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Re: point of diminishing returns

Davyan — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:48:16 -0000

I have been using recently iTakeNotes.
They are plenty of apps to take notes on your ipad but very few are really
productivity apps able to generate structured reports. Writing down meeting
minutes or meeting reports is a painful process which is time consuming.

iTakeNotes principle is to
formalize notes during the meeting and get a meeting report as soon as the
meeting is over in pdf and in .txt if you want to review the format. They
provide audio recording and camera so as not to lose any data during the
meeting. It is a very productive tool for those who spent desperate time
formalizing their meeting notes.
I spent $2.99, it's totally worth it. I highly recommend!

Re: point of diminishing returns

Natalia Lizon — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:10:21 -0000

Check out teuxdeux.com - Its a sleek, simplistic web-based to-do list app. There's also a version for the iPhone. I love it as a productivity tool.

Re: iPad for dummies

ceben — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:54:33 -0000

I've just accepted this as an inevitable way of life at this point. I can't turn off the technology so just have to optimize it's use as much as possible. Using an iPad for all my reading has it's pros and cons but for now I'm sticking with the digital approach.

Re: iPad for dummies

Andy Hilliard — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:30:31 -0000

this exactly describes my recent thinking, doubts, concerns, paranoia...including forgetfulness due to no need when everything is a google search away....how do you feel these days?

Re: the art of pricing

ceben — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:38:26 -0000

Yes, good point. An important addition to the list of things to consider when pricing.

Re: point of diminishing returns

ceben — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:36:13 -0000

Thanks for the advice. There are a number of things for me to checkout. Syncing is definitely the core problem because it limits which tools I can effectively use. I plan on talking to Paul at the next #LeanCoffeeTO.

Cheers

Re: point of diminishing returns

maurice360five — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:14:30 -0000

Hey Chris,

Peep "Things"...i have it for iPhone and iPad...they work wonders for me.

Paul Jara (at every LeanCoffeeTO) was talkin' about how he uses stuff from the OMNIgroup. OmniFocus apparently is his weapon of choice because of the syncing capabilities. He also uses another Omni product called OmniGraffle for iPad which looks ridiculously awesome. I haven't gone forward with any of them because Things, Evernote, and GoogleApps work well for me...but also because OMNI products are pricy (OmniGraffle iPad $50.00, OmniFocus iPad $40.00, OmniFocus iPhone $20.00)

Ultimately, all of these apps are contingent on your own discipline which you clearly have. What seems to be a bigger problem is syncing. Maybe holler at Paul at the next LeanCoffeeTO for more details on Omni products...hey...if they boost productivity, definitely worth the price tag.

Word.

Re: the art of pricing

Andrew Peek — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:34:06 -0000

Great summary Chris.

I would add that evaluating your application or service in terms of which features/services are the most valuable ones you offer, will give you an idea of how your pricing might scale with increased usage of these key components.

Re: point of diminishing returns

Xobni Support — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:45:36 -0000

Hi Andy,

If you're willing to give us another chance, we'd love to help you with the Xobni issue you were experiencing. Can you shoot me an email at support@xobni.com and refer to me?

Thanks,
Eirik

Xobni Support

Re: point of diminishing returns

Will — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:48:43 -0000

Just out of curiosity, have you tried using the pomodoro technique? I'm assuming you use a mac..you can check out FocusBooster - great free app that stays in front of you and counts down from 25 minutes.

Also, MacFreedom is a great little tool that will turn off your internet or block out certain sites that are productivity wasters. :)

Re: point of diminishing returns

Andy — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:32:33 -0000

I use similar tools but there's a few tweaks that might help you get more out of what you have:-

Evernote & storing things I never look at - fixed by the Chrome extension - now a nomal google search digs out things in Evernote. Perfect! I use Evernote to store things for future reference so it's like my own personal web archive

Reqall - hate it all except voice too. So much that I've move to Toodledo plus Todo as an iPhone front end. Much much better all round and you can sync with outlook if you need to. I tried it but keep all tasks in todo now. If I need it on a pc I use th Toodledo web interface. If I want to create a task from a mail I mail it in to Toodledo. If I'm so desperate to use voice then I us dialtodo to add to Toodledo but it's rare nowadays.

I use google calendar (shared home cal with wife) and outlook (work) too but rather than syncing I just show my gcal in outlook as a published Internet calendar, and have added it to iPhone too. I can't add a date in outlook but I can use my iPhone for that or gcals web interface. I can see it in outlook though which stops me scheduling late work meeting when we're going out!

Finally I also used to use xobni but it caused problems for me too. Since outlook 2007 I've found the search good enough. If you must bolt something on to outlook and use google sync too you could try meshin from Xerox which is similar to Xobni.

Finally if you haven read 'Getting Things Done' then really would or read Zen to Done on the Zen Habits website. You won't regret either!

Enjoy being unproductively productive!

Andy

Re: point of diminishing returns

ceben — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:08:27 -0000

I start by looking at my Outlook calendar which tells me what appointments I have that day and has been sync'd (hopefully) with my Google calendar as well. Then review my tasks in Outlook and reQall and decide which ones need to be completed and when. Sometimes I will schedule this work directly into my calendar, but not always. This all works fairly well. The part I don't think works well is where I have notes from meetings that exist in multiple places and often require actions. I'm pretty good about inputting things that require more immediate actions into reQall or Tasks but I always have a feeling of dread that I haven't done it recently enough and need to dig through Note Taker HD, Evernote or anything else to find new To-Dos.

All-in-all, my system is probably ok but I want it to be perfect. I know it never will be.

