In a nutshell, App Inventor lets anyone assemble a mobile app by connecting a bunch of “blocks” of code. Apparently Google has been testing this new tool with students in different schools over the last year. The goal is to make mobile development as accessible as possible.

The Dark Side of WYSIWYG
One of the great things about the Internet has been that (in theory) anyone can participate and build websites through the use of what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) tools. But that has come with a price. The web is full of poorly-designed, poorly-constructed websites. Worse still is that there exists a belief among many people that everyone can design and build websites and that it “isn’t that hard” (anyone who has worked with clients will attest to this). This has led not only to a sea of mediocrity across the web, but also a perception problem regarding the skill and value of web designers and developers.

The New Microsoft Frontpage?
What will the Google App Inventor likely lead to? A whole slew of Android apps ranging in quality from decent to god-awful. I would be shocked to see many useful apps come from this tool. Building great products is about more than just having the tools to do it. Giving anyone the ability to produce these applications with a WYSIWYG platform will mostly lead to horrible results, much like Microsoft Frontpage lead to mostly horrible websites.

The Silver Lining
The upside here is that it will lead to increased interest in mobile development. Users will start to tinker with App Inventor before deciding to learn how to actually develop these types of applications, much like Frontpage and Dreamweaver introduced many of us to web development, enticing us to continue on and improve our skills. This promises to take mobile development out of the hands of a few and grow a much larger talent base.

Whenever you lower the barrier of entry to a platform, it usually floods the market with a lot of garbage. But it also provides an opportunity for true talent to rise above the rest. So I don’t expect great things from Google App Inventor, but I do expect to see great things from the people who got their start with it.

The techniques used in video games can teach us lessons for all kinds of product experiences. Whether you’re explaining to users how your web app works or showing a user how to set up their smart phone for the first time, video games can help illustrate how to find the balance between instruction and entertainment.

Below are a few lessons that video games can share about creating great product experiences:

Don’t Expect People to Read the Instructions.

Many games include a tutorial at the very beginning to give users a hands-on lesson on how the game and controls works. The image above is from Call of Duty, showing the training course that serves as the first level. Simulating the actual gameplay in a structured environment gives users a chance to test things out.

Walking users through their first experience with your product will give them an opportunity to learn how to do something without any concerns about making a mistake or accidentally deleting something.

Take Advantage of Downtime

Most modern video games use load screens when first starting up or in between levels. It’s common to see tips or tricks included on these screens, so that users aren’t just staring at a dead screen. The image above (also from Call of Duty) shows how each load screen has an “Intel” area where game tips are shown.

With many products, there is going to be some inevitable downtime. It may be when a user is waiting for an email confirmation to show up in their inbox. Or as a travel site completes a search, or a device is being configured for the first time, or a piece of software is installing. Take advantage of that time to educate a user about a feature or tip that may not know about. By sprinkling this kind of information throughout the product experience, you will work towards building smarter and savvier users.

Build a Great Default Experience. Then Allow Users to Change It.

When game designers create a game, a lot of thought is put into how the controls should be setup. When a user first picks up the controller, the interaction should be intuitive, responsive and enjoyable. So nailing the default setup is crucial.

But there are always users who want to have specific preferences. Maybe they are used to a layout from a different game and want to configure this game to work in a similar way. Not allowing for this type of customization can lead to annoyance and frustration.

Most users won’t change initial preferences, so focusing on building a good default experience is a must. But allowing power users to go in and edit the experience to their liking is an important part of building loyal fans.

Saving Progress Should Be Easy.

I still remember playing the original Super Mario Brothers. Three lives, no way to save. You basically had to play it all the way through in one sitting. It was maddening (though oddly intoxicating for an 11 year old).

Most games today employ Checkpoints. As you’re playing, you’ll hit a checkpoint and your game is automatically saved to that point. Having your work saved without requiring a user to manually take an action is a good idea for obvious reasons: we’ve all seen hours of work lost when something happens to our computer before we saved it.

The less responsibility that a product places on a user for having to do certain tasks or follow certain practices, the better. One example of this is a shopping cart on an e-commerce site. If a user has added something to their cart, it should be there the next time they come back, regardless of whether or not the last transaction was completed (or even if they have an account with that site).

