Run with God

iPhone: Early Adopter Tax ($$$ well spent?)

My tongue in cheek tirade against Apple (I'm really not upset, people) is actually echoed through the blogosphere.

This one is cool (it has graphs on it)...

Evidently, if I had not bought the first generation iPhone in June 2007, INSTEAD invested that $$$ in Apple Stock (AAPL)... today my ROI would have gotten me the new iPhone G3 version AND kept the $599 assets in AAPL stock.

That "Early Adopter Tax" gets me every time.

Thanks to Jon Sampson for the link.

ROI, or why I HAVE to upgrade my iPhone

Apple announced earlier this Monday the iPhone 3G. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion. The tech rumor mill had this one nailed. 3G speed, GPS, Application Store, Enterprise... not much surprise in this one.

What I had heard, but didn't believe, was the price... $199 for an 8gig phone and $299 for the 16gig phone.

What the?

I'm an Apple fanboy. Sometimes an Apple apologist... but this is crazy. One year ago Apple releases iPhone v1, and I shell out $599 for the 8gig version. Apple doesn't sell them like hotcakes, and they drop the price. I'm fine with that. Apple releases the 3G version, and drops the price again! I paid $600 for less than 12 month old technology, and the new version of the phone with the same memory capacity (8gigs) is now $400 less? You gotta be kidding me.

On that note, I'm selling my phone. I have to, in order to get any return on my investment (ROI). The value of my less-than-one-year-old-iPhone bottomed out. You can buy a new one for $200, which means my old one is less than $200.

How much less? Here's my problem. If someone is going to spend $150 on an old phone, they might as well spend $200 on a new phone with more features. How low can it go? $125? $100? $75? Uh oh...

And just like that, my $600 iPhone drops 80% in value... mandating that I get out now in order to get something out of my investment... before it's too late and my iPhone depreciates any more...

I've already got one buyer (thanks Berch), but I may sell off Amy's iPhone too... if you're a potential buyer, let me know...

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for once again screwing over your early adopters. If I didn't love your products so much, I'd probably be upset. For now though, I'm just pumped because I'M GETTING THE NEW IPHONE!

XM + Sirius = XRius?

With the start of the Baseball Season, and my semi-addiction to ESPN Radio, I decided to renew my expired Sirius subscription. I actually like XM Radio better than Sirius. When I lived in Texas, I had XM. When I bought my new truck, it had a Sirius radio built in. I liked XM better...

According to the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, XM and Sirius will be merging into one network.

Prepare for XRius network, coming soon to a Satellite Radio near you. All kidding aside, looking forward to MLB and NFL being combined under one Satellite Company. Good job, US Government. Now if you can get around to fixing the economy, that'd be great!

PS - I have no idea if they are going to go with XRius, but maybe I should trademark the name, just to play it safe...

Forever Amateur...

Capt. Bart Mancuso: [Ramius comments in Russian to Borodin that Mancuso is a "buckaroo". Ryan laughs] What's so funny?
Jack Ryan: Ah, the Captain seems to think you're some kind of... cowboy.
Captain Ramius: [in Russian] You speak Russian.
Jack Ryan: [in Russian] A little. It is wise to study the ways of ones adversary. Don't you think?
Captain Ramius: [in English] It is.
Hunt for Red October, 1990

I've started reading The Cult of the Amateur: how today's internet is killing our culture by Andrew Keen.

I know, I don't think it sounds like something I would read, either.

Let's be honest...
I am the amateur.
I am the hack.
I am the guy, according to Keen, that's killing the Internet.

To the loved ones of the Internet, I truly am sorry. I send you my condolences.

In the past five years, the Internet has 2.0ed. It's social. It's open. You can say what you want to say, do what you want to do, be who you want to be. And people will listen. Millions will watch some stupid YouTube video, hundreds of thousands will see your photographs, tens of thousands will read your article thinking you are an expert.

The Internet normalizes the playing field. Experts or newbie. Pro or Amateur. Everyone is level. And, according to Keen, this is driving the Experts nuts. Gotta love it.

