One of the trends the Internet has empowered is a bottom-up approach to marketing and brand awareness. Now, it is regarded as normal that consumers can contribute back to the brand they love, and that they can appeal directly to the people building out the brand.
This video is pitched to defend direct sales for Tesla, and to reach out to Elon Musk directly.
Writing can be difficult. It can be hard to convey exactly the right message in a way that is simple and enjoyable enough for your audience to play with. At its’ core writing is about making a message resonate with people: for that there are some tools that can help.
One of the niftiest out there may be the Hemingway App, a single-page application that draws on the simplicity Hemingway embodied. Through a set of algorithms that evaluate readability, the Application is a constant reminder to keep things as simple as they can be.
Hemingway App with code(love)
Crafted by a pair of brothers (Ben and Adam Long), the application is something that was created by writers for writers. When the application was founded, Adam was working in marketing, and Ben was working as a copywriter in an ad agency.
They created it because they wanted some objective distance between a writer and their craft. What writers used to achieve by asking others to read their works, Ben and Adam want to make possible through the power of algorithms.
This is important because the Internet opens up countless outlets of expression to everybody, which has enabled content to be shared effortlessly. The amount of writing has exploded. Ben and Adam want to ensure that the quality of what is available matches the quantity.
They’ve made a lot of progress already, without dedicating too much effort.
They’ve made a lot of progress already, without dedicating too much effort. Traction has come from posting in a few writing-focused sub-Reddits, and seeing their app go to the top of Hacker News.
They have a hypothesis that if you solve a real pain, you won’t need to tell your story: others will tell it for you. That has been borne out, time and again, with many people using the application to simplify their story giving Hemingway the plaudits it deserves.
Time and again, the algorithms that power the application itself crank out rules that help simplify writing. The application uses the Automated Readability Index to gauge the clarity of the prose. Using some detection rules, the application can also point out when you are using too many adverbs, when you are using words that have simpler synonyms, and when you are writing in the passive voice. It seeks to encourage reflection about writing that leads to strong, clear prose that can convey any message effectively.
What the Long brothers have built works, and it works well. They’ve seen it used by a high school special education teacher to help their students, and by somebody who was not a native English speaker to clean up their CV. Writers everywhere swear by it, and already, both Adam and Ben are working on a desktop version, driven by the demand and success they have seen.
It’s an exciting prospect: two talented writers using technology to help improve the calibre of writing online.
It’s an exciting prospect: two talented writers using technology to help improve the calibre of writing online. It’s a daunting goal, but one for which the brothers say they have big plans for. They’re excited. Judging by what they have built so far, everybody else should be as well.
A reminder once again of the potential for technology to have a significant positive effect on our lives.
Oculus Rift is used here not for gaming purposes, but to help a terminally ill grandmother experience the great outdoors once more, something she cannot physically do.
Jean-Dominique Bauby, an editor of the French version of ELLE was tragically struck down by a massive stroke. He suffered locked-in syndrome: and had to transmit his experiences through the only organ left of his that could move, his eyes.
He wrote out a book detailing what it felt to be stuck within physical confines that were imposed on him by painstakingly blinking one letter at a time with an assistant. One of the lines that has haunted me the most is when he asks “Does the cosmos contain keys for opening my diving bell? A currency strong enough to buy my freedom back? We must keep looking.”
One can’t help but think that if, through some miracle, he had managed to hang on for a few more years, he would have been able to find the keys and currency he was crying out for.
A lot of people have differing opinions about who rules the new digital era. Some think it is those with capital (a high proportion of whom are the ones with capital). Some think it will be the engineers who shape and structure logic so that it, tamed, can no longer hurt us.
There are a few voices in the wild who say it is storytellers who rule with them.
There should be more. A good story delivered in the digital realm can now reach hundreds of thousands of people within a day. It can resonate with people from around the world—and pass through physical borders as though they have never existed at all.
Stories can spark dialogue and thought that lead to the world of tomorrow. Stories can start revolutions that change the world of today.
The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi sparked the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring.
Technology was not responsible for the power that singular act of utter defiance conveyed, but with every tweet and status update, the story grew stronger—until regimes that had lasted for decades buckled under the power of storytelling.
In this new digital age, that will become the rule rather than the exception.
Through our online connections, a story becomes chopped up and distributed in a million different ways. It has never been easier to have an opinion, and to share it with complete strangers.
Storytellers have never had to deal with such entropy, but they have also never been so liberated as to express themselves as plainly and as genuinely as they can: and watch the power of the crowd carry their story forward.
We rely on stories to root us to our humanity: our deepest fears and aspirations—to make the future make sense. Engineers will build the future. Financiers will fund it. Storytellers will define it.
Storytelling is power.
