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CODE_n goes CeBIT: Start Socializing!

Janina Benz_March 2, 2012_9:29 AM_No Comment

Just six short months ago, the question “who has the code for the new?” turned our day-to-day work routine upside down.

Since then, we’ve been investing our blood, sweat and tears into preparing this project. In just a few days, the moment we have all been working toward will finally come: visitors to hall 16 will experience innovative power from around the world, brought together under the theme Shaping Mobile Life. For five days, everything will revolve around the 50 CODE_n finalists. They will showcase their apps, their services and their technological innovations to CeBIT visitors across 3,500 square meters of presentation space. Their innovations cover a colorful cross-section of all Web 2.0 technologies: from collaborative Web services to live consulting in online shops and a storytelling app tying stories to locations.

Our social media activities played a central role in this project. An event like CeBIT is perfect for live reporting, and that’s why we’ve prepared a few things for you!

The last few months saw us build up our social media team and diligently jump into the planning of the event. In this time, Michael and I have been receiving enthusiastic support from our Spanish colleagues, Fran and Clara.

Visiting CeBIT? Want to become actively involved?

Use the official hashtags #CODE_n and #CeBIT12, and tweet us for all it’s worth!

On Facebook, Twitter and Google+, we will shower you with live pictures of the hall, the finalists, presentations from the CODE_n Club, and, of course, the final ceremony at the Award Show.

We’ll capture CeBIT highlights and publish them here on our blog. Anyone interested in even more videos should definitely check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Start testing the new CODE_n app and get fast-track information about CeBIT and the 50 CODE_n finalists.

  

I can announce a little highlight in advance: If everything goes as planned, there may be a video competition with mia.

     

Stay tuned – and let CeBIT begin!

 

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Interview

DIRK BARANEK: “IT HAS TO WORK AND BE USABLE. ULTIMATELY, THE USERS DECIDE WHETHER IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG THING.”

Oliver Gassner_January 12, 2012_10:01 AM_No Comment

In a digital conversation with Oliver Gassner, Dirk Baranek tells us how he feels about data collection on the web, what he likes about Google+, why he would even pay for Twitter, and what many startups do better in terms of PR than established companies.

Oliver Gassner: Hello Dirk, would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Dirk Baranek: I’ve been working on the web since 1997 as an online editor for publishing houses, as a concept developer for web agencies, a PR guy, and as a traditional local reporter for the Stuttgarter Zeitung. I’ve been a freelance online journalist (DJV) since 2005. Currently, I mainly help companies realize their communication on the web operationally – for example, as an editor of the LG blog, promoter for restaurant reviews, and online communicator for the Baden-Württemberg Social Democratic Party and EnBW AG.

OG: You write a lot about new apps on iPads and other innovative things. In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that startups make in their PR?

DB: I think startups do a lot of things right that established companies get wrong. For example, they usually have blogs that report on the development of their products. I don’t know of any established company that really does that. Startups certainly can learn from traditional PR, though – especially with regard to form, and the understanding of what qualifies as a “news item”.

OG: Well, I got an email today from a startup, asking me whether I wouldn’t be interested in writing about their innovative platform on my “webblog” (sic) – only you can’t test it yet.

DB: Yeah, that’s stupid, of course. It sounds more like they’re fishing for links.

OG: Yeah.
Aside from your customers, which major company or startup has the best PR in the social web in your opinion?

DB: If I ask myself who I know – from a private perspective – I think Daimler does a lot of things really well. They are actually always present. Startups – well, Amen is not bad. The hype was huge, even though they didn’t really do anything.

OG: Personally, I don’t use Amen or get invitations to it, and I otherwise hardly ever read anything about it in blogs. With regard to Daimler: I thought the Zetzsche video for the launch of the Daimler G+ page was really cool. It may have been somewhat scripted had a lot of pitching, but it looked like it was shot from the hip, with background noise. But that’s totally wrong for such a quality-oriented company, isn’t it?

DB: On the topic of quality, for videos to work on the web, they need to be authentic. Nobody wants to watch polished agency stuff, unless it’s a really good gag, or elaborate or innovative. Users want to see real people on the web. They sometimes trip over their own tongues or hesitate, or the camera is a bit shaky, etc.

