In one of my previous posts, I talked about my love of etymology. Going throughout my life I had always taken the time to look up the roots of words, because they usually were predated by other words in other languages that have the same general meaning. However, this has not just applied to their roots in Latin or Greek, but new phrases that are constantly forming and gaining popularity. In last night's episode of, "How I Met Your Mother", I was yet again introduced to the phrase, "graduation goggles." If you are unaware of what this means, it is just another way of taking a look back at the things you disliked while you were going through it and after it's done, you have fond memories of the time you spent doing it, much like how many people hate school, but wish they could go back.
With the Boston Marathon coming up this week, I figured this phrase would be fitting to everyone who has trained so hard to get prepared for the big day. With marathon running, it takes a lot of dedication, time, and effort to get prepared. The typical runner has been training a very strict schedule for over 6 months that is geared directly toward this one race. It's not just another milestone, it's the "graduation" of months of preparation, and in my own experience with running, the biggest relief any runner can have before taking the next big step towards the next race.
As most runners would agree though, the training is the part that kills you. There's many days where you do not want to get up and take your body out for hours of grinding the pavement. There's probably often times where you've substituted that unhealthy burger and ice cream option for a sensible cut of baked chicken and possibly lite yogurt. These are the little steps that we hate so much going into the process, but over time they also become the steps that lead us to finishing the race. In general though, they're nary fun at the time and the sacrifice seems too great to appreciate the very small benefit that you receive from doing it.
This applies to almost everything that is ever "worth doing." In a more personal story, I have been using my UpRace to reach my goal to drop 30 pounds since December, in which I weighed in at about 235 pounds. I've been lucky that since I'm of a much bigger stature, it was never truly noticable and most people would never guess that I had become that unhealthy. I'm not going to lie, I hated starting because I missed the foods I craved and the option of eating whatever I wanted. It was usually a mix of eating on the go and food that had been processed as an easy "quick fix." One of the best tips of advice I had received is that I should only eat food that I had prepared myself, and while I hated it early on because the preparing, the cooking, and then the cleaning seemed enormously troublesome, I can fondly look back on it now as an experience to where I know moving forward that I will never reach that high of a weight again.
While we all hit small setbacks at times, the phrase "graduation goggles" should be worn a little bit earlier. The things we dislike most now won't be the same things we dislike when we remember them in the future. No matter what you are trying to reach that seems frustrating or impossible at the time will eventually lead to success and fonder memories in the future. If you're having a hard time making the leap, it's time to put the goggles on.
I'd also like to wish an extra special good luck to all of our marathon friends on Twitter. Wishing you the best of luck at the Boston Marathon!
Compete. Achieve. UpRace
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Make your connections more meaningful, work for something greater. When you cooperate or compete with your team, you’ll achieve more. UpRace gives you the tools to transform your social networks into a community of doing. Set real goals. Reach them. Get instant feedback from your team. Challenge them to do the same, and have a blast in the process.
Apr
06 0
06 0
Approaching Your First Marathon
Posted in UpRace by Robert
With the Boston Marathon only a week and a half away and many marathons coming up this year, I wanted to share with you some tips for approaching the marathon. While I'm sure if you have trained for a marathon before, you have created a network of people you have trained with, however with marathoning being a one person accomplishment, you probably are less likely to have talked highly about the day before preparation. From years of running, the night before any race can be intense and most runners are creatures of habit, seldom talking about their full routines. Here's a list I've prepared for the preparation the day before a marathon.
Hopefully you have taken this advice already. If not, there's still time. Whenever running in a big event, it's imperative to walk or jog a major portion of the course so that you have an idea of exactly where you are going. This includes, where to park, where to stop if needed, what the scenery is like. There's a reason why in sports the home team generally wins when all the fields are the same size, it's because they are familiar with the way the playing field lies. If this is not practical due to distance away from the marathon, you can always use google maps and use the street view option to see the surroundings and put yourself there. This gives you the advantage because you are not going into it completely blind, and it's a way to build a plan around reaching your goal time.
Don't run. I can not stress this enough. A habit with most marathoners is that since they have trained so long for their race, the idea of being extra prepared by getting a few miles in before the race would give you an edge and keep you conditioned. In reality, it only hurts your chances of performing. There are very few people who can run long distance every day and still keep fresh for the day when racing comes. So a few days before, relax. Stay hydrated and keep off your feet, you can use the time before the race to do a 20 minute warmup before you start running to run out the kinks.
A major mistake is not eating properly before the race. A lot of runners have a tendency to try and overeat, because they won't be able to stop for a full meal until after the race is finished. However, a large meal from the night before will hang in your stomach while you are running on race day. Since every runner is different with different needs, if you've kept a running log over the course of your journey, go back and look to see what you ate the night before your best distance run leading up to the marathon. This will instill a bit of extra psychological confidence and it may also be exactly what your body needs for fuel before the race.
The day before the race, drink when you are thirsty. If you haven't had a drink of water or sports drink in a couple of hours, drink half a cup to a cup (four to eight ounces) each hour. Don't drink a lot of fluid the morning of the race. This can lead to bathroom breaks during the marathon. Many races have portable toilets around the course, but some don't. A common practice is to drink six to 10 ounces of fluid about two hours before the race. Usually this is out of the system before the start. Practice your drinking routine before and during long runs, and use the pattern that works best for you.
Eating before 6 pm is encouraged, afterward, the choice is yours. If you are hungry, have a light snack you have tested before that has not caused problems. Less is better, but don't go to bed hungry. It's a good idea to have eight ounces of a good electrolyte beverage about two hours before you go to bed the night before your marathon.
In short, take the time to savor the upcoming race and it will be a major success. Even at the event of any setbacks, remember that this is your first time and you will only be better prepared for your next one, and the one after that. Best of luck to all the runners in this years Boston Marathon.
