My Junto http://myjunto.com Most recent posts at My Junto posterous.com Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:04:45 -0700 How to Choke and Still Win. http://myjunto.com/how-to-choke-and-still-win http://myjunto.com/how-to-choke-and-still-win

Last week WatchParty competed in Distilled Intelligence 1.0, a major new event showcasing startups in the DC area. For me, this was a major event because the organizers at Fortify.vc were actually giving away cash to the winners, and I like cash. A lot.

I was the very first person to apply to be one of the presenting companies. Weeks before I had been told whether WatchParty was accepted, I began asking everyone I knew what I should include and exclude from my pitches. As soon as I knew the format, I began developing a 60-second elevator pitch and a three-minute presentation.

I practiced my presentations in front a a half dozen people, getting feedback and revising my pitches until they were as good as I could get them. Then I practiced, practiced, practiced. I was in it to win it.

On the big day I felt good, kept practicing, and was ready to go. When my time came, I grabbed that mike and launched into my minute-long pitch like I'd been doing it my whole life. I was nailing it.

And then I choked.

My mind went blank. I couldn't think of what I was supposed to say, why I was there, what I needed to do.

I stuttered and stammered, and watched the seconds tick away until the moderator called "time" and and crawled back to my seat.

All I could think about was how I'd blown my big chance. I felt lower than I've ever felt – I let myself down, let me team down, and let the event organizers down. I humiliated myself in front of some of the most important investors in the DC area.

As I left the room, everyone told me how it was going to be all right, how I'd done great, and that I shouldn't worry about it. I went to the parking garage and contemplated shutting WatchParty down and just giving up. I was literally on the verge of tears, hating myself and feeling stupid for every having thought I could succeed. Pulling ut my hair, tearing my clothes, and general self-flagellation.

Then, suddenly, I stopped.

One thought crystalized in my head, and everything became perfectly clear – what I'd done, why I'd done it, and why I was going to keep on doing it. That thought was, to be very blunt,

"Fuck it."

Ferris-bueller

There is no way in hell I am going to let 18 months of my life and everything I have accomplished be defined by one 60-second pitch. Like my friend Pat said, "This is a story you get to tell when you're rich and famous." Hell yes.

So, even though I choked, I win. I came out of it better and stronger, and fully committed to what I'm doing.

After this revelation, I went back upstairs and thoroughly enjoyed myself for the rest of the day. And I haven't stopped smiling since.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Mon, 12 Sep 2011 05:37:00 -0700 Star Trek Rocks http://myjunto.com/star-trek-rocks http://myjunto.com/star-trek-rocks

A month or so ago, I started watching every episode of the original Star Trek series with my 10-year old  daughter. She loves it. I just spent 30 minutes going through this infographic with her, and she's so excited to see all the Star Trek stuff she didn't even know about. Father-daughter nerd bonding is awesome.

I've got to get her fully prepared in time for Rod Roddenberry's new documentary about the franchise, premiering on Science in November.

The entire history of Star Trek is in this SPACE.com timeline infographic.
Source: SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:00:00 -0700 Stupid things smart people say. http://myjunto.com/if-you-say-this-i-will-hurt-you http://myjunto.com/if-you-say-this-i-will-hurt-you

I'm starting a list of phrases I hear smart people use quite often that annoy me. My reason for doing this is to help ensure I never use these phrases, and to warn those of you I love and respect that I will not hesitate to verbally abuse you should you use any of these in conversation with me, or on my Facebook page, or anywhere else.

Stfu

"X" is the new "Y"

If you've ever wondered why true innovation is so very rare, look no further. Certain people's need to define every old thing by announcing it is being replaced by some new thing is a pretty good indication that they can't actually imagine anything new, or think of any interesting way to talk about something new themselves.

Just sayin'

If you have something to say, say it and move on. Do not waste my time with inane redundency. Do not attempt to appear hip or cool by announcing that you have just made a statement. If you do, you are an asswipe.

Facebook/Twitter/Google+ already does that.

