Category: Business

Posted on
by

Today is the day I started developing what right now is called TLW, which stands for the Lagom model.

Loosely based upon the Swedish model, and “Lagom”, which means “Enough is as good as a feast”, this is an attempt to make it easier to show your gratitude towards the musicians (and later movie makers and game creators) who we all love. It’s all about contributing in order to support further creations.

Today means that I will work from home every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during a limited time.
Technically speaking, I will build TLW using the Django framework (for order), together with a sprinkle of jQuery (for magic matters, that is). As my web hosts, I’ve chosen to work with Webfaction which offer good and reliable support for Django.

In order to setup a temporary office, I’ve bought a keyboard and a mouse.
This is how it looked yesterday:

Before

And this is how it looks today:

After 2

After

Todays workload consisted mostly of setting up a proper development environment, such as installing django, postgresql and django_openidconsumer and writing a proper business plan. Tomorrow I will focus more on pure development.

And for all of you who cares: as my OS I use Ubuntu 8.10, Geany as my editor and I run Ubuntu with compiz on normal, just to make up for my now, slow machine (1st gen Dell XPS M1330).

Posted on
by

Two years ago I decided that I wanted to work as a web something. I didn’t really know if design, code, client care or entrepreneurship was my cup of tea. I really had no idea.

The reason for my interest came from the fact that I was unemployed and had just moved to Stockholm. Most of my day went to working on my CV, and handling those out to different stores where I wanted to work. I didn’t get any. “Come back around Christmas time” they said. And so I did.

But somewhere in between I went to a party, where I overheard some guy asking another guy if he had any space in his very busy schedule. The other guy worked as a freelance web developer. “No” he replied. I took a shot. Accidentally, one of the only things that I had liked about school was when I had been working with HTML and found out about those web standards. I was attracted to the fact that they were striving towards an accessible web. “I’ve got some experience with web development” I said to the guy. He answered: “Perfect! Give me your hand.” I reached for him, and then he wrote a telephone number in my palm.

After that, and now with a client who wanted me to do work for him, I began to understand that this would require me to start my own company. My new life in Stockholm was forming, just a few month after graduation in Klintehamn and I had just turned myself as unemployed into a freelance web developer (or at that time, HTML markup-er, heh) together with tech wizz kid Petter.

The next week, I started listening to podcasts about entrepreneurship, web development and I … took lessons in spanish (Pimsleur). I read up on A list apart, 456bereastreet.com, robertnyman.com, adactio.com, accessify.com, andybudd.com, Veerle’s blog, Information Architects, Molly.com and of course StevePavlina.com. A big thank you to all of those who openly shares their discoveries, techniques, thoughts and philosophies!

I bought “CSS Mastery”, written by Andy Budd. It was great. I finally grasped floats, and how to make different menus. Wonderful 🙂 ! Now I could take on my first client. I charged him 4000 SEK (around 410 ñ‚¬) for a complete website and a full index of pictures, taken by my partner Petter. It took me two weeks to complete that website, and in the end we didn’t even get paid as the client didn’t like the design. We quit working with that particular client, and learned after a while to handle pricing, pitching, support and office hours better. That was the hardest part of the work, no doubt about it.

After a few more clients, and a few more cases, I saw an advertisement over at webbjobb.nu, which is a web niched job and gig board in swedish. I sent them an e-mail showing off my/our work and asked them to get back to me. They did, and after a really bumpy start, it all settled to be really good. I learned a lot during those first weeks, and still do. The reason as to why I wanted to get employed was that I didn’t know that much about managing, pitching, sales, money or even back end work. Now I had an opportunity to learn all that. Now, after a year at my current employment I still think that it was a good choice, I’ve learned so much from all of the brilliant people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with, almost only that makes it worth in itself.

Now, in order to stay alert and fresh I read a lot of articles, try out new methods and techniques and do my best to document the results. Most of the time, it’s a blast!

The following month (November) I will work less over at my current workplace in order to get time to work on one of my own projects, which is loosely called The Lagom Model. I’ll document the process either here, or on a separate blog which will be announced later.

I love my career at the moment and the craft. I love the internet, and the possibilities that the medium possess.