Looking at my own small piece of the Internet... Do you know what my most popular article ever written is? The article that I wrote on Paula and Randy White divorcing. Life changing stuff I know. (I'm embarrassed that this is the article that I am known for.) Since I wrote the article, Google has me as it's #1 webpage when someone searches for "Paula Randy White". Check the graphic on the left. I'm #1... their (old) own church's website, "Without Walls" is #5. Dude, I beat their own website by an article I wrote... that's pretty sad...

Thus the normalization factor. All of a sudden I'm the expert on the Whites. (To the Whites, I'm not a stalker, really. I'm just a guy that knows how to play a game.)

Keen's view of the Internet sounds a lot like the Music Industry ten years ago, or the Motion Picture Association in the past five... We can save the world, change our culture if we do this or if we change that...

I have a news flash for people who think this...
you cannot change culture...
you cannot make people think like you want them to...

BUT you can play their game.
You can learn their systems, what makes them think.
You can learn their laws, respect their authority.
You can learn their language, communicate on their level.
You can learn their culture, modify from within (instead of fighting windmills)

To think that you can impact, change the culture without obeying it's rules is just silly. Instead of lamenting loss, figure out how to play the game. Leverage culture against itself...

Thoughts?

Christvertising

This really has to be a spoof. Really. There's no way this is real...

What the Prosperity Gospel did for individuals, Christvertising hopes to do for businesses. Is your business in "God's good books?" Does your brand need "brand-targeted-prayer"? Do your business need help targeting the ultimate end user, God?

For a chuckle, check out the Christvertising website.

Unbelievable. Sad thing is there's probably a pretty decent demand for this service...

Guest Blogger: Ultimate Customer Service

I've asked Ryan Eloe to step in as a guest blogger. Ryan is the General Manager @ C28 in West Palm... an old college friend who I convinced to move to Florida and help me start C28's ministry in Florida. He's married to Kim, and they are expecting their first kid in June.

I asked Ryan to share his thoughts on C28's ministry...

- - - - - - - - - -

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1

Because of the adventures, trials, and experiences at c28 this past year 2 Corinthians 4 speaks to me in amazing ways. One of the most important messages to me in this chapter is that it speaks on the topic of the ministry that we have through God's mercy.

The word 'ministry' in Greek is diakoniva (dee-ak-on-ee'-ah), which simply means service. It's a similar word to that which the word deacon comes from.

If we are truly interested in doing or taking part in ministry (diakoniva), we need to serve.

I believe, if we want to minister to the glory of God, then we should provide the most excellent service. Service that would represent that God who has saved us, loves us, and has mercy for us day in and day out.

Fortunately for us who minister at c28, we are in a unique place because we are expected as a mall-based retail store to provide customer service. Every store has customer service, some stores have horrible customer service, some stores elite customer service, some have good customer service.

But because we want to do ministry in the name of Christ we strive to provide ultimate customer service.

For us, this means a lot of things. It means that we'll try to do everything we can to help people find what the clothes/music they're looking for. Similarly we'll help people when they are searching for a certain size, the perfect gift, or the the latest CD.

But sometimes more than a nice button up shirt, or an amazing CD...people are looking for something different. In these cases we help people find the truth about Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Or sometimes we help people when they are searching for faith, hope, truth, and grace in this world. We'll offer to pray with people, share with people, encourage people, because more than a new purse, belt, or rockin' t-shirt these needs are greater.

For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts...and it is our prayer that Jesus' ultimate service to us in his death, will allow us to serve our customers in a way that will help them see and experience the grace, truth and love of Christ.

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts..." 2 Corinthians 4:6a

Netflix and Small Issues

Netflix has changed the face of entertainment. Their online DVD Rental service has put a major dent into many a DVD rental companies profit. However, while Netflix was pursuing big dreams, they forgot one minute detail.

The United States Postal Service.

Netflix uses these really cool envelopes to exchange the DVDs with the customers. Evidently everybody was happy with the design and process, leaving some people wondering "why didn't I think of this before?"

USPS doesn't like them, though. The mailers are not "machine friendly", and the USPS is prepared to slap a fine on Netflix for their past-crimes... $0.17 per envelope. Not that bad, right?

In total, Netflix is looking at $41,900,000 worth of past fines. If Netflix doesn't resolve the issue, they are looking at an additional $61,500,000 worth of fines over the next two years. What would these fees do to Netflix's profit? What profit? In total, this would kill 67% of their profit, and destroy their biz model.

