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What are some real world examples about landing pages?
Excellent landing page design will help to attract users, retain users, and improve conversion rates. The success of many websites has proved the affinity between the landing page and the website themselves. All of these successful cases have one thing in common: they have the best UI/UX designer and the best landing page design.Good designers know that an effective landing page design should clearly convey the unique selling proposition of product or service and focus on the UX design of a perfect CTA button, such as allowing visitors to register or buy a product.Tricks on How to Make Excellent Landing Page DesignThe best landing page design example should be beautiful and attractive for users to gain knowledge to complete the registration and purchase. But how to make one for your own site? There are lot of tricks on how to make an excellent landing page design. Here is a prepared checklist for you.Who is the target group of the site?Is a new visitor who knows nothing about your product? Or, is a user who already knows something about the product? The arrival pages for the two kinds of people are quite different.Set the conversion target.Ask yourself, what do you want the visitors to do? To leave emails, download apps, buy items, register members or read more articles?Accurate delivery of service/product information.Keep the information for different sources and arrival pages be clear and equal. Otherwise, it will only make your bounce rate soared. The reason why users arrive the landing page is to find the correct answer! All they want is to be useful and helpful here.Does it need a responsive web design (RWD)?To put it in practice, responsive design is the best way to address the friendliness of landing pages on different devices like cell phones, tablets, and computers.Data Analysis and A/B TestingThere is no absolutely 100% excellent page, also no standards for success. To make a good landing page, data speaks louder than stories. So the most suggested method is to optimize the gained data, study visitor's stay time, bounce rate, conversion rate, read what, click on what ... Study the colors, comparing red Button and green button, who is performing well? Copy A or B? Then let A/B Test speak.Good product can help you improve the work efficiency-KyvioA unique, all-in-one marketing platform that helps you chart a life path of innovation and creation. It has everything you need to develop and effectively manage your business. From creating landing pages and sales funnels to having your own secure members area, collecting leads and sending email campaigns as well as managing your affiliate network. It’s simple, it’s easy and with a 14-day $1 trial, you can’t go wrong!Based on the points above points, personally, I picked 8 of the best landing page design examples for your inspiration in 2018.1. MailchimpHighlights:Black on whiteSpecial logoClearly user positioningThe slogan in white background and bold black font attract user's attention at the first glance, positioned the site itself as e-mail marketing.The gorilla image on the corner clearly shows that this landing page is created by MailChimp. The color contrast of blue registration button and white log in button stimulates users to create an account. Moreover, free is always welcomed.2. Landing Page - WebsiteHighlights:Bank cardClear business processesThis is a landing page designed in blue background by Ramotion on Dribbble. A prominent bank card shows the site's main product and services. Smooth business processes display the steps for users to apply for a bank card. The clickable point allows users to click and jump to the specific introduction at the same page.Mockplus iDoc, handoff designs with accurate specs, assets, code snippets automaticallyGet Started for FREEAs supplementary, the clickable process node and jump flow introduction enrich the presentation of the product, exposing as many details as possible for users on the same page. That is a smart design reducing the bounce rate of the landing page.3. UpworkHighlights:Clever CTA button designMotivational copywritingThe best way to design a landing page is to put the main CTA button in the first place. Obviously, Upwork makes good use of this. From their CTA design, it is easy to see that their goal is to attract businesses and freelancers to register.From the user experience point of view, the green "Post a Job" button targets on businesses, small characters, "What type of work you need?" is for freelance groups.Their copywriting is also very directional. Instead of using a rigid CTA like "Employer: register here," they use a profitable language ("Let freelancers do more work"), and then an action-oriented CTA tells the potential users to "post your work" here.4. Captico - AnimationHighlights:CTA + animationFlat designClean and concise flat design helps to show the smooth animation on the landing page. The creative combination of CTA button and animation makes the user experience of the entire page natural and vivid. Lively animation is also a good complement of the responsive theme for the site.5. SlackHighlights:Anthropomorphic design of collaborationBrand colorEasy CTA buttonThe fixed head allows all the necessary information to be displayed while the page is scrolling, allowing visitors to receive information without moving the page up or down.Slack's most important collaborative capabilities are presented to clients as a personified image. Diversified collaborative document presentations enhanced Slack brand image.The landing page design provides a strong sensation of brand on colors.The CTA button on the page takes a short, straightforward "Get Started" as the customer's activity guide.6. MatchpoolHighlights:Flat designMinimalist copywritingEye-catching CTA color designAs a website in flat design, color match of Matchpool is very fresh and lively. The concept of community reflected in the move of elves. The short copy also tells users that they are free to create their own community.The sharp color contrast of the CTA button makes it very eye-catching. Like I mentioned above, "Free" is always attractive for users.7. AirbnbHighlights:Simple graphic backgroundPersonalized displayWord-of-mouth marketingTo help turn visitors into landlords, Airbnb offers some engaging personalization features: Estimated weekly average revenue based on your location. You can enter additional information about your potential accommodation in the field for more personalized estimates.How to become a landlord for income? How to get security? Step by step guide to the page provides users with a clear direction of web browsing. The performance of word of mouth and trust on the landing page more enhanced user experience mentally.8. FlickrHighlights:Picture CarouselBig and visible CTA buttonAs we all know, Flickr is a photo sharing or storage platform, both amateur and professional photographers can join and be inspired. Its landing page design takes the form of a picture carousel to showcase the user's photography. With the artwork scrolling along with the artwork's signature and author's name makes people be curious about the author and his work, and he can not help but want to know more about the author's work. This is also one of the charms of the landing page.The large, visible CTA button design draws users to the Flickr community and gets their inspiration from tens of billions of photos.How to Start a Landing Page Design for Your Own Website?With reference to the best excellent landing page design examples I selected, how to start a landing page design for your own website? Here are some tools recommended.Prototyping design - MockplusUsing prototyping tools to design landing pages is one of the most convenient and effective ways. Start a web page project in Mockplus, with the help of available 200 components and 3000+ icons, you can make a landing page prototyping simply and quickly in drag-and-drop.Generally speaking, elements used in most landing page design examples are common components such as pictures, text, buttons, input boxes etc,. For example, this music project, So Stereo, prototyped by Mockplus.Design handoff - iDoc(Free- $99/month)System: Mac & WindowsAdvantage: Online collaboration design & hand-off design for UI designers and developersAs a brand-new collaboration and hand-off tool, iDoc has powerful plugins that support to import files from Photoshop, signNow XD, and Sketch. With the help of plugins, iDoc is possible to generate specs and assets automatically for UI designer’s use. To make the static design files into interactive and animated hi-fi prototypes, just upload your files into iDoc’s prototype module.On the working canvas, iDoc has four parts aim to different design purpose. Storyboard for logic lines to display the whole workflow and the progress. Specs for assets and color through importing files from the plugins. UI designers and developers could take the necessary visual elements such as position, size, CSS code, and other front-end parameters. That’s quite convenient for front-end developers to grasp codes and accurate information.Targeted as a collaboration tool, you can invite multiple team members to cooperate together for more effective and smooth teamwork. A great new tool to save your time.TemplatesIn addition to using the convenience of a prototyping tool to design an ideal landing page before the project begins, templates can also be applied directly. For example, Unbounce and Leadpages, have provided a number of very good landing page design templates.Unbounce - The best-known landing page design toolThere are many great landing page templates on Unbounce. Most of the templates focus on guiding users to switch. Unbounce also has a first-rate WYSIWYG page building tool to help users create their own landing page web pages.Leadpages - Multi-purpose landing page design toolsLeadPages offers many features such as web page layout, A/B test and optimizes SEO. Its biggest advantage is to integrate with other tools. For example, LeadDigits can help users to subscribe by entering their email address using SMS.ConclusionHope the best landing page design examples and design tools I listed above will be inspirational for your own landing page design in 2018. In addition, there are also many small details need to pay attention, such as how to make the CTA layout, how to use color in web page design, the location of the company LOGO, to enhance the page effect. As well as the title copywriting, support improvements may be greatly enhanced your conversion rate.Mockplus iDoc, best collaboration app for designers and developers
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Ableton vs Sonar vs xxx? Which is the best platform for sample based music?
All DAWs have their unique differences, but they all essentially do, and are capable of doing, the same thing as far as the end result is concerned.Personally, I like working with Ableton Live for samples and midi because I’m comfortable with the interface, I know the ins and outs of the program, I like the workflow it has, and it just works for me.However, when recording actual audio, I prefer using Logic. A big reason for this is the handy feature Logic has for automatically creating take folders when recording audio. Say you’re recording a guitar part on Track 1. You set the input, arm the track, and press record and run through it once. If it doesn’t feel right or you just want options, hit record again, and Logic will let you record over the same portion of the song, but not overwriting the past recording, instead creating a folder with all the different takes that can be expanded or minimized. You can then easily pick the take you like, or “comp”[osite] different bits and pieces from each take.In Ableton, recording audio is kind of a clunky process, you have to create a new track, set the input, record a new take on a new track, etc. And comping in Ableton isn’t not great.The short answer to your question is:They all have advantages and disadvantages but…It really doesn’t matter which one you choose, or what kind of music you want to make, they can all do what you need them to do if you know how to use them.The most important thing is to pick a DAW, stick with it, learn the every detail about, and master the DAW.That right there is going to be far more important than what DAW you choose.That said, if your focus is sample based music, my personal preference would be Ableton for it’s intuitive and easy ability to work with and manipulative loops and straightforward samplers. Also if you want to work with external samplers and hardware, setup to work with Ableton is pretty straightforward.**update**I also recently learned of some great trackers, which I have not tried, but have gotten some good feedback that may be a more intuitive process for you, as their basic layout is very similar to old-school Amiga trackers.Here’s a table from Wikipedia outlining some of the newer trackers out there:Coming from trackers, one of these options might be your best bet as they’ll likely be more familiar to you, but they also have incorporated a lot of new capabilities of modern DAWs like VST/AU plugin compatibility, MIDI sequencing, ability to use high quality audio samples, etc. Basically, all the features of a modern DAW with the interface of a tracker.
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Which books for maths can give me full edge over the subject?
Which Math Books Should You Buy?Countless math books are published each year, however only a tiny percentage of these titles are destined to become the kind of classics that are loved the world over by students and mathematicians. Within this page, you’ll find an extensive list of math books that have sincerely earned the reputation that precedes them.For many of the most important branches of mathematics, we’ve provided what we consider being the best math books for the subject at hand. We aimed for a list of titles that were either introductory in nature or that fall into the category of “must-have” math reference books. Naturally a universal consensus doesn’t exit but the books below are as close as it gets to a wish list for any aspiring mathematician or person who’s interested in mathematics. We highly recommend each and every one of these titles and hope that you’ll enjoy them, too.Abstract Algebra BooksContemporary Abstract Algebraby Joseph GallianReview: The seventh edition of Contemporary Abstract Algebra covers the basics of abstract algebra with clarity and a rarely seen brightness. Opting for readability over the rigor many of its contemporaries embrace, this textbook provides an excellent starting point for any student looking to learn and understand the subject. Gallian’s writing is inviting and comprehensive, the proofs are rock-solid, and his overall handling of the topic and the reader is gentle – something beginners will be grateful for. Abundantly filled with exercises, well chosen examples, and even biographies on notable mathematicians, this book makes the perfect companion for both students and teachingassistants. More info.Abstract Algebraby David S. Dummit and Richard M. FooteReview: Serious math learners will be thrilled by the rigorous conciseness of this textbook. Dense with information on every page and presented in a relaxed, open manner, Dummit and Foote’s Abstract Algebra effectively works to usher the reader into a realm of sophisticated algebraic concepts and theories. It seamlessly bridges any gap between graduate and undergraduate studies. The book is chock-full of clear examples and succinct proofs, making it evident that the authors have no intention of keeping the reader on a particular topic any longer than is necessary. With countless exercises and examples, Abstract Algebra proves to be an invaluable tool that is undeniably worth the price. More info.Algorithms BooksIntroduction to Algorithms, Third Editionby Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson and Ronald L. RivestReview: Introduction to Algorithms is a distinctly theoretical but all-around comprehensive book. Its use is not only limited to those taking algorithms courses but can also be utilized by anyone as an extensive reference source. Readers will learn quintessential algorithms as well as concepts such as what makes an algorithm efficient and why. Students will need a bit of mathematical background to get from cover to cover, however those who are able to do so will be intrigued by the content depth and wide spectrum of topics covered. These topics run the gamut from classical algorithms to computational geometry. More info.The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-3 Boxed Setby Donald E. KnuthReview: This 3 volume box set does a marvelous job of covering subjects in the vast field of computer science. The writing is intact and brimming with mathematical rigor. Readers whose sole focus is learning can easily skim over areas that are excessively detailed without losing grasp of the core concepts. All three volumes are equally definitive and provide a clean theoretical explanation of fundamentals of computer science. The entire set is organized into six chapters: Basic Concepts, Information Structures, Random Numbers, Arithmetic, Sorting, and Searching. Additionally, each chapter section comes with questions students can use to gain better hands on experience. This is book is akin to the bible for computer scientists. A fourth volume is also available. More info.Calculus Helpers BooksThe Calculus Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at Calculusby Adrian BannerReview: Lengthy yet vital, this resource book is jam packed with straight-forward explanations and loads of solved problems for students to easily learn from. Excelling many of its contemporaries by leaps and bounds, The Calculus Lifesaver truly lives up to its title. Students who are tired of dreary calculus textbooks that provide no motivation behind the concepts will be gladly surprised by the detailed and informal approach Banner uses to capture their attention. He fills all gaps and leaves readers feeling satisfied and enlightened. This book dually holds the characteristics of both an instructive primary aid as well as that of a supplementary read. More info.Calculus Made Easyby Silvanus P. ThompsonReview: Even those who are not particularly gifted or even proficient in mathematics will enjoy sitting down and studying from Calculus Made Easy. Thompson creates a warm, inviting environment where students will learn and grasp the true essence of calculus without any added fluff or overt technicality. Frustrated students who have sought after a compatible calculus aid to no avail will agree that this is a professional tool that is presented to the reader on the same wavelength. Thompson knows that math is hard. Rather than taking the standard approach that many use to confound and further bewilder students, he breaks calculus down into a form that is a lot less threatening. More info.Calculus I BooksCalculus, Vol. 1by Tom