(Note: as I write this post, I see a Draft copy being automatically saved every so often in the toolbar. Nice work WordPress!)

Video Games Are Nothing But an Extended Product Experience.

A video game is judged solely on the experience it provides a user with. By adopting some of the best practices used by video game designers, businesses can ensure customers find their products both entertaining and easy to use.

On Day Two, a company named art.sy presented their plan to change the way people discover fine art online. One of the judges they presented to was Jason Calacanis, CEO and Founder of Mahalo, a user-powered search engine. During their product demo, art.sy had a problem connecting to their site over the network and they stumbled over showing a key piece of their product.

When the judges shared their feedback, Jason Calacanis has this exchange with art.sy founder Carter Cleveland:

Calacanis: “What you have to do when you do these presentations is you have to channel Steve Jobs. And after he shows you something, he’s like, “Oh, and one more thing, let me show you something…insane.”

Cleveland: “That’s exactly what we did when the internet just like…when the search page stopped working.”

Calacanis: “That’s no excuse. You could have had this demo in tabs and as a screencast and you should have had that as a backup. That’s your f*ckup. You’ve got to be ready for the Internet to get screwed up. You’re at an Internet conference! You have to do better. You should have had it canned so you can switch immediately.”

And for anyone following Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today, you probably know that Steve Jobs had his own network connection problems during his presentation of the new iPhone. As Jobs floundered around, trying to get the wi-fi to cooperate, he seemed to have no backup plan, finally giving up and jumping over to a lame comparison of photo quality in the new version of iPhone (video embedded below).

It was odd to see the usually polished Jobs make such an amateur mistake during a product demonstration. But it further proves the importance of Calacanis’ comments.

There are no excuses for a bad presentation.

Creating a backup plan is a crucial part of being a great speaker. So when you get up in front of a group of people, make sure you’re ready for anything.

All of this is happening in the wake of the Tiger Woods debacle, which happened to include an incriminating voicemail Tiger had left on his mistresses’ phone.

(A piece of advice: If you’re golfing legend Tiger Woods and you need to ask someone to change a voicemail message so your wife doesn’t find out about your affair, don’t leave that request in a voicemail. And definitely don’t start the message with “It’s me, Tiger.”)

Here are two different examples of wealthy, famous individuals who both have a lot to lose from the public knowing about their affairs. And what did they both do?

They handed someone they couldn’t trust a lever.

What’s a lever?
A lever “will lift, pry, or force an object to respond through the proper distribution of pressure,” according to the book, Games Criminals Play by Bud Allen and Diana Bosta. In the book, the authors outline how criminals manipulate people. For example, inmates create a setup against a corrections officer in order to gain leverage over that individual. It usually has to do with getting them to bend the rules slightly, like by sharing a cigarette with the inmate (which is against the rules within prison). They then threaten to report the guard for the infraction unless some other favor is done for the inmate. The situation can continue to escalate, leading to serious crimes like having the guard smuggle drugs or weapons into the prison.

If you’ve ever read a news story about a prison guard risking their job and their family by doing something serious like this and wondered why they would do it, this book outlines the process the probably led up to it.

Not Just For Corrections Officers
I’m assuming not too many readers of this blog work in a prison. But I share this book because I consider it recommended reading for everyone. It outlines some basic principles of human behavior and psychology, describing a sequence of events that can lead to people being manipulated and doing things they would have never imagined. And it usually starts by handing someone a “lever” that can be used against them.

And it’s not just celebrities that make these mistakes.

Obviously, whenever someone cheats on their partner, they are handing a great deal of power to the individual they cheat with. But it applies on a smaller level too. When you tell a co-worker you weren’t really sick when you called in the other day, you handed them a lever. When you engage in gossip about someone, you hand a lever to the person you’re sharing with. Most of the time the lever is never used. But by continually handing them out, you’re increasing the chances that it will be.

Don’t be manipulated.
Games Criminals Play describes various setups and how they are used to influence people’s behavior. A lot of colorful language is also used to describe the process, like lever, ducks, stings, and protectors (I won’t spoil it by explaining what each one means). There are also a few entertaining case studies that describe actual events and situations. It’s a great book and has a lot to share about making sure you aren’t being manipulated.