Oh, I see. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter the Internet has nothing more to offer. Nobady could ever do anything better than Facebook, Twitter or Google, so we should all pack up and go home. Thanks for being so visionary as to save me precious time I might have wasted on innovation. Douchba

It's like "X" for "Y"!

This is a Hollywood thing that VCs and other investors have co-opted to make them seem more cool when talking to entrepreneurs. I get the purpose: To simply and quickly express the concept of what you're doing. It's a noble purpose, but really it's just a cop-out. It's a way for Hollywood execs and Silicon Valley bigwigs to say "I'm too important to listen to you, so you must win me over in a single sentence." The problem is, nothing that's truly innovative can effectively be plugged into this formula. How would you describe the original Star Trek series using this silliness? What would you say about the MacIntosh computer? "It's like a computer for humans!" Wow.

The "like 'X' for 'Y'" thing is harder for me to ignore, because the important people truly expect this so I kind of have to play along when I'm talking about WatchParty or other ideas. But ask yourself this: Are the truly great Hollywood movies great because they fit this mold, of because they don't? The Godfather, Star Wars, Jaws, Forrest Gump, hell, even Ferris Beuller's Day Off are great films in part because they were unlike anything else that had come before. The point is, formulae stifle innovation.

Seriously_stfu_female_-thumb

I'll probably keep adding to this list, but this is a nice start. Feel free to email me if you have any to add.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Sat, 27 Aug 2011 05:11:00 -0700 A quick side project. http://myjunto.com/i-quick-side-project http://myjunto.com/i-quick-side-project

I set up a Posterous site where anyone can post stories, links, images, audio and video related to Hurrican Irene. It's at http://IreneStories.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:29:19 -0700 How did they find my parents' living room???? http://myjunto.com/how-did-they-find-my-parents-living-room http://myjunto.com/how-did-they-find-my-parents-living-room
Media_httpimagesinsta_jexad

Taken at Sidebar Grille

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:39:04 -0700 My friends at Expo TV! http://myjunto.com/my-friends-at-expo-tv http://myjunto.com/my-friends-at-expo-tv Many thanks to all my friends at ExpoTV, who are letting me squat at their offices in NYC today. Great people, and a great space! Every office should have a parrot.

Photo_3 Photo_2 Photo Photo_1
See the full gallery on Posterous

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Fri, 27 May 2011 11:32:00 -0700 The Rise of Social Settings http://myjunto.com/the-rise-of-social-settings http://myjunto.com/the-rise-of-social-settings

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Last fall I wrote a post about what I called "Micro-networks". I've been doing a lot of thinking about the evolution of online communities since then, and this post is an updated revision of the idea.

The next significant evolution in the way communities form online is well under way, and it's clear that the focus is on settings: social behavior based not on an ever-growing social graph, but on shared interests and actions at a certain moment in time. (Jason Schwartz calls this the rise of a "social circle" era, but I prefer to talk about "social settings". But I'm not arguing semantics here.)

A "social setting" is any website or app that connects you to other people because you are all doing the same thing right now, in the same place. Yobongo, WatchParty, Planely, ASpaceApart, Hurricane Party, Color, Path and Matchbook are all examples. (Please email me if you'd like to add others to the list.)

Coffeephone

There are several reasons why social settings are becoming more prominent. One major reason is social network fatigue. People have begun to recognize that many of the "updates" they receive are valueless, and that the larger their social graph becomes the less value they get from it. That doesn't mean Facebook and Twitter are doomed - they will most likely continue to dominate online social connectivity, but there's no doubt that people are looking for ways to connect socially in spontaneous ways that don't require permanent friending or following.

Another reason social settings are on the rise is the advancing capablilty of mobile technology. Being online is no longer antithetical to being outside, now that smartphones and tablets have eliminated the boundaries between your actual, physical setting (a coffee shop, concert, or neighborhood) and the virtual world of social connections (Facebook and Twitter). Where you are and what you're doing right now need never be separate from your online life.

