BitShares Forum
Main => General Discussion => Topic started by: bytemaster on October 27, 2014, 05:38:32 am
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I would like to take a step back and help us all reflect on why we are doing what we are doing and what it is that has created this community in the first place.
I have set out on a mission in life to find free market solutions to secure life, liberty, and property and BitShares is my evolving approach to this problem. Many people have joined us because of this vision and have become a fan because of what we believe more so than what we have built. In the middle of our success it is easy to lose sight of what is bringing us all together and what really matters.
Does our technology help us achieve our purpose, freedom. Who should our technology appeal to? It should appeal to those who want economic freedom in both trade and wealth.
Selling BitShares as a "company" with X, Y, Z features is approaching the space like Dell and not Apple. Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
The problem we have is that most people won't choose to adopt BitUSD because of its yield or merchant adoption. They will first choose to adopt it because it resonates with something DEEP within... they do it "just because"... to make a statement to the outside world that there is a different way.
So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment. Bitcoin grew because it allowed people to make a statement... but it was too volatile for more than the true believers in the vision to hold. BitUSD gives the true believers a safe place to express themselves backed by extreme believers. You don't accept BitUSD at your business just because it is better than a credit card, you accept it to make a point and that point is that you believe in freedom, transparency, and individual financial sovernty.
I don't know about you, but this vision is not based upon a share price and does not depend upon any set of features. It is something that we can build for ourselves at any scale if we can attract like minded people.
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
So... lets go change the world!
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I am not really certain what are you trying to say. Let's hope it is my English.
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Well said. I agree. However, we need BitShares to reach some critical mass, and this will require bringing in more people. These may be people who find some utility from BitShares, not necessarily those who have the same full vision. Once BitShares reaches a critical mass, I believe we will attract far more of those real, "ideal" people who wish to join the movement. But only if we get this thing off the ground first. Suppose 1 in 3 people find BitShares really useful. Now suppose only 1 in 10 people share the full vision. If you're trying to market this to success, it will cost a ton more money to find the ideal people. But if we've already found enough of the useful people first, this thing will take off like a rocket. Virally, through visibility, and using the resources we accumulate through this success, we will be able to reach far more of the ideal people than we otherwise would have reached.
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I am not really certain what are you trying to say. Let's hope it is my English.
Perhaps I need to go to bed... I am only trying to say that we need to advertise what we believe and why we do what we do.... then we can sell how... and lastly we can say what... BTS.
We believe that the free market can secure our life, liberty and property and that through transparent consensus algorithms and solid economics we can provide people the tools to control their investment choices.... these tools are embodied in BitShares. When you Buy BitShares you are supporting the creation of a more free society. You are supporting your children and giving them a hope. When you save in BitGLD or BitUSD you are making a statement... you literally change the world by adopting BitUSD and convincing others to do the same.
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+5% Awesome post! We just need to work on conveying that message in a compelling way that gets publicity. Bitcoin spread because it let people stand FOR something. For the first time, we were able to opt-out of a system we no longer believed in. It was about opting out of an old, unfair system and joining a new, fair one. Selling the world on BitUSD is about a vision, a dream, a philosophy.
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Saying +5% doesn't even begin to convey how much I appreciate what you said here BM, and I'm with you all the way.
You had me back in April when I first heard you speak, and since then your words have continued to resonate this same, underlying spirit of the mission of freedom, financial as well as personal. I sincerely hope you will cling to this goal and persevere through the difficulties which will certainly come.
Thank you for your service and dedication to freedom.
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+5% ! I am inspired!!
I think Bitcoin has grown because it appeals to the INSTINCT of human being.
I was intrigued by Nick Szabo's paper (The Origins of Money).
Bytemaster, If you haven't read it before, I recommend it.
[http://] szabo.best.vwh.net/shell.html
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I would like to take a step back and help us all reflect on why we are doing what we are doing and what it is that has created this community in the first place.
I have set out on a mission in life to find free market solutions to secure life, liberty, and property and BitShares is my evolving approach to this problem. Many people have joined us because of this vision and have become a fan because of what we believe more so than what we have built. In the middle of our success it is easy to lose sight of what is bringing us all together and what really matters.
Does our technology help us achieve our purpose, freedom. Who should our technology appeal to? It should appeal to those who want economic freedom in both trade and wealth.
Selling BitShares as a "company" with X, Y, Z features is approaching the space like Dell and not Apple. Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
The problem we have is that most people won't choose to adopt BitUSD because of its yield or merchant adoption. They will first choose to adopt it because it resonates with something DEEP within... they do it "just because"... to make a statement to the outside world that there is a different way.
So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment. Bitcoin grew because it allowed people to make a statement... but it was too volatile for more than the true believers in the vision to hold. BitUSD gives the true believers a safe place to express themselves backed by extreme believers. You don't accept BitUSD at your business just because it is better than a credit card, you accept it to make a point and that point is that you believe in freedom, transparency, and individual financial sovernty.
I don't know about you, but this vision is not based upon a share price and does not depend upon any set of features. It is something that we can build for ourselves at any scale if we can attract like minded people.
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
So... lets go change the world!
Bitcoin didn't grew only because people wanted to make a statement. Bitcoin grew because people are sick of people they have to trust and can betrayed every moment. Just remember the rise of Bitcoin in the Cypres Crisis and many people faces to loose a lot of value in their bank accounts. This crisis will come again and we should be ready to take all the financial refugees in our solution Bitshares. We have to solve a problem to be needed and the problem today is, that goverments etc. think they can do with you what they want.
First and all Bitshares needs to solve problems. We can go with your vision and statement, but this will not bring enough people.
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Apple is not ambitious enough to really change the world. I think Google is a better candidate for world changing impact and one that is more applicable to us.
Anyways, while I agree with just about everything BM said I am here because I see this as the logical next step for humanity to organize financially. Regardless of if your motive is freedom or wealth, I think that putting more emphasis on the person using BitUSD to purchase pizza rather than the investor will benefit us most in the long run.
I don't recall the title of the Ted talk I watched several months ago, but there was a Ted talk I saw where the speaker was explaining why we have centralization and decentralization. She said that when you have scarcity you have centralization because it is the most efficient way to manage scarce resources. Then she said that when you have abundance you have decentralization. We have greater and greater computational abundance and this is why I say that what is happening here is the logical next step for humanity.
Edit: I think Bitcoin grew more so because of the abundant computational resources we have now versus a few decades ago. Also because of the solution to the Byzantine General's problem which didn't exist prior to Bitcoin. I think that if the Byzantine General's problem was solved in 1991 Tim Berners Lee might have designed the world wide web differently.
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So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment.
Hummm.... an ideological approach to marketing is problematical because it invites regulatory opposition and controversy -- a terrible PR faux pas if your intention is to invite wide adoption. Ideological controversy will taint your wonderful software invention and make it a bogie man for people who hold ideological views that conflict with yours.
Bitshares should never be tainted by ideological color. Its utility should be DISCOVERED without bias. An ideological approach will shoot the "network effect" in the foot. It would be a self-inflicted wound.
Don't do it.
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I share and am excited by BMs freedom vision. And I think its a grand vision for people working in the ecosystem to make it happen. But the wider market of users of the tools and products I don't think care so much about a vision, so not a good marketing strategy. They need great utility from the tools and products, just like they get from Google tools, without ever knowing Google's grand vision. So to successfully meet the vision, and free as many people on this planet as possible, product utility is the foundation to build on.
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So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment.
Hummm.... an ideological approach to marketing is problematical because it invites regulatory opposition and controversy -- a terrible PR faux pas if your intention is to invite wide adoption. Ideological controversy will taint your wonderful software invention and make it a bogie man for people who hold ideological views that conflict with yours.
Bitshares should never be tainted by ideological color. Its utility should be DISCOVERED without bias. An ideological approach will shoot the "network effect" in the foot. It would be a self-inflicted wound.
Don't do it.
You're assuming controversy is bad. I propose it isn't and we should welcome it. Let's not forget there is a whole world outside American regulation.
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I am on the side where we should leave beliefs out of it. There is a wide spectrum of users here that have complete different views of the world or different intentions for being here. It would be hard to pigeon hole these ideals.
If you want to sell something, sell them a choice.
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So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment.
Hummm.... an ideological approach to marketing is problematical because it invites regulatory opposition and controversy -- a terrible PR faux pas if your intention is to invite wide adoption. Ideological controversy will taint your wonderful software invention and make it a bogie man for people who hold ideological views that conflict with yours.
Bitshares should never be tainted by ideological color. Its utility should be DISCOVERED without bias. An ideological approach will shoot the "network effect" in the foot. It would be a self-inflicted wound.
Don't do it.
I agree with your comment and I guess in my previous post I was trying to say that, I am here not because of the ideology but rather because I see this as the next logical step to organize our financial life and trade among each other.
Marc Andreesen says, that early on it is the freedom seekers that help a new technology like the world wide web or Bitcoin get started. However, after the initial phase of freedom seeker adoption you start to attract mainstream users who would care less if there freedom or privacy is being taken away, they just care that it works and that it is easy to use.
Edit: The other thing I want to mention as well is that economics isn't really a hard science like say physics, biology, or astronomy. Economic theory is based on many assumptions about what it is that motivates humans. I don't really think that people are alive and exist solely to acquire material wealth. Also, current economic theory is based on scarcity but we are rapidly moving towards a world of abundance. Just a few days ago Lockheed Martin announced that they will have a nuclear fusion prototype within 5 years and perhaps a nuclear fusion reactor that is operable within 20 years. This means abundant energy by the creation of a star here on Earth. Abundance.
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bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
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I share and am excited by BMs freedom vision. And I think its a grand vision for people working in the ecosystem to make it happen. But the wider market of users of the tools and products I don't think care so much about a vision, so not a good marketing strategy. They need great utility from the tools and products, just like they get from Google tools, without ever knowing Google's grand vision. So to successfully meet the vision, and free as many people on this planet as possible, product utility is the foundation to build on.
+5%
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Thanks for sharing your vision for bitshares. I am seeing 'life' in bitshares. +5%
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Thanks for the wonderful post BM.
I agree with you and I haven't heard that type ideology from you since probably December of 2013 when I was still only lurking here. It is nice to see that it is still alive.
The reasons you present are precisely the reasons I am here, and I think many here also came for the very same reasons.
But I also agree with everything everyone else here has posted to the contrary. Ideologies vary widely across the spectrum. And it is always surprising to me how little most people even recognize their own degree of personal freedom, let alone would be moved to take personal action to secure it.
To make Bitshares a central pillar for an ideology of freedom would require a marketing force equivalent to the type of propaganda machine which goes into effect when governments want to win consensus to go to war for example (basically all syndicated media channels participating).
Simple utility will probably be wildly more effective and realistic. The yield for example. And this can be the first stepping stone to realize your greater ideology.
I also agree strongly with liondani. In the end, bitUSD is the dollar. That is not freedom. It is probably a necessary segue though.
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I am not really certain what are you trying to say. Let's hope it is my English.
Perhaps I need to go to bed... I am only trying to say that we need to advertise what we believe and why we do what we do.... then we can sell how... and lastly we can say what... BTS.
We believe that the free market can secure our life, liberty and property and that through transparent consensus algorithms and solid economics we can provide people the tools to control their investment choices.... these tools are embodied in BitShares. When you Buy BitShares you are supporting the creation of a more free society. You are supporting your children and giving them a hope. When you save in BitGLD or BitUSD you are making a statement... you literally change the world by adopting BitUSD and convincing others to do the same.
I disagree with that strategy. I do think we should all keep a blog, a twitter, or something similar so our intentions and motivations are known in case something happens.
I don't think we should advertise it to the general public and I don't think everyone has the exact same beliefs. I think in general we are all looking for an alternative to the current system but we don't all look for that alternative for the same reasons. Each of us has a unique story, a unique set of reasons, a unique set of beliefs, motivations, and all of them in my opinion can be told separately over time.
I think Bitcoin marketing is a terrible model to follow. Their marketing is terrible. I also think Bitshares is more than a product but before you can market it as more than a product you need more than a product. Right now we have the technology but we lack the way of life.
