justincambria dot com

It’d be hard for me not to hire this girl. Bravo on this...

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:04:21 -0400

It’d be hard for me not to hire this girl. Bravo on this innovative work, Jeanne.

It’s Pinterest or bust.

1 in 5 of my tweets this year was Pinterest-related.

I have spent an entire semester, researching, experimenting with and working on Pinterest. I really believe in Pinterest’s product and potential, some of which is captured here:

Blog: Pinterest’s Monetization Potential - my take

Blog: How brands can use Pinterest to manage their own product innovations

Blog: Interview with Chobani on their Pinterest presence

Blog: PMF & Scale: focusing on quality control & curation

Testing traffic acquisition through Pinterest for Weathermob

A series of “tips” for users: Pin Tip, Pin Tip, Pin Tip

Pinboard: Pinterest tips that I’ve created or collected for users and marketers

I truly believe that my qualifications and passion are a fit for Pinterest’s needs:

Developing new products and services

Productizing a monetization platform

Building and scaling organizations

Spending my summer at one of China’s leading social networks

But while my experiences may be valuable, Pinterest is growing so fast, it needs all hands on deck, and I have the skills and desire to roll up my sleeves and dig right in.

Can I Pinterest you in face-to-face chat?

Next El Bulli: Adria Inspired Menu for Cancer Research

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:14:00 -0400

The culinary world wept, and those (including me) who never made it for a meal, took it especially hard when El Bulli closed last summer. Feran Adria’s whimsical and magic meals, which essentially launched molecular gastronomy as a cooking phenomenon, captivated diners and singled out El Bulli as the world’s finest restaurant. This snippet of Anthony Bordain’s visit should give you the flavor of the place, if you don’t know it - note the tofu tiramisu:

But, it’s all over now. The restaurant has closed, and Chef Adria has moved on…

But wait! America’s (arguably) most noteworthy molecular gastronomist Grant Achatz - famed for his restaurant Alinea in Chicago - has embarked on an ambitious El Bulli inspired adventure. Part of Achatz’s celebrity beyond the culinary world derives from his highly public battle with tongue cancer, which The New Yorker covered in an in depth profile. As a Chef who relies on taste, Achatz pursued an experimental treatment path so he wouldn’t have to have his tongue amputated, at all or in part.

As an homage to Chef Adria and El Bulli’s legacy, Achatz’s has launched Next - El Bulli. Diners can bid on tables to enjoy El Bulli inspired meals, with 100% of the proceeds going to The University of Chicago School of Medicine. While the price tag is steep at auction, the experience looks unique, and the cause is certainly worthy - it becomes a more palatable spend when considering where the money is going, all of which is transparently displayed on the site. If you support medical research, enjoy fine food, and are a fan of Achatz or El Bulli, this is a cool project worth checking out.

301 Redirects & How to Move Sites Without Losing SEO

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:11:00 -0400

In today’s market, as folks continue to move their websites to content management systems like HubSpot or Wordpress, people rightly tend to fear losing their SEO authority if they are changing their site URL during a rebrand, or consolidating content from multiple URLs. While we explain that this can be avoided through the use of 301 redirects, I had difficulty understanding exactly how this works, so let’s go through it here.

What is a 301 Redirect?

“A 301 Redirect is a permanent redirect which passes between 90-99% of link juice (ranking power) to the redirected page. 301 refers to the HTTP status code for this type of redirect. In most instances, the 301 redirect is the best method for implementing redirects on a website.” [via SEOMoz] SEOMoz’s is a pretty respected authority on these matters, and the essential point here is that you retain 90-99% of previously existing inbound link authority when using a 301 on a page that is moved to a new URL.

CONCLUSION: I’m comfortable that ranking authority on an established web page built through inbound links will be maintained if that page is moved and a proper 301 is used to direct links to the new URL. SEOMoz has a good explanation of the technical process on how to do this for developers.