So the next time someone mentions the great work you’re doing and how it’s obvious your boss doesn’t appreciate you, ask yourself: Are they just looking for a lever?

Up until now, Seth’s books have been primarily marketing-focused and were written for a business audience. But Linchpin is different. It’s core message is about life, art, and career. While I don’t think the central message is to be followed by everyone, I believe that it should be shared with as large a group as possible.

Seth used a novel promotion strategy for this book and has relied mostly on bloggers and the online world to spread the message. But I think it’s time he makes a visit to the old-media world of television. Specifically, I think he should appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Here’s why:

1. The Linchpin Message is Important
The book does a great job articulating the changes that we have all felt happening around us over the last few years. And it nails the inner struggle we all feel between having ideas and acting on them. I truly believe this book has the power to change people’s lives by shifting the way they view their career. Every working stiff who is unhappy with the 9-to-5 should hear what he has to say. And many of them have (sadly) never heard of Seth Godin. Yet.

2. The Daily Show Audience is Well-Suited for the Linchpin Message
Every night, nearly two million viewers tune-in to The Daily Show. They tend to be younger and more educated than most news program audiences. And according to a recent Yale study, they are fairly liberal and hold relatively progressive viewpoints. The call-to-arms outlined in Linchpin would resonate with such an audience, who would also be well-positioned to actually make these types of changes to their career (and lives).

3. The Interview Would be Entertaining
Both Godin and Stewart are extremely well-informed and quick on their feet. Seeing an exchange between the two of them would be great television. And I think Jon Stewart would be a big supporter of what Seth is advocating.

4. It Would Be Remarkable
An appearance by Seth Godin on The Daily Show would definitely qualify as a Purple Cow. Seth rarely, if ever, makes these types of mainstream appearances and I suspect there is a sizable overlap between the two audiences. It would also set the online world on fire, and would be mentioned on countless blogs and tweets.

Think this is a great idea? Then sign the petition. Let Seth Godin know he should continue to spread the word!

On February 1, 1960, these young black men walked into a Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, and took seats at the whites-only lunch counter. Denied service, they refused to budge and left only when the store closed at the end of the day. The next day they were back with 27 more students. Within four days, 300. And soon, 1000.

Similar sit-ins starting popping up throughout the state, then all over the South. It spread from lunch counters to buses and parks and other public places. The media started to write about it. Government officials took notice. Combined with the brave actions of others in the Civil Rights Movement, momentum continued to build. Within four years, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially put an end to segregation in public places.

One of the men, Franklin McCain, recalled:

“Fifteen seconds after … I had the most wonderful feeling. I had a feeling of liberation, restored manhood. I had a natural high. And I truly felt almost invincible. Mind you, [I was] just sitting on a dumb stool and not having asked for service yet,” McCain says.

Source: npr.org

Coming up with the idea of a sit-in wasn’t brave. Actually doing it was.

When the status quo is challenged, not just with ideas but with action, great things can happen.

“We’ll sit outside.”
This past Friday I had lunch with some friends to catch up and chat about business. We went to a restaurant in midtown Manhattan during peak lunch hours and, unsurprisingly, there was a long wait for a table inside. This particular restaurant has a large outdoor deck, but considering it was mid-October and there was a bit of a chill in the air, no one had opted to sit outside.

When the hostess told us about the wait, we asked if they could turn on the heat lamps on the deck, and if so, we would be happy to sit outside rather than wait. They agreed and as we sat down, we joked to the waitress that we would draw a crowd out on the deck.

Sure enough, by the time we were done with our meal, there were no less than 10 tables full of customers on the deck, comfortably enjoying an autumn day in New York under the heat lamps.

The Reason I’m Sharing This
What’s the point of this story? Though it’s a trivial experience, it illustrates a larger principle: there is a power in being the first to do something. Most people don’t even consider a particular path unless they know someone else chose to take it first.

As I speak with clients or aspiring entrepreneurs, it is disappointing how often I hear something to the effect of, “If this was a good idea, someone would be doing it already.” All the good ideas are definitely NOT taken. Some haven’t been thought of yet, but others have been thought of, only to languish and eventually die just because someone wasn’t willing to be first.

There are countless opportunities out there that exist simply because no one is willing to be first. If you have no problem blazing a new trail, then be the first to sit outside. You might just draw a crowd.

