Reflections & analysis about innovation, technology, startups, investing, healthcare, and more .... with a focus on Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Blogging continuously since 2005.
I attended the Glue Conference May 21-22 in Broomfield, CO, and a pre-event on May 20 called API Strategy & Practice. It was my sixth Glue in a row, since the event began in 2009. It's been a very popular developer event, and has grown each year — now attracting approximately 650 attendees. There were 70 speakers, selected from some 500 who applied. I've written extensively about each of the six Glue Conferences I've attended. This year, I reported for ProgrammableWeb for the first time. (More about that site below.)
Here are my seven posts from #Gluecon 2014, in chronological order of the particular sessions that I wrote about:
About ProgrammableWeb: As the world's leading source of news and information about Internet-based application programming interfaces (APIs), ProgrammableWeb is known as the Web's defacto journal of the API economy. Since it was founded in 2005, ProgrammableWeb (now based in San Francisco) has been chronicling the daily evolution of the global API economy while amassing the Web's most relied-on directory when it comes to discovering and searching for APIs to use in Web and mobile applications. In 2014, Gartner identified ProgrammableWeb as one of several “Cool Vendors” in Information Innovation.It is also the most widely-cited source of data related to APIs in the mainstream media, conferences, whitepapers, and other forms of research. ProgrammableWeb is where you can keep-up with what's new and interesting in a world where the Web is a programmable platform. When it says "the Web is a platform," it is referring to how Web-based and mobile apps are enabled by Internet-based APIs. For example, the way in which the developers of many location-aware apps are able to incorporate Google Maps into their wares with just a few lines of code (using the Google Maps API). Read more about ProgrammableWebhere.
At the Glue Conference May 21-22 in Broomfield, CO, StrongLoop announced it is greatly simplifying data synch and replication for mobile apps requiring APIs and connectivity to enterprise data sources. The company's LoopBack open-source API framework, written in Node.js, is used to connect devices to enterprise data sources. This new functionality is available for Oracle, SQL Server, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL and more.
Almost all enterprise mobile apps that are data-driven require offline sync capabilities. Until now, developers first had to figure out how to locally store a subset of the application's data. Secondly, they had to implement a mechanism that could keep the data synchronized on both the client and server. For the first time, developers can now easily synchronize to and from various databases without requiring constant network connectivity. LoopBack's replication also handles the complexity of moving data between devices, device to server, and server to server. This upgrade to LoopBack means developers can now focus on the front end versus the mechanics of how to replicate data between disparate databases, whether they be in the cloud or the data center.
I interviewed Al Tsang, CTO of StrongLoop, after he gave his talk at Gluecon, which was entitled, "Isomorphic JavaScript in Action: Using HTML5, Node.js, and LoopBack for Offline Synch." (Apologies for accidentally clipping off his last sentence. The company was founded in 2013, is based in San Mateo CA, and is backed by investors including Ignition Partners and Shasta Ventures. It is the leading contributor to the latest Node.js v0.12 release. Also apologies for the sound quality. Forgot my good mic!)
Attention anyone buying or selling a home in the Twin Cities metro, or who may be someday: a new alternative is available starting today — and techies will especially appreciate it. Redfin is in town.
Based in Seattle and founded in 2004, Redfin was actually the first company to put homes for sale on a searchable map online. It represents people either buying and selling a home. Founded and run by technologists, it has a team of experienced, full-service real estate agents who are advocates, not salespeople. Get this: they earn customer-satisfaction bonuses, not commissions.
"We selected the Twin Cities as our first new market to open in 2014," said Bridget Frey, Redfin VP-Seattle Engineering. "We chose it because of the strength of the economy there, the concentration of universities, and a population that knows technology.'
Redfin's web site features not only all the broker-listed homes for sale, but for-sale-by-owner properties as well — the ones that don't pay brokers a commission. The other cool thing is Redfin has a variety of online tools and mobile apps that make the entire process of buying or selling a home "easier and more fun." The company serves 23 U.S. markets (see map) and has closed some $13 billion in home sales since its founding.
On its web site, the company says "Technology is why our agents get you into a hot property faster." And "it's how we promote your listing to the most buyers." But what really got my attention is how it promises to "put money back into the pockets of both buying and selling customers." Redfin refunds homebuyers a portion of the buyer's agent commission. For a $500,000 home, a Redfin homebuyer in the Twin Cities would save more than $4,000. For listing clients, Redfin agents charge 1.5 percent rather than the typical 3.3 percent of a traditional agent, "while providing the full listing service, from pricing and staging advice and professional photography through the negotiation and closing processes." For someone selling a $500,000 home, that equals a savings of $9,000.
Redfin has many online and mobile technology tools. For example:
• Home Value Tool – lets customers estimate the value of their home based on up-to-date home sale prices, details, and photos used by real estate agents.
• Search by School – shows all homes for sale within the boundaries of a particular school with one easy search.
• Instant Updates – immediately alert home-buyers about new listings and price drops. People using Redfin to search for listings in a given area will get an alert 15-30 minutes after a real estate agent lists a home for sale. Users of any other major real estate website have to wait till the next day. Either smartphone or email notifications are sent when new homes are listed or when the status or price of a “favorited” home changes.