How do 301 redirects benefit ranking when consolidating content from multiple sites?

If a business is establishing site authority on multiple URLs, that authroity is being defrayed somewhat, and can be consolidated on one central URL through 301 redirects. For example, if we were blogging on some other site, we could migrate all of that content AND all inbound links to specific posts or pages over to PullnotPush.com, and use 301s to maintain our link juice. This would maintain authority of each indivdual post, and would then help PullnotPush.com to become a stronger, more authoritative site in the eyes of search engines overall. The domain PullnotPush.com would add to its overall inbound link count through those 301s.

CONCLUSION: Consolidate your content and authority on 1 domain using 301s if you have content out in multiple places.

In sum, if you nede to move content around, the 301 redirect is a good way to do this without losing authority. Make sure your web developer understands this process before moving your site.

Levon Helm Is Laid To Rest

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:06:40 -0400

Levon Helm Is Laid To Rest:

It’s a sad day for fans of real American music, as another heartbreaking tale of a musical genius, innovator, and towering legend of a golden era of music passes on after a life filled with mistreatment and tragedy relating to his music career and finances. Levon Helm was a master, a bluegrass country rocker who oozed soul and formed the backbone of perhaps the greatest American band of all time. God rest him.

I may or may not be a character from this post - nice job,...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:24:34 -0400

I may or may not be a character from this post - nice job, Jordan!

jfleeg:

The Art of Making an Email-Intro

((Photo above of Ziad Sultan - Founder of Marginize -and Tony Navarro -Founder of StreamCal - meeting for the first time after I email-introduced them))

I find myself making quite a few email introductions ( as an “E-commerce” entrepreneur I prefer to call them “E-troductions”) these days. Generally, these “E-troductions” involve at least one entrepreneur. I’ve “E-tro’d” some of my investors to other entrepreneurs, I’ve “E-tro’d” lawyers to entrepreneurs, potential hires to other entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs to other entrepreneurs, etc. As it turns out, one of the main things you do as an “entrepreneur” is meet people, and if you are a nice entrepreneur, you help your fellow kind to do the same. But I realized that the channel by which such a gracious, and frequent act, is properly conducted is neither taught in school, nor given proper consideration by industry insiders. So I figure I’ll share my thoughts on the subject:

The thing about entrepreneurs is that they tend to be very busy, as is anyone worth introducing them to. This fact explains why “E-tro’s” have turned into a minimalistic art form. I’ve started to pay attention to all the various ways that Boston’s finest demonstrate their innate understanding of the “E-tro.”

But before I get to examples from celebrities of the local startup community, here’s how I do it:

[KEY: *X= First name of person being “E-tro’d” of whom my relationship is less established than it is with Person **Y]

“X - meet Y. Y is the [insert founder, lawyer, angel, CFO, whatever} at [name of company] who is awesome.

Y - X [insert first name of founder} at [name of startup] who is [insert “my good friend”, “working on exciting project,” “in your space,” etc. - the #1 reason you think X would want to take this meeting] who you should definitely connect with.

I’ll sign off here and let you guys take it forward.”***

***NOTE - this is a hint to move me to Bcc so that I don’t get swamped by the subsequent scheduling/rescheduling email chain; also note that I say “you guys” so that either party feels free to make the first follow-up email.. generally which should be person Y, since he/she is more eager to make the acquaintance of person X than visa versa.”

Also note that I wrote in paragraph 2 ” who you should connect with” instead of “who you should meet.” Subtle difference but very important - often times the busier of the two (generally person X) will not want to meet in person but instead take a “brief phone call” with Y. By saying “connect” I leave the door open for this possibility for X. You NEVER want to put an important person in the position of being constrained by a meeting that you set up, which may or may not be of real interest to them! On that subject, if you think that X may not be interested in the person you are “E-troing” to him/her, best practice dictates that you should reach out to X first to offer the “E-tro” to gauge interest before executing it.