This change in online communities has profound implications for businesses and consumers. They make it possible, for example, for the neighborhood coffee shop to offer specials to customers when the customers are in the immediate area or even in the shop, with the potential to turn a $5 purchase into a $10 purchase every time a customer walks in the door. Consumers, on the other hand, will have many more choices offered to them. Just as online content is served based on a user's clicks, mobile content can be served based on a where a person is and what he or she is doing.

I predict that over the next 12-24 months we'll be hearing a great deal more about social settings (or social circles), but that may be self-fulfilling. I'm moderating a panel on the subject at TechWeek in Chicago this July, and will be posting more on this topic over the next several weeks.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Thu, 19 May 2011 06:00:00 -0700 Dos And Don'ts For Promoting Your Personal Brand : Marketing :: American Express OPEN Forum http://myjunto.com/dos-and-donts-for-promoting-your-personal-bra http://myjunto.com/dos-and-donts-for-promoting-your-personal-bra
Media_httpwwwopenforu_fsbxz
via openforum.com

We all have personal brands, our public image that anyone online can discover within a few minutes and everyone we meet discovers shortly after we meet them.

Properly promoting your brand can open doors, but shameless self-promotion can damage your public image. You can get started promoting your brand right by following a few simple dos and don’ts while you study your industry, network with other businesspeople and explore other resources.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:20:00 -0700 The Next Six Weeks. http://myjunto.com/the-next-six-weeks http://myjunto.com/the-next-six-weeks

This morning as I was chugging coffee and crossing items off of my to-do list, constantly pushing my startup forward, when I found myself repeating the phrase "the next six weeks will be critical" each time I finished some small task. My initial reaction was, "Oh hell yes they will! I've really got to work hard and pay attention!"

Then it occured to me that there hasn't really been any time in the last year that I've haven't considered the next six weeks to be critical. In fact, it's highly likely that no matter what actually happens in the next six weeks, the six weeks after that will be critical. And the six weeks after that. And so on.

In reality "six weeks" is an arbitrary time period. I could just as easily say "four weeks" or "eight weeks" and still be pretty accurate in terms of how critical they will be. But for some reason my brain chose to focus on six weeks.

I'm taking it as a hint. From now on, I'm going to try to build planning and timelines in six-week intervals. That way, when I find myself thinking how critical the next six weeks will be, I will at least know what exactly is supposed to happen during those weeks, and what I should be thinking out instead.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:24:07 -0700 Afternoon at Fenway http://myjunto.com/afternoon-at-fenway http://myjunto.com/afternoon-at-fenway
Photo

Gorgeous afternoon to see the Yankees beat the Red Sox opening weekend
in Boston.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:35:00 -0700 WatchParty uses social media to connect television viewers over the Internet - The Washington Post http://myjunto.com/watchparty-uses-social-media-to-connect-telev http://myjunto.com/watchparty-uses-social-media-to-connect-telev

Basketball fans caught up in March Madness this past month know as well as anyone that watching television, whether alone at home or in a crowded bar, is almost never a passive pursuit.

The fact that there may not be anyone within earshot rarely stops viewers from leaping off the couch, berating the television set or declaring what a player, character or screenwriter should have done differently.

That concept drove Takoma Park entrepreneur Richard Fawal to conceive WatchParty, a Web site with chat rooms for fans of a particular television program to convene as the show happens. They can swap 140-character reactions, create opinion polls and rate their satisfaction with the day’s episode.

WatchParty sits at the nexus of several emerging technology trends. The line between television and the Internet has begun to blur as providers stream shows online. Social media have also become communication channels for millions, particularly as smartphones untether people from desktop computers.

The big question is what new company will emerge to capi­tal­ize on these developments.

“When you come up with one of these ideas, you know the way it starts is not how it ends up,” said co-founder Jake Kouns. “You try to figure out what do people want, what do we want, and how do you match the technology.”

The idea for WatchParty struck Fawal last March while watching an episode of the science mystery show “MythBusters” on the Discovery Channel. A physicist by training, Fawal took issue with the setup to one of the program’s experiments.