M. ApostolReview: The author strikes a perfect balance between theory and technique by explaining the “why” of calculus in addition to the “how”. He wanders off the standard presentational path for a calculus course and thereby creates a more historically accurate and useful book. Those who are bound by the established method of teaching calculus and are more interested in problems and exercises may not identify with Apostol’s method. But this is a book that was written for the curious student with the intention of being read and understood, not practiced and blindly memorized. The result is that students will be ready to tackle calculus subjects and courses with a newfound clarity. More info.Calculusby Michael SpivakReview: Tenacious students in favor of stimulating study will love this book. Spivak’s prose is almost charming in the way that it thrusts readers into a challenge that advanced learners will be happy to take on. He forces them to rely on their own perspicacity and reason instead of a collection of random techniques and mechanics. Sophisticated readers will appreciate the style he uses to communicate and teach calculus while others may first want to opt for a more elementary text before attempting to penetrate the solidity of Spivak’s. This fourth edition includes additional problems and other minor changes not included in the third. More info.Calculus II/III BooksCalculus, Vol. 2by Tom M. ApostolReview: In this follow-up to Volume I of his series, Apostol continues to lay the groundwork for calculus students with precision and ease. Where volume one helped establish the basics and form the reader’s understanding, volume two expands that knowledge in a way that demands full immersion into the text. Unlike other calculus books, this one is replete with substance. The author takes time to build and prove each theorem the way it ought to be done. Unlike many follow-up math books, this one never mindlessly repeats the same material. Instead, it vigorously moves ahead into new territory involving the use of multi-variables and advanced applications. More info.Calculus On Manifoldsby Michael SpivakReview: This short and concise book only focuses on what is essential and nothing else. It works to quickly develop the reader’s understanding of differential and integral calculus. Spivak makes his writing on the main objective of the book – Stokes Theorem – painless and easy to grasp. Readers are encouraged to keep a pen and paper on hand to rewrite the proofs on their own. The book’s chapters are as follows: Functions on Euclidean Spaces, Differentiation, Integration, Integration on chains, and Integration on Manifolds. Spivak’s mathematical prowess is apparent by his ability to pack so much punch in only a small amount of pages. If you enjoyed Calculus by Spivak, you’ll love Calculus On Manifolds. More info.Coffee Table Math BooksMathematicians: An Outer View of the Inner Worldby Mariana CookReview: In this uniquely interesting book, photographer Mariana Cook offers readers high quality black and white photographs of 92 noteworthy mathematicians. Cook’s unusual concept for this book has raised several eyebrows. However it provides a much needed break from the rather austere climate that the math world is usually comprised of. Her selected mathematicians come from diverse backgrounds and have all signNowed their authoritative status in equally different ways. Each photograph is accompanied by a quick, informative and often enlightening essay by the mathematician at hand, frequently revealing the passion and deep love for their discipline that each mathematician possesses. Cook does a wonderful job of capturing her subjects in an honest and purely human light. As such, this title is the ideal coffee table book for math geeks. More info.Sacred Mathematics: Japanese Temple Geometryby Fukagawa Hidetoshi and Tony RothmanReview: In Sacred Mathematics, Hidetoshi and Rothman present a tantalizing and detailed history of Sangaku puzzles that will keep the reader engaged for many hours. For those who are unfamiliar with the subject, sangakus are Japanese geometrical puzzles that were created on wooden tablets and hung in sacred temples and shrines. Readers will discover how the Japanese cleverly intertwined the mathematical, the spiritual, and the artistic to create their own cultural brand of geometry. Sangaku was formulated during an era before western influence had signNowed Japan. This makes it a unique and fascinating art that has attracted many mathematicians. The authors do a beautiful job of introducing the reader to Japanese culture and the mastery of the country’s sangakus mathematicians. This hardcover volume is rich of illustrations and would be a nice coffee table book. More info.Combinatorics BooksPrinciples and Techniques in Combinatoricsby Chen Chuan-Chong and Koh Khee-MengReview: Math undergrads will find Principles and Techniques in Combinatorics to be a detailed but easy to read book. This is a much needed textbook that can truly be classified as introductory. The authors take careful consideration not to over-elaborate key concepts and thereby confuse those readers who are not as advanced in mathematics as others. Students will enjoy walking step by step through precisely detailed combinatorial proofs as well as reading the greatly in depth chapter on Recurrence Relations (Chapter 6). An abundance of combinatorial problems that are perfect for math competition trainers and participants can be found at the end of each chapter, adding even more value to this already low-priced gem. More info.Combinatorics and Graph Theory (2nd edition)by John Harris, Jeffry L. Hirst, and Michael MossinghoffReview: This second edition of Combinatorics and Graph Theory presents all relevant concepts in a clear and straight to-the-point manner that students will undoubtedly favor. The authors waste no time and quickly set out to teach readers in a brilliantly written and warmly engaging manner. Within its 382 pages, students will find unambiguous explanations on a range of combinatorial and graph theory topics such as Ramsey numbers, Cayley’s tree-count theorem, inclusion-exclusion, vertex coloring, and elementary combinations to just name a few. The second edition also contains new material not previously included in the first, such as extended information on Polya theory, stable marriage problems, and Eulerian trails. More info.Differential Equations BooksDifferential Equations and Their Applicationsby Martin BraunReview: This high-level text is clearly understandable and widely engaging. Braun runs through the pages of his book in a light, expertly written manner that will keep readers hooked for hours. As highly technical as this field is, he covers it fluidly spurring readers to dig deeper into other sources on the subject long after they’ve finished reading this one. Motivated students will find Braun’s discussion insightful, a result of his strive to implement understanding. Anyone taking a course in differential equations for the first time or as a refresher will be greatly pleased by this book’s clear and invigorating approach. More info.Encyclopedias of Mathematics BooksThe Princeton Companion to Mathematicsby Timothy Gowers, June Barrow-Green and Imre Leader (Editors)Review: This is an extraordinary book that every student and mathematician should absolutely have. The PCM carries the true signature of a math encyclopedia in that it is versatile and capable of being all things to all learners in every field of mathematics, and on all levels also. In light of its broad spectrum of topics, the editors have managed to keep this book cohesive and well knit together. The PCM includes specialized articles from contributors on a variety of math topics that even the most advanced pros can learn from. Non-mathematicians who are curious about the trade can also learn a great deal of information from the PCM due to its overall accessible nature. This is the kind of book that will still be read a hundred years from now, and it truly is the nicest book I own. More info.Encyclopedia of Mathematicsby James Stuart TantonReview: This awesome reference gives math lovers exactly what they want from a math encyclopedia. Those who want to quickly search and learn about a particular topic without unneeded rambling from the author or unsatisfactory terseness, will find a trustworthy companion in Tanton’s aptly named work. This book is formatted in an A- Z structure. Tanton makes no diversions in outlining or trying to draw connections other than what is necessary. He essentially gives readers the needed facts and resources, and then keeps it moving. This will prove to be wonderful for some while disappointing for others. The book contains more than 800 entries as well as relevant timelines following the entries. More info.Foundations of Mathematics BooksA Mathematical Introduction to Logic, Second Editionby Herbert EndertonReview: This is one of the finest introductory texts on logic that any student can read. Enderton is cohesive in his explanations and skillfully covers all the essential bases, from number theory to first and second order logic as well as several theorems, including Godel’s. While not a mandatory requirement, it is highly recommended that the reader has a slight understanding of math logic. This will make it easier to complete the many exercises found throughout. Complete with many well-chosen examples and a wider scope than most of its peers, I’d suggest this book to anyone seeking to learn or better understand math logic. More info.Classic Set Theory for Guided Independent Studyby Derek C. GoldreiReview: This is a clearly written and expertly arranged independent study guide designed to make the topic of set theory comprehensible and easy to grasp for self-study students. Without a doubt, this books more than delivers. Readers can expect a smooth ride devoid of complexity and assumed pre-exposure to the subject. Goldrei’s book brings forth an abundance of both solved an unsolved exercises, illustrations and thorough explanations. Ideas, commentaries and recommendations that are resourcefully placed alongside the main text delightfully height the learning experience. This is one of those unfortunately rare but wonderfully rigorous independent study math books that many students stumble across and never seem to put down. More info.Categories for the Working Mathematicianby Saunders Mac LaneReview: The author of this work, Sunders Mac Lane, has concisely spread out all the vital category theory information that students will probably ever need to know. Category theory is a tough topic for many and is not effortlessly explained. However, Mac Lane approaches the task with skill, dexterity and an orderly flow of writing – but this isn’t surprising being that Mac Lane is the very originator of category theory. Those with limited experience with graduate-level mathematics are cautioned to start with a more basic text before delving into this one. However, serious mathematicians looking to learn from one of the masters in the trade will be thoroughly delighted with Mac Lane’s exposition. More info.History of Mathematics BooksMathematics: From the Birth of Numbersby Jan GullbergReview: Gullberg’s takes an amazing dive into the deep grounded roots of mathematics and its origins. The astounding part about all of it is that Jan Gullberg is a doctor and not a mathematician. Despite this, he has managed to write a thorough book that captures the entire history of math along with answers to the “why” and “how” that students often ask. The enthusiasm he exhibits throughout will spread onto readers like wildfire. This work is clearly a labor of love, not self-exaltation. Readers will appreciate that Gullberg is simply a man who has fallen in love with and holds an immense adoration for one of the most important components of human civilization. More info.What Is Mathematics? An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methodsby Richard Courant and Herbert RobbinsReview: Math aficionados will profit greatly from this book. Those interested in breezing through a math history text won’t however have much luck with this one. That is because this book does more than just skim the surface. The authors prompt readers to actually think about the ideas and methods mentioned rather than blindly swallow them down for later use. They present captivating discussions on many topics instead of dull facts and easy answers. The end result of reading this book is an appreciation that will develop from the thought processes readers are required to use. The writing is classic and elucidating, accompanied by many engaging illustrations and side notes. More info.Mathematics and its Historyby John StillwellReview: This book contains a treasure chest of priceless history and deep facts that even established pros will find themselves learning from. John Stillwell foregoes the encyclopedic route and makes it his goal to help the reader understand the beauty behind mathematics instead. He brilliantly unifies mathematics into a clear depiction that urges readers to rethink what they thought they knew already. He effectively travels all pertinent ground in this relatively short text, striking a clever balance between brevity and comprehensiveness. Readers looking to truly understand the whole concept of mathematics and its disciplines will enjoy reading Stillwell’s Mathematics and its History. More info.Information Theory BooksComputational Science and Engineeringby Gilbert StrangReview: Gilbert Strang has a reputation for writing ample, pragmatic, and insightful books. During the course of reading this one, it will become blatantly clear to the reader that the author has created this work out of passion and a genuine love for the subject. Every engineer can benefit deeply from reading this. Strang’s writing style and his instructive approach are unrivaled. He covers all aspects of computational science and engineering with experience and authority. The topics discussed include applied linear algebra and fast solvers, differential equations with finite differences and finite elements, and Fourier analysis and optimization. Strang has taught this material to thousands of students. With this book many more will be added to that number. More info.Information Scienceby David G. LuenbergerReview: This book has what many of its peers don’t: the skill and finesse to clearly explain complex concepts in a manner that appeals to readers, but never loses integrity. The book contains interesting historical facts and insightful examples. Luenberger forms the structure of his book around 5 main parts: entropy, economics, encryption, extraction, and emission, otherwise known as the 5 Es. He encompasses several points of view and thereby creates a well-rounded text that readers will admire. He details how each of the above parts provide function for modern info products and services. Luenberger is a talented teacher that readers will enjoy learning from. More info.Introduction to Coding and Information Theoryby Steve RomanReview: Undergraduate math and computer science students will be thrilled to learn information theory and coding theory from Steve Roman’s book. Readers will gain a profound understanding of the types of codes and their efficiency. Roman starts his exposition off with an introductory section containing brief preliminaries and an introduction to codes that preps the reader and makes it easier for them to process the remaining material. He follows that with two chapters containing a precise teaching on information theory, and a final section containing four chapters devoted to coding theory. He finishes this pleasing journey into information and coding theory with a brief introduction to cyclic codes. More info.Linear Algebra and Geometry BooksLinear Algebra Done Rightby Sheldon AxlerReview: This is an exemplary book requiring a small level of mathematical maturity. Axler takes a thoughtful and theoretical approach to the work. He skillfully takes the focus off from matrices and shifts the reader’s attention more towards linear mappings. This makes his proofs elegant, simple, and pleasing. Conscious of the reader’s possible unfamiliarity as well as time frame, Axler does a fine job of preparing and developing readers’ understanding rather than fully detailing application methods and formulas. He leaves the reader with unsolved exercises which many will find to be thought-provoking and stimulating. An understanding of working with matrices is required. This book works great as a supplementary or second course introduction to linear algebra. More info.The Four Pillars of Geometryby John StillwellReview: This is a beautifully written book that will help students connect the dots between four differing viewpoints in geometry. These four “pillars”, as Stillwell refers to them, are: straightedge and compass constructions, linear algebra, projective geometry and transformation groups. This book will help the reader develop a stronger appreciation for geometry and its unique ability to be approached at different angles – an exciting trait which ultimately enables students to strengthen their overall knowledge of the subject. Undergraduate students and professors alike will enjoy the brevity of Stillwell’s writing and his ability to rapidly examine each of these topics of geometry rather than emphasize just one. More info.Mathematical Methods BooksMathematical Methods: For Students of Physics and Related Fieldsby Sadri HassaniReview: This book gives readers an enhanced view of complex mathematics and their applications than most standard courses don’t do. It is recommended that only those with some existing knowledge of linear and complex algebra, differential equations, and even complex analysis and algebra only use this book. Physics and engineering students beyond their introductory courses are the intended audience and will benefit the most. The material can be used as both refresher reading and as a primary study guide. Hassani is well-versed and hispresentation is expertly organized. He also effectively begins each chapter with a short preamble that helps further instill understanding of the main concepts. More info.Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciencesby Mary L. BoasReview: Boas continues her tradition of conciseness and wholly satisfies physical science students with her third edition of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences. Mathematics majors need to be aware that this book is intended for the fields of science and engineering, therefore the author’s focus is not on proofs or mathematical rigor. She even makes a point to stress this in the preface. Boas has done students a tremendous service by combining essential math concepts into one easy to use reference guide. It contains vital pieces and bits of all the major topics including Complex numbers, linear algebra, PDEs, ODEs, calculus, analysis and probability and statistics. Every physics student should certainly own this one. More info.Number Theory BooksElementary Number Theoryby Gareth A. Jones and Josephine M. JonesReview: Undergraduate math majors will find this book to be easily approachable but containing much depth. Jones and Jones form a powerful duo and expertly take students through a painless and surprisingly enjoyable learning experience. They seem aware that many readers prefer readability over a more pedantic style. They briefly touch base on advanced topics such as Fermat’s Last Theorem and its history while still remaining understandable. This book rightfully puts emphasis on the beauty of number theory and the authors accompany each exercise with complete solutions – something students will certainly enjoy. This book can work excellently as both introductory course literature or supplementary study and reference material. More info.An Invitation to Modern Number Theoryby Steven J. Miller and Ramin Takloo-BighashReview: Advanced undergrads interested in information on modern number theory will find it hard to put this book down. The authors have created an exposition that is innovative and keeps the readers mind focused on its current occupation. The subject of modern number theory is complex and therefore this book is intended for the more experienced student. However, the authors tackle the subject in a well-paced yet rigorous style that is more than commendable. Each page exudes brilliance, birthing an underlying deeper awareness of the topic. As described in the title this book really is an invitation – and curious readers would be wise to accept it. More info.An Introduction to the Theory of Numbersby G. H. Hardy, Edward M. Wright and Andrew WilesReview: This is a book that is commonly used in number theory courses and has become a classic staple of the subject. Beautifully written, An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers gives elementary number theory students one of the greatest introductions they could wish for. Led by mathematical giant G. H Hardy, readers will journey through numerous number theoretic ideas and exercises. Hardy’s writing brims with a knowledge and elegance that subtly displays the razor sharp expertise he possessed. This book will not only guide number theory students through their current studies but will also prepare them for more advanced courses should they pursue them in the future. An absolute classic that belongs to the bookshelf on any math lover. More info.Numerical Analysis BooksNumerical Analysis with CD-ROMby Timothy SauerReview: Sauer has created a book that is more than suitable for first course studies in numerical analysis. He highlights the five critical areas of the subject which are: Convergence, Complexity, Conditioning, Compression, and Orthogonality, and makes well-planned connections to each throughout the book. The proofs are exacting but not too intricate and will firmly satisfy students. Each chapter is laden with insight, and not just analysis. Sauer attentively infuses his book with numerous problems, some to be completed by hand and others through the use of the Matlab numerical computing package. Complete with Matlab code in the back of the book and an accompanying CD-ROM, students will find Numerical Analysis a pleasure to own. More info.Numerical Recipes 3rd Edition: The Art of Scientific Computingby William H. Press, Saul A. Teukolsky, William T. Vetterling and Brian P. FlanneryReview: This third edition of a widely esteemed favorite has been upgraded to include the latest modern scientific computing methods as well as two completely new chapters. The book is still written and presented in the same practical an easy to read style that the previous versions were known for. The authors diligently treat the old familiar methods with passion while tactfully intertwining them with newer and equally important more contemporary ones. The exceptionally written C++ code will help readers incorporate and test the algorithmic solutions in their own environments for further learning. However there are strict licensing rules to pay attention to. More info.Precalculus BooksPrecalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell: Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometryby George F. SimmonsReview: George Simmons takes newbies and out of practice scholars alike, through a refreshing crash course in three basic mathematical practices (Geometry, Algebra and Trigonometry) in their simple but often hated form. High school graduates and others on the way to their first college calculus course will be thoroughly prepared to take on the intimidating realm of college level mathematics. Simmons shows readers just how uncomplicated and enjoyable mathematics can be – all in a transparent and fluid tone. He goes into adequate depth while still maintaining enough brevity to encourage the reader to think on their own. He cuts to the chase and afterwards leaves readers feeling capableand well-equipped. More info.Basic Mathematicsby Serge LangReview: The late Serge Lang’s Basic Mathematics will help students properly commence their venture into college calculus. The book is divided into four sections: Algebra, Intuitive Geometry, Coordinate Geometry, and Miscellaneous. Each section offers numerous exercises for readers to practice and fine-tune their abilities on. Lang carefully uses his grounded expertise to construct a sturdy foundation for the reader to build their future mathematical knowledge on. Basic math concepts are his sole focus and he comfortably takes readers through the material with an advanced but stress free tone. The principles Lang brings to the forefront are absolutely vital for anyone wishing to move forward in calculus, college algebra, and other areas of mathematics. More info.Probability BooksIntroduction to Probability Models, Tenth Editionby Sheldon M. RossReview: Introduction to Probability Models differs from many probability books in that it covers a variety of disciplines. It has been widely used by a number of professors as the main text for many first courses. This elementary introduction provides ample instruction on probability theory and stochastic processes, and insight into its application in a broad range of fields. Ross has filled each chapter with loads of exercises and clear examples. He also takes his time in explaining the thinking and intuition behind many of the theorems and proofs. Even those who don’t specialize in the field will find it a joy to read this book. More info.An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applicationsby William FellerReview: In this first volume, William Feller paints a clear picture of probability theory and several of its interesting applications from the discrete viewpoint. The material is a bit advanced and is only recommended for students going into their third or fourth years. His writing brims with examples that help establish an accurate conception of discrete probability, and it includes sound insight into the history and development of probability theory. Readers will walk away with an intuitive understanding and sharper awareness of the subject. It is a must read item for any intermediate to advanced student who is working in the field of probability theory. More info.Probability Theory: The Logic of Scienceby E.T JaynesReview: Jaynes writes a fantastic prose that views probability theory beyond the usual context. The ideas found within this book are innovative and the author takes a welcomed path away from the conventional. Readers will enjoy the intellectual journey into the fundamentals of probability theory coupled with the book’s relaxed and informal tonality. It is strangely akin to receiving a one-on-one lesson from the author himself. Jaynes should be praised for taking a huge step away from mainstream probability theory and into this fresher approach. The only disappointment to this masterpiece is that, sadly, Jaynes died before completely finishing it, causing the editor to step in and thinly inject the missing pieces. More info.Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability with Solutionsby Frederick MonstellerReview: This small entertaining book presents a remarkable assortment of probability problems and puzzles that will keep readers stimulated for hours. Monsteller narrates parts of his book with a sense of humor which creates an easy-going and comfortable learning environment. The problems the author has selected put emphasis on, and will help readers learn, invaluable techniques. Detailed solutions to each problem are also included so as not to leave the reader bewildered or uncertain. The book ranges in scope from basic probability puzzlers to very difficult and intricate ones for the highly advanced student. This book easily doubles as supplementary study material or as a source of recreational math enjoyment. More info.Real and Complex Analysis BooksPrinciples of Mathematical Analysis, Third Editionby Walter RudinReview: Rudin has written an exquisite book on analysis. Before approaching, students should have a modest understanding of mapping, set theory, linear algebra and other basic topics. Rudin’s problem sets appear tough, but once figured out students will be more than grateful for his rigor. For readers, the key to really benefiting from this book is not only in reading it but in completing Rudin’s exercises and proofs on their own. The challenge will train them to think intuitively and effectively. This book is also known as “baby rudin” and it’s a real classic. More info.Real Analysisby N.L CarothersReview: There are many math books that go by the same straightforward title, however not many of them exude the same amount of mastery and reverence for the subject as Carothers’ does. The book is infused with enlightening historical commentary which keeps the reader engaged and helps break the stereotype of “boring math books”. The author also has an interesting custom of inserting a parenthesized “why” whenever he purposely bypasses a detail by forcing readers to figure it out themselves. While some will find this frustrating, motivated and determined students will take it as an opportunity to probe deeper and explore real analysis further than they normally might. More info.Real and Complex Analysisby Walter RudinReview: Rudin provides a solid handling of graduate level real and complex analysis. He encompasses all basic and advanced topics such as differentiation, Banach and Hilbert Spaces, Fourier analysis, etc. Readers who are familiar with Rudin can expect to see his usual writing style – elegant and concise. He goes through a standard but thorough teaching on measure theory in the first half of the book and then progresses onto an innovative study of complex analysis. He starts basic but fluidly moves towards a level that requires persistence on the reader’s part. This book (aka “big rudin” or “papa rudin”) is a masterpiece for students who are looking for a classic read on real and complex analysis. More info.A First Course in Complex Analysis With Applicationsby Dennis Zill and Patrick ShanahanReview: This book gives students an accessible introduction to the world of complex analysis and how its methods are used. A First Course in Complex Analysis is reader-friendly to the newcomer and therefore is ideal for use by both undergrads as well as graduates. For undergrads, the authors refrain from abstractness and maintain an appreciated level of transparency. While for graduates, they effortlessly fill in the gaps that many standard course texts tend to leave wide open. Each chapter is followed by a section detailing the applications of the previously discussed topic. Additionally a quick review quiz for further verification and cultivation of skills is also included with each chapter. More info.Visual Complex Analysisby Tristan NeedhamReview: Author Tristan Needham reveals the often unrealized beauty of complex analysis through a graphical perspective. He takes an elegant approach to complex analysis that will cause the reader to turn each page in awe of the insightful prose and intricate visuals. This book momentarily takes the math student’s mind off of the abstractness and conciseness that it has been raised on and transfers it to a place full of innovative approaches, but without sacrificing rigor. Readers will understand solutions through their own intuition, not memorization. Rich in math history and lively from the start, this book would make excellent study and recreational reading for the serious student. More info.Statistics BooksStatistics in Plain English, Third Editionby Timothy C. UrdanReview: Just as the title implies, the author has submitted an unequivocal and palpable exposition on statistics. Statistics in Plain English is regarded by many as the most appropriate statistics primer for undergraduates. Urdan has managed to compress everything one needs to know about statistics into a compact 250 page book that doesn’t feel hurried or unfulfilling. The text is general enough to be used in a variety of mathematical areas yet retains its comprehensiveness and accuracy. Urdan masterfully moves through essential concepts without losing the reader the way many professors would. Students harboring apprehension towards statistics will tremendously enjoy this book. More info.Introductory Statisticsby Neil A. WeissReview: Introductory Statistics will greatly increase readers’ understanding of statistics and the reasoning behind the subject. Weiss has structured the subject matter carefully and formulates his writing in a lucid and enjoyable style. He thoughtfully steers away from advanced topics as they would only serve to confuse readers who are in this elementary stage. The focus is kept on detailed explanations of the basics in a clear language that will appeal to many beginners. Some of the chapters covered include: The Nature of Statistics, Organizing Data, Descriptive Measures, Discrete Random Variables, Inferential Methods in Regression and Correlation, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). More info.Statistics, 4th Editionby David Freedman, Robert Pisani and Roger PurvesReview: This is an excellent, non-technical and simple introduction to statistics. The book is intended for lower-level students who wish to know the standard topics and methods that are included in most first statistics courses. Math students will find it easy to understand the ideas presented, while teachers and tutors will discover an engaging and highly effective way to teach statistics material. The authors provide real-life examples such as clinical trials and observational studies to help readers grasp the subject matter even better. All that is needed to learn from this book is a basic understanding of numbers and simple algebra. More info.Topology BooksIntroduction to Topology and Modern Analysisby George F. SimmonsReview: The author of this book has divided it into three sections: topology, operators, and algebras of operators. He contrives a fantastic and classical introduction to topology that targets continuity and linearity, the dominating themes. In the preface Simmons states that the goal is to illuminate these words’ meaning and their relation to each other, which is exactly what he does in the remaining pages. Self-study students will find Simmons to be a phenomenal communicator and will have no problem at all going through chapter after chapter of his writings. He clarifies deep concepts in a manner that boasts his mathematical capacity and skill while never leaving the reader behind. More info.Introduction to Topology: Third Editionby Bert MendelsonReview: Undergraduates will enjoy this introduction to the fundamentals of topology. Despite its relatively short length, this book thoroughly encompasses the basic material students are required to know. Engaging exercises and problems urge the reader’s mind to fully comprehend and absorb the material. In the first chapter, Mendelson explains set theory in an unmitigated manner which primes readers for the following chapters. Self-study enthusiasts will fall in love with the clarity and simple progress of the writing. However, despite its simplicity this book holds much contextual depth and gravity. After Mendelson’s initial introduction to topology, students will have no need for another. More info.Feel free to get in touch if you think the list is really missing out by not listing a specific book. If you are a publisher and feel that we’re missing a great book of yours, drop us a line. Please understand that we recommend only what we consider to be the best books on the market today. No exceptions.
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What are some good businesses that can be started with a very small capital?
I recommend that anyone looking to test the entrepreneurial waters give e-commerce a start. You can actually sell goods without ever owning them.I got started with E-Commerce when I was just 13, buying custom bicycles and selling all of the parts separately.Later I realized that I could sell just about anything without owning it at all. When a customer would place an order with me, I would get their money and use it to place an order with my supplier straight to my customer’s house.The difference in price and cost is my profit to keep. This is a business model known as dropshipping.A customer places an order on my website, I then buy much cheaper from a supplier and ship the order straight to my customer’s house.Keys to success:Start with one product (or a very small niche selection, if you must). Remember, Amazon started with Books on the internet.That flagship product should cost you less than $10, and sell for $29. In my experience, $30 is the maximum strangers are willing to spend with a stranger on the internet, with no recommendations from trusted sources or other social proof.Most people stress over what they will sell. The truth is, it’s all about angle. Super generic products are totally fine, when combined with the right audience.That last point is very, very important. I’ll share an idea I had the other day to help you better understand—I recently left a job that provided a company car. I’m out on my own for the first time, and despite making more money now, I’m still stressed over losing my steady, predictable income.So, I’m driving my sister’s old Lexus SUV. I love it.Leather interior, good gas mileage, has a little more get up and go…But the ONLY audio input is a cassette player!!So, I put in a little Casette-to-Auxiliary adapter that I sell through my B2B dropship business.I connected that device to another product I sell B2B— bluetooth-to-auxiliary adapter…I connected my phone via bluetooth, and voila!! I was playing Spotify wirelessly to/through a cassette deck!To my surprise, the audio quality was actually EXCELLENT.These two devices cost $6 combined.Find out what cars only have tape/cd decks and no auxiliary, and figure out how to target owners of those cars. Sell the combo for $29.BAM. Hungry audience, fantastic margin.Craigslist? Facebook ads?I haven’t fleshed that part out yet.Go ahead, steal my idea :)
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What is the main reason of the downfall of blackberry company?
