Comments on: The end of an era: a Flukebox post-mortem http://jonathanmelhuish.com/2007/06/the-end-of-an-era-a-flukebox-post-mortem/ Solving Climate Change through User Experience Design Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:43:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: leuisc http://jonathanmelhuish.com/2007/06/the-end-of-an-era-a-flukebox-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-177 leuisc Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:03:20 +0000 http://orangejon.com/blog/?p=52#comment-177 Hello Tell please where it is possible to find articles or news on the given theme. good by Hello

Tell please where it is possible to find articles or news on the given theme.
good by

]]> By: Si http://jonathanmelhuish.com/2007/06/the-end-of-an-era-a-flukebox-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-176 Si Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:34:35 +0000 http://orangejon.com/blog/?p=52#comment-176 Grrr.. just posted a comment but seemed to have messed up the math question somehow! As I strain to recall.. It was a tough problem in a maturing market. You clearly have the energy and imagination to succeed and you'll be well placed with your recent experience for your next project. Maybe the biggest ongoing lesson concerns people. Obviously you have to understand the needs of your users better than themselves. Then you have to be able to spot people who can make a contribution to the project (even if in a very specific way) and activate and engage them. Finally, you develop the self-awareness that uses your strengths to get you on a roll but stops you getting stuck in a groove. It sounds like you're well on your way to mastering these skills. Looking forward to to some more great conversations upon your return! *copies comment to clipboard* Grrr.. just posted a comment but seemed to have messed up the math question somehow! As I strain to recall..

It was a tough problem in a maturing market. You clearly have the energy and imagination to succeed and you’ll be well placed with your recent experience for your next project.

Maybe the biggest ongoing lesson concerns people. Obviously you have to understand the needs of your users better than themselves. Then you have to be able to spot people who can make a contribution to the project (even if in a very specific way) and activate and engage them. Finally, you develop the self-awareness that uses your strengths to get you on a roll but stops you getting stuck in a groove. It sounds like you’re well on your way to mastering these skills.

Looking forward to to some more great conversations upon your return!

*copies comment to clipboard*

]]> By: Orange Jon http://jonathanmelhuish.com/2007/06/the-end-of-an-era-a-flukebox-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-175 Orange Jon Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:51:05 +0000 http://orangejon.com/blog/?p=52#comment-175 Definitely. Another bonus is that I've hardly lost any money, only "wasted" a few months of my life. Except that it wasn't a waste, I've learnt a lot. Even better, I've learnt a lot of things I wouldn't have learnt at University or just working an office job. What makes the whole thing slightly frustrating is that I think we almost were the right set of people in the right market at the right time. If everyone was in a position to devote as much time and and energy to the project as I could, I genuinely believe we'd have something impressive online by now. But they weren't, and I was wrong to ignore that. I don't blame luck - it's true that it's a major factor, but it's not useful to blame things that are outside your control. Much better to blame yourself, because you're the easiest person to change. I didn't call them "weaknesses", I called them "things". Facts of life, if you will. Actually I see them as strengths - but strengths that will only work with a little bit of self-awareness and, preferably, as part of a balanced team. What's next? FaxItQuick, your instant online faxing service. Not nearly as exciting, glamorous or even innovative, but there seems to be a gap in the market that I can plug fairly easily - and, if I'm lucky, give me a little income with zero effort. Which is always nice. :) Definitely. Another bonus is that I’ve hardly lost any money, only “wasted” a few months of my life. Except that it wasn’t a waste, I’ve learnt a lot. Even better, I’ve learnt a lot of things I wouldn’t have learnt at University or just working an office job.

What makes the whole thing slightly frustrating is that I think we almost were the right set of people in the right market at the right time. If everyone was in a position to devote as much time and and energy to the project as I could, I genuinely believe we’d have something impressive online by now. But they weren’t, and I was wrong to ignore that. I don’t blame luck – it’s true that it’s a major factor, but it’s not useful to blame things that are outside your control. Much better to blame yourself, because you’re the easiest person to change.

I didn’t call them “weaknesses”, I called them “things”. Facts of life, if you will. Actually I see them as strengths – but strengths that will only work with a little bit of self-awareness and, preferably, as part of a balanced team.

What’s next? FaxItQuick, your instant online faxing service. Not nearly as exciting, glamorous or even innovative, but there seems to be a gap in the market that I can plug fairly easily – and, if I’m lucky, give me a little income with zero effort. Which is always nice. :)

]]> By: Ben Francis http://jonathanmelhuish.com/2007/06/the-end-of-an-era-a-flukebox-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-174 Ben Francis Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:17:16 +0000 http://orangejon.com/blog/?p=52#comment-174 Sad to see you hanging in the towel, but it's obviously been on the cards for a while. I had to fill in the SPEED questionnaire this week and when it asked whether if I tried to start a business and it failed it would have been a waste of time, I strongly disagreed. If my business idea doesn't take off I will still see it as an extremely valuable experience. I think it takes the right set of people, in the right market, at the right time with the right idea to really be successful and a large proportion of that is luck. So, with that in mind, congratulations on your successful journey and it's great to hear you've learnt so much. What worries me is that I strongly empathise with all three weaknesses you mention. I'm going to have to be careful of that! So, what's next? Sad to see you hanging in the towel, but it’s obviously been on the cards for a while.

I had to fill in the SPEED questionnaire this week and when it asked whether if I tried to start a business and it failed it would have been a waste of time, I strongly disagreed. If my business idea doesn’t take off I will still see it as an extremely valuable experience.

I think it takes the right set of people, in the right market, at the right time with the right idea to really be successful and a large proportion of that is luck.

So, with that in mind, congratulations on your successful journey and it’s great to hear you’ve learnt so much.

What worries me is that I strongly empathise with all three weaknesses you mention. I’m going to have to be careful of that!

So, what’s next?

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