WebInno and Bootstrapping PR

The Web Innovators Group events are always fun and eye opening. If you still need affirmation that innovation is alive and kickin' in the greater Boston area, stop by the Cambridge Royal Sonesta on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Chef David Beisel has whipped up another interesting menu featuring the following companies as main dishes:

Book of Odds - When we're watching the Sox, we often marvel at how Remy and Orsillo have all those arcane stats at their fingertips. It sounds like this new website will come in handy, answering questions like, "What are the odds that a major league team will hit four homers in a single game?
Epernicus - Looks like LinkedIn - for scientists!
BatchBlue Software (BatchBook) - CRM for small business. Looks useful.

This meeting also features a a special breakout session at 8 p.m. -- "An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Bootstrapping PR.” Mike Troiano will host a discussion with a media panel including Scott Kirsner of the Boston Globe, Wade Roush from Xconomy, Peter Kafka from AllThingsD, and Bob Brown of Network World.

You can check out the side dishes at the WebInno site.

“One of These Innovations is Not Like The Other”...or is it?

Last night, David Beisel gave us yet another very successful WebInno event. Huge crowd, lots of energy, and each company improving even on the innovations seen at the last WebInno (more on that in a sec).

As I perused the companies involved, the old Sesame Street matching game ran through my head. Overall, the common thread running through most of the companies seemed to be connecting all the aspects of what I’ll call, the “me network.” They addressed increasing the effectiveness of pretty much all aspects of how you interact with the online world, and how it interacts with you – From entertainment and learning, to news consumption, to social network interactions, all the way to the marketing of smartphone apps and restaurants based on your preferences. That is, all but one.

From the minute I saw this company on the agenda, I said, huh? The Tor Project, is an 8 year old, “anonymity network.” You may have heard of them as a popular tool for Iranian protesters to circumvent government controls during the election. But in talking to them, they’re starting to build out partnerships with Google, eBay, browser vendors, security companies and others to enable “safe modes” that protect your information. So it does make sense that to really keep the me network about “me”, is the ability to control how much of me, is out there.

An interesting opposite bookend to anonymity, is having people branded with actual barcodes, from CaptureCode…

Actually, I just let it hang there for dramatic effect. Far from ominous, CaptureCode is actually doing something pretty cool. Whereas a previous WebInno attendee allowed restaurants to send you deals/promotions, CaptureCode gives you a personal barcode on your smartphone or a plastic card that when scanned helps restaurants put you in a loyalty/rewards programs. And one of my favorite restaurants, Not Your Average Joe’s is already testing it. Well shave my head and sign me up. ;o)

Thanks again to the WebInno sponsors and crew for another great event. And make sure to check out all the other cool companies that were there:

• Planet Cazmo -- Music-oriented virtual world for tweens and teens
• Thunder Thimble -- social sentiment tracking and interaction platform
• BuySellAds -- “Anti-Advertising Network” for SMBs to better target their ad buys
• Shareaholic -- Browser add-on for one-click social sharing
• Muzzylane -- Immersive 3D gaming environment platform for developers
• Localytics -- smartphone application analytics platform
• Fluent Mobile -- First mobile newspaper for iPhones
• The Tor Project -- The world’s largest anonymity network
• CaptureCode -- Your own personal barcode for restaurant rewards/loyalty programs

Always Look On the Bright Side of Innovation…

With all due apologies and credit to Monty Python, last night’s WebInno conference had me whistling that infectious tune from the end of Life of Brian – and for good reason.  In the shadow of life seeming “jolly rotten, there’s something [we’ve] forgotten,” and that’s innovation is what drives us in both good times and bad. There was positive energy in a very full two rooms, a lot of active discussion and some pretty cool innovations, the vast majority of which were targeted at making life easier (and in some cases cheaper) for all of us – consumers, businesses, shoppers, parents and even golfers.  They’re fixing, as Eric Idle croons in the song, the things that “make you swear and curse.” 

I also took the opportunity to pose a couple of questions of two great execs of side dish companies, asking first what keeps them excited and confident that now is the right time for innovation, and secondly, why they chose Boston to make that innovation happen (see Xconomy and Innovation Economy for more on this discussion.)I’ve embedded their answers in the videos below.  But without further ado, here’s a snapshot of what last night’s lineup had to offer: 

• Adroit Interactive – improving campaign performance and reducing costs through dynamic ads
  
• BravoCart – as one exec described it, “drag and drop ecommerce”
  
• LilGrams – extremely easy platform to consolidate and share baby/kid memories (i.e. make sense of the thousands of pics and vids on my hard drive and across WAY too many sites)
  
• CoachesTown –  Customized and secure portals (and automatic communication mechanisms) for youth sports teams and leagues
  
• JitterGram – instant mobile coupons and promotions for dinners, lift tickets, stores, resorts, etc.
  
