android head made of small pieces

Finding the Intelligence in the Machine

I usually stand alone when I proclaim how much I loved The Lawnmower Man, the 1992 film based on a Stephen King short story.  Despite it getting a 42 metascore from Metacritic, it was a seriously important film for me.  It proceeded other…
upward trend line over collage of faces

Staying Trendy

Although I’ve been a geek and early adopter since the 80s of all things tech, I admit to having trouble staying on top of what’s trendy.  So, if you’re young, hip and have a great network of trendy friends, you can pretty much stop reading…
customer support illustration

Ownership is the First Step to Resolution

A common complaint voiced by customers dealing with a company’s support team is that they don’t feel that anyone has fully taken ownership of their issue. In our work with clients as well as my experiences in dealing with companies as a…
wow cartoon

Things That Make You Say “Wow!”

As a market researcher, I am thrilled when trends and dynamics emerge after interviewing people. You know you’re beginning to uncover objective findings when the same feedback – good, bad or indifferent – is cited repeatedly by unrelated…
sign board with offer

An Important Question for all CMO’s

Who is more important to you? Your current customers OR your prospective customers? A second question for you… Who is more important to you? Your current customers OR your prospective customers … as measured by the percentage of dollars…
jet plane in the sky flying from city

Flying the Friendly Skies

I’ve been on planes more this year than I have any other year so far. I’ve learned what to love and what not to love about traveling. I try to be efficient and think I have my traveling ways down to a science (for the most part). I’ve…
business people working at one table

Reflecting on Opportunity and Ambiguity

As I am nearing the end of my second co-op (or internship) here at Ideba, I have been reflecting on my time with the company: my successes, areas for improvement, and my progress since my last co-op term. Something that came up recently was…
robot thinking

I Like my Machines the way Mae West Liked her Men: Dumb.

https://youtu.be/wXxrmussq4E The referenced video holds the benign title “Robots Opening Doors.” Sounds simple. However, the reaction to it, including mine, can be best described as bemused horror. In the video, an arm-less, 4-legged…
help center illustration

The Value of Services

I’ve taken a good college try at the smart home, from August locks to WeMo smart switches to the Nest thermostat.  Everything is a bit clunky.  This is after a good two decades of the technology industry learning how to make printer setup…