startups, volcanoes, and texting refrigerators

@ Harvard Hackweek

Startups, Volcanoes, and Texting Refrigerators

WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?

Sam Dunn CEO

@sdunn !

!

Zach Dunn CPO

@zachdunn !

!

is a

DIGITAL PRODUCT COMPANY

believes

DIGITAL IS BIGGER THAN A SCREEN

BY THE NUMBERS

4 years in business 15 people + 1 apprentice

2x growth every year 0 dollars in investment

ONE TINY ROARThe road to mightier things

Birthplace of Volleyball. !

(You learned something today. You’re welcome.) !!!

HOLYOKE

BUILDINTERNET.COM

• “Learn out loud” blog started in 2008

• Wrote about development, design, and (allegedly) business.

• Top 10 web development blog between 2008-2010

• Limp Bizkit, Lady Gaga, and Batman (among others) use our code.

• Yes. That Batman.

“Can you make a custom version…?”

Lesson

Adoption is teaching people to ask for the right things.

NEW PAINT

It was expensive to change our desktop background !!!!

HOLYOKE 2: THE SEQUEL

First client without “…and what do they do?” as a follow up question.

!!!

MASSACHUSETTS

The foothold to Boston !!!!

CAMBRIDGE

YOURATHER.COM

Available on web, iOS, & Android

Would you rather...

Show your friends and family your entire internet history !

or !

Live near an active volcano?

Would you rather...

Show your friends and family your entire internet history ! !

Live near an active volcano?

39% (111,476 votes)

61% (174,223 votes)

Traffic

Over 1/3 billion responses

~1 million views per day

Lesson

You’re the only one who knows what you haven’t had time to build yet. Ship like you’re ignorant.

!

…also people really love Matt Damon.

BOSTON

HOW DO YOU PICK A GOOD PROBLEM?

Let’s use time travel.

TITLE

“By 6 a.m., a new gallon will be on your doorstep, thanks to a microchip sensor embedded in the milk carton and transmitted to an Internet device on your kitchen counter. !It’s the latest battle in cyberspace. And it’s coming soon to your refrigerator.”

Does it get you… laid, paid, or made?

No really.

Laid MadePaid

Laid MadePaid

For connected devices…

NSFW ??

TITLE

When Nikon wanted to showcase their new Android-powered camera at SXSW, Robin powered an RFID tagging app.

Attendees snapped pictures and then scanned their wristband to upload tagged photos to their Facebook.

featured it as one of the best influencer marketing

campaigns of 2013

TITLETITLE

TITLETITLE

Lesson

Customers are feature sponsors if you build products they want.

getrobin.com

getrobin.com

• Robin is a web platform for connected devices + data

• Simple to build interactions between physical + digital things with identity.

• Helps software ask better questions about the real world.

• “What’s the quietest available conference room right now?”

TITLE The Internet of Things today

CONNECTED DEVICE

THE INTERNET

API + BACKEND

CONNECTED DEVICE

API + BACKEND

CONNECTED DEVICE

API + BACKEND

TITLE We think this one is easier

CONNECTED DEVICE

THE INTERNET

CONNECTED DEVICE CONNECTED DEVICE

IDENTITY COMPANION + WEB PLATFORM (API + BACKEND)

TITLE

MANIPULATORS

BASE STATION (HARDWARE OR APP)

How we interface with the physical world

Universal Device + Signal Translator. Connected directly to internet. 3RD PARTY API

SENSORS

Outputs. Things that “write” to the environment.

3rd party devices with internet can connect directly.

Inputs. Things that “read” from the environment.

EXAMPLESEstimote Beacons are sensors. Lockitron is a manipulator. Nest Thermostat is both a manipulator and a sensor.

Physical Digital

WEB PLATFORM

IDENTITY

Context. People who are in the environment.

TITLE

HOW TO BUSINESS GOOD

FIRST RULE

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Extend the same courtesy to others.

SECOND RULE

Don’t spend the majority of your time working to enjoy the minority of your time.

THIRD RULE

Invest in the people around you.

READ THESE

Made to Stick - Heath Brothers Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely

ReWork - Jason Fried

WATCH THIS

Why 30 is not the new 20 - Meg Jay

Lesson

TBD

THANK YOU