The latest video released by 37signals shows the build-out of their new office space is coming along nicely.
Carrying on from the previous episode, the latest video from 37signals shows the build-out of the new office. From 3:3:30 onwards we get a first look at the theatre. The raised seating base looks a good distance from the front of the room. Mayban odd perspective effect from the camera? We’ll see.
Platforms need developers to succeed, so you need stories that resonate with developer’s worldview. Stories that you live to make true.
Your stories must be true. Developers can spot lies and it’s easier than ever to spread bad news, such as on Facebook. Not to pick on Facebook, but they serve as an example of conflict between a platform vendor and developers.
Facebook is a platform for third-party applications. And not just for games; you’ll find a range of business and marketing applications as well. After all, with Facebook’s massive user base there’s money to be made.
I now have my video workflow set up, so here’s the first video: a short introduction to Story Complete for the About page.
Update: I am now showing the YouTube versions of the videos to ensure the widest coverage. I have therefore removed the links to the downloadable self-hosted versions of the videos for the time being.
By default the embedded video player starts with the SD video. To view the HD version click on the HD link in the top right corner of the player. Swapping from SD to HD restarts the video from the beginning.
Seth Godin’s book ‘All Marketers Tell Stories’ inspired me to share what I’ve learnt in 30 years of the software business.
Software companies often find themselves stranded on islands of excellence, serving a small group of customers but unable to grow. Opportunistic sales result in a few more islands from time to time.
It’s depressing to see companies with excellent technology shipwrecked. A love-hate relationship with marketing is often a contributory reason. We love having many qualified leads, but hate getting our hands dirty with marketing.
Why’s marketing hated like this? In my experience the cause is often the developer background of many managers. Developers equate lead generation with advertising. And developers hate advertising even more than marketing!
37signals added some mystery to what could be a boring office video. To tell a good story, keep the ending until, well, the end.
37signals has strong opinions about work. But how should an office look if you’re an international team? That often works from home? With a 4-day week? That hates interruptions? For the moment, they’re not saying.
To tell a good story, keep the ending until, well, the end. You can see this in a series of videos from 37signals about their new offices.
Tablets are increasingly around when customers spread your story, so it’s time to start thinking about tablet-compatible content.
The Apple iPad and other tablets open attractive new channels for storytelling. Increasingly be a tablet will be around when your customer spreads your story.
Unlike notebooks, tablets are easily and naturally shared by passing them back and forth. Ideal for ad-hoc demos in the pub!
Check your website looks good in both portrait and landscape at tablet resolutions (1024×768 for the iPad). Check you’re using supported file formats. The Apple iPad doesn’t support Adobe’s Flash, so you’ll need to re-encode videos in H.264 format.
Future employers won’t need you, but they might want you. Your product is now your skills and the stories to go with them.
Many B2B developers are anonymous workers in a software factory, with little or no connection to customers. Perhaps they get a customer visit here, or a user conference there; but typically not much more.
As products become software and the stories to go with them, previously backstage developers have a new role. Your target audience cares who produces your software, where they are and how they do it. These all contribute to the stories customers tell themselves about how they expect your product to make them feel.
Audiences want to go backstage, meet developers and see how they work. But watch out: if you don’t live your story you’ll get caught.
Packaging and labelling carry much of the load for physical goods storytelling. You have it easier: your marketers and software developers can work together and weave your stories right into your software.
Who those developers are, where and how they work is part of your story. Your audience wants to peek backstage, just like developers love to watch insider videos of Google’s fancy offices.
Going backstage used to be expensive. Developers visited customers on-site, or prospects visited the labs. Both were one-offs and not reusable.