Bootstrap Love with code(love)
Bootstrap Love is a new initiative by Montreal marketing agency Brendan & Brendan to help provide bootstrapped startups with the essentials of startup marketing they’ll need to help grow their ideas.
“Sometimes all an early stage company needs is a one off item. We think of it as a sort of pit stop for the self-funded business”, said Beth Thouin of Brendan & Brendan.
It covers the whole host of essentials any startup needs to get its’ foot in the door of early users, press members, and investors: from PR kits, to good blog content.
I have thought about this long and hard, and law school isn’t for me.
I have a firm belief that in our new digital economy, those who are able to scale their ideas most effectively will triumph. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape once said: “Software is eating the world”. My corollary to this statement is that “the geek shall inherit the Earth.”
The geek shall inherit the Earth.
From hospitality, to transportation, we live in a world where minute connections of individuals can actually change the world for the better—within a span of months, rather than decades.
Technology has accelerated both the potential for good, and for bad, but as a catalyst the effects are undeniable. From sidestepping the conventional financial system, to underpinning the democratic aspirations of a people, the ability to communicate frictionlessly has fundamentally changed what we view as possible.
Changing the possible with code(love)
While I appreciate the value a law school education holds for those who want to learn and practice law, I no longer think that is my true calling. Having talked with multiple lawyers, I have come to the conclusion that the impact I can have is best served by scaling my aspirations, and those of others throughout the digital realm, rather than through slogging it out one jurisdiction at a time.
I hold a high amount of respect for those who fight the good fight throughout legal and political channels: society has a need for this. I just don’t see myself being as effective at that as I can be with digital engagement.
My feeling in the startup scene is one akin to coming home.
I have advised on several ventures that have the potential to grow into something beautiful and meaningful not only from a monetary sense, but from a societal one as well.
When I sit down to talk with people, it’s about creating a secure communications platform for doctors and underserved patients in rural Bangladesh, or about tackling urban homelessness through a crowdfunding solution—these are not only realizable, but people are working on these right now. It is liberating to be able to talk about these issues, and see action straight away that helps chip away at some of the biggest problems this world faces—all of this in a matter of days, rather than years.
This isn’t only a passion-borne argument. Fundamentally, I believe working in technology is a more rational decision for me than working in law.
Fundamentally, I believe working in technology is a more rational decision for me than working in law.
Rejecting Law School with code(love)
I am motivated by three things in life: knowledge, impact, and love. It is only in technology that I have found all three—and it is only in technology where my passion can be translated into tangible, and material well-being. While I believe the current valuation bubble will burst, leaving true technologists behind to pick up the pieces, the truth is Silicon Valley is on the upswing, while Wall Street and Main Street is on the downswing.
With the doubtful legal market in Canada and the United States, and the overwhelming need for engineers across both sides of the border, I think I am better suited to learn outside of school, or to pursue a formalized degree in computer science (an option I have not precluded) for the age we live in.
I’d rather fight it out getting paid to gain experience rather than taking on debt for experience for a field I’d rather not be in. I have always been more of a kinetic learner, someone who learns by doing. I cannot afford either the time nor the money that would be invested in learning less efficiently otherwise, and this has been made even clearer in the last few weeks than all of the preceding year.
I’d rather fight it out getting paid to gain experience rather than taking on debt for experience for a field I’d rather not be in.
I love what I do, and I know what I am fighting for. The next following days will determine where I will head, but I feel that I can preclude law school, even though I recognize it is a great opportunity.
This is not a choice I made lightly, but it is something I have to do to move towards the love, knowledge, and impact I believe I can have. I hope you can understand.
One of the things that you will notice after receiving a number of pitches is the number of vague pitches. It is a surprisingly large number.
The pitch goes something like this—“This is what I do. Now figure out how you can help me.”
“This is what I do. Now figure out how you can help me.”
It’s not very appealing for a number of reasons: it can be off-putting, and even slightly insulting if the pitcher hasn’t even taken the time to really look into what you do. More importantly, vague pitches make it much harder for anybody to help.
Vague pitches make it much harder for anybody to help.
Everybody only has a certain amount of time in their lives to dedicate to different causes. Helping out somebody is a good thing, but ultimately, you are the arbiter of your own time. Nothing can be more valuable—even a billionaire who has everything in the world will eventually run out of time.
You can and should choose who you help, and that starts with whether or not you’re getting vague or specific pitches.
Those making pitches can help you help them by making it clear what they need, and if they can, how they can pay it forward.
Which is more appealing?
A: “Hi stranger, my name is Peter. Not really sure what you do, but you seem generally awesome.
I run a startup called RealKarma, what we do is change the world through giving everybody access to a mobile application that allows you to upvote and downvote your friends and enemies (mostly enemies) in real-time.
This will change the world because we’re revolutionizing real-life paradigm interaction shifting, which will inevitably lead to revolutionizing real-world people.
