bokuwakapsydesu: Mike's Updates
Some posts and photos from my brother Mike who is travelling around China at the moment:
Archive for September, 2007
Testing – Bluestring.com
New app from AOL called bluestring which lets you upload images and video and then make slideshows out of them. Overall a pretty sweet interface done entirely in Adobe’s new Flex platform. I made a couple of tests, below.
Slide show, featuring assorted funny internet pics:
Embedded image:
XERO Connects to Four Major Banks
I own shares in Xero and this is a major milestone in the development of the product. It adds some serious value to the product and also puts a major barrier between Xero and its existing/potential competitors. The trick will be for them to repeat this feat of relationship engineering in other markets such as Australia and the UK.
Of course, the NZX hardly noticed, probably because everyone has given their money to a bank in the Netherlands.
Ideas I Would Want to Invest In (if I had the cash)
Like just about everyone trying to make a buck from software, I get ideas for new products all the time. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that 90% of these ideas are completely stupid, and the remaining 10% are useless to me anyway, simply because I’m working on other things.
I’ve decided to share what I perceive to be my good ideas, because they have no inherent value to me. Below are some ideas for products and services that I can’t do but still want anyway. Warning: very little research has been done into the potential of any of them; some of them may be completely stupid because of some detail you know about (if so, please let me know).
Game Advertising
Game advertising network, like Google Adsense, for 3rd party game content creators. This will allow map-makers, mod-makers, etc to make a bit of cash on an on-going basis from their creations. Serious barriers to entry, not the least being the EULAs of the game publishers. Idea might work if you could get around this.
Enviro Friendly Office Management
Copied and pasted from here:
An enviro-friendly office-maintenance service. Most businesses hire different vendors for recycling, janitorial, and supply services. Kirkpatrick thinks a startup can cobble them together in a tidy green package for clients willing to pay a premium not just for the convenience but for a stamp of eco-approval to tout to employees and customers. Buying a handful of small vendors in a specific region would be the starting point. “Roll-ups in this industry have often been good investments,” Kirkpatrick says.
Network Operating System that doesn’t suckSoftware that allows applications to use a array of computers as a single server. Allows you to put python apps, ruby apps etc on to the system and it will just work – no extra servers need to be bought if usage grows unexpectedly because the software will handle it. Pay for absolute data and bandwidth usage – similar to power companies. Will allow companies not to have to bother with infrastructure stuff – they just install their software and let the technology handle the load. Very difficult – maybe impossible – technical problem!
Search Engines
- MP3 search engine (already been done – very well executed here: www.skreemr.com)
- Online game search engine (for flash games and that kind of thing)
A Property Management Company That Doesn’t Suck #2
Seems to be a general rule that landlords dislike their property management companies. This is simply because the landlords see property management companies as charging too much for the service they provide – between 7-10% of rent plus another 7-10% for “maintenance” just for collecting rent and ringing up a plumber occasionally. However, because landlords see the PMs as “necessary evils”, they put up with the costs.
Can some kind of software solution help out? Outsource as much of the property management stuff as possible to technology and software and leave the rest to a contingent of “working-from-home” people. Such a service might be able to charge less than half of what the current property management companies charge and still offer better value…
Here’s what the technology side would look like. A website would be the main point of contact (what else?). The site has a list of properties from landlords that you can search through. You can rate individual properties on their appearance and quality. You then pick a property you like and then sign up online. You have a dashboard where you can pay rent and get updates from the propperty management company. When something breaks down or goes wrong at the property, the tenant gets on to the website and gives the details of the problem. Various prescreened tradesman can bid for the work in a private area.
Somehow need to handle credit checks and references. Can reference checks be outsourced? Not sure how the startup would handle keys handover. Lots of tricky details to sort out. Not really a true technology startup either.
Facebook Apps Ideas
Some of these have definitely been done by now – these ideas were written down back when facebook apps had just been released in July.
- Local tour-guide – Make a list of the coolest things to do and see in your city.
- Question of the day – just questions you can answer at random. Your answers are shown on the board somewhere.
- Compatibility Quiz – like on OkCupid, that allows you to answer polls about ANYTHING. Other people can view the answers. Gives a compatibility rating based on the questions you and someone looking at your profile have both answered.
- Sports Live Commentary – create your own commentary for a game and post results to your friends pages.
- Profile Stats – stats for your profile. Number of visits, clicks, etc (UPDATE: this one has been done).
- Facebook ask – just a q and a thing for facebook. Post a question – shows responses to any question you’ve asked. Browse the questions from the same app by keyword, interest level, etc. Answer questions from friends etc (UPDATE: a lot of QA websites have embedded apps, but none have really been built into the facebook interface yet).
- Facebook advice – not Q and A, but advice. Functionality exactly the same. Anonymous.
Youtube Of…
Websites that borrow heavily from the youtube concept of easy upload and easy sharing of stuff:
- MP3s and sound files in general (how quickly would this be shut down though?)
- Flash movies and files (any flash file or swf, fla, etc)
- Widgets or widget sharing (could be valuable if combined with a good b-y-o-widget tool).
