A few months ago, a poster on a website I frequent posted a request for mentors and advisors for one of his projects.

I responded and made myself available as an advisor. I still have plenty to learn, but many people have provided me with advice and mentorship over the years, so I’m always happy for an opportunity to pay it forward by returning the favour. I received a reply thanking me for my offer to help, and promising future updates.

A few days later, I received a message sent out to 10 people, saying “Here is a status report, I’d appreciate some comments on…”

I browsed through the site and email briefly, and clicked close. He’s got a whole bunch of people on his list, I thought. He doesn’t really need my assistance, and besides I’ve got plenty of things to be doing.

For better or worse, I simply didn’t feel motivated to reply and provide assistance when the requestor is not making a personal connection to me.

I hadn’t paid much attention to the above thought process until I received an email from a good friend of mine who I have known for years. He’s very smart, and a very technically orientated person.

“Hey guys, I need help moving….”

The email was addressed to himself, and I assume theres a bunch of people in the BCC field.

I would normally reply immediately If the message was addressed to me, but even for a close friend, I feel far less inclined to reply if I’m a face in a crowd of BCC’d people.

When written out, this concept seems very straightforward. However I’ve personally made this mistake a number of times, observed it many times, and based on these two recent examples, there are likely many people out mass-emailing themselves out of assistance.

A couple of days ago, the original poster requesting mentors recently sent me a personal email requesting my advice. I replied with a page of comments and thoughts, which prompted me to write this post.

Mass contact may be the most efficient way to communicate to a group of people, but personal contact and establishing a personal dialogue is hands down the most efficient way to receive replies and assistance from people who are happy to help you.

I’m putting together a new service called : Webnet IT Home Support. We’re experienced with businesses, but providing home services is a new field for us. I’d like to get your feedback so I can create a truly useful and beneficial service for the Tokyo expatriate community.

This IT support could be as simple as “I need some help setting up my internet connection”, “My PC is really slow lately” or “My PC doesn’t work more, and I need to retrieve my files.” We could provide this support remotely, or at your house.

I’d like to provide anyone who responds with comments one free hour of IT service. So if this kind of service might be useful to you, I would be very grateful if you could give me some ideas on the following :

• Pricing that would make sense
• Services that would be useful for you
• Any situation where you had a great experience with this kind of home IT support, in Japan or anywhere else

I can be directly reached for comments and feedback at jason@webnet-it.co.jp

Thank you very much for your time reading this post, and I hope to hear from you.

I’ve been using it for several weeks now, and I’m really enjoying it. Definitely a worthwhile operating system. It even manages to redeem Microsoft after Vista.

The Offer
In one sentence, I’m looking for someone to work with me to build a Software as a Service business in Japan.  I’m experienced at IT sales, running a business and managing people.  I have a large network of contacts in Japan, and Webnet IT has a large ‘built-in’ active customer base that are interested in software that provides value to their operations.  Webnet IT is still my main operation, however I plan to spend a large portion of my time on this project once I find the right technical partner.

Here are some basic guidelines that are important to me :

• Skill Sets.   I am not a coder.  I have plenty of experience on the IT infrastructure side, and I’ve been running an IT business for 7 years, but I have no coding skills beyond basic scripts, basic PHP/MySQL and HTML.  I’m hoping to find someone who is passionate about coding, and has either the experience in creating SaaS systems, or the periphery experience and the ambition and ability to create this level of application.
• The Idea.  I have a number of ideas based on my experience, software I’ve developed and our customers requirements, but I’m open to discussion.  I see this as something we’d work on together.
• Personality and Capability.  I imagine we’ll be spending a lot of time working together, and as a result, personality and attitude (and a sense of humour!) are paramount.  This goes both ways - you need to be comfortable and happy working with me.  I don’t really mind about your background.  I don’t place too much stock in degrees and certificates.  I’d be much more interested to hear about your personal software projects, your personal wins and your work experiences.
• Compensation. I’m open to ideas on compensation structures. If we get as far as discussing compensation, we can work out a fair and reasonable structure based on who you are, what you want, and what you can contribute.  Naturally, “I want a large base and no revenue sharing or company percentages” is a very different conversation from “Give me a place to sleep and X% of the company”.
• How we work together.  I imagine that at the start, we’ll discuss our ideas over Skype.  I’ll show you examples of the software I’ve designed and developed, you’ll do the same for me.  We’ll put together a basic arrangement, and we’ll do a couple of small projects to get an understanding of how we both work.  When this goes well, we’ll see if we can agree on a basic product road-map.  If this goes well, we’ll put together a plan to launch, detailing responsibilities and milestones.  By this stage, we should have an agreement in place.  Work begins.  Within a few months, we’ll need to be spending a good amount of time working together.  As such, I’d like for you to be willing, happy and able to move to Japan.  As we get busier and as we acquire customers, I’d be hiring more developers and support staff, most likely working under you.