Shortly after the release of the first iPhone, Verizon asked BlackBerry to create a touchscreen “iPhone killer.” But the result was a flop, so Verizon turned to Motorola and Google instead.In 2012, one-time co-CEO Jim Balsillie quit the board and cut all ties to BlackBerry in protest after his plan to shift focus to instant-messaging software, which had been opposed by founder Mike Lazaridis, was killed by current CEO Thorsten Heins.Mr. Lazaridis opposed the launch plan for the BlackBerry 10 phones and argued strongly in favour of emphasizing keyboard devices. But Mr. Heins and his executives did not take the advice and launched the touchscreen Z10, with disastrous resultsLate last year, Research In Motion Ltd. chief executive officer Thorsten Heins sat down with the board of directors at the company’s Waterloo, Ont., headquarters to review plans for the launch of a new phone designed to turn around the company’s fortunes.His weapon was the BlackBerry Z10, a slim device with the kind of glass touchscreen that had made Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. the dominant names in the global smartphone market.But one of RIM’s directors was frustrated by what he saw, and spoke out, according to one person who was in the room. There is a cultural problem at RIM, he told the group, and the Z10 was a glaring manifestation of it.The speaker was none other than Michael Lazaridis, the genius behind the BlackBerry, the company’s co-founder and its former co-CEO. Minutes earlier, he said, he had spoken with Mr. Heins’s newest executive recruits, chief marketing officer Frank Boulben and chief operating officer Kristian Tear.Mr. Boulben and Mr. Tear had dismissively told Mr. Lazaridis that the market for keyboard-equipped mobile phones – RIM’s signature offering – was dead.In the board meeting, Mr. Lazaridis pointed to a BlackBerry with a keyboard. “I get this,” he said. “It’s clearly differentiated.” Then he pointed to a touchscreen phone. “I don’t get this.”To turn away from a product that had always done well with corporate customers, and focus on selling yet another all-touch smartphone in a market crowded with them, was a huge mistake, Mr. Lazaridis warned his fellow directors. Some of them agreed.The boardroom confrontation was a telling moment in the downfall of Research In Motion.Once the giant of the smartphone business, RIM, which was renamed BlackBerry Ltd. in the summer, is now on its knees. The company reported a $965-million (U.S.) fiscal second-quarter loss Friday, primarily because of a massive writedown of Z10 phones that sit, unsold and unwanted, about eight months after they first hit the market. The company is cutting 4,500 jobs, 40 per cent of its work force, in a desperate bid to bring costs in line with plummeting revenue.Investors, who have lived through the destruction of more than $75-billion of the company’s market value over the past five years, are still wondering how BlackBerry managed to blow its runaway lead and became a bit player in the smartphone market it invented.An investigation by The Globe and Mail, which included interviews with two dozen past and present company insiders, exposes a series of deep rifts at the executive and boardroom levels.Those divisions hurt the company’s ability to develop products just as it faced its greatest challenge from more nimble and creative rivals – and contributed to the downfall of Canada’s biggest technology company.Once a fast-moving innovator that kept two steps ahead of the competition, RIM grew into a stumbling corporation, blinded by its own success and unable to replicate it. Several years ago, it owned the smartphone world: Even U.S. President Barack Obama was a BlackBerry addict. But after new rivals redefined the market, RIM responded with a string of devices that were late to market, missed the mark with consumers, and opened dangerous fault lines across the organization.Months before their boardroom showdown, Mr. Heins and Mr. Lazaridis found themselves in another strategic standoff in which they were pitted against Jim Balsillie, Mr. Lazaridis’s long-time business partner and co-CEO.Inside RIM, the brash Mr. Balsillie had championed a bold strategy to re-establish the company’s place at the forefront of mobile communications. The plan was to push wireless carriers to adopt RIM’s popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) instant messaging service as a replacement for their short text messaging system (SMS) applications – no matter what kind of phone their customers used.It was a novel plan. If RIM could get BBM onto hundreds of millions of non-BlackBerry phones, and charge fees for it, the company would have an enormous new source of profit, Mr. Balsillie believed. “It was a really big idea,” said an employee who was involved in the project.But the plan ran into stiff opposition at senior levels. Not long after Mr. Heins took over as RIM’s CEO in January, 2012, he killed it, with Mr. Lazaridis’s support.That was it for Mr. Balsillie. Weeks later, he resigned from the board and cut his ties to the company.“My reason for leaving the RIM board in March, 2012, was due to the company’s decision to cancel the BBM cross-platform strategy,” Mr. Balsillie said in a brief statement to The Globe and Mail, his first public comments on his departure. He declined a request for an interview.Mr. Lazaridis, who declined to speak about board matters, resigned as a director this past March after delaying his retirement by a year at the board's request.Now, BlackBerry’s future is in doubt. This week, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., a Toronto-based investment company, announced a plan to lead a $4.7-billion takeover of the company. The offer is conditional, and requires a group of so-far uncommitted institutional investors to back Fairfax and provide financing.The company’s near-collapse is a painful situation for Mr. Lazaridis, a gifted engineer who co-founded RIM in a tiny Waterloo office above a bagel shop in 1984.“It’s really hurting me,” he said in an interview. “I can’t imagine what the employees must be thinking. Everyone is talking about the most likely scenario being that it will be broken up and sold off for parts. What will happen to the Waterloo region, or Canada? What company will take its place?”Competition risingMike Lazaridis was at home on his treadmill and watching television when he first saw the Apple iPhone in early 2007. There were a few things he didn’t understand about the product. So, that summer, he pried one open to look inside and was shocked. It was like Apple had stuffed a Mac computer into a cellphone, he thought.To Mr. Lazaridis, a life-long tinkerer who had built an oscilloscope and computer while in high school, the iPhone was a device that broke all the rules. The operating system alone took up 700 megabytes of memory, and the device used two processors. The entire BlackBerry ran on one processor and used 32 MB. Unlike the BlackBerry, the iPhone had a fully Internet-capable browser. That meant it would strain the networks of wireless companies like AT&T Inc., something those carriers hadn’t previously allowed. RIM by contrast used a rudimentary browser that limited data usage.“I said, ‘How did they get AT&T to allow [that]?’ Mr. Lazaridis recalled in the interview at his Waterloo office. “ ‘It’s going to collapse the network.’ And in fact, some time later it did.”Publicly, Mr. Lazaridis and Mr. Balsillie belittled the iPhone and its shortcomings, including its short battery life, weaker security and initial lack of e-mail. That earned them a reputation for being cocky and, eventually, out of touch. “That’s marketing,” Mr. Lazaridis explained. “You position your strengths against their weaknesses.”Internally, he had a very different message. “If that thing catches on, we’re competing with a Mac, not a Nokia,” he recalled telling his staff.RIM soon earned a chance to show up its new rival. RIM’s early smartphones had been a hit for Verizon Wireless, one of the biggest U.S. wireless players. Frozen out of the iPhone – Apple had signed an exclusive deal with AT&T – Verizon executives approached RIM in June, 2007, and asked if it could develop “an iPhone killer.” The product would need to have a touchscreen with no physical keyboard. Verizon would back the U.S. launch with a massive marketing campaign.RIM executives jumped at the chance. At one management meeting, Mr. Balsillie called it RIM’s most important strategic opportunity since the launch of its two-way e-mail pager.The product was the BlackBerry Storm. It was the most complex and ambitious project the company had ever done, but “the technology was cobbled together quickly and wasn’t quite ready,” said one former senior company insider who was involved in the project.The product was months late, hitting the market just before U.S. Thanksgiving in 2008. Many customers hated it. The touchscreen, RIM’s first, was awkward to manipulate. The product ran on a single processor and was slow and buggy. Mr. Balsillie put on a brave face, declaring the launch to be “an overwhelming success,” but sales lagged the iPhone and customer returns were high.The Storm campaign didn’t seem so disastrous at the time: RIM was in the midst of a torrid global expansion. In August, 2009, Fortune crowned it the world’s fastest-growing company. A year after the Storm launch, market research firm comScore reported that four of the top five smartphones U.S. customers intended to buy in the next three months were BlackBerrys.But the Storm had failed to give Verizon Wireless the Apple-killer it coveted, and RIM soon abandoned the product. So the carrier turned to Google Inc. and its new operating system, Android, and built a massive marketing campaign around Motorola’s Droid phone in 2009 – at the expense of marketing dollars to support BlackBerry products. Verizon’s “iDon’t” campaign highlighted all the shortcomings of the iPhone that Android addressed with its consumer-friendly user interface.Rather than hurt Apple, the Droid and other Android-powered phones began to steal share first from Palm and Microsoft, and then RIM. By December, 2010, Android’s market share in the U.S. had grown to 23.5 per cent from 5.2 per cent a year earlier, as RIM’s dropped by 10 points, to 31.6 per cent, according to comScore. By late 2011, Android commanded 47.3 per cent of the U.S. market, while RIM had just 16 per cent.A shift by smartphone usersThis post-iPhone period was an era of strategic confusion for RIM. The overall state of the industry “was a bit schizophrenic,” said Patrick Spence, RIM’s former executive vice-president of global sales, who left in 2012. “There was a time when the [wireless] carriers tried to keep data usage predictable. Then it shifted to a period of trying to drive much more usage in different packages, when the iPhone became compelling.”If there were new rules of the game, RIM would require new tools. The summer after the Storm launched, Mr. Lazaridis bought Torch Mobile, a software development firm that created Internet browsers for mobile phones.But the process of moving, or “porting,” the Torch browser onto RIM’s highly-customized system proved complex and time-consuming. RIM’s technology was based on Java computer code and an operating system built in the 1990s, while the Apple and Android systems used newer software platforms and standards that made it easier to build friendlier user interfaces. “This really meant we were not positioned for the future,” Mr. Lazaridis said. In order to survive, RIM would have to change its DNA.RIM executives figured they had time to reinvent the company. For years they had successfully fended off a host of challengers. Apple’s aggressive negotiating tactics had alienated many carriers, and the iPhone didn’t seem like a threat to RIM’s most loyal base of customers – businesses and governments. They would sustain RIM while it fixed its technology issues.But smartphone users were rapidly shifting their focus to software applications, rather than choosing devices based solely on hardware. RIM found it difficult to make the transition, said Neeraj Monga, director of research with Veritas Investment Research Corp. The company’s engineering culture had served it well when it delivered efficient, low-power devices to enterprise customers. But features that suited corporate chief information officers weren’t what appealed to the general public.“The problem wasn’t that we stopped listening to customers,” said one former RIM insider. “We believed we knew better what customers needed long term than they did. Consumers would say, ‘I want a faster browser.’ We might say, ‘You might think you want a faster browser, but you don’t want to pay overage on your bill.’ ‘Well, I want a super big very responsive touchscreen.’ ‘Well, you might think you want that, but you don’t want your phone to die at 2 p.m.’ “We would say, ‘We know better, and they’ll eventually figure it out.’ ”Trying to satisfy its two sets of customers – consumers and corporate users – could leave the company satisfying neither. When RIM executives showed off plans to add camera, game and music applications to its products to several hundred Fortune 500 chief information officers at a company event in Orlando in 2010, they weren’t prepared for the backlash that followed. Large corporate customers didn’t want personal applications on corporate phones, said a former RIM executive who attended the session.Meanwhile, it turned out consumers didn’t care so much about battery life or security features. They wanted apps. Apple’s iOs and Google’s Android systems were relatively easy for outside software developers to use, compared to BlackBerry’s technically complicated Java-based system.Blackberry’s apps looked “uglier” than those programmed in more modern languages, and the simulator used to test the apps often didn’t recreate the actual experience, said Trevor Nimegeers, a Calgary-based entrepreneur whose software company, Wmode, has developed apps for BlackBerry. Further, RIM exerted tight control over developers before it would sign off on their apps for use on BlackBerrys, stifling creativity. “Developers wanted to be embraced, not controlled,” Mr. Nimegeers said. As a result, hot apps such as Instagram and Tumblr bypassed BlackBerry.A split companyOne key to RIM’s early success was its corporate structure. It is unusual for a company to have two CEOs – Mr. Lazaridis focused on engineering, product management and supply chain, while Mr. Balsillie looked after sales, finance and other corporate functions – but for a long time, it worked. Mr. Lazaridis’s side of the shop made the phones, and Mr. Balsillie’s sold them. The two men were collegial and collaborative.Below the top executives, however, the two sides of the company didn’t always get along. And as the company grew into a leviathan with $20-billion in annual sales, the structure sometimes made it difficult to get definitive decisions or establish clear accountability. That contributed to a chronic problem for RIM: speed. “They were always slow to market, and there were always delays in launching,” said James Moorman, an analyst with S&P Capital IQ Equity Research. “It was compounded by miscalculating the speed at which the consumer market changed.”Sometimes, feedback from customers that might inspire changes would die at middle management, because senior executives didn’t want to bring it to Mr. Lazaridis, a former insider said.The split company also lost a major unifying force when chief operating officer Larry Conlee retired in 2009. Mr. Conlee was a whip-cracker who held executives to account for decisions and deadlines, establishing a project management office. Many insiders agreed that after he left, a slack attitude toward hitting targets began to permeate the company. “There was a gap” after Mr. Conlee’s departure, Adam Belsher, a former RIM vice-president, told The Globe last year. “There was no real operational executive on the product side that would really get teams to hit deadlines.”After relying on its own technology for so long, Mr. Lazaridis decided the company’s next advance would come from outside. In April, 2010, RIM announced a deal to acquire Ottawa-based QNX Software, a cutting-edge software maker that would provide the building blocks for the BlackBerry 10 operating system – the new platform Mr. Lazaridis knew the company needed.QNX was a specialist in industrial controls that used up-to-date software tools to run applications ranging from 911 call centres to wireless broadband services in vehicles. Its technology was the perfect core for smartphones and tablets, RIM’s leaders felt.Mr. Lazaridis decided to take a page from the business strategy book The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen. The book outlines how established organizations that succeeded against challengers often did so by allowing small, cloistered teams to develop their own disruptive products, free from the influence of the rest of the organization.Mr. Lazaridis decided he would isolate the QNX team and get them to focus solely on the new operating system, while leaving existing programmers to work on products for its existing platform, BlackBerry 7. Eventually he hoped QNX, led by its CEO Dan Dodge, would retrain his entire organization.But first, RIM had to answer a key question: If it wanted to remake the BlackBerry on the QNX system, what was the best way to do that? Should it move over some of its old Java-based applications, or rewrite them all from scratch? If the company abandoned Java altogether, what would it mean for third-party developers who used it?These were not easy decisions. Discussions among the senior leaders in Mr. Lazaridis’ organization dragged on for a year – far too long, according to several insiders.Eventually, the decision was made: BlackBerry 10 would be built from scratch. The problem with that approach was that a new team was being entrusted to recreate the BlackBerry. Those who had created the original system were still working on devices for the BlackBerry 7 platform. Once again, the company was split.“We had bought a powerful operating system and needed to move to it. But the BB7 was late,” Mr. Lazaridis said. “Every week, I was getting requests for more hires, more resources. The conundrum was, how do I pull resources off the BB7 to rewrite all the apps on top of QNX?”PlayBook painThe QNX team’s first assignment was to work on an operating system for the PlayBook, RIM’s answer to Apple’s successful iPad tablet. Mr. Lazaridis saw the work as a precursor to the BlackBerry 10 line of smartphones and was impressed by what the team brought to the product. “It helped our developers experience the power and elegance of QNX,” he said.But the QNX team was overwhelmed and needed to draw heavily on the company’s other resources to complete the PlayBook. Similar issues arose later on the BlackBerry 10. The tablet, originally slated to come out in the fall of 2010, didn’t appear until April, 2011, and it failed to sell. It was an awkward accessory to RIM’s smartphones, and lacked e-mail, contacts and apps. Once again, RIM had missed the mark: Tablets that sold well worked as standalone devices, which the PlayBook wasn’t.Some questioned the wisdom of launching the PlayBook in the first place, feeling it was a needless and costly distraction. And the decision to isolate QNX also created tensions and morale problems: Those who weren’t on the team worried about their future.