Uh oh.

It's sad how even the smallest detail can kill the grandest of plans. An assumption, an oversight, a misunderstanding. These can weaken or destroy even the strongest of relationships. Sad thing is that if Netflix had addressed this issue years ago, they would not be in as deep as they are now.

The smallest detail can fester into a business-crippling issue, if it's not discussed. Or it can be addressed and dismissed early, when it can do limited damage.

Thanks to Engadget for the story.

Small Biz Woes & A Viral Connection

Small-biz is struggling right now. Economy struggling. Stock market dipping. Jobless rates increasing. Insurance rates skyrocketing. As a biz owner, er... bizes owner, it's been difficult to stay positive during the economic struggles. My mother, among other people, often chastise me for my negative attitude.

Then I see this quote, and realize it's not just me:

Economic confidence among small business owners continued to fall in October as many expressed increased pessimism about both the future of their own businesses and the U.S. economy in general.

The quote, taken from Discover Small Business Watch, lists some of the issues that 22 million small business owners struggled with this past year. Check the article.

Thankfully, TLW and C28 are surviving during these times, and prayerfully the holiday season will help us prepare for a lean 2008. Occasionally, I get a tip or see a resource that encourages me. This is one of them.

Duck Tape Marketing had a great video containing tips on how to generate referral based business. Watch the clip below:

Several of these tips I used back in my eBeliever.net days. It was a good reminder, though, that the during the lean times we can use our customers, our clients, our friends to help build our business via grassroots viral methods. (Grassroots is so 1990s...)

iPhone Refund?

Apple came out with a complete refresh of every one of their iPod devices yesterday. New shuffle colors, new Nanos (called "the fatboy") that play video, new "iPod Classic" upto 160 gigs, and a iPhone minus the Phone device that Apple calls the "iPod Touch".

I love the lineup. If I didn't have the iPhone, I'd go for a "fatboy". Wait, that didn't sound right... The iPod Classic 160 gig for $349. Everything you own in the palm of your hand... very nice...

An asterisk to Job's Press Conference, oh, yeah, Apple's reducing the price of their prized iPhones $200. Instead of being $599, they're now $399. Thanks for coming everybody. Have a nice day!

Wwwaaaaaaaaaa?!?!?

I've gotten a dozen e-mails on this. What do you think, Jeff? How could Jobs do this to the faithful? The phone just came out two months ago, and already it's being reduced 33%? This is outrageous. I'll never trust Apple again!

Personally, I love the fact that Apple's working the biz model. New technology requires new ideas. Yeah, sure the iPhone was the #1 selling Smartphone in the month of July. But it wasn't going to change the world. Not at $599 anyway. So drop the price!

Do I feel bad that Apple "conned me", a faithful Apple Evangelist, out of $200? Nah. That's life. Early DVD players cost $600. Today, $29.95. Plasmas were $10,000 initially. Today they're almost a tenth of that price. Welcome to business people. You never want to buy technology until you absolutely have to, because as soon as you do, something better will be released! Or what you have will become cheaper.

Props to Steve Jobs. In an open letter to the iPhone faithful, he announced that every current iPhone owner will get $100 in store credit as a way of apologizing. Keeping in mind that $100 in store credit is really like $30 in cost of goods sold to him, and really, what can you buy for under $100 at the Apple Store... it's a nice thought. Thanks Steve. Don't think it's necessary, but when hearing the hundreds of thousands of iPhone users crying in one accord... I guess even the King of Technology Jobs has to throw some chicken feed to silence the cries... Thanks Steve. Really.

BTW, several credit card companies (American Express included) have technology waivers on their credit card purchases allowing rebates on "overpriced technology". Check with your credit card company and see if you can get the money rebated to you.

Not everybody agrees with me. See Wired's "Four Mistakes Apple Made with the iPhone Price Drop."

Or enjoy "Joy of Tech's" four reasons... they're a little more humorous.

Original Thought vs. FakeShuffles

What you are seeing above is a series of iPod Shuffle FAKES that are being distributed. Fakes meaning they look like the real thing, but not distributed by Apple, Inc. These counterfeits are made by a company called MANNdigital. You need to notice that they are GOOD fakes. How good? You tell me.

