If You Build It, Will They Come?

I've seen this so many times. People believe that if they build something (an amazing web service, website, tool etc.) then people will come and use it. Unfortunately that's rarely the case.

The amazing product/service/_________ (fill in the blank) is just part of the equasion. You need to work on a lot more things than just the quality or the unique idea. One of the very important things are the brand and the story.

Using the brand and the story, you will have a chance to engage people even before they try your product. Once you've developed a certain mindset for them, it will be easier for them to understand what you are doing it, why you are doing it and eventually buy into it.

So stop waiting, build it and don't wait for magic to happen. Build a brand, craft a story and then start telling it. That's the only way people will find out about you.

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

The Brand Gap - What We Believe In

The Brand Gap

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

minimoko @ STARTup Live Athens #1

In November STARTup Live will take place for the first time in Athens! This is an opportunity not just to work with others but also give hope to boosting the Greek ecosystem.

As stated on their site "In short, people from different backgrounds come together to present ideas, listen to new thoughts, work their asses off and get to know each other. This is steroids for your idea. Pitch, form your team, work, get feedback from startups, experts and mentors, present what you have achieved in front of about 150 people including experts from all over Europe. The process is accompanied by coaches, business angels, start-up entrepreneurs and all other participants. You get to know all these people in an informal way, usually standing there with a beer in hand hooking up with your future investors or mentors."

The team behind the event has asked us to join them to mentor the teams so that they produce projects that matter, help them simplify and give them inspiration.

Tickets are just €15 and include food and drinks so if you are in Athens or can travel to Athens during these days, head over to the booking page and get your tickets.

See you there!

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

Simplicity is Effortless

How do you know when something is as simple as it can get? At first you probably won't be able to tell.

Simplicity has been achieved when using the new product becomes effortless. Think of signs that lead you without requiring you to stop and read them or devices that you can use without reading the manual.

This is the beauty and the downfall of simplicity. It's beautiful because by simplifying we can make our lives easier and happier. The downfall is that because of this effortlessness, people don't notice when something has been simplified. It's a hidden benefit and something for which people usually won't congratulate you on.

Despite the small downfall, it's always worth simplifying. Even if people don't notice, you will be able to make someone's life better, and that's worth all the effort.

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

Declutter

We are all hoarders. Even if it's at a small degree we keep things because we might need them later. The truth is, you will never need them. We just have developed a thing for accumulating possessions and stuffing our cupboards and empty spaces.

Take some time and declutter. Through the process you will clear your mind, find old things that might inspire new ideas and gain a lot of satisfaction.

I personally spent my last weekend decluttering our attic. Even though I try to keep things tidy and clean, the attic was my weak spot. Whenever I thought I might need something in the future, it would go to the attic. Spending time decluttering gave me an opportunity to clear my head and come up with new ideas. 

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

Typography Lesson in 7 mins

Posted by Helen Amygdalaki // Lelou 

Typography Lesson in 7 mins

Posted by Helen Amygdalaki // Lelou 

What's Your Market? #BackToBasics

The best way to achieve this is not by competing in existing markets. Your brand will be the strongest if you create your own market. You need to position your brand in a way that makes it stand on its own and carve your very own niche.

By doing this you will get a lot of benefits. You will be the first in that market so people will think you are the authority. It will be easy to get publicity in the media since people are interested in what's new (no-one wants to hear about yet another company that does what is already being done). You will have virtually no competition. Finally you will be able to provide better service and quality as you are not trying to do too many things.

Branding can help you stand out from the crowd, by creating your own market. The reality is that you will never be able to please everyone, so focus and get the recognition you deserve.

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

The Sixth Commandment of Steve Jobs

image by Charis Tsevis

Around 3 weeks ago, when Steve Jobs stepped down from CEO, Newsweek's The Daily Beast published a great inforgraphic on the management style of Steve Jobs.

The article spoke about the ten commandments of Steve Jobs and what was of great interest to me was number 6, simplify.

His devotion to simplicity is one of the reasons why Apple has brought to us the innovative interfaces of the iPod, iPhone, iPad and I could continue adding more of their innovations here. When working on the iPod, Jobs asked his design team to simplify to the point of removing all the buttons, including the on/off button (something that was done poorly later on with the iPod shuffle).

If it wasn't for simplicity, some of Apple's devices wouldn't have been so groundbreaking. Follow Steve's example and start simplifying, it will definitely pay off.

Posted by Harry Mylonadis 

Slow Down

In all your daily routines you need to stop rushing things, slow down and enjoy every experience. When you eat, enjoy food as it's the first and last time you're eating it. When you are walking to work, slow your pace and take in your surroundings. When making decisions, take a moment to evaluate your thoughts and try to come up with new ideas.

Life is about the journey and not the destination. Slow down and let inspiration find you.

Posted by Harry Mylonadis