purchased insurance on the ticket should I cancel. What a novel idea – provide a premium service for consumers to obtain insurance when signing up for race so should they cancel – you have insurance to get a portion or a full refund. This now opens up another spot on the race? How hard is it to automate a system that does this with a push of the button? John Smith age 55 is not longer bib number 987 it now belongs to Mike Thompson age 53. There could be some issues on age/gender/qualification etc. to iron out but this hurdle should not be a deal breaker.

This allows late entry and a chance for more people to jump in on the race and it provides a third party insurance company or even Active.com to vertically integrate a solution to generate more revenue. Think this is a small market? Here are just races in the proximity of Santa Barbara around August 28th 2010 listed below - nearly 30 races in a few days in the area. This is a HUGE opportunity. Races take place 365 days a year all over the US. This market is growing and has a very affluent target market.


2. After Market Reselling of Race Entries - Allow me to resell my ticket on a platform to consumers. I already paid for my race entry, now give me the option to sell or auction my entry to the public domain. A portion of the sale will go back to the Race director and or charity? More revenue for the race, I get some or all of my money back and someone else gets to race. Everyone wins. Obviously you would need an algorithm that keeps consumers from now using the platform as a source of just buying and selling entries so tech savvy entrepreneurs don’t compromise the system but once again this should not be difficult. Maybe some prequalification of races signed up for and committed to. This could also set the prices for the races in the future – supply/demand.

This may not seem like a big problem to many people but if you do races often – getting hurt, sick or simply not being able to do a race for any reason the dollars add up. It actually might even derail you from signing up for races down the road. Active Network- President Matt Landa, lets chat.

What is going on with this Active Network company anyhow? Looking to sell? Going IPO? I remember when this was a small start up down in San Diego now a 800 lb gorilla. Hoovers shows 100 million in revenue per year but when are they right with private company. I bet you they are 3-5X that estimate.

The Endless Creamer, Technology Integration into Starbucks Take 1

In grad school we were taught of the three value disciplines, of which companies should align with to be successful in today’s market.

Operational Excellence – companies dedicated to providing the lowest cost goods and services, while at the same time minimizing problems for the customer.
Companies like Wal-Mart or McDonalds
Product Leadership – companies dedicated to providing the best possible products from the perspective of the features and benefits offered to the customer: offer products that push performance boundaries
Companies like Al Merrick Surfboards or Nike or Starbucks
Customer Intimacy – companies with use the selection of one or a few high-value customer niches, followed by an obsessive effort at getting to know these customers in detail.
Companies like Nordstrom’s or Four Seasons

The message given by my inspiring teacher was no company can succeed today by trying to be all things to all people. It must instead find the unique value or dimension that it alone can deliver to a chosen market.

The company should:

1.Provide the best offer by excelling in one specific dimension
2.Maintain threshold standards of dimensions your not excelling in so you don’t slip
3.Dominate the market by excelling and raising the bar year after year in your chosen dimension
4.Maintain that well-tuned model dedicated to delivering unmatched value

As I sat in line today at Starbucks Fashion Island behind the 24 year old blonde who drives the Range Rover married to the 50 year old with three kids (shes in love) and in front of the Persian who had strong hints of Eternity for Men, Strawberry Hookah and Red Bull Vodkas (probably from his late night table at Landmark) I pondered Starbucks current strategy.

Its obvious to me Starbucks is a market leader in Coffee Product Leadership – if you think of good coffee you think of Starbucks. Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity but the more I go into Starbucks the more I have noticed the operational excellence dimension becoming less and less of an importance. It is slipping and I am not sure they have a threshold standard.

Today I peaked around - The line was wrapping around the same place the barista is serving drinks. There is woman waiting for her hot coffee dodging the un-caffeinated restless Newport Beach early risers while her new born sleeps below in the stroller she pushes positioned in perfect spilling distance from the serving station (open target for a nice hot Venti followed by a lawsuit), the condiment station is out of sugar, the garbage can is overflowing and last but not least the creamer is not full. Which to me rings - Houston we have a problem.
Not to mentions half the time they make the wrong drink for me or my name is spelled wrong – usually “Aaron” so it sits there as the barista yells Erin and some lady grabs it. Maybe I mumble when I say my name or have a speech impediment. I will work on it.

