Greg Hartnett

I submitted this blog to the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) about 10 days ago. I was surprised to see the following referrer this morning - http://editors.dmoz.org/editors/editunrev.cgi?site=235204&cat=Computers/…

So it looks like an editor was taking a peek at the blog. I stroll over the the applicable category, and booya. There’s my listing three quarters of the way down. Pretty responsive review for a free submission.

I am going to take a pretty unpopular stance here - I like DMOZ. I think they’re great, and not just because they accpeted my blog. I think they almost embody the best of what the web can be. I know they have some flaws, and that there are a few bad apples (maybe a bushel). Overall though, I still feel they are the best directory online, though I do know of another directory biting at their heels.

I refuse to buy into the adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That statement assumes that we are a particular person. In reality, we are not any one particular thing, or any one particular way. We are constantly evolving. You are not the same as you were yesterday, you won’t be the same person tomorrow. Hell, you’ll even be a little different after you read this post - both mentally, and physically.

Nothing is. Nothing has been written in stone about how you can act. You haven’t been prescribed a standard by which you must adhere. Every moment of life presents an opportunity to make a choice. Each time you meet somebody new, each time you speak to your child, each time you get something to eat, each time a coworker asks you for help. All of these scenarios provide you the opportunity of choice. How will you choose to act?

Throughout the course of my marriage, there have been times when my wife will lament over a particular trait I may have - maybe how it takes her three times to get me to act on taking out the garbage, or putting the toilet seat down. To which I usually reply, “Don’t try to change me - that’s the way that I am”. But is that the way that I am? Lazy? Unresponsive? Generally, I would say no. I like to think that I typically choose to act in a productive and/or quick manner. But hey, sometimes I am lazy. And unresponsive.

So where I am going with this? Nowhere in particular. Sometimes a journey is worth taking just for the sake of it, with no destination in mind. I am trying to work on changing some of the things in my life that have become habitual. For the time being I am content in the knowledge that I am free to choose as I please, and be the man that I aspire to be. Maybe I’ll even start to like Bruce Springsteen or low-fat salad dressing.

Last Tuesday, Jeremy Schoemaker was kind enough to ask me to cohost the Net Income show live from the trade floor of SES San Jose. It was an impromptu show, very casual in nature, and lots of fun. Basically, we grabbed people from the floor and tried to strike up some conference related talk.

We had no real topic, so at times it was a bit choppy. I think it worked though (except for my King of the Hill impression after the first commercial break - ha!). I definitely had a good time. Thanks some of the people who didn’t mind us grabbing them and sticking a mike in their faces: Dax, Marcus (in the cowboy hat), Chris Boggs, Heather Lloyd Martin, Adam Sussman, Scott Richter, Michael Sevins(?), and Mikkel deMib (in the red suit).

You can listen to the show here.

I don’t come from a computer background. Without knowing my audience, I once made the blunder of revealing in a business meeting that the only experience I had with computers was doing bong hits and playing Playstation in college. I didn’t take any computer classes in school, I don’t know any real programming languages (unless you count HTML), I don’t know shit about hacking, and sometimes I get confused trying to configure my home network. And yet, here I am, running two successful technology companies. How can that be?

I have learned over the last year that even though the vast majority of the work that we do (and I mean we collectively: me, you, all of us who make our living online) deals with computers, it’s not about the technology. The technology comes and goes, and what’s hot today will be outdated next year. This month’s tricks are next month’s pitfalls.

Much like other industries, ours is about the people. The relationships and alliances struck between sometimes powerful forces, coming together to shape tomorrow’s WWW. The power that comes from meeting new and interesting people in the industry, providing for collaborative opportunities. The challenge that comes from dealing with some of the sharpest brains I have ever encountered. It’s about the people. It’s all about the people. Fortunately, dealing with people is one thing I know.

Below are some “tips” for dealing with business associates. Most of them are pretty much common sense, with a dose of Buddhist tradition for good measure.

