Monday, January 16, 2012

Week in review: Social Networking Bubble - Value of User Experience - Winston Churchill leadership lessons

Are We in a Social Networking Bubble? 
Coming back from the Bay Area, I can attest IT is on a roll again. The front stage vendors have changed and the topics making a lot of buzz are Big Data with Hadoop, Cloud Computing and PaaS with a heating battle accelerating, Mobility with a head to head competition between Apple and Google Android and of course social networking with a search for talents and executives move (100k+ job posts in the Bay Area).

All of this could make one think that we are living through a new bubble, thus I found this analysis pretty thoughtful and interesting.
Additionally, here are some recent data about VC's investment in the US: Venture capital investing hits 10-year peak, sparking bubble talk.

Volume is not enough, User Experience is key: Android's Market Share Collapses As Apple Surges Thanks To The iPhone 4S
I am a big believer in the importance of UI for user adoption and as the main User Experience differentiator. User Experience, as I did state many times, is nowadays critical to stand out in crowded world. Any business not giving some thoughts on this is exposing itself to tough competition. Apple vs. Android is a very good example of how User Experience makes a difference in a very competitive market that saw key leaders like RIM Blackberry and Nokia decline, attesting to it.

Winston Churchill's Leadership Lessons
Let's close with some lessons learned from Winston Churchill leadership, though this ebook is not that great ;-)

  • Seize the day,
  • Never hesitate to occupy the limelight
  • Do the necessary
  • Learn to be eloquent - but don’t get carried away by your own words
  • Stick to your guns - but know when to compromise

Have a great week.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Happy New Year, Heart and Intuition

Happy New Year to you all, may it bring you courage to follow your heart and intuition
Emmanuel