• JotNot – Turn your mobile phone into a document (as well as whiteboard) digitizer
  
• mCaddie – One-stop destination for courses, instructors, tournaments and leagues to make the golf experience easier and more successful
  
• PickupZone – Tap a network of local businesses as your personal package delivery location so it’s never left unattended on your doorstep again
  
• Wiggio – Group collaboration for everyone  
  

A special thanks goes out to Abe Gurjal, co-founder of JotNot and Tim Blasko of CoachesTown for taking the time to chat with me about what they’re doing and their outlook on the environment in which they’re doing it.  As I’m about to start coaching my soon to be 8 year old’s baseball team, Tim’s product is just what the doctor ordered. And my wife will likely be calling Abe soon, since I now even have more of an urge to get an iPhone.   Thanks guys and best of luck in what I’m sure will be a successful year for both of you.

And now for something completely different…video interviews!  

  

WebInno19 - September 15 – Give Back, Get Back

It’s that time of the year again. Time for the Web Innovators Group to light up Cambridge with local innovation. Same Dark Knight time (doors open 6:30 p.m., presos start at 7:00 p.m.) and same Dark Knight location (Royal Sonesta, Cambridge).

As always there will be a great lineup of main and side dishes. The main dishes (5 minute demos) look to be an interesting group that I’m going to categorize as Give Back/Get Back:

• Givvy - a complete solution to enable people to plan, research and execute their charitable giving -- Give to charity, Get piece of mind

• Brring - a free ad supported ringback service that allows you to personalize your ringback tone for friends -- Give entertainment and gift ideas, Get $$$

• Pixily - a secure online service that makes all your paper and digital documents available – and fully searchable -- from anywhere. Give back to the environment, Get back time, space and $$$

Following these presentations is the always fun "side dish" demonstrator that give a 30-second overview of their product or service to the audience. During the networking portion of the evening, they're camped out at tables around the periphery of the room.

For a rundown of the side dishes, visit David Beisel's blog post here. Understanding that it’s not a “breaking news” environment, I still plan to Twitter from the event. If you’re interested, follow me here.

See you there.

WebInno18 - July 15 - Be There or You're So 1.0

After a brief hiatus, The Web Innovators Group will be back and bustling with its 18th event, slated for July 15th. Same time (doors open 6:30 p.m., presos start at 7:00 p.m.) and same location (Royal Sonesta, Cambridge).

Here's the lineup of main dishes (the coveted 5 minute demos):

Totspot - Adam Katz - A place for parents to publish a page about their kids and share with family and friends. According to the website, it's part online babybook, parent journal, and social network.

WebNotes - Ryan Damico - A tool to help you create and manage online annotations. (Sorry - I can't get the link to work.)

Zeer - Michael Putnam - A grocery product community that provides product information and buying advice.

Following these presentations, the "side dish" demonstrators give a 30-second overview of their product or service to the audience. During the networking portion of the evening, they'll be showcasing their products at tables around the periphery of the room.

For a rundown of the side dishes, visit David Beisel's blog post here.

WebInno Serves Main Dishes, Sides and Now Nibbles

Last night marked the 15th Web Innovators Group gathering. In honor of the occasion, host David Beisel noted that 85 companies have presented so far at these events. Eight have been acquired or have secured VC funding. Impressive!

Per the usual format, three companies were selected to present as Main Dishes, meriting a coveted six minutes to demo their wares. Six Side Dishes did brief intros to their firms without demos. In keeping with the theme, David introduced a new segment: Nibbles. Chris Jackson had the honor of cooking up the historic first Nibble, noting he's looking for passionate developers to work on a great concept he's got. (Most Nibbles were used in this manner to announce a job opening.)

The Hearty Entrées

At most of the WebInno events, one company wins my heart. Last time it was DesignMyRoom. This time it was Lemonade, which sports the tagline, "e-commerce for everyone." I failed to catch the name of the founder who presented, but he made us all smile with his opener: "David limits us to six minutes, and as an incentive, he promises us a term sheet at the end of this."

Lemonade is based on the concept of a lemonade stand - the vehicle that introduced most of us to entrepreneurship. You can set up a virtual stand at lemonade.com and stock it with items you recommend to your pals. (Or, if you prefer, you can attach your stand to your Facebook page.)

Here's where life gets interesting. Lemonade works with more than 250 retailers, so your pals can actually buy the stuff. Even better, you get a commission if they do. The New York Times does a great job of explaining this here.

FlipKey, currently in beta, was another noteworthy Main Dish. It's centralizing reputation management for the vacation home rental market in a trusted, transparent environment. A few summers ago, my brother-in-law was considering a Cape rental that allowed dogs. Luckily, we were in the 'hood before he sealed the deal, and we drove by the rental property. Based on the shabby exterior, we gave it two thumbs down, and he was spared what I believe would have been an unhappy vacation experience. FlipKey has set out to present properties based on reputation analysis and verified guest reviews. Cool!

Last but far from least: Investment Instruments Corporation, which is geared for real estate managers and their tenants. Small owners control a shocking 90% of the inventory in the residential real estate market. IIC offers iiProperty, with tools for self-managing properties -- advertising properties, sending tenant notices, etc. A related site, Rentometer, lets renters determine if they're paying a fair price for a unit at their address. IIC offered a sneak peek at a brand new site, Rentomatic. (Sorry - not yet generally available.) This new site, slated for a December launch, will reveal where the happy renters are.