Soon when people can make a living working for DACs we will have the way of life. Once we have the way of life then we can sell the lifestyle and that is easy. It's easy to sell a lifestyle where your average employee is either miserable working a 9-5 or they perhaps don't have a job at all.
What could be cooler than to get paid as a delegate? What more could any millennial computer geek want?
When people see the benefits of our lifestyle then it will grow on its own. People have to see that they can live in a better way and we should not push any political values beyond that which is necessary to keep the ecosystem running. I think if you just tell your life story to people in a year or two people will be very inspired.
+5% Awesome post! We just need to work on conveying that message in a compelling way that gets publicity. Bitcoin spread because it let people stand FOR something. For the first time, we were able to opt-out of a system we no longer believed in. It was about opting out of an old, unfair system and joining a new, fair one. Selling the world on BitUSD is about a vision, a dream, a philosophy.
It's not so much that we don't believe in it but does the current system even work for most millenials in particular?
I will say that if you look at how file sharing caught on it did not seem to require any overt belief system. People got involved because they wanted to download music.
Remember why people downloaded Napster at first. They didn't download Napster because they understood the philosophy of Napster. Most people using Bittorrent aren't crypto-anarchists even if the developer might have been. What people care about is what the technology enables them to do and how the technology can better their lives.
If we want to show what Bitshares can do and how it can better people's lives then lead by example.
It's not about making a political statement. That will come after you've reached critical mass. Napster led to the Pirate Party led to the Internet Party. It didn't go from Internet Party to Pirate Party to Napster.
Kim Dot Com made MegaUpload. It wasn't until he got harassed by the authorities that it became a political statement to use Mega. I believe we should make the technology first and focus on utility because without that then there is no way to sell the effectiveness of your alternative or make a political statement.
Bitcoin in my opinion failed to reach Napster levels precisely because politics surrounded it from it's birth.
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So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment.
Hummm.... an ideological approach to marketing is problematical because it invites regulatory opposition and controversy -- a terrible PR faux pas if your intention is to invite wide adoption. Ideological controversy will taint your wonderful software invention and make it a bogie man for people who hold ideological views that conflict with yours.
Bitshares should never be tainted by ideological color. Its utility should be DISCOVERED without bias. An ideological approach will shoot the "network effect" in the foot. It would be a self-inflicted wound.
Don't do it.
The ideological approach to marketing has failed Bitcoin and it will fail Bitshares if Bitshares copies.
Napster, Bittorrent, Limewire, they all managed to become more successful than Bitcoin. Far more users, why?
None of them pushed an ideology. Imagine if Napster pushed communist ideology complete with a manifesto at launch? How far would it have gone? It went so far because it didn't push any ideology, it just did what everyone wanted it to do. It allowed people to do something they couldn't previously do, and for free. We need to stop comparing Bitshares to Apple and compare it to Napster. Apple got where it was because it was able to make partnerships with large institutions like academia, and because they had the best technology, while Napster got where it was because it was the first of it's kind.
Napster disrupted a certain industry. Bitshares could disrupt many different industries.
Bitshares if it has enough utility will get users. It might take a while to attract the initial users who aren't computer nerds or who don't know about it but you can get these people if you've got a better lifestyle.
How much marketing does it take for people to want to become a delegate? Not very much if delegates have one of the coolest jobs on the planet and live quite comfortable. How much marketing would it take to get people to want to be part of the Bitshares community? Not much if being a part of the community offers all kinds of tangible and intangible benefits.
So why not focus on incentives, on the coolness factor, etc? People stay away from Bitcoin because Bitcoin is associated with politics. People don't leave a political currency to go into an even more political currency with a lot more volatility and risk. Bitshares is an entire ecosystem and potential industry so we should present it as apolitical yet also show what it can do that the mainstream economy cannot do.
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Ted vid: "People buy what you believe not how you do it"
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action#t-55892
bitUSD (or bitassets in general?) could be branded as the alternative to the banking system. "Opt in to bitUSD, opt in to freedom"). Free yourself, save in bitUSD. Take control of your money, use bitUSD. etc. But that brings its own possible side-effects as others have mentioned, so I'm not sure if it should be done. Perhaps just with a very light touch.
When campaigns (or airdrops?) are targeted to a younger audience a little bit more of ideology could be added in perhaps.
Maybe to investors of BTS a little bit of ideology is ok but to customers/users of bitassets it's better not to. Does the DAC need a constitutional principle?
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+5%
Sounds like a plan!
Edit: I do think other approaches/messages are possible as well. Attack from multiple fronts but not necessarily at the same time.
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Agreed 100% with everything Luckybit has posted. Very, very powerful points in those posts. Utility and "what can it do for me?" is most important first and foremost, and the ideology will inevitably follow...
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I think your goals are noble but in the world we live in it's going to take more then noble goals.
JoeyD and myself having been having great discussion's about money being a tool. Money in itself is not evil it is the things people do with it that make it look good or bad. With this thought I would say that many people that have access to this tool in greater abundance are more inclined to use it for "less then noble purpose's".Keeping this logic the goal should be simple, make as much money as possible and then you are in a position to do far more good.
If a platform can be made, that makes ECONOMIC sense to both retailers and users you will be able to grow a real movement and empower your users to make real changes through their new found financial freedom. Morals are great but you can't donate them to your local food bank, setup charities or change the lives of people in need on a large scale. At the end of the day you need money somewhere in the equation. Why not focus on that and give the users the tool's then remind them of their morals.
A builder with no tools will have a very hard time building anything. Its good to know you are a good guy but you are swimming with some real sharks in the finical sector , get some sleep :)
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Saying +5% doesn't even begin to convey how much I appreciate what you said here BM, and I'm with you all the way.
You had me back in April when I first heard you speak, and since then your words have continued to resonate this same, underlying spirit of the mission of freedom, financial as well as personal. I sincerely hope you will cling to this goal and persevere through the difficulties which will certainly come.
Thank you for your service and dedication to freedom.
+5%
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Yes, Idealism is what built the early adopter support for Bitcoin. Also, let's not forget the context of concurrent Fed and other countries central bank actions at this time, which was embedded as a comment within the Bitcoin genesis block (The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks).
I suspect there's probably also many people, that understand the reality of debasement, and regulatory capture, and who haven't discovered Bitcoin, because they lack the technical ability or else are put-off by what it's become.
Bitshares with its many improved capabilities has the opportunity to help the lives of these people.
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Great thinking！Thank you，BM.
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
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^, ok agree +5%
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
My confidence in Bitshares grows stronger. Emotion, simiplicity and utility.
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bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
I think the real innovation is bitgld. Just google gold backed digital currency and see what you get. The world has long sought a safe gold backed digital currency and bitgld is the closest you are going to get to owning and being abe to use the real thing in a trustless, decentralized digital format. This could be the best way to ease the Peter Schiff's of the world into the idea of digital currency.
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These ideals, principles and philosophy are great for personal motivation to build something great. Your core builder/supporters will recognize this message without being sold on it.
Marketing out of principle and ideals is a sure way to lose your investment.
For most people all they care about is whether it makes their life easier in a clear/tangible/practical way. Without a core utility, no amount of idealism will sell a product. Thankfully BitShares is brimming with utility and clear advantages that can immediately and significantly change peoples lives.
Even if you appeal to someones ideals, for the people who need it most, if they can't use your product or don't see a clear utility, the risk is too great to support. They need utility that is immediately tangible.
People will use your product and see the benefits and only later develop and clarify their own philosophy/ideals and this is what will motivate them to bring it to their family/friends/neighbors.
Market the utility/tangible benefits and cultivate the ideal.
You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
These instincts and emotions that sell a product are not the same as the ones that characterize your philosophy. (e.g. Sex sells, principle doesn't.)
bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
I think the real innovation is bitgld. Just google gold backed digital currency and see what you get. The world has long sought a safe gold backed digital currency and bitgld is the closest you are going to get to owning and being abe to use the real thing in a trustless, decentralized digital format. This could be the best way to ease the Peter Schiff's of the world into the idea of digital currency.
+5% agreed
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
Speaking of conversion rate, there are easy ways to test how well a message will perform before you roll out the big guns. Here's how I do it: put up an AdWords ad for a high trafficked keyword targeting your chosen demographic. Use the built in A/B engine to test multiple "hot buttons" at the same time. This will allow your marketing team to objectively select the best marketing message on a per demographic basis.
EDIT: You're measuring click through rate (CTR) to quickly decide on the best message.
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I'm a little worried that BitShares may go the way of Linux; that is, an excellent product (superior, in fact to alternatives for most typical use cases) that is stuck without widespread adoption (at least for desktops - linux does dominate servers and mobile).
Maybe one of the reason why linux never worked is that linux tried to sell the why, and most normal people don't get the why.
Where linux "succeeded" in the marketplace was where it became transparent to normal people. Most normal users do not know that embedded devices (e.g., their cars/airplanes) are most likely running linux, when they visit a website they are most likely running linux, when they get the new smartphone they are most likely getting linux.
I think BitShares can succeed in that way, as the backend to more commercial/user-friendly/normal people sites or apps. Possibly becoming the payment backend for some ecommerce or the backend to some exchange/asset web site.
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I agree with the OP but want to add making a statement will only get you so far. At the end of the day people just want to know what their ROI will be.
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+5% I like the vision.
I think I'm leaning to that it should be a part of the overall marketing message, but depending on the specific campaign depends on how much you push that angle. Even among mainstream there is a big anti-Banker/Wall Street/Fed/1% sentiment that is worth tapping into imo.
I would say it's important that the 10-20% of base BTS supporters who are the most vocal & will drive the public perception, believe in the vision otherwise it's a real uphill battle.
A DAC is obviously very vulnerable to any centralised weak spots, so our greatest individual talents & strengths are by definition our biggest potential weakness too. So on the investor side it's less about the vision of decentralisation but more about the specifics because it's how they value BTS
- Is BitShares decentralised in practice? If not when will it be?
- In order to be successful, how much trust in practice do investors need to place in one man or small powerful group etc. & for how long?
Are the kind of specific questions investors will be more interested in
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These ideals, principles and philosophy are great for personal motivation to build something great. Your core builder/supporters will recognize this message without being sold on it.
Marketing out of principle and ideals is a sure way to lose your investment.
For most people all they care about is whether it makes their life easier in a clear/tangible/practical way. Without a core utility, no amount of idealism will sell a product. Thankfully BitShares is brimming with utility and clear advantages that can immediately and significantly change peoples lives.
Even if you appeal to someones ideals, for the people who need it most, if they can't use your product or don't see a clear utility, the risk is too great to support. They need utility that is immediately tangible.
People will use your product and see the benefits and only later develop and clarify their own philosophy/ideals and this is what will motivate them to bring it to their family/friends/neighbors.
Market the utility/tangible benefits and cultivate the ideal.
You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
These instincts and emotions that sell a product are not the same as the ones that characterize your philosophy. (e.g. Sex sells, principle doesn't.)
bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
I think the real innovation is bitgld. Just google gold backed digital currency and see what you get. The world has long sought a safe gold backed digital currency and bitgld is the closest you are going to get to owning and being abe to use the real thing in a trustless, decentralized digital format. This could be the best way to ease the Peter Schiff's of the world into the idea of digital currency.
+5% agreed
+5% I agree too....
...until we have a new idea
(http://images.angelpub.com/2010/50/6857/dec-2010-gold-bar-small.jpg)
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+5% Awesome post! We just need to work on conveying that message in a compelling way that gets publicity. Bitcoin spread because it let people stand FOR something. For the first time, we were able to opt-out of a system we no longer believed in. It was about opting out of an old, unfair system and joining a new, fair one. Selling the world on BitUSD is about a vision, a dream, a philosophy.
This + bitAssets =magic
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Just like music will have peertracks, Bitshares will succeed based on the frontend clients we build on it. Like procter and gamble, normal ppl interact with their brands and products and not p&g directly.
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Just like music will have peertracks, Bitshares will succeed based on the frontend clients we build on it. Like procter and gamble, normal ppl interact with their brands and products and not p&g directly.