In the age of social media, in which the inclination to share (and at times over-share) can be indulged, Fawal didn’t have to keep his thoughts to himself. He broadcast his complaints on Twitter, but found none of his followers was tuned in at the time.

“The tools that are available for socializing online around television, they are all tools that are built for other types of engagement that television fans have adapted to work for television, but none of them are really, really good at it,” he said.

Nevertheless, WatchParty was built to be compatible with Facebook and Twitter because both networks already count millions of users. Attracting people to yet another network has proven difficult, the founders said.

For that reason, Fawal and Kouns have adjusted the company’s business model several times in the last year. The duo initially planned to charge users to host private watch parties with 15 friends, but have found only moderate interest to date.

Their latest pursuit would turn WatchParty into a platform that third parties can host on their own Web pages. Washingtonpost.com, for example, could offer a WatchParty during the Oscars or the State of the Union Address, Fawal said.

“We are not believers in the [idea that] if we get a ton of users we’ll find a way to monetize it later,” Fawal said. “We have to turn it into a business. So that’s where we are now. We’re turning a great idea that people love into a business.”

The founders are now on the hunt for venture capital after raising more than $100,000 from friends and family. They’re also looking for new ways to attract and retain users.

“I sit down regularly and say, ‘What are the things that could kill us in three months?’ Fawal said. “Then I figure out how to not let those things happen.”

overlys@washpost.com

 

 

via washingtonpost.com

Nice coverage for WatchParty!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:25:42 -0700 Cervical collar, pain killers, and muscle relaxants. Gonna sleep for 3 days. http://myjunto.com/cervical-collar-pain-killers-and-muscle-relax http://myjunto.com/cervical-collar-pain-killers-and-muscle-relax
Media_httpimagesinsta_bixed

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:31:00 -0700 Upcoming Panel on Early-Stage Funding http://myjunto.com/upcoming-panel-on-early-stage-funding http://myjunto.com/upcoming-panel-on-early-stage-funding

I’ll be a panelist at Potomac Tech Wire’s “Seed and Early Stage Funding Outlook:Raising Capital For Startups” event at the Ritz Carlton in McLean, Virginia on Tuesday, April 12th, 2011.

On of my fellow panelists, Daniel Odio, has a great post about the event and a great offer for entrepreneurs here. You can register for the event here.

Here's the agenda:

Seed Stage Outlook 2011 is part of the Potomac Tech Wire breakfast series that brings together senior executives in the Mid-Atlantic to discuss technology issues in a conversational, roundtable environment moderated by the editor of Potomac Tech Wire. The two panels at this event will focus on seed-stage and early-stage funding from the perspective of both entrepreneurs and funders. In addition, a DC-area entrepreneur who recently raised $1 million from various angel investors through AngelList will give a brief presentation on his successful fundraising.

Funders Roundtable:
Jonathan Aberman, Managing Director, Amplifier Ventures
Kiran Hebbar, Partner, Valhalla Partners
John May, Managing Partner, New Vantage Group
Thomas Weithman, Managing Director, CIT GAP Funds
Moderator: Paul Sherman
Additional speakers to be announced

Entrepreneurial Presentation:
“Cliff Notes on Raising Your First $1 Million Through AngelList” by Daniel Odio, Co-founder, Appmkr
Entrepreneurs Roundtable:
Richard Fawal, Founder, WatchParty.tv
Fahad Hassan, CEO,  Always Prepped
Daniel Odio, Co-Founder, Appmkr and PointAbout
Morris Panner, Co-founder, groupflier
Additional speakers to be announced

Moderator: Paul Sherman

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:05:00 -0700 I Am Not A Lab Rat http://myjunto.com/i-am-not-a-lab-rat-0 http://myjunto.com/i-am-not-a-lab-rat-0

Everyone wants me to play games. Foursquare, GetGlue, and a half a million other services want me to use them not because their service has value, but to earn some reward. All of this was well and fine. Games are important for learning. Games can be fun. I like games.