I could go on and on about this but I write the blog usually to talk about solutions. This is a not a problem solved by some product or innovation – simply it needs management on the operations portion of the business. Maybe they need to hire someone exclusively for operations. Seems like the baristas are wearing every hat: making the drinks; running the cashier; taking out the trash out; being a hipster; mopping the floor etc. I do give props to the employees especially in the Starbucks I go to as they work their ass off. I would say from a high level – Many of the Starbucks are understaffed. Probably due to the recession and competition. They cut back on employees. Howard Schultz would know.

So from this operational catastrophe – I have found a solution to a portion of the problem. Starbucks needs to integrate new technology into the entire system of getting the customer in and out of the door. I have many ideas about this for this blog will share one for now:

The Endless Creamer, Technology Integration into Starbucks Take 1



If Starbucks simply had an actually platform to place the creamers on that had a weighing mechanism coupled wirelessly to panel behind the counter it would alert the Barista that the cream, milk, or water (non-fat milk) needs to be refilled. A big red light in the Barista station hidden to the customer begins to flash. “Fill up the cream” – something like that. Or even a sensor at the bottom of the bottle that detects the fluid levels so you don’t need a weighing station. Or maybe the baristas get shocked when the cream or milk goes low. I don’t know but something to alert them. This could be an opportunity for a vendor to supply a cool idea and lock in a pretty big tapped market if Starbucks would be interested in being a buyer and implementer of this type of idea/product.

Lets be honest this probably has happened to everyone and if you go to Starbucks daily this happens a lot. I hate to be rude and bring the creamer bottle back to the barista as he/she is making 10 drinks at once to satisfy the current demand and ask for them to grab another creamer bottle. I usually just use the Whole Milk as I really don’t care and it’s not a big deal to me but I have seen some out of line customers, especially in Newport Beach get their feathers ruffled from the condiment station not being ready for them. The other day some weathered woman got real riled up when the nutrasweet sugar was gone. I heard some strange noises from her and she gave some looks to the cashier and rushed out. I think she was mad at me too for using real sugar. Im sorry.

In today’s age – there are many opportunities to integrate technology into existing archaic processes to make them more efficient and effective. The airlines did it 10 years ago with ticket stations and online check in and it’s changed the way the world travels. Not to compare apples and oranges here but there still are huge opportunities that are right in front of our face. Its not about new inventions all the time but taking existing products/services and integrating them into existing processes. It really just takes looking for problems in everyday situations and thinking of solutions.

Really this idea is not too novel or interesting and its not defensible with a patent but it is defensible with a strong buyer like Starbucks as a partner. It could be one tiny step to keep a nice fluid steady state stream of customers coming in and out of the once well oiled piece of machinery we call Starbucks. Internet is finally free so I go there now instead of Panera at nights so they are changing some ways they operate outside of their product leadership.

Who knows maybe Mr. Schultz is looking for some new ideas to keep his Operational dimension from slipping below his standards.

Open Your Eyes

Prior to going on a trip to South East Asia earlier this summer my brother introduced me to a great documentary - 180˚ South. (Actually it seemed more like a brilliantly scripted, well funded, and beautifully shot film then a documentary but I watched it on repeat several times the month prior to leaving.)
Instant download on Netflix.

Its follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. These two guys are a true inspiration

A quote echoed in my head from the film during my trip:

“Taking a trip for six months, if you get in the rhythm of it, it feels like you could just go on forever doing that. Climbing Everest is the ultimate and the opposite of that, because you get all these high-powered plastic surgeons and CEOs, and you know, they pay $80,000 and have sherpas put all the ladders in place, and 8,000 feet of fixed ropes. You get to a camp and you don’t even have to lay out your sleeping bag, and it’s already laid out with a little chocolate mint on the top. The whole purpose of climbing Everest is to effect some sort of spiritual and physical gain; but if you compromise the process, [then] you’re an asshole when you start out and you’re an asshole when you get back.”

–Yvon Chouinard, 180˚ South

Though my trip was not comparable to the summiting of Everest the “compromise the process” portion of the quote made great sense to me and I took that with me during my trip. I kept my eyes and ears open trying to learn as much as I could upon leaving the Orange County bubble I live in.

I only had my iPhone with me so shot as much as I could with it during my entire trip and tried to put something together when I returned:

Open Your Eyes from Erik Ahroon on Vimeo.

After many years of sticking my head down - working - I finally had a momentum change in my everyday thought process which has been corrupted by my isolation, routines and the internet. Slowly who you become and what you do in life can be 180˚ different then what you thought you were going to do when you had dreams on your sleeve. It’s impossible to put a price on the feeling you gain when you lose yourself and find yourself again.