“To me, the most logical thing would have been to integrate the operating system organizations into one,” said one senior executive who was caught up in the fray. “Then you’d have a whole team, not 150 people sitting around saying, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do next,’ and another 150 people saying ‘I’m over my head.’ ”Meanwhile, RIM’s lack of an advanced smartphone meant that it continued to bleed market share to Apple and Android, especially in the United States. In December, 2010, Verizon Wireless announced it would invest in fourth generation (4G) LTE technology to accommodate the growing demands of customers who wanted to surf the Internet on their phones. It signalled to device makers that it would look to feature 4G smartphones in its marketing.RIM’s 4G phone effort was the BlackBerry 10, but it was far from ready. RIM executives tried to make an engineering argument to carriers that 4G technology was no more efficient than 3G, and that its Bold phones were just fine. Mr. Lazaridis, Mr. Heins and chief technology officer David Yach “were trying to reshape the argument because they knew our products couldn’t go there,” a former executive said. “It was a fight to stay in [promotional] programs with carriers. We lost channel support and feature ads.”The PlayBook debacle and mounting delays of the BlackBerry 10 harmed the organization in other ways.For years, Mr. Yach and Mr. Lazaridis had enjoyed a close working relationship. But as the well-regarded Mr. Yach began to question the company’s ability to hit deadlines on products, his views were dismissed and he was made to feel he wasn’t a team player, damaging their relationship, observers said. He left the company in early 2012.The PlayBook flop merely added to the sense of a company in decline; 2011 became a signNow turning point for RIM. As it became clear the brand was getting trounced in the market, and the BlackBerry 10 project was hit by signNow delays, the stock plunged, falling from $69 (Canadian) in February to less than $15 by the year’s end.The pressure mounted on Mr. Balsillie, Mr. Lazaridis and the board. In January, 2012, they stepped aside as co-CEOs and handed it over to Thorsten Heins, a German executive who had run the company’s handset division.Almost immediately, there was division about how to roll out the BlackBerry 10. The original strategy had called for the company to launch an all-touchscreen version first, because sales were still going well for the company’s BlackBerry 7 keyboard phone.But by 2012, sales of BlackBerry 7 phones had lost steam, and Mr. Lazaridis, now deputy chairman, felt the company should switch its priority to getting a keyboard version out, to meet the demand from BlackBerry die-hards.“This is our bread and butter, our iconic device,” he told an executive at the company. “The keyboard is one of the reasons they buy BlackBerrys.”Mr. Heins’s new management team held firm, sources close to the board said. “They believed everything was going to full touch” and that the QNX-designed system was clearly superior to what was available on other mobile operating systems.To Mr. Lazaridis, abandoning the company’s competitive advantage in the hopes consumers would embrace yet another touchscreen was too risky a strategy, setting up the showdown at the board last year. In the end, management agreed to continue developing the Q10 keyboard phone. But the all-touchscreen Z10 would be launched first.By the time the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones were unveiled in January of this year, market observers generally agreed that the products were two years too late – a view widely shared among many senior RIM insiders.“Buying QNX was the right play ultimately,” said Mr. Spence. “But we didn’t make the turn fast enough. Everyone underestimated the complexity” involved in building the new system.A BBM planFor 20 years, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis operated in tandem, building an increasingly successful partnership that allowed each other’s strengths to flourish.They shared an office in their early years, even possessing each other’s voice mail passwords.As RIM grew, they worked in separate buildings but spoke several times a day. “They had a relationship I wish I had with my wife,” one mid-level executive said.But they had different personalities and their lives seldom intersected outside the office. They have barely spoken since leaving the company.For Mr. Lazaridis, science was both a job and a pastime. Mr. Balsillie was brash, competitive and athletic, and wore his reputation for being aggressive, even bullying in meetings, as a badge of honour. If anything, he viewed that outward toughness as a job requirement, not unlike tech CEOs such as Steve Ballmer at Microsoft Corp. or Apple’s Steve Jobs. “Show me how else you build a $20-billion company,” he once confided to a colleague. “If I was Mr. Easy-going, they would kill BlackBerry.”The two rarely disagreed on key strategic moves – until their last year together. Mr. Lazaridis believed BlackBerry 10 would herald RIM’s renaissance. Mr. Balsillie wasn’t so sure.Mr. Balsillie was concerned that Google had commoditized the smartphone market by making its Android operating system available for free to any handset maker. By 2011, wireless carriers were warning him that they would be ordering fewer BlackBerry products unless he dropped his prices to match rival manufacturers.So Mr. Balsillie pushed an alternative plan.The idea started with Aaron Brown, the executive who oversaw the services division at RIM. By 2010, this division was earning $800-million per quarter in revenue from the monthly service access fee it charged mobile carriers for every BlackBerry subscriber. More than 90 per cent of that was profit. Carriers tried to chip away at those fees – Google and Apple didn’t charge them – but RIM always pushed back. Mr. Balsillie was particularly insistent on keeping the service fees. But the executives knew the company’s weakening position in devices would increase pressure on services revenues as well.Even after its terrible year in 2011, RIM still had several advantages, including close relationships with the world’s major carriers. It also had BlackBerry Messenger.RIM developers created the BBM app in 2005 to enable users to communicate not by e-mail but by using their devices’ “personal identification numbers” or PINs. It was the first instant messaging service built for wireless devices, and it caught on quickly. It was reliable, free, always on and users could send as many messages as they wanted at no extra cost, unlike basic text messages. PINs were random codes, not phone numbers or e-mail addresses, enhancing privacy. That made BBM extremely popular in countries where citizens didn’t enjoy as many freedoms as Western democracies, and helped drive handset sales there.BBM’s developers added a few clever elements that also made it addictive. For example, users would know when a message had been delivered and when it had been read, marked D and R. Today there are 60 million monthly active users.But BBM only worked on BlackBerrys. As Apple and Android took off, BBM knock-offs appeared that could function on those devices, including Kik Interactive Inc., founded by Ted Livingston, a former RIM co-op student. Today Kik, boasts 85 million users, more than BlackBerry (which sued Mr. Livingston for allegedly copying its program). Others, such as WhatsApp, are even larger. Instant messaging “is the killer app of the mobile era,” Mr. Livingston said. “We think there will be a Google or Facebook-sized company that comes out of this category.”RIM’s Mr. Brown believed he could tap into this unfolding trend. While working with Mr. Balsillie on other projects, around late 2010 and early 2011, he began to talk up the concept of offering BBM on other mobile platforms.Mr. Balsillie loved it. At the time, some carriers were pushing for rebates on their monthly service fees. Mr. Brown was willing to comply if the carriers would agree to open new parts of their business to RIM. He and Mr. Balsillie struck upon an idea: Why not give carriers the opportunity to offer BBM to all their customers – no matter what devices they used?Most wireless executives were not fans of instant messaging services and other “over-the-top” apps such as Skype because they eroded the carriers’ revenue from text messaging.To counter that threat, carriers banded together to develop a standardized “rich communication service” (RCS) platform that would enable their customers to exchange text messages, videos, games and other digital information. But the initiative has gained little traction; one commentator recently labelled RCS a “zombie technology.”SMS 2.0Mr. Balsillie began floating the idea that carriers could instead offer BBM as their own enhanced version of text messaging, generating revenue for carriers while providing a cut for RIM. He called it “SMS 2.0.” (SMS stands for “short message service.”) RIM would agree to reduce the fees it charged for services, in exchange for gaining access to hundreds of millions of non-BlackBerry users.He and Mr. Brown discussed several options. For example, carriers could offer BBM as part of a standard “talk and text” plan for entry-level smartphone users. Because of its extra functions, BBM would save customers from having to buy a data plan.Or, carriers could offer an expensive plan that included BBM and other offerings from BlackBerry, including one gigabyte of cloud storage on which they could keep photos or songs. The carriers could then sell extra services such as radio through BBM. It would also make the wireless companies’ customers “stickier” – less likely to defect – since they couldn’t move stored data to rival mobile carriers as easily.The SMS 2.0 plan was a throwback to RIM’s move a decade earlier to form partnerships with mobile providers and share revenues. It was a chance to make BBM the dominant chat messaging service, and would have created a new storyfor the BlackBerry brand.A few carriers responded positively to Mr. Balsillie’s initial entreaties and by mid-2011, he was calling SMS 2.0 the company’s top strategic priority.To round out the strategy, and build a suite of cross-platform services, RIM made a few acquisitions, such as instant messaging firm LiveProfile. The service had about 15 million users and worked on Apple and Android devices, giving BBM the entrée it needed to those platforms.But the plan deeply divided the company. BBM was still an important driver of BlackBerry sales. Making it widely available to competitors represented an added threat to RIM’s faltering handset business, led by Mr. Heins at the time. Many inside the company felt a cross-platform BBM made sense, but only when BlackBerry 10 was out. Mr. Balsillie and proponents of his plan felt that would be too late.“It’s fair to say [the risk to handset sales] was a shared concern of everybody I spoke to,” said former RIM executive Mr. Spence. “But it was hard to deny the fact [carriers’ text messaging] revenue was declining. These carriers were looking for a solution and this was a potential solution.”One former executive felt Mr. Balsillie was overestimating the revenue potential of his software-driven strategy. As Mr. Balsillie talked up SMS 2.0, Mr. Heins and his team increasingly cast doubt on it internally. “He was absolutely canvassing behind the scenes working to kill it,” said one company insider.As for Mr. Lazaridis, he was supportive of launching BBM for rival operating systems, but was concerned about the costs and risks involved in building out the SMS 2.0 strategy, said a source close to the board. “We weren’t in a position to be investing in free services that required massive capital expenditure [and could provide] zero payback for maybe a few years if we’re successful,” the source said. Like others, Mr. Lazaridis worried about handset sales.But Mr. Balsillie was increasingly convinced that SMS 2.0 was the way to go. After pitching the plan to CEOs of 12 of the largest wireless carriers in the world in late 2011, he believed he could sign up at least one major U.S. carrier – insiders say AT&T was interested – as well as Telefonica and one or two other European carriers. That’s all it would take, he felt, to convince others to adopt BBM en masse.But other RIM executives who were part of the growing SMS 2.0 team also encountered resistance.Mr. Balsillie was pushing to formally launch SMS 2.0 at an industry conference at the end of February, 2013. But with the company under mounting pressure to overhaul its top leadership, he and Mr. Lazaridis handed the reins to Mr. Heins in late January.A few weeks later, Mr. Heins killed the SMS 2.0 strategy, backed by Mr. Lazaridis.“We had to get the BlackBerry 10 out, and we couldn’t be distracted,” said a source close to the board. “Everything else was shelved. And if that meant getting rid of strategies that didn’t fit, or weren’t complete, or required resources, I think [Mr. Heins] did the right thing.”The Globe and Mail requested interviews with Mr. Heins and with Barbara Stymiest, the chair of the board. The company declined, but agreed to agreed to provide answers to written questions.Asked why he shelved SMS 2.0, Mr. Heins said in an e-mailed response: “There are so many [instant messaging] alternatives in the marketplace that we wanted to be careful to launch only when we felt we could clearly differentiate our offering.”Mr. Balsillie, no longer an executive but still a board member, urged directors to reconsider, but they backed the new CEO. Mr. Balsillie couldn’t abide by the decision. He resigned from the board in late March, then sold all his stock. Few people knew the reason for his departure, including his long-time co-CEO, Mr. Lazaridis.BlackBerry did launch a version of its BBM application last weekend for iPhones and Android devices, but simply as a stand-alone app. Andrew Bocking, the executive who oversees BBM, said that with built-in capabilities to have group chats, share photos, calendar items and other features, “it really takes BBM to a whole other level … I believe there is an opportunity for a dominant player in instant messaging and there will be one winner-take-all.”To those who championed the SMS 2.0 strategy, most of them now gone, RIM should have been well on its way there already.A fizzled launchFinally, close to six years after Apple unveiled the iPhone, the long-awaited BlackBerry 10 made its debut at a glitzy launch event in January, featuring singer Alicia Keys as the company’s “global creative director.” It was a minor detail in a much larger story, but the made-up title and meaningless job irked some who wondered why the company was distracting itself with celebrity endorsements while in the fight of its life.The Z10 device itself won a number of positive reviews. The New York Times’ David Pogue, who previously had predicted that the BlackBerry was doomed, began his review: “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” But eight months later, it’s hard to see the launch as anything other than a total business failure, given the sheer volume of unsold smartphones now written off.The marketing campaign was confusing and vague: An ad that ran during the Super Bowl failed to explain what made the product distinct. A source close to the board said directors weren’t shown the ad before it ran, and some didn’t understand the content or the slogan, “Keep Moving.” There were no lineups, and no buzz for the product – nothing like the frenzy of publicity that seems to surround the launch of each new version of the iPhone.Once again, the market had shifted, and there was little demand for the Z10 in an era where sophisticated operating systems were commonplace and phones were getting cheaper. The one advantage the BlackBerry may have had over its rivals – a physical keyboard – wasn’t present in the first model to hit the market.“The only people still clamouring for a new smartphone from BlackBerry were in it for the keyboard,” said S&P’s Mr. Moorman. “Then they come out with a touchscreen. Anyone who wanted a touchscreen was already gone.”As it turns out, both Mr. Balsillie and Mr. Lazaridis were proven right. It was hard enough to compete in a commoditizing smartphone market. Leading with the wrong product on top of that only made BlackBerry’s task more hopeless. Mr. Heins’s strategic errors only compounded the challenging situation he had inherited.The product was difficult to sell for other reasons. One company insider said it could take close to an hour for young sales staff to demonstrate the product in dealer stores.And many long-time BlackBerry users found that the new system was too different from the classic BlackBerry experience for their liking. Many of the little “moments of delight,” as they are called in the company, were forgotten or overlooked by the QNX developers who lacked ties to the company’s past. For example, users can’t hit “u” and look at the last unread message in their inbox, nor can they easily shift to the next or previous e-mail, as they could on older BlackBerrys. Pocket-dialling is a constant hazard.Meanwhile, the company was slow to provide service to business users – such as helping them to transfer applications they had written for the old BlackBerry system. Software developers were left with dead-end investments after learning they would have to rewrite their apps for the new system if they wanted to remain part of the BlackBerry world. Many simply didn’t bother.“The decisions we made over the last two years were made within the context of a volatile, competitive and ever-changing marketplace – and always with the goal of delivering the vital technology that our customers need,” Mr. Heins said in a written response to questions about the success of the BlackBerry 10 launch. While he called the launch “a signNow accomplishment and one that involved the reinvention of our company,” he acknowledged it “did not meet our expectations.”As for Mr. Lazaridis, he has not given up on the enterprise he founded 29 years ago.He is still a minority shareholder in BlackBerry, and continues to be the subject of rumours he may join a group to buy out his former company.Mr. Lazaridis declined to discuss any such plans, but it is clear he believes the BlackBerry story is not over.“Many companies go through cycles. Intel experienced it, IBM experienced it, Apple experienced it. Our job was to reinvent ourselves, which we all believed BB10 would do,” he said.“The fact that a Canadian company was able to compete in that space with two of the largest tech companies in the world is a big deal. People counted IBM, Apple and other companies out only to be proven wrong. I am rooting that they are wrong on BlackBerry as well.”