We’re like the Reddit of real life. You can easily tell who is really bad at pitching by the number of downvotes that follow them. I think we’re going to change the world, and 80,000 other people think so too, so we must be onto something. Bye.”
B: “Hi Roger, my name is Peter. I saw your article on TechCrunch the other day on Radish (really big fan of the concept!), and I figured you might like to write on RealKarma, a startup I’m running.
We’re a “real-world” Reddit, a mobile application that allows you to ping when your known friends or enemies are being assholes, or saints (but mostly when they’re being assholes).
I was really excited when I realized 80,000 people needed this in their lives: maybe you do too.
I’d love to give you more details so you can write on this in your startups column. I can pay it forward by sharing the article on our social media outlets, and giving you future tips. Really look forward to working with you.”
At code(love), we’re big fans of driving the future. Here are some great startup resources for teams looking to conquer the world.
Startup Resources with code(love)
We can’t stress enough that those who want to build the future have to understand it. With most startups operating in the technology field, having that basic knowledge of how coding logic works will not only make you a better entrepreneur—it will make you a better thinker. Codeacademy is an easy and fun way to learn that logic.
For more brilliant resources on learning code, check out our previous learning list.
Both of them are aggregators of great startups, talent, and offers on hand for startups. You’ll also see a list of startups operating in the space around you, and be able to get your name out there for potential employees and investors. Using the offers on hand from giants such as RackSpace and Microsoft will save your startup thousands in operating costs, and allow your team to access opportunities they never would have had before.
Don’t have a network of potential co-founders around you? Looking for that awesome team member that will take you over the hump? Not a problem. With a one-time $50 investment, you can tap into a network of self-selected idea creators and builders who are looking to flesh out great ideas with you. The functionality adds layers beyond what LinkedIn does, including having the ability to find out whether your target is actively searching for a new idea, or merely browsing.
Do you really need very specific advice, and you can’t seem to find anybody on LinkedIn or FounderDating that can address a pain point that will cost you thousands? Schedule a call with the entrepreneurs and investors who have been through it all, so you can get the advice you need to build out the idea you envision.
FounderDating and Clarity.FM are great online networks, but you really want to take it offline. Check out your local Meetup and Facebook groups for startup communities, and start introducing yourself. Startup people are by nature open to being approached: don’t be shy to talk about what you’re doing, and ask people out for coffees: just make sure you’re not just taking but also giving. Remember the startup motto: always pay it forward.
We hope you enjoyed these startup resources: share the love if you think others in your network could benefit, and follow us for more!
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For a long time, it has been a well-known fact that the rule of law in America applies separately for different groups. The old line goes something like this: steal one dollar, and you’re a thief. Steal a million, and you’re the king.
Steal one dollar, and you’re a thief. Steal a million, and you’re the king.
We saw this in 2008 where the only Goldman employee criminally prosecuted during that period was guilty for the sin of taking open-source code from Goldman he had worked on for documentation purposes—as opposed to trickery that cost America billions and perhaps even trillions in lost opportunity and jobs.
This has never been so blatantly obvious until now. In his latest revelations, Edward Snowden has claimed that the NSA spied on human rights groups in America, and used algorithms to tease out metadata from groups of individuals never suspected of plotting or doing actual terror attacks—individuals who were “guilty by association”.
This breaks so much of the spirit that governs the Constitution, but more importantly, it breaks so many laws that this assertion is breath-taking in of itself.
If these assertions are true, we are back to the days of the old, illegal, and covert COINTELPRO program, a FBI program that unscrupulously, and covertly monitored such radicals as Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Einstein for advocating on civil rights.
Imagine a world where I could come under surveillance and special targeting for writing this piece, and you could as well by reading it.
This may be the world we live in now.
The NSA has opened Pandora’s box.
It is now the duty of those working for a free, fair, and open Internet to close it back up—no matter how hard that may be.
Telling the Truth to the NSA with code(love)
At code(love), we’re all about sharing great content like this that encourages people to learn about the future, and work towards building it. Email us at [email protected] if you think you have content that fits that bill.
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Unless you’ve been living under a stone, I’m sure you’ve heard all the buzz recently about how important it is to learn how to code. Just check out the US Bureau of Statistics info on the job outlook for software developers to see why. There’s even a campaign in the US for all school children to learn coding called “The Hour of Code.” I regret not pursuing computer science as a major when I was in college! But, as I proved starting my MBA at the age of 32, it’s never too late to learn something, and, it turns out you don’t even need a “degree” to learn how to code.
Itching to learn something new, I recently signed up to take some coding workshops through a non-profit called “Ladies Learning Code.” It’s based out of Toronto, with chapters all over Canada, and is run completely by women. The Montreal chapter is led by Nancy Naluz.
