<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:go='http://ns.gigaom.com/'
xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>GigaOM &#187; Collaboration</title>
	<atom:link href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tag/projects/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://gigaom.com</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 26 May 2012 07:35:20 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator>
<cloud domain='gigaom.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' />
<image>
		<url>http://0.gravatar.com/blavatar/0db8f6557d022075dbbf010c54d46d93?s=96&#038;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.png</url>
		<title>GigaOM &#187; Collaboration</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com</link>
	</image>
	<atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="http://gigaom.com/osd.xml" title="GigaOM" />
	<atom:link rel='hub' href='http://gigaom.com/?pushpress=hub'/>
		<item>
		<title>5 tips to convince collaborators to buy into your project</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Georgina Laidlaw</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Collaboration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[remote work]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=386657</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What's the fastest way to get collaborators to invest themselves, or their time, in a new project? Whether they're colleagues within your organization, outsourced or remote talent, customers and clients, or subject experts you're connecting with, the answer is the same: ownership.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=386657&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project/picture-1-29/" rel="attachment wp-att-386659"><img  title="Picture 1" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/picture-1.jpg?w=604" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-386659" /></a>What&#8217;s the fastest way to get collaborators to invest themselves, or their time, in a new project?</p>
<p>Whether they&#8217;re colleagues within your organization, outsourced or remote talent, customers and clients, or subject experts you&#8217;re connecting with, the answer is the same: ownership.</p>
<p>To buy into a project, collaborators need to feel a sense of ownership over the project&#8217;s execution and outcomes. But creating a sense of ownership can be hard enough on-site, within a close group. How can we achieve it in a distributed setting, with people we may never meet in person?</p>
<h2>1. Ask for ideas, advice or help</h2>
<p>Companies routinely ask customers for help and ideas to develop or name products, improve services, and more. Asking colleagues and contacts for their advice will help you to identify those who have experience in similar settings, and have a passion for that type of project.</p>
<p>Using a public forum like social or professional networks to ask a question like, &#8220;Have you had this problem?&#8221; is frequently the speediest way to find a current solution to technical and other conundrums.</p>
<p>Once they&#8217;ve provided their advice, most contributors will be interested in seeing the results of their input. They may also be more inclined to advocate on your behalf, perhaps to secure the assistance of third parties.</p>
<h2>2. Invite and reward feedback</h2>
<p>Inviting feedback &#8212; on ideas, prototypes, and trials &#8212; is particularly good for gaining buy-in from customers and suppliers, as well as respected peers.</p>
<p>It may not get a would-be project contributor to the point where they&#8217;re willing to commit to your project, but it can make your contacts more amenable to providing insight or advice periodically during development. Reward or recognize the feedback publicly to garner an even stronger sense of involvement, and encourage further contributions.</p>
<h2>3. Reveal the process</h2>
<p>Making the more innovating, or intriguing aspects of your project publicly available &#8212; for instance, through interviews, profiling on social media, or your team blog &#8212; can pique the interest of the types of collaborators you want to work with.</p>
<p>If they can see an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to your project, prospective collaborators may contact you primed to get involved. The only hitch is that unless your project is really innovative, you may struggle to achieve impact with this tactic.</p>
<h2>4. Make others part of the journey</h2>
<p>With this technique, you make the most of others&#8217; desire to build their reputations and demonstrate their experience by inviting them to join you on the project &#8220;journey.&#8221; You might ask customers to vote on product names, photograph the team at work (or play), and generally open up your project so that peers, customers, clients and others feel they&#8217;re part of it.</p>
<p>Generating interest in this way can really help you to build ownership among potential and current contributors. It also provides opportunities to cross-promote or reference those who do contribute.</p>
<h2>5. Show yourself</h2>
<p>You&#8217;ll likely have trouble soliciting buy-in from others if you struggle to communicate that you yourself &#8212; and your team members &#8212; have already bought into the project.</p>
<p>Whether it&#8217;s through social media, an intranet or Yammer, your blog, or the media, make sure your communications illuminate your team&#8217;s investments &#8212; both personal and professional &#8212; in the project. Be as genuine and candid about the project as you can. Would-be contributors will appreciate your clarity, and will be more likely to want to help you out.</p>
<p>Finding collaborators &#8212; be they potential employees, or consultant subject experts &#8212; can be a challenge, but these five techniques can make the job easier, more natural, and more enjoyable.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=386657+5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/the-future-of-work-platforms-an-overview/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=386657+5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">The Future of Work Platforms: An&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/07/millenials-in-the-enterprise-part-1-strategies-for-supporting-the-new-digital-workforce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=386657+5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital&nbsp;workforce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-future-of-workplaces/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=386657+5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">The Future of&nbsp;Workplaces</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=386657&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-tips-to-convince-collaborators-to-buy-into-your-project/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	 <go:thumbnail>http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/picture-1.jpg?w=130</go:thumbnail> 
		<media:thumbnail url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/picture-1.jpg?w=210" />
		<media:content url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/picture-1.jpg?w=210" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Picture 1</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/85e0675b27d9c611f588ff0ae7126195?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Georgina Laidlaw</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/picture-1.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Picture 1</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Taking Over Someone Else’s Project: How to Handle the Transition</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Celine Roque</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-To]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Collaboration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project managment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=245079</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I sometimes find myself taking over other people’s projects, like rewriting existing website content or finishing website designs. But taking on another person’s project can be challenging, especially if they are no longer around. So how can you make the transition as smooth as possible?<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=245079&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-245097" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition/773437_gear_shift_lever/"><img title="773437_gear_shift_lever" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/773437_gear_shift_lever.jpg?w=604" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-245097"></a>I sometimes find myself taking over other people’s projects. These could be projects that have been abandoned or left incomplete by another freelancer, or it could be a redoing of a finished product, like rewriting existing website content, updating an old e-book or completing unfinished designs.</p>
<p>But taking on another person’s project can be very challenging, especially if they are no longer around, or are uncooperative. So how can you make the transition as smooth as possible?</p>
