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SDL To Take Over Alterian

December 2, 2011 by meetjohnsong

Today, it was announced that SDL will acquire Alterian. Therefore soon,  a social media business that started as Lift9 will be getting its fourth company name within the last two-and-a half years.

I started Lift9 in July, 2009 to offer social reports to large brands. On April, 2010 we merged with a boutique market research company Intrepid to provide deeper insights from the social data set. Shortly thereafter we were acquired by Alterian in September, 2010 to compliment its social monitoring and listening tool SM2.

Social is a hot space. Four transactions in two-and-a half years may not be the norm, but there certainly are a lot of activities within the Social market. I believe we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg of what will happen as the Social space matures further. The social data set has disruptive elements that will attract many innovative minds who will build considerable values in this space.

For me, this acquisition is very positive. We will have greater resources to execute on our vision of providing social insights and foresight in compelling ways. SDL has language and statistical capabilities that can really improve our tools and solutions. I expect immediate impact in extending our social offerings.

My goal today remains the same as when I started Lift9. I want to answer critical business questions faster, cheaper and more accurately than anything in the market by using social data. I believe SDL provides a conducive platform for us to execute on this goal in even a bigger way.

So, how do I personally feel about all the changes — going from a two-person startup to now being a part of a Fortune 1000 company in two-and-a half years? I consider where we are now in such a short period of time as success. Being a part of large organization offers greater opportunities as well as additional challenges. I can live with that.

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Seven Tips On Entertaining In Business

November 30, 2011 by meetjohnsong

Throughout history, important agreements were solidified over peace pipes, at village feasts, royal weddings and so forth.

Today, entrepreneurs pitch business plans at coffee shops, businesses form partnerships on golf courses, or secure large contracts at dinners over wine. We as humans instinctly react favorably to “festive”, “fun”, “out-of-the-norm”  environments. They put us in better more agreeable moods, which help when trying to move business relationships forward.

Obviously, the environment needs to fit the situation. For example, what might be a good setting for romance probably is not necessarily so for business. There are some simple truths to ensuring the right atmosphere for the after hour “business meeting”. As a person who has been involved in many company transactions, as well as high-stakes sales negotiations, here is my guideline such a gathering.

  • Authenticity – Never try to portray a personalty that is not real. Why would anyone have the trust to do business with you if they think you are not being real? So, if you are a young entreprenuer on a college-type of a budget, don’t book a room at the swankiest private clubs.
  • Graciousness – Remember you are the host, and with it comes a lot of responsibilities. Above all else, including your business objective for the meeting/evening, be the gracious host.
  • Out of the Box – People get in a rut in their daily routine, but in a celebratory evening, they are ususally more willing to do something “out of the norm”. Be creative in planning the event (venue, food, activities). Shake things up, but always in good taste.
  • Good Food – Throughout history, people have worked hard hunting or farming and then have used the celebratory feast afterwards as a time of enjoyment and bonding. We’re basically the same today. Make sure that the quality of food is a center piece. Get people passionate about the food.
  • Complimentary Drinks – When appropriate and possible, match different drinks with the different courses, including dessert. The Europeans are great at enjoying such pairings and they really enhance the conversations and offer better opportunities for bonding.
  • Relevance – Be clear about the business at hand and get clarity when needed, but timing and relevance of your points are very, very imporant. Your points should be in the context of the conversations.
  • Have Fun, Be Passionate – Hey, you can’t fake this stuff. Either you are having fun and loving what you are doing or you are not. Your energy will affect the vibe of the evening one way or another. Sometimes, I even engage strangers with high energy into our conversations to just up the mood.

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Two Critical Parts of Building A Great Team

November 22, 2011 by meetjohnsong

Ask a successful leader about factors to his success, and “his team” will always be high on the list — guaranteed.

If only it was as simple as that. Of course, a leader wants a great team, but many in power are poor at selecting the right individuals for a team and/or are horrible at building smart cohesion and teamwork. Too often we select like-minded people rather than complimentary skills. They strive for quick consensus and non-confrontational environments, which are not necessarily traits of a good team.

