stephenmccurry-blog-blog

[stephenmccurry-blog-blog]

The fluid organization

Over the weekend I was watching flocks of birds over the bay moving left and right in unison. It was an incredible sight as the sun glistened off the wings of the birds as they moved left and right in perfectly coordinated flight. It made me think of how an organization needs to work together to move everybody in the same direction whilst staying nimble to alter course as it learns and adapts. Later I found this article that explains the phenomenon I saw. It describes how the changes in direction are made by a small group of birds and the message propagates out from this core group to the entire flock. It seems that all you need to be able to move together like a fluid is good communication. Something any good product manager already knows is true.

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Optimizing search with machine learning

We recently completed a series of experiments to optimize our on site search algorithm for click through and revenue. Currently, we use Solr search with a custom ranking algorithm. The goal was to optimize the weightings of the factors in the ranking algorithm to optimize for click throughs from search results. We collected historical click data to use as a training dataset. We performed a regression analysis over the dataset using a machine learning algorithm to get the optimal weightings. In an A/B test the new algorithm performed 50% better in terms of the revenue generated from search! Success. Machine learning can generated significant results when you have a large enough dataset and it's not that hard to do.

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Principles of Product Management

What are the core principles that Product Managers should live by? Below is my list that I've adapted based on feedback from other PMs. Anything here that you agree or disagree with? What is missing? - 1. Simplicity - MVP, lean, KISS etc. All of these buzzwords basically come down to simplicity. I'm not talking about dumbing down the product or over simplifying a product so that it is no longer fit for purpose. Simplicity means finding the right set of minimum features and not over engineering for edge cases. Upfront feature costs are typically small compared to maintenance costs over the lifetime of the feature. User interfaces or interactions should adhere to the simplicity principle - don't make me think. I also extend my principle of simplicity to cover communication. Either outbound customer communication or internal stakeholder communication. 2. Listen to your customers - user testing, interviews, surveys, session tracking, click tracking etc. All ways in which we can listen to customers, understand the problem we are solving and learn how to make the product better fit the need. This requires a high degree of empathy and cannot be achieved without meeting customers face to face and living the experience as a customer. 3. Communication - clear, succinct, tailored communication is critical both internally and externally to customers. Internal communication is tailored by department (cross functional) and further adapted to each individual based on their team, personality, perspective and rank within the organization. Customer communication needs to be easily understood and relevant. One primary goal is transparency. Making internal stakeholders feel that their input has been listened to, or acted upon. Likewise, from a customer perspective transparency is important in terms of building trust and maintaining strong ties with the company, brand or product. Ultimately, building a better product. Involving customers in the product development process helps to reduce the risk that changes provoke a detrimental response or customer backlash (see listen to your customers). 4. Getting things done - another way to look at this principle is successfully executing against a roadmap or strategy. When deciding on the details of execution the worst decision is no decision at all (analysis paralysis). When there is no clear answer then make a call and move on. If time, money and scope allow then test multiple scenarios but don't get stuck in unproductive meetings, emails, circular / repeating conversations. It helps to identify the key stakeholders (minimize non key stakeholders in the decision making process) and agree success criteria upfront. 5. Have a vision of success - think ahead to what a successful outcome looks like. The vision of success will likely be a combination of what the product looks like, the interaction, the customer response. The metrics of success are not the vision of success but are one way to measure that the vision has been achieved. 6. Leadership - I like to think about the PM position as CEO of the product. Taking all necessary actions to deliver a successful product. This includes the ability to influence organizational structure, processes or capabilities to deliver against a product roadmap within defined constraints, e.g. budget, time to market. What are your principles for success?

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Treat everyday like a Hackathon

Hackathon formats work because they provide constraints and ensure focus. The good news is that you don't need a $1M hackathon to build an app or prototype. Just have the self discipline to apply Hackathon style constraints to yourself and crank out apps like a hacking machine - 1. Deliberately time constrain yourself. Build an end-to-end working prototype in 1 day or less. 2. Focus on the primary mechanic not the features. There will be 1 primary mechanic underlying your idea or concept. Think about Ebay where the mechanic is a transaction between buyer and seller. Focus on demonstrating the mechanic not all the cool features the mechanic enables. 3. Prepare for hack day by researching solutions, technologies, APIs, architectures, shortcuts in advance. Good preparation allows you to hit the ground running. 4. Only use technologies that you know well. Hackathons are fast paced. This isn't the time to learn a new language. However, if a new technology is the best solution for the app then take time to learn it in advance of your 1 day sprint. 5. Block out all distractions. Setup your desk in advance. Change venues. Turn off Twitter, Facebook and Skype. Cancel your appointments and meetings. Whatever it takes to block out all external distractions.

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IOS - Integrating Twitter reverse auth into master detail template (for newbies)

My situation was that I had an existing master detail project setup and I wanted to add a login screen that performed the reverse authentication steps required to get a valid oauth token for my server side Twitter API calls. These are the steps I took to do the basic integration.

I'm building for IOS 6.1 and using xCode 4.6.1 on Mountain Lion. I wanted a login screen as part of the out of the box master detail storyboard.

Step 1

Download Sean Cooks reverse auth example project from Github.