+5% This is what I was trying to articulate. It's the opposite of facebook/gmail/twitter/instagram. Normal people LOVE those services, and don't care at all about privacy/data ownership/etc. BitShares can be the opposite of facebook: offer something people will love, but without the baggage. In the end, people have to love your service first. The other stuff will be just "icing" to them if they ever even learn about what it is.
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Just like music will have peertracks, Bitshares will succeed based on the frontend clients we build on it. Like procter and gamble, normal ppl interact with their brands and products and not p&g directly.
Our primary market by far will be BitAssets in their various forms, so people's perception of BitAssets & BitShares the DAC that backs them is very important imo.
Even the various front ends such as Peertracks/BDNS will generally have a strong independent/freedomesque type image so BitShares on the back end should be associated with similar values and inspire trust and confidence.
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more Bitusd better world
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Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Bytemaster: Read Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123) by Geoffrey A. Moore <-- Written over 20 years ago, it's just as relevant today as it was then. I cannot recommend this book enough.
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I'm a little worried that BitShares may go the way of Linux; that is, an excellent product (superior, in fact to alternatives for most typical use cases) that is stuck without widespread adoption (at least for desktops - linux does dominate servers and mobile).
Maybe one of the reason why linux never worked is that linux tried to sell the why, and most normal people don't get the why.
Where linux "succeeded" in the marketplace was where it became transparent to normal people. Most normal users do not know that embedded devices (e.g., their cars/airplanes) are most likely running linux, when they visit a website they are most likely running linux, when they get the new smartphone they are most likely getting linux.
I think BitShares can succeed in that way, as the backend to more commercial/user-friendly/normal people sites or apps. Possibly becoming the payment backend for some ecommerce or the backend to some exchange/asset web site.
+5% +5% +5% +5%
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I'm a little worried that BitShares may go the way of Linux; that is, an excellent product (superior, in fact to alternatives for most typical use cases) that is stuck without widespread adoption (at least for desktops - linux does dominate servers and mobile).
Maybe one of the reason why linux never worked is that linux tried to sell the why, and most normal people don't get the why.
Where linux "succeeded" in the marketplace was where it became transparent to normal people. Most normal users do not know that embedded devices (e.g., their cars/airplanes) are most likely running linux, when they visit a website they are most likely running linux, when they get the new smartphone they are most likely getting linux.
I think BitShares can succeed in that way, as the backend to more commercial/user-friendly/normal people sites or apps. Possibly becoming the payment backend for some ecommerce or the backend to some exchange/asset web site.
How many people do you know who owns an android phone?
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Agreed 100% with everything Luckybit has posted. Very, very powerful points in those posts. Utility and "what can it do for me?" is most important first and foremost, and the ideology will inevitably follow...
100% Agree with Nomorehereoes' 100% agreement with luckbit. Utility. Utility. Utility.
I understand the desire to emulate Apple's approach to marketing in some way. Their 1984 Superbowl 'Think different' ad for the Macintosh was one of the best TV ads ever made. But the Macintosh was not Apple's first product, they had already proven themselves to the world at large - they were already famous. They could afford to take risks with big ideological, slightly wooly, messaging as part of their advertising. They were big enough and organised enough to do that. We are not at that stage yet.
The Macintosh had a screen and a keyboard and a mouse and although we all now know that the Apple ecosystem became much more, most users (not developers) at the time would have seen the Macintosh as a way of using a handful of software packages to get their work done and perhaps be more creative. The ultimate USP was that Macintosh owners could do these things more efficiently and in a slicker way than they could on any other PC available at the time. That value and utility along with a little aspirational messaging was enough to propel Apple forward. Trying to sell the vision of a different society, as yet unrealised, as the product is a very different kettle of fish. That sounds like what Dan was suggesting, but I might have misinterpreted?
Luckily most of the people who will have read this thread will not have freaked at the sentiment from Dan's OP, including myself. But in the wider world I think we have to be very very careful with this kind of language being part of core messaging:
Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
It's the sort of language that will put off or even scare average users. Elon Musk's reason for creating Tesla and Space-X are largely to do with his desire to do good. To reduce global warming and help heal the planet with Tesla and to give us humans a better chance of long term survival by exploring space and creating a human colony on Mars with SpaceX . I don't see his desire to colonise Mars or to cool down the planet featuring in either company's marketing material in any significant way. Sure he talks about these goals and his beliefs when speaking and when interviewed, but it's not part of the core marketing message aimed at his customers.
First and foremost it's value and utility that will bring the masses to Bitshares. To some extent novelty/shiny-cool-stuff will do this too as is always the way. There is a difference between a marketing strategy that lists boring specs and Ghz as a means to grab attention (like Dell used to) vs one that wraps up it's marketing message in imagery and slightly amorphous ideological/aspirational messaging (like Apple). I'm up for more of the latter - it can be a very solid strategy. Lot's of non-specific talk and imagery signifying freedom and individuality works and is probably a very good fit for Bitshares from a marketing point of view. But the latter is not the same as wholly defining an ideology as if it's part of the product itself and then shouting about it. I think we are much more likely to scare people off this way - i.e. the lets create a new society message. 9.99 people out of 10 will take the view that you have no chance of breaking the status quo (or colonising mars). They'll say it's impractical and unrealistic and then they'll switch off. I think Bitcoin suffers from this, people switch off because they can never see it truly taking over from traditional fiat. Their lack of understanding of it's potential slows adoption and the innovations that would create more utility. If we saw more utility within the Bitcoin ecosystem then perhaps things would change more swiftly. Bitshares has the opportunity and toolkit to demonstrate that crypto is not just about another way to pay for things. It's so much more, but it's utility not ideology that will demonstrate this.
Maybe I'm wrong and there is a way to weave both ideology and utility into messaging in a more palatable way for users. But I think it's a tall order and perhaps too risky to spell out the ultimate vision at this stage. Maybe one day the Bitshares brand will be big enough and established enough so that we can consider doing that, but at the moment it simply isn't. There's too much danger that we'll sound like a bunch of cranks, people are not ready for the message yet.
As a marketing strategy to attract bright and talented developers - well that's a different story. Here perhaps the vision and ideology is what will get the best and brightest through the door. They'll have the sense to understand what DACs offer themselves and wider society. But that's an entirely different marketing program to the the one you'd might execute in order to attract the average users we'll need to attract in order to grow.
Last week was a rough one in many ways, nerves were frayed, but I think we are pointed in the right direction now. Sorry if this contrary view brings even more rain to BM's parade, but I believe it's extremely important to discuss these things and make the right decisions. Almost as important as anything else we could be discussing. Without users we are dead in the water.
I do think we will colonise Mars one day and I think that Dan's vision for a DAC will come to pass in some form. Hopefully it will be by way of the Bitshares SuperDAC. I want to take the opportunity to express my appreciation for all the hard work that Dan and the various teams have done to push things forward so far. I've done very little in practical terms myself, though I'm very excited about the idea of someday working for a DAC. Perhaps even the SuperDAC.
For the record I've worked at a senior level within the advertising industry here in London for nearly twenty years. One client was actually one of the aforementioned big brands too and so I know at least a little bit about this kind of stuff. My Spidey senses are telling me this is a really big deal and that the path we take needs to be considered extremely carefully.
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Remember why people downloaded Napster at first. They didn't download Napster because they understood the philosophy of Napster. Most people using Bittorrent aren't crypto-anarchists even if the developer might have been. What people care about is what the technology enables them to do and how the technology can better their lives.
If we want to show what Bitshares can do and how it can better people's lives then lead by example.
It's not about making a political statement. That will come after you've reached critical mass.
Bitcoin in my opinion failed to reach Napster levels precisely because politics surrounded it from it's birth.
Amen! Let's keep our eyes on the ball.
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Agreed 100% with everything Luckybit has posted. Very, very powerful points in those posts. Utility and "what can it do for me?" is most important first and foremost, and the ideology will inevitably follow...
100% Agree with Nomorehereoes' 100% agreement with luckbit. Utility. Utility. Utility.
I understand the desire to emulate Apple's approach to marketing in some way. Their 1984 Superbowl 'Think different' ad for the Macintosh was one of the best TV ads ever made. But the Macintosh was not Apple's first product, they had already proven themselves to the world at large - they were already famous. They could afford to take risks with big ideological, slightly wooly, messaging as part of their advertising. They were big enough and organised enough to do that. We are not at that stage yet.
The Macintosh had a screen and a keyboard and a mouse and although we all now know that the Apple ecosystem became much more, most users (not developers) at the time would have seen the Macintosh as a way of using a handful of software packages to get their work done and perhaps be more creative. The ultimate USP was that Macintosh owners could do these things more efficiently and in a slicker way than they could on any other PC available at the time. That value and utility along with a little aspirational messaging was enough to propel Apple forward. Trying to sell the vision of a different society, as yet unrealised, as the product is a very different kettle of fish. That sounds like what Dan was suggesting, but I might have misinterpreted?
Luckily most of the people who will have read this thread will not have freaked at the sentiment from Dan's OP, including myself. But in the wider world I think we have to be very very careful with this kind of language being part of core messaging:
Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
It's the sort of language that will put off or even scare average users. Elon Musk's reason for creating Tesla and Space-X are largely to do with his desire to do good. To reduce global warming and help heal the planet with Tesla and to give us humans a better chance of long term survival by exploring space and creating a human colony on Mars with SpaceX . I don't see his desire to colonise Mars or to cool down the planet featuring in either company's marketing material in any significant way. Sure he talks about these goals and his beliefs when speaking and when interviewed, but it's not part of the core marketing message aimed at his customers.
First and foremost it's value and utility that will bring the masses to Bitshares. To some extent novelty/shiny-cool-stuff will do this too as is always the way. There is a difference between a marketing strategy that lists boring specs and Ghz as a means to grab attention (like Dell used to) vs one that wraps up it's marketing message in imagery and slightly amorphous ideological/aspirational messaging (like Apple). I'm up for more of the latter - it can be a very solid strategy. Lot's of non-specific talk and imagery signifying freedom and individuality works and is probably a very good fit for Bitshares from a marketing point of view. But the latter is not the same as wholly defining an ideology as if it's part of the product itself and then shouting about it. I think we are much more likely to scare people off this way - i.e. the lets create a new society message. 9.99 people out of 10 will take the view that you have no chance of breaking the status quo (or colonising mars). They'll say it's impractical and unrealistic and then they'll switch off. I think Bitcoin suffers from this, people switch off because they can never see it truly taking over from traditional fiat. Their lack of understanding of it's potential slows adoption and the innovations that would create more utility. If we saw more utility within the Bitcoin ecosystem then perhaps things would change more swiftly. Bitshares has the opportunity and toolkit to demonstrate that crypto is not just about another way to pay for things. It's so much more, but it's utility not ideology that will demonstrate this.
Maybe I'm wrong and there is a way to weave both ideology and utility into messaging in a more palatable way for users. But I think it's a tall order and perhaps too risky to spell out the ultimate vision at this stage. Maybe one day the Bitshares brand will be big enough and established enough so that we can consider doing that, but at the moment it simply isn't. There's too much danger that we'll sound like a bunch of cranks, people are not ready for the message yet.
As a marketing strategy to attract bright and talented developers - well that's a different story. Here perhaps the vision and ideology is what will get the best and brightest through the door. They'll have the sense to understand what DACs offer themselves and wider society. But that's an entirely different marketing program to the the one you'd might execute in order to attract the average users we'll need to attract in order to grow.
Last week was a rough one in many ways, nerves were frayed, but I think we are pointed in the right direction now. Sorry if this contrary view brings even more rain to BM's parade, but I believe it's extremely important to discuss these things and make the right decisions. Almost as important as anything else we could be discussing. Without users we are dead in the water.
I do think we will colonise Mars one day and I think that Dan's vision for a DAC will come to pass in some form. Hopefully it will be by way of the Bitshares SuperDAC. I want to take the opportunity to express my appreciation for all the hard work that Dan and the various teams have done to push things forward so far. I've done very little in practical terms myself, though I'm very excited about the idea of someday working for a DAC. Perhaps even the SuperDAC.
