Apparent from my long delay in blog posts ... The concept of "Time" is something I recently have lost a bit of sense on.
Traditionally, I HATE being late. For some reason - I get this anxious feeling in my gut if I told someone I would meet them at 8 PM - and 730PM rolls around and Amy is still asking me which dress I like better ... Even if I KNOW the person/people I'm meeting don't care if I'm late or not - I just hate being late - period. Maybe it's because I remember as a little boy - waiting at various after school activities and being the last one picked up. At the time - I don't think I really cared - but perhaps it did something to my future subconscious...
Anyway -- fast forward to current times. Being on time is pretty much now a pipe-dream for me. I have a 9 week old - and we are first time parents. Our "schedule" is fluid - and there is no way to change that. So ... From now on - I will always include "ISH" at the end of my scheduling conversations....I still get a bit anxious if I'm running late - but perhaps now I care more about making sure my daughter is happy/comfortable/safe than anything else... ;)
So - this is my warning. I'm not sure how long it's going to last - or for that matter if it will ever change - but I'm most likely going to be late to things. I'm going to try my best - and I will feel bad if I'm late - but just know that you've been warned.
See you later-ish.
10/19/2009
9/07/2009
My life will never be the same
There's an obvious reason why it's been 4 weeks since my last blog post... 3 weeks ago - my life changed forever. Amy and I welcomed our BEAUTIFUL baby girl, Alexa, to the world on August 17th, 2009 at 4:59 PM. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 15.4 ounces and was 19.25 inches long.
Needless to say - we've been overwhelmed on several different accounts. We are first time parents - so it goes without saying we've got a lot to learn. I was telling a few people the other day that the past 3 weeks have felt like 3 months+. It probably wasn't the best time to start a new job - but at this point I feel like it gives Amy and I story #1 that will annoy the heck out of our daughter ("When you were born - your dad started a new job ... you had a hard time digesting... oh brother!).
Anyway - a couple observations from the first few weeks:
Welcome Alexa! Your mother and I are SO happy that you're here and promise to love you forever!! ;)
Needless to say - we've been overwhelmed on several different accounts. We are first time parents - so it goes without saying we've got a lot to learn. I was telling a few people the other day that the past 3 weeks have felt like 3 months+. It probably wasn't the best time to start a new job - but at this point I feel like it gives Amy and I story #1 that will annoy the heck out of our daughter ("When you were born - your dad started a new job ... you had a hard time digesting... oh brother!).
Anyway - a couple observations from the first few weeks:
- People warned us that we may not feel the love and connection to our daughter right away - and that it's natural to learn to love over time ... Well - it may happen to some people - but it definitely didn't happen to us. I get a smile on my face when I see her blank stare - my heart hurts when I see her cry ... Amy and I were both there minute 1. Now, I can obviously see my love growing as I get to know her and she's able to communicate - but the unconditional love started at 4:59 PM on August 17th.
- After about 42 hours of being parents - the hospital sends you home. Amy and I hired a baby-nurse (the original one we had planned for 9 months had an emergency the day we were going home). I feel lucky to be able to financially afford the luxury of a baby nurse - but I have no clue how people do it with any sanity without that kind of help. Sure - you can read books and go to classes (Amy and I went to 15 hours of birthing class) - but nothing will prepare you for the real-thing. I keep saying to myself, "Hey - it's been done for thousands of years" and "tons of people less intellectually gifted than Amy have done this - so we definitely can do it..." I still don't understand how those people do it...
- Breast feeding is CRAZY-hard. I'm so proud of Amy's patience over these first few weeks. People say "breast feeding is hard" - but I didn't come close in my mind to knowing really what they meant. It's damn hard - and fellas - not sure we could do it given the proper equipment - Just sayin...
- People love babies! I think we've gotten more presents for Alexa than we got for our wedding! If you're reading this and you haven't gotten a "Thank you note" - know that you're not alone. There is a 99.9% chance we got the gift - love it - and will be sending thank-you's, um - shortly (and by shortly I mean - I'm not sure when - but asap).
- If you haven't met Alexa yet - know that she is ADORABLE. (I'm not biased at all) I'm not sure if she cries as much or more than typical newborns - but I feel like that's just her way of getting her lungs ready for American Idol 2029. Amy thinks she'll be more of a "So You Think You Can Dance" prospect - which I'm totally supportive of - I just think the vocal practice in these first few weeks shows her dedication to AI.
- Finally - just a heads up that I'll probably be blogging less ... Watching MUCH less TV and movies ... Talking on the phone less ... watching less sports ... You get the picture. My hope is that you, my friends, will love me just the same - even though I may not be as "cultured" as I once was (HA!) and I'll probably talk about my daughter every 5 minutes or so (OK - If I do this - you can roll your eyes).
Welcome Alexa! Your mother and I are SO happy that you're here and promise to love you forever!! ;)
8/13/2009
A New Role at Google
Two weeks ago I passed the 6 year mark for working at Google. Over those 6 years I've really enjoyed what I did on the day-to-day. I would joke that it was "Retail Sales Strategery" - but it really was an amazing sales and marketing job. In the role - I was viewed more as an individual contributor who was an expert on particular topics that various advertisers were interested in learning "best practices" on ...
With that experience under my belt, it is time for me to do something a little different (where I can leverage the last 6 years), yet I still think Google is the best company in the world to work for - so - I'm really psyched to continue working at Google - but having a different job.
Starting in about 2 weeks - my new official title will be "Head of Industry, Retail" where I'll lead a team of 7-10 people who call-on and service some of the top retailer advertisers on the east coast. I'm really inspiring to become a great "people manager" and doing my part to attain our team goals.
Starting a new job is always exciting - and given that I'm doing so with the same company I truly believe in - I'm really looking forward to it...
With that experience under my belt, it is time for me to do something a little different (where I can leverage the last 6 years), yet I still think Google is the best company in the world to work for - so - I'm really psyched to continue working at Google - but having a different job.
Starting in about 2 weeks - my new official title will be "Head of Industry, Retail" where I'll lead a team of 7-10 people who call-on and service some of the top retailer advertisers on the east coast. I'm really inspiring to become a great "people manager" and doing my part to attain our team goals.
Starting a new job is always exciting - and given that I'm doing so with the same company I truly believe in - I'm really looking forward to it...
8/11/2009
DirectTV vs. Cable -- Need Advice
As football season approaches ... I've got an interesting decision to make.
