The authors experiences about gaming seem to be dramatizations of fairly common first world teenage problems - which are exaggerated here for advertising.
Could this be the perfect point for MS to convert existing RIM customers to Windows phones? I understand what you're saying but from a business perspective I was wondering if MS taking over RIM makes any sense at all
I agree with her not finding good pants to wear ( I know this from my wife). The nice & affordable clothing market is a hard one to crack I think. Women do face a lot of issues with sizing that have nothing to do with looks or vanity. The components for a good fit are universal but women have an especially hard time finding good items. Especially if they bike+work.
The last time I went to the mall I saw way too many cocktail dresses for women but was hard pressed to find active clothing for my wife which looked good. This is a non trivial problem which needs some good brains behind it. No - I don't want to pay for Rapha for some such brand.
Does this approach scale as users/funding change? I guess I am trying to find out if I can get into something like this (startup) having missed the boat in my 20's. Assuming you have the technical chops but slightly unreasonable demands on you in terms of family time and availability.
I know a better benefit. Since I started chewing gum (brand x - contains Xylitol) I have better teeth.
I slowed down my coke/dew consumption and eat gum instead after every meal after a glass of water. Believe me, having fresh breath makes a huge difference. Yes... cognitive in my case :)
Constructive help would've probably helped the user make an informed decision to 'switch'. OP probably means that going a step beyond and even advocating a patch work strategy might have better convinced the user to switch(in time...) rather than advocacy.
You mention that you correct your sisters when they tell their children "you're smart"- but what would you do differently if you could get a chance to change things.
I venture that the 'not smart' and 'smart' kids both suffer from social anxiety & lack of motivation issues. Could some of your ideas be the ground for an educational startup?
The best brains in *nux should be focusing on the next generation FOSS/GNU tools to 'power the web'. If desktop OS itself is at risk of extinction , this is one fight which the Linux community has taken on for too far and too long.
I have to agree with avichal. I look at it more like JC Penney/Ross/Marshall/etc. All of the stores have distribution and pricing models. That does not mean that the clothing industry is fragmented or that Gap will suffer.
It is a good thing for Google that Amazon sells more Android powered devices. It helps them that more people are online. Regardless of how many apps are sold or how easy or tough it is to install etc - the fact remains that the web is way more interesting and easy to navigate than an app.
As long as they can get you to the web...through any mechanism possible - they win.
I fundamentally agree with Norvig's idea about how long it takes toward being a programmer. But this approach sort of makes sense - or just maybe I am reading too much into the software-commodity angle.
Either way - I cautiously approve this. This is similar to how modern warfare utilizes recruitment-training-deployment to weed out the unworthy from the able. Adapt or perish. Nothing wrong with that. The worst thing that can happen is that the developer in question may realize that he is just not that capable and venture into some other areas.
I realize I am reading HN but sometimes programming is treated as too much of a sacred cow.
One problem which plagues jazz is the barrier to entry. A-lot of people would appreciate it more if they sort of had an 'a-ha' moment when they experienced jazz. So - if you lay it on too thick or make it too 'jazzy' , that wont work. What I am driving at is an approach to marketing the app/web app/website as a tool for a more "serious/aspiring to be serious" musician ....similar to how reddit has an appearance of being interesting but is still crammed with lolcats.
Avoid the cats , feature the jazz semi prominently and then try to market it to a more mature fanbase while keeping it cool/hip. Then have elements of building blocks to jazz which can be in the form of short videos by musicians who explain jazz and its relatability to any other kind of music.
Don't go all Coltrane upfront, but start with Jamie Cullum and try to meander over to Miles Davis.
From first hand experience - one of the main problems toward any significant growth in e-commerce/e-interactions in India is the lack of reliable visa-mastercard framework, e-anything/e-payments do not exist. Facebook can make a bigger dent if they can find an easy way to get people to spend money online - for people who are wary of online transactions. In that sense I think Amazon would be a bigger winner in this tech war if they decide to enter the Indian market
The authors experiences about gaming seem to be dramatizations of fairly common first world teenage problems - which are exaggerated here for advertising.