For the record I've worked at a senior level within the advertising industry here in London for nearly twenty years. One client was actually one of the aforementioned big brands too and so I know at least a little bit about this kind of stuff. My Spidey senses are telling me this is a really big deal and that the path we take needs to be considered extremely carefully.
If you're in London you'll know disillusionment with banks, banker bonuses, EU, MSM and the political establishment are key drivers of MASSIVE change in this country & across Europe right now. While I believe in utility & simplicity, the BTS vision is so relevant and on the pulse that not tapping into that sentiment and leveraging it for the benefit of BTS in some market segments would be an opportunity missed imo.
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bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
it should be possible to code in a pegged asset that's inflation- adjusted, correct? we could have an asset chained to 2014 dollars, might be cool
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bitshares is something bigger than bitUSD...
don't take me wrong but the term bitUSD sounds too cheap to me.
It's like promoting in some degree the... past...
bitUSD is the digital mirror of USD and USD is 100% controlled from people that want our slavery(same with euro etc.)...
What if USD loose much of it's present "real" value in the near future because they want it to happen ?
That would mean that bitUSD will follow the decline, so our supporters with bitUSDs on their accounts would be be "trapped" too.... Why should we follow the old system? Are we really thinking out of the box?
I think we must promote bitAssets in general and we should not promote to much on one of them, like we do right now...
We should promote the ability/option they have on our system/platform to own a basket of different global bitASSETS in a very easy way, knowing that:
1. They are 100% safe.
2. They are taking benefits/rewards for keeping them (Yield etc.)
3. They are liquid (max. 1 month delay)
4. Their privacy is 100% respected (TITAN, crypto etc...)
5. They can easy/fast/cheaply exchange from one bitASSET to another (?)
6. They can transfer/pay easy/fast/secure with minimal fees (goodbye paypal,bitcoin)
7. They can have a mixed bitASSET portofolio without limits in quantity and value!
8. TAX FREE (what means IRS ?)
9. ....name it...
...sorry if what I am saying doesn't make sense, maybe it is better I am going to sleep too :)
it should be possible to code in a pegged asset that's inflation- adjusted, correct? we could have an asset chained to 2014 dollars, might be cool
If I understand correct what you propose... we already successfully have that :P Just download your client and check it! https://bitshares-x.info/
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Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Bytemaster: Read Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123) by Geoffrey A. Moore <-- Written over 20 years ago, it's just as relevant today as it was then. I cannot recommend this book enough.
There is a big difference between emotion and ideology.
Back in the day, the telephone company used to encourage people to use the phone by reminding them to "reach out and touch someone", while showing images that remind people of their families. Family connections emotional, not ideological. Selling emotions is frigging easy. But selling ideology? That takes $100s of billions in political campaign spending and half the time you will lose to your ideological rival.
Ideology is a marketing loser if your goal is wide adoption.
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I am an empirical idealist. I have much greater appreciation and enthusiasm for BitShares knowing the primary motivation for it's creation and continued evolution is founded on principles I believe in.
But I also recognize I'm not one of the masses. Marketing to me is much different than to the masses.
I am also extremely grateful BM is so tuned into this forum and the BitShares community as there is a lot of wisdom expressed here.
I'm not a marketing expert but I think if BM doesn't get from this thread the need to provide a value proposition and utility for the masses (while sticking to the principles stated in his OP) he'll be doing the community a disservice by missing the wisdom expressed here.
Part of that wisdom was this, which I just finished watching (+5% matt):
Ted vid: "People buy what you believe not how you do it"
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action#t-55892
In particular I see this balance being put to the test with VOTE. As great an opportunity as it is perceived to be and may actually be to bring widespread awareness and adoption of BitShares to the masses, the implementation of the VOTE DAC must not sacrifice or compromise the underlying principle of freedom from violence that voting in a statist society represents.
I personally choose to withhold my support of statism by refusing to participate in the voting process, not on principle alone but also based on the strong empirical evidence that it doesn't do anything to effect fundamental change and is highly manipulated and corrupt in so many ways. Just check out Bev Harris' "Blackbox Voting" documentary / organization for some of this evidence.
I'm NOT saying you should refrain from moving forward with the VOTE DAC and the California initiative, only to be very cautious as you do and don't loose sight of what you said in your OP.
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Ideology is a marketing loser if your goal is wide adoption.
+5%
Focus on utility and merchant adoption.
Those that share your ideology and vision will find their way here on their own, as they have up to this point.
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Addressing WHY is not addressing YOUR why. Your WHY is the reason you developed this technology, and your personal motivation. Your PRODUCT transcends you completely, and exists for reasons and motivations beyond you. This is something you will have to be open to discover properly and on its own terms.
Try to list your ideology, your politics, in as positive terms as possible (what you are FOR, not AGAINST), as ONE reason and motivation for getting into your product. Now make a real effort to list as many radically OTHER reasons and motivations for getting into your product as possible. Finally try to express them all in the most beautiful, universal message.
That, I submit, is what great leaders do.
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Let's not mix up ideology with values with emotions. We might not succeed pushing either ideology or trying to sell BTS based on emotions. VALUES is what we need to define and live imo.
Even coming from various backgrounds and having different worldviews we bitSHARE certain values e.g. such as freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security - to name a few... bitValues should define BitShares culture!
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Let's not mix up ideology with values with emotions. We might not succeed pushing either ideology or trying to sell BTS based on emotions. VALUES is what we need to define and live imo.
Even coming from various backgrounds and having different worldviews we bitSHARE certain values e.g. such as freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security - to name a few... bitValues should define BitShares culture!
I like the idea of having a set of tenets somehow attached to the brand. (e.g. Bitshares stands for freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security etc), but that's it - literally a list. Let people interpret these words to fit their own worldview and belief system.
Anything beyond that and we become preachers. Do we want to become preachers? I don't think we do. If we were to go down that route IMHO we place ourselves in to very dogy territory from a marketing standpoint. We have to start negative campaigning against other economic models and quickly you get in to an place where you are having to agree that you don't believe in a nations and states. This message, whether you believe in nation and state or not, does not have mass market appeal IMHO.
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I would like to take a step back and help us all reflect on why we are doing what we are doing and what it is that has created this community in the first place.
I have set out on a mission in life to find free market solutions to secure life, liberty, and property and BitShares is my evolving approach to this problem. Many people have joined us because of this vision and have become a fan because of what we believe more so than what we have built. In the middle of our success it is easy to lose sight of what is bringing us all together and what really matters.
Does our technology help us achieve our purpose, freedom. Who should our technology appeal to? It should appeal to those who want economic freedom in both trade and wealth.
Selling BitShares as a "company" with X, Y, Z features is approaching the space like Dell and not Apple. Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
The problem we have is that most people won't choose to adopt BitUSD because of its yield or merchant adoption. They will first choose to adopt it because it resonates with something DEEP within... they do it "just because"... to make a statement to the outside world that there is a different way.
So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment. Bitcoin grew because it allowed people to make a statement... but it was too volatile for more than the true believers in the vision to hold. BitUSD gives the true believers a safe place to express themselves backed by extreme believers. You don't accept BitUSD at your business just because it is better than a credit card, you accept it to make a point and that point is that you believe in freedom, transparency, and individual financial sovernty.
I don't know about you, but this vision is not based upon a share price and does not depend upon any set of features. It is something that we can build for ourselves at any scale if we can attract like minded people.
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
So... lets go change the world!
+5%
That makes total sense to me.
1) Because we (this community and I3) really believes in it.
2) And because it makes total sense from a marketing/PR standpoint! Appeal to people's ideals and not what to their greed!
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Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Bytemaster: Read Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123) by Geoffrey A. Moore <-- Written over 20 years ago, it's just as relevant today as it was then. I cannot recommend this book enough.
+5%
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Let's not mix up ideology with values with emotions. We might not succeed pushing either ideology or trying to sell BTS based on emotions. VALUES is what we need to define and live imo.
Even coming from various backgrounds and having different worldviews we bitSHARE certain values e.g. such as freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security - to name a few... bitValues should define BitShares culture!
I like the idea of having a set of tenets somehow attached to the brand. (e.g. Bitshares stands for freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security etc), but that's it - literally a list. Let people interpret these words to fit their own worldview and belief system.
Anything beyond that and we become preachers. Do we want to become preachers? I don't think we do. If we were to go down that route IMHO we place ourselves in to very dogy territory from a marketing standpoint. We have to start negative campaigning against other economic models and quickly you get in to an place where you are having to agree that you don't believe in a nations and states. This message, whether you believe in nation and state or not, does not have mass market appeal IMHO.
+5% I agree with the vision being embodied in a set of 4/5 key tenants/principles/values a mainstream majority can universally relate to in their own way.
But because we do have a very small budget with which to try & kickstart something potentially global in a short time, I'm not averse to doing something with bit more kick/oomph/controversy to get noticed. (In fact I'd personally target the most lucrative niches first and learn from that vs. jumping straight into mainstream where we may have pretty glaring obvious strategy flaws that could have been ironed out. Also if you're not focusing on a quite specific demographic, it's easy to spend a lot of money and not make any impact at all.)
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I like the idea of having a set of tenets somehow attached to the brand. (e.g. Bitshares stands for freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security etc), but that's it - literally a list. Let people interpret these words to fit their own worldview and belief system.
+5%
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I would like to take a step back and help us all reflect on why we are doing what we are doing and what it is that has created this community in the first place.
I have set out on a mission in life to find free market solutions to secure life, liberty, and property and BitShares is my evolving approach to this problem. Many people have joined us because of this vision and have become a fan because of what we believe more so than what we have built. In the middle of our success it is easy to lose sight of what is bringing us all together and what really matters.
Does our technology help us achieve our purpose, freedom. Who should our technology appeal to? It should appeal to those who want economic freedom in both trade and wealth.
Selling BitShares as a "company" with X, Y, Z features is approaching the space like Dell and not Apple. Lets reimagine everything, think out side the box and create a society where we can be secure and where threats of violence by the government are overwhelmed by non-violent cooperation. We all long for freedom, it is universal. We all long for security. No one likes theft and violence.
The problem we have is that most people won't choose to adopt BitUSD because of its yield or merchant adoption. They will first choose to adopt it because it resonates with something DEEP within... they do it "just because"... to make a statement to the outside world that there is a different way.
So lets not sell a product with features... lets let people know what we believe and stand for. Lets let the world know that owning BitShares or buying BitUSD is about making a statement not making an investment. Bitcoin grew because it allowed people to make a statement... but it was too volatile for more than the true believers in the vision to hold. BitUSD gives the true believers a safe place to express themselves backed by extreme believers. You don't accept BitUSD at your business just because it is better than a credit card, you accept it to make a point and that point is that you believe in freedom, transparency, and individual financial sovernty.
I don't know about you, but this vision is not based upon a share price and does not depend upon any set of features. It is something that we can build for ourselves at any scale if we can attract like minded people.
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
So... lets go change the world!
+5%
Yes! I've been using this approach to bring in BitShares adopters for the last two months, to people who have little interest and less knowledge of crypto-currency, and people who are not shopping for new financial instruments.
I'm guessing those of you in the 'utility is everything' camp must not have watched the Ted Talk link in the OP? TiVo is exactly the point, and the warning to heed. No one is suggesting we shouldn't develop amazing features and place a premium on utility... but that's not effective marketing, and it's not inspiring.
If the Apple analogy doesn't work for you, I submit that we are much more like the Wright Brothers, and Martin Luther King.
We have a dream. Dan Larimer has a dream. We are all now dreaming that dream together in real time and working to make it a reality.
Right now we need to be inspiring the innovators & early adopters, not selling features to the early majority. We shouldn't even really be thinking about the early majority right now, they don't even know there's a problem to be solved yet, and they won't, until they hear it from the innovators & early adopters.
Making a statement is fine, but this is really about taking a stand. There are many many people who are not remotely involved in the world of crypto-currency but who are highly sympathetic to the premise of our actions. The relevant tactic at this time is to inspire a small army of these folks who believe in what BitShares stands for, and the vast potential it represents across the full spectrum of human endeavor, and get them to take action. The early adopters will come onboard before things are perfect because it feels right, because they see the potential.