Practice the Course
Hopefully you have taken this advice already. If not, there's still time. Whenever running in a big event, it's imperative to walk or jog a major portion of the course so that you have an idea of exactly where you are going. This includes, where to park, where to stop if needed, what the scenery is like. There's a reason why in sports the home team generally wins when all the fields are the same size, it's because they are familiar with the way the playing field lies. If this is not practical due to distance away from the marathon, you can always use google maps and use the street view option to see the surroundings and put yourself there. This gives you the advantage because you are not going into it completely blind, and it's a way to build a plan around reaching your goal time.
The Days Before
Don't run. I can not stress this enough. A habit with most marathoners is that since they have trained so long for their race, the idea of being extra prepared by getting a few miles in before the race would give you an edge and keep you conditioned. In reality, it only hurts your chances of performing. There are very few people who can run long distance every day and still keep fresh for the day when racing comes. So a few days before, relax. Stay hydrated and keep off your feet, you can use the time before the race to do a 20 minute warmup before you start running to run out the kinks.
Dinner Before The Race
A major mistake is not eating properly before the race. A lot of runners have a tendency to try and overeat, because they won't be able to stop for a full meal until after the race is finished. However, a large meal from the night before will hang in your stomach while you are running on race day. Since every runner is different with different needs, if you've kept a running log over the course of your journey, go back and look to see what you ate the night before your best distance run leading up to the marathon. This will instill a bit of extra psychological confidence and it may also be exactly what your body needs for fuel before the race.
Drinking
The day before the race, drink when you are thirsty. If you haven't had a drink of water or sports drink in a couple of hours, drink half a cup to a cup (four to eight ounces) each hour. Don't drink a lot of fluid the morning of the race. This can lead to bathroom breaks during the marathon. Many races have portable toilets around the course, but some don't. A common practice is to drink six to 10 ounces of fluid about two hours before the race. Usually this is out of the system before the start. Practice your drinking routine before and during long runs, and use the pattern that works best for you.
The Night Before
Eating before 6 pm is encouraged, afterward, the choice is yours. If you are hungry, have a light snack you have tested before that has not caused problems. Less is better, but don't go to bed hungry. It's a good idea to have eight ounces of a good electrolyte beverage about two hours before you go to bed the night before your marathon.
In short, take the time to savor the upcoming race and it will be a major success. Even at the event of any setbacks, remember that this is your first time and you will only be better prepared for your next one, and the one after that. Best of luck to all the runners in this years Boston Marathon.
Mar
23 0
23 0
Places That Need Gamification (Part 2)
Posted in UpRace by Robert
Last week, Lauren Carlson, a writer for Software Advice, wrote an interesting article about adding gamification to SFA. SFA stands for sales force automation, which is a type of program that automates business tasks such as inventory control, sales processing, and tracking of customer interactions, as well as analyzing performance. In that definition alone, we see the very essence of a game that can be made. In the basic structure of any game, whether it be gamification or gaming, there's always the starting variables you have that lead to an outcome that can be measured.
However, as I talked with people about the finer points of SFA this past week, it dawned on me that companies are not adopting SFA, and those who have are not using it to its full capabilities nearly enough. SFA has the power to accurately detect the interactions agents are making with their potential customer. In a time when effectiveness is the only metric that matters, wouldn't it be prudent for companies to adopt software that can make every call count? This is where gamification comes in. By adding gaming components to whatever SFA you use, you can create an environment that is competitive and fun for your employees, lower your costs as a company and will help increase productivity, an issue that has becoming more apparent in recent years.
1. Badges as bonuses.
Taking right from where Lauren left off, using a badge system makes the most sense for any type of SFA. If you take a look back to yesterdays post about theme parks, I talk a little bit about gamer psychology. In the world of sales, agents are known as achievers. They spend their working time trying to call and reach as many customers possible. While it's been thought that most agents do this because they are driven only by commission and bonuses, I would argue that the money is not the best driving incentive for this work. Agents take pride in knowing how many calls they converted and if they are making more calls than their peers. Taking from Daniel Pink's TED talk, the higher the monetary reward, the worse agents will perform. Gamification solves this by changing the incentive from an extrinsic motivator (money) to an intrinsic motivator (earned badges).
http://www.vimeo.com/10242278
2. Virtual points and currency = better motivation.
One of the greatest things I've seen done in the last 5 years with gamification has been the amazing ability to turn cash into virtual currency. However, in the world of SFA, what if we could change this so that we turn virtual currency into actual hard earned cash. As I was saying before, badges can be used as great intrinsic motivators, but points serve a slightly different purpose in a game. These are used to essentially weed out agents who are succeeding and those who are not. By placing an emphasis on different metrics of anything an agent has to do, you can influence these agents to do what needs to be done. If more calls must be made in a month, you can change the game a bit to earn more points for making calls. If it's the completion rate that needs to be changed, then making more completed sales earns you more points.
However, I have another idea. What if you could take your points earned and cash them in for a physical bonus? Earn 5000 points, and get to take a day of vacation. Spend 200 points and get a drawing in the company raffle. Or, if I were running this, I would say you can spend 500 points to get put in a drawing to win a day off from work. The possibilities are endless. The best part about creating a virtual points system is that it can not be compared to other networks, so the emphasis becomes on earning those points and not working directly for a paycheck from week to week.
3. Gamifying of your SFA will change company culture.
Imagine taking your first job working in sales. Your given your profile and you start out with a blank profile and are asked to fill it with small things about yourself. After you're done, you see your name placed on a leaderboard with everyone else you will be "competing" against. You see the top 5 agents with the most accomplishments in your area and then your name. What happens next?