Game-of-lifelarge

Recently, however, games have entered into my world in ways I could never have imagined and I really don’t like. A few weeks back a venture capitalist I admire tweeted that he was giving people 30 minutes of his time, so I hurried to find out how I could earn an uninterrupted half hour with him. I was shocked when I discovered what he wanted, and frankly a little bit depressed.

 

In order to be blessed with his time, I had to “earn” ten thousand imaginary “dollars” on his website. The only way to do it was to comment on his blog, retweet his tweets, repost his posts, link to his website, etc. That’s right, in order to get 30 minutes with a respected, nationally-known VC to pitch my startup, I had to work my butt off to make him even more prominent than he already is. Sounds familiar...

Donald-trump

Maybe I’m too old to understand the way the world works these days, but I thought that the way you earned time with a VC was by working your butt off to turn a great idea into a great business. Not so, according to this guy. He expected me to make promoting him a top priority.

 

Needless to say, I didn’t bother. I have a business to build and a family to support. They are my top priorities, and will remain so.

 

Let’s fast-forward a week or two. As I was getting ready to head to Austin for SXSWi I received an email from a friend. He’d nominated WatchParty for “TechStars Startup Madness”, a ThisOrThat contest modeled after the NCAA Basketball Championship, sponsored by the TechStars accelerator program. Sixty-four startups go head-to-head in a single elimination bracketed contest, in which the winner would win $25,000 in prizes.

 

It was very kind of my friend to have nominated us, so I went to the site and completed the information necessary to enter. Then I promptly forgot about the whole thing. 

Startupmadness
 

A few days later, in Austin, I noticed a few tweets from folks saying they had voted for WatchParty in the contest. So, I emailed a few friends and posted to Twitter and Facebook asking people to vote for us. I spent maybe 10 minutes on the effort. WatchParty won Round 1 with 54%.

 

When Round 2 started I tweeted and posted again, but didn’t have the time to send an email. With about 12 hours left to go WatchParty was up 64% on Sunday night. I went to bed.

 

Monday morning we were down to 27%. I went into CEO action mode: Facebook updates, emails, tweets - everything I could think of to try to save us. I commiserated with other startups in the contest who had also seen their commanding leads turn into insurmountable spreads overnight (nearly half of contestants experienced this). I spent a couple of hours focused on a contest I hadn’t cared about a few days earlier.
 

 

More fool me.

Eyechart-idiot1

I still don’t know what happened. ThisOrThat is looking into it. But I don’t really care anymore. We didn’t start WatchParty to win stupid online popularity contests, we created it so people could have more fun watching TV. UPDATE: ThisOrThat confirmed that vote-fixing was occurring, and adjusted vote totals. WatchParty did win Round 2 and is continuing with the contest.

 

What’s really important here is the danger that this whole notion of “game mechanics” and “incentives” represents. Alfie Kohn, the progressive author and lecturer on education, argued over a decade ago in his book Punished by Rewards that people’s work is actually worse when they are enticed with incentives, and programs that use rewards to change people's behavior are ineffective over the long run. According to Kohn, the more we use artificial inducements to motivate people the more they lose interest in what we're bribing them to do. I think he is right.

 

I’m not arguing that the ideas like competition and completion have no place in services and applications. Things like progress bars and even badges can be very useful to get users to do what you want them to do - at first. Eventually they are just fluff (unless your service or app actually is a game).

 

The problem I’m addressing is what I see as a movement to make everything a game, even things like startup funding and business development. When everything we do becomes a card from SCVNGR’s game mechanics playdeck we all become nothing more than Pavlovian lab rats. Every action we take becomes nothing but a reaction to an external stimulus created by someone somewhere to get what they want.