If you're waiting for the perfect on-ramp to appear, stand up, walk to the nearest mirror, and behold... the perfect on-ramp, right now.
Everyone I've gotten involved in BitShares so far has done so because they are aligned with the basic principle of Freedom which unites virtually everyone. I submit that Freedom is not an ideology, it is the primary state which exists before ideology even arrives on the scene. We are born free, but everywhere we are in chains, to some degree or another. Freedom is not an exotic commodity that will alienate people if it is articulated well, it is their natural state, and everyone on some level wishes to return to a state of total freedom.
There can and must be many approaches to selling our vision, and our product, to people. There are so many different kinds of people. But right now, I believe Dan is right again. No one is calling for meetups with readings of Kropotkin, but a simple appeal to the underlying vision that unites us all. It will unite more than just us innovators. There are so many who can yet be reached, they are all across the spectrum, there's so much more we agree on than disagree.
Try to list your ideology, your politics, in as positive terms as possible (what you are FOR, not AGAINST), as ONE reason and motivation for getting into your product. Now make a real effort to list as many radically OTHER reasons and motivations for getting into your product as possible. Finally try to express them all in the most beautiful, universal message.
That, I submit, is what great leaders do.
A beautiful, universal message, that's some good homework!
Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Yes!
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Let's not mix up ideology with values with emotions. We might not succeed pushing either ideology or trying to sell BTS based on emotions. VALUES is what we need to define and live imo.
Even coming from various backgrounds and having different worldviews we bitSHARE certain values e.g. such as freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security - to name a few... bitValues should define BitShares culture!
I like the idea of having a set of tenets somehow attached to the brand. (e.g. Bitshares stands for freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security etc), but that's it - literally a list. Let people interpret these words to fit their own worldview and belief system.
Anything beyond that and we become preachers. Do we want to become preachers? I don't think we do. If we were to go down that route IMHO we place ourselves in to very dogy territory from a marketing standpoint. We have to start negative campaigning against other economic models and quickly you get in to an place where you are having to agree that you don't believe in a nations and states. This message, whether you believe in nation and state or not, does not have mass market appeal IMHO.
+5% I agree with the vision being embodied in a set of 4/5 key tenants/principles/values a mainstream majority can universally relate to in their own way.
But because we do have a very small budget with which to try & kickstart something potentially global in a short time, I'm not averse to doing something with bit more kick/oomph/controversy to get noticed. (In fact I'd personally target the most lucrative niches first and learn from that vs. jumping straight into mainstream where we may have pretty glaring obvious strategy flaws that could have been ironed out. Also if you're not focusing on a quite specific demographic, with a small budget, it's easy to spend a lot of money and not make any impact at all.)
Hopefully the marketing team did their homework on market segmentation and what area/demographics to focus on and with what messages. Folks and market segments out there have various values which define their buying attitudes. Most Chinese business students, for instance, will likely have different attitudes compared with experienced US programmers, and both of them will differ from London bankers and Indian retailers...
do i want to use bitUSD PRIMARILY because
- my cool schoolmates use it and i don't want to look stupid? (ego-defensive)
- that is convenient for payments and earns yield? (utilitarian)
- it corresponds to my ideals of freedom and privacy? (value-expressive)
- in fact is the state-of-the-art and most secure alternative among cryptos? (knowledge-based)
thus the marketing message to each distinct group should be carefully targeted based on their attitudes. 3i marketing have probably done lots of market research already... here is an educational summary of consumer attitudes approach;
http://marketography.com/tag/ego-defensive-function/ (http://marketography.com/tag/ego-defensive-function/)
i am not claiming to know much about selling breakthrough high-tech, just hoping to help in framing this thread.
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Let's not mix up ideology with values with emotions. We might not succeed pushing either ideology or trying to sell BTS based on emotions. VALUES is what we need to define and live imo.
Even coming from various backgrounds and having different worldviews we bitSHARE certain values e.g. such as freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security - to name a few... bitValues should define BitShares culture!
I like the idea of having a set of tenets somehow attached to the brand. (e.g. Bitshares stands for freedom, privacy, fairness, creativity, meritocracy, security etc), but that's it - literally a list. Let people interpret these words to fit their own worldview and belief system.
Anything beyond that and we become preachers. Do we want to become preachers? I don't think we do. If we were to go down that route IMHO we place ourselves in to very dogy territory from a marketing standpoint. We have to start negative campaigning against other economic models and quickly you get in to an place where you are having to agree that you don't believe in a nations and states. This message, whether you believe in nation and state or not, does not have mass market appeal IMHO.
+5% I agree with the vision being embodied in a set of 4/5 key tenants/principles/values a mainstream majority can universally relate to in their own way.
But because we do have a very small budget with which to try & kickstart something potentially global in a short time, I'm not averse to doing something with bit more kick/oomph/controversy to get noticed. (In fact I'd personally target the most lucrative niches first and learn from that vs. jumping straight into mainstream where we may have pretty glaring obvious strategy flaws that could have been ironed out. Also if you're not focusing on a quite specific demographic, with a small budget, it's easy to spend a lot of money and not make any impact at all.)
Hopefully the marketing team did their homework on market segmentation and what area/demographics to focus on and with what messages. Folks and market segments out there have various values which define their buying attitudes. Most Chinese business students, for instance, will likely have different attitudes compared with experienced US programmers, and both of them will differ from London bankers and Indian retailers...
do i want to use bitUSD PRIMARILY because
- my cool schoolmates use it and i don't want to look stupid? (ego-defensive)
- that is convenient for payments and earns yield? (utilitarian)
- it corresponds to my ideals of freedom and privacy? (value-expressive)
- in fact is the state-of-the-art and most secure alternative among cryptos? (knowledge-based)
thus the marketing message to each distinct group should be carefully targeted based on their attitudes. 3i marketing have probably done lots of market research already... here is an educational summary of consumer attitudes approach;
http://marketography.com/tag/ego-defensive-function/ (http://marketography.com/tag/ego-defensive-function/)
i am not claiming to know much about selling breakthrough high-tech, just hoping to help in framing this thread.
I don't think so, I haven't heard anything about specific niches. The feedback I'm getting really says they're going 'generic mainstream' and they're wary of pigeon holing themselves into a brand image say only a 1/3 of the public will strongly support.
From my POV really resonating with & appealing to 1/3 of the public is far superior to being a wishy washy brand that doesn't gain any traction at the start. As far as BitAssets go, despite the various front ends mainstream may use, I find it hard to believe that there is any escaping from the fact that BitShares is in fact a DAC and not a brick and mortar company. We should own that and be proud of it, not do so could be viewed as weak and even deceptive.
Also that 1/3 of the public that are disillusioned with the current system is the segment that is growing fastest and will soon encompass the majority as the collapse of the current financial system plays out imo.
So I would say own it, but at the very least have a few key tenants like 'freedom, privacy & fairness' that a majority can still universally relate too.
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Marketing messages will change over time as the product matures... but right now we will piss off anyone who isn't onboard philosophically because the bugs and beta nature of the software.
Apple's philosophy wouldn't mean a thing without great products... but great products don't mean a thing without a philosophical connection, a "why" that transcends logic.
So I am not advocating ignoring utility... merely that the utility is the "deal closer" and emotion/ideal/why is the opener.
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Bitshares has extreme potential. I got on board last year because I could feel the promise and resolve of Bytemaster, Stan, and crew to make a positive change in the world. When it comes time to sell the idea to the world-at-large, the best metaphor to use IMO is that of a work of art. Works of art are effective when they make us FEEL something. The finalized Bitshares product definitely has the potential to make the user feel good things, especially if the design and function are maximised to this end.
This link elegantly sums up my thinking.
http://www.joquz.com/2271/paper-art-principle-of-design-poster-series
balance (ideology/utility, elegance/complexity, etc.)
hierarchy (of ideals: free trade, no need for trust, you're in control,)
space (elegant and simple GUI, easily comprehensible functionality)
proportion (Main, secondary, and tertiary functionalities)
emphasis ( on banking and financial freedom )
contrast (Stands apart from establised system)
unity (works like what people already know)
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
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I'm on board with the lay low on the philosophy crew right now. Let it slowly become self-evident to the world. Focus marketing on concrete benefits. If we get all preachy and up our own asses too quick it could serve to isolate certain groups.
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Try to list your ideology, your politics, in as positive terms as possible (what you are FOR, not AGAINST), as ONE reason and motivation for getting into your product. Now make a real effort to list as many radically OTHER reasons and motivations for getting into your product as possible. Finally try to express them all in the most beautiful, universal message.
That, I submit, is what great leaders do.
A beautiful, universal message, that's some good homework!
Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Yes!
+5% - definitely on board with the OP and the TED talk, which the above also reflects.
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
Most people want security over freedom. Why not talk about financial security to the masses while financial freedom to the choir?
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
Most people want security over freedom. Why not talk about financial security to the masses while financial freedom to the choir?
+5% Sounds good to me!
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
Most people want security over freedom. Why not talk about financial security to the masses while financial freedom to the choir?
+5% Sounds good to me!
BitShares - Where freedom and security can peacefully coexist
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@sschechter +5% +5% +5% idea! Requires a strong, remarkable slogan... something along the following lines, perhaps:
BTS -> secure your freedom by freeing up your security!
Security OR AND Freedom? !
With BitShares platform there is no need to compromise BETWEEN freedom and security. GET THEM BOTH by using BTS!
BTS: Where FREEDOM meets SECURITY
Security, powered by Freedom.
BTS: Liberty, Security, Cooperation
(Along the lines Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite)
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
Most people want security over freedom. Why not talk about financial security to the masses while financial freedom to the choir?
+5% +5%
Especially with all the breaches in Credit card security over the last year. I really don't understand the references to Apple though and personally I don't think they make sense at all. Apple is the opposite of what Bitshares and the whole crypto ecosystem stand for. Apple is proprietary, secretive, with top down centrally controlled management and they certainly aren't innovative at all. Steve Jobs was just a great salesman but his products weren't really all that great. Other hardware manufacturers had better gadgets in terms of features and specs.
The masses care more about security and ease of use. As soon as you start talking about something like life, liberty and property they'll tune you out.
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Something people here need to understand: a powerful, emotional message and product utility are not binary options. You need an emotional message to get the attention of average people. Once you've got their attention, impress them with awesome utility.
Bytemaster: Read Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123) by Geoffrey A. Moore <-- Written over 20 years ago, it's just as relevant today as it was then. I cannot recommend this book enough.
There is a big difference between emotion and ideology.
Back in the day, the telephone company used to encourage people to use the phone by reminding them to "reach out and touch someone", while showing images that remind people of their families. Family connections emotional, not ideological. Selling emotions is frigging easy. But selling ideology? That takes $100s of billions in political campaign spending and half the time you will lose to your ideological rival.
Ideology is a marketing loser if your goal is wide adoption.
+5%
Even today appealing to peoples emotions work and big companies know this. Appealing to peoples emotions works with the GOP and the ridiculousness they spew like with the recent Ebola hysteria or the claims of Obama being the anti christ. (see what I did there)
Anyways, appealing to peoples emotions is very powerful and fear in particular is very powerful. Its what the GOP does all day every day.
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The concept of freedom is perhaps the most universal message. It's a call to individual action with moral and revolutionary undertones that work in our favor: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-concept-of-revolutionary-freedom/30071
Most people want security over freedom. Why not talk about financial security to the masses while financial freedom to the choir?
+5% +5%
Do you think mom, grandpa and my random cousin feels more safe having to download some experimental new software putting their hard earned money into incomprehensible bitUSD flowing through the internet tubes, or do you think they feel more safe putting their money into a bank, a financial institution deeply embedded in tradition, concrete and law?
I really don't understand where you guys are coming from. I am from Norway personally. I don't know how bad it has gotten in USA if the masses would trust BitShares more than their local bank.. This argument would fall flat on its face here in Norway at least, regardless of the argumentative acrobatics you try to pull on them.
The best argument is usually a positive one: Look at all these god damn amazing things you can do with this technology that you could not do before, not to mention, it is free, and you might make a ton of money having fun learning about this new revolution if you get in early.