Here are other real-life examples of “E-tro’s” from Boston’s finest:

Mike Troiano (Principal, www.holland-mark.com)

Jordan meet [X}. [X} meet Jordan Fliegel of the still stealthy CoachUp.

You guys have a love of digital media, social marketing, selling, startups, and coaching in common. Think a chat over coffee might be productive.

I leave it to you -

Mike

*Note that Mike went above and beyond by suggesting a chat over coffee - this is because he knew that X wanted to meet me, and had run it by me before making the intro. I accepted the invitation and expressed interest in meeting in person. Had this not occurred, Mike would not have made such a strong suggestion, due to not wanting to force me into a meeting I might not have otherwise taken.

Jeff Bussgang (Partner, www.flybridge.com)

Jordan,

I met a [position] who is [working at Z company doing P, which is of interest to me in some way]. I thought you two might enjoy connecting as he’s very plugged into [my industry, or something of benefit to me].

I’ll leave it to the two of you to connect directly.

Best,
Jeff

*My summary - well done by Jeff. Short, sweet and left me free to opt for a phone call as he wrote “connect” instead of “meet.”

Sheila Marcelo (Founder/CEO of www.Care.com):

X,
I look forward to your visit.

I wanted to introduce you to Jordan Fliegel – he is Founder/CEO of CoachUp. He is building marketplace for professional sports coaching… I thought you would enjoy meeting a fellow entrepreneur when you are in town. There may be ways the two of you could work together.

Cheers,
Sheila

*Note that X happens to be coming to town for other purposes, and that Sheila wanted to keep the spirit of the meeting light and friendly, as she did not know whether or not X would be able to make the meeting, as he is an important and busy dude. This approach gives X the ability to gracefully back out of the meeting if X’s schedule does not leave room for our meeting.

Jeremy Levine (Founder, www.StarStreet.com)

(*note that this E-tro is the real-life intro that led to my current attorney!)

Hey guys, want to make sure you two connect.

[X}- Jordan is [my brief description] and he’s now starting a company (coachup.com), that I think has serious potential.

J - Out of all the startup lawyers I’ve met, [X] was {awesome because of blah blah] He’s got some really cool experiences/connections in the sports world and certainly seems to know what he’s doing on the legal side.

You guys are both Boston/Cambridge based, so it would be great if you guys can find a time to get together.

Hope this is helpful!

*Note also that Jeremy went farther here than he typically would have in an “E-tro” to push lawyer X and me to get together in person, rather than just having a brief chat. The reason is that Jeremy knew I wanted to meet lawyer X in person, and that I was a potential new client for lawyer X, so Jeremy inferred that lawyer X would want to take the meeting in person as well.

Ok people, hope this was helpful! Whatever you do - remember these basic principles:

1. Be overly considerate to the “more important party” in the “E-tro” - don’t ever force him/her into a corner!

2. Keep it short and sweet. No one has time to read lengthy “E-tros”

3. Offer to make “E-tros” as often as you can. What goes around, comes around. Startups are tough; you need Karma on your side!

Afternoon snack 3/7/2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:37:45 -0500

1 cliff builders bar, 1 banana, 1 glass grapefruit juice. #foodlog

Lunch 3/7/2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:37:13 -0500

Sushi / Sashimi combo meal (4 pieces nigiri, 8 pieces sashimi), miso soup, small bowl white rice, jasmine tea. #foodlog

Breakfast 3/7/2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:36:08 -0500

1 popover, 1 cup of coffee w/ cream & sugar. #foodlog

Jason Shah: Airbnb UX Wins and Losses | How The Airbnb Home Page Lures Us In

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:11:27 -0500

Jason Shah: Airbnb UX Wins and Losses | How The Airbnb Home Page Lures Us In:

As a guy desiring to learn more about UI/UX, this was a great read on what AirBNB is doing right and wrong.

jasonshah:

There must be something to learn from the Airbnb user experience.

