Transcript of my talk at Giff Constable's SL Entrepreneurs gathering

I've just completed an hour-long talk at Giff Constable's SL Entrepreneurs gathering. It was a lot of fun, and helped me feel like maybe I actually do know something about this stuff.

Here's the transcript from the talk:

[12:00] Pica Paperdoll: ok. let's get started!!!
[12:00] Desdemona Young: wOOtie
[12:00] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol.. one of my friends found an interview with me in a swedish second style publication.. I to this day still have no idea where from
[12:01] Pica Paperdoll: today we are lucky to be joined by Daniel Terdiman (GreeterDan Godel). Daniel has just finished writing a book on entrepreneurship in Second Life, which should be coming out in early November.
[12:01] You: hi everyone
[12:01] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: heya
[12:01] You: thanks for having me
[12:01] You: it's a pleasure to come and talk to you folks
[12:01] Jade Lily: Is he sending us all a copy?
[12:01] Jade Lily: :)
[12:01] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol
[12:01] Pica Paperdoll: we are going to keep this pretty open and casual -- first we are going to start with Daniel telling us a little bit about the process of writing his book and then we will open it up to your questions
[12:02] Pica Paperdoll: give him a little bit of time to give his intro and then feel free to ask away
[12:02] Callie Cline: dan is missing image for me
[12:02] Jade Lily: Welcome, Dan!
[12:02] You: yes, that would be best...i definitely am better at discussion than just speaking away
[12:02] Callie Cline: :)
[12:02] Callie Cline: or maybe that's his shrit?
[12:02] Pica Paperdoll: so with that, i will turn it over to dan! take it away
[12:02] You: okay, so, thank you very much.
[12:02] No Freenote: dan is soooo buff that his shirt image won't even fit
[12:03] You: it's true...my book, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life: Making Money in the Metaverse, is coming out in a few weeks
[12:03] You: and that's pretty exciting. First book and all
[12:03] Callie Cline: whoo hooo
[12:03] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: awesomes
[12:03] Callie Cline: congrats
[12:03] You: thank you
[12:03] Kiana Dulce: way to go
[12:03] Callie Cline wants a signed copy
[12:03] Kiana Dulce: hehe
[12:03] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol
[12:04] You: this was a project that started some time last year. I originally wanted to do a book that would discuss the way that SL could benefit EVERYBODY: individuals, educational institutions, big businesses, hospitals, etc, etc
[12:04] You: but just as I was putting together my proposal, Wagner James Au (Hamlet Au) sold his book
[12:04] You: :-)
[12:04] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: hehe
[12:04] Callie Cline: that rat!
[12:04] You: ha ha
[12:04] Jade Lily: lol
[12:04] Callie Cline giggles
[12:04] Callie Cline: jk
[12:05] Troy McLuhan: I thought Hamlet's book is to be mostly a collection of his blog posts
[12:05] You: james and I are friends...we've known each other for years, and in fact, we have the same book agent. And the agent said, well, you know, maybe you should focus on one thing: individual entrepreneurship
[12:05] Callie Cline: cool!
[12:05] You: well...i haven't seen hamlet's book, but I think he's expanded on the blog posts to tell a wide-ranging cultural and philosophical story
[12:05] You: anyway...
[12:05] Pete Lowell is Online
[12:05] You: so...the truth is...i'm not really an SL entrepreneur myself
[12:06] Callie Cline: imposter!!!!!
[12:06] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: <:O
[12:06] Callie Cline: jk
[12:06] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol
[12:06] Desdemona Young: o.O
[12:06] You: except in the sense that I created a beat writing about SL back in 2003, and I guess you could say that in that sense, I've been making money in SL
[12:06] You: :-)
[12:06] Callie Cline agrees
[12:06] You: but i'm a reporter. My job is to find out how people do things, what people are doing, and then tell the story
[12:06] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: (much prefer a writer doing a book on SL entrepeneurship than an SL entrepeneur making a book on writing :P)
[12:06] Callie Cline: haha
[12:06] You: ha ha, yes
[12:06] Jade Lily: lol
[12:07] You: so...for me, i should be frank, this has been a big learning curve
[12:07] You: now...i'm guessing that many of you are already either running businesses or are wanting to do so...is that right?
[12:07] Junko Umaga: Hai
[12:07] Desdemona Young nods
[12:07] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: yup
[12:07] No Freenote: yes sir
[12:07] Persimmon Gjellerup is Online
[12:07] Princess Nakamori: hihi
[12:07] Kiana Dulce: you bet!!
[12:07] TisAlliez Dayafter: /nods
[12:07] Callie Cline: yesm
[12:07] Troy McLuhan: I think that's the idea
[12:07] Jade Lily: i just ask people for money
[12:07] Callie Cline: lmao
[12:07] TisAlliez Dayafter: rofl
[12:07] Callie Cline: you do!
[12:07] Kiana Dulce: hehe
