All posts tagged social networks

  • September 9, 2010

    Software Development Company Dream Team Minus One CTO

    dreamteamI just got back from a great meeting with a fellow entrepreneur. He’s been working on building a dream team of partners to launch a top notch software development firm focused on cutting edge development that includes gaming, social networks and mobile (each project needs to include one or more of these).  He has already built and sold a software development firm and has since learned a lot more do’s and don’ts and we will be launching in a couple of months.

    We already have a team of more than ten engineers assembled and are close to negotiating a seed investment to get off to a running start.  One of my jobs is to find interesting projects in the states and/or Europe.  I will be reaching out to my contacts to find these.  Many operations down here focus on small traditional projects in the local market, but we are focused on working on top tier projects with innovative companies (large and small).

    The initial software development center will be based here in Colombia with the possibility of setting up additional centers in the most appropriate places (e.g., Asia, eastern Europe, etc.).  We have some pretty impressive technical people (including architects).  Nevertheless, I mentioned that we should look for a superstar CTO anywhere in the world and periodically fly that person down here to guide the technical team and develop the company vision.  My friend was surprised by the suggestion, but he immediately saw the logic.

    Thus, if you are superstar CTO material or know someone who is, please contact me. This position is for you if you’re into leading a team of eager learners and workers down here in Bogota, Colombia and are interested in fun international travel (reach out to anyone at the local embassy and they’ll tell you how much fun Colombia is – really, beyond what you’d expect).  Obviously, the idea is for our new CTO to be a partner in the business and this would include becoming vested in the company.

    4 Comments / English, IT /

  • October 8, 2009

    Latin American Companies Should be Social Media Experts

    Latin Americans are "Sociable"

    Today, I had an interesting experience at two prospect meetings.  I was meeting with organizations who are just starting to employ digital innovation strategies in Colombia (one of them is farther along than the other one).  In general, I am truly amazed at the disconnect between the user population in these countries and the companies who actually leverage digital tools to join the conversation with their customers.

    One of the most exciting recent developments within the Internet space has been the rapid uptake of social media tools and, even more interesting, the adoption of these tools on mobile platforms.  Just was with their record-breaking mobile adoption growth rates several years back, Latin Americans are also breaking records for adopting social networking platforms.  For instance, Colombia is number six in the world in terms of the total number of facebook users.

    I just read a post by Shane Gibson, who is currently in Colombia talking precisely about social networks. Incredibly, companies in the region who take advantage of the fact that their customers and prospects are having conversations using these digital tools are few and far between.  What are they waiting for? Instead of spending beaucoup sums of money on traditional media spends, they could be “mixing it up” and including solidly planned online iniciatives to promote their brand, products, services, etc. through direct advertising, community building, word of mouth enabling or other strategies.  An added benefit is the fact that, by doing this in virgin territory, any well thought out strategy strongly executed will be seen as digital innovation by the market place.

    Anyhow, this will all play out as it always does in the region.  The market will await some solid successes and then a mass of followers will dive in head first trying to imitate their models. When this will actually happen is the big question.

    No Comments / English, Internet Marketing /