So why are so many people still out of work? Right now there are more than 5 unemployed workers for every job opening. CareerDiva Eve Tahmincioglu recently wrote about how, in her words, “sometimes you just can’t find a gig.” There is a lot of frustration out there and much has been written about searching for a job. The web has no shortage of career advice, covering everything from networking to crafting the perfect resume. But in this type of market, sometimes you just can’t find a job.

Are you using the same tactics as everyone else?
One of the problems could be how you are going about your job search. Regardless of how well you are doing them, chances are you’re doing the same things everyone else is. Having the best possible resume is important, so is having a great cover letter. But you are still competing with other candidates who are using the traditional cover letter and resume process to get a job.

Don’t get me wrong, all the standard pieces of advice still apply, so make sure you do them well. But they have become the new bare minimum.

In the interest of helping you stand out from the crowd, below are 4 Unconventional Ways to Get a Job.

1. Create a “Should Hire Me” Website
Building a mini-website allows you to showcase your abilities and talent in a unique way that grabs the attention of employers. This isn’t an entirely new idea, as it has been done by other job-seekers. Jamie Varon famously tried to get a job at Twitter with her website, TwitterShouldHireMe.com. The site was featured in Fortune magazine, CNN, and other media outlets. While it didn’t lead to working with Twitter, the site opened other doors for Jamie and she now runs her own consulting business. I have a similar story, having used ShouldHireMe.com websites during a job search last spring (see an example here). I was featured in the Baltimore Sun and a few blogs, all of which convinced me to start my own consulting business as well.

These types of sites are extremely cheap and easy to setup. Go to 1and1.com, buy a domain name and/or cheap hosting, and setup a basic page. If you have absolutely no HTML skills, and aren’t eager to learn, you can probably find some help at elance.com for somewhere around $50. Get clever with your domain (ie LetMeGrowYourSales.com or WhyYouNeedtoHireMe.com). Even a generic page you can share with multiple employers can have a huge impact.

2. Advertise on Facebook
Like many sites, Facebook offers Cost-Per-Click ads on their site. The big difference is that you can target people who work for a specific company. If you see a job from a specific employer, you can run an ad for their employees stating why you would make a great new hire. This works especially well in conjunction with Step 1, when you have your own site. Setup LetMeGrowYourSales.com, then run an ad with a headline such as “Let Me Grow Acme’s Sales” and some copy encouraging them to “find out how I can help your company grow.”

I did this during my job search and it received a lot of attention. The great part is that you can often reach your future boss or someone you will work with, as opposed to just an HR representative who is sorting through huge stacks of resumes. And since you are targeting such a specific group of people, each campaign will only cost a few dollars.

3. Work for Free
This tip is aimed primarily towards two groups of people: new graduates and those looking to switch careers. I’m not suggesting you offer to perform Accounts Receivable duties without getting paid, but if you have spare time and are looking to break into a new field or are just starting out, working on a project for free can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Recent graduate Charlie Hoehn used this method to start his career, and wrote a free ebook about this experience called Recession-Proof Graduate.

While the book is aimed at younger grads, there is valuable advice in there for anyone looking for work. Even if it doesn’t lead to work, at least you something to add to your resume to fill the gap in employment. I would much rather hire a candidate who is making productive use of their time off as opposed to someone who doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything.

4. Be More Interesting
That might sound a bit broad, but the idea is to take this time to make yourself a more interesting candidate (and person). Regardless of how many years of work experience you might have, it’s helpful to have some powerful talking points about why you are remarkable. Writing an ebook is a great way to demonstrate expertise and draw attention to yourself. Who knows, it could also lead to other professional opportunities. Or offer to speak somewhere or hold a free training seminar. Contact the Small Business Administration and act as an adviser in your area of expertise for entrepreneurs just starting out. Consider starting a small business scholarship program, where you will volunteer your services to a worthy company. Any of these will make you more interesting than 99% of the applicants an employer will hear from.

Much like Traditional Marketing, the Old Methods are Dying

The traditional methods of job-hunting worked well when there were an abundance of positions available. But now that they are scarce and competition for each is fierce, having a respectable cover letter and resume is no longer enough. Just as the rules of marketing have changed dramatically, so have the rules for competing for jobs. So start thinking about how you can differentiate yourself from other applicants.