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Is it possible to start my own online business without a large investment?
Here are some good ideas[1] if you want to know which businesses that can be started with little capital:Prepackaged school supplies based on the lists from the school districtsIncubator site providing office space, hosting, etc. for startups that are seed funded.In-grocery store prep service (buy vegetables first and drop them off to be chopped to your specs – pick them up on the way to checkout)A website that you can submit your design and work with vendors to manufacture your own clothes line.Online discount brokerage that has no closing hours and provides access to all exchanges throughout the world and handles currency and legal issues automatically.Stamphead, where stamps can be custom made in the likeness of an avatar the user creates.Aggregator site for affiliate marketers to collect daily reports. Would work on a tiered pricing structure giving you more info the higher up you go. Basic would be for people like me who just want to know if they made something and how much; advanced would pull down all available data.A gadget to cook beans/lentils/vegetables/rice for the same amount of time (quicker than what can be done in a slow cooker.)Herbal Flavored Gum. MMM…rosemary.Church issued credit card with automatic 10% for religious tithingBrainstorm Consulting – Teach companies how to brainstormCreate a website for non-profits and a list of their projects/needs and a similar list for foundations. Its a central meeting place for people to look for funding from the right people.Tutorial videos for technological skills (word processing, internet applications, email) for people who don’t know how to navigate technology but need it.Website where musicians can collaborate on tracksSigns in restaurants on menus that list all the ingredients.Network of chefs that rotate being personal chefsNuclear waste storage facilities completely removed from society.Hedge fund that makes bridge loans to homeowners facing foreclosure.Small-town / city – websites (through city and Chamber of Commerce) – most small town websites are terriblewhistle It.com: download audio of people whistling popular songs.A food service where you can email them your mom’s recipes and have them make it for you and deliver it during lunch time.Multiple camera angles on live television (especially for sports) or online viewingReplicate reality TV shows for foreign countries.SIM card swap serviceAn alternative medicine or homeopathic online service that diagnoses your ailment and gives you the proper corresponding alternative treatment; also provides you with doctors in your area that treat with alternative medicines.Create the double snuggie.A company that installs a monitor at a building entry and hosts virtual door attendants.Web-based language tutors leveraging Skype and Google Docs for curriculum.Meal delivery in hospitalsWeb package for a school system that allows parents to see their kids’ school schedules, grades, lunches, sports activitiesSanta Delivery Service – A dressed Santa will come to your home during the holidays and deliver your gifts as SantaPresentation Consulting – Teach companies how to improve their presentationsA website that boasts: Buy one product, have one mystery product of lesser value shipped to a friend for the cost of s&h. the user don’t know what they’ll get, but it will be fun as hell and keep the user in touch in an interesting way.Tribe Consulting – Help individuals (not companies) discover what Tribes they should lead and help them do itMusic Box manufacturer that will turn any inanimate objects mailed to then into music boxes. Users buy direct online, picking from available stock. Added charge for sending in the you own inanimate object.Customer feedback software for mobile phones sold to marketers.Web-based rent-a-CFO.Application to sell to universities that allows students to access their transcripts onlineExchange clothing (like PaperBackSwap. com) for men’s & women’s clothingMonthly subscription service for unlimited ebooks on your ebook reader device. Rhapsody/Netflix model for ebooks.Cell phone made of biodegradable materialsiPhone app that tells you odds for a poker handLet’s Get Coffee – for couples; pairing service similar to matchmaking service “It’s Just Lunch” to help couples find other couples with similar friendsA service that discounts newspapers after 8pm the day of print. I do not want to buy a NYTimes for $5 at the end of the day.Nonprofit that takes old CD electronics to developing countriesA unified affiliate marketing program for every store on the web.Contest company for small local businessesWebsite mock-ups for people seeking VC fundingGrocery delivery service for college campuses: Fresh direct for dorm rooms.Independent calorie testing company – A company that actually does testing on food for consumers to determine calorie contentEarplugs that go deeper into your ears but don’t hurt them.Online transcription service for conference calls – leveraging Amazon Mechanical Turk.Google for video & audio – Dragonspeak -> voice to text -> with searchable tagsA service that just vacuums and dust your apartment.A way to ensure that each person can only create one account on a website, without having to sacrifice anonymity.A small flap or cover (separate or built-in) for computers and technology with little lights that flash when they sleep (so you can sleep.)Crutches that stand upright by themselves. The base would have feet that fold up or spring out so you don’t have to lay them on the ground where they get in the way and people trip over them, etc.Interior Design on a Budget – for people who still want their homes to look good but can’t afford Restoration Hardware – client defines a set budget and consultants design using budget pieces from TJMaxx or Marshall’s or odds & ends shopsLandscaping business specializing only on LEED rooftop gardens.Company that records your voice message and other digital forms of media and sends it out into space as a message in a space bottle.Fireplace rehab – clean, paint, resurface, whatever to make it pretty. Big in places where same brick as outside the house is used for the fireplace and it’s not attractive (I’ve had two houses now like this.)“How to live on a small budget” website written by college students for college student for all sizable college towns sponsored by local merchant coupons.Someone/service that keeps inventory in a household (products, cleaning, etc.)A drink company that brings the Shirley Temple back – the best drink ever!Online Firewood Sales – Sell firewood online directly to consumers and businessOn-click online data storage and streaming of a clients entire media library. (never lose anything again and have anywhere anytime access) Charge by the GB and bandwidth. Provide conversion services from CD to MP3.Cupcake Shop (fresh and creative cupcakes)A mobile job fair in a tractor trailer that pulls up in the parking lots of offices of businesses performing massive layoffs. You then make money by renting out space in the trailer to companies in similar industries.Online Professional Wrestling Memorabilia Store – Sell pro wrestling memorabilia online directly to consumersSoftware to manage energy sales back to the grid generated by home systems.Analytics software for customer profiling, not just click analysis.Disposable mittens made from biodegradable materials in vending machines at supermarkets.OnlineConfessions. com. read other confessions and share the you own anonymously.Instant Flash builder, providing motion templates with easy upload graphic and text to fit template animation.Technology licensing agency.Consulting business creating a series of Squidoo lenses for an author on and around specific book titles. Pitch to publicists and literary agents, as well as directly to authors.Hire voice actors to read popular blogs to create podcasts where they don’t yet exist (“Best of the Blogosphere Podcast”)Personalized cereal boxes (to celebrate child’s achievements)Local business-sponsored community bike programAntique wedding jewelry shopping – another eco/reuse theme. Rather than buy something new that requires mining and blood diamonds, get an antique that comes with a story (about the long marriage of the previous couple, of course). We find it for you in the style you think you want.Surgery-specific recovery packs in hospital (if Sucrets and a can of cranberry juice is better than water & crackers, that pack exists)Personal lessons for using your cell phone featuresVenture capital consulting for startups.A company that makes hybrid fruits. Instead of drinking a lime pomegranate drink you can eat a lime granite.Photography studio that casts you as characters from moviesCentralized web portal for university technology transfer offices.A service that gives well-known business people a public email address, so that if an email get sent there you can read the email and then read the response. The idea being that it will give you insight into the mind of the person and what made them successful, and it will also teach you how to write good emails and learn email etiquette.A technology/service that PsignNowers/Rabbi’s/Clergy can use that creates a way to gather feedback during the service from the attendees.Online flower shop with one-hour deliveryA non-profit that provides credit consulting for youth and impoverished.Local fresh restaurant that opens off-peak hours to hold cooking classes to locals.Fractional Ownership of Technological Conference Room in Office ComplexRent-a-wife – a woman who cleans, cooks, does laundry, picks up dry cleaning, mail, etc but without the emotional relationship.Project management website for volunteer shift scheduling – church nurseries, hospital auxiliary members, protest marches, etc.Pencil sharpener type device to grind down dog toenailsAn iPhone app that allows you to search a database of unique and obscure beers and drinksGlow in the dark non-toxic washable paint that you can spray on your kids/pets when they are trick-or-treating so they don’t get hit by a car.A party planner for kids birthday parties, but with educational and fun activities.Instant Ad builder where sexy templates are linked with creative common photos.Spring Shadows – program where kids can shadow business people for a short two weeks internship to see what they want to major in once they go to college and what they might want to do once they graduateGPS / location based meetup based on pre-selected preferences (i.e. – Manchester United)A paperless hospital.Whack-a-Mole style game with political figuresAutomatic thank you notes, sent to contacts as a postcard generated from uploaded contact lists. On the card is a highly realistic signature that users digitally upload.National Restaurant Customer Service Association – traveling customer service training systemArtists’ Playground. This is a building that has rooms setup for ceramics, painting, silk screenings, theater, writing, open mic, dance, photography, etc. This building will also have social areas for people to mingle over coffee and healthy foods. People pay a monthly membership to have access and it is also rented out for events.Concierge services for an office building. Sell as a value add to the building managers or to the specific businesses as a benefit for their employees.A place where people could go to eat/study but would HAVE to do it at the same table with a stranger. It would encourage us to talk to/meet new and interesting people.Street Bar – bar inside a huge vehicle that drives you aroundFeng Shui website where you upload your floor plan and other details and get a recommendation on how to construct your space.Web-based rapid prototyping service that allows amateur product designers to test their designs and have our RP machines “print” their products in 3D.Training company that teaches people to be brave.Retractable spikes for boots to walk on the ice on sidewalksRecipe Subscription Business – Subscribe to the website and pay for premium recipesOnline eulogies (recorded by your friends before you die)Software that automates Search Engine Optimization without registering as black hat.iPhone app that is specifically for ski maps. Shows number of runs made and has lots of cool interactive features. Even shows which runs are groomed. Every ski resort would need their own app. Probably provide the app for free and the ski resort pays an arm and a leg for being featured in the app.Publisher of web-based children’s games.Horoscope porn site that provides the user with a personalized video stream based on preconceived notions assigned to your “sign”.A travel company that arranges people to stay at others houses.Slow cooker meals in a bag – drop it in and forget itA travel mug that’s not plastic or aluminum (ceramic) but with a rubber lid (tight-sealing), that has a good grip. Most travel mugs retain the smell of the material and give the liquid a strange taste after a while. Also, something that doesn’t allow Tupperware to smell.Employee monitoring service that provides detailed reports on employee’s online and offline activities. – include hardware scrubbing and “forensic” proof removal of data, footprints and histories.Tattoo parlor for petsStory Consulting – Help companies define and refine their story and teach them how to tell itA service that tells your neighbors to be quiet (nicely). They will draft a letter or note and send it to your neighbor so you can be the objective third party.Graffiti generator .com, where friends can type in text and, using different styles and palettes, create a tag-like version of their name, poems, etc.Internet and webcam set up for seniors to communicate with grandkidsTheme restaurant – Karaoke in front of a live bandGraph consultants – Company that specializes in making effective graphs from any data you give them.A conflict negotiation service (online or regular) where you submit a problem and we provide an answerSchool real estate rental company – Company that specializes in renting out underutilized school rooms during the summerTuning rooms for entry level home theatersBuild Your Own Perfume Shop.Front door cleaning service – get rid of all the stuff that gets left on your door every day before you get homeA company that sells framed book covers, so that you can hang the covers of your favorite books on the wall of your office.Standing in line for peopleBrainstorming. com – put in an idea and gives you 10 ideasChewing gum that is good for braces and dentures.Glass repair company – Company that specializes in repairing scratches or slightly broken glassTwitter third party app to help drivers find vacant parking spaces in crowded metro areas; sponsored by local merchants and advertising.Make your own batch of whiskey – takes 12 years, you pick flavors and types of oak barrels at the distillery, pickup in 12 yearsFranchise business consulting that helps large franchisees improve their businesses.Repossession agency for the most dangerous jobs in foreign lands.Digital tombstones that serve rich multimedia messages and memories of the deceased.Marketing and Advertising agency that excels at telling stories.A site like intrade that would allow investors to make bets on analytics type data, like the number of page views Wikipedia will get next January, or how many copies Malcolm Gladwell’s new book will sell.A service that pairs you with the right tools and helps you find a career by pairing you with the right resources (NOT an uninformed headhunter)Web portal to help large corporations source physical building contractors for specialized facilities.A company that digs your car out of the snow and removes snow from your driveway and starts car in the morning.A trend of the month club, where each month you get mailed something hip with a glossy booklet explaining how cool that item is about to become. Limited to 5,000 people. Gives you a cool story to tell yourself for the rest of the month, and something to talk about with your friends.Come to your house alterationsCustom adventures using Virtual Reality goggles and a windfan (i.e. – basejumping a waterfall or the Grand Canyon)Performance art as advertising – i.e. Cirqu de Soleil actors selling an item / brandService to teach doctors how to use technology to signNow out to patientsCompany working with magazines to help them develop a social networking presencesA pill that gradually dies body hair.Technology scout for large corporations that looks for acquisitions.Create book trailers for small publishers/authors to place on YouTubeIP Scanner. Scans images straight to flickr or similar service. Great for archiving family pictures or kids drawings.Independent account fraud company – A company does regular checkups of your online accounts (like social networking sites) to check for fraudulent activityWeb-based devil’s advocate service for startups looking for someone to critique their ideas. Perhaps also provides referrals to cheap services for startups, like cheap graphics design, cheap business plan feedback, etc.A half refrigerator/freezer/microwave in the trunk of a car. That way, wherever you go in the car, you can always have food handy. How great for road trips.Pandora for spin bikesA non-profit that documents the stories told by elderly in nursing homes.A company that will apply your logo in glow-in-the dark removable paint around a town so it appears at night.Replication service for clothing items – make you a new pair just like the old pairImprove soft contacts so you can wear for 1 year at a time.An online counseling program via webcam (for therapists, inmates)Not-for-profit that works with people to help cure their acne.Service that takes your text messages from your phone to your computerFast food restaurants with healthy, organic and tasty foods. Similarly, healthy foods in cafeterias and grocery stores in low-socioeconomic