Other than a missing Apple Logo on the packaging, and the reversing of the volume/track change on the FakeShuffle, there is no distinction between the two. I could even argue that once the fake shuffle is out of the packaging the average user would not be able to tell the difference between FakeShuffle and Apple's iPod Shuffle.

Come to find out that MANNdigital does more than just FakeShuffles. They also do FakeNanos.

Let me get to my point. I love the fact that someone has the guts to go toe to toe with the Apple Legal Department. Knowing their track record, Apple's lawyers will have these guys for breakfast. What angers me, though, is all the effort that with all the effort that goes into reverse engineering the Shuffle or Nano, couldn't MANNdigital have come out with something original on their own.

Original thought is so rare these days. We work so hard to make ourselves just like those we look up to (some would say envy) when in the end if we focused that energy into reinventing ourselves, how far could we have gotten?

Don't settle for a re-hash of someone else's idea. Don't think because it worked in another situation on the other side of the country it will work for you. See the big picture. Modify it. Make changes. Question it. And once you work out the kinks run full steam ahead.

MANNdigital, don't settle to continue to be in Apple's (Legal) shadow. Strive to be better, more creative. On a side note, Good Luck with those fake iPhones. Let me know how that works out for you.

Thanks to Pete Mortensen and Cult of Mac for finding the FakeShuffles.

Reverse Marketing, Revisited

About a week ago I posted on my frustrations with Sonic Drivein... how they were advertising in the South Florida area, yet according to their website they had no locations within 150 miles of Miami or West Palm Beach. I vented my frustrations towards them for getting my hopes up through advertising down here, but not providing an avenue for me to release the demand they were creating.

Married to Strange Culture corrected me, that in fact there is now A SONIC within 150 miles of Miami. It in fact opened Monday, June 25 (one day after I posted). So, yes, I have a Sonic Drivein within 150 miles of Miami. What does this mean? That on more than one occassion this month I will pour $3.10/gal gas into my gas guzzling truck and drive 100+ miles to eat a $2 hamburger with the best selection of drinks on the market.

Funny thing about the written word. You can't tell if that statement is sarcastic or not. I think I like it that way.

Any other South Florida Sonic sightings?

Reverse Marketing: Sonic Drive-In

Let me preface this by saying that Sonic was one of my favorite restaurants in Texas. Their slushes and limeaides are legendary. To my knowledge there hasn't been a Sonic in Miami in 10 years.

I went to lunch today with Amy and her mom and brother (John is going to Ukraine with Amy, so the fam is in town to prepare for the trip.) We went to Rodbenders, down Cutler Bay (off Old Cutler Road). I love this place, eat there frequently.

While waiting for the food, out of the corner of my eye I'm keeping tabs on the Marlins game on the TV. There was a close play, so the FSN Network ran a replay, which of course means we get to see the corporate sponsor of video replays for the Marlins games.... Sonic Drive In.

I am stoked. I love Sonic. There used to be two Sonics in Miami (maybe three) when I was in high school, but they closed and moved on. Surely, if the Miami-based Florida Marlins is showing corporate sponsors on their game, those sponsors do business in their city. FSN would not accept corporate sponsors where there is no business within the home viewing market. Sonic has finally returned to Miami! Maybe by dinner I can be eating my food out of a box in my own vehicle, served by girls on roller skates listening to 50's Rock and Roll... WOOHOO! I rush home and check the Sonic Web site.

I am angry. I am furious. There's no Sonic Drive-Ins within 150 miles of my house. There's not even a Sonic Drive in within 150 miles of my C28 location in West Palm Beach. No Sonics in South Florida period. D'OH!

I'm fine with Sonic not coming down into South Florida. In a city where Krispy Kreme is closing, unless your restaurant is accepted by Hispanic Cultures I wouldn't come into this city either... but don't advertise to people teasing them that your services are available (if you're not equipped to meet the demand you create).

It's Reverse Marketing. Instead of liking Sonic and spending money with them, I'm angry with them that they are creating a desire within me, yet they are not giving me an outlet to get those desires fulfilled...

