Guest Post: Make the users happy (@miklavic)
Jun1
Make the users happy
Listen to your users, talk to them, and hear what they have to say. Get a feel for what they are saying about you, put in the work, spend the time. Here is the catch, don’t wait for them to tell you, understand where they are coming from and give them what they want BEFORE they know they want it. Steve Jobs in famous for this, innovation happens when people think ahead of the curve, think about what is to come.
The most successful marketing of our generation? Google. Did they spend a dollar advertising their search engine? No. How did you hear about them? I bet it was a friend who came up running to you because they were satisfied. Google focused on their users first and foremost. They had their hearts set from day one at solving a very necessary problem in people’s lives. They accomplished this in part because they never lost sight of why people were using their product.
As for your website, you have too many features, cut the crap and focus on what really matters. Do one thing really well instead of a million things half ass. 37 Signals (the company behind Basecamp) writes about this issue in their book, Getting Real. I’d suggest you read this book. Build sites that are “smarter, faster, and easier” than everything else out there.
It’s easy to sell out; people do it everyday to make a buck or two. The greatest sites, the sites where people remember it long after they visited, the sites where you find yourself going back to endlessly, focus on what their users truly need.
Don’t ever forget about the guy using your product. Everyday at CampusLIVE I’m presented with tons of seemingly minor situations where I have to put myself in the shoes of the user. What drives them? What are they trying to accomplish? What do they need to accomplish this?
Make the lives of your customer, user, tenant, etc easier. Strive to do that everyday and if done successfully, success in business will soon follow on an epic level.
-Mike Miklavic
@miklavic
http://www.campuslive.com/info/about#mike
Guest Post: Helping the blind man see. (@durkin)
Jun0
Intro by Boris: Ryan Durkin is the operations king at CampusLIVE. He graduated from UMass Amherst in 2008 with a double major in Finance & Management and a GPA you don’t find every day. He put himself through school with 14 scholarships and a t-shirt business on the side. Durkin is a master of his domain, and I recommend you read this post in its entirety. It’s a message a lot of us too often miss…
This goes out to all you high-achievers out there. All you motivated, trigger pulling, fast talking, slick ricks, trying to take over the world one step at a time. I commend your efforts. This is for those class presidents that were in 20 clubs in high school and now 40 clubs in college. Alright, alright, you’re great at time management, and I applaud your ambition. BUT! Do you know how to dominate life? Do you really?
Here’s the deal. You tell me what you think: You give me four years of your life, and I’ll give YOU a slap across the face. How’s that sound? Or how about this one. You give me $100 today, and I’ll give you $50 bucks in three weeks. You in? Or you out? What say you?
Life in college is about building a story. A story you can sell to employers. A story you can sell to your friends. A story you can sell to the world. We all know this. Don’t we? Then why do I find, time and time again, kids selling themselves short? Kid’s wasting years of their life? Students spreading themselves too thin, waking up years later with a fat red handprint on their faces wondering… “What’s up? What happened? Where’s all that money college promised me?”
College has a lot to offer. “Ya. Ya. I know Ma! Thanks for your support.” But honestly, let’s take a look. There’s Clubs. Athletics. Work. Frats. Soroties. There’s parties. Dance practice. Dance parties (my personal favorite). There’s Student Government, community service, and everything else under the Tuscan Sun. It’s all amazing stuff, and the personal interaction you’ll get from each is amazing. BUT, think about this. In addition to all of the things you’re trying to get done each week, there’s time reserved for eating, sleeping, showering, brushing your teeth, combing your hair (girls), dressing, FACEBOOK, talking to friends, talking to teachers, doing homework, studying, calling ma, watching television, going to movies, YouTube, ESPN, Twitter, Craigslist, and the whole internet SHABAM. Add all that time spent LIVING with the time spent doing the things active people are SUPPOSED to do, and MAN OH MAN, you’ve got yourself one crazy messed up headache of what I call “SHIT.”
Do me a favor. Do me one small little favor. Stay active. Keep busy. Keep as busy as your little heart and mind will allow. BUT, only under one stipulation: BE A LEADER! TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE YOU FIND MOST REWARDING / FULFILLING. LEAVE THE REST FOR THE BIRDS.
I see a lot of resumes. And I love looking at the potential each student has when they float across my desk. I love it. I truly do. There is nothing more exciting to me than a student who has not realized his/her potential yet. It’s one of the most exciting things that ever existed on earth. There are only a few things I am more amazed by. God being one of them, and the idea of eternal love. But, other than that, I’m telling you, it is motivated kids who have not realized their potential yet. It’s my cup of tea (if I drank tea). Rather, it’s my cup of milk. My IBC Root Beer, if you will. My favorite.
So, you’re in 10 clubs, on a varsity athletic team, and volunteering in your local community. You’re in the Student Government, and helping blind men see and naked people get clothes throughout the world. You, my friend, are one motivated son of a gun. I love it. Keep it up. But do me, and more importantly yourself, a favor.
TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE. Drop 9 of your 10 clubs and focus on one (1), INTENSIVELY.
Stop puttering around after athletic practice gossiping about the weekend, and motivate your team members to do pushups, situps, or anything extra to get your heads MORE in tune to the game of competition. The mind is a muscle just as your legs, arms, and back. There is nothing better than dominating your mind to submission. Do it. It will make you stronger.
Recruit three more people to volunteer with you on weekends at that local food pantry, and give your crew a funny name: “The Volunteer VIP’s.” Give yourself respect for the addition you provide to the community. Few people see true greatness in the ability to help people they do not know. Random acts of kindness are a gift to the world. Especially when those random acts are repeated on a weekly basis for those who rely on others.
Rise to the occasion and put your name on the ballot for the Presidency in your Student Government (hell, 20 minutes online can teach you the ins and outs of using Facebook and Twitter to your Presidential seeking advantage). “Just Do It,” as Nike used to say. Well hell, I’ll bring that one back. Throwback, 2009. I think so.
And, with regards to the blind men and naked people. Hell, I don’t really know quite what to say to that. But, get creative. There are always businesses willing to contribute clothes and their time to GREAT PEOPLE they trust and respect (that being you). I mean, who doesn’t want to help a group of naked people?
I feel there are two thoughts regarding leadership: 1.) You’re either born with it or you’re not, 2.) It can grow out of your life’s experiences, and you can actually LEARN to become a better leader. If you can prove to me #1, I’d love to hear what you have to say. I’d like to think that #2 is more the way life is. The only way to learn to become a leader is to practice it in your daily lives. And what better an opportunity than college, with so many options available. But, remember this: don’t just do things to do them and put them on your resume. Learn to lead. There are leaders out there everyday who are waiting to realize their potential. Why can’t it be you?
The difference in deciding to LEAD vs. deciding to GO WITH THE FLOW sometimes simply comes down to a few minutes of personal reflection and a “can do” attitude. Ultimately, I believe it IS a choice. You can be a “member” of 10 clubs in college, or you can decide to LEAD one of them (the one you really care about). You can be a player, or you can be the captain. You can work for someone, or you can work for yourself. You can be a Senator, or you can be President. You can collect clothes, or you can increase clothing donations by 800%.
As for the blind people, you’ve heard of “helping the blind man see,” haven’t you?
-Durkin