OG: The Daimler thing couldn’t have been realized that quickly through an agency. So, it’s quick and dirty or not at all. I think it’s probably the same for both of us: we come across new things on the web every day and ask ourselves, is that the new Twitter, or even the new Facebook? How can you tell that there’s more to a startup?

DB: In my opinion, you can’t. It has to work and be usable. Ultimately, the users decide whether it’s going to be a big thing. In the end, it’s a matter of mass: if nobody goes there, it fails. That’s why it’s extremely important at the beginning to address the right people personally.

OG: I also think it’s important that founders get to know their audiences. So, you can’t tell that something is going to be a success until it’s a success?

DB: I can’t think of any criteria otherwise. It’s all very random, arbitrary, and unpredictable. Maybe it should be shareable, but then which platform isn’t?

OG: Which new “thing” changed your mobile or web habits the most over the past 12 months?

DB: Well, I’ve added G+. I’m fairly active there, using it as a private blog for lack of another. Otherwise, there wasn’t really anything. Everything else is already older.

OG: And Twitter is what you use most, isn’t it?

DB: Yes, Twitter is still fantastic. I’m also on FB a lot, admittedly mostly for customers.

OG: What’s your take on what Twitter has been doing recently? I have the impression that now that Facebook has stolen all of Twitter’s good ideas, Twitter is “Facebookizing” itself.

DB: What exactly do you mean?

OG: The notifications tab, the fact that retweets are in my stream, the fact that anyone with a credit card can now book sponsored tweets.

DB: I always run the Twitter client and don’t see much of what they’re doing in the web application. Sure, they need to make money too, and I don’t have a problem with that. When such services are free, you can’t expect them to also be free of advertising. I would pay for Twitter, though. €5.00 per month – that would be ok. I also pay for Flickr, after all.

OG: If you were on the jury of a startup contest, what would you look for in a company to put it at the top of your list?

DB: Is it clear what the company is about? Do they avoid collecting data? Are the graphics a thing of beauty? Do they have a clever idea? Does the idea have the potential to earn money? (Anyone can burn through money…)

OG: Can web apps work at all without collecting data?

DB: That’s just what I mean: if a service works only when data is collected and sold – I assume anonymously, of course, but nevertheless – then I consider it flawed. The service should be designed so that users would pay for a perceived added value.

OG: I don’t know about you, but if I chose the paid option for every service I subscribe to, I’d probably be broke. Not everyone can last five years without cash flow, like Twitter. Is there such a thing as the ideal financing model for startups?

DB: I don’t see an ideal model. In my opinion, there are only two feasible ones: advertising and premium services.

OG: And people only click on ads if they’re targeted, and to target them, you have to collect data ;) – it’s a vicious circle.
The prize for winning the CODE_n Global Innovation Contest is the opportunity to exhibit at CeBIT in a special CODE_n hall. If one of the winners were to book you as a PR expert, what would you do to generate buzz and ensure that journalists storm their booth?

DB: Depends on the topic, to be honest. At any rate, it’s essential to get things out of the digital space and into reality. In this era of electronic communication, real paper mail has taken on a completely different impact. Something could be done with that, I think. And the trick would be in getting it to refer back to the digital domain.

OG: How about dressing everyone up as Men in Black, Jedi, or storm troopers? Just a couple of ideas off the top of my head ;)

DB: Depends on how it fits to the product. It would be OK for games, but probably not for business networking ;)

OG: Oh, so like “Use the Force, Luke. Business Network ABC.” Actually, I have the impression that postal marketing would only work on handmade paper. Anything else goes straight into my bin. Do you open advertising mail?

DB: It depends. Personal letters, yes. And wooden crates, definitely! (I recently received one from a major manufacturer of alcoholic beverages.)

OG: And finally, a question about your personal preferences: iOS or Android, Google+ or Facebook? (In other words, not what you need to use because of your customers, but what feels cooler or objectively has a brighter future.)

DB: iOS and G+ for me personally. For customers: both systems and FB. Android is too frayed for my tastes and doesn’t fit to my hardware.