 

When VCs and incubators - and any other non-game businesses for that matter - use rewards and punishments to get people to act they may get short-term results, but in the long run they’ll be left scratching their heads when people stop pressing the bar to get a badge or to keep from getting shocked. People participate in life because of the joy life brings, and entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses because of the thrill it brings. No one loves their kids because an app gives them a badge for it. No entrepreneur should expend effort on winning anywhere but the marketplace.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:20:22 -0700 Me and Guy Kawasaki http://myjunto.com/me-and-guy-kawasaki http://myjunto.com/me-and-guy-kawasaki
Media_httpdistillerys_jveib

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:20:57 -0800 This is me in Guy Kawasaki's new book! http://myjunto.com/this-is-me-in-guy-kawasakis-new-book http://myjunto.com/this-is-me-in-guy-kawasakis-new-book
Media_httpdistillerys_enicg

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:00:00 -0800 Enchanté, Mr. Kawasaki. Enchanté. http://myjunto.com/enchante-mr-kawasaki-enchante http://myjunto.com/enchante-mr-kawasaki-enchante

How one man and two books changed my heart, my mind, and my actions.

Exactly three hundred fifty days ago I had a problem. I was watching TV and wanted to chat with other people watching the same show, but I couldn't find a way to do it that was easy and fun. So I decided to start a company to solve the problem.

Of course, I had no idea how to do it. I'd started a few companies before, but they were just convenient business entities set up to help manage work I was doing anyway. I'd never before created a curve-jumping paradigm-shifting startup destined to change the world. In fact, I still haven't done that. But I'm a lot closer, thanks to Guy Kawasaki.

12
As I tried to learn how to go about creating a new paradigm in social TV, Guy's The Art of the Start, a simple, concise, well-written explanation about what to do when you are trying to start something new, became my bible. I read it and re-read it constantly. I made my co-founders read it. I recommended it to everyone I new who was trying to start anything - even friends who were starting a family. (I quickly discovered that there are some "starts" outside the book's purview, but not many.) For months, as I started my new company, I referred back to The Art of the Start almost daily. WatchParty is far from successful, but it is more successful than I could have imagined at that point. (You can buy the book on Amazon using the link below, and see Guy's fantastic presentation about it here.)

Guy became something of a hero to me, and I followed his tweets and his blog closely. So, when during the summer he asked his readers to help him by providing stories about how we've been "enchanted" by a product or service for his new book, I leapt at the chance. I'll tell you how that worked out in a moment.

I've recently finished reading an advanced copy of the new book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. It has already become the "New Testament" of my bible; together with The Art of the Start it tells me exactly what I need to know to start and grow a cause, which Guy defines as "your product, service, company, or idea". (Disclaimer: My story about being enchanted worked out pretty well. I'm in the book, but I'd love it even if I weren't. More on this below.)

Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki

All of us, no matter what we do for a living, how poor or wealthy we may be, or what we want to accomplish, will at some point need to influence another person's heart, mind or action. In Enchantment, Guy takes the same simple, concise, well-written approach to influence he took to entrepreneurship in Art of the Start. The brilliance of his writing is its directness; there are no philosophies or mental gymnastics to understand what he's saying. It just, "Do this and good things happen. Don't do that or bad things happen. Here are examples."

Every chapter begins with "How to..." How much simpler can you get? Here's a great example of how I've used Guy's insights and advice to be better: As I write this, I'm preparing for a trip to Austin, Texas to attend the South by SouthWest Interactive Conference (SXSWi). For the few of you reading this blog who don't know, it's the single greatest assembly of technology and Internet geeks in the world. It represents a huge opportunity for me to introduce WatchParty to potential users, partners, investors and the media. So, how am I preparing?

I am studying Chapter 4 of Enchantment: "How to Prepare". Sure, the chapter is really about preparing to launch a successful cause, but its lessons work equally well for preparing to wow conference attendees. Advice like "Conduct a 'Premortem'" and "Make it Short, Simple, and Swallowable" is already helping me to feel more confident and certain of what I will accomplish in the six days I'm there.

