Change is Essential

Today, we had a business from Texas inquire about GoNextWorld. Apparently, everything is bigger in Texas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9YNy_v3_sQ

A little over a year ago, we were focusing on getting businesses around PGH signed up to a "Card Program".  We had almost 50 businesses on the program, and could have probably pushed through this year and have a solid foot hold in pgh.  Instead, we decided to ax the card all together, and focus on building a universal, cardless rewards program and business intelligence software.  At the time, I was scared of the thought of starting from scratch, but I have learned that successful pivots are essential in life and in business.

Basically, a successful pivot is when you decide that you do not like something thats happening in your life, so you decide to change directions, take action, and keep moving forward.

For GNW, one of our biggest pivots of 2012 was deciding that a card program, that could not easily scale past Pittsburgh, needed to go, and that we needed to stop what we were doing, change direction, and start focusing on something bigger.... like Texas for example. And I am glad we did.

Can't wait to see what happens in 2013.  Happy New Year!

Taking it to the masses

Did  you know that UPS trucks almost never take left turns? The company calculated that it could save millions of dollars each year by eliminating the time its drivers had to wait to make left turns, so making a left turn is done only if there is no other option.


It just goes to show that dissecting every aspect of your business is crucial for optimization.  Digging deep into what you are already doing, understanding what is working and what is not, and adjusting is what keeps you moving forward.

The new GoNextWorld business intelligence software does just that for participating businesses.  It categorizes new customers, customer visiting frequency, and much more that pizza shops and other high traffic businesses havent been able to see before. For the first time, a business can see exactly what output is generated by their advertising/marketing budget... and the corresponding revenue.

Large corporations, like UPS, have been focusing on optimization and business intelligence for years. Its time to bring it to the masses.

Rolling with the Punches

This is my first blog.  The purpose of this blog is primarily to get my thoughts down in writing and to write about what is important to me.  The secondary purpose to share some of these thoughts with yinz.  I may have funny posts and serious posts. Posts about GoNextWorld and posts about my friends and family.

Mike and I were talking today about the amazing behind-the-scenes story of the making of Rocky.  About how specific, iconic portions of that movie were almost created by accident, or by circumstance.  The most memorable portions of the movie were created by a combination of unfortunate time/money constraints and passion to create a masterpiece BY ANY MEANS.  I definitely recommend watching that documentary. 

I realized that, while Mike is doing a heck of a job documenting GoNextWorld with his blogs, I have to start writing about about some of the crazy stuff that happens to us every day at GoNextWorld.   Because someday, I want to be able to look back and see what circumstances we encountered, took on, and HOW did those circumstances ended up shaping my life and our company.

I'll close with two quotes that people shared with me this xmas:

QUOTE 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuYgmyorZrc
Everyone I know has a big "but". - Pee wee herman

QUOTE 2:
If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible.  Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. - Soren Kierkegaard