OG: When will G+ match or overtake FB in marketing?

DB: Hm, could be that it will never happen. G+ has an influence on Google Search, however. That will make it interesting for many companies. In doing so, Google has to be careful not to give up its neutrality.

OG: Thanks for the interview ;)

DB: OK, you’re welcome.

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Interview

HEIKE SCHOLZ: “I SEE TOO MANY THINGS BEING IMPLEMENTED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE.”

Oliver Gassner_January 4, 2012_9:26 AM_No Comment

Mobilista, blogger and business angel Heike Scholz talked to us about the future of BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, about Jason Calacanis, what the new toughness in patent battles means for startups, and in which kind of startup she would invest.

Oliver Gassner: Hello Heike, would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Heike Scholz: I’m a consultant, blogger, speaker, and business angel, and I’m sure I have a couple of other roles that don’t have such clear labels. At any rate, I’ve been in the mobile business for the past six years.

OG: Was the degree of “mobilization” that we have today imaginable 6 years ago?

HS: Yes, absolutely. I had actually expected it much sooner.

OG: Are we lagging behind Japan and the United States? Or who is leading the way in “SoLoMo” (social, local, mobile)? South Korea?

HS: Asia is certainly ahead of us with its passion for innovation and speed. Specifically, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and in some areas, Indonesia and Thailand, to name a few countries. The U.S. was far behind us for a long time, but they’ve caught up so dramatically in the past five years that they’ve overtaken us with ease. European countries like Britain, Spain and some Scandinavian countries are also ahead of us.

OG: We’re currently witnessing a battle between Android and iOS. Do we still have to give any thought to Windows Mobile and Blackberry? And will Android eventually crush iOS?

HS: Windows Mobile, definitely. The behemoths Nokia and Microsoft have enough resources to keep up the pace. And the Lumia 800 shows that Nokia should not be underestimated.
BB is a different story, however. Things are looking bad – the decline, especially in the States, has been massive. BB is still holding its own in Asia, but it’s uncertain what’s going to become of them. Android is already the leading OS and will remain so in future, no doubt about that. Apple has always been a premium niche provider, and it remains to be seen whether Apple will return to focusing on that role, or whether they also want to be present in the mid-price segment. In the overall perspective, in terms of sales figures, iOS and other operating systems will not have a chance against Android for a while.

OG: Is it conceivable that a new player could show up and reshuffle the market? PalmOS blew it – but why? On the face of it, the Pre was a cool little machine.

HS: Almost anything is conceivable in this highly dynamic market, including the appearance of a new player who could play a relevant role. Palm failed because of two things: It did not sell enough devices to achieve critical mass, and it did not succeed in establishing an ecosystem of apps and services associated with them. Developers were looking forward to PalmOS, but they need to be given a reason to develop for a platform. And that reason is always associated with good monetization. Palm didn’t create that opportunity.

OG: Let me toss the word “patents” in the ring. Aren’t they a massive risk in the mobile market? Currently, things still revolve primarily around hardware, but at some point software will also be affected. Things will then get hard for startups, won’t they?

HS: Patent disputes per se are not new in the mobile market – we’ve always had them. The conflicts have become tougher as the amount of money to be distributed has grown. The mobile sector is receiving greater attention, also in the media that are now reporting on it, something they haven’t done in recent years. And there’s another aspect: manufacturers, currently above all Apple, are trying to prevent the sale of certain devices to protect their market position. This is new in this form in the mobile market, and it now extends to design parameters – see Samsung vs. Apple. I’m sure this will also happen with software, but in my opinion it won’t hinder the market significantly. Things never become easier for startups as the market develops, and as things stand today, every startup should program “cleanly”. Lawyers definitely will not be out of work in the mobile market in future.

OG: What’s the web or mobile app that changed your life or work the most over the past twelve months?

HS: Google+ has had by far the most influence on my work as a blogger. The Android app was very good from the outset, and I immediately used it a lot.

OG: And what’s the secret, what’s going to take off? Path is experiencing a mini-buzz at the moment. Can it take on Facebook, G+ and Twitter?