It’s definitely tough out there. But by changing your job search strategy, you will dramatically increase your chances of getting back to work as soon as possible. Good Luck.

For about $70, he managed to shoot, edit and release COLIN, a full-length movie about a zombie invasion, told from the point of view of an infected zombie. COLIN created a buzz when it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival a few months ago and managed to secure a distribution deal for limited release in UK theaters. The film is also being considered for distribution in the US and Asia.

Aside from being an inspiration for other amateur filmmakers, Marc has a lot to teach everyone about executing big ideas on a small budget. He was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us.

1. How was the idea for COLIN born? Did you write the script then figure out a way to shoot it, or did you write the script based on what you could do on a small budget?

We definitely approached the story knowing what we would have available to us. Particularly actors. I knew that someone like Alastair Kirton could carry the movie on his shoulders and we’d be able to find great supporting cast members to keep each scene interesting and full of character. We also knew what locations would look suitably desolate at particular times of the day and we planned to use that to our advantage.

Lesson: Learn to work with what you have available.

2. How did you go about learning what you needed to know to make COLIN a reality (both on the movie-making side and the special effects side)? What kind of relevant skills did you have going into this project, and how much did you have to learn on the fly?

I’d been shooting and editing the film for a few months when someone gave me a copy of Robert Rodriguez’s “Rebel Without A Crew.” Whether its getting to know your camera, how you’re going to edit your shots or how you’re going to design the sound, Rodriguez insists that it’s important to know your way around the film-making process.

Only when I read that did I realize that the experience gathered working on our shorts helped us get to know what we could and could not do. Most importantly, it gave us a good idea of what can work effectively on an audience. We’d find ourselves looking at what effect we’d want a scene or moment to have on the viewer, then look at what we had available to us and find the best way to achieve that effect.

In terms of make-up we didn’t know a thing at the start of production. We didn’t know what materials we’d need or how to apply them. Luckily we had Michelle Webb who would not only handle some of our more complex make-up jobs, but she would actually show us how to apply make-up to actors and leave equipment with us for the days she wasn’t available.

Lesson: It’s important to study as many different aspects of a business as possible. But when you don’t know something, find someone who does.

3. With a budget this small, you had to convince a lot of people to work for free, both in front of and behind the camera? How did you get so many people to donate their time?

I guess most of the favors came from the actors and make-up people. I asked the make-up guys to bring their own materials and gave them the freedom to create any zombie they wanted providing we could have the specific ones we asked for. We ended up with some incredible zombies and the make-up team were very generous in showing us how to do it ourselves. I was very lucky to know a lot of actors who could bring incredible layers of depth to relatively small parts.

As for the crew I found myself taking on the majority of production roles (like many low budget film makers, I guess). But I have no practical skill at building props or weapons so my flatmate spent a lot of his time finding objects on the way home from work and adapting them into interesting effects rigs or exciting props.

I think the key is to treat everyone with a lot of respect. Ultimately when you get a bunch of people working for free on anything it always starts with them caring a great deal for the project. We just tried to even the playing field a bit so that everyone was aware of how important their role was in the film. We said “please” and “thank you” a lot and although we weren’t really feeding anyone, general courtesies such as tea and coffee were always available and people were kept busy with as little waiting around as possible.

Lesson: Look within your personal network to find people to help you out, then get them personally invested in your success. Respect their time and their effort.

4. The movie takes a new approach to the zombie genre, telling the story from the perspective of a zombie. How much do you think the novelty of this unique approach has contributed to the success of COLIN?

It’s difficult to say. The audience response to the film so far has been very positive, which is obviously far more important to us than anything else. Hopefully if an audience embraced the movie, the low budget element will work to inspire other filmmakers to make their own movies using whatever equipment they have available.

It certainly felt like we had a lot of material to explore and what I really wanted was a solid emotional core that could get under the skin. To create a character we could genuinely care for and have a vested interest in his journey.

Lesson: A gimmick or novelty can help generate initial interest, but it needs to be backed up by substance.

5. How has the fact that the movie was done on a such a small budget contributed to interest in the movie? Do you think that is one of that factors that makes the movie so unique? Would it have been as successful on a larger budget?