Step 2

Download the latest OAuthCore project. This is used by Sean's project and the one embedded in Step 1 is not the latest version.

Step 3

Add the following Frameworks to your IOS project under Build Phases -> Link Binary with Libraries:

Twitter.framework

Accounts.framework

Social.framework

Step 4

Merge your prefix header file with Sean's. I just copy pasted Sean's into mine.

Step 5

Copy all the files and folders from Sean's IOS project into your existing master detail project. Remove main.m, TWAppDelegate.h, TWAppDelegate.m, TWiOSReverseAuthExample-Info.plist, TWiOSReverseAuthExample-Prefix.pch

Step 6

Add these key value pairs to your plist file TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY, TWITTER_CONSUMER_SECRET. Set the values to your apps values - see your Twitter app page.

Step 7

Whilst in your Twitter app page check that you have the Sign in with Twitter option set to Yes.

Step 8

Create a login ViewController in your storyboard. There is a good (but old) tutorial here. My storyboard looks like this after adding the login page -

Step 9

In TWViewController.m replace the initWithNibName method with this:

- (void)awakeFromNib { if ([[UIDevice currentDevice] userInterfaceIdiom] == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad) { self.contentSizeForViewInPopover = CGSizeMake(320.0, 600.0); } [super awakeFromNib]; if (self) { _accountStore = [[ACAccountStore alloc] init]; _apiManager = [[TWAPIManager alloc] init]; } }

Step 10

Make sure that your segue between the login view controller and the navigation controller has an identifier. In my case, I called it LoggedIn.

Step 11

Add a line to method actionSheet in TWViewController.m that programmatically segues to the master view once the reverse auth is successful:

[self performSegueWithIdentifier: @"LoggedIn" sender: self];

Step 12

Make sure you have a Twitter account setup in your simulator. In the simulator exit the running application as you would using your actual phone. Go into settings and add a Twitter account.

Step 13

Run your app in the simulator. I'm using iPhone 6.1.

At first I was getting a bunch of errors relating to ARC and autorelease. I think most of these errors related to not having the latest OAuthCore. If you are still getting these errors at this step then check your build settings match Sean's project.

Thats it. You should be able to build the project. Click the perform token exchange button. The oauth response is presented in a modal and then the application segues to the master screen. Hooray!

Note. All I did was smash the projects together. I have a bunch more work to finish the integration.

[stephenmccurry-blog-blog]

Building your personal brand through content sharing - what works on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook

Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are my primary social tools for sharing and consuming content. Over time, I've found that it is possible to increase engagement by tailoring the content shared on each channel to match consumers expectations and by using channel specific tagging features to increase discoverability.

Like many people, I actively differentiate who I connect to on each platform. Also, I use each platform for different purposes and therefore I'm more open to content that is aligned with my purpose:

.nobullet { list-style-type: none; }

Platform Connections Use case Content type Tagging Facebook Friends & family

Entertainment

Connecting with friends

Irreverent

Provocative

Serendipitous

#Hashtags

@Mentions

Twitter People in the same industry

Realtime breaking news

Follow industry thought leaders

Personal brand building

Industry news & commentary

Personal growth advice

Personal philosophy

Leadership advice

#Hashtags

@Mentions

$Stock

Linkedin Professional network

Network building

Job hunting

Personal brand building

Macro trends

Career advice or professional development

#Hashtags

@Mentions

In addition to aligning content by channel, you should personalize content and leverage the tools each channel provides to make your content discoverable. Don't just share an article with the standard headline. There are several ways to make the post more visible and engaging:

Summarize – extract the key thought, idea or soundbite in 100 words or less. Alternatively, summarize the key theme in your own words. Your ability to reduce a long article to its most fundamental concept is a signal or your subject knowledge. 

Add your opinion – is this an article that you strongly agree or disagree with? Why? In general, you should not post an article when you don't have any opinion on the content. The best articles are thought provoking and nuanced. Perhaps the article presents a novel concept in a well researched and well written format. Provide a genuine reaction in your post that demonstrates your personal brand and world view.

Understand how the channel works - use appropriate #hashtags, @mentions or stock symbols - $AAPL. Many expert users will use filtering tools that trawl for specific keywords or subjects. Appropriate tagging or keywords within your post will help it gain visibility in these filtering tools and increase the chance of new followers.

I've found that across the board people engage more with content from trusted sources. I suspect there are multiple reasons but certain sources write excellent content which is well researched and well written. Examples include Harvard Business Review and Forbes. These sources do particularly well when shared on Linkedin or Twitter. 

One other factor for engagement is timing. Engagement with your post is correlated to how fast you share after the article is published. People see the same popular articles posted in multiple places but will only read or like an article once. Sharing quickly will get you followers who want to be first to the latest content.

[stephenmccurry-blog-blog]

Future of car sharing

There have been some important developments in the car sharing market recently. Firstly, UK car sharing company Whipcar shut shop at the end of March. Then yesterday news that Google backed Relay Rides has acquired competitor Wheelz (my previous employer). The latest news is that Relay Rides has been served a cease and desist by regulators in New York based on concerns about insurance coverage.