Bio
Like any relationship, or perhaps even more so, the co-founder/partner type relationship is based on trust and understanding.  As such, here is a brief biography to give you an understanding of who I am.

My name is Jason Winder, I’m Australian, I’ve been living in Japan for 8 years, and I run a business named Webnet IT that provides IT services to foreign companies in Japan.

Introduction I was lucky enough to get a 2nd hand clunker computer when I was a kid.  For the technically curious, it was a x8086 with a green TV as a monitor, two 5.25 floppy drives, no hard disk and about 128K memory.  I grew up breaking, fixing and learning from this computer. From the experience gained from this PC over the years, I landed a job working for a large company out of high school.  I then found work at a smaller company in Australia, then I moved to Japan.  I worked for various IT companies for a couple of years, then I started my own company, Webnet IT.

Webnet IT I didn’t go to university, but I love learning.  I started from a blank slate in regards to entrepreneurship.  I’ve built up a consulting business by learning incrementally about business, sales and marketing.  During this process, I designed software and systems that automate mundane tasks, and assist us doing things like generating quotes, invoices, sharing information with our customers, and many other things. Through this process, I’ve discovered I have a passion for developing software that helps people perform complex tasks both simply and efficiently.  I’d like to build on this and develop some useful software to sell to people.

Side note My main PC these days is an Apple 15″ MacBook Pro. I built my home PC myself, it’s an Intel Core2Duo 3.06GHz running Windows 7 with 2×24″ monitors.

You Would Be Responsible For
Based on my experience and research:

• The technical and architectural infrastructure
• Initially all coding.  Eventually managing a small team of coders.
• Brainstorming ideas, and creating a product roadmap with me.
• Creation of the product.

I Would Be Responsible For

• Sales
  • Leads
  • Negotiation
  • Closing Deals
• Marketing
  • Market identification
  • Market research
  • Message
• Funding
• General hiring and management
• Accounting
• Brainstorming ideas, and creating a product roadmap with you.
• Assisting in creating the product.

I imagine these responsibilities will evolve over time, however I think it’s important to do some initial general planning on expectations and responsibilities.

If this describes you and your situation, or if you have any comments or thoughts, I would be very happy to hear from you.  Please contact me directly at jason@webnet-it.co.jp.

Thanks for your time reading this.

Jason

tl;dr 95%Biz/5%Tech guy looking for a Tech guy. btw Japan.

I’m endlessly amused by my little Nike+ Avatar at http://blog.webnet-it.co.jp/about, which has been digitally chiding me for not going for runs. Here are a sample of quotes :

• I’ve turned into a couch potato! I need to run.
• (While idly playing paddleball) I’d trade these paddleball skills for a run any day.
• (While idly playing paddleball) If only I practise running like I practice paddleball.
• All this lack of running is making me sluggish.
• …. and more !

I’m tempted to not go for a run for another few weeks, just to see what he says !

Reading this article about how Bill Gates released a jar of mosquitos into the audience, and I came upon this quote, which made me smile :

Microsoft, of course, is no stranger to bugs and their effects on helpless, unsuspecting victims. Think Vista and you get my point.

Heres hoping that Windows 7 has at least equal speed, reliability and driver support as Windows XP. After trying the beta, I liked the interface and snappy response, but I couldn’t get my 3G modem to work, which doesn’t make me optimistic.

I was one of the first to try Vista, and was unable to get basic functions to work on my business model Dell Latitude laptop (volume controls, proper video drivers, hibernation, USB devices). No problem, I thought. New drivers will soon be released and my laptop will automatically update, then everything will be fine. I gave up after 3 extremely annoying weeks. Using XP felt like heaven after the Vista’s frustrating response time and ill-advised ‘new’ interface.