In our new apartment - I'll be able to set-up a DirectTV satellite dish. In NYC - I've only ever known the Time Warner monopoly... I am pretty sure cost is about the same for both....
At this point - in terms of the "PRO'S" to keep Time Warner - I could only come up with a few:
In our new apartment - I'll be able to set-up a DirectTV satellite dish. In NYC - I've only ever known the Time Warner monopoly... I am pretty sure cost is about the same for both....
At this point - in terms of the "PRO'S" to keep Time Warner - I could only come up with a few:
- It's done. No more appointments, etc.
- My phone, Internet, and TV/Cable is from one provider - one bill.
- NY1
- NFL Package/NFL Network
- I don't have to deal with TimeWarner
- Tons of HD options
- Did I mention The NFL Package?
- Internet comes from another provider and is "Satellite internet" - I'm a little sketched about it.
- Is the DirectTV connection/service in NYC gonna be clear given all the large buildings?
- Is Amy gonna be able to figure out the new DirectTV controls, etc? ;)
7/31/2009
The price of drinks
If this was 10 years ago - I easily could have written a blog with the exact same title but talking about totally different kind of costly drinks. At this point - I'm not surprised when I order a $7 beer or $12 Jack-on-the-rocks. I'm not happy about it - but at this point - not surprised.
What I am surprised about is what I've noticed as the ridiculous inflation of non-alcoholic beverages at restaurants. On many occasions this summer, Amy or I have ordered a standard "Lemonade" because it's what we are in the mood for. Beverages aren't the typical menu item that you order off a menu ... You just know what you want .... Well - maybe I should start - because I've noticed that the price of lemonade in NYC is often $5- $6. Six dollars for 12 ounces of lemon, water, and sugar!?! Seriously? I can buy 128 ounces of lemonade for less than $6... Iced tea, sodas, etc are now all over $4 at a diner in NYC. Again - seriously?
Fast food companies have long known that beverages are where the REAL profit margin occurs - but at this point - I think I'm priced out of the non-water order. Now, I'm of the mindset that when you go out - you should order what you're in the mood for and should you not be able to afford it - that maybe you shouldn't go out to eat... but at the same time ... Knowing myself, I just don't think I'm ready to be able to enjoy a $6 lemonade.
Am I crazy?
What I am surprised about is what I've noticed as the ridiculous inflation of non-alcoholic beverages at restaurants. On many occasions this summer, Amy or I have ordered a standard "Lemonade" because it's what we are in the mood for. Beverages aren't the typical menu item that you order off a menu ... You just know what you want .... Well - maybe I should start - because I've noticed that the price of lemonade in NYC is often $5- $6. Six dollars for 12 ounces of lemon, water, and sugar!?! Seriously? I can buy 128 ounces of lemonade for less than $6... Iced tea, sodas, etc are now all over $4 at a diner in NYC. Again - seriously?
Fast food companies have long known that beverages are where the REAL profit margin occurs - but at this point - I think I'm priced out of the non-water order. Now, I'm of the mindset that when you go out - you should order what you're in the mood for and should you not be able to afford it - that maybe you shouldn't go out to eat... but at the same time ... Knowing myself, I just don't think I'm ready to be able to enjoy a $6 lemonade.
Am I crazy?
7/17/2009
Autographs in the Digital Picture Era
I was talking to my friend Chad last week - who was telling me the story of when he met Jose Reyes in the baggage claim at LGA. Chad is a huge Mets fan - so it's like the equivalent of me meeting D. Wade or Zo Mourning.
A very interesting part of the story is that in their discussion - Jose told Chad that he wasn't coming back anytime soon, but when Chad went home, he saw on ESPN that the Omar Minaya said that day that Jose would be back soon... Two days later - the truth came out - but still was probably pretty interesting to be Chad and know that you theoretically had "the scoop" (and posted to his FB status) two days earlier than ESPN ...
But ... this isn't what I wanted to blog about .... What I thought was most interesting is that what Chad was hoping to get out of meeting one of his favorite ball players had NOTHING to do with getting his autograph. His first priority was having a conversation with him (knowing if he's nice or a jerk - in which Chad says he was super-cool) and his second priority was to get a picture with him... And Chad is not alone. I totally agree with that philosophy and have ZERO interest in a players autograph.
I believe that in the digital camera era - "autograph demand" is at an all-time low ... and with internet publishing/scanning technologies, "autograph supply" is probably at an all-time high.... Which is to say that the "Autograph market" is probably at rock-bottom right now. I'm not an autograph valuation expert at all - that's just my hypothesis. (Maybe Maze or Colediggy who used to hang out at Don Carter's for baseball memorobillia signings could weigh in on the current market).
I think the personal digital photograph means so much more in terms of capturing the memory. I can't tell you I have any pictures with people I'm huge stars of unfortunately. Partly because I can't say I've run into many - but those that I have run into - I never have the guts to annoy them in public. But ... maybe I should... and who knows -- maybe the day that I do ... I'll be sharing that experience with all of you via this blog ... Something I don't think would be as interesting if I only got an autograph....
A very interesting part of the story is that in their discussion - Jose told Chad that he wasn't coming back anytime soon, but when Chad went home, he saw on ESPN that the Omar Minaya said that day that Jose would be back soon... Two days later - the truth came out - but still was probably pretty interesting to be Chad and know that you theoretically had "the scoop" (and posted to his FB status) two days earlier than ESPN ...
But ... this isn't what I wanted to blog about .... What I thought was most interesting is that what Chad was hoping to get out of meeting one of his favorite ball players had NOTHING to do with getting his autograph. His first priority was having a conversation with him (knowing if he's nice or a jerk - in which Chad says he was super-cool) and his second priority was to get a picture with him... And Chad is not alone. I totally agree with that philosophy and have ZERO interest in a players autograph.
I believe that in the digital camera era - "autograph demand" is at an all-time low ... and with internet publishing/scanning technologies, "autograph supply" is probably at an all-time high.... Which is to say that the "Autograph market" is probably at rock-bottom right now. I'm not an autograph valuation expert at all - that's just my hypothesis. (Maybe Maze or Colediggy who used to hang out at Don Carter's for baseball memorobillia signings could weigh in on the current market).
I think the personal digital photograph means so much more in terms of capturing the memory. I can't tell you I have any pictures with people I'm huge stars of unfortunately. Partly because I can't say I've run into many - but those that I have run into - I never have the guts to annoy them in public. But ... maybe I should... and who knows -- maybe the day that I do ... I'll be sharing that experience with all of you via this blog ... Something I don't think would be as interesting if I only got an autograph....