Six Sides to Savor

Winning my eco-friendly heart in this category: Carbon Challenge. The site publishes periodic challenges that describe small CO2-reducing actions members can take. It tracks members accepting the challenges and displays the total impact on a national map. Members can form teams at schools, companies, etc. and compete for the highest CO2 reduction! Cool.

Other notable sides included:

Untravel Media -- Developing immersive travel narratives on mobile devices.

MixandMeet -- Brings together unacquainted folks by coordinating spontaneous, same-day, small group mixers.

360Gadget -- A tool for personalizing your Facebook page with news/RSS feeds, Google map searches, notes, etc.

StudentConcourse -- Another first! Presented by a high school student, it's a Web-based organizer for students in middle or high school

Panospin Studios -- Creating 360 degree virtual tours, useful for schools, museums, rental properties, stores, etc. Beautiful and useful.
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Next WebInno: January 29, 2008. Mark your calendar.

Web Innovators Group Rocks the Royal Sonesta

Remember those college ride boards?

Senior driving to Ocean City, NJ this weekend, leaving Friday night at 5:30 p.m. returning Sunday around 4 p.m. Looking for 3 riders. No smokers.

Little did we know we were reducing our carbon footprints. We were just broke and a ride was a ride.

GoLoco is the Facebook-fueled equivalent. The service helps people arrange rides with friends and friends of friends in their network. Destinations might be sporting events, conferences, concerts or shopping trips - anything for which the user wants to collect riders. GoLoco charges a 10% transaction fee (via PayPal) to the rider. The concept certainly appeals to my ecofreakiness.

GoLoco (mentioned in Scott Kirsner's recent blog post and Sunday Globe column) was one of the Main Dishes (five-minute presentation) at last night's jam-packed Web Innovators Group meeting. Refreshed by some beach time this summer, it appeared that local entrepreneurs and groupies were ready to get back to business. The last one of these I attended early in the year had around 200 people; this room must have easily held 400. The room was buzzing with energy and ideas. Kudos to Venrock's David Beisel for cooking up these dishes and keeping them on a high simmer.

DesignMyRoom was another fun Main Dish. This is not your typical startup, since it's a spinout of Westborough-Mass. based Swatchbox Technologies. (The precise relationship between the two companies is not spelled out on their sites, so I'm making some assumptions.) At any rate, Swatchbox makes virtual design tools for the home. The Swatchbox customer list is none too shabby: Ace, Alcoa, Armstrong, Bennie Moore, Dupont, Lowe’s, Mohawk, Pittsburgh Paints, Sherwin Williams, Time Warner and True Value.

DesignMyRoom uses the Swatchbox rendering engine to do just what you'd expect based on its name. You can pick a room that approximates your space, and add paint, flooring, area rugs, lighting and even window treatments. For the non-professional designer, it looks like great fun, with an easy to use interface. The site is an advertiser's dream, since designers can translate their selections into purchases. Sponsors (this is just the beta mind you) include Armstrong, Bennie Moore, Kohler, Smith & Noble and Whirlpool. Yowza.

Meanwhile, in the "I'm just not hip enough for this" category comes FrameChannel. This Main Dish lets users select and manage image content for wireless picture frames or desktops. The site features over 200 channels of dynamic content, so users can easily combine their own photos with others from news or entertainment channels and feeds from photo sharing sites like Flickr or Picasa. The site supports text channels as well, so you can get news feeds or weather, for example.

The WebInno events always feature the chosen three stars of the evening, which warrant the five-minute presos, as well as around six Side Dishes. The Side Dishes simply demo around the sides of the room. Last night they got one minute to describe their concept at the opening of the meeting.

Last night's Sides:

Fafarazzi - My favorite of the Sides. Fantasy Football meets celebrity rankings. You create or join a league, draft your favorite celebs (or the most notorious if you want to win) and watch them garner points for their antics. What team would be complete without Britney?

Oncero - An online referral recruiting platform designed to help employers leverage their networks to find job seekers.

AdME - A platform for the "promotion and distribution of branded content and consumer products". The company was demo'ing its music-driven mobile entertainment technology.

Mobleo - Building a collaborative repository of mobile-related info, driven by personal interests.

SNIFLabs - This is the one demo that I really wanted to check out that I missed. The Labs develop interactive technologies to improve the lives of pets and their owners. The company's new product is the SNIF Tag, a reportedly stylish tag that attaches to Moose's collar. It records and uploads to the Web a pet's daily moments and encounters with other dogs wearing SNIF Tags. Hmm....

The Updown - Last but not least - An online social network for investors using virtual portfolios. Pick your pals' brains for their successful investment strategies. More Fantasy Football, this time with stocks.

All in all, a vibrant room packed with interesting folks.

Addendum: Here's the GigaOM post on the event, for another view.