Kicking off the Weblog

Why am I doing this?
I love technology and what it can do for people. At the same time, I am frustrated by how much technology is done for technology's sake, rather than keeping in mind the needs of the users. For example, consider how for how long cell phones came only in black, and personal computers in beige/putty, until someone realized that they were as much fashion items as tools.

My basic belief is that technology needs to align with the needs of the end user. That means applying some basic marketing principles. I will use this blog to identify good and bad examples of technology marketing, and weigh in with my point of view about them. Take it or leave it.

Accenture sponsored me to write the white paper, Creating the Digital Customer, while I worked there. In that piece I identified four basic needs that are as true today as they were in 2001:

  1. Engage the early majority (with thanks to Geoffrey Moore's book, Crossing the Chasm)

  2. Simplify the Digital Value Chain

  3. Engineer to an acceptable price point

  4. Develop "aggregator" channels


These will be my fundamental building blocks.

Wish me luck. Let me know what you think.