As I have integrated back into my daily routine of work I use the video to remind myself of the momentum change which occurred and which I try desperately to hold onto – new eyes, new heart, new ideas and most of all a new mind set (not new but dormant below my corporate veil for now a decade). Im blessed to have my job, my family and the amazing people that surround me and I would never change a thing from what I do or have done but the trip opened my eyes again to what is possible and whats out there - its truly magical.

In todays world you have to put your head down, put in time, deal with the demons of the world world to make a positive footprint just like Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins have done (founders of Patagonia and North Face respectively). I give so much respect to those who walk the tight rope outside of conformity especially in today’s digital age where it seems online networks become more and more confined because of fear.
Never forget what makes your clock tick and why you are here. Put your time in and live your dreams. Life is short.

There really is no idea here just a few conclusions which mean a lot to me:

- momentum changing trips are necessary for life – those trips must include significant geographical differences from everyday life to truly get something from them
- some of the happiest people in the world have nothing. Learn from them
- learn to move on and let go. Its part of life
- most people are lazy. Don't be one of them
- success requires significant humiliation
- Sherpas do not put chocolate mints on your pillow at Base Camp at Everest (so I heard and one day will find out)


Oh… and don’t ever take your girlfriend to the Maldives unless she surfs – if you do take her and she complains – use it as a data point to let her go.

LinkedIn Validation

Here is an idea for Jeff Weiner CEO of LinkedIn.
www.Linkedin.com – a social networking site for business professionals showcasing career, education and achievements related to business and career endeavors. A very popular site and one that will last for sure. I’m sure you’re on it - if not you will be soon.

Only problem here is the validity of the actual information people post on their profile. Granted it is their credibility on the line if they post false information but taking a peak things are not as them seem...

I spent countless hours, opportunity cost not to mention I’m still in significant debt for my education. I take a bit of pride in all the hard work I did. I run by networks who post pseudo degrees from colleges they did not attend or even false career information. Maybe it’s not a big deal and it really is not a big deal to me – Live and Let Live – but it sparked an idea for sure. Thank you pseudo degree users.

“LinkedIn Validation”

Charge a premium service for users to actually have a “Validation” on information their users post.

This could be education history, career, or even special degree “Validation”. LinkedIn can set up relationships with Universities, Corporate Companies (start with the Fortune 500), and Background Check companies to make this possible. It can be scaled and automated and would not be a privacy issue as users would agree to terms and conditions. This would be a revenue share and would be a win-win for all involved. LinkedIn would charge users a small annual charge to “Validate” their profile and the revenue would be split with all involved. It would then act as a domino effect as most users would want to be “validated” as if your not your information is questionable to all of the web. A pretty big market already tapped by the .com and it could be a huge source of ancillary revenue to their advertising.

LinkedIn could then provide a more valuable service for employers. If profiles were "Validated" it would expedite the hiring process for employers as they would have a pool of “Validated” candidates and could save them significant cost/time in finding potential employees by qualified background checks. Employers looking for candidates would use LinkedIn more as valuable resource then a tool for only networking. Companies and Universities would feel obligated to makes sure users claiming their names are actually being truthful – their reputation should be guarded as well as the user.

LinkedIn.com - New Revenue Streams and a stronger site
LinkedIn Users - More confidence in the site and access to a more valuable networking tool
LinkedIn Partners (Universities, Companies) - New Revenue Stream, more confidence in the site and access to a more valuable networking/mining tool

The trend of online “honesty” will become more apparent as time goes by and as networks combine - transparency will become more and more relevant. There needs to be filters in place to let users know they are using a service that actually has value. Too many people and services are jumping on free sites to use them as platform for advertising and BS. It dilutes the value of the site and slowly the site loses its appeal. The demise of Myspace.com for social networking is a prime example.

Services like “LinkedIn Validation” forces user honesty and creates a more efficient and reliable internet.

Event Photography

I have been very busy with work and ideas that I don’t want to share so have not posted in a long time. I think this idea here has some big legs and did want to share but if you implemented this you definitely would trip over US patent 6985875 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=GGB4AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false) In fact I found a bit of litigation history (http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=28052) between the IP owner and some of the companies mentioned. I think the best way to implement this would be an a event site where spectators could simply upload their pictures of the events via a website and then participants could then donate to the site to keep it up and running. Make it a non-profit and share some of the proceeds with the race charity. If this got going this would be pretty disruptive to the market. The only problem would be the proprietary shots like the finish line shots and the areas on the course where spectators are not allowed. Race photos are way too expensive and something needs to change in their model.

Spotaneity II