7/08/2009
Phone Sushi - It's a money saver
OK - A bit cheesy blog post title - but I witnessed something at work today that I wanted to share ... Who knows - maybe one day it will save you some money...
A co-worker came in complaining that she dropped her iPhone in the pool over the weekend and now had to buy a new phone ... Given that it's summer - we have young interns sitting among us ... Anyway - one of these bright young kids overheard her - picked up the phone - confirmed that it was in fact dead and said "I bet I can fix it."
When I asked him how - he said - you submerge the phone (and the crevices of the device) with uncooked rice. You wait - and the rice magically dries out the water in the device.
Well - you can guess the end result. The intern came into work a day later with a big smile on his face and handed my co-worker with her iPhone in complete working order.
I clearly don't want to encourage testing the methodology out - and I'm sure no one can vouch for the long-term validity of the device working well ... However ... I just thought it was something pretty cool that I never would have thought of...
A co-worker came in complaining that she dropped her iPhone in the pool over the weekend and now had to buy a new phone ... Given that it's summer - we have young interns sitting among us ... Anyway - one of these bright young kids overheard her - picked up the phone - confirmed that it was in fact dead and said "I bet I can fix it."
When I asked him how - he said - you submerge the phone (and the crevices of the device) with uncooked rice. You wait - and the rice magically dries out the water in the device.
Well - you can guess the end result. The intern came into work a day later with a big smile on his face and handed my co-worker with her iPhone in complete working order.
I clearly don't want to encourage testing the methodology out - and I'm sure no one can vouch for the long-term validity of the device working well ... However ... I just thought it was something pretty cool that I never would have thought of...
7/06/2009
Is my skin learning from my metabolism?
Most men over the age of 25 have had the realization at some point that they "just can't eat like they used to..." Their metabolism doesn't allow them to rotate daily dinner options between bacon cheeseburgers, pizza, and burritos. Even if you work-out regularly - it's pretty well-known that your metabolism over time just doesn't work like it used to ...
Well, this weekend I became curious if my skin was following this trend.
(Disclaimer - I acknowledge that "sun-bathing" is bad for you and can cause skin cancer)
When I was in high-school (living in south Florida), I went to the beach at a minimum of once a week and I was out in the sun every day... During this time, I honestly do not remember putting an ounce of sun protection lotion on my body ... Obviously there are health issues with this - but from the vanity standpoint of being happy with one's skin tone after being out in the sun - it just happened naturally for me... Similar to the way my body would allow me to eat whatever I wanted and not notice a difference to my body...
Anyway - over the years - this has drastically changed ... When I sit in the sun for any time over 30 minutes - not only do I need hefty sun protection lotion (we'll call it "30"), and not only am I like a 4 year-old who will miss spots through-out my body ... But I'll get burnt rather than tan...
My question is -- WHY? Is it my skin or is it the sun? I know the sun in Florida is different than New York, etc -- but it happens when I'm in Florida as well...
Has my skin gone the way of my metabolism? Has the sun gotten just 10 times more fierce in the last 15 years?
Well, this weekend I became curious if my skin was following this trend.
(Disclaimer - I acknowledge that "sun-bathing" is bad for you and can cause skin cancer)
When I was in high-school (living in south Florida), I went to the beach at a minimum of once a week and I was out in the sun every day... During this time, I honestly do not remember putting an ounce of sun protection lotion on my body ... Obviously there are health issues with this - but from the vanity standpoint of being happy with one's skin tone after being out in the sun - it just happened naturally for me... Similar to the way my body would allow me to eat whatever I wanted and not notice a difference to my body...
Anyway - over the years - this has drastically changed ... When I sit in the sun for any time over 30 minutes - not only do I need hefty sun protection lotion (we'll call it "30"), and not only am I like a 4 year-old who will miss spots through-out my body ... But I'll get burnt rather than tan...
My question is -- WHY? Is it my skin or is it the sun? I know the sun in Florida is different than New York, etc -- but it happens when I'm in Florida as well...
Has my skin gone the way of my metabolism? Has the sun gotten just 10 times more fierce in the last 15 years?
7/02/2009
"Free" in debate
Some of the minds that I respect the most have sounded off this week on a recent book written by Chris Anderson (Editor of Wired Magazine and Author of The Long Tail).
Malcolm Gladwell set off the debate with his book review... Seth Godin respectfully disagreed with Malcolm .... and Mark Cuban also weighed in (Interestingly enough - both Seth and Mark often blog about the relative topic for quite some time)...
Anyway - I'm obviously not as insightful as any of these people - but from where I sit - I think the clearest reality is somewhere in-between where the two sides sit...
The very brief overview:
(Disclaimer - I haven't read the book - just the commentaries above)
Anderson and Godin argue that information is expected to be free for end consusmers - and that the parties that fight this (ie Newspapers) will wither away... Gladwell and Cuban says that free isn't sustainable and that anyone who thinks it can will end up losing a lot of money in the long-run (ie Youtube/Google).
My personal take:
In the digital era there is a certain amount of information that is expected to be free. With "free" comes lower expectations of how well that information is displayed, written, consumed. Everyday I expect to get "the headlines" for free. I expect to read sports stories on the Miami sports franchises for free. I expect to get hotel reviews for free. I expect to watch an entertaining 3 min video clip for free. With free - I don't expect that I'm going to be blown away by this information... I'm just looking to casuaully consume it. In these cases - it's up to the providers of this information to monetize this content via other methods than from my pocket (hence the "FREE"). The only way the industry has seen fit to try and do this is through advertising. I work in the industry for 11+ years and rather than get sidetracked on this post - please trust me when I tell you that the online medium as a technology is way too amazing for smart marketers and publishers to not figure it out in the long run ... It's just not an over-night exercise...
There is another set of information that I don't expect to be free. Professionally written and insightful material. Top notch video. Trustworthy medical and legal advice.
I still pay $20 per month for weekend NYT delivery. I'm not looking for headlines when I sit down, drink my coffee, and read my weekend paper. I'm looking for valuable, professionally written material (some people may not value this - but I do). I still pay $12.50 per ticket to go see movies (and some of them shouldn't even be considered "professionally done").