Posted on
by

För lite mindre Àn en vecka sedan godkÀnde alltsÄ riksdagen den debatterade signalspaningslagen.
Tanken med lagen sÀgs vara att kunna förutspÄ och förhindra eventuellt kommande terrorattacker.
Detta skall man kunna göra genom att avlyssna all digital trafik som passerar Sveriges grÀnser. ALL trafik lÀmnar Sverige, innan den kommer tillbaka. De flesta som kan nÄgot om Internet vet detta.

Echelon, USA’s motsvarighet fanns lÄngt innan den 11 September 2001, och det lyssnar av hela vÀrldens digitala trafik (Se Wikipedia om Echelon).
Vissa spekulanter hÀvdar att FRA vill kunna avlyssna den ryska digitala trafik som gÄr igenom Sverige.
Rent instinktivt sÄ tror jag att ovanstÄende argument Àr struntprat, mycket diffusa anledningar som möjligtvis skulle ha gÄtt hem under kalla kriget, men inte idag.

Varför godkÀndes denna lag?

NÄgra tankar kring det hela:

  1. Idag finns det mycket enkla metoder att anvÀnda Internet krypterat. SjÀlvklart anvÀnder alla terrorister detta, och inte ens FRA’s toppmoderna teknik kan ta sig igenom sÄdan kryptering, det gÄr praktiskt taget inte. I och med den nya lagen sÄ kommer Àven vanliga Svenssons att börja kryptera sin digitala aktivitet. Detta innebÀr mer brus i kanalen, svÄrare avlyssning och mindre utdelning. Tidigare sÄ har denna avlyssning skett ÄNDÃ
 och i det dolda. Det mÄ vara uselt ur integritetssynpunkt, men lÄngt sÄ mycket effektivare om man vill fÄ en bra avlyssning. Varför var det ni lagförde detta, nu igen?
  2. I Sveriges riksdag sÄ finns det 349 ledamöter, varav 67 inte ens kom till röstningen kring detta förslag. Varför?
  3. Detta Àr inte ett representativt beslut. Det uppskattas att bara ca 15 % utav befolkningen stödjer lagen. Ända röstade bara en ledamot emot förslaget. Resterande 280 röstade ja. Vissa utav dem hÀvdade att “..det var ett mycket jobbigt beslut…” och det verkar som om att mÄnga har fÄtt piskats utav partiet för att rösta positivt. Varför?
  4. MÄnga stora internationella IT-bolag vÀgrar nu att investera i Sverige pÄ grund utav den nya lagen. Bland annat sÄ har företrÀdare för Google nu jÀmfört Sverige med Saudiarabien och Kina och lovar att aldrig stÀlla nÄgra servers i Sverige, vilket Àr mycket olyckligt. Detta ligger helt emot den politik som den borgerliga alliansen annars föresprÄkar. SÄ min frÄga blir Äterigen: Varför?
  5. SÄPO har beklagat sig över detta förslag (som nu Àr lag), och sÄ Àven Rikspolisstyrelsen (Se GP).
  6. Finns det nÄgon kontroll utav dem som utvecklar FRA’s mjukvara, och kontroll utav sjÀlva mjukvaran sÄ att ingen information skickas vidare? SjÀlvaste lagen kÀnns som det största sÀkerhetshotet i sammanhanget. Jag kan tÀnka mig att mÄnga kommersiella intressen Àr beredda att betala mÄnga miljarder för sÄdan information.

Varför, varför och Àn en gÄng varför gick denna lag igenom?
Hur jag Àn vÀnder och vrider pÄ det sÄ har jag mycket svÄrt att förstÄ motiven.
Jag har frÄgat runt i min omgivning, och ingen ha haft en idé om vad det Àr som ligger bakom.

Skall ni sÀlja informationen vidare till företag? Bli det nya svenska Google? I förlÀngningen börja anvÀnda informationen vid speciella Ätal? Jag minns fortfarande hur Polisen fick tillgÄng till biobanken (pÄ olagligt vis) för att kunna bevisa Anna Lindhs mördare skyldig. Nu Àr det pÄ vÀg att bli lagligt (i efterhand) för Polisen att anvÀnda sig utav detta, gigantiska DNA-register i sammanband med brott (Se Dagens Medicin). Detta var otÀnkbart innan Anna blev mördad.