In reality, as people, we have a tendency to imitate the actions that we see the most. That's why if you have ever visited another city that uses a different accent than your own, you are going to begin almost instantly trying to talk like the people you are around. That's because as social beings, we have a need to fit in. So what happens
However, as I talked with people about the finer points of SFA this past week, it dawned on me that companies are not adopting SFA, and those who have are not using it to its full capabilities nearly enough. SFA has the power to accurately detect the interactions agents are making with their potential customer. In a time when effectiveness is the only metric that matters, wouldn't it be prudent for companies to adopt software that can make every call count? This is where gamification comes in. By adding gaming components to whatever SFA you use, you can create an environment that is competitive and fun for your employees, lower your costs as a company and will help increase productivity, an issue that has becoming more apparent in recent years.
1. Badges as bonuses.
Taking right from where Lauren left off, using a badge system makes the most sense for any type of SFA. If you take a look back to yesterdays post about theme parks, I talk a little bit about gamer psychology. In the world of sales, agents are known as achievers. They spend their working time trying to call and reach as many customers possible. While it's been thought that most agents do this because they are driven only by commission and bonuses, I would argue that the money is not the best driving incentive for this work. Agents take pride in knowing how many calls they converted and if they are making more calls than their peers. Taking from Daniel Pink's TED talk, the higher the monetary reward, the worse agents will perform. Gamification solves this by changing the incentive from an extrinsic motivator (money) to an intrinsic motivator (earned badges).
http://www.vimeo.com/10242278
2. Virtual points and currency = better motivation.
One of the greatest things I've seen done in the last 5 years with gamification has been the amazing ability to turn cash into virtual currency. However, in the world of SFA, what if we could change this so that we turn virtual currency into actual hard earned cash. As I was saying before, badges can be used as great intrinsic motivators, but points serve a slightly different purpose in a game. These are used to essentially weed out agents who are succeeding and those who are not. By placing an emphasis on different metrics of anything an agent has to do, you can influence these agents to do what needs to be done. If more calls must be made in a month, you can change the game a bit to earn more points for making calls. If it's the completion rate that needs to be changed, then making more completed sales earns you more points.
However, I have another idea. What if you could take your points earned and cash them in for a physical bonus? Earn 5000 points, and get to take a day of vacation. Spend 200 points and get a drawing in the company raffle. Or, if I were running this, I would say you can spend 500 points to get put in a drawing to win a day off from work. The possibilities are endless. The best part about creating a virtual points system is that it can not be compared to other networks, so the emphasis becomes on earning those points and not working directly for a paycheck from week to week.
3. Gamifying of your SFA will change company culture.
Imagine taking your first job working in sales. Your given your profile and you start out with a blank profile and are asked to fill it with small things about yourself. After you're done, you see your name placed on a leaderboard with everyone else you will be "competing" against. You see the top 5 agents with the most accomplishments in your area and then your name. What happens next?
In reality, as people, we have a tendency to imitate the actions that we see the most. That's why if you have ever visited another city that uses a different accent than your own, you are going to begin almost instantly trying to talk like the people you are around. That's because as social beings, we have a need to fit in. So what happens
Mar
22 0
If you've been reading this blog, you probably have learned a little bit about where I think the future of gamification is going. However, after reading more blogs on the subject, I have seen a glaring hole in that people who write about the topic are stating general concepts and ideas on how to gamify and not doing enough to give concrete examples of how it could work. In this upcoming week of installments, I've decided to take a step out and to gamify places that I think need the touch of a skilled game designer, or at the very least, someone like me.
One of the places in the world I've come to dislike most due to inflated prices, overcrowding, and bit of neurosis, are theme parks. The lines are too long, there's nary a clean restroom, and other than the attractions being changed seasonally, the experience rarely changes from visit to visit. While the first two problems are going to be there, it's the experience that "experts in gamification" are trying to solve.
For my case study, I've decided to take the Magical Kingdom, a place that has made the biggest strides towards gamification and decided to see how we can enhance the experience of attraction goers and thrill seekers just by adding in some simple gaming functions. First things first; We need some very simple equipment.
This is first ever "KingdomPad." (Note: I apologize to readers and Disney, I'm sure you could create better and I implore you to do so.) This piece of technology could fit into your fanny-pack and will give you a large overview of the park as a whole. Having a handheld device that can tell you how many people are in line at any given time, where your favorite Disney characters are located, and constant general updates about maintenance. This would be cool, but I have better things in store for this interesting little device.
What type of gamers are there? Whenever coming up with a new concept for a game idea, one of the first things that comes to mind is to whom does the game appeal to. The next step, and to me the most important, is finding ways to get others involved. When doing this, I always take a look at the Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology to come up with ideas. Loosely stated, there are four types of gamers; You have your achievers, explorers, killers, and the biggest group, your socializers. In short, achievers are constantly earning points, explorers who are looking for new areas, killers are competitors, and then your socializers who want to use the game to watch and meet other people. Socializers fascinate me. They're the people who will hang out at the arcade, play a couple of games, but spend the majority of their time talking and enjoying the experience, and it's these gamers that theme parks could target more often to improve their appeal and create a dynamic experience.
