Where do we fall? Are we trying to defend off competitors or are we slaying the competition. We have to devote everything, we have to stay in attack mode. We have to provide the expert service customer’s truly deserve and take market share from the defenders in the process. We have to be more aggressive than any other company in the country. Most people sit on their laurels; we choose to aggressively take market share. Let’s get it on!

-Ted Alling

I spent last summer in Chattanooga, Tennessee, helping develop new ideas on applications for the 1-gigabit-per-second, ultra-high-speed Internet that is available there.

Chattanooga is a very special city. It is the first city in the whole country to have ultra-high-speed Internet available for all residents. This is actually making Chattanooga stand out in the crowd. It is starting to attract new residents, business opportunities, entrepreneurs, and needs, along with progress. In addition to that, there is another thing that makes Chattanooga unique: the passion from its residents. The Gig Tank came from both of these special features combined. The need for new business opportunities and a will to make the city go forward was the fuse needed for it to start.

During the summer, we came a long way. We started by doing research and finding out how much we could do with the Internet. Then, groups started to form. New ideas were also pitched every week, and we started to see them evolving. Week after week, we were thinking not only about the idea itself, but also from a business standpoint. What makes it different? What can be changed? What is new? How can we make money with it? And even with the Internet being one of (if not the most) up-to-date means of communication, we found that it is really hard to keep up with the latest technologies and coming up with something totally unique.

On top of that, we had to present it in a way people could understand. By the end of the week, it was not only about the idea itself, it was about how well we could impress people with it, how make people like it and get confident about it. It was really easy to feel lost and confused on what path to take and what direction to go. And the fact that in the beginning we could pitch about anything in the world made things even more broad and disconcerting.

The environment was really good for new ideas. Collaboration was incentivized, but at the same time, competition made the pitches go forward and improved day after day. Sometimes, public speaking can be scary, even for people who are used to it. For those who are used to speaking about things that they are proficient in (knowledge that was learned and mastered along the years), experiencing new thoughts and different kinds of information can be a hurdle. The fact that we had to present our ideas and be asked about them every week was a good way to practice for Demo Day, and it helped to overcome this barrier. Also, presenting weekly about something that you do not know about forces you to get enough knowledge to understand at least the basics of that particular subject. As the program was coming to its end, it was easy to notice that every reachable thing was provided for us to be creative: hardware, environment, housing, a good cup of coffee … which makes sense in the end. If you do not have to worry about essential things, you have more time to spend brainstorming and having new ideas.

The last week was the most stressful and the most memorable at the same time. Every single detail could turn out to be a major problem, the difference between making a good or a bad presentation. We practiced, practiced, and practiced. And even with planning and specifying everything, some details are just out of our control.

Demo Day was an expected event and yet a big surprise. Things did not come out as we planned, especially in our presentation, but it turned out to be a good thing. Demo Day attracted VCs, angel investors, entrepreneurs, and reporters to a unique experience: to turn their eyes to the South, see Chattanooga growing, and be part of it. I was really happy that those people in the audience wanted to participate, to know, and to do whatever they thought would be helpful to keep Chattanooga evolving. With all the obstacles and difficulties, by the end of the summer, it was a program from Chattanooga and to Chattanooga.

I hope new editions can become better and that people from all over the country can join and get to know Chattanooga in its hunt for entrepreneurship and development.

My first week in this beautiful city of Chattanooga, TN has been fabulous. Thanks for your hospitality, Chattanoogans! The weather is wonderful. The landscape is breathtaking, and entertainment is everywhere!

We started our week with a hearty breakfast and an introduction from each student. Each of us is different in our backgrounds, but we are excited about the future and the new technologies that are to come.

The first morning we worked through discussions about our skills, areas of interest, possible applications, problems we may face, ideas for the future, and strength finding, to name a few. It turns out, we all found out a lot about what we can do in the near future and what we can do to make people’s lives better!

Throughout the week, we had meetings, presentations, research time, dinners, and finally on Friday, we had our first idea pitch.

Friday morning we were excited, yet also nervous, about our first pitch. Many thought-provoking ideas came about for the 1Gbps ultra-high speed Internet, and by the end of the afternoon, Ustin, a fellow GigTank student, had won the best pitch of the day. He was rewarded with the opportunity to exit the tank and begin building a team. Congratulations, Ustin!

Being in an environment where ideas for the future, entrepreneurship, innovation, and new technological ideas are stimulated is a great experience for me. This is the part of the business world we do not get taught at school. A good background is without a doubt very important for the future, but it is also imperative to have good ideas. Right now, we are experiencing a new way to see the future where everything will become possible!

I am encouraged by the approval from the population we have received concerning new, somewhat futuristic, ideas. On Saturday as we were recognized at the Chattanooga Futbol Club soccer match, I could see hope for us to bring innovation and progress to this town. This makes me feel like I can actually do something important for the people.

Finally, I think that teamwork is encouraged. You can do a good job by yourself, but it is the interaction between different areas that make your idea come true. It is the synergy that makes the difference!

As the Lamp Post Group partners lined the conference room, curious GigTank students listened attentively as the stories of the men and women whose offices sit within these brick-exposed walls were uncovered. Partners with BIG ideas, LOFTY dreams, and HIGH expectations for performance, explained the path that led them to the creation of Lamp Post Group – the who’s, why’s, what’s and how’s behind their journeys.