<p><strong>Keep culture in mind.</strong> Your communications with the other people involved in the project should serve another purpose: <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/establishing-team-culture-in-a-teleworking-environment/">learning their culture.</a> This includes the culture of each individual in the team, as well as the team as a whole. This culture is the summation of their work processes, habits, interactions and attitudes. Keeping culture in mind can provide you with useful clues that will help you figure out how to talk to them, how to interpret their words, and what your potential challenges will be.</p>
<p><strong>Debrief.</strong> Get your hands on as much of the project’s materials, resources, and tools as you can — even if you’re not going to use them. It helps to review the status of the project before you were assigned to handle it. Here are some questions you might want to ask:</p>
<ul><li> Did the project meet all of its objectives? Why/why not?</li>
<li>Why did the person in charge leave? If the reason is relevant to the project, how will it affect your own work? How difficult will it be to reach him/her if needed?</li>
<li>Which of the resources and materials are truly useful? Which of them just add clutter?</li>
<li>If you’re able to communicate with the person who used to be in charge, how open are they to working with you during the transition? If it’s hard to get their cooperation, how can you change their mind?</li>
</ul><p><strong>Manage expectations. </strong>A crucial aspect of a successful transition is <a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/5-ways-to-manage-client-expectations/">managing expectations</a>. This includes the expectations of everyone you’re working with as well as your own. Some points to consider:</p>
<ul><li> What deliverables are expected of you? How are you expected to respond to queries and suggestions?</li>
<li>Among the things expected of you, which are affected by how the project was previously handled?</li>
<li>What can you do to ease any concerns or worries that your client or team has when it comes to working with you?</li>
</ul><p><strong>Assess. </strong>Given the information you’ve gathered, do you think it’s possible to continue the project in its current state or is it better to start afresh? While continuing the project may seem easier, sometimes it’s not the best approach to take — especially if it didn’t meet any of the established objectives.</p>
<p><strong>Archive.</strong> File away all the old documents and materials pertaining to the project’s previous incarnation. Don’t throw them away, just make sure that they filed away but are easy to refer to later on. This helps you start without the existing physical and mental clutter caused by the project.</p>
<p><strong>Restart.</strong> Even if you’re starting with someone else’s unfinished work, it helps to approach it as if it were a new project. Thinking of it as a blank slate helps you to break free from existing standards and processes that didn’t work.</p>
<p>Restarting or completing someone else’s project can put you through a rough transition. But after that, it’s just a matter of getting the work done.</p>
<p><em>Share your tips for managing project transitions below.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/773437">Photo</a> by <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/webguitou">stock.xchng user webguitou</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):</strong><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-manage-consumer-grade-collaborative-tools-in-the-workplace/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=celinus&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=245079+taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition"><br></a></p>
<ul><li><a title="Enabling the Web Work Revolution" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/enabling-the-web-work-revolution/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=celinus&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=245079+taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition">Enabling the Web Work Revolution</a></li>
<li><a title="Report: The Real-Time Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/01/report-the-real-time-enterprise/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=celinus&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=245079+taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition">Report: The Real-Time Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a title="Social Media in the Enterprise" href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/social-media-in-the-enterprise/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=celinus&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=245079+taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition">Social Media in the Enterprise</a></li>
</ul>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=245079&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/taking-over-someone-elses-project-how-to-handle-the-transition/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	 <go:thumbnail>http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/gear.jpg?w=130</go:thumbnail> 
		<media:thumbnail url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/gear.jpg?w=210" />
		<media:content url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/gear.jpg?w=210" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">gear</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/efdfe93d79177bdfdc50a51c8368b40f?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Celine</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/773437_gear_shift_lever.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">773437_gear_shift_lever</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mix Up the Workweek by Setting Your Own &quot;20-Percent Time&quot;</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/mix-up-the-workweek-by-setting-your-own-20-percent-time/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/mix-up-the-workweek-by-setting-your-own-20-percent-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Celine Roque</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[20-percent time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scheduling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[side projects]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=29732</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Google has what it calls "20-Percent Time", where its employees spend one day each workweek on projects they're passionate about, while 3M calls its version "15% culture," which "encourages technical employees to spend 15 percent of their time on projects of their own choosing and initiative."<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=29732&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pie.png"><img  title="pie" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pie.png?w=300&h=259" alt="" width="300" height="259" class=" alignleft" /></a>Many large companies have policies that allow employees to spend some of their time working on their own projects. These programs are often used to entice high-caliber job applicants, as well as encourage innovation. For example, Google has what it calls <a id="r735" title="&quot;20-Percent Time&quot;" href="http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=about.html&amp;about=eng">&#8220;20-Percent Time&#8221;</a>, where its employees spend one day each workweek on project they&#8217;re passionate about, while 3M calls its version &#8220;<a id="g33v" title="3M calls their version &quot;15% culture&quot;" href="http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/global/sustainability/our-people/employee-engagement">15% culture</a>,&#8221; which &#8220;encourages technical employees to spend 15 percent of their time on projects of their own choosing and initiative.&#8221;</p>
<p>This approach doesn&#8217;t have to only apply to corporate employees &#8212; it can apply to web workers as well. Whether you&#8217;re a freelancer or a corporate employee, if your work is measured on your performance rather than your presence, your work hours may be flexible enough to accommodate your own &#8220;20-Percent Time.&#8221;</p>
<p>But why do it in the first place?</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Innovation and creativity.</strong> Innovation is one of the most cited perks of 20-percent time. According to <a id="befq" title="this handy infographic" href="http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/02/24/google-facts-and-figures-massive-infographic/">this handy infographic</a>, <em>half</em> of Google&#8217;s products are a result of this employment perk. The products that have resulted from 20-Percent Time include Google Adsense and many Google Labs features. An example that might seem closer to home is cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. He drew <a id="d5ce" title="his first gapingvoid cartoons" href="http://gapingvoid.com/about/">his first gapingvoid cartoons</a> during his downtime while he was working as a copywriter. Now he&#8217;s published a book and does commissioned art. He may not have had a firm policy on creating things outside of work, but it&#8217;s easy to lose sight of side projects when one focuses on their &#8220;real&#8221; work almost every waking hour to the exclusion of everything else.</li>