Starbucks: Plan "B"

Interesting blog from the mind of Seth Godin:

Here's today's entrepreneurial trivia question:

Even after Starbucks had five stores and more than 20 employees, which item was unavailable for purchase at their stores: a) Espresso b) Hot Coffee c) Biscotti d) Frappucino® blended beverage

Actually, it's a trick question. The answer is 'all of the above.' It wasn't until several years after the company was up and running that they realized it would be a good idea to sell any beverages at all. All they sold was beans (but you could get a free taste of coffee if you asked nicely).

Just goes to show that it's never too late to change your biz model, and that it's difficult to let go of what you know (and replace it with the unknown).

Christian Retailers going the way of the buffalo

Below is an article from CROnline discussing the morbid state of Christian Retailing. Christian Bookstores are struggling. As far as I know, 10 stores in the state of Florida have gone out of biz in 2007. I'm not going to make excuses for it. Just as the church struggles to stay relevant to the culture, so does the Christian Bookstore. There are some things I love about the industry. There are some things I loathe (but that is a post for another day). Just as the church struggles to stay relevant into today's culture, I believe Christian bookstores are struggling to stay relevant. Unfortunately, for 10 stores in Florida, it was a losing battle.

Let me reassure you. The Living Word is not going out of biz. While the industry is struggling, God continues to provide. We are stable, healthy, and show no signs of letting up. Thank you to all of my customers and employees for helping TLW and C28 stay active in ministry.

God, help us to stay relevant in Miami, in West Palm Beach. May we stay focused and driven, not on Balance Sheets and P&L Statements, but on the ministry you have set out for us.

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
II Corinthians 4:1

I'm going to add commentary in the article below. My words will be italicized and tabbed. Enjoy.

Thanks to CROnline for the report.

----------

Small Christian retailers losing out to chains, the Internet

By Zachary Lewis
Religion News Service

CLEVELAND — David may have defeated Goliath, but in the battle between independent Christian bookstores and retail giants, it's the little guy who’s losing.

If what’s happening here in the Midwest is any indication, small, locally owned religious bookstores and church suppliers are going out of business, conceding defeat to the Internet and big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, Borders and Target.

One of the latest to fall: The Word Christian Resource Center in suburban Parma Heights, the third and final store in the small chain to close since 2005.

“People don't understand what’s going on,” said owner Rob Haskell, whose parents started The Word in 1976. “If people are willing to give up their local jewels, that’s one thing. ... But if they're not, they need to support the independent stores.”

Honestly, I never really understood this mindset. If another business has a better business model than me, (read: if they can sell items cheaper) then good for them. It frustrates me that some of my contemporaries think that the customers HAVE TO SHOP with them or they are being unfaithful, unspiritual. Guess what. I'd do the same too. In the day of $3.29/gal for gas, you can't blame people for being cheap with their funding.

Outside the Box?

Lately I've been doing a lot of think tank stuff. I've had several people ask me for some advice/consulting. I never considered myself worthy of giving anyone advice... business, church, personal, etc. so I'm flattered when they ask.

I have a bad habit though. I don't charge by the hour.

It's common knowledge that I don't sleep. The brain just doesn't want to turn off. In college I thought that was a good thing. Now, it's called "billable hours".

It's fun thinking outside the box. I get to ask people, "Where do you see this thing in 5 years, 10 years?" I also get to ask the "what ifs"...

What if money was no object?
What if there was no competition?
What if you had unlimited resources?
What if the economy didn't stink?
What if you could write your own ticket?

When I get into that environment, I get a little reckless. Thinking outside the box? I'm so far away from the box you can't see it anymore. That's what makes thinking outside the box fun for me. It's risk-free. I'm gambling with someone elses money. Just because the thought is out there doesn't mean its getting executed. And if it bombs, well, I'm just a consultant. You should have realized the idea was stupid.

It's harder for me to think outside the box on my own projects. Instead of focusing on the unknown future, I overanalyze the umpteen years of history that got us to that point. No, this won't work because we tried something similar and it blew up in our face... Besides, things are going so strong right now, we wouldn't want to jeopardize that, right?

For me, coming up with wacky ideas isn't difficult. It's having the wisdom to pick the right ideas at the right time that's difficult. Then it's having the courage to follow your convictions regardless if no one else is doing it.