So the "net-net" is that the good ol' information superhighway has commaditized certain elements information. It is merely the evolution of our economy. What happened to the railroad when airplanes began to become affordable to everyone? What happened to 411 when the Yellow Pages were first published? On the flip side - people used to pay $0.25 for a cup of coffee until Starbucks convinced people their coffee experience was 4x better than what they were used to...
It's been said for a while, but newspapers will have to change their model ... but that doesn't mean they have to go away or that it's impossible for consumers to value quality journalism. It just means they can't be in the mass-market headlines business anymore ... And it means that they can't sell advertising the same way... but they can figure it out.
There is a market for free information - and that market is enormous. There is a smaller market for professionally published information than there was 10 years ago - but it's just different that what existing providers of free information are used to...
Malcolm Gladwell set off the debate with his book review... Seth Godin respectfully disagreed with Malcolm .... and Mark Cuban also weighed in (Interestingly enough - both Seth and Mark often blog about the relative topic for quite some time)...
Anyway - I'm obviously not as insightful as any of these people - but from where I sit - I think the clearest reality is somewhere in-between where the two sides sit...
The very brief overview:
(Disclaimer - I haven't read the book - just the commentaries above)
Anderson and Godin argue that information is expected to be free for end consusmers - and that the parties that fight this (ie Newspapers) will wither away... Gladwell and Cuban says that free isn't sustainable and that anyone who thinks it can will end up losing a lot of money in the long-run (ie Youtube/Google).
My personal take:
In the digital era there is a certain amount of information that is expected to be free. With "free" comes lower expectations of how well that information is displayed, written, consumed. Everyday I expect to get "the headlines" for free. I expect to read sports stories on the Miami sports franchises for free. I expect to get hotel reviews for free. I expect to watch an entertaining 3 min video clip for free. With free - I don't expect that I'm going to be blown away by this information... I'm just looking to casuaully consume it. In these cases - it's up to the providers of this information to monetize this content via other methods than from my pocket (hence the "FREE"). The only way the industry has seen fit to try and do this is through advertising. I work in the industry for 11+ years and rather than get sidetracked on this post - please trust me when I tell you that the online medium as a technology is way too amazing for smart marketers and publishers to not figure it out in the long run ... It's just not an over-night exercise...
There is another set of information that I don't expect to be free. Professionally written and insightful material. Top notch video. Trustworthy medical and legal advice.
I still pay $20 per month for weekend NYT delivery. I'm not looking for headlines when I sit down, drink my coffee, and read my weekend paper. I'm looking for valuable, professionally written material (some people may not value this - but I do). I still pay $12.50 per ticket to go see movies (and some of them shouldn't even be considered "professionally done").
So the "net-net" is that the good ol' information superhighway has commaditized certain elements information. It is merely the evolution of our economy. What happened to the railroad when airplanes began to become affordable to everyone? What happened to 411 when the Yellow Pages were first published? On the flip side - people used to pay $0.25 for a cup of coffee until Starbucks convinced people their coffee experience was 4x better than what they were used to...
It's been said for a while, but newspapers will have to change their model ... but that doesn't mean they have to go away or that it's impossible for consumers to value quality journalism. It just means they can't be in the mass-market headlines business anymore ... And it means that they can't sell advertising the same way... but they can figure it out.
There is a market for free information - and that market is enormous. There is a smaller market for professionally published information than there was 10 years ago - but it's just different that what existing providers of free information are used to...
6/23/2009
Search Engine Optimization tools
At least once a month, I'll have a friend-of-a-friend or relative or acquaintance ping me and ask me how they can show up at at the top of Google search listings for particular keywords...
I'd say the aggregate knowledge over the years has definitely gotten better ...Nowadays people usually know that I, personally (or any one person for that matter) can NOT make their websites show up with a better ranking.
Typically - I will give the very basic overview of how search and PageRank generally work - and then will usually give a tip or two that is sure to improve their site SOMEHOW ... (sometimes it's just renaming URLs) ...
Well - I stumbled upon a blog post that did a very thorough job of listing all of the relevant and free SEO tools that folks can use to improve their rankings. Not only did I want to share it with my loyal blog readers - but I wanted to document it on my blog so I can send people to this post when they ask me how I can help their sites with better ranking. ;)
I'd say the aggregate knowledge over the years has definitely gotten better ...Nowadays people usually know that I, personally (or any one person for that matter) can NOT make their websites show up with a better ranking.
Typically - I will give the very basic overview of how search and PageRank generally work - and then will usually give a tip or two that is sure to improve their site SOMEHOW ... (sometimes it's just renaming URLs) ...
Well - I stumbled upon a blog post that did a very thorough job of listing all of the relevant and free SEO tools that folks can use to improve their rankings. Not only did I want to share it with my loyal blog readers - but I wanted to document it on my blog so I can send people to this post when they ask me how I can help their sites with better ranking. ;)
6/19/2009
Moneyball for Business
Micheal Lewis is in my top 2 favorite writers/authors (Malcolm Gladwell and him go back and forth). He originally got me hooked on his style and insight with the book, Moneyball. I am not a particularly quick reader (both in dedicated time and actual pace of reading), but I think I read the 300+ page book in a 48 hour period.
Moneyball is about one baseball General Managers' (Billy Beane) statistically focused approach to a sport, which traditionally tracks stats, but often mis-used these stats to make decisions... The book was revolutionary in a lot of ways. First, 5 years after it was published, it's fair to say that almost all of the Major League Baseball teams reconsidered their approach - and many hired quant guys to fill top positions rather than the traditional baseball guys. Secondly, other industries and sports began to think how they could apply the practices to their worlds. In particular, Bill Simmons talks incessantly about the MIT Sloan conference last year where several owners/GMs etc. of various sports leagues (the NBA in particlar) spoke about how they all have terabytes of data that help them make decisions - but different from Billy Beane and the A's ... they're choosing to keep their strategies private.
Now ... I work for a company that is notorious for believing that fast is better than slow and that most importantly DATA TRUMPS OPINION. In the classic business world - it's my belief that this is NOT the norm. Opinion and tradition are the reigning rulers - and there is always some way to cut metrics where they can partly defend such opinions...
I've had somewhat of a new role the past 6 months at work which is trying to QUANTIFY the tangible business impact (sales lift) that online media has on offline sales. We have sucessfully done this - and it's really exciting to see. I get to interact with a lot of smart Quant people - and I get to see some truly amazing ways that data metrics CAN be used to help make decisions... The challenge is getting people to buy-into the fact that DATA SHOULD TRUMP OPINIONS.