<li><strong>Exploration.</strong> By making the time to pursue personal passions, you can dabble in different areas, which sometimes results a broader understanding or a new perspective on the field you&#8217;re working in. It might even lead to a new line of work altogether. 37signals <a id="rrf7" title="started as a web design firm" href="http://37signals.com/about">started as a web design firm</a>, but <a id="moc7" title="they couldn't collaboration tools suited to their needs" href="http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch02_Whats_Your_Problem.php">couldn&#8217;t find collaboration tools suited to their needs</a> so they created <a id="xh5a" title="Basecamp" href="http://basecamphq.com/">Basecamp</a>. This led them to develop their own web apps instead, eventually leading to the <a id="r.:o" title="Ruby on Rails" href="http://rubyonrails.org/">Ruby on Rails</a> framework.</li>
<li><strong>Opportunity.</strong> By making time for personal projects you give yourself license to act on ideas, questions and passions that you might not be able to do during your work week. You&#8217;ll have a chance to do tasks would&#8217;ve been too risky, or even seemed downright strange.</li>
<li><strong>Motivation.</strong> In <a id="r32y" title="a popular TED talk" href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html">a popular TED talk</a>, Dan Pink discussed the science behind three major motivators in the workplace (<a id="kzbz" title="which I elaborated on in a previous post" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/perpetual-fuel-finding-the-motivation-to-work/">which I elaborated on in a previous post</a>). These motivators are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Though your experience with the latter two may depend on the project you choose, giving yourself 20-Percent Time allows you to exercise your autonomy.</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Setting Your 20-Percent Time</strong></h3>
<p>Before you schedule your 20-Percent Time, remember that the number shouldn&#8217;t be taken literally. Allocate the time that works for you. You can take one day each week, an entire weekend, or even 30 minutes each day. Personally, I like to start my day working on a personal passion project. It gives me fuel to work through the rest of the day. Plus, it eases me into a heavier workload ahead &#8212; after all, if I make a mistake on my personal project, none of my clients will suffer.</p>
<p>As Simon <a id="y78g" title="noted in a previous post" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/regain-balance-and-avoid-burnout/">noted in a previous post</a>, it&#8217;s easier to get burned out when you don&#8217;t work a typical 9-to-5 job. With that in mind, how can the typical web worker manage to have 20-Percent Time especially if they have a busy home life? It&#8217;s hard to squeeze in a personal project if your family, pets, and home errands suddenly require your attention.</p>
<p>Taking a cue <a id="y:k_" title="from Sylvia Plath" href="http://www.sylviaplath.info/biography.html">from Sylvia Plath</a>, why not <strong>work on your project before your household wakes up</strong>? This might mean waking up earlier than usual, but even 15 minutes per day spent on a passion project is better than nothing. Plus, the quiet environment might make it easier for you to work.</p>
<p>But here&#8217;s some more common sense: <strong><a id="tbo5" title="mark the end of your workday" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/mark-the-end-of-the-day-and-finish-on-time/">mark the end of your workday</a></strong>. It may not be a cutting-edge life hack, but it&#8217;s simple and, more importantly, it&#8217;s true. Only by setting actual work hours can we draw a clear line between work and the rest of our preoccupations.</p>
<p><em>Do you set aside time for personal projects? If so, how did you manage it and what do you do with your time?</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/2587147000/">Photo</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/">flickr user net_efekt</a>, licensed under CC-BY-2.0</em></p>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=29732&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/mix-up-the-workweek-by-setting-your-own-20-percent-time/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
	

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/efdfe93d79177bdfdc50a51c8368b40f?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Celine</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pie.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">pie</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Projects: A Powerful Project Management Tool for the iPhone</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darrell Etherington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tools]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=24467</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m not entirely sure project management is something you should do on your iPhone, or any portable device for that matter, but if you&#8217;re stuck and you need something to help keep track of things while you&#8217;re on the go, you could do much worse than [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=24467&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="projects" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/projects.png?w=188&h=185" alt="" width="188" height="185" class=" alignleft" />I&#8217;m not entirely sure project management is something you should do on your iPhone, or any portable device for that matter, but if you&#8217;re stuck and you need something to help keep track of things while you&#8217;re on the go, you could do much worse than using <a href="http://www.blackburninternet.com/projects/index2.php">Projects for the iPhone</a> ($6.99, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/projects/id326488858?mt=8" target="_self">iTunes link</a>).</p>
<p>Projects is one of the most full-featured, yet still affordable, PM solutions I&#8217;ve seen on Apple&#8217;s mobile platform. That said, if you&#8217;re looking for something that replaces Microsoft Project, you&#8217;re looking in the wrong place. Projects is more like an advanced task manager with some PM app characteristics and tools. It&#8217;s a supplement, rather than an all-in-one solution. <span id="more-24467"></span></p>
<p><strong>A Quick App That Needs to Be Quicker</strong></p>
<p>The idea behind Projects is that you can do some basic PM on the go. As such, I think it&#8217;s really key that the app be tailored towards pick-up-and-go usability, but as it currently stands, that isn&#8217;t really the case. Your default view upon entering the app, for instance, is a list of all your current ongoing projects. That&#8217;s handy, but it took me a minute to figure out that I had to hit the &#8220;Edit&#8221; button to create a new project to begin with. A quick add button is something many iPhone to-do apps have, and it perfectly suits the platform and the concept behind Projects. Hopefully it&#8217;ll be forthcoming in a future update.</p>
<p>You also can&#8217;t swipe to delete any projects, which could arguably be a data loss prevention feature, but actually feels like another missed opportunity. Likewise, neither project phases nor groups can be quickly added or deleted, but tasks, which are two levels down, can be. I&#8217;d advise the developers to just make the adding/deleting features universal.</p>
<p><strong>Better Fit For Different Types of Projects</strong></p>
<p>I do like the options you&#8217;re given when you&#8217;re creating a project, even if I&#8217;d like it to be easier to get there in the first place. Projects lets you create either Group- or Phase-based projects, which, depending on the type of work you&#8217;re doing, can provide a great advantage. Being able to choose between an organizational model and a more linear progress-based tracking model is a definite advantage Projects has that you won&#8217;t find in a lot of the more simple to-do apps.</p>
<p><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-addnew.jpg"><img  title="pj-addnew" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-addnew.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" /></a></p>
<p>Creating tasks for projects also provides a decent amount of flexibility. You can add notes, set a flag (which unfortunately is only a star-based rating system at this point) and set dates and duration. You can also assign it a status, choosing between &#8220;To Do,&#8221; &#8220;Waiting,&#8221; &#8220;WIP,&#8221; and &#8220;Complete,&#8221; which should cover all the bases for most people. I also really like the date interface, which allows you to pick dates from a calendar and makes everything a lot easier than it would be with manual input.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-addtask.jpg"><img  title="pj-addtask" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-addtask.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Gantt Charts and More</strong></p>