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What percent of the world is looking to "move west" to the New World where men are free explore? Think of the pioneers that blazed the trails and dealt with all kinds of hardships just to be free and ask... how many people are looking for this today?
How many people would "move" to a new country where their wealth and privacy are protected and they are free to trade and invest as they wish?
How many people would like to end the rule of the international banking elite?
If we can find just 0.3% of US population and sell them this vision... convince them to donate $100 and get a free t-shirt to promote the cause a free 80 BitUSD. Get people to WEAR our stuff, but bumper stickers on their car, etc...
Ron Paul Revolution... becomes the BitShares Revolution...
It isn't about making or losing money, it is about the statement it makes to be part of something bigger than yourself. Take every person who "wants freedom" and ask them...well, what are you going to do about it? Give them an outlet where they can stick it to the man...
Just grab 0.3% of US population, 1 million people....
People want real change, they want something they can do, and they have $100 of disposable income (two or three meals eating out).
Lets appeal to these people *first*... get them on board and make it easy (credit card / pay pal).
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What percent of the world is looking to "move west" to the New World where men are free explore? Think of the pioneers that blazed the trails and dealt with all kinds of hardships just to be free and ask... how many people are looking for this today?
How many people would "move" to a new country where their wealth and privacy are protected and they are free to trade and invest as they wish?
How many people would like to end the rule of the international banking elite?
If we can find just 0.3% of US population and sell them this vision... convince them to donate $100 and get a free t-shirt to promote the cause a free 80 BitUSD. Get people to WEAR our stuff, but bumper stickers on their car, etc...
Ron Paul Revolution... becomes the BitShares Revolution...
It isn't about making or losing money, it is about the statement it makes to be part of something bigger than yourself. Take every person who "wants freedom" and ask them...well, what are you going to do about it? Give them an outlet where they can stick it to the man...
Just grab 0.3% of US population, 1 million people....
People want real change, they want something they can do, and they have $100 of disposable income (two or three meals eating out).
Lets appeal to these people *first*... get them on board and make it easy (credit card / pay pal).
I loved what Ron Paul did, but even the RP staffers had a hard time managing the campaign's public image. In the end, as strongly as his message resonated with many - it didn't get lasting traction. Many people who actually would love RP's politics would never really look into it because others told them RP followers were "crazy."
The pioneers built the "New World," but their efforts for freedom isn't what made the New World successful - it was the economic effect due to abundant natural resources that forward looking companies invested in to exploit. Many were looking for freedom - but most were looking for financial freedom. The pioneers were, in essence, anarchocapitialists (thus the expression, the "Wild West") that leveraged social and economic forces to drive the nation and world forward.
It isn't about making money, necessarily, but if you only try to be ideological, you may miss the chance to actually spread your ideology.
I think Ron Paul is an example of how not to do things to achieve global change. The pioneers, however, are a great example of how to achieve global change supported by an ideology.
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If we can find just 0.3% of US population and sell them this vision... convince them to donate $100 and get a free t-shirt to promote the cause a free 80 BitUSD. Get people to WEAR our stuff, but bumper stickers on their car, etc...
Making an ideological revolution happen is easier said than done. But I agree with this approach when it comes to marketing in Western countries.
What I really want to know is why you're trying so hard to target Americans? Network effect isn't an all or nothing proposition; you can achieve network effect in niche markets. Example: Instant messaging apps. Why not focus on marketing BitUSD where real USD demand is high but supply is low. Argentina comes to mind and there are many more. Forget America. Sell water in the desert first.
I'm currently writing a viral marketing plan for BitShares, if you want to take a look at it let me know. I'd love to help you understand how viral growth works.
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What percent of the world is looking to "move west" to the New World where men are free explore? Think of the pioneers that blazed the trails and dealt with all kinds of hardships just to be free and ask... how many people are looking for this today?
How many people would "move" to a new country where their wealth and privacy are protected and they are free to trade and invest as they wish?
How many people would like to end the rule of the international banking elite?
If we can find just 0.3% of US population and sell them this vision... convince them to donate $100 and get a free t-shirt to promote the cause a free 80 BitUSD. Get people to WEAR our stuff, but bumper stickers on their car, etc...
Ron Paul Revolution... becomes the BitShares Revolution...
It isn't about making or losing money, it is about the statement it makes to be part of something bigger than yourself. Take every person who "wants freedom" and ask them...well, what are you going to do about it? Give them an outlet where they can stick it to the man...
Just grab 0.3% of US population, 1 million people....
People want real change, they want something they can do, and they have $100 of disposable income (two or three meals eating out).
Lets appeal to these people *first*... get them on board and make it easy (credit card / pay pal).
Unless you have some amazing secret sauce, I think that's the kind of demographic, (younger supporters of independence movements across the world), that are likely to be the first mainstream adopters of BitShares & related products.
Unlike a political party the utility of BitShares will be so compelling that it will expand from there regardless of ideology. Having that first 1 million vocal supporters singing its praises & indirectly marketing BitShares, is the kind of direction I would take.
I also think BitShares probably needs another year at least for most of mainstream to be comfortable using it anyway.
At the same time there is not a desperate need yet in the West for BitShares vs. say Argentina, where the ideology is already irrelevant, they need what BitShares offers.
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If we can find just 0.3% of US population and sell them this vision... convince them to donate $100 and get a free t-shirt to promote the cause a free 80 BitUSD. Get people to WEAR our stuff, but bumper stickers on their car, etc...
Making an ideological revolution happen is easier said than done. But I agree with this approach when it comes to marketing in Western countries.
What I really want to know is why you're trying so hard to target Americans? Network effect isn't an all or nothing proposition; you can achieve network effect in niche markets. Example: Instant messaging apps. Why not focus on marketing BitUSD where real USD demand is high but supply is low. Argentina comes to mind and there are many more. Forget America. Sell water in the desert first.
I'm currently writing a viral marketing plan for BitShares, if you want to take a look at it let me know. I'd love to help you understand how viral growth works.
I suppose I am somewhat biased by what I know and where I live. I wouldn't know the first thing about selling to people in Argentina and no one our team knows either. However, I suspect there are people in the community out there who know how to reach these people and we are all depending on you.
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I suppose I am somewhat biased by what I know and where I live. I wouldn't know the first thing about selling to people in Argentina and no one our team knows either. However, I suspect there are people in the community out there who know how to reach these people and we are all depending on you.
I think a few of us are going to get together and organize a campaign to get the attention of BitPagio (they have 8000 locations across Argentina currently offering BTC). If we successfully get their attention and establish a dialogue, will Invictus continue the dialogue? They will want "official" dialogue. I'm worried I'll be left hanging by Invictus if they ask questions about TITAN integration and such. Things I have no real knowledge of.
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THAT's what we need down there. One company or group in Argentina that has an interest in promoting this. I don't have any contacts down there and my Spanish is lousy. But if I can help, please let me know.
Also, Argentina is but one possibility. Chile? Venezuela? Greece? India? Philippines? Lots more possible markets.
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Also, Argentina is but one possibility. Chile? Venezuela? Greece? India? Philippines? Lots more possible markets.
Absolutely. My thinking is this: once BitUSD is established in one of these countries that needs it, it will organically spread to other countries from there, without us having to do much of anything. All we need to do is engineer the initial momentum and let it take on a life of its own.
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The US needs it pretty bad. What's worse is most that live there don't know it.
Case and point: These SEC letters. It should not be the case that if the SEC doesn't approve you are fined, jailed, and/or shutdown. Never mind being compelled to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars defending yourself. In a free country the SEC would at most be able to say, "We cannot recommend your security as safe for the public due to the following violations of our Best Practices policy". The general public that isn't well versed on these matters would only invest in securities blessed by the SEC if they believe they are a good standards body.
I would love it if the SEC was more like ISO. If your company isn't ISO-902 Compliant than you can't say you're ISO-902 compliant and that's it. No laws broken.
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Thank you for volunteering. Some of us are getting a group together to work on marketing in countries that haven't yet been targeted. We certainly will contact you about Argentina!
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Make no mistake, a predominantly silent war is being waged around us, which is terrifying when you consider the extent to which conflict and environmental destruction has visibly engulfed parts of the planet. We are nearing the point in time when people are going to have to choose between the forces of dominion and the forces of freedom.
In order to choose, people need to wake up to a single truth. The centralized control of money has enabled the worst, the most degenerate humans to enslave everything and everyone. This enslavement is both physical and mental, with nothing untouched by the corruption. The world in which we live is gradually being altered in ways that reflect the damaged psyches and grotesque appetites of parasitic monsters and their pet corporations.
The power of BitShares is absolutely ideological. Just think about it. Think about what it means. Bitshares is the antithesis of dominion and enslavement, a light in the dark. If BitShares succeeds, think about all the people who will be given hope in the future, think of all the people who will no longer be ground to pieces, used and abused. It brings tears to my eyes.
I believe this is what Satoshi wanted. BitShares has the potential to succeed where Bitcoin has in many ways failed. People are ready to hear that message. Tell them what is at stake and give them the choice. People will come in droves once they comprehend this single truth.
I apologize if this comes across a bit strong. I just can't imagine a more powerful message than the truth of what BitShares could do for us all. I understand the reason many of you would advise caution, given the uncompromising nature of the message. Decentralized Wisdom & Consensus Rules!
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Excellent! Was it you who added me to Skype? So many people have added me recently I've lost track. My apologies.
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Excellent! Was it you who added me to Skype? So many people have added me recently I've lost track. My apologies.
Yes.
The first thing we would need is everything translated into Spanish.
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Excellent! Was it you who added me to Skype? So many people have added me recently I've lost track. My apologies.
Yes.
The first thing we would need is everything translated into Spanish.
Damn it... We need the clients interface translated into Spanish.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/isugfd9uxa7chnd/Screenshot%202014-10-28%2014.20.20.png?dl=0
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Take the english file from here and find someone who can translate:
https://github.com/BitShares/web_wallet/tree/master/app/static
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Excellent! Was it you who added me to Skype? So many people have added me recently I've lost track. My apologies.
Yes.
The first thing we would need is everything translated into Spanish.
Maybe worth registering bitusd.com.ar? Wikipedia says it can only be done by an argentine residant.
They don't need to know anything about bitshares, just how to buy and sell bitUSD and store it in a bitUSD only wallet as a savings account (not developed yet). Presumably there needs to be an 'on ramp' for argentine Pesos (ARS) and a bitUSD/ARS market in the back end? How about a localbitusd style website as well?
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There are plenty of available channels and networks in Argentina. I can help facilitate anything in the region.
Excellent! Was it you who added me to Skype? So many people have added me recently I've lost track. My apologies.
Yes.
The first thing we would need is everything translated into Spanish.
Maybe worth registering bitusd.com.ar? Wikipedia says it can only be done by an argentine residant.
They don't need to know anything about bitshares, just how to buy and sell bitUSD and store it in a bitUSD only wallet as a savings account (not developed yet). Presumably there needs to be an 'on ramp' for argentine Pesos (ARS) and a bitUSD/ARS market in the back end? How about a localbitusd style website as well?
I'll have a sub-page for http://whatisbitusd.com translated into Spanish.
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Maybe worth registering bitusd.com.ar? Wikipedia says it can only be done by an argentine residant.
They don't need to know anything about bitshares, just how to buy and sell bitUSD and store it in a bitUSD only wallet as a savings account (not developed yet). Presumably there needs to be an 'on ramp' for argentine Pesos (ARS) and a bitUSD/ARS market in the back end? How about a localbitusd style website as well?
I'll have a sub-page for http://whatisbitusd.com translated into Spanish.
Wouldn't it make it easier for them and help them feel safer to promote a stronger and local domain name, bitusd.com.ar? If it's really going to take off in Argentina, it's worthy of more than a sub-page? It helps create confidence and legitimacy.
Then they just download the bitUSD wallet, which needs to be ready first (but the translations/partnerships for on/off ramps could be done in advance).
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The minute somebody can make a "trezor" like security for the bitassets this thing will explode. Until then people will always prefer keeping their money under the mattress than online.