For Major League Baseball, holistic buy-in was attained through the success of a book. What is it going to take for the Marketing/Advertising/Media business to follow-suit? We shall see .... Maybe when it's all said and done - I'll need to play the role of Micheal Lewis, but for now, I'm merely on my soap box saying that this is the next big thing. Data models/algorithms/sophisticated math is 100% the way that successful businesses will make decisions in the future.
Moneyball is about one baseball General Managers' (Billy Beane) statistically focused approach to a sport, which traditionally tracks stats, but often mis-used these stats to make decisions... The book was revolutionary in a lot of ways. First, 5 years after it was published, it's fair to say that almost all of the Major League Baseball teams reconsidered their approach - and many hired quant guys to fill top positions rather than the traditional baseball guys. Secondly, other industries and sports began to think how they could apply the practices to their worlds. In particular, Bill Simmons talks incessantly about the MIT Sloan conference last year where several owners/GMs etc. of various sports leagues (the NBA in particlar) spoke about how they all have terabytes of data that help them make decisions - but different from Billy Beane and the A's ... they're choosing to keep their strategies private.
Now ... I work for a company that is notorious for believing that fast is better than slow and that most importantly DATA TRUMPS OPINION. In the classic business world - it's my belief that this is NOT the norm. Opinion and tradition are the reigning rulers - and there is always some way to cut metrics where they can partly defend such opinions...
I've had somewhat of a new role the past 6 months at work which is trying to QUANTIFY the tangible business impact (sales lift) that online media has on offline sales. We have sucessfully done this - and it's really exciting to see. I get to interact with a lot of smart Quant people - and I get to see some truly amazing ways that data metrics CAN be used to help make decisions... The challenge is getting people to buy-into the fact that DATA SHOULD TRUMP OPINIONS.
For Major League Baseball, holistic buy-in was attained through the success of a book. What is it going to take for the Marketing/Advertising/Media business to follow-suit? We shall see .... Maybe when it's all said and done - I'll need to play the role of Micheal Lewis, but for now, I'm merely on my soap box saying that this is the next big thing. Data models/algorithms/sophisticated math is 100% the way that successful businesses will make decisions in the future.
6/11/2009
Scruff is in (?)
I was hanging out with 2 of my single guy friends last weekend. They are both more on the "metro" side vs. typical "guys guys" ... but even so ... I was still pretty surprised to hear that they both have a strategic planned out implementation for their facial hair... Having a method for one's madness around shaving isn't that crazy - each person is different (Example - I like to shave in the shower every morning as I feel like a get a better shave that way).
However, their strategic plan revolved around ensuring that their "scruff" was at optimal length for the weekend. And unfortunately for these two guys - it takes 5 days for said optimal length to materialize... But let's go back to the original premise ... Chicks dig scruff?? So much so - that it requires an orchestrated plan in hopes to look optimally scruffy for the weekend...??
Lucky for the two of them, I guess, they both have jobs which don't require a daily shave.
Maybe my beard is different from theirs - or maybe I feel differently because I've rocked a goatee for 10+ years, but after 5 days of not shaving, my face gets itchy and I feel like my face looks like it has dirt on it (which my grandma used to tell me about my goatee).
I'm not questioning their methods at all -- I just felt the need to ask my loyal blog readers if they, too, have found that "scruff is in"???
However, their strategic plan revolved around ensuring that their "scruff" was at optimal length for the weekend. And unfortunately for these two guys - it takes 5 days for said optimal length to materialize... But let's go back to the original premise ... Chicks dig scruff?? So much so - that it requires an orchestrated plan in hopes to look optimally scruffy for the weekend...??
Lucky for the two of them, I guess, they both have jobs which don't require a daily shave.
Maybe my beard is different from theirs - or maybe I feel differently because I've rocked a goatee for 10+ years, but after 5 days of not shaving, my face gets itchy and I feel like my face looks like it has dirt on it (which my grandma used to tell me about my goatee).
I'm not questioning their methods at all -- I just felt the need to ask my loyal blog readers if they, too, have found that "scruff is in"???
6/05/2009
What do you want for your birthday?
My birthday is next week (June 12).
I’m a man – so friends don’t really buy presents for one another at this point in our lives outside of either big number birthdays or perhaps a goof-type gift that one may stumble upon…
Parents and relatives, though, still buy gifts for their children, son-in-laws, etc...
This said – without fail EVERY year – I get asked the question, “what do you want for your birthday?” Now, when I was 9 years old – this makes some sense. There is no way for a parent to know exactly what to get a 9 year old in the sense that 9 year olds could have temper-tantrums if, say, their parents bought them the “not cool anymore toy” for their birthday. So - my parents would ask me what I’d want – I’d say a skateboard or Colecovision (the smurf game was my favorite) and assuming the gift wasn’t too costly and I had been a good kid (which to be honest – I almost always was) – I’d receive the answer to the question "what do you want for your birthday?"
Fast forward over 20 years later – and the same rules do not apply.
I don’t want to come off as a brat. I understand why my parents are asking me the question: They would rather spend money on something I really want – rather then something I may not desire or use very often. And I get this – but at this stage of my life – I have greater appreciation of the thought given to the gifts then the actual gift/value/etc.
This all said – if anyone wants to know of a can’t miss gift for me …. An iTunes gift card is a great idea. For some reason – I enjoy buying $1.29 songs a lot more when there is already a balance in my iTunes account versus when there is not. So- - If my parents bought me $50 each of iTunes gift certificates – they would essentially be buying me “Music of my choice for a year.” That sounds like a great thing for me!
I don’t know if everyone agrees, but the reasons above is why I really try to never ask anyone what they wanted for their birthday.
I’m a man – so friends don’t really buy presents for one another at this point in our lives outside of either big number birthdays or perhaps a goof-type gift that one may stumble upon…
Parents and relatives, though, still buy gifts for their children, son-in-laws, etc...
This said – without fail EVERY year – I get asked the question, “what do you want for your birthday?” Now, when I was 9 years old – this makes some sense. There is no way for a parent to know exactly what to get a 9 year old in the sense that 9 year olds could have temper-tantrums if, say, their parents bought them the “not cool anymore toy” for their birthday. So - my parents would ask me what I’d want – I’d say a skateboard or Colecovision (the smurf game was my favorite) and assuming the gift wasn’t too costly and I had been a good kid (which to be honest – I almost always was) – I’d receive the answer to the question "what do you want for your birthday?"