<p>Perhaps the most notable feature Projects brings to the table is to be able to look at all your tasks for your various projects in Gantt chart format. While they&#8217;re a standard feature of project management apps, I&#8217;ve yet to see Gantt charts so well implemented on the iPhone. Viewed in landscape mode, the charts are even more legible and helpful in providing a quick overview of where you stand with regards to your various deadlines. Tasks are also color-coded according to their status, making your at-a-glance takeaway even more informative.</p>
<p><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-gantt1.jpg"><img  title="pj-gantt" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pj-gantt1.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" /></a></p>
<p>Finally, you can export your projects, which is really helpful if you want to use them on a desktop platform as well. You can export your data as text or as an MPX file, which can be read by Microsoft Project. Unfortunately, there&#8217;s currently no way to sync or import data, which is a major limitation of the app, but at least data on the phone doesn&#8217;t have to stay there.</p>
<p>For $6.99, you really have to judge whether or not what amounts to a standalone PM app is necessary for your iPhone. Keep in mind, though, that Projects is a very handy to-do application as well, so the cost isn&#8217;t terribly unreasonable, even if you&#8217;re only using it for personal projects and day-to-day activities.</p>
<p><em>Would a standalone mobile PM app be useful for you?</em></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=24467+projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/01/mobile-q4-all-eyes-were-on-android-4g-and-the-rising-tablet-tide/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=24467+projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet&nbsp;Tide</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/report-a-mobile-video-market-overview/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=24467+projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Report: A Mobile Video Market&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/10/in-q3-the-tablet-and-4g-were-the-big-stories/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=24467+projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big&nbsp;Stories</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=24467&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/projects-a-powerful-project-management-tool-for-the-iphone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/188039e12983eb749171a75cfd01378d?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">etherin</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/12/projects.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">projects</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/12/pj-addnew.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">pj-addnew</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/12/pj-addtask.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">pj-addtask</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/12/pj-gantt1.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">pj-gantt</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Zoho Launches Full Google Docs Integration</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darrell Etherington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CNN Green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNN Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Company News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SYN Analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CRM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[docs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Grid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stimulus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoho]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=23895</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Arguably, Zoho is a competitor of Google&#8217;s, since both include web-based document creation and editing tools among their product offerings. That hasn&#8217;t stopped Zoho from offering integration with Google products in the past, and today it introduces full Google Docs compatibility, a move which shows it [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=78605&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.zoho.com/" target="_self"><img  title="Zoho_Logo" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/zoho_logo.png?w=128&h=72" alt="" width="128" height="72" class=" alignleft" /></a>Arguably, <a href="http://www.zoho.com/" target="_self">Zoho</a> is a competitor of Google&#8217;s, since both include web-based document creation and editing tools among their product offerings. That hasn&#8217;t stopped Zoho from offering integration with Google products in the past, and today it introduces full Google Docs compatibility, a move which shows it puts customer needs ahead of all other concerns, if you ask me.</p>
<p>Zoho CRM, Zoho Mail and Zoho Docs all get new abilities to interact with and use documents from Google Docs, which should be welcome news for anyone wanting to try out the Zoho alternative without either starting from scratch or going through an arduous migration process with their existing library of docs. <span id="more-78605"></span></p>
<p><strong>Zoho CRM</strong></p>
<p>Attach files directly from your associated Google Docs account to Leads, Accounts, and Cases within Zoho CRM. All you have to do is authenticate using your Google credentials when prompted, and <em>voila</em>, your Docs should appear for you to choose from, in addition to your Zoho Docs and files on your desktop.</p>
<p><strong>Zoho Mail</strong></p>
<p>Adding an attachment when you&#8217;re composing an email is as easy as clicking on the little arrow next to the &#8220;Attach&#8221; link, and selecting Google Docs from the list of sources. If you haven&#8217;t done so already, Zoho will send you to Google to authenticate, and then your files will appear in a list with checkboxes next to them so you can select multiple attachments at a time. Zoho also allows you to filter your Docs, so that you can view only text, spreadsheet, or presentation files.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/zoho_google_docs.png"><img  title="zoho_google_docs" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/zoho_google_docs.png?w=607&h=379" alt="" width="607" height="379" class=" alignleft" /></a>Zoho Docs and Projects</strong></p>
<p>The same interface is used to get documents directly from your Google Docs account to both Zoho Docs and Projects, although you might want to note that with Zoho Docs, uploading directly from Google is supported only in the dashboard view. Trying to do so from the dedicated Docs window only allows you to import from Google Docs files you&#8217;ve downloaded to your desktop.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve always been a Google user myself, but upon revisiting Zoho&#8217;s offerings for the purposes of this piece, I find myself wondering why. I&#8217;m not a Gmail or Google Calendar guy, and short of forthcoming integration with Google Wave, which <a href="http://webworkerdaily.com/page/2009/11/10/my-first-month-with-google-wave-cant-even-stand-on-the-board/" target="_self">I&#8217;m not crazy about anyway</a>, there&#8217;s really no reason I should stick with Google when the competition is clearly much more obliging. For now, I&#8217;m going to test the Zoho waters and see how things turn out.</p>