I felt so “empowered” after the Intro to HTML & CSS workshop, where we created a simple website from scratch.
So far, I’ve taken three workshops:
The courses cost about $60 each and run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a Saturday. The Montreal chapter doesn’t have a dedicated space for it’s workshops (unlike Toronto), but many different tech companies in Montreal have offered to host the workshops. I actually found the uniqueness of each location to add to the wonderful atmosphere of each workshop. The HTML workshop was held at RPM Startup Centre in the Griffintown area of Montreal, the JavaScript workshop was held at the Microsoftoffices in downtown Montreal, and the Mobile Web workshop was held at the Busbud offices in the Mile End area of Montreal. (Busbud is a start-up that provides an easy way to book bus travel all over the world, and won my vote for “coolest office” with it’s ping-pong table and amazing panoramic views of downtown Montreal!)
I felt so “empowered” after the Intro to HTML & CSS workshop, where we created a simple website from scratch.
What makes the Ladies Learning Code workshops so special is that they cater primarily to women (men are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by a female friend as the whole point is to introduce women to coding). Local software developers and coding experts volunteer their time to “mentor” at the workshops. The ratio of student to mentor I found was about 3 or 4 students per mentor.
At the Intro to JavaScript workshop, I learned how setup a website’s shopping cart.
In advance of each workshop, attendees are emailed a simple list of to-do’s to prepare, which basically consists of making sure you have the necessary free software downloaded in advance. If for some reason you have trouble with the download, I would recommend showing up a little early and just asking one of the mentors for assistance. Keep in mind that you need to bring your own laptop (and don’t forget your power cord!). The workshop leader provides a very detailed package of slides that you can use to follow along with throughout the day, and keep for future reference. One of the best parts is that you don’t have to come with any particular content – the workshop organizer provides all text and imagery for the coding exercises. But, if you do have your own content, you’re also welcome to use it instead.
I learned how to add code to a website to make it mobile friendly at the Intro to Mobile Web workshop.
Each workshop usually starts with an intro to the software being used and an explanation of the reasoning behind the coding being taught, and then you’re led through a bunch of exercises. At any point, you can raise your hand and a mentor will come over to help you trouble shoot. The workshops are tailored to women who have never coded before and have just basic computer skills. But, if you’re a fast learner (like me), I found that the mentors are always willing to teach you some extra shortcuts and coding tricks here and there, while for the slower learners they’re willing to sit with you until you get it and are ready to move onto the next exercise. Basically, there’s no need to ever feel intimidated at a Ladies Learning Code workshop!
The workshops are also very social. I met some lovely ladies at each of them, and even recognized some repeat attendees like myself, so by the third workshop I felt like I was entering a room of friends instead of strangers. A healthy lunch is provided during the day, and plenty of time to socialize during the lunch hour. I enjoyed getting to know some of the mentors and learning about their career paths and why they were inspired to volunteer their time. The best was hearing some of the male mentors say that they just wish there more women were in their industry because they value women’s input and feel that the computer software and gaming industries would only be enhanced if more women learned to code!
Showing off my ping-pong skills during the lunch break of the workshop held at Busbud.
When I left the first workshop, the word that popped into my mind to explain how I felt was “empowered!”
When I left the first workshop, the word that popped into my mind to explain how I felt was “empowered!” Not only did I learn code, a skill that I can continue to build on, but I also gained confidence. The workshops are void of competitiveness, and are really about women coming together to support each other in a comfortable and collaborative environment, learning a topic that hardly any of us were comfortable with upon walking in the room. Having recently finished my MBA, where only 30% of my classmates were women, the Ladies Learning Code workshops were such a breath of fresh air!If you live in Canada, check out the Ladies Learning Code website for a list of upcoming events and workshops in major cities across the country.A lot of organizations offering coding workshops I find cater to kids, but Ladies Learning Code is for adults. I met attendees and mentors alike who ranged in age probably from 18 to 80! I’ve heard of similar organizations in the US focusing on girls in high school. If you know of coding workshops for adult women in the US, or other countries, please share info in the comments! Or, if you already know how to code, why not organize an event in your area to pass it forward? I’d be happy to help with event planning and/or with writing content to promote any women-focused coding/tech events.
A friend was so inspired by my learning to code that she joined me at my 3rd workshop. Friends learning how to code together, looking particularly “geeky” in our glasses.
Most of my career in marketing has been focused on the user-facing content side, but learning the back-side of the technology that powers digital marketing tools has given me a better understanding of the capabilities that I can then advocate for on a user interface. It has also inspired me to focus my career on a technologically innovative industry, and perhaps even dabble in freelance website development. If you run a small business and have an outdated website or no website at all, please feel free to contact me, and I’d be happy to offer my digital marketing consulting services and/or build you a new website.
And be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram to follow along on my adventures in coding!