On the subject : Having 7 different versions of Windows is a move that has been widely panned. Why, Microsoft? Home/Professional is all that is required. We should be working to reduce complexity in IT, rather than the opposite.

200 meters…

100 meters…

“Good job, that was your longest workout yet!” Lance Armstrong warmly congratulated me as I collapsed against the wall trying to find my breath.

I’m not leaving Webnet to train for the next Tour de France with Lance Armstrong.  I’m using Nike+ iPod, a tool that will make a big difference in your life if you have trouble finding time to exercise. And if you have any iPod nano or a 2nd generation iPod touch, it could be available to you immediately for as little as 2,100 yen ($21).

All of this came from a lunch about 3 months ago with a Webnet staff member.  He was telling me about his goal, to be able to run a full 42 kilometer marathon in Sydney, Australia.   I listened to him talk about his training schedule, and how he’s managed to train himself up to run 10 kilometers at an ever increasing pace.

“Until I could run 10 kilometers, I could never understand the real joy of running.  It’s incredible,” he said, shaking his head at the difficulty in putting his feelings about running into words.

A short time later, I began a crunch period at work.  I was working early mornings and late nights, sometimes 18+ hours a day.  Any gym time, exercise or sports that I’d previously enjoyed were gobbled up by a series of important projects.  It didn’t take long for me to feel the effects of this work schedule.  Without regular exercise and a chance to decompress, I began to feel restless and on-edge.  Worst of all, my productivity started dropping.

About a month after this period began, I I wandered into the Apple section of a computer hardware store, and noticed a product with a picture of a sensor and a shoe.  I went back to the office and did a web search on “Nike+”.

Technology powered running.  Created by Apple.  Retail cost 3,400 yen.  Mental flashback to my colleague talking passionately about the joy of running.

I was instantly sold.   I’ve been using Nike+ for around a week now.  Let me take you through it.

How To Use It

• Get an iPod nano, or a 2nd generation iPod touch.  If you have an old iPod nano that you haven’t used for a while, like I did, you will need to update it to the latest firmware version.  This firmware update is automatic upon connection to iTunes.
• Purchase the Nike+ iPod sports kit. Retail is 3,400 yen, but I picked mine up on Yahoo Auction Japan for 2,100 yen.



• Purchase Nike+ running shoes that include a slot for the sensor (available from 7,900 yen), or simply strap the sensor to your shoe.  The results are identical, but make sure the sensor is firmly attached, and is facing up.  If you go for the Nike+ shoes, look for this Nike+ logo.  This indicates that there is a hole inside the shoe where the red sensor goes.



• Create an account at the Nike+ website. You can also create goals at this point, such as “I want to run 5 times in 2 weeks”, or “I want to burn 1000 calories”.  You can even create a little jogging avatar of yourself in the style of Nintendo Wii.  You can then display this guy on your blog or on Facebook.  Heres my attempt at me :



• Activate Nike+iPod before your workout by either distance, time, calories or basic (just running without a specific limiter), and listen to your chosen play list during your workout.
• Connect your iPod to your PC.  It then immediately synchronises your workout information, and makes it available on your profile.  You have the option of making this profile public, as I have done.

Screenshots and Pictures

The sensor goes into your shoe like so :

And the interface on the iPod Nano looks like this :

Thanks Dexigner for these clear and easy to understand images showing the function of the Nike+ iPod.

Here are some images that I created.  These are screen captures of the Nike+ Flash Interface.  You can view my Nike+ profile at this link.

Verbal Feedback

On top of this, if you activate you workout by distance, time or calories, a voice gives you helpful and motivating updates during your workout, such as :

Distance Based Workout : “1 kilometer completed.” and “Halfway point.  3 kilometers to go.”

Time Based Workout : “20 minutes completed.”