Fast forward over 20 years later – and the same rules do not apply.
- I will not have a temper-tantrum if you buy me a present that I didn’t necessarily have my heart set on.
- I have my own money to buy things if I really really want them. When I was a kid, it would take me all year to accumulate $50 in weekly allowance in order to buy the new Donkey Kong game – so getting the game for my birthday was the best way to get it. That’s not really the case now. I’m not saying “I’m rich bitch!” – and I can afford anything I want – but yes – at this point I can afford something in the range of where parents spend money on birthday gifts (say $50-$100) if I really really want something…
- When I was a kid – for some reason even if I said that I wanted a skateboard, there was a mystery if I was really going to get it. I didn’t have a sense of if a skateboard cost $50 or $5,000 and so, I really would still be surprised if I got the skateboard. Now – if I tell you that I really want the new Micheal Lewis book – and you buy me said book, that’s not much of a surprise. It’s not really as much fun if I tell you what to buy me. (I don’t think I’ve ever written a post on registries – but trust me when I say I could easily fill up some space with my thoughts here)
I don’t want to come off as a brat. I understand why my parents are asking me the question: They would rather spend money on something I really want – rather then something I may not desire or use very often. And I get this – but at this stage of my life – I have greater appreciation of the thought given to the gifts then the actual gift/value/etc.
This all said – if anyone wants to know of a can’t miss gift for me …. An iTunes gift card is a great idea. For some reason – I enjoy buying $1.29 songs a lot more when there is already a balance in my iTunes account versus when there is not. So- - If my parents bought me $50 each of iTunes gift certificates – they would essentially be buying me “Music of my choice for a year.” That sounds like a great thing for me!
I don’t know if everyone agrees, but the reasons above is why I really try to never ask anyone what they wanted for their birthday.
5/29/2009
The Next Level of Weather Information
Amy asks me to turn on New York 1 (channel 1) at least 3 times a day on weekends. Not because she's a huge fan of Lewis Dodley's monotone delivery ... but because the temperature is always listed on the bottom left of the screen and there is supposed to be a weather report every 10 minutes (except when you really want it - like when the dorky guy talks about his obsession with NYC Transit or "On Stage" are on...)
Anyway - there is something inherently missing from standard weather reports - and it's an idea Amy's had for some time. While it could be a business idea that I'm exposing to the world - I haven't really thought of a way to make money off of it - so if someone can think of a way to do it - and Amy can benefit from it -- then go for it!!
Here's the concept: Traditionally - a weather report will tell you:
What I don't think is as easy (especially for women) is when it's 52 degrees in the morning, but could get up to 70 for the day - and it may rain later on ... What should they wear?
My solution is to simply create a large database of clothing options (cotton sweater vs. cashmere, wool pants vs. cotton, etc) and match them up with appropriate conditions (No leather jacket when it's raining, 50 degrees = long-sleeve shirt + sweater, etc) ... You could then match all of the conditions with clothing options to come up with what's appropriate. When the traditional weather reporters gave the traditional conditions - it could automatically be cross-referenced with the appropriate clothing index?
Look - it's obviously not a debilitating loss not having this information - and clearly people have gotten by just fine without it - but I do think people will find it a lot more useful than the current information that's given...
Anyway - there is something inherently missing from standard weather reports - and it's an idea Amy's had for some time. While it could be a business idea that I'm exposing to the world - I haven't really thought of a way to make money off of it - so if someone can think of a way to do it - and Amy can benefit from it -- then go for it!!
Here's the concept: Traditionally - a weather report will tell you:
- The Temperature
- Is it sunny, cloudy, or rainy?
- Wind conditions (on occasion)
What I don't think is as easy (especially for women) is when it's 52 degrees in the morning, but could get up to 70 for the day - and it may rain later on ... What should they wear?
My solution is to simply create a large database of clothing options (cotton sweater vs. cashmere, wool pants vs. cotton, etc) and match them up with appropriate conditions (No leather jacket when it's raining, 50 degrees = long-sleeve shirt + sweater, etc) ... You could then match all of the conditions with clothing options to come up with what's appropriate. When the traditional weather reporters gave the traditional conditions - it could automatically be cross-referenced with the appropriate clothing index?
Look - it's obviously not a debilitating loss not having this information - and clearly people have gotten by just fine without it - but I do think people will find it a lot more useful than the current information that's given...
5/26/2009
Longest Craps Roll of All-Time
Quick story that blew my mind today ...
This past Saturday night in Atlantic City - a woman who played Craps for only the 2nd time - apparently broke the record for longest craps roll of all time. The news story said she rolled for 4 HOURS and 18 MINUTES! (for non-savvy craps players, think of an average "roll" lasting 3 or 4 rolls - or roughly 1 minute ...)
The news story mentioned that the woman came to the table with $100 - but it didn't say what she (or the fellow players at the table) left with (had to be thousands of dollars... had to be!)
... It's stories like this that all people who enjoy playing craps dream of...
This past Saturday night in Atlantic City - a woman who played Craps for only the 2nd time - apparently broke the record for longest craps roll of all time. The news story said she rolled for 4 HOURS and 18 MINUTES! (for non-savvy craps players, think of an average "roll" lasting 3 or 4 rolls - or roughly 1 minute ...)
The news story mentioned that the woman came to the table with $100 - but it didn't say what she (or the fellow players at the table) left with (had to be thousands of dollars... had to be!)
... It's stories like this that all people who enjoy playing craps dream of...
5/22/2009
Moving
Amy and I moved this past week.
The obvious statement here is that "moving sucks" (although interestingly enough my sister told me earlier this week that she "loves moving" ... so maybe not such an obvious statement)
Anyway - this was the first time Amy moved in over 8 years - and only the 2nd time in 10 years for me ... Needless to say - I was not looking forward to the actual process of moving - and was very much looking forward to it being over.
We are still getting settled (have a bunch of boxes to unpack, things to organize, hang, etc), but the actual move was not bad at all ... I mean ... We ended up paying a company (FlatRate) to pack us up and move us. I just sat there while they were packing up and instructed them what goes/stays/etc.
We are all about saving money where we can ... but honestly ... there was about a $250 difference between having the Flatrate movers pack us vs. us doing the packing ... I'm not rich - but I think that is money well spent. We've been unpacking for 2 days - and guess what ... I would pay someone $250 to unpack, set-up electronics, etc. in a heartbeat.