1. Hire the absolute best people you can find. Ideally, you’ll be the dumbest guy in the room when you meet with your good people. Buy, beg, steal, give away part of your company to get them on board.
2. Never betray somebody’s confidence. I have some of the most influential and respected people in the industry ask me for advice on a regular basis. Not because I am so smart (regardless of what I tell my family). Because they know what we talk about stays between us. Once trust is lost, it is almost impossible to replace.
3. When speaking with somebody, pay attention exclusively to what they are telling you. Don’t let your mind wander. Focus all of your energy on that person. Let them see that you are paying attention.
4. Participate in the conversation. Provide meaningful dialogue when conversing. Ask questions and provide comments that indicate that you are listening. Let them hear your interest.
5. Be authentic. Probably the most important point. If you are not authentic, smart people will smell you coming from a mile away. Leave your polished smile at home, and can the cheesy sales talk. Show people that you are genuinely interested in helping them, and they will flock to you. If you can’t nail this one, then you shouldn’t be the public figure for your company.
6. Show humility. No matter how big your house, no matter what kind of car you drive, no matter how much money you make, how old your domain is, or how many employees you have, you need to treat others as if they are as important or more important than you are. Show everybody you meet at a conference the same respect you would show to Matt Cutts.
7. Refrain from boasting. There is nothing wrong with some self promotion, but remember that nobody likes a braggart. It may be a fine line, but you need to know where that line is, and make sure not to cross it.
8. Master the art of the soft sell. Don’t be a pushy salesman. Let people know what it is that you do, and let them lead. Read the signals, and they’ll let you know if they are interested.
9. Be generous. Pick up the tab for the drinks. Don’t be afraid to grab the entire tab for that nice dinner. Make others happy through your actions and generosity. Remember to put other’s happiness in front of yours.
10. Make people feel at ease. Make them laugh, even if it’s at your own expense. People will tolerate a stick in the mud if they have to, but they’ll seek out somebody that’s fun to be around.
11. Be yourself. You need to feel comfortable with yourself, or others will feel uncomfortable in your presence. With comfort comes confidence, and confidence acts like a magnet.
12. Don’t criticize. Never bad mouth others in the presence of business associates. If you need to talk smack about somebody, tell your wife, your dog, your parents. Just don’t tell people you work with.

Most importantly, treat others as you would like to be treated. Go out of your way to make a newbie feel welcome. Go talk to the weird looking girl standing alone. Make everybody you meet feel like the special person that they are, and you will never stand alone.

My wife and I have been together since 1994. For those of you mathematically challenged, that’s 12 years. If you have ever been in a long term relationship, you’ll know it takes a lot of work. Compromises, biting your tongue, providing support, listening when you don’t feel like it - all the little things that go into making a relationship last. It’s not easy.

On my drive home last week from SES San Jose, I was reflecting on how good life can be when you make good choices. People seem lucky or fortunate - usually they are not. They just make good choices. Choosing Lily as my wife was probably the best choice I ever made.

So as I am thinking about all this, the perfect song comes on the radio. A song that I always enjoyed, but never fully appreciated. If you have a love that has stood the test of time, perhaps it will ring true to you as well.  Still the One, by Orleans:

We’ve been together since way back when
Sometimes I never want to see you again
But I want you to know, after all these years
You’re still the one I want whisperin’ in my ear

You’re still the one I want to talk to in bed
Still the one that turns my head
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

I looked at your face every day
But I never saw it ’til I went away
When winter came, I just wanted to go
Deep in the desert, I longed for the snow

You’re still the one that makes me laugh
Still the one that’s my better half
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

You’re still the one that makes me strong
Still the one I want to take along
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new

You’re still the one that I love to touch
Still the one and I can’t get enough
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

You’re still the one who can scratch my itch
Still the one and I wouldn’t switch
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

You are still the one that makes me shout
Still the one that I dream about
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one.

As expected, the SES conference in San Jose passed with much fanfare - check out all of my pics here. There was much networking to be done, many people to speak with at the booth, a handful of drinks to knock back, and some great dinners. It was awesome to see my boys from BOTW, as well as hang out with some of the familiar faces. I was also able to meet a lot of new people - in particular, the impromptu hang-session with Loren Baker.

I feel really fortunate to be in an industry where the people I work with have become friends. As I have aged, I have noticed that I don’t have nearly as many friends as I once did, and I find myself appreciating the friends that I do have even more. Guys like Adam Sussman, Jeremy Schoemaker, Jim Boykin, Darron Babin, Roger Monti. People that I have grown to respect as associates, and value as friends.

I wasn’t able to attend any of the sessions, so I don’t have any feedback to provide on that front, but below I present a list of 10 things I took away from San Jose:

1. People shouldn’t start a conversation by saying, “Do you remember my name?”. It’s not a good idea to put the other person on the spot.
2. I am not going to mix any alcohol on the first night - no beer and wine, or wine and vodka. And definitely not beer, wine, and vodka.
3. There are a lot of people in this industry that are a lot smarter, and/or younger, than I am.
4. Rubber band propelled foam rockets fly approximately 100 ft given the proper trajectory.
5. I am unable to throw a ball and dunk the guy in the booth when I have a handful of beers in me, though it doesn’t seem to effect BOTW Dragonslayer, Rob Schmid.
6. Girls’ tank tops are the best booth schwag ever.
7. Dave Naylor will punch you in the balls. Not mine. Hopefully.
8. Shoemoney has officially reached rock star status.
9. Blackhats and whitehats can mutually coexist - in the pub at least.
10. Companies don’t need any more analytics services.

Less than 24 hours since the show is over, and already I look forward to seeing all of you again in just a few months. Now that the show is over, it’s back to business, and following up on some contacts made at the conference. It’s not all fun and games there you know. We do some business too…

Yabba grabba stogie