Eric’s posterous - Quick. Personal. Off-Topic.

This article...

...literally just gave me goosebumps.

Focus on product.  Keep it simple.  Don't dilute.  Maintain your sanity.

Q. Many business owners would look at your sudden success with envy and say, “Seize the day, expand, add new locations, franchise.” Why not you?

Ms. Esparza: It would change our values. That is the American way — to expand without really thinking.

Mr. Lessins: We really enjoy the work that we’re doing and we don’t want to cheapen it. Consciously or unconsciously — probably both — we’re trying to create a manageable way to earn a living and still maintain our sanity. We value time as much, if not more so, than money.

Happy Apple Tablet Day Everyone

Doing some requisite reading on the prospect of The Tablet, not just what it is but why it is.

Gist is this: Jobso doesn't think e-readers make sense because they're too expensive for a dedicated device and no one reads books anymore.  And if The Tablet is just for watching videos, or doing email, or working on a presentation, or surfing the web, then how does that fit between an internet-enable mobile phone and a laptop?

From Gruber:

And so in answer to my central question, regarding why buy The Tablet if you already have an iPhone and a MacBook, my best guess is that ultimately, The Tablet is something you’ll buy instead of a MacBook.

I say they’re swinging big — redefining the experience of personal computing.

 Yeah, I mean, this makes sense.  What do you do on the computer?  Really, what do you do?  Here's my very rough guess of what the average person does on a computer in their non-work/personal time (not mutually exclusive):

  • Check out a few favorite websites (NYTimes, Perez, CNN, ESPN)
  • Use email
  • Watch online videos, listen to music
  • Research something quickly
Imagine you could do all of these things simply, elegantly, without a whole bunch of extra stuff getting in your way.  I think there's a market for that.  A simple computer that does all the basics, does it very well, and has a fun interface.

If you had to pen the most annoying Facebook status update of all time...

...what would it say?

Here's what mine would say:

Goin' out to dinner with my hubs!  I love my life!  w00t!

 Well, no shit you love your life.  I mean, if you didn't, wouldn't you change it?  And hubs is without a doubt the worst pet name in the history of pet names.  And "w00t"?  Really?  What is that?  Who has ever, EVER said "w00t" in real life?  No one has, that's who.