<p><em>Does Google Docs integration give you a reason to give Zoho a try?</em></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=78605+zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration&utm_content=etherin">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=78605+zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration&utm_content=etherin"></a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/the-future-of-work-platforms-an-overview/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=78605+zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration&utm_content=etherin">The Future of Work Platforms: An&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/07/report-an-open-source-smart-grid-primer/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=78605+zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration&utm_content=etherin">Report: An Open Source Smart Grid&nbsp;Primer</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=78605&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/zoho-launches-full-google-docs-integration/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/188039e12983eb749171a75cfd01378d?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">etherin</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/08/zoho_logo.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Zoho_Logo</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/12/zoho_google_docs.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">zoho_google_docs</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Haystack: Simplifying the Search for Web Designers</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Thursday Bram</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CNN Big Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Enterprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SYN Feature Enterprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[37signals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[haystack]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=22346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[37signals&#8217; Haystack promises to make finding a web designer easy, offering a simplified way to search for clients looking to hire a professional. While it&#8217;s a useful tool for someone with a web design project, it can also prove useful for web designers. Landing Work While [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=22346&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://haystack.com/"><img  title="Haystack _ Find the right web designer for your next project." src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/haystack-_-find-the-right-web-designer-for-your-next-project.jpg?w=300&h=200" alt="Haystack _ Find the right web designer for your next project." width="300" height="200" class=" alignleft" /></a>37signals&#8217; <a href="http://haystack.com/">Haystack</a> promises to make finding a web designer easy, offering a simplified way to search for clients looking to hire a professional. While it&#8217;s a useful tool for someone with a web design project, it can also prove useful for web designers.<span id="more-22346"></span></p>
<p><strong>Landing Work</strong></p>
<p>While your first visit to Haystack may leave you with the impression that the site is only meant to help out clients, it&#8217;s already proved useful for many designers. Some web designers <a href="http://haystack.com/success">report</a> landing projects within hours of posting a listing on Haystack. The general idea is that the site can better match prospective clients to your services who are browsing online &#8212; you might not be highly ranked enough to be found through search engines, but your skills can make you stand out among other web designers on Haystack. 37Signals takes care of promoting the site via advertising, blogging and marketing to its user base.</p>
<p>Any web designer can post a listing on Haystack for free. That includes anyone from freelancers to big web design companies. The basic listing includes one portfolio image, the type of budgets you generally work with, the nearest big city to where you work and a contact email for your company. A Pro listing, priced at $99 per month, allows you to post more images, change placement and place for your logo. The Pro listings do seem to show up first in search results. Clients can search for web designers based on budget and location.</p>
<p><strong>Scoping Out the Competition</strong></p>
<p>You&#8217;ll find that Haystack has a few uses beyond landing clients. It&#8217;s an easy way to get an idea of what your fellow web designers are up to. You can check out prices, portfolios and services offered for a whole list of web designers in one place. You can tell quickly how well your prices fall in with your competition&#8217;s, as well as learn about how they&#8217;re landing clients &#8212; valuable business information no matter how you look at it.</p>
<p>There are some design reasons to look at what other designers are up to, as well. Need a little inspiration? Browse through some of those designs that have been posted on Haystack. You might see a technique or style that sparks a new idea for a project you&#8217;re working on.</p>
<p><strong>Haystack&#8217;s Background</strong></p>
<p><img  title="Haystack _ Create your listing" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/haystack-_-create-your-listing.jpg?w=300&h=197" alt="Haystack _ Create your listing" width="300" height="197" class=" alignleft" />The minds behind Haystack are already well-known for creating tools. The site is a new offering from <a href="http://37signals.com/">37signals</a>, the same company that created Basecamp, Backpack and other well-known tools. Haystack is a logical extension of these tools &#8212; 37signals&#8217; original application, Basecamp, grew out of a tool that the team designed for their own use. With the 37Signals team&#8217;s roots in web design, it&#8217;s easy to understand how they would come to create Haystack.</p>
<p>That background has definitely contributed to the site&#8217;s overall usefulness. While it takes a slightly more subtle approach to inviting web designers to join than it does to inviting prospective clients to shop, Haystack is built to be an effective tool for the web designers posting listings.</p>
<p><em>Have you listed your company on Haystack? Has it generated any leads for you?</em></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=22346+haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers&utm_content=thursdayb">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=22346+haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers&utm_content=thursdayb">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=22346+haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers&utm_content=thursdayb">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=22346+haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers&utm_content=thursdayb">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=22346&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/haystack-simplifying-the-search-for-web-designers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/470632d6bb46d029737d70c057dc75f5?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Thursday Bram</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/11/haystack-_-find-the-right-web-designer-for-your-next-project.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Haystack _ Find the right web designer for your next project.</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/11/haystack-_-create-your-listing.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Haystack _ Create your listing</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Raising the Dead: Bringing Failed Projects Back to Life</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Celine Roque</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How Do You Work?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How-To]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How-to (hack, pack, & backpack)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[side project]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=21799</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I&#8217;ve noticed that more new clients are coming my way with a single request: to help them revive or resurrect a project, web site, or product that has failed in the past. I&#8217;m also capable of creating failed projects myself &#8212; sometimes I look at [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=21799&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em><img  title="1217399_sinistro_2" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/1217399_sinistro_2.jpg?w=210&h=140" alt="1217399_sinistro_2" width="210" height="140" class=" alignleft" /></em></span>Recently, I&#8217;ve noticed that more new clients are coming my way with a single request: to help them revive or resurrect a project, web site, or product that has failed in the past. I&#8217;m also capable of creating failed projects myself &#8212; sometimes I look at my track record and try to fix my <a id="vz2u" title="fix my worst projects" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/why-you-should-define-your-worst-projects/">worst projects</a> hoping that I can make them better.<span id="more-21799"></span></p>
<p>How do you know if a project has failed? Although you can have specific quantifiers such as revenue or number of users, the simple way is to ask yourself this: &#8220;Did it meet any of its objectives?&#8221; If the answer is no, then that means you&#8217;ve got a failed project in your hands. Some of these projects can remain buried and forgotten, but there are others that you can&#8217;t stop thinking about even years down the road.</p>
<p>What do you do if there&#8217;s an old failed project that you want to bring back to life?<br />
<strong><br />
Why Try Again?</strong></p>
<p>The first thing I do when I try to resurrect an old project, whether it&#8217;s mine or a client&#8217;s, is to <strong>evaluate why it should be done</strong>. The reason is sometimes simple. It could be that when the project started, the people working on it weren&#8217;t mature or skilled enough to give it the proper follow-through. Now that they know better, they think it&#8217;s time to try again.</p>