HS: I have to admit that I haven’t had a look at Path yet, so I can’t really say anything about it. What’s going to take off? I think that’s a question that we geeks always ask ourselves. I’m pleased that mobile is becoming a mass market, and I currently don’t see any new killer apps on the horizon. But as I said above, I don’t know everything ;)

OG: When you invest in a startup as an angel, what are you looking for? What you have to see to make you get up and go – or do it right away if you could?

HS: I’m no different than other business angels in that respect: I look for a well-considered concept with a clear market focus, a motivated and qualified team, and a business model. If I’m convinced that a market exists that can be successfully developed in the given constellation, then the startup has my attention.

OG: And what makes you shake your head? Are there no-goes, even if everything you just mentioned is in place?

HS: Not really, but my demands regarding the concept and market orientation are high. I see too many things being implemented simply because they are technically feasible. They often solve problems that don’t exist for users.
OK, there is a no-go. And that’s the occasional VC with whom I haven’t had good experiences. There is often a great deal of ignorance that tends to hurt more than the VC’s money can help.

OG: Do you have any anecdotes of the “surprises” you can encounter as an angel?

HS: There’s a recurring situation that probably every startup seeking an investor has experienced. You give a presentation. You talk for a very long time, countering potential objections, and trying to do everything right. After several hours, you’re happy that the end of the meeting is in sight and that everything went well. Then someone on the other side of the table asks one final question that sends you straight back to square one without collecting 4,000 euros – a question that shows that they didn’t understand a single thing you said. It’s a classic situation, and we’ve all been there.

OG: What do you think of Jason Calacanis? Is he just a loudmouthed egomaniac with good luck, or a “somewhat extroverted character” who really knows what he’s doing?

HS: A would say a bit of everything. In any case, we can’t say he hasn’t been successful. And success is always right.

OG: Well, he really turned Mahalo around in a big way – we’ll see what becomes of it. What do startups really need from the outside – connections, good advice, money?

HS: Depending on how they are positioned and equipped, it can vary. But contacts, tips, money, and above all, internationalization expertise are invaluable for startups.

OG: The CODE_n finalists will be winning exhibition space at CeBIT. What’s your tip for a startup that wants to make the most of that opportunity?

HS: You should look at CeBIT as a fair for establishing contacts. Having a great booth or a mega-colorful presentation is secondary. The most important thing at CeBIT has always been to make appointments in advance and work through them at the fair. Hardly any IT trade fair offers better opportunities for this. But without a detailed plan before the fair starts, you’re pretty much alone at CeBIT as a startup.

OG: If you could nominate one (mobile) startup in Germany, Austria or Switzerland (one that you do NOT hold a stake in or serve as a consultant) for us to interview, who would it be and why?

HS: I would interview myTaxi. They have already attracted quite a bit of attention and have good investors, enabling them to expand. But what makes myTaxi exciting in my eyes is the fact that their mobile service is shaking up an entire industry. You could see it recently when they launched in Austria, and taxi dispatchers put massive pressure on drivers to keep them from working with myTaxi. I find the disruptive potential of mobile solutions fascinating, time and again.

OG: And now a bit of vision. In the CODE_n blog contest, someone had the idea of nanobots controlled by our brain waves that live on our skin and can even send messages. When will this be a reality? 2022, 2042, 2142 or never?

HS: A tough question. When I look at the speed of development in the high-tech sector, I’m tempted to say 2022. Ten years is a long time in these incredibly innovative industries. But it will probably be more like 2042.

OG: We’ll talk again then, maybe via brain wave Skype. Thanks for the interview and your time.

HS: We won’t need Skype then ;) You’re welcome, I enjoyed it.

 

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Interview

OSSI URCHS: “IN THE CASE OF GOOGLE, IT ALSO TOOK A FEW YEARS BEFORE THE BUSINESS MODEL IT SHAPED WAS TRULY UNDERSTOOD.”

Oliver Gassner_December 20, 2011_10:06 AM_No Comment

The “Godfather of the Internet”, Ossi Urchs, spoke to us about the post-Facebook era, the end of Europe’s innovation-skeptic “citadel culture”, and why he believes that services like Foursquare are only just getting started.