Other times leaders promote strictly based on domain expertise. Does a “rain maker” salesman always make a super sales manager? Does a super software developer really always know how to build a great team of developers? In resumes we stress domain expertise, not true leadership or “latent” skills.

Effective leaders know how to pick team members that compliments each other. Initially these people may not get along or see eye-to-eye. It is then that the leader really needs to build a foundation for the team on trust, productive conflict, commitment, accountability and results. And to make sure that the vision is clear and understood.

Here’s a great tweet by Jeff Raikes (CEO of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) about how a good functional team should work.

A leader who has a great team around him has picked the right people AND has worked hard at building the right team foundation. Then, as a successful leader you can honestly thank your team.

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Change a Great Equalizer to More Established Players in the Market

November 19, 2011 by meetjohnsong

Change may come at different spurts, but it is ever present  in business and personal life. You can count on it. Yet, there are those who resist it and are uncomfortable with the uncertainty of change. Others welcome change as exciting challenges and great opportunities.

A fully-functional organization requires both perspectives to varying degrees. Those who protect against whimsical ideas and put efficiency into proven processes help an organization become more scalable and efficient. Meanwhile as markets change an organization needs those who are forward thinking and optimistic about a new future. These people can put together strategies that take advantage of the changing environments.

Today, I think the ability to adapt to change is more important than ever. The culture you nurture must be around flexibility and change regardless of how large or small the organization. If Dell, and even Microsoft, do not change their business strategies to somehow compliment the consumer adoption of tablets, they could become irrelevant. Many traditional market research companies still haven’t incorporated social media data into their solutions in a meaningful way. That will reshuffle the current hierarchy of that industry. These types of examples are abundant, including around music, movie, or news content industries.

At Alterian Social, we have an Innovation Team that looks at trends and potential opportunities for “disruption”. We want to be as opportunistic as possible within the changing environment. You as an individual, whether working for an established organization or as a budding entrepreneur, need to understand that today offers more opportunities than ever. The rapid pace of change in the current environment is a great equalizer against more established organizations.

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What the Penn State Scandal Teaches Us About Accountable Leadership

November 14, 2011 by meetjohnsong

While details of the sexual molestation scandal at Penn State continue to come out, people are polarized on the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

While there will be no criminal charges brought against Paterno because he reported one of the incidents that came to his attention to his superiors, many believe he should have done more. No doubt many within the Penn State football program knew that assistant coach Sandusky was a sexual predator of young boys. There were too many recurring incidents throughout the years. Yet, no one called the authorities for years. In fact, it took a brave young victim alerting authorities for the story to unfold publicly.

This makes me think about accountable leadership. The pervasive culture around Penn State football was the responsibility of the program leaders. The fact that people thought the protection of the reputation of the lucrative football program was more important than protecting children against continued molestation is an indictment of the people in power. Joe Paterno and other adult leaders are indeed accountable.

Those of us who are in positions of power are responsible for the work cultures we create. Be careful about how we message and how we lead. It is an extra burden that we bear as leaders. Make sure proper accountability is assigned throughout your organization all the way up to yourselves.  That means
creating an environment where people feel safe enough to raise issues that are against the principles of the culture at all times.

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Love Lock on Pont des Art Creates Another Memory

November 13, 2011 by meetjohnsong

A friend from Paris told me that life is but a series of meaningful memories, as we sipped wine in a swanky bar in Saint Germain, Paris’ left bank.

Amid a stylish, handsome crowd, I enjoyed our continued conversation. I was in France celebrating my 25th anniversary with my wife. We’ve built quite a few memories together. Those memories are indeed a huge part of what bonds us today. But we also are both forward-looking enough to know many more lay ahead. That anticipation may perhaps be even more bonding for us moving forward.

If one really believes life is just a string of memories we make, then remembering the past is important but not enough. Life is a continuum and we need to really appreciate the present and the memories being formed today as well. My trip to France was made so much more memorable because close friends and family members joined us.