Onto the gaming. We know the gamers, we have some technology, let's build some theme park games. I chose Disney World for a reason, because it already has game concepts installed, even though I hardly think it realizes their potential. One of the coolest aspects of Disney, as a game designer, is the hidden Mickeys that have been placed throughout the park. If you've been, you may have seen one or two, but it's rare that people find all of them, yet surely, everyday, people in the park will spend the day exploring to find every single one. So let's turn this into a social game. Every morning, Disney could get a group of people together and offer them a chance to win free Disney gear and discounts for taking a picture of all the Mickey's in the park in the least amount of time. In turn, their job would be to upload the photos. Here's where we can make it interesting. You have thousands of people in the park, so let's get them involved. Every time you enter the park, you are given a team to help discover the Mickeys, and using your KingdomPad you are constantly sending messages to your teams about their location in exchange for if your team wins, you get a discounted price on future admission (Note: I'm always talking about incentives and some might think this will diminish profit, in reality, it increases it by increasing buying power, so long term, more money is spent on Disney products). This gives socializers something to watch and your explorers something to do. This can be translated even further to more dynamic moving targets such as your Disney theme characters. Getting reported sightings
22 0
Places That Need Games (Part 1)
Posted in UpRace by RobertIf you've been reading this blog, you probably have learned a little bit about where I think the future of gamification is going. However, after reading more blogs on the subject, I have seen a glaring hole in that people who write about the topic are stating general concepts and ideas on how to gamify and not doing enough to give concrete examples of how it could work. In this upcoming week of installments, I've decided to take a step out and to gamify places that I think need the touch of a skilled game designer, or at the very least, someone like me.One of the places in the world I've come to dislike most due to inflated prices, overcrowding, and bit of neurosis, are theme parks. The lines are too long, there's nary a clean restroom, and other than the attractions being changed seasonally, the experience rarely changes from visit to visit. While the first two problems are going to be there, it's the experience that "experts in gamification" are trying to solve.
For my case study, I've decided to take the Magical Kingdom, a place that has made the biggest strides towards gamification and decided to see how we can enhance the experience of attraction goers and thrill seekers just by adding in some simple gaming functions. First things first; We need some very simple equipment.
This is first ever "KingdomPad." (Note: I apologize to readers and Disney, I'm sure you could create better and I implore you to do so.) This piece of technology could fit into your fanny-pack and will give you a large overview of the park as a whole. Having a handheld device that can tell you how many people are in line at any given time, where your favorite Disney characters are located, and constant general updates about maintenance. This would be cool, but I have better things in store for this interesting little device.
What type of gamers are there? Whenever coming up with a new concept for a game idea, one of the first things that comes to mind is to whom does the game appeal to. The next step, and to me the most important, is finding ways to get others involved. When doing this, I always take a look at the Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology to come up with ideas. Loosely stated, there are four types of gamers; You have your achievers, explorers, killers, and the biggest group, your socializers. In short, achievers are constantly earning points, explorers who are looking for new areas, killers are competitors, and then your socializers who want to use the game to watch and meet other people. Socializers fascinate me. They're the people who will hang out at the arcade, play a couple of games, but spend the majority of their time talking and enjoying the experience, and it's these gamers that theme parks could target more often to improve their appeal and create a dynamic experience.
Onto the gaming. We know the gamers, we have some technology, let's build some theme park games. I chose Disney World for a reason, because it already has game concepts installed, even though I hardly think it realizes their potential. One of the coolest aspects of Disney, as a game designer, is the hidden Mickeys that have been placed throughout the park. If you've been, you may have seen one or two, but it's rare that people find all of them, yet surely, everyday, people in the park will spend the day exploring to find every single one. So let's turn this into a social game. Every morning, Disney could get a group of people together and offer them a chance to win free Disney gear and discounts for taking a picture of all the Mickey's in the park in the least amount of time. In turn, their job would be to upload the photos. Here's where we can make it interesting. You have thousands of people in the park, so let's get them involved. Every time you enter the park, you are given a team to help discover the Mickeys, and using your KingdomPad you are constantly sending messages to your teams about their location in exchange for if your team wins, you get a discounted price on future admission (Note: I'm always talking about incentives and some might think this will diminish profit, in reality, it increases it by increasing buying power, so long term, more money is spent on Disney products). This gives socializers something to watch and your explorers something to do. This can be translated even further to more dynamic moving targets such as your Disney theme characters. Getting reported sightings
Mar
16 0
UpRace is a web-based game in which users harness their social networks to set and reach personal goals, and challenge their friends to do the same. It places a game layer on real achievements, creates positive peer groups to increase motivation, and rewards users with substantial incentives for accomplishing personally and socially valuable goals. UpRace takes the idea that social networks influence our behavior and turns it into a community that achieves more, and constantly builds on those achievements. The result is a fun, accessible, scalable platform that gives users a positive experience and does some good in the process.
http://www.vimeo.com/17108425
UpRace was created for people to feel good about themselves and to create an environment that allows people to share common goals and achievements among team members. UpRace is not another social network; it is a community. UpRace wants to make real connections and share meaningful information with others. UpRace also wants you to get and give rewards for your achievements.
The idea for creating UpRace came to us while CEO Greg Santos and I were talking about the future implications of major social networks, like Twitter and Facebook. While those networks have done amazing things with the ability to create your life online and to get instant feedback on major news stories, there is a significant population on both networks who use it to share stories about personal accomplishments. However, most of these accomplishments that get shared are either met with a couple of likes or very little feedback. This is where UpRace was born. We realized early on that we can build a community for people to share their daily accomplishments and get instant feedback from other users on how to take the next step towards their next accomplishment. UpRace uses aspects of game theory, gamification, psychology, along with tapping into social knowledge to create a unique experience for every person that is trying to achieve anything.
UpRace is a unique technology because while all other sites in our area have taken a "one size fits all" approach, we have realized that a systematic approach does not work for everyone. On most health and wellness sites, you earn incentives and points for completing tasks that may not be in within your ability, or may be too easy to attain. However, with UpRace using a uniquely measured UpVote system, we let the community decide how much each accomplishment is worth. At UpRace, every mile ran, every pound lost, every single goal achieved is weighed based on how many points other people choose to give you for accomplishing what you can do. We aren't in the business of making everyone to be the same, we just want everyone to be better. While we have been building the model towards health and wellness, the concept and idea can easily be translated into many different approaches that include social, work, and education.
