Oculus VR acquired by Facebook for $2 Billion in 2014 WhatsApp acquired by Facebook for $19 Billion in 2014 AirWatch acquired by VMware for $1.54 Billion in 2014 Nest acquired by Google for $3.2 Billion in 2013 SoftLayer acquired by IBM for $2 Billion in 2013 Tumblr acquired by Yahoo for $1.1 Billion in 2013 [Keep Reading…]
The Design Advisor: Why Every Startup Needs One
All startups start with an idea, a founder’s desire to invent something new. They invest time and money into bringing the idea to life, and a series of thoughts become a product. But more often than not, these thoughts are instincts, not insights. And eventually the product fails. Design turns an invention into a solution. [Keep Reading…]
The User Experience Process for the Seamless iPad App
The Data One week after Seamless, the leading online food ordering service, released their first iPad app in March 2012, the app hit #1 in the App Store’s Lifestyle category. Today it maintains 4.5 stars with more than 6,000 ratings and reviews. “By far the best menu application available for iPad…” “I couldn’t imagine not [Keep Reading…]
If VCs Understood UX…
They would… …value design, not design value. …seek out mentality, not ideas. …fund process, not product. …demand customer insights, not instincts. …prep for testing days, not demos days. …commission research, not follow trends. …study anthropology, sociology and psychology, not just management, economics and statistics. …foster collaboration, not competition. …care about people, not percentages. …cherish sign-ins, [Keep Reading…]
When a Design Firm Fails
When I got off the phone with them, I felt the need to rage eat. This is never a good sign. Instead I chose to pour myself a glass of wine. Three weeks in and I’ve yet to have any shred of contact with the designer who’s actually doing the work. Instead the mockups are [Keep Reading…]
Designing the Company, Not the Product
In April, I posted a tweet that became one of my most retweeted of all time. Designing the product is all for naught if you don’t first take the time to design the organization. — Whitney Hess (@whitneyhess) April 20, 2012 It was a single statement that was the culmination of 9 months of identity [Keep Reading…]
I’m off to SXSW 2012 to speak and play
Four years ago I had never even heard of South by Southwest, and now I’m on a plane heading to Austin for my 4th time attending and 3rd time speaking at the most raucous and depraved interactive technology festival on the planet. I mean that in the best way possible :) I’m trembling with excitement [Keep Reading…]
The plain numbers about women in tech – The VCs
I’m not much for the “women in tech” stuff — preferring to prove equality rather than beg for it — but sometimes the gender imbalance in this industry is so damaging that it would be unethical for me to not call it out. About a year ago, I wrote a blog post titled The Plain [Keep Reading…]
TechStars Shines a Light on NY Tech
Thursday was a pivotal moment in the NY startup scene: the inaugural TechStars NYC Demo Day. It was an honor to be in attendance and get to see 11 fantastic startups strut their stuff on the stage of legendary Webster Hall to room full of 750 investors and community. I’ve been following the TechStars NYC [Keep Reading…]
My SXSW Core Conversation: “Breaking Taboos: Pros Get Real About Money Matters”
Money is a topic that most people dance around because they don’t want to be rude, or tacky, or misunderstood. But if we avoid talking about it, we avoid learning a very essential part of our business and our industry. In order to thrive as a professional community, we need to have a strong handle [Keep Reading…]
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