These recent events are not unexpected for me and are evidence of the uphill battle peer to peer car sharing has as an industry. Acceptance by consumers is slow because of fundamental issues in the product - trust and insurance coverage. In other words the risk reward for renters and owners is just not where it needs to be for widespread adoption. Car sharing companies lack product market fit and find it difficult to expand beyond enthusiastic early adopters.

The situation for peer to peer car sharing is even more bleak when you consider what is happening in the wider mobility space. Zipcar has expanded to airports and business travelers through its new parent, Avis. Daimlers Car2Go has expanded rapidly to urban centres and recently deployed 320 cars in Seattle, almost over night. Not to mention continued expansion of ride services such as Sidecar, Lyft and Uber. Residents of many US cities have never had so many mobility choices available at the click of a button.

My conclusion is that the outlook for peer to peer car sharing is not good. Expect further consolidation and blow ups  in the next 6 months.    

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Trust in sharing micro transactions

One of the biggest issues the collaborative economy is dealing with is trust between participants. Once you share beyond the comfort zone of friends and family trust becomes a major factor. This is an issue that all collaborative companies are trying to manage right now. 

There are many dimensions to this issue but in this post I will focus solely on the issue of cost. If you take out a mortgage, the checks you go through and very rigorous, at least they are now. They are comprehensive but also costly. A valuation of your property might cost $500 for example. However, this is a small fee compared to the size of the transaction.  

At the other end of the scale are collaborative sharing transactions. I borrow your vehicle for 1 hour and pay $10 (owner typically receives $6 of this). The margin in this transaction is small to begin with. When you factor in insurance and other costs the margin looks even smaller. However, the risks associated with this transaction are large in comparison to the cost of the transaction. 

If you look at traditional background checks they are too expensive for these sharing micro transactions and not particularly well suited to reducing the risks. A drivers license check is around $5, criminal records check can be more expensive. No single check is going to give the full story. A more holistic approach is required. So what background checks can collaborative companies do to ensure that they protect the property and participants in the community, whilst at the same time make money?

This issue is going to continue to be a major problem for the collaborative consumption space. I'll explore other aspects to the problem and possible solutions in later posts. 

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The future of urban transportation

Want a ride? Just pull out your mobile phone and hit the button. This is the future of urban mobility. But wait, doesn't that exist today? In San Francisco, I can call on an Uber, Sidecar or Lyft with the click of a button on my iPhone app. These services do a fantastic job of replacing the incumbent taxi cab industry. However, on a per mile basis these services are expensive when compared to urban transportation alternatives. 

Autonomous self-driving cars have the potential to bring an even greater disruption to the existing urban mobility infrastructure. Assuming that these cars actually become capable of driving without a driver, a big if. If you take the driver out of the equation the economics of ride sharing services like Sidecar and Lyft change completely. Imagine an on demand ride sharing service with costs equivalent to riding the bus. 

This future is predicated on several factors. Autonomous cars are coming but how autonomous will they be? Who will take legal liability for accidents caused by self driving vehicles? How will the engineers overcome the dynamic nature of urban road systems, e.g. emergency road works, temporary signage, accidents etc? These are huge questions that will take time to resolve even when the technology comes of age. 

Even with this fleet of personal autonomous vehicles driving around the city, I don't see a complete end to car ownership. However, most trips within the city and surrounds will be completed using ride sharing services. The switch to ride sharing will precipitate an even greater decline in car ownership amongst urban dwellers. However, there will be opportunities for car manufactures to provide the vehicles for the ride sharing fleets, or operate their own fleets. Of course, people will still choose to hold on to the status symbol of their car. Especially in suburban areas, where trip and population density will make it more difficult for ride sharing to win over car ownership.  

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The collaborative lives of sensation seekers

My first foray into the collaborative consumption world was on Wednesday evening at the regular Collaborative Chats) event, held at Wheelz HQ in SF. Experiencing the buzz and creativity that is happening in this space was really eye opening for me. 

The event focused on a panel of super users of collaborative consumption services – Airbnb, Lyft, Sidecar, Threadflip, Wheelz etc. This was an eclectic group of people but the stand out theme was that these early adopters were all high on the sensation seeking dimension. The guy who would give random strangers rides in his car for entertainment (and money) when he couldn't play Call of Duty: Black Ops epitomized the general theme of the evening (apologies for not remembering names). 

These collaborative consumption services are blurring the line between work and play. They are both useful and social. Getting a ride with a stranger might seem odd to many people but for these uber social sensation seekers this is a way to meet people and help pay the bills. The serendipitous nature of helping random strangers move around the city has elements both of altruism and excitement. From a consumers perspective compare this experience to the alternatives of taking a cab or public transportation - purely transactional and rarely fun. 

I left the event wondering if some or all of these collaborative consumption services could cross the chasm between their enthusiastic early adopters and into the mainstream. Whilst at the same time navigating a minefield of legal obstacles put in place to protect the status quo. In this respect, I'm encouraged by the huge success of services like Airbnb and Zipcar. I see collaborative consumption as a lasting trend towards a more collaborative economy, where individuals contribute and consume in ways that elevate the experience for people on both sides of the equation.