We had amazing foods, saw phenomenal sights and laughed together until our stomachs ached. We were in the memories of the moment. Shari and I decided to put a love lock celebrating our anniversary on the Pont des Arts, a footbridge crossing the Seine from the Louvre.

Couples have long puts love locks on this bridge as a symbol of their binding love. There is also another bridge more crowded  with love locks but mostly for ‘lovers’ enjoying secret liaisons. Got to love the French.

Shari and I along with our friends went to the more appropriate bridge on a glorious, crisp Paris night. With the bright and romantic lights of the city shining upon us, we ceremoniously put our love lock on the bridge. We made yet another memory and enjoyed the magic of that moment with those dear to us. Those are the memories that make life rich. Now, I can’t wait for the next great memory ahead, just as life should be — a string of memories that we create.

Love locks on Pont des Arts

Posted in personal stories, travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Anglo-EU (American) Translation Guide

November 3, 2011 by meetjohnsong

Having worked with the British most of my career, I could have used this translation guide a lot sooner. The confusion across the channel is just the same across the Atlantic. In conclusion, it seems that  I’ve been always overly optimistic working with the British (haha).

Posted in People, travel | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Be Vulnerable, Be Honest with Your Team

October 28, 2011 by meetjohnsong

In order to build real trust, a person has to be willing to be vulnerable in front of others.

This is a tough one for an Asian male like me. My culture of “face-saving” is not conducive to exposing weaknesses. I’ve had friends tell me that I’m easy to befriend but hard to really get to know. In business, my leadership style has been more based on ability to motivate and inspire than on building trust and unbreakable team cohesion. I think that is in part my inability (or unwillingness) to expose my vulnerabilities.

In my younger days, this was a reaction to my upbringing and youthful insecurities. Now, I’ve finally started questioning my desire to appear infallible to others? If I really was confident in myself, shouldn’t I be able to overcome the limitations that my “face-saving” reactions cause in my relationship with friends and colleagues? I will never be one to discuss my personal problems (other than about my children) too openly. But I will try to be more honest about who I am and my vulnerabilities. I think it will help my relationships on all fronts.

My challenge to other leaders is to look honestly at how vulnerable you are in front of your teams. That answer probably directly reflects the type of team you are running.

Posted in business, self-improvement | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

A Dining Expereience at Cristal Room Baccarat

October 23, 2011 by meetjohnsong

A wonderful dining experience at Cristal Room Baccarat with special friends (who joined us in Paris to celebrate my anniversary with my wife). Thought I’d share at least the different courses. No pictures of the crystal and wonderful chandeliers, which were themselves extraordinary. You’ll have to visit to experience that yourselves.
Hope your eyes enjoy the meal.

Posted in travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Underlying French Appeal

October 22, 2011 by meetjohnsong

The French generally get a bum rap from American tourists. The thing is that the French culture has well-defined set of manners that many Americans don’t understand. Actually, Americans (especially tourists) generally are not very good at picking up subtle nuances from culture to culture in general. I guess that’s from being a large isolated country without many bordering neighbors.

The difference about the French is that they are willing to show their displeasure toward rude visitors more than most. For me, that’s one of the appeals of the French – the open honesty. I’m spending my vacation in France with my wife right now. We’ve visited many times before and this handsome country always draws us back. Of course, Paris is a spectacularly beautiful city. I, however, also believe it can be viewed as an over-rated place. What I mean is that many people around the world build such a “romantic” notion of the city that when they are hit with the full reality of a diverse, aging urban center, the reaction can be shock or disappointment.

Yet, there are still so many Francophiles around the world. I think what is most appealing is how the cafes, restaurants and bars are set up for extended time with friends. People genuinely enjoy time together. People are not rushing home to tend to their “material” goods (mowing lawns, watching a big-screen TV’s, cleaning their boats, etc.). There is a warmth among groups of people that is undeniable. That vibe is what is inevitably the French appeal – at least it is for me.  Be content. Enjoy today.

Posted in society, travel | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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