In Greece most wealthy people don't keep their money in local banks anymore...Seriously almost everyone has a vault in their house. I am very confident that if those people can keep their funds in a usb stick securely from an online attack then I can sell the biteur concept to anyone.
Whenever I mention to someone about biteur or bitusd and I explain them the logic and how it works the first thing they ask me is about security.
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The minute somebody can make a "trezor" like security for the bitassets this thing will explode. Until then people will always prefer keeping their money under the mattress than online.
In Greece most wealthy people don't keep their money in local banks anymore...Seriously almost everyone has a vault in their house. I am very confident that if those people can keep their funds in a usb stick securely from an online attack then I can sell the biteur concept to anyone.
Whenever I mention to someone about biteur or bitusd and I explain them the logic and how it works the first thing they ask me is about security.
I would vote for a delegate to have dilution to develop a bitasset trezor.
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Some members have already thought about TreZor for BitShares .. and in theory .. it's the same math behind both, BTC and BTS ... the only issue I am seeing currently is TITAN which makes it pretty difficult to separate the private key from reading history (i.e. scanning of transactions)
I don't think that TreZor will ever be able to run with TITAN addresses .. however, if you used non-TITAN transactions .. it should be possible .. with some tweaks ..
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
There are several different kinds of people out there and it is very difficult for one type to understand the other.
1) Android users focus on specs, cpu, screen size and resolution,
2) Apple users focus on experience, brand, perceived quality and don't care about specs (as long as they can do what they need to do)
Few people are willing to put money into BTSX or BitUSD based upon specs alone... they will look at the specs and say "great"... I'll wait until it matures a bit before I am ready to use BitUSD.
So we need to find a way to motivate people to disregard the "short term viability" and join for the long term. To use it "just because they can" and "just to make a point". I am talking about a strategy for the next 6-12 months not a "forever" strategy. Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
There are several different kinds of people out there and it is very difficult for one type to understand the other.
1) Android users focus on specs, cpu, screen size and resolution,
2) Apple users focus on experience, brand, perceived quality and don't care about specs (as long as they can do what they need to do)
Few people are willing to put money into BTSX or BitUSD based upon specs alone... they will look at the specs and say "great"... I'll wait until it matures a bit before I am ready to use BitUSD.
So we need to find a way to motivate people to disregard the "short term viability" and join for the long term. To use it "just because they can" and "just to make a point". I am talking about a strategy for the next 6-12 months not a "forever" strategy. Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
It might be know by now that I am a bit slow [as in retarded] when it comes to marketing...
So, on page 7, I finally found something 'marketing' that I can comprehend and agree with the logic... up to know it sounded like blablabla "in my opinion/according to me / that other marketing generous or because it is how it is done", now matter what positions was defended.
[I still have no clue what is the right way to go...in my limited mind bitUSD should be selling itself. Why? Because it is so obviously great that I cannot see how it will not...]
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
There are several different kinds of people out there and it is very difficult for one type to understand the other.
1) Android users focus on specs, cpu, screen size and resolution,
2) Apple users focus on experience, brand, perceived quality and don't care about specs (as long as they can do what they need to do)
Few people are willing to put money into BTSX or BitUSD based upon specs alone... they will look at the specs and say "great"... I'll wait until it matures a bit before I am ready to use BitUSD.
So we need to find a way to motivate people to disregard the "short term viability" and join for the long term. To use it "just because they can" and "just to make a point". I am talking about a strategy for the next 6-12 months not a "forever" strategy. Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
I agree with you 100% if you add the word incentive to utility. I want to be clear utility is to a degree a must for either approach. Its incentive that will bring them in masses.
The android analogy is perfect. I am not a apple fan but I do admire the marketing, but the numbers speak for themselves.
http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/ (http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/)Android now holds 61.9% of the U.S. market share to Apple’s 32.5%, the lowest percentage iOS has captured since the iPhone 4s launched in 2011.
android follows utility and incentive based approach vs apple who wins hearts and minds. Its also worth noting that android took the market from it's competitor's who arrived on the scene before it. When android came out its claim to fame was that it could do everything apple could do but cheaper and thats how it started from no following to being a leader.
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Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
+5% +5% +5%
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
There are several different kinds of people out there and it is very difficult for one type to understand the other.
1) Android users focus on specs, cpu, screen size and resolution,
2) Apple users focus on experience, brand, perceived quality and don't care about specs (as long as they can do what they need to do)
Few people are willing to put money into BTSX or BitUSD based upon specs alone... they will look at the specs and say "great"... I'll wait until it matures a bit before I am ready to use BitUSD.
So we need to find a way to motivate people to disregard the "short term viability" and join for the long term. To use it "just because they can" and "just to make a point". I am talking about a strategy for the next 6-12 months not a "forever" strategy. Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
I agree with you 100% if you add the word incentive to utility. I want to be clear utility is to a degree a must for either approach. Its incentive that will bring them in masses.
The android analogy is perfect. I am not a apple fan but I do admire the marketing, but the numbers speak for themselves.
http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/ (http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/)Android now holds 61.9% of the U.S. market share to Apple’s 32.5%, the lowest percentage iOS has captured since the iPhone 4s launched in 2011.
android follows utility and incentive based approach vs apple who wins hearts and minds.
True... but apple has the highest BRAND LOYALTY in the business and is the largest company in the world... recovering from near bankruptcy in just 15 years.
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You need to know why first and then have a great product second.
The why can appeal mainstream. I don't intend to push anarchism on the masses. But if we can tap into instinct and emotion then we will get a higher conversion rate.
I think you are giving the mainstream public far to much credit. Why worry about finding a deep emotion that may or may not exist when you can appeal to them through utility and incentives.
You started this journey saying you wanted to be a NYSE and how we could win based that we do everything they do cheaper, faster and more secure.
Now you describe tapping into a instinct or emotion? What bank or trading platform brings up feelings of emotion(other then maybe that e*trade baby)? Why not follow proven marketing models that the finical sector has use with such great success? Like it or not people hear dollars more then bleeding hearts.
Here is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LRRA1tBIS8) to the "Rick Falkvinge doesn’t want to stand here in 20 years, saying Bitcoin was once legal" The part I would like to key you to is at the 35:00 marker about how to move the masses and truer words could not have been spoken. Oh and go figure in the example he gives of the electronics's merchants wanting to increase their profit margins because that sector the profit margin is so low. Guess what it was the electronic merchants that were some of the first to jump on the crypto scene.....
There are several different kinds of people out there and it is very difficult for one type to understand the other.
1) Android users focus on specs, cpu, screen size and resolution,
2) Apple users focus on experience, brand, perceived quality and don't care about specs (as long as they can do what they need to do)
Few people are willing to put money into BTSX or BitUSD based upon specs alone... they will look at the specs and say "great"... I'll wait until it matures a bit before I am ready to use BitUSD.
So we need to find a way to motivate people to disregard the "short term viability" and join for the long term. To use it "just because they can" and "just to make a point". I am talking about a strategy for the next 6-12 months not a "forever" strategy. Long term utility will carry the day, short term we need to find more early adopters and thus we need to market to things that drive early adoption.
I agree with you 100% if you add the word incentive to utility. I want to be clear utility is to a degree a must for either approach. Its incentive that will bring them in masses.
The android analogy is perfect. I am not a apple fan but I do admire the marketing, but the numbers speak for themselves.
http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/ (http://bgr.com/2014/07/01/android-market-share-2014/)Android now holds 61.9% of the U.S. market share to Apple’s 32.5%, the lowest percentage iOS has captured since the iPhone 4s launched in 2011.
android follows utility and incentive based approach vs apple who wins hearts and minds.
True... but apple has the highest BRAND LOYALTY in the business and is the largest company in the world... recovering from near bankruptcy in just 15 years.
Your right and I agree the apple marketing strategy CAN work. Apple also had the head start in the market, a luxury we do not have. Apple also had Steve Jobs, who had a aura about him that is a rare find in any field.
My only point and the number's support this is that the android approach not only stole market share from a front runner but now continues to dominate the market. It is clearly the more efficient model.
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True... but apple has the highest BRAND LOYALTY in the business and is the largest company in the world... recovering from near bankruptcy in just 15 years.
Not to take this conversation off topic but a realization I came to last night was that instant messaging applications are likely a perfect case study for type of user adoption we're likely to have. I remember everyone here in Canada used to use MSN Messenger while my American friends used AOL. Every major country seems to have its own messaging app. I see the dynamics for BitAsset network effect being similar. Just wanted to squeeze that in. :D
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It is true Apple has a large market cap. It may be the first company to reach $1 trillion dollar market cap. They do really well compared to Google.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=market+cap+Google+vs.+Apple+last+six+months
I guess the emotion aspect is very important after all. Question is how do you achieve a loyal following like Apple? Also, would it be a good idea if we each made at least one youtube video about anything related to Bitshares and shared it with our friends and family via email, facebook, twitter and of course youtube? Our friends in China could do this as well with the social media networks they use. My reasoning for this is that instead of waiting for a central marketing plan from a central institution, couldn't we achieve mass marketing and exposure if hundreds of people managed to expose at least 10 other people to Bitshares?
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I like your ambition +5%
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True... but apple has the highest BRAND LOYALTY in the business and is the largest company in the world... recovering from near bankruptcy in just 15 years.
Ok let me get this straight, I'll use this analogy to illustrate how this discussion is sounding to me.
There is this big rockstar, let's call him Mr. Unfresh Banana. He's had a great career with a big slump, but against all odds still able to make a great comeback and he's doing well financially. But he seems to be on the end of his career and he hasn't made any new hits lately and chances of him doing a David Bowie are looking less likely with each passing day.
Now here comes our little rockstar wannabee and he's a big fan of Mr. Unfresh Banana and he has quite the songwriting ability himself, BUT his showmanship and onstage presence sucks and he's been consistently failing in all these public performances. Not because his music was bad, but just because he's a terrible showman. Now he's betting the farm on his performance on American Idols.
Please tell me bitshares is not betting the farm on it's performance on American Idols and thinking that they can just copy what this big rockstar Mr. Secondhand Fruit has done and become a rockstar just like that. Has anyone ever watched the show, do you know what happens to most people who think they can dance?
If brand loyalty or fanboism is the deciding factor, then doesn't that mean we are screwed already? We are not Apple, actually to put it in perspective we are the little upstarts trying to lure fans away from the Apples in this world despite their massive religious-cult-like status. So we just need to make sure our music rocks a helluva lot more than the drab uninspired stuff the old farts are repeating who've lost their motivation decades ago. Let's get people dancing to the music and not count on our showmanship, because lets face it, there are quite a few others in this battle of the bands who do a hell of a lot better in the show department.
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According to this guy there are absolutely no short cuts when creating start ups. The only way to succeed is by creating a superior product or service. I think that as of right now Bitshares as a platform is superior to any of the other blockchain projects guess BM is saying that we need more followers who believe that too.
https://startupclass.co/lecture/83456/lecture-counterintuitive-parts-of-startups-and-how-to-have-ideas-paul-graham
Above his lecture is an interview Steve Jobs did when he had his own start up called "NEXT" after he left or got fired from Apple. In that interview Steve Jobs says that you have to have passion otherwise you give up on your start up.
I agree that we are not Apple but that doesn't mean that there is nothing we can learn from their success.
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I'm saying two things. First everybody wants to become the next Apple or Steve Jobs, but that doesn't mean you will, so I think you should plan for the long difficult road instead of counting on becoming a rock-star overnight.
Second, I do not want to help create a second Apple at all. I do not like anything Apple stands for it is the complete opposite that we hope to achieve here. What philosophy of Apple with their patent trolling, walled garden, monopolistic tactics and gatekeeper ridden appstore held together by their Reality Distortion Field marketing is in any way, shape or form exemplary for bitshares?
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Second, I do not want to help create a second Apple at all. I do not like anything Apple stands for it is the complete opposite that we hope to achieve here. What philosophy of Apple with their patent trolling, walled garden, monopolistic tactics and gatekeeper ridden appstore held together by their Reality Distortion Field marketing is in any way, shape or form exemplary for bitshares?