* So I wrote the above before this Memorial Day weekend ... (After the fact - I realize that it would be difficult to have someone truly unpack for you - unless of course that person is a professional organizer like Barb).
We moved to a new area - so there's a lot of new stuff to get used to - apartment, building, neighborhood, commute to work, etc., but we spent a lot of time setting up our place this weekend - and we both feel great about the move...
The obvious statement here is that "moving sucks" (although interestingly enough my sister told me earlier this week that she "loves moving" ... so maybe not such an obvious statement)
Anyway - this was the first time Amy moved in over 8 years - and only the 2nd time in 10 years for me ... Needless to say - I was not looking forward to the actual process of moving - and was very much looking forward to it being over.
We are still getting settled (have a bunch of boxes to unpack, things to organize, hang, etc), but the actual move was not bad at all ... I mean ... We ended up paying a company (FlatRate) to pack us up and move us. I just sat there while they were packing up and instructed them what goes/stays/etc.
We are all about saving money where we can ... but honestly ... there was about a $250 difference between having the Flatrate movers pack us vs. us doing the packing ... I'm not rich - but I think that is money well spent. We've been unpacking for 2 days - and guess what ... I would pay someone $250 to unpack, set-up electronics, etc. in a heartbeat.
* So I wrote the above before this Memorial Day weekend ... (After the fact - I realize that it would be difficult to have someone truly unpack for you - unless of course that person is a professional organizer like Barb).
We moved to a new area - so there's a lot of new stuff to get used to - apartment, building, neighborhood, commute to work, etc., but we spent a lot of time setting up our place this weekend - and we both feel great about the move...
5/15/2009
Eminem - Relapse
For any hip-hop loyalists who read this blog - when Eminem's new album "Relapse" comes out next week (5/19).... GET IT!
It's been a very long time since I've gotten a hip-hop album and haven't been able to stop listening to it. That is definitely the case with this album.
He talks about a lot of the same topics in all the songs - but the production/execution of the album is just really really solid. I've been hooked since I got my hands on the tracks - and if you're a fan - you'll feel the same way...
If you're a "hip-hop fan" who is more into the songs on the radio -- I can't promise that you'll love the album - but the tracks already available on iTunes are definitely the "commercial tracks" - so you can probably just buy those songs and be satisfied.
BIG FAN! Enjoy!
It's been a very long time since I've gotten a hip-hop album and haven't been able to stop listening to it. That is definitely the case with this album.
He talks about a lot of the same topics in all the songs - but the production/execution of the album is just really really solid. I've been hooked since I got my hands on the tracks - and if you're a fan - you'll feel the same way...
If you're a "hip-hop fan" who is more into the songs on the radio -- I can't promise that you'll love the album - but the tracks already available on iTunes are definitely the "commercial tracks" - so you can probably just buy those songs and be satisfied.
BIG FAN! Enjoy!
5/12/2009
2 Television Insights regarding Major League Baseball 2009
Growing up in South Florida (pre-dating the Marlins), I didn't grow up the biggest baseball fan. I did LOVE the 1986 Mets (I lived in NY in '86) - but that was about it...These days the lack of a "hometown team" hasn't hampered my desire to follow Major League Baseball - it's just evolved it to be 100% focused on my Fantasy Baseball teams.
As I've mentioned before on this blog - I definitely root for both NY teams because I think NYC is much more enjoyable when both teams are in the hunt (people are definitely more friendly when this is the case).
Anyway - I follow baseball activities daily (both online and on TV) - and I wanted to comment on 2 baseball related television notes...
1) I really really like MLB Network (In HD).
There is always something so relaxing about falling asleep to a baseball game - but with MLB Network - I can now fall asleep to a culmination of baseball games (They have plenty of "live look-ins" because they own the content) and highlights/box scores (which fits in really well to my fantasy-based interest). I think some of the "analysts" are annoying (such as Mitch Williams and Joe Magrane) - but some I really like (such as Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds)... For the most part - I've really enjoyed turning in and winding down as I go to sleep. I recommend it for any baseball fan...
2) I really like Dave Winfield on Baseball Tonight.
Overall - I've been spending more time watching the MLB Network over Baseball Tonight because I found it more fantasy friendly, but when I know Dave Winfield is on - I definitely check out Baseball Tonight. My first-gut opinion is that he's very well-spoken and has TONS of great insight as a long-time ball player... Again - if he's on ... Check him out and let me know what you think.
As I've mentioned before on this blog - I definitely root for both NY teams because I think NYC is much more enjoyable when both teams are in the hunt (people are definitely more friendly when this is the case).
Anyway - I follow baseball activities daily (both online and on TV) - and I wanted to comment on 2 baseball related television notes...
1) I really really like MLB Network (In HD).
There is always something so relaxing about falling asleep to a baseball game - but with MLB Network - I can now fall asleep to a culmination of baseball games (They have plenty of "live look-ins" because they own the content) and highlights/box scores (which fits in really well to my fantasy-based interest). I think some of the "analysts" are annoying (such as Mitch Williams and Joe Magrane) - but some I really like (such as Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds)... For the most part - I've really enjoyed turning in and winding down as I go to sleep. I recommend it for any baseball fan...
2) I really like Dave Winfield on Baseball Tonight.
Overall - I've been spending more time watching the MLB Network over Baseball Tonight because I found it more fantasy friendly, but when I know Dave Winfield is on - I definitely check out Baseball Tonight. My first-gut opinion is that he's very well-spoken and has TONS of great insight as a long-time ball player... Again - if he's on ... Check him out and let me know what you think.
5/03/2009
"The Next Google"
About a week ago, a co-worker came back from a conference and proclaimed that there was a lot of rumblings at the event that "Twitter was going to replace Google" and she really thought the speaker was on to something ... I have respect for the co-worker, but my first reaction was a simple - "What? Wow - I just lost a lot of respect for you..."
I'll first say that this clearly wasn't a nice way to start a discussion - and to that note - I didn't genuinely mean it. Let me explain..
I started working at Google in 2003, before it went public and right before the hype of all hype of IPOs. Throughout the first few years - I could not read the NY Times or WSJ without seeing multiple stories about Google. (BTW - this was first-hand lesson that you can NEVER trust 100% what's in the paper - even if it is one of the apparent reputable ones) ... Anyway - Google was (and is) a huge business success. With this success comes the naysayers and the ever-popular game of "who's next." I can't tell you how many stories I've read over the years that have proclaimed that XYZ company (icerocket, Kanoodle, myspace, etc) was the "next Google." So - yes - when someone says that XYZ company is the "next Google" I'm touchy and defensive on the subject.