Oliver Gassner: Hello Ossi, would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Ossi Urchs: Ossi Urchs, Internet consultant since 1994, now with a focus on social media and mobile Internet.

OG: Recently you’ve blogged a few impressions of yourself as a young man, and it was apparent that your roots are in TV. How do you see the topic of TV these days?

OU: Fairly indifferently. When I discovered the web for myself in the early 90s, TV suddenly struck me as so old-school – a typical one-way medium – and I decided to focus my future work on the web, the new medium.

OG: Which web application, website or mobile app has influenced or changed your life the most in the past twelve months?

OU: That’s quite a question. Initially – before the web – it was e-mail. Then the web itself, then Google, Skype, Facebook, and the other “social” media on the web, especially YouTube. And that’s just the start. I’m convinced that the best is yet to come. If I take some time to think about it, I’m sure more examples will occur to me…

OG: And in the past twelve months? Was there a new Twitter? G+ is the Twitter/Facebook killer?

OU: I see G+ as one more step in the convergence of social media on the web with the social reality of everyday life. In a word: promising. But since it’s less a technological achievement than a change in communication culture, others can integrate such advances rapidly, and that goes a long way toward putting the advantage of G+ back into perspective.

OG: Don’t you think that Facebook’s changes tend to clutter the screen and irritate users? That’s how I see it, in any case.

OU: Not really. I love the new lists and the differentiated streams in which I’ve organized my “friends”. The design of user interface isn’t going to appeal to everyone (as with most American offerings). But that’s actually how it always goes: at first, users don’t like the new features at all, but everyone gets used to them quickly and no one says anything.

OG: How does a good idea differ from a true innovation?

OU: Its practical implementation and broad use.

OG: Can there be innovation without someone making money off of it? Or does one go hand-in-hand with the other?

OU: Unfortunately, it’s often the case that the real innovators earn the least from their work – at least in this country. The situation is quite different in the United States.

OG: Why is it that most internationally successful web and mobile applications currently come from the U.S. – and very few from Europe?

OU: Lol. Precisely because the United States has a culture of innovation, which is not surprising in a  country with a history of pioneering. By contrast, innovation is mostly seen as a threat to the established order in the “Fortress Europe”.

OG: Schumpeter explained that innovation always destroys something – and Europe apparently has not gotten used to that. So Germany is hostile to innovation – that’s something I’ve been hearing frequently in the last few weeks. How can we overcome that?

OU: Schumpeter never really gained traction here with his idea of ​​”creative destruction”. And that has its reasons – those just mentioned, and some that go further. I think that the “citadel culture” in Europe and Germany in particular will, or must, change as globalization progresses. If not, globalization will descend upon us like a storm…

OG: How will the mobility of the future differ from ours today?

OU: Essentially, in the degree of virtualization. While our mobility today is still largely physical, we will be relying on digital communication to a much greater degree in future.

OG: Have you forecast any developments in the past that then occurred just the way you predicted them?

OU: I think so. Back in the 90s, I was already arguing that the Internet was going to change the entire way we live, work, learn, and entertain ourselves from the ground up. And I think that’s exactly what has happened.

OG: Would you care to predict what the net’s next big thing will be?

OU: The combination of social media and mobility. Not only is it going to once again fundamentally change the way we live and work, it will also lead to a kind of convergence of the physical and digital world that we can only begin to anticipate and understand.

OG: Are you thinking of a particular service? Foursquare hasn’t really taken off yet, nor has Latitude.

OU: That’s because like their customers, they themselves have not yet understood the actual underlying business model: the wealth of combinatorics that arise between information and sales, between online and offline business, if you like. But I’m quite confident: in the case of Google, it also took a few years before the business model it shaped was truly understood. And that was not only true for the customers, but above all to the makers themselves.

OG: The 50 startups that make it into the finals of the CODE_n Global Innovation Contest will have the opportunity to present their companies in the CODE_n hall at CeBIT 2012. What kind of idea or business model do you think will attract the greatest attention there?