This is why we have decided to make a formal entry into the MassChallenge accelerator program. While the technology is online, it has shown amazing implications for real world activities. We've already started seeing through our beta testing, UpRace has been used for people to share their goals and aspirations with others to form bonds that have gotten people to quit smoking, join the gym, and to succeed in their daily lives. This has translated into creating people who are happier with themselves and better able to learn how to reach areas in their lives that were thought to be unattainable. With an expanded network and in some time, UpRace will reach its own goals of becoming a community in which people visit to fulfill their dreams.
16 0
UpRace enters MassChallenge
Posted in UpRace by RobertUpRace is a web-based game in which users harness their social networks to set and reach personal goals, and challenge their friends to do the same. It places a game layer on real achievements, creates positive peer groups to increase motivation, and rewards users with substantial incentives for accomplishing personally and socially valuable goals. UpRace takes the idea that social networks influence our behavior and turns it into a community that achieves more, and constantly builds on those achievements. The result is a fun, accessible, scalable platform that gives users a positive experience and does some good in the process.http://www.vimeo.com/17108425
UpRace was created for people to feel good about themselves and to create an environment that allows people to share common goals and achievements among team members. UpRace is not another social network; it is a community. UpRace wants to make real connections and share meaningful information with others. UpRace also wants you to get and give rewards for your achievements.
The idea for creating UpRace came to us while CEO Greg Santos and I were talking about the future implications of major social networks, like Twitter and Facebook. While those networks have done amazing things with the ability to create your life online and to get instant feedback on major news stories, there is a significant population on both networks who use it to share stories about personal accomplishments. However, most of these accomplishments that get shared are either met with a couple of likes or very little feedback. This is where UpRace was born. We realized early on that we can build a community for people to share their daily accomplishments and get instant feedback from other users on how to take the next step towards their next accomplishment. UpRace uses aspects of game theory, gamification, psychology, along with tapping into social knowledge to create a unique experience for every person that is trying to achieve anything.
UpRace is a unique technology because while all other sites in our area have taken a "one size fits all" approach, we have realized that a systematic approach does not work for everyone. On most health and wellness sites, you earn incentives and points for completing tasks that may not be in within your ability, or may be too easy to attain. However, with UpRace using a uniquely measured UpVote system, we let the community decide how much each accomplishment is worth. At UpRace, every mile ran, every pound lost, every single goal achieved is weighed based on how many points other people choose to give you for accomplishing what you can do. We aren't in the business of making everyone to be the same, we just want everyone to be better. While we have been building the model towards health and wellness, the concept and idea can easily be translated into many different approaches that include social, work, and education.
This is why we have decided to make a formal entry into the MassChallenge accelerator program. While the technology is online, it has shown amazing implications for real world activities. We've already started seeing through our beta testing, UpRace has been used for people to share their goals and aspirations with others to form bonds that have gotten people to quit smoking, join the gym, and to succeed in their daily lives. This has translated into creating people who are happier with themselves and better able to learn how to reach areas in their lives that were thought to be unattainable. With an expanded network and in some time, UpRace will reach its own goals of becoming a community in which people visit to fulfill their dreams.
Mar
09 0
09 0
5 Young Startups With Teeth
Posted in UpRace by Robert
This week has been a huge week in terms of UpRace news. We have just declared our intention to enter into MassChallenge, which in its second year has already become the "American Idol" for startups. We've also had the opportunity to launch a newly designed version of our site, which in my humble opinion, looks incredible and enhances the experience for our growing users.
As much as I love to write about my own work, I decided that in the spirit of sharing the wealth that I would introduce you to the top five startups that you may have never heard about. This means that they are young (under 2 and a half years old), still in beta, and haven't received a majority of the press they deserve, but they're worth the time to take a look and explore. These have the potential for greatness.
1. Crowdbooster. While at first glance, Crowdbooster looks like your ordinary, social media strategy site, I assure you it is not. Crowdbooster has taken the guesswork out of running your personal or company Twitter feed. The unique aspect is the extremely easy to interface of the system. On your dashboard, you have the main ingredients that everyone wants to know about, like who is following you, RTing, and influential followers. It also boasts a "followbuilder" that while at times clumsy churns out some of the most loyal followers to you and your brand that I have seen from any social media strategy site. They've also built into their premium model, up to the minute instant reports which going forward will be key to anyone wanting to check on the status of their social media strategists and how they are using Twitter. By knowing the types of responses your tweets are getting, you are able to find the right time and right words that will connect with your userbase.
2. OsmoPure. I'm a big fan of talking about online technology startups, but OsmoPure has won a special place in my heart for what they have accomplished. What they have done is created a filtration system that fits into your typical plastic bottle. If this isn't impressive enough, the technology created is cost-effective and will essentially take plastic bottles that would have been otherwise wasted and turns them into clean water sources. With the constant innovations moving forward, it is no doubt that even without this article, you will be hearing of OsmoPure sooner or later. Still not sure? Watch this video of the founder drinking dirty water filtrated by his system, I was sold.
3. ThredUp. Have young children to where you are constantly buying new clothes that will eventually end up at the local Goodwill or thrift shop, only to be thrown out or never to see it's full use? ThredUp has taken sharing hand-me-downs from your older siblings and brought it to the web. The setup is simple enough and engaging to where this has potential to be a riveting success not just with moms wanting to share their children's clothing, but to anyone who wants to exchange boxes of goods.
4. Minerva. You'd have to go well off the beaten path to find this one, since it does not have a site, and they've really only just begun working on their project. However, they've taken Ted Talks to the next level by creating a Pandora radio type system for watching lectures. This will make searching for media for your blog topics infinitely easier (as I've learned over the past year, media rules.)
5. GreenGoose. Being a gamification fan and designer, I am always partial to projects that match my preference. The implications to being able to move around and function in your daily life and earn rewards are endless and entertaining. That's exactly what GreenGoose does with its unique sensor system.