<p>This was the case with one of my new clients. When he started his blog, he bought into get-rich-quick schemes and short-term tips on how to boost traffic. As his blog&#8217;s advertising income diminished and he saw few returning visitors, he called the project a failure. After looking into his mistakes, he&#8217;s determined to try again. It&#8217;s the classic case of being passionate about a project but not knowing enough to execute it well.</p>
<p>There may be many reasons to revive a failed project, but there&#8217;s one you should avoid. <strong>Don&#8217;t bring  it back to life just because you have nothing better to do.</strong> I have to admit that sometimes this is the justification I have, and every time I use it all I get is a new way to fail at an old project. &#8220;Well, I need something new to work on&#8230;&#8221; is not going to cut it if you want to rework an old mistake and turn it into something great.</p>
<p><strong>Evaluate Your Past Efforts</strong></p>
<p>The first things we need to look at are our mistakes. In &#8220;<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/thedipbook">The Dip</a>&#8220;, Seth Godin lists <a id="qlna" title="7 different reasons why one might fail" href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/the_dip/2007/04/the_seven_reaso.html">7 different reasons why one might fail</a>. This includes<strong> the lack of time, money, or enthusiasm</strong>. Other reasons include picking the wrong thing to try, getting scared, not being serious enough, or focusing too much on the short term. In the failed projects I&#8217;ve evaluated, I can see that all of them failed because of at least one of these reasons.</p>
<p>Many of my failed projects, and even some of my clients&#8217; failed projects, were also the result of a <strong>lack of definition</strong>. Here are some of its common symptoms:</p>
<ul>
<li>Saying &#8220;Our target audience is everybody.&#8221;</li>
<li>Adding all the possible features and widgets into the project, even when they are unnecessary.</li>
</ul>
<p>Apart from looking at these past mistakes, we also need to celebrate our successes. In the midst of all the chaos, what worked for you? What went well before the project failed? By looking back at both our successes and our mistakes, we can be better prepared for our next attempt to make it work.</p>
<p><strong>Starting Over</strong></p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve realized that resurrecting your failed project is the best thing to do, there are some things you need to keep in mind:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Remember to quantify. </strong>&#8220;What&#8217;s measured improves,&#8221; as <a id="psm5" title="Peter Drucker" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker">Peter Drucker</a> once wrote. If you can, quantify the hours, cost, and other resources used up by your project. Other necessary statistics such as sales, users, and bug reports should also be recorded. By keeping a close eye on the numbers, we can predict most incoming challenges and plan for them accordingly.</li>
<li><strong>Things to avoid.</strong> Instead of just writing a lengthy to-do list, why not factor in your previous mistakes and remind yourself what you <em>shouldn&#8217;t</em> do? It&#8217;s easy to fall back on bad habits, especially if new processes take longer to pay off.</li>
<li><strong>Keep it simple.</strong> Whether you&#8217;re relaunching an old product, service, community, or blog, start with the simplest version you can possibly think of. This allows your project to remain flexible when there are a lot of unpredictable and volatile factors that may affect your success.</li>
</ul>
<p>The truth is that it takes a lot of planning, effort and passion to bring an old project back to life. If done right, the attempt is usually worth it.</p>
<p><em>Have you ever tried to revive a failed project such as a blog, online community or an app? What was your experience like?</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image by <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/eduardtrag">eduardtrag</a> from <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1217399">sxc.hu</a></span></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=21799+raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life&utm_content=celinus">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=21799+raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life&utm_content=celinus">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=21799+raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life&utm_content=celinus">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=21799+raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life&utm_content=celinus">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=21799&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/raising-the-dead-bringing-failed-projects-back-to-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/efdfe93d79177bdfdc50a51c8368b40f?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Celine</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/10/1217399_sinistro_2.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">1217399_sinistro_2</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Give Your Projects a Final Polish With a Standard Checklist</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Celine Roque</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How Do You Work?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How-to (hack, pack, & backpack)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productivity tip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workflow]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=18865</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Soon after I clicked the “Publish” button on my blog dashboard, I realized I had made a mistake. I&#8217;d read my post through three times before hitting that button, but somehow missed adding a crucial word &#8212; the word “don&#8217;t”. Inadvertently, I had told my readers [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=18865&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  style="margin:5px;" title="731545_check_it_2" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/731545_check_it_2.jpg?w=150&h=200" alt="731545_check_it_2" width="150" height="200" class=" alignleft" />Soon after I clicked the “Publish” button on my blog dashboard, I realized I had made a mistake.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d read my post through three times before hitting that button, but somehow missed adding a crucial word &#8212; the word “don&#8217;t”. Inadvertently, I had told my readers that they “have to sacrifice too much to lessen their cost of living,” . Furthermore, two of the hyperlinks I had added were broken.</p>
<p>I am a sloppy self‑editor, mostly because I am forgetful. I realized it was time to create a standard checklist to remind myself of all the steps I have to take before clicking “Publish”.</p>
<p>Since creating this checklist, I&#8217;ve made fewer mistakes and I haven&#8217;t had another “oops” moment. I created a similar list for my fiction, too. Anyone who does creative work should have a similar checklist to ensure that their projects are polished before submitting them.<span id="more-18865"></span></p>
<p><strong>Why Have a Standard Checklist?</strong></p>
<p>Apart from remembering the small yet essential steps to finishing one&#8217;s work, there are other reasons why a standard checklist can be useful:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Smoother workflow.</strong> Since all the steps to a polished project can be seen in a single page, you spend less time asking yourself “Is there anything I&#8217;m forgetting?” Once you&#8217;ve checked each item on the list, you can look at your project one more time and feel confident enough to send it.</li>
<li><strong>Objectivity.</strong> Ideal list items should be objective enough for you to check off each one without much thought; it&#8217;s hard to measure items like “Make the design pop” or “Write compelling copy”. Opt for quantifiable points, such as “Test design/copy with 10 different users and make sure that at least 8 take the preferred action”.</li>
<li><strong>Consistency.</strong> A standard checklist for major projects allows you to deliver a consistent output. Plus, it becomes a handy reference when you&#8217;re <a id="p64i" title="subcontracting" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/web-work-101-hiring-subcontractors/">subcontracting</a> work.</li>
</ul>
<p>It helps to look at the project checklists of other knowledge workers for inspiration, so you might want to look at the following examples:</p>
<ul>
<li><a id="f_:d" title="A web site accessibility checklist" href="http://northtemple.com/1608">A web site accessibility checklist</a> by Aaron Cannon.</li>
<li>A comprehensive <a id="y1tm" title="ontent quality checklist" href="http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/04/toward-content-quality.php">content quality checklist</a> by Colleen Jones from <a id="f.8u" title="UXMatters" href="http://www.uxmatters.com/">UXMatters</a>.</li>
