Should slides in a deck have boring solid colored backgrounds or images/snazzy backgrounds?

Should slides in a deck have boring solid colored backgrounds or images/snazzy backgrounds? Very much depends on 1) your goal, and 2) your audience.

If you are speaking at a conference, big visuals and builds can be quite powerful as they are fun / captivating. For big audiences, the message is as important as its delivery.

If you are speaking to investors or partners, too much imagery can come across as too much 'fluff'. I read dozens of decks each week - as most investors do - and have seen a trend towards text and product screenshots.

I generally believe simpler is better. And I generally like to feel as though more care was put into the content than the colors. Just my two cents!

If you are an investor for an early stage company, do you place more value on 1MM unique visitor or the ability to convert at 5%+ but only 1000 customers?

Trying something new: posting my Quora answers to my blog through the new Wordpress integration... Question: If you are an investor for an early stage company, do you place more value on 1MM unique visitor or the ability to convert at 5%+ but only 1000 customers? My answer: Ryan Spoon, Investor: Polaris Venture Partners

Very much agree with Keith Rabois' answer... with a slight twist: those 1,000,000 users need to have some 'conversion' metric of their own. That does not need to be upgrade / purchase rate; instead, it could mean engagement of some sort (usage, return, etc). It needs to show that the audience is active and lasting.

For most properties, it is easier to optimize for conversion than it is to optimize for growth. Reaching 5% conversion rate is promising but not necessarily extraordinary. Reaching 1,000,000 uniques (or more impressively: users) distinguishes yourself as a major audience.

Calling Developers! Dogpatch Desk for Chrome Extension =)

Attention developers:

I am looking to have a Chrome Extension / Application built and am willing to host you at Dogpatch Labs (http://www.dogpatchlabs.com) during the build... or longer depending on the result / your interest! It's a straightforward concept that would aid my daily work. And because nothing else similar is available, it would be unique and, dare I say, innovative.

If interested - please drop me a line at rspoon at polarisventures.com with Chrome App in the title.

Dogpatch Labs Updates Heading into 2011

As we head into 2010 winds up and we head into 2011, there is a lot of terrific news coming out of Dogpatch Labs. Here is a sampling from just the last couple weeks in Dogpatch Labs San Francisco. Of course, I have missed several exciting updates... and I apologize! We look forward to a terrific 2011! There are several great new companies and entrepreneurs joining in January. Dogpatch Labs New York is currently taking applications (apply here) and you can always drop me a note for San Francisco here.

End of 2010 Dogpatch Labs Updates:

- Movity was acquired by Trulia earlier in the week (Movity is also a Polaris company). Read more...

- Instagram hit 1,000,000 users. Read more...

- Curated shopping site Everlane soft launched this week

- Trazzler launched a deal platform specifically for travel

- ChompOn launched a couple killer partners. Read more....

- Cardpool released a new marketplace version yesterday. Read more...

- Stickybits released a totally new iphone version to great brand feedback (Note: a Polaris company). Read more...

- Frid.ge released an enhanced version of http://frid.ge, including full email integration (Note: a Polaris company)

- AllTrails has the #1 noteworthy iphone app in travel. Download here...

- Fanvibe released a new iphone version and NBA integration. Read more...

- Yardsellr and Formspring recently closed follow on rounds of funding. (Note: Formspring is a Polaris company) Read more here and here...

Christmas Day: Largest iTunes App Download Day. By A Factor.

Apple is preparing its users for Christmas with an onslaught of App promotions. I received the lengthy email this morning (as did millions of others) and its a monstrous, editorialized list of applications (favorites, starter kit, promotions, etc). Why today? Because for most developers, Christmas represents the largest day for app downloads. People are given iPods, iPhones, iPads, and iTunes gift cards - and that results in the year's most active day of app downloads... by far.

While running InGameNow (which did 500,000+ app downloads), nothing came close to Christmas day (measured by downloads). It was larger than any other day by multiples!

So this is Apple's attempt to help folks download great applications (and lots of them) on their new devices. And it is yet another indication that the apps are the marketing channel for these devices.

Exclusivity And Facebook Fan Pages - Whats the Incentive?

Over the summer I wrote about the four keys to Facebook page marketing: authenticity, consistency, regularity and engagement. Particularly for those in the e-commerce space... and for those trying to tackle "social shopping"... there is a fifth: exclusivity.

I am not sure that 'exclusivity' is the best word, but the point is twofold:

1. Why should I become a fan? as you think about 'acquiring' fans - what is the incentive? 2. How do you drive engagement?

Exclusivity is the key to both. Portfolio company ShoeDazzle is terrific at this: their 500,000+ Facebook fans get special insights, contests, and behind the scenes access.

I was reminded of this by an email from Rue La La today... who are selling exclusive products today only to Facebook fans:

Facebook's Latest "Friend Finder" - Universal Login

I have written several times about Facebook's continued promotion of the Friend Finder tool ... which one attempt by Facebook to encourage user invites. Here is the latest Friend Finder 'widget' which sits on the right column of your newsfeed (underneath the Events and above Sponsored unit). Two things are worth noting:

First - and most noticeably - there is no call out for particular services (like AOL, GMail, Skype, etc). It appears to be a universal login. This is bold, creative and mildly confusing. I am not sure that I would know what credentials to login with... and I *am* sure that, if I found a similar widget' on off-Facebook.com, I would absolutely not enter anything (particularly true if on Gawker!).

Second, I really like the creative. The social content makes it hyper-targeted: "Friend XYZ found you and N more friends using the friend finder." I love how it tells you which friend(s) connected specifically with you via the tool. Ahh... the power of social ads and targeting.

Facebook Photo Zoom Chrome Extension: Applied to the Web?

I have been playing with several Chrome extensions and applications... and while several are great utilities / efficiency improvements, one in particular has made me rethink web experience: Facebook Photo Zoom. It's function is simple: hover over any photo on Facebook and the high resolution version instantly appears:

It is very intuitive: turn the extension on and no other configuration is needed. And from there, the interaction is natural, lightweight and fast.

It is responsive: some sites have tried to integrate big visuals but the interaction is sluggish and therefore painful to use. Perhaps because of its simplicity or perhaps because it is built on Chrome, Facebook Photo Zoom moves as quickly as Facebook.

It prevents distractions: rather than having to visit a new page for every photo, the expansion occurs within the feed.

And it is fun: bigger, higher resolution imagery improves the feed experience and still allows for serendipitous browsing.

I have caught myself on e-commerce sites wondering why this experience isn't duplicated (even in less-bold ways). For product browsing and education, something along these lines makes sense.