Ron Garret's Top Ten Geek Business Myths

Ron Garret has given us a list of what he deems to be the top 10 geek business myths, and I have to say that these are worth taking a look at. Even for those of you who have a successful start up business can read over them and add any that you feel he might have missed and tell us why its so easy to believe them.

Take a look for yourself!
http://rondam.blogspot.com/2006/10/top-ten-geek-business-myths.html

[Dcrux]

Great article. And most sites break at least five rules, especially "the big idea."

Listen, one big idea is easy to rip off. Twenty or fifty ideas -- all working together in complex combinations -- are not. The ripoff artists can figure out this part or that, but not a piece of hardware working seamlessly with a service model, both of which are part of an interlocking business model.

Marketing isn't hucksterism or being a copy of a copy of a copy. On the net copying kills you -- differentiation wins. And being identical, except for a logo and color scheme is not differentiating.

[incrediblehelp]

Great stuff there and brutally honest, just like I like it.

[Tubby]

I have always been a great believer on acting on good advice, or at least making an attempt to implement some aspect of it.

Quote
"The truth is, who you know matters more than what you know"

So. . . (start implementing 'who you know' policy. .)

Hello raee, My name is Tubby, I am from Australia, I am a bit over the hill.


Hello Dcrux, My name is Tubby, I am from Australia, I am a bit over the hill. wanna be friends?



sorry Incredible, I thought I had no colour prejudice.

[Dcrux]

While friends are nice, and sure I can use friends (beats the heck out of the threats I get) -- that has nothing to do with what the article meant.


Dale Carnegie’s famous How to Win Friends and Influence People has a similar take on making a friend. Carnegie suggests that if you want to make someone your friend, then you should ask them to do something for you. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the fog is lifted when you think about it: When someone does something for you they are vested in your success. They want to see you succeed because they have a chip in the game.

-- A transaction makes a customer (http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/a_transaction_makes_a_customer.php)


Since this is a "business myth/mistake" it probably can stand some discussion.

Take a PR News site critique I did. The basics of viability for getting a news release out there is contact power. High-level contacts into news rooms, talk shows, etc. Contacts make your PR efforts successful.

For example, I provided a quote to a reporter from the Detroit Free press. She contacted me based on an article (Which appeared in real news papers and journals). Why? I don't send Press Releases which are basically begging cups for free ad space -- I send News Releases. She didn't contact me because I was her "friend." The only reason to contact me is that she knew I could solve a problem and make her job easier.

The top Geek Business Myth is Human Factors Don't Matter. Sure, people will read half an article on usability ....right up to just before they get to the point on actually doing user testing.

And, as we know, anything that is hard or we don't want to do automagically "must not matter." So the PR site becomes an Article Dump/Link Farm with delusions of grandeur. Because nobody ...no blog ...no reporter ...no booking agent would be caught dead there.

The myth is you're actually "linked in" to those people on Linkdin and Friendster. Those networking sites are to real networking what zombies are to human culture.

I was at a car lot and learned the sales guy was learning flash. A friend I have teaches flash at a local college -- so I got them together. That's what friends do many "Friendsters" don't. If I hear about a job I try to get a friend into that job. Not jobs they are unqualified or undeserving of, but putting the right friend into the right situation.

We're not talking about just networking. The article was not about building up pointless databases of names, whose only connection is to share links to humorous YouTube vids. We are talking about power relationships and influence here. It's who you know that can help you. Transactions make customers. Favors make friends.

So, friend, what are you going to do for me?

[peschomd]

I enjoyed "Myth #1: A brilliant idea will make you rich."

I really hate people who say you shouldn't research other companies in your industry to see what you should do. Well, of course you should! Keep up on your competition and steal their ideas just like Google and even Thomas Edison!

Every GREAT IDEA is an adoption and improvement of another idea.

How many of you have known someone who has stolen your website's layout or seen similar website layouts online? STEAL / ADOPT to get rich i say (in a non obstructionist way of course)

[Dcrux]

Good Designers Copy, Great Designers Steal (http://www.sitepoint.com/article/copy-great-designers-steal)

The key word here is "improvement." A lot of desingers copy the bad ideas, or take five good ideas which are fine on their own and mess them up when putting them together.

[Tubby]

Re;
'Dale Carnegie’s famous How to Win Friends and Influence People'

I think it was around 1976, but I could be years out.
I was given an air ticket to Melbourne - and was rushed off to "do A course" I was collected at the airport, delivered to a hotel an attended a lecture, seminar on The above.
At the time I was extremely resentful at anyone thinking there was anything I did not know. Very angry that I was taken out of hands reach of my customers and prospects. But I did meet an Architect that I got drunk with on the night after the course.

We email each other to this day, we no longer send each other rude postcard's from locations (we never actually got to) ** one-up-manship. you give somebody a pre-written postcard to post when they get to Delhi, saying 'having a great time' **

In February I found his sisters son an apprenticeship in Rockhampton, The boy was getting a bit stroppy, not working, and in with a bad crowd in South Sydney.

When the lad arrived In Rocky I met him, and I will keep an eye on him. He is a good lad that simply found himself in a one way situation, and I was pleased to find that he understands he was heading for trouble. His apprenticeship Is with an electrical firm, the owner I have known for many years. Rockhampton Is a country town, and many brighter lads these days will not accept a 'trade' they want a university degree. I ring 'Boof' about once a fortnight and ask him - 'Hows the 'pot-head'
going mate. he always says. 'He's a good lad mate, he is going well'

I get great pleasure from having the age and experience, the knowledge, the know how, the friends, the backup, the trust, the opportunities, that I have accumulated through my life . . I also get great pleasure from drawing from, the age and experience, the knowledge, the know how, the friends, the backup, the trust, that my friends have accumulated through their lives.

Australia, Does not have the same type of "old school network" that say, England has. . But we do have a solid 'Mate-ship' tradition. . It is a powerful asset.