areas.Software company that builds marketing dashboards sold to CMOs, brand officers, etc.A Build Your Own Robot Shop.A store that sells all inflatable products. So, for example, large inflatable cushions that kids can use to make play forts that compress flat afterwards. Good for Manhattan apartments where you buy a 30 dollar toy that takes up $800 of floor space.Offshore software development company based in China.A company that will sell a large digital frame for close to free and then provide a service for a fee that sends artwork to the digital frame every week.Desk mounted lighting systems for video chatThe Black Cow (least innovative product)A way to turn recipes on the web into peapod orders. A way to turn the customized diets that Weight Watchers or WebMD create into a peapod order.Online petition forms with compliant signature verification software.Customer service solution for general contractors that allows them to put in notes and they’re generated as an email or voicemail to customer to provide them with regular reports on how the work is going and what is holding things upNetworked home alarm systems so that neighbors can check on each other’s homes during break-ins.Scavenger Hunts, Inc. – We setup pre-defined scavenger hunts for small business team building (like a mini Amazing Race) or even for kid’s birthday parties (in a local park)Eyeglasses that you can adjust to the light. Not that they adjust on their own.Worst, etc.Clipping service for high school athletes parentsEZPass for humans on public transportation (key fob?)A company that creates baseball trading card style packets for restaurant chains.A cleaning service using only eco friendly productsCustom Hypnosis CD Business – Customers go to a studio and record their own voice reading self-hypnosis scriptsOnline Suspenders store – Company sells nothing but suspendersA non-profit that supports poor on using technology in classes taught by young freelance artists.Online Antique Appraisal Service – Send pictures of your antiques online to have them appraisedMicrobrewery with high-octane beers with boutique labels that cost as much as good winesTechnology consulting for venture firms.Harmonica It. com: download audio of people playing popular songs on the harmonica.A site that aggregates naturopathic medicines that have been shown to work to peer reviewed journals, but which for whatever reason aren’t prescribed by mainstream doctors. The site would then show the medicines proven effective for each condition, with a link to the journal article or clinical data or whatever.A hyperlocal iPhone app to find food, but for a series of use cases more specific than what Zagats and yelp are designed for. For example, list the best 3 food places within one mile of each highway exit that take less than 20 minutes. Or what wine tastings are within 10 miles of me within the next week.Anti-drug education program for inner city schools. In conjunction with a touring program that sends a message to parents across the country.Food consulting company that helps local restaurants with calorie measurement and other health issues – and publishes calorie, fat, vitamin data to third party apps on smart phones.Mushroom/compost farm that uses the Matter of Trust “lasagna” to eat cleaned up oil spillsCompany working with small local newspapers helping them develop a social network presenceGiant Magnadoodle for teachersComputer Remote Technician – Fixes your computer by remotely connecting to your PC or MacConference organizing company that handles all the logistics of creating and running conferences for other organizations.Retro-fitting older school buses with seats with seatbeltsOnline Town HallSpeed dating online.Adopt a prisoner “charity” that allows people to adopt an inmate and assure that they are visited and receive cards/letters on important dates.Prius Cab Fleet (www.greenfares. com)Buzz-monitoring of brands with software tools sold to enterprises and brand managers.The Purple Cow (most innovative product)Feng Shui experts that tells you the best way to put your stuff/furniture in your house.Expert roommate negotiator – Expert negotiator specializing in solving roommate disagreementsRent a scout that gives you a good idea of your child’s sports potentialBook packaging for great college writing and emerging writers.Online Palm Readings – Readings done via SkypeSelf-righting picture hangerWebsite for online job searching with IM capabilities so you can ask questions to other people searching or people who are advertising.An IMDB for people who have won awards. I want to a quick way to find the professors with the most citations in any given subject, the chefs in the area with the best Zagats reviews, the local high school football players with the most touchdowns, etc.A digital coloring book.SMS messaging for television tickers scrolling at the bottom of popular shows.A website that users can program in advance to take some action if some event happens. For example, a national chain of tire stores could send an email reminding its customers to get their snowtires on two days before the first predicted snowfall of the season in that user’s zipcode.Garanimals for adult menDating Consulting – individualized service on how to find, meet and date quality peopleBoat or Yacht share program.DeadCells Art: mail your old, hated cell phones to a factory that smashes it and returns it to the user as framed work of art.Girls Getaway – a company that sets up ‘girls week / weekend’ vacations (shopping, Broadway shows, hiking, wine tasting, etc.)Toilet seat covers for public toilets that don’t fall off the seats.For younger students, nap time is often hard to relax and in a bright room. There should be a company that creates comfortable nap time products for kids.A company that you can hire that will come to your town and make a 4 show realty series that you can show to your friends or play on local stations.A service that manages the risk of house swapping.Build the you own Barbie. com. Pay $100 to dress and color the you own doll.Twitter or SMS restaurant reservationsDigital family whiteboard on fridge (like an iTablet for the family)A website that connects people with Objects of Sociability. For example, you have a group of friends you want to do something with and it connects you with an open hibachi table or a deep sea fishing boat rental. You can also rent objects of sociability, so for example you could rent a bread maker or a super nice tea set with 30 looseleaf teas. It would also connect people to third places that would be suitable for, say, a first date.Dissolvable contacts that deliver medicine to the eye overnightA charity that works with major retailers to encourage buyers to bring in their old clothes for a discount. The company will then take the clothes from the retailer and send to a third world country or American red cross.TV Show Summary Service – Brief summaries of your favorite shows are e-mailed to you in case you missed them.Globalization consultancy.Creating a website community for freelance professors (professional educators with a specific expertise; different from tutors in the sense that they are not preparing students for a certain test or “actual class”) to connect with students who want to be educated via an alternative route. The ideal site would essentially be a hub for professor profiles/portfolios with a variety of mediums for conversation between the students and the professors for hire. comments/rating system (no anonymity including a record of that person’s comments rates so you can get a better picture of who is saying what). The idea is similar to something like pick a prof. that most college kids use now to pick their classes; however, the emphasis with pick a prof is typically to pick easy classes to graduate where as this would be an effort to allow professors and students to negotiate the value of the education without going through the university as a middle man. Monetization routes: site advertisements, membership fees for students and/or profs, selling books written by professors for commissionBuild Your Own Back Pack Shop.Group dating website.Online mentoring program for students of all ages (Pen pals that teach each other skills online.)Citizen journalism website.A website that teaches kids how to do quant trading. The site would come with a data feed, dozens of pre-packaged statistical tests that could be deployed or combined in various ways, and the ability to do backtesting to see if this strategy would have been effective on previous data.Designer bibs for patients during their teeth cleaning. This could be a cartoon design for kids or pattern for adults.RingTone this. com: upload audio and have computer-like versions automatically generated and sent to the you cell phone as a ringtone.A book about the history of the internet made from recycled phone books.A cutting-edge fashion company that tells the story of wearable computing.A virtual interior decorator that will make suggestions via digital photographs.A company like 800CEOREAD that does bulk book rentals. So for example you could rent 1,000 copies of Jeff Jarvis’s new book for a month instead of purchasing them.A company that sells high quality sawdust / sand in bulk to put on the floor of restaurants or bars. The company would then be responsible for removing the old material and replacing it when necessary.IP Camera security company – software solution – offsite remotely recordingMilitary Peak Performance Consulting – Consult the military on matters of peak performance (nutrition/stress management/etc.)An event planning organization that markets to stay-at-home moms with big ideas, eager to share there inventions and business ideas with other mothers.Educational youth iPhone gamesAn automatic dimming light bulb coated in that same stuff that is on glasses that the user wear on the you face.Frozen venison shipping store – Company that specializes in shipping the best venison across the countryA safe vice for your head when you have a headache (made from strong fabric maybe)Apprenticeship management company for high profile business personalities.Celebrity voice wake up callsObama TARP consulting for financial institutions.For Americans book series – Cricket for Americans, Bollywood for Americans, World History for Americans, French Film for Americans – would be topics that go outside our country to hopefully explain that the rest of the world isn’t just like us, nor should it beA consulting company that works with aerobic instructors to trademark their exercise routine.Webcam security set up to watch kids, dogs, older parentsA recipe holding cell online for all your recipes to edit, print, and send to friends.A small handheld set up to video chat only via satellite.A business model that implements a ‘couples fare’ if you are in a long distance relationship you register for a year deal where you get specialized pricing and discounts.iPhone app that has similar features to Nike plus (who doesn’t have an app yet). For runners. Pace, speed, etc. All reports back to a website that has monthly subscription costNetwork of restaurants where chefs rotateAgency that trains people for doctor’s offices. Doctor’s offices need etiquette training for their employees desperately.A service that transfers CDs -> LPs (not the other way around)Organic grapes and wine brokerage.If you’re doing home exchanges, a personal website devoted to you and your trip and all of its details. It will have an itinerary on a main page so you don’t have to access your email to see it and it has all the details there.Collectibles investment club.After Party Art where the user send in bottles collected from special gatherings to a factory that melts and shapes glass into guest gifts.Stickers for backpacks (stick well to nylon, etc.)Roomba type toy for dog to chase around house. Should move faster, be fairly indestructible and make appropriate noises.An online toy that introduces children to audio mixing through a Mr. Potato Head-like interface. Add a nose, add an instrument to the band!Children’s school that finds the right balance between Marine Corps boot camp methods, Montessori methods, and liberal arts education – located half the year in big cities worldwide and half the year in wilderness camp setting.Dashboard painting of car interiorsAmusement park based on video gamesPersonal chef for a day. A formalized service where you can call and get a chef with a specific specialty to come and cook a few days worth of food. In cities, this would be very popular and in demand.After party cleaning crewFence store – Sells nothing but designer fences with custom designsInvestment bank that helps non-profits tap the public market with stock listings.An invite only site that allows friends to create video playlists from Hulu, the userTube and third party programming.Online Astrology Readings – Readings done via SkypeGym review company – Company that reviews gyms and creates a guide like ZAGAT that we sellNetflix for freshwater aquariums. If you get bored of some of your old fish you can swap them out for new ones.Phone booth style device that you walk into and it steam presses your clothesA website that you can put in a characteristics of a person and it will come up with an avatar.A store for really obscure food products that change regularly. Every time a customer checks out, you ask them if there are any products that we don’t know about that we should know about, and if there is then the customer ten dollars off their bill and that product shows up in the store within a week or two. Maybe even more narrow than just foods in general, so for example a store for niche meats that come from animals you’ve never heard of.Religious Karaoke Bar – Bar where only religious songs allowed to be sung, and no alcoholSoda Pop flavored mochi balls.A sophisticated website that uses an eHarmony-like algorithm to match nannies and familiesSolid state lighting retrofits of vintage light fixtures (art deco, 40’s 50’s 60’s fixtures) get them at Goodwill and other second hand shops and turn them into $300 “green works or retro art”A dating service where only your friends can set you up on dates.Fractional Ownership of Season Tickets / Box SeatsAffordable home matting and framing kitConsumer fingerprinting business – Company provides trained experts to apply fingerprints tests for household eventsA relocation service for Americans looking to permanently move to a new location for global opportunities.Website where musicians can collaborate on lyricsRoomba for the backyard to pick up dog poop and enzyme it. Or it works with the Doggie Doolie and dumps the poop in it on a regular basis.Fish Burial Kit.Mail in your old mixtapes and get a playlist sent to you via email with a digital version of that mix.A not-for-profit that pairs experts with eager and willing pupils for an apprenticeship program.Actor research consulting service – Consulting service for actors to be setup with people who can mentor them in research for their rolesAutomatic documentary maker, where families upload clips, photos and music from their special occasions generating a smooth transition clip that captures the essence of the moment.Executive Power nap business – Locations where executives can take a 20 minute energizer nap during the dayGraphic novels based on video gamesProfessional protesters agency.Lip reading school – School that teaches students how to read lipsDigital Workflow Consulting – “We’ll get your precious memories (files) into the cloud”Brand of energy ice cream.Cereal Bar (cereal the way you like it with “extras” – open late)Sell web stats back to website owners who are computer illiterate (Google Analytics)Anti-inflammatory Hot SauceFirefox Plugin for Autosave ClipboardUndercover Teenager – hire a teenager to spy on your kidiPhone app that uses the GPS to measure amount of accumulated gains in altitude for climbers, hikers, skiers.Pay at the pump carbon offsetsRoof-mounted Active Denial System (pain ray) to keep deer out of your garden. Or possibly a sounder laser. The system would be mounted next to a camera with an image recognition system that could pick out a deer.Netflix for conversation pieces. Get bored of your coffee table book and send it back for another.Box removal after people move – green message of recyclingRelationship Hotline – Relationship experts answer phone calls 24/7Age verification company – A company that solely does research to verify someone’s age (little league baseball would be a big client)Campaign Suite -> Political Suite – set of web apps – all the good things Obama did in a “package”A seminar business that trains people to be tribe leaders.Mobile software for a picture-based wishlist. When you see something you like at a store, you can take a picture of it and record the info about it either so you can comparison shop or someone can shop for you. Might replace the print-out-20-sheets-of-info gift registries in places like Target.An Urban Dictionary for texting.Salon for blind peoplePicture book series for adults explaining technology topicsCloset organization for adult men – Garanimalize their clothing for them after the factVision board builder site that provides a virtual design for users to focus on their goals daily.A website that teaches you about what is involved in the day-to-day training for different sports, so you can make an intelligent decision about what sport to take up instead of just choosing based on what it looks like on TV. Has links to where you can go to take up a sport as a beginner, what the competition structure looks like, how far you typically have to travel, etc. Can drive traffic to consultants who help get kids recruited to college, to genetic testing firms, to sports physiology labs, etc.DeadTV Art: mail your old, hated TV sets to a factory that smashes it and returns it to the user as framed work of art.Organic vitamin pills and supplements for vegetarians