STOP... collaborate and listen!

For those who follow this blog, let me take some time to STOP and say:

THANK YOU FOR MY iPHONE!!!!

Yes, I finally got it and no I did not wait in line on Friday — waited till Sunday and only waited about an hour. I am so amazed with what Apple has done with this phone. It is absolutely amazing - check out the video for yourself. My favorite is the App Store - there are hundreds of free and pay applications that you can download. Thus far, I have 42 apps on my iPhone. Some of my favorites are:

Where - search for nearest Starbucks, Gas Stations, among other items.
Pandora - listen to music that suites your fancy.
AirMe - take pictures and upload to Flickr. (see my photos)
Facebook - for obvious reasons.

And a lot more you can learn about on the Apple site.

As I think about the process and development efforts that came into creating the iPhone and more importantly all of it's functionality, I often wonder what it was like sitting in "the room" with Steve Jobs and R&D, Marketing, etc.? They had to totally "Think Different." (pun intended) But seriously, first of all, it doesn't really mirror any phone that's out there and to some extent not even their desktop or laptop units. The fact that you can scroll, type, and engage at the touch of a finger or the tilt of your wrist is astounding. I can spend hours wearing down the battery and never make a call. That's a total experience - check email, RSS feeds, send photos online, listen to music, watch videos on You Tube and even use it as an overpriced flashlight - really. I can't wait to see what move Apple makes next with it's laptops and other technologies. While there are some weaknesses; overall, I give it two thumbs up.

With that, it's worth the STOP to think if maybe this is the PROCESS they took:




For the past year and a half, I have spent a great deal of time helping to launch a social network for teachers - WeAreTeachers.com. This video totally mimics our daily grind. Countless meeting have been very similar to this situation. Yes, I'm the blond girl - always wanting to come back and add one more item; insert the URL address, add some community feel and so on. While I think it's great to incorporate Web 2.0 tools and technologies and make the most whiz bang product, it's equally important to "keep it simple stupid" and I think far to often we miss that point in whatever line of work we do or even in our own personal lives.

I really do think that there is a lot to be learned here. One the simplicity in the design and applications of the iPhone and the humorous reminder of The Process video not to over think every situation. Learn to STOP... collaborate and listen.