As much as I love to write about my own work, I decided that in the spirit of sharing the wealth that I would introduce you to the top five startups that you may have never heard about. This means that they are young (under 2 and a half years old), still in beta, and haven't received a majority of the press they deserve, but they're worth the time to take a look and explore. These have the potential for greatness.
1. Crowdbooster. While at first glance, Crowdbooster looks like your ordinary, social media strategy site, I assure you it is not. Crowdbooster has taken the guesswork out of running your personal or company Twitter feed. The unique aspect is the extremely easy to interface of the system. On your dashboard, you have the main ingredients that everyone wants to know about, like who is following you, RTing, and influential followers. It also boasts a "followbuilder" that while at times clumsy churns out some of the most loyal followers to you and your brand that I have seen from any social media strategy site. They've also built into their premium model, up to the minute instant reports which going forward will be key to anyone wanting to check on the status of their social media strategists and how they are using Twitter. By knowing the types of responses your tweets are getting, you are able to find the right time and right words that will connect with your userbase.
2. OsmoPure. I'm a big fan of talking about online technology startups, but OsmoPure has won a special place in my heart for what they have accomplished. What they have done is created a filtration system that fits into your typical plastic bottle. If this isn't impressive enough, the technology created is cost-effective and will essentially take plastic bottles that would have been otherwise wasted and turns them into clean water sources. With the constant innovations moving forward, it is no doubt that even without this article, you will be hearing of OsmoPure sooner or later. Still not sure? Watch this video of the founder drinking dirty water filtrated by his system, I was sold.
3. ThredUp. Have young children to where you are constantly buying new clothes that will eventually end up at the local Goodwill or thrift shop, only to be thrown out or never to see it's full use? ThredUp has taken sharing hand-me-downs from your older siblings and brought it to the web. The setup is simple enough and engaging to where this has potential to be a riveting success not just with moms wanting to share their children's clothing, but to anyone who wants to exchange boxes of goods.
4. Minerva. You'd have to go well off the beaten path to find this one, since it does not have a site, and they've really only just begun working on their project. However, they've taken Ted Talks to the next level by creating a Pandora radio type system for watching lectures. This will make searching for media for your blog topics infinitely easier (as I've learned over the past year, media rules.)
5. GreenGoose. Being a gamification fan and designer, I am always partial to projects that match my preference. The implications to being able to move around and function in your daily life and earn rewards are endless and entertaining. That's exactly what GreenGoose does with its unique sensor system.
Mar
02 1
02 1
The Future of Gamification
Posted in UpRace by Robert
While this space has been used weekly to talk about goal setting and achieving, however, it is also important to know that we are also a gamification company. For those of you who don't know, gamification is the concept that you can apply the basic elements that make games fun and engaging to things that typically aren't considered a game. With our company, UpRace, we have been able to take goal setting and turn it into a system in which people share their goals and achievements and earn incentives by other people giving them votes on what they find as an achievement. The most interesting aspect of this system is that people are engaged, and people are reaching their goal. It's been exciting to watch that even in its early stages, people are getting the UpRace message and adding media, like photos and videos, to earn more points. It shows that this system has real power.
So while we are working in the present, I thought it would be fun to make some predictions of where gamification might be heading. I am in no way a Gabe Zichermann or a Jesse Schell, but I have my own ideas about where this is headed. So without further ado, the short list of the next 20 years of where I think gamification is heading.
2012:
With the success of companies like Zynga, Foursquare, and others, Gamification begins to hit corporate offices. We start to see an increasing amount of companies begin to use virtual currency to buy products that are a cross between brand loyalty and cash put in by the consumer.
GreenGoose, a revolutionary company who makes use of sensor technology, becomes a mainstream for games in the real world. These sensors make it possible to quantify how often you comb your hair or brush your teeth and turn these into points.
2015:
Employers decide that in order to keep workers happy, engaging in cooperative gameplay in the corporate world becomes a must. Employees will be competing based on arrival time, sales, success rate, and earning points towards a promotion position by their overall quantified success.
2018:
Disposable technology is a reality. We will be able to measure our intake of things like soda and water daily by simply opening up a can or a bottle. Then, when you are finished, you simply throw the bottle away. It will then upload your total amounts for the day to check on your health.
2020s:
Major insurance companies see the value in gamification and begin to use it to quantify the health their consumers. While at first resistant, people realize that by living a healthy lifestyle openly will reduce insurance premiums and slowly take to the process of allowing basic information to be shared.
Gaming begins to blur the lines of reality. Since games have become so massive, it becomes common that games within a game begin to occur. Overlapping begins and soon, the game environment begins to shift more than the private sector.
2030:
Seeing the failure of the traditional school system, public schools begin to opt for a system in which students are encouraged by a highly structured level system. In order to pass grades, you must earn enough experience to pass it. This will be a huge change from the days that children were placed in classes based solely on their grades. More children become actively engaged in the learning experience.
2031:
Gamification has become so prominent a tool that traditional games have faded out of existence as more people opt for more social and "realistic" games. Globally people are playing life games with each other based on sex, race, weight, ability, and skills to create a competitive and cooperative community of people striving to succeed.
How far away are we really from any of these things is anyone's guess. However, I feel that these things are inevitable. Games have been helping people for years and with recent success, it is here to stay for awhile.
So while we are working in the present, I thought it would be fun to make some predictions of where gamification might be heading. I am in no way a Gabe Zichermann or a Jesse Schell, but I have my own ideas about where this is headed. So without further ado, the short list of the next 20 years of where I think gamification is heading.
2012:
With the success of companies like Zynga, Foursquare, and others, Gamification begins to hit corporate offices. We start to see an increasing amount of companies begin to use virtual currency to buy products that are a cross between brand loyalty and cash put in by the consumer.