Re: point of diminishing returns

zvisus — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:38:30 -0000

Whatever you do, stay away from 43folders.com. You might think there's a ton of useful info there about being more productive, but you never overcome the time debt you'll accrue by going back through the archives, which is unfortunately, impossible to not do.

Re: Startup Weekend Toronto – Sept 24-26!

Neal — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:28:18 -0000

Canadian trademarks for start-ups promotion program started on October 12,
2010:

http://www.pinskylaw.ca/New...

Re: iPad for dummies

ceben — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:02:15 -0000

Absolutely! I'm certainly not blaming the iPad - just describing the effects of the phenomenon on me.

Re: iPad for dummies

ipad development — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:12:00 -0000

iPad is a great device. I know that many people have the same problem as you've described, but we shouldn't blame iPad for being so cool that we even can't concentrate on what we have to do ;)

Re: the growing lean startup movement

John P — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:13:35 -0000

We have found that one of the biggest problems we have is with requirements like PCI that we sometimes have to conform to. They are simply not designed to be "lean" and enforce a whole lot of process and red tape on the feedback cycle as well as forcing team separation etc.
It's as if they were written a decade or more ago ;)

Re: don’t touch my iphone!

John P — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:08:40 -0000

I found the same thing with my two children. They pick up the iphone interface very easily and I'm about to try the iPad out on one of my parents... so, maybe i'll know the answer to your question shortly :)

Re: alt bootstrapping

John P — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:21:01 -0000

Oh you are certainly correct. The next biggest problem is making enough time to properly work on what needs doing, while still bringing in the capital via other clients/work to make it happen.

We've actually just reached the stage where we need to better define ourselves. So far we have been discussing a cooperative corp as the main group (Called Sixgreen group at present) and the products their own entities, which would allow us to sell them or grow them as warranted.

A coop seems to fit with the basic goals we started with; Sixgreen's goals are simple:
- Allow better living by giving control of work time/space to members.
- Generate revenue and put some back into Sixgreen so that new projects can be supported.
- Share revenue equally (all people working are necessary to make it work).
- Use it in a way that is sustainable so that we can do it again.

We're all experienced professionals in whatever field we are in... there is no reason beyond time that we can not conceive, build and market a product ourselves. We also want to do it with as little external investment as possible for the obvious reasons.

Re: alt bootstrapping

ceben — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:29:07 -0000

Great to hear that you have a group attempting to work in this way. I'm not surprised that it's tough to take projects to completion following this method. Still, when/if ideas start to show promise, then it's likely the commitment and willingness to take on new risk will increase amongst the group.

I'd love to hear more about the group that you currently have.

Re: alt bootstrapping

John P — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:01:49 -0000

We started a group that is attempting to do that. We're finding the biggest hurdle is finding skilled people willing to take the risks and put the time in. It's hard enough getting one or two people to do it together, but getting a group of 5 or 6 people to do it is very difficult.

We end of with a lot of turnover and/or abandoned projects because of it, with only a few that keep at things and keep working. THe biggest problem is that without investment, there is nothing to pay anyone until a product startes to generate it's own revenue, and most people still need to work their day jobs.

We're at the stage now, as a few idea start to look promising, where we need to more formally define what we are and how we work to make transition of teams and projects smoother.

Re: #democamp #dct22 #yossivardi

Michael Cayley — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:55:45 -0000

I suppose the first step would be to convince this small network of influentials that a seedling prediction market is in their interests. From that, money would flow.

It is in current VCs interest because it would give them quality deal flow. Deals @ less then $1-million is not really the best spot for VCs. So if you know some of them get them to support the idea.

There is a lot of work to be done just to see if an idea like an Ontario Seedling Prediction Market could be designed in the way that I have started to imagine. Something that we could all do right now is to reach out to vendors and experts and obtain their input on the idea. I have reached out to three different contacts and I organized a meeting between Angels, VCs, social innovators, senior legal brains and entrepeneurs.

In short, alot more research and design needs to be done to take the basic idea in the post and turn it into a proposal or business plan. I wonder if the entrepeneurial community can see the self interest in dedicating some cycles to advancing the idea in this way. I know how hard it is to justify taking your eye off the ball for a side project.

without passionate volunteers to flesh it out, it would need to be a paid enagement.

Honestly - even if the Ontario government or a local VC or Angel Association or the like showed the leadership to fund this R&D phase, the entrepeneurial community would need to pitch in to feed information, insights and contacts so that the consulting engagement would not be a work completed inside a silo.

Personally, I would love to drive a startup like this.

Re: #democamp #dct22 #yossivardi

ceben — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:17:39 -0000

Michael, I don't know why I'm only seeing your comment now, 3 months later (likely the 2 months of travel and the arrival of my second daughter caused the miss on my part) so hopefully you're still listening...

I love the idea of creating a seedling prediction market in Ontario (or across Canada) to spur interest and investment in pre-revenue startups. The current environment certainly isn't doing enough to fund the right number of good ideas and good people.

Your idea to leverage the government sponsored venture funds to take part in this type of initiative makes perfect sense but I'm still very uncertain how one takes that step. It still comes down to a small network of proven entrepreneurs and investors who seem to maintain control and influence over tech innovation in this country.

How would you envisage getting this type of concept moving?

Re: The startup that never gets off the ground

John P — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:52:15 -0000

I'm the developer sort. People with your skills are often missing when I (we) want to start working on something.

I'd be very interested in your ideas on how we can take all this experience and knowledge and use it to produce something a bit more tangible, which still maintaining our families.

It possible. The most difficult think though is getting people to really focus and commit when there is no initial money on the table.

Re: #democamp #dct22 #yossivardi

Michael Cayley — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:01:37 -0000

sorry wrong link before http://bit.ly/CNUXt