To me, Apple is about taking complicated technology and making it simple. Everything you mentioned about Apple I also despise, but the simplicity aspect is really something I support. What do you think targeting markets outside America? This reminds me, I need to get on mumble again soon! Lots of interesting people on there.
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Second, I do not want to help create a second Apple at all. I do not like anything Apple stands for it is the complete opposite that we hope to achieve here. What philosophy of Apple with their patent trolling, walled garden, monopolistic tactics and gatekeeper ridden appstore held together by their Reality Distortion Field marketing is in any way, shape or form exemplary for bitshares?
+5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5%
+5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5%
+5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5
+5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5% +5%
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I'm saying two things. First everybody wants to become the next Apple or Steve Jobs, but that doesn't mean you will, so I think you should plan for the long difficult road instead of counting on becoming a rock-star overnight.
Second, I do not want to help create a second Apple at all. I do not like anything Apple stands for it is the complete opposite that we hope to achieve here. What philosophy of Apple with their patent trolling, walled garden, monopolistic tactics and gatekeeper ridden appstore held together by their Reality Distortion Field marketing is in any way, shape or form exemplary for bitshares?
I definitely agree with your second paragraph and wrote something similar a few pages back.
"Apple is proprietary, secretive, with top down centrally controlled management and they certainly aren't innovative at all." I also mentioned that Bitshares stands for the opposite of what Apple does.
I still think we can learn from their success in particular I think we can learn from them what it takes to have a loyal following. Or just use Apple as a case study for how to achieve a cult like following.
I'm of the opinion that the only way we can help Bitshares grow is by putting the interest of the users first before the interest of the investor and ROI. If we have a growing user base it helps investors have a greater ROI in the long run.
Interesting read that I recommend everyone read when they have a chance.
http://blogs.wsj.com/accelerators/2014/06/03/jessica-livingston-why-startups-need-to-focus-on-sales-not-marketing/
Quote from the article
"At Y Combinator, we advise most startups to begin by seeking out some core group of early adopters and then engaging with individual users to convince them to sign up.
For example, the early adopters of Airbnb were hosts and guests in New York City (Y Combinator funded Airbnb in Winter of 2009). To grow, Airbnb needed to get more hosts and also help existing hosts convert better. So Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia flew to New York every week to meet with hosts — teaching them how to price their listings, take better photos, and so on. They also asked hosts for introductions to potential new hosts, who they then met in person."
Who would be our early adopters? Well for starters everyone here is an early adopter.
I think that if we could each get at least one other person to sign up and then get them to recruit others we would have viral adoption versus just waiting for a central plan from a central marketing campaign. I personally have gotten two people I know in my neighborhood to buy Bitshares. Now they just need to recruit others and everyone here needs to do the same.
Early adopters for Bitshares may be freedom seekers, security minded individuals or people that are just interested in new technology. My thinking has evolved as I read through the posts on this thread. BM makes many good points in the op. Early on this technology appeals most to freedom seekers and we should be engaging them. Later when this ecosystem is larger we can focus on the mainstream. In fact we could engage the mainstream now by saying that they can send money in a peer to peer fashion to any part in the world with greater security and lower fees than Bitcoin or credit cards.
I'll definitely make greater effort to practice what I am preaching and as a result I purchased the domain name in my signature and created a youtube channel to go along with it. My goal is to make Bitshares easier to use by showing people how to use it.
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To me, Apple is about taking complicated technology and making it simple. Everything you mentioned about Apple I also despise, but the simplicity aspect is really something I support. What do you think targeting markets outside America? This reminds me, I need to get on mumble again soon! Lots of interesting people on there.
Oh no, I do not mean that we should make things overly complicated, actually I want the complete opposite. To me merging everything in the superdac made things more complicated. Which I hope gets sorted out real fast. The one thing it did solve was the bitUsd-chain being the common basis for all separate DACs. I was not a fan of that and found it far too limited to just the US market where to be honest most of these DACs do not offer the same level of benefits. Like how for example free internet and freedom of speech (KeyID and such) can be a considerably more lethal hobby outside of the us-market.
So yeah, I agree that targeting markets outside the US is very important, in more ways than I'm going to list here. But to give two examples from both edges of the spectrum:
If you just take money to spend per head of the population as a target, then Europe is a far better target than the US. Apparently Europe is the largest economy in the world, still in the effects of a crisis, highly antagonistic to the current "too big to fail" banks and not getting any credit, loans or interest on their savings. The latter especially encouraging seeing as the "test case" in Cyprus plus recently accepted laws have made leaving you money in the banks seem like a extremely risky gamble.
The other and to me more interesting target market are the people and nations that are in desperate need of this. Not just because of the humanitarian aspect, but also as in creating massive opportunities and opening a gigantic untapped marketplace.
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1) We need a bitcoind compatible api if the blockchain would support it. This is for all the services that want to support bts/btsx but can't. Since I have received no answer whether it is possible, then I'm going to harp on the bitcoind thing until I hear it isn't possible. If it is hard to code currently, then the devs need to start abstracting that part of the code so eventually someone can implement it alongside TITAN. Otherwise we will be forever ignored until our marketcap gets another digit IMO.
2) We need a super simple and stable bitUSD wallet that would ideally work on android/ios in addition to the desktop operating systems.
With android wallet etc we can likely also airdrop bitusd onto users. Google does a lot of authentication stuff to keep you from making an unrelated google account.
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1) We need a bitcoind compatible api if the blockchain would support it. This is for all the services that want to support bts/btsx but can't. Since I have received no answer whether it is possible, then I'm going to harp on the bitcoind thing until I hear it isn't possible.
2) We need a super simple and stable bitUSD wallet that would ideally work on android/ios in addition to the desktop operating systems.
With android wallet etc we can likely also airdrop bitusd onto users. Google does a lot of authentication stuff to keep you from making an unrelated google account.
This is important.
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1) We need a bitcoind compatible api if the blockchain would support it. This is for all the services that want to support bts/btsx but can't. Since I have received no answer whether it is possible, then I'm going to harp on the bitcoind thing until I hear it isn't possible. If it is hard to code currently, then the devs need to start abstracting that part of the code so eventually someone can implement it alongside TITAN. Otherwise we will be forever ignored until our marketcap gets another digit IMO.
2) We need a super simple and stable bitUSD wallet that would ideally work on android/ios in addition to the desktop operating systems.
With android wallet etc we can likely also airdrop bitusd onto users. Google does a lot of authentication stuff to keep you from making an unrelated google account.
+5% I'd like to add that it would be better to airdrop on area codes as opposed to Google accounts. This allows for targeting specific geographic locations such as Argentina.
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1) We need a bitcoind compatible api if the blockchain would support it. This is for all the services that want to support bts/btsx but can't. Since I have received no answer whether it is possible, then I'm going to harp on the bitcoind thing until I hear it isn't possible.
2) We need a super simple and stable bitUSD wallet that would ideally work on android/ios in addition to the desktop operating systems.
With android wallet etc we can likely also airdrop bitusd onto users. Google does a lot of authentication stuff to keep you from making an unrelated google account.
This is important.
+5% +5% +5%
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I just watched the Ted talk BM linked to. Interesting talk. I think I may have seen it before its been awhile though.
It makes a lot of sense though
Emotion is found in the most primitive area of the human brain. The part of the brain that we share with all other mammals on Earth. The part of the brain that drove our ancestors to act. If they came across a deadly animal like a lion they would experience fear and the fear would drive them to either fight the animal or run away. (flight or fight response aka stress)
The outermost portion of the human brain is the most recently evolved brain and is what allows us to imagine many future possibilities and then take action. AKA planning.
The outermost portion of the brain is what separates humans from our ape chimpanzee cousins whom we share an ancestor with. (98% of human and Chimp DNA is the same 1% separates us)
It makes sense that the ancient part of the brain drives us towards action and overrides the newer part of the human brain as it has been around for far longer.
On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
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On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
I've had random Apple fanboys start getting all worked up when I talk about my new android phone... like they are unnaturally threatened. Quite funny really.
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On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
I've had random Apple fanboys start getting all worked up when I talk about my new android phone... like they are unnaturally threatened. Quite funny really.
It is those emotions haha
Never understood the cult like following of Apple. This probably explains actual cults and many religion. Regardless of how illogical it may actually be they exist because of the emotions people experience.
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On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
I've had random Apple fanboys start getting all worked up when I talk about my new android phone... like they are unnaturally threatened. Quite funny really.
It is those emotions haha
Never understood the cult like following of Apple. This probably explains actual cults and many religion. Regardless of how illogical it may actually be they exist because of the emotions people experience.
Yep, we need our own tribe so we can tap into that part of the brain. It is a very powerful thing. Call it a religion/cult, whatever IMO it is all tribalism. So how do you get people to love it ? Is it by suggesting a level of scarcity and exclusivity?
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On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
I've had random Apple fanboys start getting all worked up when I talk about my new android phone... like they are unnaturally threatened. Quite funny really.
It is those emotions haha
Never understood the cult like following of Apple. This probably explains actual cults and many religion. Regardless of how illogical it may actually be they exist because of the emotions people experience.
Yep, we need our own tribe so we can tap into that part of the brain. It is a very powerful thing. Call it a religion/cult, whatever IMO it is all tribalism. So how do you get people to love it ? Is it by suggesting a level of scarcity and exclusivity?
As much as it pains me to admit it, but I'm estimating the majority of what I learned when I was at the Royal Military Acadamy was about tapping into this tribal aspect of humans. And yes it is a very powerful mechanic, because nobody there was in it for the money.
I'm hesitant to share what I was taught there, not just because of me being uncomfortable with the idea, but also because even in the army it was a double edged sword and very hard to control. Last thing I did before I suffered my disability and subsequent discharge, was looking how these opensource communities functioned (the so called bazaar model) and trying to work out what makes that seemingly uncontrolled and almost unfathomable system work as well as it does. Personally I have a gut feeling that if we manage to reproduce a similar system as the bazaar opensource movement we'd have a much more powerful and virtually indestructible system, albeit also an uncontrollable one.
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I just watched the Ted talk BM linked to. Interesting talk. I think I may have seen it before its been awhile though.
It makes a lot of sense though
Emotion is found in the most primitive area of the human brain. The part of the brain that we share with all other mammals on Earth. The part of the brain that drove our ancestors to act. If they came across a deadly animal like a lion they would experience fear and the fear would drive them to either fight the animal or run away. (flight or fight response aka stress)
The outermost portion of the human brain is the most recently evolved brain and is what allows us to imagine many future possibilities and then take action. AKA planning.
The outermost portion of the brain is what separates humans from our ape chimpanzee cousins whom we share an ancestor with. (98% of human and Chimp DNA is the same 1% separates us)
It makes sense that the ancient part of the brain drives us towards action and overrides the newer part of the human brain as it has been around for far longer.
On a side note it is probably what separates Apple vs Android users. Apple users perhaps are driven by feelings more so than Android users. Android users are driven more by features, specs, hardware. Driven more by logic than emotions.
Everything you have said here is great and true. Why would we want to follow the apple model when it clearly has not worked. To be fair It worked for a time but I will point out again they were really first to the market.
The only reason I could see or understand not wanting to mimic the market leader (android) would be because we can't. By can't I mean that we can not do what banks and exchanges are doing for cheaper. If this is true and we can't compete with them on a economic level then the apple route is the only way to succeed.
I would be curious to hear Brian Pages thought's on these different marketing approaches or anyone from the marketing team. The thread is called marketing direction and we have 9 pages of discussion but not one person from the marketing team has posted to agree or disagree with anything that has been said here.
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I would be curious to hear Brian Pages thought's on these different marketing approaches or anyone from the marketing team. The thread is called marketing direction and we have 9 pages of discussion but not one person from the marketing team has posted to agree or disagree with anything that has been said here.
That is a very important observation. It would be nice if more people from i3 shared the founder's practice of forum interaction. I for one would love to hear the perspective of successful marketers.
It reminds me the summary I did of last Friday's mumble session and the fact nobody raised a single point about the translation of old holdings into new BTS shares, yet it has been the major point of controversy for the "merger / sharedrop". Just an observation, probably totally unrelated to the lack of comments from i3 marketing department.