For its debut in the Twin Cities market, the company said more than one million homes have been added today to its searchable database of active listings and sold homes in parts of Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver, and Wright, counties that make the largest portion of the Twin Cities metro area by population. For parts of these counties that Redfin doesn’t service directly, customers can work with Redfin's partner agents. The company will expand its direct service to include the entire 13-county metro area as its business here grows. It is actively recruiting more agents. In addition, the company just told me, hours before their debut today, that "we have successfully enabled state.pngde search for Minnesota. That means that you can see and search for all the homes for sale anywhere throughout the state."
I asked software VP Bridget Frey to describe further how her team works. "Our model is very different. We break down every step of the process. It's all based on continual conversations between agents and developers. We make sure they work closely together." She said Redfin's product managers and software engineers both regularly travel throughout the country to "shadow" agents in their daily work. "It's all about getting an optimal experience for the buyer or seller. The best solutions are often not what the developer first envisioned, and in many cases what neither the agent nor developer would have thought."
The company employs hundred of engineers in Seattle and the Bay Area, as well as hundreds of agents throughout the U.S. The Redfin model is different from that of other brokerages in the way it "aligns agent and customer interests." Unlike traditional real estate agents, Redfin agents are paid a salary and benefits, with customer satisfaction ratings – not transactions – determining the agents bonus. All reviews for all Redfin agents are published online. More about the Redfin model here. And about its data quality here — which it says is a major differentiator: "We make it our business to have the most accurate data out there, updated every 15 to 30 minutes so you'll never miss out." Other sites that provide online listings nationally include Zillow and Trulia, but they have very different models, said Redfin's Frey.
"We are a 'real world' real estate brokerage," she said, "which means we have a local presence where we operate — local people, who know the local market." To that end, Redfin hired Chris Prescott as its Minnesota market manager. “When I heard Redfin was coming to Minnesota, I knew I had to be part of their mission to change real estate here in the Twin Cities,” he said. “After being in the business for 20-plus years, I am very excited about the opportunity to change the way real estate is done and make it better for buyers, sellers and agents.”
Redfin is recruiting more agents in the Twin Cities metro area. Its pitch: "We believe real estate should be built on exceptional client service and advocacy, and we need passionate agents like you to advance our vision. Motivated clients come directly to you through our website, so you can focus on providing impeccable service — not selling yourself. Come hungry: Redfin Agents close an average of three deals per month versus the industry average of six deals per year."
Here's the full news release about Redfin's Twin Cities launch.
(NOTE: This post first appeared earlier today on Minnov8.com.)
Well, I attended CES again this year, in support of that same startup client, Canopy Co., which was introducing a new model of its "app-enhancing" iPhone case, this time a pressure-sensitive version. It is a pretty amazing product! Once again, here's a rundown of the media coverage I helped the company attract from this year's CES appearance (to date):
It was an awesome experience at CES again — albeit a very, very busy one. Here's wishing all the best to my friends at Canopy as they gear up for a very big 2014!
(Note: This post first appeared yesterday at Minnov8.com.)
What if you could post an ad in three minutes and geo-target it to
mobile users in a given radius around you — or across an entire network
of 45 to 50 million of them — then start seeing results minutes after
that? Well, you can — I know, I did it, with a new self-serve ad
service called Adagogo, soft-launched in recent days by mobile app platform company DoApp Inc. (www.doapps.com), based right here in Minnesota (Rochester and Minneapolis).
DoApp founder Joe Sriverbegan working at Google in early 2001 and
knows a thing or two about online advertising. "After joining Google, I
found out that I'd been about the 20th advertiser to sign up for
Adwords. Also, I learned that Adwords was the reason my hire date was
pushed a few months, as they were so heads-down developing it." As
Google's first UI designer, he soon became steeped in AdWords himself.
"It's a great product, and I'm proud to have been part of its history,"
he said. However, it's become complex, really complex. It's gotten so
new users either need to spend days trying to understand all the options
it now offers, or hire a professional to manage their ad campaigns." He
doesn't think that's right.
"What's
been missing in all this," says Sriver, "is an easy method to just get
your web site, business, blog, or app in front a lot of people quickly."
(Hello, startups!)
"I think we've developed the simplest way to quickly place your ad within thousands of local and national apps, on all the major mobile app
platforms," said Sriver, "Our network of users today is substantial,
between 45 and 50 million people, and it will continue to grow rapidly."
Because
you can target locally or advertise across the entire network, DoApp
says Adagogo is "great for everything from getting traffic to local
garage sales to building national brand awareness." How's that for a bold addressable market?
Sriver
recounted how he experimented with a lot of new ideas since he launched
DoApp in early 2008. The company's main app platform business (both Mobile Local News and Real Estate) continues to grow rapidly. (See my previous coverage of the company here, here, here, and here.)
But, of all the new side-project ideas he's played with over the years,
Joe says Adagogo is the one he realized had the most potential to get
traction.