Calorie Based Workout : “300 calories burned”

Status report : If you press the center button while you’re running, you get a status report : “12 minutes, 13 seconds completed.  Distance : 2.4 kilomeres.  Current pace, 5 minutes 45 seconds per kilometer”

Summary

I set this up last week, and its a perfect example of taking technology and implementing it in a creative ways to make an impact on your life.  At its most basic level, the Nike+ is a glorified pedometer.  However I’ve found this to be the perfect tool for getting me to go out and exercise for the following reasons :

• I can go for a run at any time of the day or night.  No matter how busy you are, you should be able to find 30 minutes every 2 days to escape
• It’s completely free once you get the initial equipment (although after 1000 active hours, you may need to buy another inexpensive sensor)
• The distance and speed are surprising accurate, which gives me a good idea of how I’m going and whether or not I’m improving
• I can see all of my runs in easy to understand graphs which are a pleasure to use
• I can even make a link to my recent runs in the sidebar of this blog.  Check it out, its on the left hand side.
• I now have accountability that everyone can see my profile and my graph!

I can’t recommend this product enough for busy people who need to be regularly exercising, or for people who want greater insight, motivation and information about their training programs.

Came across the below image recently, and it struck a chord :

Being a technology junkie, one of the best things about working in IT company is always being able to get hands-on with the new toys, gadgets, phones, software, PCs, servers, routers and so on.

However once the novelty wears off,  the next step is to take these gadgets and figure out how to use them to improve personal or business life.  Then we share these benefits with fellow Webnet IT staff members and our clients.

For instance, here is my current phone :

After modifications, upgrades and experimentation, here are some of the things I’ve configured my SmartPhone to do :

• use voice recognition with my Bluetooth headset to immediately dial the office and regularly dialed numbers
• listen to music and display pictures (naturally!)
• download a Word document proposal on the go, make a few edits, and send it off again
• enter a new contact in Outlook, including a phone number.  15 seconds later, the contact and phone number are automatically synchronised to the phone
• display weather for every day in the week
• download all of my work emails and personal emails, and keep them separate
• act as a English/Japanese dictionary
• help me study Kanji and Japanese phrases
• find a song title quickly with only a couple of words from the chorus
• take pictures of a funny English sign, and email a friend overseas in 5 seconds flat
• act as a remote control for my television (or the gym television if you disagree with the stations)
• give me a choice of two different train routes to get to my destination, the fastest and the cheapest
• keep me updated with the latest news around the world while I’m on the train, and
• Use Skype to talk to my family for free through my home WiFi connection.

This is a great example of taking an every-day device - a phone you can purchase in 30 minutes at Bic Camera, and unlocking its potential in ways that can make a serious impact on your life.

This is with technology that is over 2 years old.  The capabilities of a well configured iPhone these days make this list look anemic.

I’m looking forward to writing more articles like this and explaining how I use common, or not-so-common technology to make sizable improvements in my personal lifestyle and business productivity.

** While I was writing this post, I got an email from Amazon : “Top 10 Deals in Electronics”.  It’s nice to be understood, even if it’s only by the Amazon recommendation engine.

My name is Jason Winder and I run Webnet IT.

A very brief biography : I’ve been running Webnet IT for almost 6 years, and I’ve been in Japan for 7 years.  I came over originally to study martial arts, and I ended up running an IT services company.

I’m a huge technology enthusiast, and I believe in making both our business and personal lives better, easier, more efficient and more fun through generous application of all sorts of technology !

I’m on a continuous quest to improve myself, Webnet IT, and the services we offer to our customers.

Here is a list of things I’m planning to do with this blog :

• Create my own little virtual soapbox to talk about things I find interesting, focusing on entrepreneurship and business
• Talk about Japan IT and Japanese IT trends
• Discussing IT requirements for small to medium sized businesses in Japan
• Improve my writing skills.  My goal is to make this blog so incredibly captivating that you can’t help but subscribe on the spot !
• Talk about open-source projects useful for small/medium size businesses
• Get some feedback from IT managers, Presidents or Japan Country managers about IT services and how we can improve or supplement our services

Here are some ideas I will be writing up for future posts :

• Better Living Through Technology - some extremely useful tools I use on a daily basis to make my life easier (an update to my old article hosted here)
• Open Source - All of the Open Source products we use at Webnet IT, why we use them, and how they can hugely benefit you
• IT Consulting in Tokyo - why it’s different, and how we approach it
• Serviced Offices - what are they for, and when should you use them
• Online Backup - why you’re at risk if you haven’t considered an off-site backup of your data

Thanks for reading.  Hope to see you again soon.

Jason