Sneaky Business

Is New Home Robot Doomed From The Start?

Every once in a while a seemingly rational company missteps badly with a new product launch. The CEO, perhaps intoxicated by the charms of a persuasive consulting team, or just giddy from the prospect of global domination, decides to boldly go in a new, exciting direction.

Back in the 1980's the Sinclair C5 proved that Sir Clive Sinclair, a genius with an apparently sane grasp of market economics, was not immune to product craziness. His little-red-wagon styled personal electric vehicle was widely ridiculed and laughed off the road.

More recently Palm's Folio debacle produced a collective sense of "Oh My God!" from investors. Fortunately Palm's CEO yanked it out of the pipeline before more harm was done.

This week iRobot stepped into the fray with two new product launches. The Looj, an extension to their robotic cleaning systems, is quite happy crawling down gutters removing unwanted leaf build-up. This makes sense - and sits neatly alongside their Scooba and Roomba products.

The ConnectR however is a completely different robotic beast. The systems is billed as a "telepresence" system that you leave at home, then control remotely from across the internet. (Not to be confused with Cisco's corporate Telepresence products - though it would be nice if the two were interoperable). The robot roams around your house under your control, providing visual feedback from a webcam and voice communications through built in speakers and a microphone.

What would you want to do with your new $499 remote control? The iRobot site outlines many wonderful possibilities:

Participate in family moments even though you're working late. On a business trip? Read your kids a story and see their faces light up. Join the fun from near or far. Throw a party from a thousand miles away. Tell Fido he's a "good boy" even while you're on vacation.

According to the Washington Post:

IRobot chief executive Colin Angle conducted an unintentionally hilarious demo of the thing in which he, as the traveling businessman, "called" his wife (really, another iRobot exec) by logging into the ConnectR from his laptop and speaking to her through it. She asked him to read the kids a bedtime story, at which point the robot wheeled towards the bedroom. Then a set of pictures portrayed the ConnectR interacting with kids and dogs.

Perhaps Colin Angle should have used his ConnectR to talk with Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer. One of his first tasks after taking the helm of the ailing electronics giant was to can the Aibo robot dog project. Maybe Mr. Angle will be considering the same solution for ConnectR shortly.

8 Disastrous Business Gaffes

It is a fact of life that the more prominent a business person becomes, the more chances exist for them to commit a serious foot-in-mouth gaffe. After a late night discussion session we came up with our list of favorites from recent and ancient business history. They should serve as a lesson to us all:

 

"Ratner's has got very little to do with quality. ... I say so because it's total crap" Gerald Ratner

- The classic Ratner quote, former CEO of Ratner's Jewellers. Gave birth to the phrase "Doing a Ratner", 1991

 

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."

- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

 

"I like Mackey's haircut - I think he looks cute!" Rahodeb

- Quote from the infamous "Rahodeb", a.k.a. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, 2007

 

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"

- H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

 

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

- Western Union internal memo, 1876

 

"Some of our city center stores are vast open deserts with nobody there." Gerald Corbett

- Woolworths' UK CEO Gerald Corbett, commenting on progress at his stores, 2002

 

"Very few of our customers have to wear suits to work. They'll be for his first interview or first court case"

- David Shepherd, brand director of the clothing chain Topman elaborating on his claim that his customers were hooligans, 2001

"I guess that's why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet." Bill Gates
- After a 'new and improved' Windows 98-running PC crashed leaving a 'Blue Screen Of Death' during a demonstration in front of about a thousand reporters and live on CNN, 1998

 

 

 

Building A Better Business Silo

Communication between business silos is often cited as a key barrier to more effective cross-company collaboration. Indeed, in a recent survey by DayNovo Consulting 25% of respondents admitted to not knowing the existence of overlapping business teams, while 15% thought that their group represented the entire company.

Now a company in Washington State may have the perfect opportunity for an aspiring startup to break the mould. According to the BBC:

A former US intercontinental ballistic missile base - with a network of underground tunnels and silos, but no nuclear warheads - is on sale on eBay for $1.5m (£750,000, 1.06m euros).

Located in a remote corner of Washington state and still ringed by its original barbed-wire-topped fence, the 56-acre site is being marketed as a "gorgeous" property and potential resort.

Bari Hotchkiss, who bought the site ten years ago, see tremendous opportunity: "The only limit is imagination. We've always wanted to see it turn into a summer camp or as a secure company facility."

