Contributions of, Like, Generation Y
It’s sort of an office joke, here at LaunchSquad, that I am a “Digital Native” - yes, that really is the punchline. Those of us born between 1982-2001 also answer to “Millennial” and “Generation Y” and occasionally, since we can still manage it, we participate in the multi-generational phase of “disenfranchised youth.”
I find that I don’t really relate to my generation since I hardly exceed five text messages a day, I generally rely on my sense of direction rather than an iPhone when I get lost, and prefer to meet new people in person rather than on Facebook – call me old-fashioned. This could probably sound like denial on my part, except that I don’t feel resentment toward my generation because while, collectively, it may look like we have nothing to offer, we are a mighty force in consumer and technology trends. And I kind of like that.
According to a 2006 USA Today article, Generation Y usurped the Baby Boomers as the most influential group to retailers, citing a statistic that 13-21 year olds influence more than 80% of their family’s apparel purchases and over half of their car purchases. How does this happen? Well, it could be that we’re the most brand-conscious, information-driven generation yet.
As far as Generation Y in the workforce? Earlier this year, an episode of 60 Minutes entitled The Age Of The Millennials asserted that members of this generation are exceptionally tech-savvy and are especially tuned to their own value in the job market. We’re a good generation to have around in tech and media dilemmas. In a world of infinite access to news everywhere, thank god that the media’s driven by a generation with an attention span shorter than a Jonas Brother.
And despite all of the negative things we’ve pioneered, like cyber bullying and the incorporation of text message abbreviations into our vernacular – contributions that might not be so memorable – we must be recognized for an increasingly established global trend: Online Oxygen. According to trendwatching.com, “Online Oxygen,” is, essentially, the idea that constant and convenient Web access is seen as an “absolute necessity” to a global degree and there’s no slowing of the integration of the internet and daily life.
Oh, SNAP! Our greatest contribution to technology is our demand for it. We multi-task better than any generation, simultaneously downloading music, sending e-mails, updating micro-blog feeds and ordering new running shoes all on the way to the gym. Our information addiction is fed by our dealer – gadgets and smart-phones always on our person – iAppendages, really. Instant access to a wealth of information keeps us clever, resourceful, ambitious and demanding.
And while we may seem obnoxious, self-serving and ridiculous, if it weren’t for that persistence, people, you’d might still be stuck with dial-up internet.
Is Your Success Your Own Doing?
I’ve always been interested in the quirks of the human mind and how new fields like neuroeconomics and neuromarketing let us peek into the subconscious reasons for certain decisions we make, our analog to an airplane’s black box. Dan Ariely has a fantastic book, now in audio version at www.audible.com, titled “Predictable Irrationality” on cognitive biases. Malcolm Gladwell captured my imagination as a young marketing student with amazing stories and research on how the human brain thin-slices tiny moments with amazing clarity in “Blink.” His second book following “The Tipping Point,” “Blink” is full of high-level studies and neurological research translated into compelling stories for the layperson.
Gladwell has his critics though. Many of his detractors focus on the fact that his stories in both “Blink” and “The Tipping Point” are enjoyable (though maybe stretching credibility), but overall not actionable or useful for marketers. Tales of speed dating, the rise of Hush Puppies, and sizing up presidential candidates don’t lend themselves to serious use. Gladwell’s next book, “Outliers: The Story of Success,” promises to provide just that level of seriousness in scrutinizing the “Boot strap” mantra of the American Dream.
“Outliers” will go further than Gladwell’s previous books, starting with research morphed into dazzling story, then adding on prescriptions to issues that plague our modern society. Why do some people reach extraordinary heights in life, while others simply get by? Of course Gladwell includes some more trivial questions like why do Asian children seem more adept at math or why are more hockey players born in January? But why not look into some of the most extraordinary people like Bill Gates or The Beatles? Can you show that star individuals like these would never have reached their astronomical heights without strings of amazing opportunities and open doors? Gladwell proposes to do just that, opening up a new perspective on the hidden truths behind patterns of success and privilege.
Does your success arise from your own hard work? Or is the sum of many unique opportunities and factors outside your control responsible for your rising rank?
What Are You Working On? - The Rapid Rise of Yammer
I will be the first to admit that I was slow to latch onto Twitter.
It initially seemed silly, not entirely useful and certainly not relevant to my professional or personal social life or networking goals. Over the course of several months this spring, however, I gradually began to realize how much insight could be garnered from the now virtually mainstream micro-blogging service—be it information on the next Forrester Wave Report, who at the WSJ is now covering the consumer technology beat or where to find the best cup of coffee in downtown San Francisco. Twitter went from being a curious annoyance to a friendly ally, but the process was slow, onerous and when things get particularly hectic I’ve been known to go weeks without checking in with the Twitter-sphere through even a single “tweet.”
Yammer, on the other hand, was an easy sell—and the speed with which we as an office have adopted the service has been startling, speaking to both the company’s unique value and ultimately the pure ease of implementation.
Yammer officially debuted at the TechCrunch 50 conference in September 2008, taking home the top prize and associated unbridled publicity. Transforming Twitter’s “What are you doing?” to “What are you working on?”, Yammer introduced a new mode of office communication, reducing internal emails and providing a fresh breeding ground for sharing information, articles, thoughts and questions, from requests for dentist recommendations to insight into hot new companies.
Within a couple of days, every LaunchSquad employee had registered with the service, downloaded the Yammer widget and sent his or her first “yam.” New hires are now introduced to the service within their first few hours on the job, and as Claire Cain Miller wrote for the NYT, it continues to provide an exceedingly valuable “new way to do a lot of stuff we already do at work.”