<li>A list of <a id="k0mv" title="essential checks before launching your web site" href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/07/15-essential-checks-before-launching-your-website/">essential checks before launching your web site</a> by Lee Munroe from <a id="zvy_" title="Smashing Magazine" href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/">Smashing Magazine</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Making My Own List</strong></p>
<p>For my blogging projects, I spent half an hour listing the important things I had to do before publishing a post. Some of the items I included were as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Print the article and read it. Spot all spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes.</li>
<li>Make the necessary corrections on the soft-copy.</li>
<li>Read the revision backwards, sentence by sentence to check for overlooked mistakes.</li>
<li>Add post tags.</li>
<li>Use correct <a id="ua2l" title="HTML code for punctuation" href="http://www.alistapart.com/articles/emen/">HTML for punctuation</a>.</li>
<li>Preview the post, click each hyperlink and make sure they work correctly.</li>
</ul>
<p>To make the list reflect how I work, I also noted the gaps and weaknesses in my process for the last three posts I wrote. While I added an odd item from time to time, I had to remind myself that the goal was not to create a longer list. The goal is to make sure that each article I deliver is as clear, concise and as polished as it can be.</p>
<p>Which brings me to my final point: <strong>Know the reason why your checklist exists</strong>. By having a clear objective, you&#8217;ll know whether your list works or not. It&#8217;s supposed to streamline your process, rather than adding another step to an already saturated workflow.</p>
<p><em>Do you have a project checklist that you use before handing finished work to clients?</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:xx-small;"><em>Image by <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/lusi">lusi</a> from <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/731545">sxc.hu</a></em></span></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=18865+give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist&utm_content=celinus">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=18865+give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist&utm_content=celinus">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=18865+give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist&utm_content=celinus">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=18865+give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist&utm_content=celinus">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=18865&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/give-your-projects-a-final-polish-with-a-standard-checklist/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/efdfe93d79177bdfdc50a51c8368b40f?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Celine</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/09/731545_check_it_2.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">731545_check_it_2</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fix Your Track Record: What to Do About Embarrassing Projects From Your Past</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Celine Roque</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How Do You Work?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancing tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal brand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=17747</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two years ago I was starting to get conscious about my online presence, so I Googled my name. One of the first things I saw were links to my earliest projects, which were how-to e-books about dating and seduction. I remember using a pseudonym at that [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=17747&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  style="margin:5px;" title="fixing past projects" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/899403_utilities.jpg?w=180&h=270" alt="899403_utilities" width="180" height="270" class=" alignleft" />Two years ago I was starting to get conscious about my online presence, so I Googled my name. One of the first things I saw were links to my earliest projects, which were how-to e-books about dating and seduction. I remember using a pseudonym at that time so I was surprised to get the byline.</p>
<p>While I believed in my output and knew that the customer was satisfied with my work, I didn&#8217;t want these projects to be the first thing that potential clients saw. After all, I hadn&#8217;t written about dating for several years. I wanted to focus my writing efforts on business, freelancing and travel.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve ever done low quality work, accepted a project only for the money, <a id="hnsh" title="changed niches" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/changing-your-web-working-niche/">changed niches</a>, or even <a id="l3bo" title="worked on something ethically dubious" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/a-freelancers-dilemma-ethically-dubious-projects/">worked on something ethically dubious</a>, you might understand this situation. There are just some past projects that should be buried by your current ones.</p>
<p>How can you make sure that happens?<span id="more-17747"></span></p>
<p><strong>Highlight your best work.</strong> To reduce the negative effect that <a id="m4tv" title="an embarrassing project" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/why-you-should-define-your-worst-projects/">an embarrassing project</a> has on your portfolio, focus on promoting your best work instead. <a id="xn92" title="Revamp your portfolio" href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/revamping-your-portfolio/">Revamp your portfolio</a> to include only relevant, high-quality samples. If you use social media, put them at the foreground when discussing your work.</p>
<p><strong>Work the search engines.</strong> My problem with the embarrassing e-book projects was that they belonged to the top three search engine results for my name. This meant that anyone &#8212; from potential employers to curious friends &#8212; would find that project if they typed my name into Google. If you can easily find your &#8220;bad&#8221; project using your name as the search term, here are some ways to fix it:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Purchase your own domain name </strong>if you haven&#8217;t done so already. Many new web workers tell me that they just can&#8217;t afford to buy their own domain name and set up a blog. But what they <em>really</em> can&#8217;t afford is the lack of control over what shows up first when you enter their names (or the name of their business) in search engines. This is why it&#8217;s important to get domain names based on your real name and your business name. Anything you pair up with it &#8212; a blog, a splash page or a static site &#8212; has a good chance of ranking well.</li>
</ul>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">You don&#8217;t necessarily have to buy hosting and code your own site, either. You can point your domain name <a id="b11-" title="to your LinkedIn or Facebook profiles" href="http://mattsingley.com/blog/2009/06/why-you-dont-need-a-facebook-vanity-url/">to your LinkedIn or Facebook profiles</a> or to a free hosted blog (such as <a id="g_og" title="Blogger" href="http://www.blogger.com/">Blogger</a> or <a id="ujz6" title="Tumblr" href="http://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>).</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Get backlinks. </strong>Once you have your domain name make sure people link to it. This is easier to do with a blog, since it&#8217;s more encouraging to link to something that contains an interesting idea or discussion, rather than just a personal profile. Also, it&#8217;s better if they use your real name as the <a id="ivfa" title="link text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_text">anchor text</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Learn the basics of on-site SEO.</strong> You don&#8217;t need to be an SEO (search engine optimization) guru to get your professional blog to rank well for your name. Unfortunately, there&#8217;s a lot of misinformation out there, and using some of those techniques might make your blog look spammy. <a id="y.jy" title="Here's a good introduction" href="http://websitehelpers.com/seo/">Here&#8217;s a good introduction</a> that talks about capitalizing on simple, long-term tactics rather than the &#8220;SEO trick of the month&#8221;.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Contact the person in charge, if applicable. </strong>Since the agreement with my previous client involved using a pseudonym for the dating e-books, I immediately contacted him about it. In a polite email I asked if he could use my old pseudonym for the books. He apologized and told me that he had simply forgotten about our agreement when he had his site and the e-books redesigned. He then corrected this oversight and changed the byline.</p>