sold through health stores.Teach companies how improv comedy can help them in their business (comfort zone, setup your partner)Herb garden planting – plan, plant and basically get your herb garden going.Legal Advice Hotline – Legal staff and call center charges consumers to call in for advice charge per hourA website for elementary and middle school kids that helps them build a portfolio of their best artwork, writing, sports accomplishments, etc.A data aggregator of global statistics on death, destruction, catastrophes, violations of human rights, freedom in media, etc. There is so much attention put on the middle east. It would be interesting to see and compare what is happening in your neighborJelly Belly for gumTeam in Training – supporting a family or village instead of a causeFilmmakers café-It would be great to have a place that people could go and use a TV and DVD player in a cool coffee house setting–similar to how the internet cafes are run…It could be a place where people could just leisurely watch something midday and also people can meet and discuss their work and others’ work while watching through it.Website that allows people to share clothes and shoes (fractional closet ownership)iPhone app that measures the speed of a pitch. Utilizing the built in accelerometer, you throw the phone as fast as you can. When you pick it back up it tells you the speed of your throw. This pairs well with the iPhone insurance idea.A site that gives you a step-by-step system to build a large web presence and a large group of followers, and makes it easy to track how many people are reading your blog, commenting, sending you emails, etc. so you can work on growing your number of followers and increasing your influence as efficiently as possible. Gives you detailed instructions each step of the way based on your performance.Affordable set top box with video chat (less functionality and cheaper than Media Center)Robotics sports entertainment company – Create robotic athletes that play sports using AI, charge for admissionA storytelling site that markets to families who want easy ways to archive the voices of their elders.Interactive billboard advertisements with codes for coupons sent to mobile phones (mobile-location-based-presence advertising).One stop shop custom photo labs – bring in digital pictures and you have access to Photoshop expert, printing matting, framing,A village in china that paints portraits of pop culture icons as various dog breeds. Look, Obama as a GreyHound!Fish babies. Specifically market a female and a male fish capable of mating to customers interested in seeing the miracle happen at home.A consumer hotline to advise people on electronic purchases and installation on a $ per minute basis.BestOf. com A website that only sells one specific type of each product…but you know its the best.Create YouTube channel with local restaurant reviews (or any kind of local business)Words sewn into a certain brand of clothes – need to find people with same clothes to spell out a word or phrase on the website to win a prize (like McDonald’s Monopoly but with clothes and a website)Public bathrooms that you pay to use. There is a room attendant for your bags.A bio-degradable “plastic” to be used in developing countries where outsiders come in and drink lots of things in plastic bottles because they can’t drink the water. These countries don’t have trash and thus no way to deal with the plastic trash Westerners bring with them.A free live music concert video site streaming a huge archive with limited commercial breaks.Portable safety landing zone for emergency extractions sold to government first responders.A mentoring program (website) that connects entrepreneurs with specific mentors they seek.Art co-op that sells memberships and the art travels among the homes of the members. Kind of a Netflix for art, maybe. Art to eventually be sold at auction via exclusive contract with Sotherby’s and profit made. Could be sold as a shared-art program or as an investment co-op. Or both.Senior friend – hire people to come by to spend 30 minutes just hanging with your older relative who live away from you.Website that generates naming and branding ideasTravel agency that shows you dying civilizationsA service that provides specific enthusiastic people who want to volunteer or have time to go engage with people at nursing homes and doing activities with them.Private investigation company for restaurant employees – Restaurant companies pay to have PI’s investigate whether employees are washing their hands in the bathroomA service that takes your records and digitizes them into MP3’s.Unique Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties – we work with you to design a fun, unique bachelor or bachelorette party experienceA singer/song-writer could offer to write, record, and perform personalized songs for people’s special occasions (anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, or just because). Many would love to have the ability to write, record, and perform an original song for a special someone, but they just don’t have what it takes musically. Then, there are those of us who do have the ability but don’t know how to market themselves.Outsourced sales staff for high-ticket items.Manufacturer of flying cars (courtesy of Tim Draper).Mobile app with hospital floor plans, maps, info about area restaurants, etc.Digital Painted Blinds. Every time a dorm student closes their blinds, the window becomes a poster of rotating images he/she uploads from a flash drive.A service of highly trained babysitters specialized in all ages that you could call upon last minute any night of the weekA service where people are employed to talk specifically to antisocial or shy people at a party (they’ll feel better about themselves and will be more likely to open up next time with their new confidence.)Live Tutor (online tutoring via webcam, chat)The “C-Games” – like the X-games, but real people and celebrities compete in wacky (think Japanese game show) events & all $$ goes to charityA website that aggregates tastemakers. Collect the people who do for other things what Fred Wilson does for music. Give them a really good platform. Give them points for picking up on trends before they go mainstream.A consulting company that creates tribes for your business.USB stick into a cell phonesite that allows people to upload stock video in HD for use by other filmmakers. Low cost per minute. 50/50 split between site and uploader when a purchase is made.Positive news TV channel (PNN) – TV news network that only plays positive TV programming, nothing negativeGrocery checkout efficiency consulting service – Company consults grocery stores on their checkout process to increase efficiency10% for the world – an association of businesses who add 10% to their prices and donate the 10% to charity.Traveling Poker school – weekend intensive poker school – get some prosAssist business people (authors, bloggers, executives) organize speeches and presentations – establish relationships with many venues & marketing channelsBaby fitness class company – Organize fitness classes for babies and their parentsiPhone app that is a recorder (like the ocarina app, but more familiar).Globalization import-export trading company.Really good collaboration software for creating mindmaps, with version control that’s as easy to use as Wikipedia’s history tab. Uses the same open data format as FreeMind.English speaking, US educated virtual assistantRestaurant where you cook alongside the chef , choose your ingredients and learn a new technique.A virtual world future’s exchange, so you can bet on how much a Linden dollar will be worth in US dollars six months from now.Script Assistants-A business that assists screenwriters as they are developing their script by aggregating credible/hard to find reference material that is diverse. Often a young (or firsttime) screenwriter has a great idea and may not know what to reference to develop their idea. This business would evaluate the theme/tone/genre of the script and assist in coming up with a solid and effective reference package pulling from books/TV/movies/screenplays.Web cam at school events so you can see your kid when you can’t make itUse Google Earth to determine green improvements to a given residenceA personal education coach-they pick blogs, books, resources for you to learn based on your personal interests and career goals. They gather all the materials and for you and make recommendations on the best way for learning the material.Non-profit that takes old technology items (computers, monitors, phones) to make them usable for non-profit use – clean off the software, ensure it has all the pieces, etc.)We come to your house to list only your good stuff on eBay or Amazon so you don’t have to bring it to a store. You could have a portable photo studio in the van so the product never leaves the premises until they have cash in hand after the sale. Charge a commission and have college students working for you.All electronic gadgets in one. Phone charger, mp3 player, computer, radio, watch) should all be able to be charged by the computer. (Travelsize/lightweight.)Gold reclamation service from old electronicsA guitar pedals that make exotic animal noises.Kids choose a week’s worth of lunches online with their parents and a van delivers them everyday at lunchtime.An organization devoted specifically to growing awareness over an obscure problem that no one really looks at (i.e. kids that grow up in negative environments and what that does to them as adults.)Fractional Ownership of Segway3D personalized bubblehead dolls ordered over the Internet based on submitted photos and scans.Art for the blind – Company that translates art into some type of Braille system where blind people can appreciate it.A place online that has all your usernames and passwords for all of your bank accounts, bill paying (cell phone, grocery, utilities)…keeps track of them.Vanity audiobook company for Lulu. com authorsWebsite that allows groups to document their lottery ticket purchases and each individual members’ shares to avoid problems when they win – there are a lot of winners beside the jackpot winner.Wikipedia search hotline for those who don’t have access to the internet and simply want quick answers to their inquiries sent to them as SMS texts.Build Your own Mardi Gras mask site.RSS Batches – supported with ads (so you can subscribe to a batch of the top 10 marketing blogs and in addition to the feeds you get an occasional relevant and anticipated ad)Philanthropic tourism – pay a huge fee with part of it going to help the people you visitGrocery store with only junk foodHeadphone buds that look like headphones but that are really powerful earplugs so people can’t tell the difference.A store completely filled with weird vending machines.Offer private curbside recycling service in towns where it isn’t offered. For a monthly fee, provide a container and service it once a week. All the contents are taken to the city’s collection site.Marketing Awards (like the Oscars, potentially online)A private site where corporations hire street artists to Tag over their build boards in an ongoing campaign to draw attention to the location of the sign. Then at its peak awareness, replace it. And start the process again.Online judge dispute resolution – Submit your disagreements onliine and for a fee a judge will email you back the verdict on who is rightSteroid scandal consultant – Firm specializes in advising baseball players that are in the midst of a steroid scandalCasino Airlines – Airline that has casino games on the plane as soon as the plane gets over the seaTrade Ya. com where users trade their personal goods for other user’s crap.A drive through fast food place that has healthy sandwiches.A laundromat/video arcade – Play video games with your kids as you wait for your clothes to be doneA crowd-sourced social filter. So you type in something you think would be funny to say or do to someone else, and the site tells you whether it’s actually a good idea or whether it would be wildly inappropriate.Instead of cryogenic freezing of bodies, store genetic signatures and compile multimedia memories.Change Consulting – Teach companies how to change – “stories of change” workshopsWebsite that is an aggregator of all the charities that celebrities support and how you can get involved.To-go food materials that are 100% recyclable such as a straw.Company that anonymizes current case studies from real companies facing real struggles that others can subscribe to to be aware of current day challenges, sold as subscriptions.Delivery service of food from local restaurants that don’t offer deliveryRestaurant of the month club – diners pay $100 – get $200 gift certificates for a rotating set of restaurantsPolice texting alerts-in case of an emergency you can text the police instead of calling them.An application that is a Thesaurus for your phone.Will you marry me. com, that allows viewers to share video of wedding proposals and live stream real ones.Neighborhood phone bookTravel agency for the rich and famous.Improv comedy coach comes to dinner parties or can order “Improv Party” DVD setMobile pet neuter vans.A software that will allow you to change the channel and adjust the lights in the room through you computer.Etiquette guides for various social mediaStart a multi-level marketing company that specializes in sex toy parties for men.Snow Man kit: a packaged snow man parts, encouraging fun times building a Snowman with family and friends. Biodegradable.A digital book reader that provides an OED, so that readers can look up words as they come across them.Web-based portal that allows people to invest in or fund movie scripts written by new writers and allows studios to scout for good stories.FamousNoses. com, pick the you favorite hollywood star and get a rubber version of their beak for the you own!Online Executive Betting System – Online trading system that allows you to trade CEOs like securities to make moneyCreate your own ice cream flavorsTech adventures. Expensive one and multiday adventures where we put the players in scenarios where they get to play with the latest cool technology…night vision…robots…James bond type stuff. Real life role playing game.A PhD site where students and teachers post thesis.Casual escrow service – Escrow service for more casual transactions, like between family or friendsA software program that functions like Pandora for television programs.A company that creates baseball trading card style packets for fashion designer lines.Government sign business consultant – Company finds infrastructure signs (roads, bridges, etc.) that are ineffective or misleading that by fixing will save the government moneyStacked Twitter iPhone App (like TweetDeck or PeopleBrowsr for the iPhone)A place where kids can go and dress up like their favorite childhood book. There will be a set and costumes to dress up. Perfect for birthday parties.A car sharing service that manages the risk and coordination of sharing a car in major cities.Video messaging service where people can tape their messages (birthdays, holidays, etc.) and they give us the content from their own camera and we edit them and send them to the people they love.A not-for-profit company that works with the NYC government to spray paint North/south/east/west signs on the street or on a sign outside the subway stations to help the directionally challenged.A YouTube VC firm, that will invest money in people who are willing to do stupid stuff on video in hopes that the video will go viral and they will make a profit.AngryClickers. com: a streaming site that allows users to cue live face punches in an online fight. This is sick.Job swap board for stay at home moms – I’ll do your laundry if you do my grocery shopping.A high school homework site that markets to the schools and teachers who want to know what their neighbors require and post best-of results.Bicycle that generates electricity to run the clubInterview practice company – A company that will do mock interviews with you and give you feedback on your performance.A website or iPhone app that finds places for large groups to hang out in real time. So for example if you’re wandering around union square with fifteen friends at night, find the nearest ten places that can accommodate that many people right now.In store sales (for the next 60 minutes – x is 50% off – sent via SMS to customers who have signed up)Design agency for Second Life and other digital worlds.Private Security Insurance – promise trained “Blackwater-esque” security in the event of civil disturbance.Green Architecture Best Practices CommunityNap stations throughout the city. To integrate it into our culture, we can introduce them through napping stations similar to coffee houses.Video creation for local businesses to put on YouTubeInstall digital screens on shopping carts and sell advertising to national packaged goods companies. This would replace the current printed adds on the shopping carts. Grocery store shares in ad revenue. The carts could be location aware and tell you about products you were close to.Company that creates widgets that advertise high-end jobs on the most influential and specialized bloggers in the areas of tech, medical, finance, etc.Pillow case store – Store that only sells customers a large variety of custom pillow casesTactical fire arms training for urban environments.Be a sports team mascot for dayA digital medicine cabinet where patients upload their latest prescriptions and receive automatic feeds that relevant Google alerts.Dedicated sms/twitter service responding to shopping people about “greenness”/ethics of products.Software to build social graphs based by comprehensively integrating all the different online and offline social networks.Footnotes[1] Software Secrets Book
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