Class #13 -- Our enterprise

This entire class was dedicated to an entrepreneurial challenge. The class was split up into groups and each group had about 40 minutes to come up with a new idea/concept that would integrate technology (somehow)...the idea had to be presented in 3 slides to the class. The catch is that each slide would advance in 40 sec. The pressure was on.

My group came up with an application that would project out the benefits/risks to your body of certain types of behavior. For example, how would it improve my health if I ate an apple everyday for the next 6 months? How about if someone quit smoking -- what would his/her lungs look like? The concept is designed to be informative for sure, and also could be a motivator for people looking to improve their health, lose weight, etc.

Initially the app would be offered direct to consumers for a fee, but eventually we would partner with a company like Jenny Craig or Lifetime Fitness...that's where the big $$$ would surface.

The class had some good ideas, but our team won. So apparently the class liked the idea. Dorothy seems very interested in making this idea happen, so I look forward to using it someday if she decides to run with it!

Class #12 -- Did you know?

Lots of crazy facts and figures tossed around during this class. I have to say the quip about knowing the temperature after counting cricket chirps was the most intriguing. When Doug gets into the numbers about data and information (Moore's Law) in today's society, I am always in shock. As information multiplies right before our eyes, the people that can harness it and manage it will win in the end. If you can't manage the amount of information in this world, it won't help you.

The class is winding down now. One more class Tues and then the final on Thur. The final is shrouded in some mystery at this point. Not much information on how it will be structured or what to expect. Oh well. You do your best and move on. The class has been rewarding and informative...and fun to attend. Can't do better than that.

Class #11 -- Security

Well this class was certainly a grim topic. While we're all out blissfully cruising the internet without a care in the world, there are "bad guys" all over the info superhighway trying to make life miserable for the law-abiding citizens just trying to buy a book on Amazon. As with any other endeavor in life, there will always be criminals that impede on an otherwise enjoyable experience. The sad part is that these bad guys often stay just a few steps ahead of the authorities trying to catch them...oh well. Some things will never change.

On the topic of internet security...one positive that has surfaced is for companies like Symantec...big $$$ in keeping people confident and safe. Most people don't have the expertise (or sometimes common sense) to keep their private information private. That's where Symantec or Norton steps in with their service. And as the bad guys get more sophisticated, net security companies will continue to cash in. So that's one positive.

The class is starting to wind down now. I have really enjoyed the "unscripted" aspect of the class and the anti-textbook sentiment that Doug created. Life is truly more than a textbook/case study, so I'm glad he has stepped out of the box. The inputs from the class day-to-day have been very thought provoking. Now for the test -- guess we can't avoid having one of those. Doug was very vague on the test content, so who knows what we'll get. He's not out to fail us, that's for sure.

Class #10 -- Facebook and Albums

I think I may have been vilified in this class a bit, but it's all good. Doug shared a relevant article I sent to him last week about the Facebookers of the world. And, like we always do in this class, I had to defend these narcissistic Facebookers against an opposing viewpoint. My defense of Facebook was not good -- not articulate nor logical, because I didn't really have a defense for it. Facebook is clearly a rising star in the world of the net and the social fabric of the information superhighway, but I still think the concept is a sad commentary on who we are (as a population) today. The fact that we are all too busy to write a letter (some kids don't even know how to read cursive anymore -- or write it) or make a phone call seems a little surreal to me. I imagine my grandmother is rolling in her grave since she loved postcards and letters. Oh well. Sign o the times?

The more compelling question Doug asked us was what 3 albums would we have with us if stranded on an island with no hope for rescue EVER? That question has been eating at me a bit, and I don't have a final answer. I do have one of them:

Full Moon Fever -- Tom Petty

I'm sorry, but Petty is probably the best mix of rock and laid back roll that you can get. That album is timeless (aren't all the good ones?) and I have many many memories associated with that music.

I'm thinking of adding Counting Crows -- August and Everything After but I can't push myself to do that just yet. Stay tuned.

Class #9 -- Actual application

So I was at a car dealership in St Louis Park yesterday and, as usual, the experience was ok. The moment I walked in the door, I felt like I was entering some sort of prescribed "process" that you really don't have much control over. But I was bound and determined to be the master of my own fate, so maybe I came across a little defensive.

Anyhow, I was proud of myself when these sales guys started talking about all the customer service aspects of their dealership and how they integrated it into the car buying experience...I found myself thinking back to this class as I told them, "Look, after I buy this car, I won't ever see you guys again (esp since we're moving to CO next year). I don't need any customer intimacy from you. I don't care if you're total A-holes, I just want a fair deal on a car. I want an efficient transaction."

As it left my mouth, I realized that Doug's intimacy vs efficiency had worn off on me and that I was actually using it and thinking of it in real life application! What a deal.

Anyways, I didn't buy a car and they seemed to let up a little on the used-car schtick, so it helped. Thought I would randomly write about that in the blog from Thur's class (I was a bit late with this one). The speaker last week was good...interesting insight on the world of e-commerce.

Class #8 -- Service Oriented?

Like most of the class, I spent the latter half of this class trying to digest Doug's explanation of SOA. It was actually entertaining -- a group of fifty half-way intelligent people were trying to get a grasp on Doug's topic. Not easy. Especially considering Doug's background and career are immersed in the latest IT topics.

But I tried. It's all tied back to information and (I hear this all the time) trying to get rid of the ubiquitous "silos." Different steps in a process require different amounts/types of information and nobody can seem to get what they need. Enter service-oriented architecture. I could write all day on this, but I probably wouldn't do it justice.

We had some good articles on trusted info as well. With all the information we've created (and has yet to be created), you knew a whole career field would pop up related to this topic. Proving once again, all these newfangled systems and advanced information systems are only as good as the content inside them.

Class #7

So class #7 was all about services. Defining a service and figuring out how it all fits into today's big picture. It's funny...as Doug was talking about service, I immediately thought of my role in the Air Force. Talk about service -- I guess my current situation is about as "service oriented" as you can get. I don't tend to think of me flying around the world as a providing a service, but it is. Go figure.

As we put service into the context of this class, Doug's slides pounded home the point that we are all service providers and service consumers. As time goes on, the world will be more and more about service versus physical assets. It's definitely a more abstract way of thinking about business. I have to digest this topic more before I come to any sort of conclusion.

The next point I wanted to make was an article I found on the role of the CIO. Talk about a changing of the guard...CIO's are the new, chic position to be in! They are not put in a windowless office and ignored. CIO's are hip and sexy! What a sign of the times. Doug emailed the article, so maybe the class will be able/interested to view it.