GreenGoose, a revolutionary company who makes use of sensor technology, becomes a mainstream for games in the real world. These sensors make it possible to quantify how often you comb your hair or brush your teeth and turn these into points.
2015:
Employers decide that in order to keep workers happy, engaging in cooperative gameplay in the corporate world becomes a must. Employees will be competing based on arrival time, sales, success rate, and earning points towards a promotion position by their overall quantified success.
2018:
Disposable technology is a reality. We will be able to measure our intake of things like soda and water daily by simply opening up a can or a bottle. Then, when you are finished, you simply throw the bottle away. It will then upload your total amounts for the day to check on your health.
2020s:
Major insurance companies see the value in gamification and begin to use it to quantify the health their consumers. While at first resistant, people realize that by living a healthy lifestyle openly will reduce insurance premiums and slowly take to the process of allowing basic information to be shared.
Gaming begins to blur the lines of reality. Since games have become so massive, it becomes common that games within a game begin to occur. Overlapping begins and soon, the game environment begins to shift more than the private sector.
2030:
Seeing the failure of the traditional school system, public schools begin to opt for a system in which students are encouraged by a highly structured level system. In order to pass grades, you must earn enough experience to pass it. This will be a huge change from the days that children were placed in classes based solely on their grades. More children become actively engaged in the learning experience.
2031:
Gamification has become so prominent a tool that traditional games have faded out of existence as more people opt for more social and "realistic" games. Globally people are playing life games with each other based on sex, race, weight, ability, and skills to create a competitive and cooperative community of people striving to succeed.
How far away are we really from any of these things is anyone's guess. However, I feel that these things are inevitable. Games have been helping people for years and with recent success, it is here to stay for awhile.
Feb
23 0
23 0
How Frenemies Hurt Your Goals
Posted in Goals by Robert
This past weekend, I was able to spend some time with some my closest friends. Since we are such a rowdy bunch, we decided that ordering a movie on demand would probably fit the speed we were at. As always, whenever trying to decide in a group which movie to watch, you have people who are either for or against the movie you would watch because of its genre, actors and actresses, or just visual appeal. As we scrolled through the listings, every movie that was stopped on, everyone would voice their opinions, which were many, as we came to a consensus on what to watch. After 15 minutes, we decided upon "The Social Network," in which one of my friends said, "I heard this movie is mostly about frenemies."
Usually I stay up on new pop culture words, but frenemy had not been added to my personal dictionary yet. If you are not sure what a frenemy looks like, they are the people who act as if they are your friend, but really are your enemy. That seems simple enough, but here's the definition I choose to you for it. A frenemy is someone who should be in a cooperative relationship with you, but has a tendency to be competitive instead.
So what's the difference between these cooperative and competitive relationships? For the sake of this discussion, it is the outcome of a solution. In a competitive relationship you always have to have a clear cut winner and loser. There is no middle ground. In a cooperative relationship, the opposite is said, both parties can have a favorable outcome without having to decide a true winner or loser. You can actually have a scenario where both sides win.
So how does this pertain to you and your goal setting and achieving? Well, in short, you will not be as successful in achieving your goals if you choose to work with a frenemy. There will be times when you are able to beat your frenemy, but there will also be times when you fail, which is detrimental to reaching achievements for yourself. However, being a frenemy is even more complex, because they will appear to try to be cooperative. Here's a short list of what a frenemy might say or do to deter you from your goals.
"It's okay, one won't make a difference." This has often happened in the workplace and I've heard stories from friends to whom this has happened. One example comes to mind is of a friend who was trying to quit drinking. When she came into competition with a frenemy for a job opening at her job. Her frenemy would constantly attempt to take her out for drinks after work, until she decided that having any kind of personal relationship with this person was just a bad idea.
"It's not that big of a deal." This is the classic phrase you hear often from someone trying to devalue someone's goals or achievements. Often times, you will succeed in life and you'll hear this from someone who might be trying to bring you down. If something feels like a big deal to you, celebrate it. It's an important part of achieving goals of knowing when to take pride in what you have done.
"Don't you think that's a little too much for you." Another thing often said by the frenemy. Where as a friend will help you to overcome an obstacle, a frenemy tends to try and overwhelm you. The reality is, often the goals we set are attainable, but we just need that extra help to get there.
Usually I stay up on new pop culture words, but frenemy had not been added to my personal dictionary yet. If you are not sure what a frenemy looks like, they are the people who act as if they are your friend, but really are your enemy. That seems simple enough, but here's the definition I choose to you for it. A frenemy is someone who should be in a cooperative relationship with you, but has a tendency to be competitive instead.
So what's the difference between these cooperative and competitive relationships? For the sake of this discussion, it is the outcome of a solution. In a competitive relationship you always have to have a clear cut winner and loser. There is no middle ground. In a cooperative relationship, the opposite is said, both parties can have a favorable outcome without having to decide a true winner or loser. You can actually have a scenario where both sides win.
So how does this pertain to you and your goal setting and achieving? Well, in short, you will not be as successful in achieving your goals if you choose to work with a frenemy. There will be times when you are able to beat your frenemy, but there will also be times when you fail, which is detrimental to reaching achievements for yourself. However, being a frenemy is even more complex, because they will appear to try to be cooperative. Here's a short list of what a frenemy might say or do to deter you from your goals.
"It's okay, one won't make a difference." This has often happened in the workplace and I've heard stories from friends to whom this has happened. One example comes to mind is of a friend who was trying to quit drinking. When she came into competition with a frenemy for a job opening at her job. Her frenemy would constantly attempt to take her out for drinks after work, until she decided that having any kind of personal relationship with this person was just a bad idea.
