I met Nancy Pelosi, our speaker of the house and the third person in line for the thrown after George and Dick. Very nice lady, although she and her family appeared a bit “fake”.In other news, Om Malik is going to Israel, I would like to get his take on the politics of that region, he might actually be unbiased.

Reports are also coming in that the iPhone activation is a flop, and flop, which makes it look like AT&T is not up to par.

Here are a few startup lessons from a fellow entrepreneur.

1. Make no assumptions when it comes to roles and responsibilities.
2. Communication between partners is mandatory. And you cannot communicate with someone who is not communicating with you.
3. Decisions aren’t decisions if you have to keep making them. Set on the course and stick to it. If you keep talking about things that have already been decided, nothing will ever get done.
4. When someone says one thing, but acts in a contradictory way, you have a choice between believing their words or believing their deeds. Believe their deeds.
5. Never let anyone tell you what you want. When someone says, “You don’t want that,” what they really mean is, “I don’t want you to have that.”
6. Don’t stay where you’re not wanted, respected, or happy. Even if it’s your company.

And a few more I would like to add from my experience.

1. There is no sense in beating a dead horse. If you feel it ain’t going no where, then it probably isn’t.
2. If it don’t feel like it’s your company anymore, then it really isn’t. Yes, what’s on paper does matter.
3. You’re smarter than what you give yourself credit for and you’re definitely smarter than what they think.
4. Your opportunity cost is usually higher than your startup cost. Do your math carefully.
5. You’re not a failure if you call it quits, you’re actually more of a failure if you don’t know when to quit.

I have been trying to hire some good talent for my company and have been largely unsuccessful. The experienced folks seem to be bored in what they do and too stuck in their ways, while the passionate fellers are sparkling new and have very little to give besides enthusiasm. One guy stands out, however, I can’t seem to find a happy middle and I would hate to hire the “best” out the mediocre bunch I have seen.

Here is a great excerpt on the subject taken from an article on Om Malik’s newest blog.

“In the technology business, good engineers are vital. And they are not a commodity that you buy from some recruiter. Spotting the ones that will make great team members requires a different approach. The best method is to get them off tech or their explicit work skills, and on to talking about themselves and other things that they are passionate about. Then your job is to listen closely to what they are sharing with you. If you do that, it will be easy to spot the employees who are right for you and great for your startup.”

Internet advertising is bound to grow significantly in years to come. Three days ago, Yahoo! announced the acquisition of RightMedia, a web advertising market place for $680 million in cash and Yahoo stock. This follows last months Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, an ad management company for $3.1 billion in cash. The internet giants are at war in attempt to secure as much of the online ad space as currently possible. These acquisitions are a sign that internet advertising is on the rise and the long-term strategy of these giants, counts on it to continue to do so.

The internet as a medium allows advertisers to collect user data, which translates to contextual advertising that is better targeted. Impressions, clicks, and conversions are all carefully stored and tracked. Advertisers will learn how to improve their ad content to get better results and higher conversion rates. In addition, the internet is a better medium to call users into action. Advertisements on the internet serve a much larger purpose than just branding and promotion; they actually have the power to convert an impression to a customer.

The below article was published in the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association website where we (FlyInside.com) have over 400 active tours. Way to go Wisconsin for spreading the word.

---

With the Internet becoming the tool of choice when shopping for a home, there’s no question virtual tours are here to stay and can grab the attention of buyers better than listings without them. However, as powerful as they are, many agents have not yet taken the plunge due to price or ease of use, making it a challenging commitment.

So let’s start with the most basic question: “What’s all the hype about a virtual tour?” A virtual tour is a multimedia presentation that gives home buyers the option of seeing a listing over the Web as if they were seeing it in person with their own eyes. They include slide shows, video, 360 viewing, sound and narration – all of which are published on a single Web page. More elegant solutions include visitor tracking, the ability to connect with leads and tools for linking to maps and other online resources.

FlyInside.com is one virtual tour company that has taken aim on solving the problem with price and ease of use. You can create as many, or as few virtual tours, as you want, whenever you want … for FREE. Designed for REALTORS® who don’t have to be tech-savvy Web developers, setup is quick and easy. A self-guided wizard walks you through the entire process, beginning with adding property data to providing MLS number, lot size, and then uploading photos—as many as desired—for a slideshow or 360-degree version. You can add background music, and once the tour is published a link is sent to your e-mail account that you can add to your Web site or MLS listing to drive home buyers to your virtual tour.

So what’s the catch? At one time flyinside.com had a one-dollar-a-lead model, but this is no longer the case. They now make money through offering several value-added upgrade services such as: REALTOR.com® postings, the ability to have a tour posted on Craigslist.com, Oodle and Yahoo and the ability to add additional tools, such as a mortgage calculator, school information and more.

Key features include:

100% Branded to You

Display your photo, your name, company name and logo. (Optional unbranded version also available.)

No Third Party Ads

Your free virtual tours have no third party advertisements.

Interactive Map

Virtual tour links to an interactive map of the location.

Music Selection

Choose from a variety of music selections to play in the background of your tour.

Unlimited Linking to Your Virtual Tour

E-mail your tours or place them on the Web sites of your choice using the unique tour URL.

Unlimited Tours

Create a tour without worrying about the cost. When it’s free, there are so many options.

Unlimited Images

Upload as many photos (slideshow and 360º) as are needed.

No Tour Expiry

Keep tours active for as long as you like – your active tours never expire.

Free Hosting

Host your tours on our powerful and secure servers for free.

Free Activity Tracking

Monitor how well tours are performing with extensive activity tracking for every tour.

Lead Capturing Forms

Know the contact information of individuals interested in specific properties through lead capture forms.

Free Lead Management

Store and organize all virtual tour leads in one secure place.

Cross Marketing Abilities

“See my other tours” link and interactive map show all your active tours in a centralized location.

Easy Editing

Edit your tours online, anytime.

Original Post: http://www.news.wra.org/story.asp?a=694