Below ground is a huge complex consisting of 16 buildings and thousands of feet of connecting tunnels.  The major underground structures are:

1. Three - 160' Tall Missile Silos

2. Three - 4 story Equipment Terminal Buildings

3. Three - Fuel Terminal Buildings

4. Two - 6 story Antenna Silos

5. One Air Intake/Filtration Building

6. One 100' diameter Control Dome Building

7. One 125' diameter Power Dome Building

8. One - 6 story Entry Portal Building

9. and a few other misc buildings and areas.

Has there ever been a better opportunity to establish effective, secure barriers between bickering teams? Or how about using the site for that new "stealth mode" startup, prior to its launch?

Interested parties (and they stress, only interested parties) should apply at www.themissilebase.com

8 Disastrous Advertising Slogans

We just had to share some of these horror stories from the world of advertising. Remember; if you’re going local with your ad always test it with someone on the ground first.

• Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."
• Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "manure stick".
• The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling Free", was translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
• Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.
• An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).
• In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."
• Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.
• Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "it takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate."

Surviving The Five Questions That Can Sink Your Job Interview

Getting through the first thirty seconds of a job interview is critical. In the interviewer's mind it gives you the "right to advance" (whatever that means). However, preparing for the main body of the interview is equally as important.

At our recent "Career Advice" offsite (hosted beneath the Grand Tetons), the Sneaky Business team distilled our own thoughts on interview success. The following represents our collective advice on how best to survive the five most likely curveball questions that will come your way during the interview.

Question 1: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Likely implication: Don't even think about saying you want to be in my chair.

Advice: Stay realistic in your response. Aiming for four promotions and a shot at general manager is unlikely to happen (unless you are coming in at GM level). However, you should also convey some sense of ambition. "I'd see myself well established in the role I'm interviewing for" probably won't cut it. Candidates should avoid value driven / aspirational responses at all costs. For example, "I'd see myself as a more well rounded individual" or "I'd like to think I will have created a unique role in the corporate psyche" sound nice, but hopelessly fluffy. Avoid fluff - except as a last resort.

Question 2: What are your key weaknesses?

Likely implication: If you join I will know your weakest points and exploit them wherever possible.

Advice: Pick a low number (not zero, ideally somewhere between 1 and 2) and have a very well prepared answer in hand. Ideally you should practice your response with a trained psychologist beforehand to assess the merits of your chosen words. Variations are possible depending upon location of interview, corporate culture and heritage of the interviewer. For example, Serbian investment bankers would fully expect a "I have no known weaknesses" response; the merest hint of culpability will likely result in a forcible ejection from the interview room.

Question 3: What makes you our ideal candidate?

Likely implication: Nobody's perfect. Don't even think about saying that you are.

Advice: Having an intimate knowledge of both the role you are interviewing for and the interviewer is critical for this question. Talking to friends in the hiring company, reviewing publicly available information on the hiring group and analyzing the job posting word by word are important first steps. However, the serious candidate should go at least one stage further. Understand why the previous holder of the open position moved on. Talk to them and their family to assess their own failings and weaknesses. Above all else, understand what the hiring manager would like to see in that role. And then start your response with the timeless entree of "Well, nobody's perfect, but......"

Question 4: Describe a failure or setback in your career.

Likely implication: I want to know why you really didn't get promoted.

Advice: The standard advice here is to pick an example of a limited failure where you can demonstrate your ability to turn around a situation. The stock answer would should convey some sense of humility, and then describe a positive attitude in building a better future. Sneaky Business believes this approach is safe, but rather dull. An alternative stratagem involves choosing a business-related setback, and placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of other individuals. This Cheney-styled approach clearly explains  the outcome of the setback, but offers up no sense of guilt and no reason to take correctional steps. The best example would demonstrate how you subsequently tracked down the responsible individuals and placed  career-limiting obstacles in their way.

Question 5: How do we know you will be committed to this job?

Likely implication: You and I both know that if you get this job you're only going to be passing through. But let's see what kind of lame gloss you can put on your answer to make me believe in your loyalty.

Advice: If you have a track-record of staying the course in previous roles then leverage this fully. However, many candidates nowadays have spent the last ten years flitting from company to company like a malcontent gypsy. Understanding the culture of the hiring company can help. As can having a detailed knowledge of the interviewer's own career history. "I expect to be as loyal and committed to this role as you have been during your last five years" is guaranteed to raise an eyebrow. "I expect to stay loyal until a better offer comes along" followed by a pause then a confident laugh is a much riskier response.