The larger story behind Yammer’s rapid infiltration of our office, however, comes back to how painfully simple it is to get started. All you need is a company e-mail address—no IT department is required to step in, no permission from higher-ups, no cost, no product evaluation—essentially, zero adoption curve. All it takes is a few people and use of the service gradually, naturally begins to spread. It quite simply could not be easier, and the company’s success (thus far) can hopefully be seen as a sign of things to come as increasingly more businesses look to decrease the adoption curve on their services while providing huge business value.
If there’s anything Yammer’s rapid rise has taught me it’s to be careful when you decide to take a week off for vacation—you just may come back to find an entirely new communication channel—don’t be left in the dust.
How I Learned To Quit Apple And Love Android
I’m a very loyal person in most aspects of my life – to my friends, my sports teams (despite a dalliance with the Tampa Bay Rays this season. Hey, the Mariners really sucked!), and also with what I buy. I’ve owned two cars in my life: a 1988 Volkswagen Golf and a 1998 Volkswagen GTI; I only buy Adidas sneakers; I’ve used a Mac my whole life; and I’ve had T-Mobile since I got my first cell phone 10 years ago.
Those last two were the cause of a great amount of conflict over the summer when I was deciding which smart phone to buy. Being an Apple enthusiast and fan of all things cool, the iPhone was the natural choice … but, my contract with T-Mobile that doesn’t end until mid-2010 said otherwise. So, I decided to go with the G1, Google Android-powered phone from T-Mobile.
This was no small task, mind you. We’re huge Apple advocates here at the Squad, and I also have been one my whole computer using life. There’s really nothing I don’t like about Apple, so leaving the flock for another farm was mildly unsettling. And there were problems – I had a major software meltdown and weird battery issue within one week that made me want to throw my shiny, new Android (which I’ve named Marvin) against the wall.
But aside from some usability issues that stemmed mostly from my predilection toward how Macs work, I actually think Google’s Android outclasses the Apple’s iPhone. While there are few differences in the phone’s performance with features users have come to expect – Internet, e-mail, GPS, mapping functions – where Google pulls ahead is the open operating system and basically unlimited possibilities for app development. The iPhone has a lot of really cool apps, but the operating system is basically a take-it-or-leave it proposition. Annoying bugs in the system, or a core application that makes your iPhone tough to use? Well, until Apple decides to deal with it, too bad. On Android, somebody simply has to develop a patch or new piece of software that can replace the core application. With Apple, that’s a big no-no.
A lot of people feel that Apple has been getting too big for its britches lately and acting in increasingly Microsoftian fashion. While I don’t know that I’d go that far, Android is a huge leap forward from the iPhone in promoting the open, collective approach to software and device development that is clearly the future of technology. Make a cool platform, open it up and let everyone else do the work to perfect it.
Smart phones are in their absolute infancy, and the fully-capable phone of two years from now will be light years ahead of the G1s and iPhones we know now, but Google clearly has their eye on that future, while Apple – innovators that they are - might be a bit too concerned with promoting their brand. Prove me wrong, Apple – I’d absolutely love it.
Martha Parties On
We might be in a downturn, recession, and facing difficult economic times, but it seems that we’re still ready to party. According to VentureBeat, Martha Stewart’s media network, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, last week threw $2.8M toward Pingg, an invitation and event management software company.
The company integrates a variety of social media capabilities, including distributing invitations via social networks and sending out invitations to various locations (email, mobile device and Facebook) in one single swoop. Pingg also allows users to create real invitations that it will print and mail out. Or send out via text. With the new partnership, Pingg will run Martha’s content (which includes a variety of digital properties) and also add its capabilities to MarthaStewart.com
evite is probably the most well-known company in this space, but other event-focused tools have definitely tried to make a name for themselves by conceptualizing slicker sites and increased social media cross-functionality. Over the years, evite has proven to be a solid tool for me–from birthday dinners to parties, holiday gatherings, happy hours and even small movie nights, it’s delivered no-fail results. I like the little reminders it sends, telling me not to forget I’m scheduled to make an appearance somewhere the next day. And I particularly enjoy logging in to my own invites and seeing how many times people have viewed my evite (stalkers beware, I am aware!). The idea of having prettier pictures and also bringing in an aspect of integration between my digital universe and the one I actually live in, kind of sounds fun. And we could use a little more fun these days.
Will Social Media in Politics Carry On?
Today is election day, and the front page of The New York Times has an article about the Internet being responsible for the largest voter turnout in ages and its huge impact on the 2008 campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain.
There is no doubt that political efforts by candidates and their supporters on sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have rallied thousands or millions of young voters and brought new ones into the fold. There is no doubt about the impact that community and communication through these mediums can have on a massive sector of our population.
This is why the momentum cannot stop now. Social media and social networks have proven their effectiveness to bring people together and engage in a two-way conversation. It’s engagement with politics and politicians like we’ve never seen before. So why stop after the election? These mediums can keep people interested in how our elected officials are leading our country and perhaps one day they will give us a voice in the decisions being made in Washington DC. YouTube can act as both a way to organize the community and as a medium for dissent — truly a democratic platform.
It is my hope that the success of social media in this election will encourage our next president to include it in his communication efforts during his time in office. Simply following the president on Twitter, we could be easily informed that he’s meeting with the prime minister of Japan about climate change, or that he’s talking to the secretary of the treasury about the economy. These are things we should know, and social media is the way to communicate them.
Both candidates talk about change. Policies and plans are one step in that direction, but rallying the American people and getting us involved and informed is perhaps a bigger step, and today, more than ever, we finally have a clear way to make it happen.
UPDATE: Read Write Web posts about a very good first step from the Obama administration-elect, change.gov.