As I've said, my story about being enchanted made it into the book. What is amazing to me about that is how I got into the book. I literally enchanted Guy Kawasaki into including me (he doesn't know this, of course). I can think of a thousand different ways I've been enchanted, but to make it into the book I knew I'd have to choose one that would be meaningful to Guy. I knew his father was an elected official, so I decided to use a story from my days as a political consultant. I chose one that involved a product I had seen him tweet about a few weeks earlier. In other words, I followed Guy's recommendations for enchanting someone to enchant Guy himself, long before I had read the book. (You have to get the book to read about my story, on page 93.)

That's how powerful enchantment can be, and how outstanding Enchantment is. Get it.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:13:00 -0800 WatchParty is LIVE! http://myjunto.com/watchparty-is-live http://myjunto.com/watchparty-is-live

Eight months ago I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, Mythbusters, and I started tweeting about the show. After a few tweets, I realized that Twitter wasn't really offering an enjoyable experience. I was basically just telling all my followers about a show that none of them were watching. Even when I followed the hashtag for the show what I found was many people talking about the show, but none of us were talking to each other. We were all just shouting out our reactions to the ether.

Mythbusters

I looked around for ways to engage directly with other audience members, and found pitifully few options. I was stunned. Television has always been a social medium, right? So why wasn't the Internet - the greatest communication tool every invented - expanding the social nature of TV? I should be able to find other people watching the same show as me and communicate with them while we watch, but I couldn't.

So I decided that I would solve that problem by creating a social tool that brings viewers together in a virtual living room. I called some technically savvy friends, and we founded WatchParty to start working out a way to expand the social nature of TV. Today, eight months later, the WatchParty beta site is live.

Primary_logo_beta

This is one of the proudest days of my life, but it's only the beginning. It's as if I've been training for a triathlon for the last eight months, and the race actually begins today. Still, just getting this far is a pretty cool achievement.

Right now you can set up a private WatchParty for any show you want, and invite up to 15 friends to join you. TRight now it's pretty basic, but we have a long list of new features and functionality we'll be adding in the coming weeks. Soon, for example, you'll be able to create community WatchParties for anyone who'd like to join, and you'll be able to rate the comments and opinions of other viewers.

So, check out WatchParty and let us know what you think. Use our Forum, or call us at (240) 455-4311, or email us at contact@WatchParty.tv. You can even email me directly at Richard@WatchParty.tv. I'd love to talk to you.

Richard Fawal, founder and chief answer guy.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Tue, 30 Nov 2010 06:36:00 -0800 32,000 men will die in 2011 http://myjunto.com/32000-men-will-die-in-2011 http://myjunto.com/32000-men-will-die-in-2011

Did you know that a man is more likely to die of prostate cancer than a woman is likely to die of breast cancer? So much has been done to fight breast cancer, but until recently little was being done to fight prostate cancer.

That's why I've spent the past month raising awareness and money to support prostate cancer research. My goal was to raise $1,000 and I've made it halfway there, 
but I'd really like to go over the top so I thought I'd send you one more email asking for your support. Help me fight prostate cancer by making a contribution at my Movember page before December 2nd. (If you've already donated, thank you very, very much. Please share this with friends and family.)

All funds go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. Please don't wait another moment. Donate now.

Thank you, and have a wonderful holiday season.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:17:00 -0800 Happy Thanksgiving, Movember 25 http://myjunto.com/happy-thanksgiving-movember-25 http://myjunto.com/happy-thanksgiving-movember-25

Hello, and Happy Thanksgiving!

As you may know, I've spent the past three weeks growing a mustache to raise money for cancer research. It's part of the "Movember" campaign to help change the face of men's health. My goal was to raise $1,000 but unfortunately I'm only 25% there, so I'm reaching out to you again to ask you to please help me fight prostate cancer by making a contribution at my Movember page, and you can see a video of my progress below. (If you've already donated, thank you very, very much. Please share this post with friends and family.)

Here are some sobering facts about men and cancer: 
-    1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, 1 in 3 women will be.
-    1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
-    Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34.

All funds will go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. Please don't wait another moment. Donate now.

Thank you, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Richard

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/812417/RMF_face.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5BhGrYInfHmF Richard Fawal rfawal Richard Fawal