How To Nail That Job Interview In The First Thirty Seconds

We all know that first impressions count, right? Recent research by Day Novo Consulting has confirmed just that. Their "Interviewing In The 21st Century" survey revealed that a bad entrance is the single most important factor in interview failure. So much so that most interviewers have already made up their minds on a candidate in the first thirty seconds.

So, what can a mere mortal do to get past that first important milestone? We at Sneaky Business have sifted through our own extensive experience of interview success and failure to bring you our collective set of do's and don'ts for making a great first impression.

Do's:

• Check your appearance: An unsightly piece of spinach (typically in the teeth, or more worryingly elsewhere on your person), the coffee-stained shirt or  disheveled tie can go a long way to diminishing your personal capital. Always check clothes, face and shoes before entering the interview room. Even better, if the chance arises to create a slight diversion (for example by commenting on the unusually hirsute appearance of the interviewer's wife in his desk photo), you should also check once inside the interviewer's office.
• Confirm the name / role / sex of your interviewer: Always confirm basic details before entering the interview. If one of the elements is unexpected try to not appear surprised, or even shocked. "Good God, you're a man!" is a phrase that you will probably only get to use once.
• Greet the interviewer warmly but professionally: Greetings should be positive, sincere and culturally appropriate. "Pleased to meet you", "It's a pleasure to be here" and "Thanks for inviting me" are usually acceptable. It is critical to research the culture of both the company and the hiring manager before arriving. For example, Estonian investment bankers would expect a more forceful entrance along the lines of "The pleasure is all yours". Southern European marketers may accept a brief kiss to the right cheek - never to the left (a sign of the Devil). And Finnish interviewers would expect a small, personal gift (always something homemade - never, never anything from a chain store).
• Remain calm - even under a blistering opening salvo of questions: Most interviewers will be more than happy to warm up the candidate before settling in to the meat of the discussion. However some individuals, and certain professions (such as investment banking), may favor the "Rolling Thunder" approach. Be prepared for hard-nosed openers such as "So, why should I spend thirty minutes of my time with you?" or "How on earth did you get through the screening process?". Occasionally a trick question may be used to throw the candidate off balance. Leeward Stochs, an investment bank, often opens an interview by asking why the candidate is well qualified for a different role. McBainsey, a consultancy, will sometimes start questions in an foreign language such as Latvian to test the candidate's response.

Don'ts:

• Turn Your Back On The Interviewer: During the first minute or so (and for the interview in general) it is important to maintain a forward facing composure. Resist the urge to rotate the interview chair (if it offers that capability). Never look over your shoulder, particularly if a large clock is placed behind you on the wall (the subtle use of a bicycle mirror is acceptable if done swiftly). Above all else, do not retrace your steps to the doorway under any circumstances.

(Case example - a McBainsey candidate, upon realizing he had trodden "dirt" into the hiring manager's office, panicked and turned back towards the door. Realizing this strategy would not help, he turned once more and walked back to the manager's desk. Needless to say he did not get the offer, but was presented with a $500 carpet cleaning bill.)

• Joke About The Name Of The Interviewer: As tempting as it may be, when presented with an unusually humorous name, the candidate must never seek the light hearted comment. "What were your parents thinking?" or "How did you survive childhood with that name?" are extremely high risk statements.
• Ask For Another Chair: Generally a candidate should accept the chair that is offered, even if it places the interviewer in a clear power position (for example, six inches higher or with their back to a bright window). However, there are exceptions. A chair that is clearly broken or dangerous can be refused. As can a chair that is not facing the interviewer. The "wobbly leg" is a gray area - depending upon the severity of the imbalance. A general rule of thumb is to use your thumb - if you can insert it between the leg and floor then something should be said. Asking for a wedge item from the interviewer's desk is acceptable - though never use his or her business cards.
• Bring Food or Beverages Into The Interview: In an age when Starbucks coffee cups are practically fused to our skin it can be difficult to remain without them, even for a thirty minute interview. However, it is critical to leave the latte outside of the interview room. Consumption can create facial embarrassments (e.g. foam lips, chocolate stains) and carries with it the inherent risk of a spillage catastrophe. Candidates with a severe caffeine dependency are encouraged to apply a caffeine-patch below their clothing approximately fifteen minutes before the interview begins. Always check the dosage, and never up the octane for a critical interview.

While this list is not exhaustive, it should provide an edge for candidates looking for interview inspiration.

Do you have any additional gems of insight? Sneaky Business would be keen to hear about them in the comments below.