Facebook, Twitter, and tons of other companies are innovative and unique in their own ways... I'm sure they'd love to be as successful as Google one day - but right now - they are not there yet...The argument for Twitter replacing Google went as follows:
1) Mobile devices will dwarf PCs in the future in terms of ways to connecting online (I agree).
2) Twitter is far more mobile friendly than Google (I agree it is today - but don't think that means too much)
3) Social connections are a growing way that consumers are getting recommendations, etc. (I agree).
4) Algorithmic search will be secondary to social search in the future (sometimes - yes - but not always and definitely not for everyone around the world).
Anyway - those 4 points are the crux of the argument. And as you can see -- I agree with some of the facets. But I don't see how anyone can think any of it means that Twitter will replace Google.
There is a lot that makes Google ridiculously unique - but at the core to it's success is the business model. I've never seen a business scenario where EVERYONE involved (Consumer, advertiser, publisher, and platform) are happy with the outcome consistently. In the Google ecosystem - they are ... Google creates holistic satisfaction (well - not everyone - but 95% of those that interact with it) Google focuses on the end users happiness - but the fact that advertisers and publishers are happy too - definitely doesn't hurt. Google does this GLOBALLY in both highly connected countries (more mature) and not (with tons of growth opportunity). What about Twitter? How is their business model set-up? How many satisfied paying customers does it have? Is it able to put ~$1B in the bank every quarter (for the last 8 quarters+)?
I think Search will evolve - but Google will evolve with it. The company knows that search in 2009 is a fraction of what "The ultimate search experience" will be. I drink the kool-aid - but yes - I think the resources at Google's disposal will allow it to be the leader in search - whether on a PC or elsewhere...whether it's algorithmic, vertical, or social search.
So - in summary - until the business questions are answered - I don't see anyone joining the online business success ranks of Google. It is bound to happen some day. I would just recommend that before any journalist or speaker at a conference say that some company is going to replace or is the next Google - that they stay away from the hypothetical. The proven business model is obviously something that evolves over time - and while I have confidence that Google will continue it's success - that doesn't mean that someone else can't/won't come up with something better. I just haven't seen it yet...
I'll first say that this clearly wasn't a nice way to start a discussion - and to that note - I didn't genuinely mean it. Let me explain..
I started working at Google in 2003, before it went public and right before the hype of all hype of IPOs. Throughout the first few years - I could not read the NY Times or WSJ without seeing multiple stories about Google. (BTW - this was first-hand lesson that you can NEVER trust 100% what's in the paper - even if it is one of the apparent reputable ones) ... Anyway - Google was (and is) a huge business success. With this success comes the naysayers and the ever-popular game of "who's next." I can't tell you how many stories I've read over the years that have proclaimed that XYZ company (icerocket, Kanoodle, myspace, etc) was the "next Google." So - yes - when someone says that XYZ company is the "next Google" I'm touchy and defensive on the subject.
Facebook, Twitter, and tons of other companies are innovative and unique in their own ways... I'm sure they'd love to be as successful as Google one day - but right now - they are not there yet...The argument for Twitter replacing Google went as follows:
1) Mobile devices will dwarf PCs in the future in terms of ways to connecting online (I agree).
2) Twitter is far more mobile friendly than Google (I agree it is today - but don't think that means too much)
3) Social connections are a growing way that consumers are getting recommendations, etc. (I agree).
4) Algorithmic search will be secondary to social search in the future (sometimes - yes - but not always and definitely not for everyone around the world).
Anyway - those 4 points are the crux of the argument. And as you can see -- I agree with some of the facets. But I don't see how anyone can think any of it means that Twitter will replace Google.
There is a lot that makes Google ridiculously unique - but at the core to it's success is the business model. I've never seen a business scenario where EVERYONE involved (Consumer, advertiser, publisher, and platform) are happy with the outcome consistently. In the Google ecosystem - they are ... Google creates holistic satisfaction (well - not everyone - but 95% of those that interact with it) Google focuses on the end users happiness - but the fact that advertisers and publishers are happy too - definitely doesn't hurt. Google does this GLOBALLY in both highly connected countries (more mature) and not (with tons of growth opportunity). What about Twitter? How is their business model set-up? How many satisfied paying customers does it have? Is it able to put ~$1B in the bank every quarter (for the last 8 quarters+)?
I think Search will evolve - but Google will evolve with it. The company knows that search in 2009 is a fraction of what "The ultimate search experience" will be. I drink the kool-aid - but yes - I think the resources at Google's disposal will allow it to be the leader in search - whether on a PC or elsewhere...whether it's algorithmic, vertical, or social search.
So - in summary - until the business questions are answered - I don't see anyone joining the online business success ranks of Google. It is bound to happen some day. I would just recommend that before any journalist or speaker at a conference say that some company is going to replace or is the next Google - that they stay away from the hypothetical. The proven business model is obviously something that evolves over time - and while I have confidence that Google will continue it's success - that doesn't mean that someone else can't/won't come up with something better. I just haven't seen it yet...
4/23/2009
Sorry for the Silence
Loyal Readers - just wanted to apologize for the lack of posting lately ... Things have been crazy.
Amy and I have been in NY rental real estate mode ... Both finding people to sublet our apartment (which we have) and finding a new apartment for ourselves (which we hope we're close to). Maybe I'll have a post when it's all said and done about our experience - but let's just leave it as an "emotionally exhausting" experience...
Work has also been very busy for me. I've taken on an additional project which has amazing potential - but there's a lot of work to do...
Speaking of work - if you want to make fun of how I look interviewing someone - check out the Google Retail blog where I did a two part series with an industry expert.
Amy and I have been in NY rental real estate mode ... Both finding people to sublet our apartment (which we have) and finding a new apartment for ourselves (which we hope we're close to). Maybe I'll have a post when it's all said and done about our experience - but let's just leave it as an "emotionally exhausting" experience...
Work has also been very busy for me. I've taken on an additional project which has amazing potential - but there's a lot of work to do...
Speaking of work - if you want to make fun of how I look interviewing someone - check out the Google Retail blog where I did a two part series with an industry expert.
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