The “£45 ($70) zombie movie” thing is certainly a good platform to start discussing what we wanted to do with the movie in terms of story, character and especially how we managed to get it made. So I certainly don’t resent it. But I do worry that the label can get old pretty fast.

If the film would have cost a few thousand pounds or even a few hundred I doubt it would have had as much attention. I think circumstance played a large factor in that it was a relatively quiet Cannes Festival, the global economic crisis was at the forefront of everyone’s mind and our film happened to be a story that someone thought would be interesting. It kind of took off in its own small way.

Lesson: What seems like a negative, such as a bad economy, can provide unexpected opportunities. And fewer people doing things lessens your competition.

6. Making a movie on a such a small budget is a huge undertaking. What made you think you could actually pull this off? Did you go in with sort of a “let’s see if we can do this” attitude or was it more of “I know we can do this.”

I didn’t really think about it (I hope that doesn’t sound irritatingly naive). Aside from the larger action sequences the bulk of the movie was essentially me, the camcorder, Alastair Kirton as Colin and any actor along for that day or morning. When you think about it like that, knowing what locations we had available to us and how we were planning on editing everything together with the sound design. It was more a case of “this is what we’re going to do! Now let’s go an do it till it gets done!” I didn’t really ask if it was feasible, but the idea of taking our script to someone who would decide whether it was worthy enough to make into a movie didn’t really appeal to me.

Lesson: Overthinking can be destructive. Focus on the task at-hand, work to get it done, then move on to the next task.

7. What’s next for the movie COLIN? What’s next for you personally?

The plan with COLIN was always to show what we could responsibly create in order to get the next film made. But I despise the sort of film-making that would use a genre film just “to break into the industry.” Our efforts first and foremost was to try and make a film that an audience would respond to emotionally and it would be the quality of how we achieved that which would hopefully allow us to acquire a fairly modest budget. The plan for the next film is to hang onto our low-budget ethics long in order to retain control over our projects and grow as a team.

Lesson: A small-budget approach provides creative freedom and can open doors to bigger things.

Not Just For Making Zombie Movies
Hearing how Marc went about making COLIN has a lot to teach us about making things happen. Hopefully his story will inspire you to work with what you have to bring your ideas to life.

Thanks to Marc for taking the time to share his experience with us. For more information about both Marc Price and his movie COLIN, be sure to visit www.colinmovie.com

The goal of the site is to help others who want to make changes in their career by introducing them to the people who can help them along the way.

How It Came About
Making changes in your professional life can be both scary and confusing. Walking away from the perceived stability of the corporate world to work for yourself can leave you full of doubt and fear, leaving you questioning your decisions and worrying about ending up living, as Pamela Slim likes to say, in a “van down by the river.”

Sometimes it’s important to read how others have blazed this trail before you to prove that it’s A.) possible and B.) not as hard as you think. It’s also crucial to have some practical advice and step-by-step guidelines available to you when you hit a wall and aren’t sure how to make it to the other side.

Even for those who prefer to stay in the corporate world, there are probably still changes you would like to make. Whether it is creating a more flexible work schedule or navigating through office politics, chances are someone else out there has been through it before and has some words of wisdom to help you better enjoy your time at work.

The Guides On My Journey
As I’ve started down the path of self-employment this year, I have found various writers and bloggers who have helped me along the way. There are a lot of hucksters out there and so-called experts writing about entrepreneurship, lifestyle design, and career advice. But after a few months wading through a lot of poor writing, bad advice, and misguided “expertise” I have assembled an amazing group of people who share their thoughts and advice through their blogs, books, and videos. As I talk to more and more people about starting their own business, I find myself pointing them towards these same writers and sites that I read every week.

Find Your Guides
To make it easier to share these writers with others, I launched ChangeSides.com. The name comes from the idea that we all have bridges we want to cross and walls we need to climb in our lives and that these are the people who can help you take the journey and make it to the other side. The site has no ads and I have no plans to make money from ChangeSides. It was just my attempt to help people find some tour guides for their personal journey.

The website is a work-in-progress, so if you have suggestions or feedback, by all means let me know. Enjoy.

A special thanks to Aaron Foss of Alegean for his development help with this project and his overall general awesomeness.