OU: At the moment I see the best opportunities for concepts based on the three pillars of web communication, “SoMoLo” – in other words, mobilizing social communication and enriching it with local information.

OG: What advice would you give to startups to get noticed at CeBIT?

OU: Offer special food and beverages (as opposed to the horrible trade fair catering). Create a peaceful oasis. And if all else fails, throw a booth party. And to stay on-topic, have a hands-on version of your product at the booth that visitors can test.

OG: Can you even still remember what life was like without a phone and the Internet in our pockets? Has life become better? Simpler? Or more complicated?

OU: I can remember it very well, especially in situations in which I’m thrown back into that way of life – and I am capable of enjoying it. That’s assuming an end is in sight (when on vacation, for example). Overall, life has become more complex in this regard, and at the same time also more convenient.

OG: And finally, two personal questions: iOS or Android? Facebook or Google+? And why?

OU: IOS, because I’m a confirmed Mac user – but mainly because it just works effortlessly. Steve understood that. And as for FB and G+: I use both, generally for different purposes.

OG: Thanks for the interview ;)

OU: My pleasure ;)

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Interview

BILL LIAO: “In Europe it’s not OK to fail so people end up not taking enough chances to explore new territory.”

Oliver Gassner_October 21, 2011_8:18 AM_No Comment

XING Co-Founder Bill Liao chatted with us about Steve Jobs, Coder Dojo, and why he sticks to his waterproof Samsung mobile phone.

OG: Hi Bill, would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Bill Liao: Hi Oliver and Hello dear readers :) Bill Liao is my name and among several things I am variously known as an entrepreneur, diplomat and author.

OG: Can you detail the entrepreneur part a little for us?

BL: Well I first became an entrepreneur at the age of 27 when I quit my day job and founded my own company teaching engineers how to sell. I then went on to become part of the team that took Davenet Limited public in Australia and have been part of 7 IPO’s total. The most recent was XING AG where I was Co-Founder alongside the Founder Lars Hinrichs in Hamburg. I am also a great believer in lean startups and have written a book on the subject called “Stone Soup – the secret recipe for making something from nothing”.

OG: What is the web or mobile innovation of the past year? What changed your personal life most?

BL: I think that the most striking innovation is a recent one where Apple has chosen to integrate Twitter into iOS5. This is the first time a social network has been integrated into an operating system. Knowing that this was coming I redoubled my Twitter efforts. At SOSventures we also invested in Storyful.com. I also created a conduit for my Google Plus content to be rebroadcast on Twitter. Storyful is an interesting innovation because it finds stories on Twitter then helps human journalists to curate and verify those stories.

OG: Is Twitter here to stay or will it eventually go the way of Altavista andMyspace?

BL: I really like Twitter and so I hope that it stays and I use it every day. I no longer use facebook every day nor Linked in nor even XING but I use gmail, g+and Twitter every day. Twitter is much faster than all the other news streams because the messages are so short. I just hope they start to deal with all the spam.

OG: Why did XING fail to make the jump to a global scale? Was it good to concentrate on DACH at some point?

BL: XING always needed to serve its core users best and the core is Germany. The problem with the early days of XING was that it was very hard to get the balance between serving members and also existing in an eco system where many corporate partners wanted to have a white label copy of XING. We were distracted by that and that meant we did not internationalize fast enough although we did do well in some other countries than DACH.

OG: Was Steve Jobs an innovator, a genius or just posessed?

BL: On the couple of occasions I met Steve he occured as pretty brusque and he had a posse of very smart people with him. I think Steve inspired devotion amongst those he worked most closely with, especially talented people like Andrew Ives and he kept these people close him, it seems. He was very good at spotting a technology somewhere and applying it to an existing problem he was trying to solve. Also he had very high standards yet a resolute eye on keeping costs down I think from Apple’s first near death experience. So very smart but not posessed.

OG: So Jobs is no role model for managers? He made his money on the back of very talented people? Or is it possible to be human and have high standards at the same time?

BL: Hey that’s a bit unfair. A great manager gains the greatest potential from the team he works with, and I am sure Steve did exactly that. Also he made far less money than the aggregate Apple shareholders most of whom are pension funds the beneficiaries of which are very happy to any return these days. I think to have high standards is a great expression of human integrity.