SÄ, frÄgan Àr vÀl nÀr nÀsta hemska hÀndelse skall ske, sÄ att Polisen först fÄr temporÀr tillgÄng till FRA’s signalspaning, och sedan en permanent, lagstadgad sÄdan?
Ifall det fortsÀtter i den hÀr takten sÄ lÀr vi ha ett liknande politiskt klimat som i George Orwells ‘1984’ lagom till jul!

Utanför dessa konspiratoriska tankar sÄ stÄr en frÄga klar:
Varför, varför och Àn en gÄng: VARFÖR?

Riksdagens gemensamma paranoia tycker jag verkar vara det största sÀkerhetshotet i debatten.
De har sÀkert utmÀrkta anledningar till att göra detta, och förhoppningsvis sÄ har de en mycket genomtÀnkt plan för att lösa ovanstÄende problem med eventuella lÀckage, minskade investeringar, mer brus (och sÀmre utdelning) vid avlyssning och minskat förtroende för politiken genom urusel representation. Förhoppningsvis sÄ Àr det inte inkompetens.
Jag hoppas verkligen det… hoppas…

Posted on
by

While I was surfing around at Dreamhost I found out that they were one of 2008 most democratic workplaces according to WorldBlu.
How can a workplace be democratic?
Of course there will always be problems that will make situations more or less democratic, but yes, democratic workplaces exists, and they exist on the fact that they are more profitable and more enjoyable (when executed correctly).

According to WorldBlu’s model there is 10 core principles that enables democracy:

  1. PURPOSE AND VISION
    A democratic organization is clear about why it exists (its purpose) and where it is headed and what it hopes to achieve (its vision). These act as its true North, offering guidance and discipline to the organization’s direction.
  2. TRANSPARENCY
    Say goodbye to the “secret society” mentality. Democratic organizations are transparent and open with employees about the financial health, strategy, and agenda of the organization.
  3. DIALOGUE + LISTENING
    Instead of the top-down monologue or dysfunctional silence that characterizes most workplaces, democratic organizations are committed to having conversations that bring out new levels of meaning and connection.
  4. FAIRNESS + DIGNITY
    Democratic organizations are committed to fairness and dignity, not treating some people like “somebodies” and other people like “nobodies.”
  5. ACCOUNTABILITY
    Democratic organizations point fingers, not in a blaming way but in a liberating way! Democratic organizations are crystal clear about who is accountable and responsible for what.
  6. INDIVIDUAL + COLLECTIVE
    In democratic organizations, the individual is just as important as the whole, meaning employees are valued for their individual contribution as well as for what they do to help achieve the collective goals of the organization.
  7. CHOICE
    Democratic organizations thrive on giving employees meaningful choices.
  8. INTEGRITY
    Integrity is the name of the game, and democratic companies have a lot of it. They understand that freedom takes discipline and also doing what’s morally and ethically right.
  9. DECENTRALIZATION
    Democratic organizations distribute leadership and power across their enterprise.
  10. REFLECTION + EVALUATION
    Democratic organizations are committed to looking in the mirror and asking, “How can we be better?” — not just quarterly or annually, but daily.

Further, they even explain what you can expect as a result. According to WorldBlu’s research, the outcome for embracing organizational democracy could include:

  • Increases in productivity, profitability, sales, and efficiency.
  • An increased ability to attract top talent and decreases in voluntary turnover.
  • Increases in employee engagement.
  • Improvements in customer service ratings.
  • Steady growth rates.
  • Increases in market share.
  • Increases in levels of creativity and innovation.
  • Increases in organizational alignment and overall levels of trust.
  • Increases in an organization’s overall adaptability and agility.
  • A heightened level of civic engagement by employees in the organization’s community.

Wow! Why isn’t every organization striving towards becoming democratic?

This list is quite comprehensive and easy to digest.
Read more about it at their website: http://www.worldblu.com/
Thank you for making democracy easy, WorldBlu!
This is exactly what the ParEcon-model needs, I think.
Imagine the day when each employee is treated as a entrepreneur, and their ideas are captured and rewarded as if they were one.