Facebook Open!!!!

Wow! That's all I can say at this moment about Facebook opening up it's user base to outside applications. I now have to figure out how to integrate bodbook with FB, but sure as heck I will.

The opportunity to become one the applications that users can select within FB is a totally unexpected one. It means that we can use the NewsFeed to promote BB. The more people who sign up for our app the more people that will become aware of it. Given that our model is all about getting the most connected people to sign up this is like a gift from heaven.

I'll let you know more as we get to think through the ramifications of this great opportunity.

Summer beta off

Turns out we won't be doing a beta at Mac this summer...however it's not for the usual reason of not having the technology ready. The alpha is complete and is simply undergoing usability testing now. The reason for the delay is that we finally have a reference client that wants to do a beta test. The only problem is that they want to do the pilot in Sept. The sales manager for Ontario told me that they probably wouldn't be able to measure the effectiveness of bodbook with a summer pilot b/c the blockbusters tend to skew results. On the other hand, Sept and Oct tend to be their slowest months, therefore the combination of coupons redeemed and a comparison to historical results should give us a really clear picture about how effective bodbook is in changing consumer behaviour. Anyhow, another lesson in entrepreneurship...timing is everything. Although our technology is ready, our client is not. The good news is that the time will come and we can use this whole period to improve our service (I still have tons of ideas for making bodbook even better). The offer still stands for those that want to alpha test for us. Just use this format at bodbook.com. Email:first name@utoronto.ca, Password: first name.

Summer beta at McMaster U

We are getting closer to a beta release this summer at Mac. If we are doing a beta the goal is 18 June. My buddy Mackenzie has been a great salesman for the service. He has been instrumental in shopping the idea around and finding out what people like or do not like about it. Now that we have simplified the service and adjusted the template the interest is definitely growing.

I spent a number of hours last night trying to create a plan for executing a release. Time is short so I had to come up with something concise. It looks that I have achieved that. I also just had a great idea for getting the welcome weeks reps on board. We could put the entire welcome week schedule as default on the social calendar's of all first year students. This way the students will immediately see the usefulness of the calendar, and the welcome week reps will promote the service.

Make Money and Meaning?

Well things are still going great. We are getting more interest from other investors so I'm pretty pleased with that. The new template for bodbook is 75% Complete and we should finally be able to do a Beta this summer at McMaster.

I have a tremendous confidence that bodbook is going to turn into something great. The more I understand the underlying principles of social influence the more I think that bodbook has even greater potential to shift social behaviour in positive ways. For example, introducing critical causes to the most social connected and influential persons in a social network has the potential to rapidly create "Tipping Points" that will move masses of people to social action...such as that needed for Darfur. This is an exciting prospect as the viral spreading of information between social peers holds the potential for generating action greater than any mass media has ever done. Even causes that broke through all barriers such as the "LiveAid" concert of the mid 80's, or more recently "Live8" concerts of 2005 were less an effect of mass media exposure than the result of some of the most connected and influential persons in our worldwide social network (musicians) using their influence to effect change. The musicians created change because their status as persons to be admired made them influential in shaping our own views on what needs to be done to effect change in the world.

It is my hope of course that bodbook makes money, but I would be far prouder if it made meaning. If we are correct in our calculations of what really makes a person the most connected and influential then we may be on the road to making the world a little better.