<p>This approach may not be useful to those who have different arrangements. Still, if you can do it without upsetting anyone and it&#8217;s within the limits of your contract, it doesn&#8217;t hurt to ask a previous client to change the credit or byline. They can be very understanding if you explain the situation well.</p>
<p><strong>Become more conscious of these projects from now on</strong>. As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure. Go uncredited or use a pseudonym for projects that aren&#8217;t up to your usual standards or that are incompatible with your personal brand. Your future self will thank you.</p>
<p>Remember that whatever happens and no matter how shameful your previous projects may be, it&#8217;s important to stay honest. If ever someone asks you directly about these projects, tell the truth and accept it with grace. These projects may be embarrassing, but it&#8217;s more bearable than being caught in a lie.<br />
<em><br />
Have you ever worried about embarrassing projects from the past? How have they affected your brand?</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:xx-small;">Image by <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/linusb4">linusb4</a> from <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/899403">sxc.hu</a></span></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=17747+fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past&utm_content=celinus">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=17747+fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past&utm_content=celinus">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=17747+fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past&utm_content=celinus">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=17747+fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past&utm_content=celinus">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=17747&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/fix-your-track-record-what-to-do-about-embarrassing-projects-from-your-past/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/efdfe93d79177bdfdc50a51c8368b40f?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Celine</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/08/899403_utilities.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">fixing past projects</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>DoNanza: the Online Job Search Revolution?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Georgina Laidlaw</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations & Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Enterprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SYN Feature Enterprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[donanza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job search]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=14899</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Finding work on the web isn't easy. The time I've spent looking for work on freelance job sites has always left me fairly underwhelmed.

Okay, that's a huge understatement. I dislike having to sign up for different services to access the details of the jobs they're offering. I loathe having to wade through the reams of alerts I receive from each one. And I can't be bothered trying to remember which ones require me to buy a subscription in order to pitch for jobs, and which ones don't, as well as all the other little nuances of each service.

The question is, will DoNanza change all that? Is it the online job search revolution we've all been waiting for?<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=14899&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/donanza1.png"><img  title="donanza1" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/donanza1.png?w=189&h=65" alt="donanza1" width="189" height="65" class=" alignleft" /></a>Finding work on the web isn&#8217;t easy. The time I&#8217;ve spent looking for work on freelance job sites has always left me fairly underwhelmed.</p>
<p>OK, that&#8217;s a huge understatement. I dislike having to sign up for different services to access the details of the jobs they&#8217;re offering. I loathe having to wade through the reams of alerts I receive from each one. And I can&#8217;t be bothered trying to remember which ones require me to buy a subscription in order to pitch for jobs, and which ones don&#8217;t, as well as all the other little nuances of each service.</p>
<p>I can safely say that so far, my job search subscriptions have <em>not</em> paid off. For me, the tedium and frustration of tracking all these individual subscriptions has far, <em>far</em> outweighed any value I&#8217;ve obtained from them. Last week I wound up just trying to search direct through Google in a desperate attempt to find the kind of project I wanted at a decent rate. Yes, I was <em>that </em>fed up. So when I heard about <a title="DoNanza" href="http://www.donanza.com/">DoNanza</a>, a service that&#8217;s touted as &#8220;redefining the search for online projects,&#8221; I hoped it might actually live up to its own PR. <span id="more-14899"></span></p>
<p>What&#8217;s the big deal about DoNanza? It&#8217;s a job search engine that pulls results from freelance and remote working job sites across the web. No longer do we mere mortals have to visit multiple sites to search their listings. DoNanza appears to be a one-stop shop for job search.</p>
<p>So far, so good. I took it for a spin and found that an immediate benefit of the service was that it introduced me to freelance sites I&#8217;d never heard of, let alone visited &#8212; many of them in countries other than my own. So automatically it puts you in touch with a much wider pool of projects and employers.</p>
<p><img  title="donanza2" src="http://webworkerdaily.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/donanza21.png?w=196&h=554" alt="donanza2" width="196" height="554" class=" alignleft" />Then I noticed a very cool filter pane on the left of the search results page. This pane uses sliders to allow you to filter the search results by price, project type, time left and date posted. You can also use it to include or exclude results from specific sites. I find this particularly nice because it lets me refine my search right on the results page &#8212; I don&#8217;t need to make extra clicks to access the &#8220;refine search&#8221; options. Hooray! Of course, DoNanza also offers all the usual features you&#8217;d expect: related search prompts, RSS and Twitter tracking, the ability to email results to friends, and so on. And &#8212; wait for it &#8212; you don&#8217;t need a(nother) subscription!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that DoNanza is <em>not</em> a job board. It doesn&#8217;t offer its own jobs (yet &#8212; will this change in time?); it acts purely as a search engine for other job sites. So when you click on a result, you go direct to the site on which it&#8217;s listed. As such, the service is very highly focused. It does one thing &#8212; offer web-wide job search &#8212; and I think it does it well.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s interesting, not to mention timely, that DoNanza has launched now, when many of us are feeling the pinch of financial uncertainty and looking for projects. It makes very short work of the search process itself, and takes the immense hassle out of finding freelance job sites that have the kinds of projects you want at the right rate. As I used the site, I began to wonder why no one had launched an equivalent service already &#8212; and those kinds of thoughts are usually a sign that a new idea is going to be a big success.</p>
<p><em>Do you use online job sites to secure freelance work? If so, what are some of the good ones you&#8217;ve come across? Do you think DoNanza might help your current job search process?</em></p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=14899+donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=14899+donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=14899+donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=collaboration&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=collaboration&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=14899+donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution&utm_content=georginalaidlaw">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=14899&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://gigaom.com/collaboration/donanza-the-online-job-search-revolution/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/85e0675b27d9c611f588ff0ae7126195?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=PG" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Georgina Laidlaw</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/06/donanza1.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">donanza1</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http:///2009/06/donanza21.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">donanza2</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