How to Post an Ad with Adagogo:
> Choose geographically where you want your ad displayed > Enter your ad copy and add a picture > Select the amount of ad impressions you want to display > Add a web site URL, phone number, and/or location > Enter your credit card info > DONE!
I Did My Own Self-Serve Ad Test
I set up an ad on Adagogo the other day just to experiment with it
myself. And I must say, it was quite easy. Nice, intuitive UI — really
simple and clean. My ad is the shown here with the headline, "Learn About Big Data." The goal was to drive traffic to a Flipboard magazine
— which I had launched a while back on a lark — just to see how many
people I could get to subscribe with a mobile ad. Joe told me that 1000
ad impressions, the option I chose (price: $25) would go quickly on the
DoApp network — in about 2-3 minutes. He was right. I watched as my
subscriber count went up 20%+ almost before my eyes. Once my ad
impressions were used up, my click-through rate was 1.2%. Not bad, as
the ad was just promoting a web site — to get people to subscribe to a
free mag — not some giveaway, coupon offer, or contest.
So,
across what geography do users see the ads? "Many of our apps are local
or regional news apps," says Sriver, "but we do have a number of
national and international news apps as well. You can either choose to
advertise locally within a 5, 10, or 50-mile radius around a location
specified by you. Or you can have your ad displayed 'Everywhere,' which
means wherever our apps are used around the world." One of DoApp's
widely distributed news apps, with a worldwide footprint, is called Headlines.
"Across iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and mobile web, we currently have more than 1500 apps," says Sriver. "That
number will be going up significantly, as all our real estate apps will
soon have access to the Adagogo network. So our total number of
available apps where Adagogo ads appear will grow a ton – stay tuned!"
Seriously,
I can see Adagogo used for garage sales, fundraisers, local mom &
pop stores, online businesses — even big brick-and-mortar retailers
and, heck, ecommerce giants, for that matter. A Best Buy, for example,
could advertise individual store deals using local-radius targeting, but
could also do general brand advertising across the entire 50-million
user base – say, to hype a Super Bowl commercial, or a contest or
sweepstakes. No special expertise required — really anyone can use the
simple Adagogo interface.
"From our start, DoApp's mission has
been to help in the growth and success of communities and local
businesses through new technology," says Sriver. "Adagogo builds on that
mission."
A Special Offer This Month In announcing the Adagogo
soft-launch, Joe offered up a special promotion.
With any ad package you purchase, the company will double your number of
impressions. For example, buy the 1000 ad impressions package, get an
addition 1000 for free (2000 total). Buy 5000, get a total of 10,000.
This "buy one get one deal" is available only until October 31, 2013,
and is for ads that are specified to run "everywhere," as opposed to a
specific location. Just place your ad before midnight Central time on
October 31 and you'll automatically get double ad impressions.
—————-
Postscript: See DoApp at MobCon Wade Beavers, CEO of DoApp, will be speaking at a mobile technology conference coming up in Minneapolis, Nov 7-8: MobCon. (Online registration still open.) His session and description: "It's all about your latitude and longitude. How location is changing mobile." "Location
and mobile are a perfect match. Learn more about how device latitude
and longitude are changing the mobile game for advertising, social,
commerce, personal data, and content distribution. A recent study showed
that 43% of users were willing to provide their location to companies
compared to less than 11% willing to share their browsing history. Has
location information become the new cookie? You will learn: Location
Data Trends, Effective Location App Offerings, Location Data Use,
Consumer Behaviors, and Location Best Practices."
Minnov8 will be reporting from the MobCon event, so look for us there!
—————–
Disclosure:
DoApp is one of the companies in my client equity portfolio. I helped
launch the firm in 2008, serving as its VP Marketing.
After it was launched back in 2005, Graeme Thickins on Tech was named several times to the list of top analyst blogs (last ranked as #119 on the list, under the blog’s previous name).
I attended the Glue Conference May 21-22 in Broomfield, CO, and a pre-event on May 20 called API Strategy & Practice. It was my sixth Glue in a row, since the event began in 2009. It's been a very popular developer event, and has grown each year — now attracting approximately 650 attendees. There were 70 speakers, selected from some 500 who applied. I've written extensively about each of the six Glue Conferences I've attended. This year, I reported for ProgrammableWeb for the first time. (More about that site below.)
API economy. Since it was founded in 2005, ProgrammableWeb (now based in San Francisco) has been chronicling the daily evolution of the global API economy while amassing the Web's most relied-on directory when it comes to discovering and searching for APIs to use in Web and mobile applications. In 2014, Gartner identified ProgrammableWeb as one of several “Cool Vendors” in Information Innovation. It is also the most widely-cited source of data related to APIs in the mainstream media, conferences, whitepapers, and other forms of research. ProgrammableWeb is where you can keep-up with what's new and interesting in a world where the Web is a programmable platform. When it says "the Web is a platform," it is referring to how Web-based and mobile apps are enabled by Internet-based APIs. For example, the way in which the developers of many location-aware apps are able to incorporate Google Maps into their wares with just a few lines of code (using the Google Maps API). Read more about ProgrammableWeb here.
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