Airbnb, like many startups following in its path of collaborative consumption or others simply trying to power offline action, have the challenge of earning user trust. While PR, word of mouth, and direct outreach can alleviate…

#foodlog breakfast 2/24/2012 - 1 whole egg + 2 whites scrambled...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:05:35 -0500

#foodlog breakfast 2/24/2012 - 1 whole egg + 2 whites scrambled with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 wheat bagel with 1 tbsp peanut butter, steamed kale, 8 oz grapefruit juice, skim milk latte with raw sugar.

2/16/2012 breakfast

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:12:43 -0500

Smoothie (flax seed, chia seed, 1 banana, cup of frozen blueberries, 2 heaping tablespoons Greek yogurt, almond milk) #foodlog

2/15/2012 dinner

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:10:03 -0500

Double whopper, chocolate Frosty. #foodlog #redalert

Breakfast 2/15/2012 10:00AM

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:27:53 -0500

Did yoga at 7:45, had very light practice of meditation and stretching. Ate a banana, 1/2 avocado, 3 picarones with syrup, 2 glasses of OJ, and a cup of tea. #foodlog

just tristan.: resolutions.

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:40:09 -0500

just tristan.: resolutions.:

Bought the book, thanks for the recommendation. I hope to drink not one sip of coffee this year, too!

tristanwalker:

It’s about that time of year.

Last year, on dec 31, I met with my good friend nathan folkman for a cup coffee at cafe barrone in Menlo Park. That was the last cup of coffee I had. I realized I had no real need for it and wanted to see if I could pull off not drinking any coffee for a full…

"All of the buildings and all of the cars were once just a dream in somebody’s head."

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:05:03 -0500

“All of the buildings and all of the cars were once just a dream in somebody’s head.”

- Peter Gabriel ‘Mercy Street’

Bennet opines on Thanksgiving customs textsfrombennett: Bennett...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:03:14 -0500

Bennet opines on Thanksgiving customs

textsfrombennett:

Bennett on Thanksgiving Part 1

Venerable, indeed! accidentalchinesehipsters: The venerable...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:47:59 -0500

Venerable, indeed!

accidentalchinesehipsters:

The venerable Asiatic sporters of ugly flower shirts finally have their own viral video, and it’s a Lady Gaga cover. It begins with an odd parade of young women holding clear replicas of traditional Chinese instruments, plus a keytar. Then, just when you might be getting bored, a giant cutaway doll house filled with old people singing Gaga rolls onto the stage. Their enthusiastic songs stylings are excellent. Their spastic, under-rehearsed choreography: totally hipster. The facial expression of the woman at 3:20 which seems to have people freaking out: very reminiscent of faces I have seen my grandmother make at her Peking Opera rehearsal nights, also a beloved and perhaps more dignified form of social entertainment among the older set.

As a teenager I was equally frightened and impressed with her transformation from quiet matriarchal power to theatrical crazy eyes, and I guess who wouldn’t be? A tip from the master (my Nainai): flatten your top lip down over your teeth and hold it frozen that way while you are singing to achieve pro-like excellence. Now you are ready to join the senior citizens choir and get famous.

Lana Del Rey, the noveua fave ingenue du los bloggers, drops a...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:58:43 -0500

Lana Del Rey, the noveua fave ingenue du los bloggers, drops a melancholic and heartstring-pulling lil’ number. I quite enjoy this by which I mean I’ve spent a good part of today listening to it repeatedly.

Perfect, haha!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:22:56 -0400

Perfect, haha!

How Mobile Payments Will Evolve In the Next Several Years

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:28:20 -0400

How Mobile Payments Will Evolve In the Next Several Years:

I’m pretty jazzed on mobile payments, and this is a nice overview of what’s going on in the space. My favorite thing currently happening, though, is over at TheLevelUp - sign up if you haven’t if you’re in Boston, Philly, NYC, or SF.