The greatest thing about thinking outside the box is that if you do it, you're doing things that noone else is doing. That's also the most horrifying thing. I guess, though, that's why no one else is doing it.

...then Google heard my cry...

(Google Analytics + Feedburner = HAPPY JEFF")

Several weeks ago I blogged my glee (people never use that word anymore) over Google's webMonitoring software, Google Analytics. However, my glee was not complete. As happy as I was, Google Analytics does not monitor RSS feeds, which is a major shortchange in my book. Instead of solely using Google's Analytics software, I have to go back and forth between Google for HTML monitoring, and Feedburner for RSS monitoring. That's two different logins, and who wants two when they can have one?

Well, Happy Jeff is coming once again. Rumor on the blogosphere is that financial giant Google is going to buy Feedburner for $100million.

Yeah for me!

Thanks to TechCrunch for breaking the story, and Terry Storch for giving me my smile back.

(Yet again another prime example of how I should be KING OF THE GEEKS. Vote now!)

Infrastructure & Microsoft Stupidity

Here's a hilarious story from Email Marketing Voodoo. (I've got a good point at the bottom, so read through it.)

Monday, May 14, 2007 - Oh, the Irony

start rant//

If you own an Xbox 360, you’re most likely a subscriber to their Xbox Live online feature. Well, I do own an Xbox 360 and guess what… I play games online. Yeah yeah yeah… point and laugh all you want.

When signing up for Xbox Live, you’re also offered to sign up for their email list, which I opted in to without hesitation.

So I have been receiving messages here and there for the past six months from Xbox. Their emails are designed modestly; its content is concise and personalized with my gamer tag. Last week, they sent out two emails. One focusing on systems updates, the other focusing what I’ve been missing since I played last. I skimmed over both relatively quick, but one thing was glaring at me. Both emails had the same header:

Please add Xbox@email.xbox.com to your address book to ensure delivery.
Read this issue online if you can't see the images or are using Outlook 2007.

Does anyone see the irony here?

Xbox 360 -- a product developed and manufactured by Microsoft -- sends out emails to their users and they say in plain English, “Hey nerds, this simply won’t work using our new email software, because well… that would just make too much sense”.

You would think that those responsible for Xbox 360's emails would at least design them so they'd show up for those using Outlook 2007.

//end rant.

JEFF'S TAKE: Lately I find myself saying "Infrastructure" a lot. Is our Infrastructure capable of handling what we are asking it to do? In the case of Microsoft, can an e-mail sent to Microsoft Gaming fans be read on a Microsoft E-mail application. Evidently the answer is no. (Truly, how stupid is that).

Let's look at the larger picture. It makes perfect sense to send an e-mail to gamers. But shouldn't someone have checked with the Outlook guys to see if it would work, or better yet when they saw it didn't work, ask the Outlook guys what needed to change in the e-mail get it to work?

Infrastructure will only get you as far as you will let it go.
Is it strong enough to stand on its own?
If you pull one of its legs out from under it, will it still function?
As time goes, and as growth continues, does it get stronger or weaker?

And that's the problem with Microsoft. As the Infrastructure grew, communication stopped. I'll wager the XBOX guys have no idea who the Outlook guys are. There's probably in completely separate departments (if not separate cities/states), and it's easier to ignore the problem than to get it working right. That is infrastructure failure.

In my own businesses I'm constantly trying to evaluate our infrastructure.
Is there communication between top and bottom?
Is the manager reading/understanding the situation properly?
Are the employees respecting the managers?

If there is no communcation from top to bottom, then what chance is there to truly succeed? One of my favorite quotes right now is from Marketing Guru Seth Godin:

"99% of the time, in my experience, the hard part about creativity isn't coming up with something no one has ever thought of before. The hard part is actually executing the thing you've thought of."

To function properly, top and bottom need to be in communication. The Boss, The Manager, The Frontliners/Pawns/Minions. If the top doesn't understand where the bottom is, frustrations will arise at the bottom. If the bottom doesn't understand that the top is driving towards a new vision, the Boss becomes frustrated that the vision isn't being executed. If the managers miscommunicate the vision/direction, everyone is screwed.

The wider the infrastructure, the more difficult communication becomes. The harder it becomes, the more vital a role it plays.