Passion. It’s a word that characterizes each individual who works in the LPG office. Not a single person would be here without his or her passion for the work. With that said, the men and women who brought the GigTank students here could talk for hours about how much they love what they do – albeit how different each individual’s role is. But, this summer is not about what the LPG partners do but, instead, about the students who came here from all around the world. So, the conversation quickly transitioned from a focus on the office to an emphasis on who the students are and their passions.

Eleven individuals make up the student side of the GigTank. They come from four countries and five states – ranging from Rwanda to Brazil and New Jersey to Tennessee.

The atmosphere around here is spontaneous, so the day would not have been complete without a little spontaneity. Hence, off to the Chattanooga Ducks we waddled. From the history of Chattanooga to the short histories of the students’ lives, the day began with a bang, and ended with cheer as the LPG GigTank team gathered for dinner.

Wheels are turning as the students have been handed task #1 – a brief pitch on Friday morning. This will include a small powerpoint/mockup/diagram of their current best idea. Show us what you’ve got, students!

Chattanooga, Tenn – February 28, 2012 – Chattanooga announced today that the X PRIZE Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, global incentivized competitions, is working with GigTank™, a 100-day incubator/accelerator in Chattanooga, TN. The program aims to develop high-bandwidth applications using the community-wide 1-gigabit-per-second internet with up to $300,000 in cash prizes and seed capital available to participants this summer.

See full press release here

For the social among you, Retickr can take your Twitter or Facebook account and integrate shared links into your feed or distribute news to either account directly from the application. It has a lot in common with the previously featured, Snackr, but the social integration and low memory usage makes it a step above for anyone looking for a news ticker for OS X.

Retickr Updates with a Better Interface, Time Sliders, and More: The personalized RSS news ticker Retickr released an update this week that adds a handful of improvements, including a streamlined interface, news time customizations, and more.

Retickr is a simple app with a news ticker bar that scrolls headlines across your desktop. You can control what types of news you see, specify RSS feeds from Google Reader, and control the speed of ticker. You can also make the ticker stay on top of all other windows (which can be distracting unless you have a large screen) or you can hide it when you minimize the app.

Lamp Post made another announcement yesterday – we have increased our investment in retickr, to the tune of $1.5m.  We met the team roughly 12 months ago, and have seen them grow up, work hard, and push the first of many innovative products.

The decision to ratchet up our investment comes as we see retickr attacking a major problem (information overload), with creativity and intelligence.  Since day 1, retickr has embraced the Lamp Post model; utilizing mentorship, our resources, and collaborating with our portfolio companies.  It’s a great fit, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

Coverage of this announcement at Techcrunch

I just wrote this article for the AAT Carriers Quarterly newsletter and thought it might have some relevance for our work at Lamp Post, too.  Working well in teams is essential to what we do around here.  Hope you find these reminders helpful.

SP

Better Relationships 101

 

I’ve worked with many teams over the last 15 years, including “teams” of marriage partners, business partners, co-workers, and families.  All high functioning teams need two important things:  healthy boundaries and common courtesy.

 

Without boundaries, we become a pawn in someone else’s life with little regard for our own needs.  Personal boundaries allow you to say ‘no’ when it’s necessary.  They also allow you to take care of your needs so that 100% of you can “show up” for others. Personal boundaries demonstrate that you respect yourself, which is the foundation of healthy relationships.

 

I recently read a post on Facebook from an old friend of mine.  It said, “My life is crazy as hell.”  She then proceeded to list six things that she and her kids are involved in, but then ended the post with “Why do I keep saying yes?”   Without getting into the psychology of this, suffice it to say my old friend has a problem with boundaries.  Saying ‘no’ is unbearable to her (for some reason that she’ll have to figure out).

 

Without healthy boundaries, you fill your life with things and people that suck your time and energy, leaving you with less time for things you really love.  Without healthy boundaries, you are also at the mercy of what other people want for you, appearing to float along wishy-washy and uncommitted.  My favorite band has a lyric, “Decide what to be and go be it.”  Once you figure out “what to be,” boundaries anchor you in staying true to it.

 

The second skill necessary for improved relationships, not surprising, is to simply be nice and demonstrate common courtesy. Marcial Losada, a Chilean psychologist and business consultant, discovered a 3:1 tipping point of positive to negative interactions necessary for relationships to flourish.  If your relationships have three positive interactions for every one negative interaction, it is considered healthy.  He evaluated people’s statements as either 1) positive or negative, 2) self-focused or other-focused, and 3) based on inquiry (asking questions) or defensiveness.  Not surprisingly, he found that really healthy relationships soared to a positive to negative ratio of about 6:1.  They said six times more nice and positive comments as they did defensive, snarky, and selfish comments.  By contrast, unhealthy relationships fell below 1:1.  Losada’s research demonstrates the indispensability of positive interactions, asking people questions, and focusing on others.

 

So, how are you doing with boundaries and common courtesy?  How would others in your “teams” rate you?

And one of the first things they got right? Covering the GeekHunt.  Read Greg’s piece for more info

http://pandodaily.com/2012/02/15/geekhunt-chattanooga-tn-wants-to-pay-1k-for-intros-to-your-geekiest-friends/