Steven Cox - Founder of TakeLessons. Build Something You're Proud Of

Happy Halloween at TakeLessons.com

 

Congrats to my friend on a Grammy Nomination

  Just wanted to give a big shout out to Enrique Platas, my friend and TakeLessons Instructor, on a job well done. He played on some tracks for the album, Soy, by Victor Manuelle. It has been niminated for Best Salsa Album of 2008 in the Latin Grammys. Also, one of the songs has been on the Latin Billboard charts for three months running.

Congrats again, my friend. You rock!   

 

UCLA study finds that searching the Internet increases brain function

UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.

"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."

Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small, who is also the director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center.

 

In fact, researchers found that during Web searching, volunteers with prior experience registered a twofold increase in brain activation when compared with those with little Internet experience. The tiniest measurable unit of brain activity registered by the fMRI is called a voxel. Scientists discovered that during Internet searching, those with prior experience sparked 21,782 voxels, compared with only 8,646 voxels for those with less experience.

 

Compared with simple reading, the Internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to pursue more information, an activity that engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.

Read the entire story

85% of People Still use the Yellow Pages?

Contrary to my common sense, a recent study by Knowledge Networks suggest that 85% of people used the printed yellow pages last year at least once. After they searched, 78% chose to contact at least one business - most through the telephone (see picture below).

What the study does not cover is what percentage of searches by these 85% were done using the printed yellow pages vs. online. Even if the majority of people use the print directory once a year, I wonder if that is enough to keep them afloat. With cable/DSL household penetration continuing to increase, why would people search through a yellow pages when they can get maps, sites, and feedback online? However, I could see where it would be easier to flip through the pages than to boot up the laptop and get connected. In that case, perhaps the YP would be advantageous.

The study was sponsored by the Association of Directory Publishers, a printed media association.

 

A slight change to our logo

We got rid of the tennis logo, added the drummer. This was to further personify our focus on music.

From Techcrunch:

It looks like its going to be a tough 2009 for start-ups looking for an A or B round. Only 55 funds have raised capital, compared to 78 funds from a year ago. This will trickle down and offer less availability for younger companies looking to get their ideas of the ground.

See post from yesterday. Seek to prove your model on your own dime and with sweat equity. Then, seek expansion capital rather than proof-of-concept capital. Also, look to friends and family (maybe a rich uncle) that believes in you. Remember, at a start-up stage, most people are betting on the jockey, not the horse.



Fundraising: Plan B

Guy Kawasaki has an excellent post on Plan B: Another way to grow your company. Over the past few years, I've seen so many companies with stars in their eyes. I know what it looks like - I've been there myself. Somehow, the idea of a big round of venture funding solidfies their existence and proves that their concept is destined to be the next big hit.

It's very similar to getting signed on a major record label.

It is imperitive that the artist is solid and can make unbelievable music with or without the label. The label then ads the firepower to get the the next level. But if the artist is relying on the idea that the label is proof of their superiority, then the artist probably won't get traction.

It's the same with your startup. Struggle and fund it yourself. Fail fast. Understand that your model will change 2-4 times in the first few years. Commit yourself to persevere through the chaos and find a way, no matter what, to understand what the market is willing to pay for. Then, focus on developing a service or product that answers those needs better than others.

Kawasaki's best advice on this article: "Rather than trying to boil the ocean, try to boil a tea kettle." We've found that mantra to be true within TakeLessons. Rather than focusing on the entire world/country, we've targeted specific geographies. Rather than focusing on everything related to lessons, we've focused down on what we do best. This allows us to direct our strategy in the areas that will provide us a true competitive advantage. The truth is that we will never have enough time, money, human capital to do everything we want at all times. So the power of focus has proven to be an invaluable tool.

Have a very economically scarry Halloween...