Design
Wonderful interview with Stanley Hainsworth, the designer and owner of Tether, Inc. in Seattle, WA. Stanley was a lead designer/creative director at Nike, Lego and Starbucks and decided to form his own company because he saw that there were too many great, American brands that were poorly leveraging their stories. He notes examples Microsoft and Wal-Mart. He explains that both have amazing stories that have been told poorly and are not well understood.
He shows his deep understanding of branding by creating his own personal brand through an extraordinary hair style that will help you to remember him quite well. He seems like a guy that you would want to get to know better. That's really the story of business branding as well. Make customers want to know you better. Startup guru, venture capitalist and former Apple Evangelist Guy Kawasaki similarly says that companies should have "meaning". Stanley sums it up well: "Great companies read your soul. They give you something you didn't even know that you needed."
Watch this interview by Robert Scoble. It will be time well spent IMHO.
More info:
Tether web site: http://www.tetherinc.com/
The reactions to Google's introduction of the Nexus One phone based on its open source mobile OS Android 2.1 have been mixed. This wide range of reactions should not be a surprise. After all, Google has been so dominating and successful with its search, advertising and Gmail plays that it has created a few scared rabbits. Google's reach extends to and through so much of our online lives today, that some worry about it gaining a stranglehold over mobile communications as well. Let's look at why Google would make this move and what it might mean for others in the ecosystem.