"It's not that big of a deal." This is the classic phrase you hear often from someone trying to devalue someone's goals or achievements. Often times, you will succeed in life and you'll hear this from someone who might be trying to bring you down. If something feels like a big deal to you, celebrate it. It's an important part of achieving goals of knowing when to take pride in what you have done.
"Don't you think that's a little too much for you." Another thing often said by the frenemy. Where as a friend will help you to overcome an obstacle, a frenemy tends to try and overwhelm you. The reality is, often the goals we set are attainable, but we just need that extra help to get there.
Feb
16 1
16 1
Gamifying Your Business
Posted in Goals, UpRace by Robert
Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend time at the 128 ICG meeting that talked about how social marketing has begun to use gamification, in order to net profits and to engage a new brand of users. Dayna Grayson, a principal at North Bridge Venture Partners, led the discussion explaining that the gaming sector has moved from just being for niche parties and has moved to be more involved in viral marketing, and vice-versa. We've seen these happen in various areas, one of the most popular being the 'Ville franchise, such as Farmville, by Zynga that gives casual gamers a way to socially connect, while also selling virtual products to its user.
How many people are you lost just yet? If you are, you're not alone. While looking around a room of about 50 people, I could see a glaze go over a large number of the faces when talking about gamification, which is to be expected. Gamification is a new concept that basically says that if you use game mechanics for non-gaming applications, you can better engage your users into a desired behavior. Want someone to be more engaged in your brand? Gamification has shown the power to do just that.
While I know that those in our recent meeting have been better versed, I want to offer some background on how to gamify your game with a few easy gaming functions that can help your business engage future consumers.
Create an achievement badge. If you've ever gotten a chance to see "Flight of the Conchords", a TV series that followss a hapless band, who have exactly one fan who religiously follows them from show to show. While interesting, it proves a point. There are some people who will religiously follow your product. So why not capitalize on this loyalty a bit. I'm not saying to hurt their trust, but you can offer a set of digital badges that they can only get by purchasing products that they can display on websites and on the major social networks that show their exclusivity to this group. It can go a long way to reeling in new customers who want to be part of a new trend.
Progress bars as reminders. Believe it or not, this has been used by more companies without them ever realizing it. If you happened to own a car before 2002, there's a good chance that you would go to car wash or to get an oil change and you'd receive a card that said after so many sessions with one place, you'd get one half off or in some cases, with enough use, a free visit. The most important part about thing to know about this is that they work. It's been befuddling to me to see businesses that use this same function in their transactions, but they don't show it outwardly. Leaving a spot on your site that shows a person how much they have spent, and how close they are to earning their next reward, can help you make a sale that might not have been possible otherwise.
Creating a level system. As you can see, this is the UpRace blog for a new gamified site we've built that helps people set and reach their goals. Anyways, as part of this game, I created a level system that works with progress bars to give people incentives for reaching goals and earning points. While it seems like a silly proposition, this is what I've found out about myself. Whenever I would come close to attaining a new level, my activity increased by over 50%. Now I've worked on the game for awhile, but it is telling that even my own mind can be tricked into thinking that by reaching the next level, I will be receiving something intrinsically valuable. As I've learned, it gives people the incentive to do more. Maybe as part of your marketing strategy, you offer an automatic discount level to people who use your product more often.
I usually write a small blurb here, but I'd like to thank Annette Reynolds, the executive director for 128 ICG, for her amazing work with running the events at IBM Waltham and all the other work that she does. It's an event that is not to be missed.
How many people are you lost just yet? If you are, you're not alone. While looking around a room of about 50 people, I could see a glaze go over a large number of the faces when talking about gamification, which is to be expected. Gamification is a new concept that basically says that if you use game mechanics for non-gaming applications, you can better engage your users into a desired behavior. Want someone to be more engaged in your brand? Gamification has shown the power to do just that.
While I know that those in our recent meeting have been better versed, I want to offer some background on how to gamify your game with a few easy gaming functions that can help your business engage future consumers.
Create an achievement badge. If you've ever gotten a chance to see "Flight of the Conchords", a TV series that followss a hapless band, who have exactly one fan who religiously follows them from show to show. While interesting, it proves a point. There are some people who will religiously follow your product. So why not capitalize on this loyalty a bit. I'm not saying to hurt their trust, but you can offer a set of digital badges that they can only get by purchasing products that they can display on websites and on the major social networks that show their exclusivity to this group. It can go a long way to reeling in new customers who want to be part of a new trend.
Progress bars as reminders. Believe it or not, this has been used by more companies without them ever realizing it. If you happened to own a car before 2002, there's a good chance that you would go to car wash or to get an oil change and you'd receive a card that said after so many sessions with one place, you'd get one half off or in some cases, with enough use, a free visit. The most important part about thing to know about this is that they work. It's been befuddling to me to see businesses that use this same function in their transactions, but they don't show it outwardly. Leaving a spot on your site that shows a person how much they have spent, and how close they are to earning their next reward, can help you make a sale that might not have been possible otherwise.
Creating a level system. As you can see, this is the UpRace blog for a new gamified site we've built that helps people set and reach their goals. Anyways, as part of this game, I created a level system that works with progress bars to give people incentives for reaching goals and earning points. While it seems like a silly proposition, this is what I've found out about myself. Whenever I would come close to attaining a new level, my activity increased by over 50%. Now I've worked on the game for awhile, but it is telling that even my own mind can be tricked into thinking that by reaching the next level, I will be receiving something intrinsically valuable. As I've learned, it gives people the incentive to do more. Maybe as part of your marketing strategy, you offer an automatic discount level to people who use your product more often.
I usually write a small blurb here, but I'd like to thank Annette Reynolds, the executive director for 128 ICG, for her amazing work with running the events at IBM Waltham and all the other work that she does. It's an event that is not to be missed.