OG: What is the difference between a good idea and an innovation? And how do you make money from an innovation?

BL: Ideas are worthless good or otherwise invention, creativity and innovation are only worthless ideas to begin with. They need a story and they need execution to become valuable. Most of the time this involves a lot of trial and error. You make more money therefore by iteration than innovation. Just as lone heroes only win in the movies lone ideas only win in fiction as well. Innovation and inspiration someone told me are also inversely proportional to formality. I do wish Steve had iterated the ipad keyboard more though :)

OG: I understand “execution” (and I think: “iteration”, too) – can you put a little detail in the “story” part? Maybe using XING, the iPhone or Facebook as an example?

BL: A story has three parts – Crisis, Struggle, Resolution. And the best stories have a counter intuitive component. Some surprise. The pain that Steve saw was that mobile devices were fiddly to use and he knew that he could make a device that was cleaner and friendlier. The struggle was in back rooms at Apple for years to come up with the right combination for a minimum viable product to test on the market for real in a very crowded industry. The resolution was the sheer surprise and delight of using the iPhone for the first time. It was breathtaking how different and yet how intuitive it was. The iPhone brand still carries all of the story in its DNA and the surprise that a computer company could make a great mobile device still has not been beaten. The iPad is also a similar story which most people do get. The iPad’s most valuable feature is its day long battery life and yet the competitors do not see that because they focus on the wrong parts of the story.

OG: How come most online and mobile innovation seems to come from the US? Is Europe just a (talented?) copycat?

BL: I am convinced that it is because failure is far more celebrated in the US. In Europe it’s just not OK to fail so people end up not taking enough chances to explore new territory. Steve had some notable failures that would have gotten him fired many times in Europe. So Europe tends to try to refine what someone else creates. The problem is that it’s much much harder to copy something that someone else has spent a decade innovating behind closed doors because you don’t have the deep understanding of the complexity that underpins the simplicity.

OG: Well, Jobs was in fact once fired from Apple ;) – Would you dare to predict the next big thing on the web. Or easier: What should people invest in?

BL: Jobs was fired but by a CEO who came in late with big corporate ideas from a totally non innovative industry. In Europe Jobs would have been fired probably every month… Buy Apple stock it’s still cheap from any perspective. :)

Still looking to the future mobile, local, social, useful, fun are all the elements of inevitable things going forward. Investable stuff is that which an endure by the way as it’s even harder to predict what you might quickly make a buck on. So it’s best to hang in there because what the company is doing is going to be sustained.

OG: OK, let’s say: the next NEW big thing on the web or in mobile would be…? A social-local-mobile gamified something?

BL: What has mobile technology not yet solved for you? That’s the place to look. What little daily pain has not yet been catered for? I think the way we learn has huge potential. Look at www.coderdojo.com. It’s a new way to learn how to program computers and its free. No it’s not for investment of money and yet as a parent it may be a great way to invest time with your children if they are bright and inclined to learn logic.

OG: Thanks, I’ll check it out with my 11-year-old.Finally two questions about religion: iOS or Android (you partly answered this already as you seem to do this chat interview on an iPad) — Google+ or Facebook? And why?

BL: Android drives me nuts so I have an iPad but I do not have an iPhone. I have an old waterproof Samsung mobile phone because I like the long battery life.

I think Google+ is really well thought through and Facebook I find very tiring to use. So Google+ is my preference combined with Twitter.

OG: Thanks a lot and let’s hope Twitter survives in the Facebook-G+-Wars.

BL: Well, the wars are not between Facebook and g+ plus by the way. The war is being fought in the cloud. Amazon vs Apple vs Google vs Microsoft – they are the only players. Facebook is connected to Microsoft and Twitter to Apple. Will Twapple beat Amazon or Macebook who knows and its fun to watch. Amazon’s silk browser is the only real threat I see to the iPad. Stay tuned :)

OG: Actually silk made me think about getting some *pad, too. We will watch along with you. Thanks ;)

BL: Thanks :)

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