when you care enough to click send

someecard

Bigfoot, the Easter Bunny and a funny e-card walk into a bar…

I hate greeting cards. There, I said it. They just simply don’t have the right tone. Funny comes out corny. Serious is almost always off the mark. Have you ever been moved or changed by any card off the rack at the drugstore or Target? Laughed so hard you cried?

I didn’t think so.

E-cards aren’t much better. Since the first e-cards with flashing candles and jumping cartoon elephants, 99% haven’t evolved much.

Enter someecards.com. Admittedly, these cards aren’t for everyone, but that’s precisely what makes them great. If the bitingly sarcastic humor looks familiar, it is. someecards.com was co-founded by a team that includes Brook Lundy, a former writer for The Onion. The company’s tagline is a self-deprecating poke at Hallmark: “when you care enough to hit send”.

In a historically tough business, they became profitable back in 2007. In April of 2008, they raised $350K from Betaworks and angel investor Chris Sacca. To increase revenue, someecards.com is now rolling out video e-cards and incorporating branded advertising on cards with popular shows like Weeds and Bridezilla.

artist

By being willing to be on the edge, someecards has created a product that people talk about. Ideas that spread, win and someecards designed a remarkable product that by it’s very nature, is something that spreads.

Viral is built in. Because the cards are remarkable, every customer becomes an involuntary salesperson simply by using the product.

Brilliant.

Specific goals

Finish LIne

I was recently at my annual guys’ weekend with my brothers and a bunch of our college friends. To combat the inevitable 72 hour deviation from anything resembling a healthy diet, my friend Scott and I ran a 3.5 mile loop two of the three mornings.

Scott was looking trim and in shape (and was running circles around me), so I asked if he had been running or working out a lot lately. His response was worth repeating here.

He said that instead of the traditional New Year’s resolution of “losing weight” or “exercising more”, he made a specific goal of running five sanctioned road races in 2009, with a minimum length being a 5K and the goal of one of them being (at least) a half-marathon.

Pretty specific, huh?

If he trained more often, the races would be easier. If he procrastinated and didn’t train, the races would be hell.

So far, Scott has only run one of his five races but because he knows there are four more coming, he keeps making time to train and keep in shape.

As Zig Ziglar would say, are you a “meaningful specific” or a “wandering generality”?

Magic moments

magic-moment

Snapping the perfect photograph.

Getting on Oprah.

The right article in the right magazine in the right industry at the right time.

The unexpected presentation that wows everyone at the conference and has them buzzing for weeks.

The right licensing deal with the right partner.

The perfect product launch (getting on Oprah might be easier).

The right investment at the right time from just the right investor.

The YouTube video that makes you a household name. Overnight.

You don’t get many magic moments in the life of your business, although some people put themselves in position for way more than others. That old saying, “the harder I work, the luckier I get” is more true than not. Magic moments don’t follow Steve Jobs around. He creates them.

Sometimes, magic moments aren’t so obvious. Will you recognize your magic moment when it happens? Will you be prepared?

Most importantly, what are you doing today to increase the likelihood of it happening?

Don't eat the marshmallow

In this excellent video from TED U, Joachim de Posada shows how delayed gratification can be a great predictor of future success.

Could you have restrained yourself from eating the marshmallow?

marshmallow