[12:07] Tanner Devonshire: lol
[12:07] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: (callie Cline runs a business.. no frickin wai!)
[12:07] You: okay...well, then you already know everything i'm going to talk about. So let's have some drinks and dance. ;-)
[12:07] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: :p
[12:07] Jade Lily: :)
[12:07] Pica Paperdoll: hehe
[12:08] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol
[12:08] Callie Cline: i try
[12:08] You: no, but seriously....
[12:08] Kiana Dulce: cool
[12:08] You: i think the thing that I needed to learn right from the get-go, and that is really the most serious lesson I can teach about this all is that running a SL business is just that: running a business
[12:08] Genvieve Hutchence is Offline
[12:08] Callie Cline agrees!!!!
[12:08] Princess Nakamori: what is everyone doing?
[12:08] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley nudges Callie "The imposter speaks sense.."
[12:08] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: :P
[12:08] Princess Nakamori: i don't understand
[12:09] Jade Lily: let's hold the questions until the end, folks
[12:09] You: you absolutely must treat this as you would any other entrepreneurial venture. You have to have a plan, and be willing to commit your time and efforts to it for likely months before you will ever see a profit or a loyal customer base
[12:09] Jade Lily: if you don't mind :)
[12:09] Princess Nakamori: i'm sooo confused!
[12:09] Troy McLuhan: Why hold teh questions until the end? Doesn't that counter what SL is best at?
[12:10] Jade Lily: we'd like to give daniel a chance to tell his story, that's all :)
[12:10] You: i think that in the popular media these days, or at least when I began writing, the picture that was being painted was that anyone could just show up in SL, start a business and be making a fortune the next week. Well, as you all surely understand, that is simply not the case
[12:10] You: you must build your business organically, from the ground up, customer by customer.
[12:11] You: And that takes careful planning, to go along with a talent for what you want your business to be (fashion designing, land management, designing toys, whatever)
[12:11] You: furthermore...you need to master the art of SL marketing and customer service
[12:11] Pica Paperdoll: i think that must be the hardest part
[12:12] You: and so...it's only when you have really nailed down all of those things: the plan, the talent, the commitment, the marketing and the customer service, that you can expect to be successful. Or at least really successful.
[12:13] You: my sense, after talking to 50 or so successful SL business people for the book, is that sure, someone can come in and set up some business and put a few hours a week into it, and maybe make US$100 a month. It's not going to happen overnight, but it won't take that long, assuming there is some talent there
[12:13] You: and that's fine for a lot of people. truly. I mean, most of the businesses in SL are never going to make more than that
[12:13] Junko Umaga: Hmmmm
[12:13] You: but...if you want to be making this much more of a part of your income, or even your entire income, you really do have to master the list of things I mentinoed a moment ago
[12:14] You: Another thing that I think a lot of people don't understand about SL entrepreneurship is that in order to succeed at it, it's very important to really love what you're doing, and be sure you're in the right field
[12:14] Desdemona Young: well said :)
[12:15] TisAlliez Dayafter: I agree
[12:15] Hamlet Au is Online
[12:15] You: so a bunch of the folks I talked to suggested that for someone getting started, that they try one thing. If it works, great, dive in. But if it doesn't feel right, then move on. Don't get too caught up in building a business that you don't really have a passion for
[12:15] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: (Definitely agree on that one)
[12:16] You: you'll be wasting your time, and really, you won't ever find your niche. SL residents, as I know you all understand, are smart. They can see quality. They can sense passion. And they want it. And if you have it, they will reward you
[12:16] You: if not, they will turn away--and worse, they will tell their friends
[12:16] Callie Cline just like real life?
[12:16] Callie Cline: oops
[12:16] Callie Cline: sorry
[12:16] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: lol
[12:16] Callie Cline: sorry jade
[12:16] You: I'm sorry for not having a perfected, structured presentation. I'm kind of thinking on my feet here.
[12:16] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: You're doing fine
[12:16] Jade Lily: yeah, you're great :)
[12:17] You: but that is another point I wanted to make: Word of Mouth is king here
[12:17] Vorren Voltaire nods
[12:17] Pica Paperdoll: if it is time for questions: do you have any advice on how to do that?
[12:17] No Freenote is gonna tell all his friends about dan's presentation
[12:17] Pica Paperdoll: or does it have to be organic?
[12:17] Shiryu Musashi is Online
[12:17] You: if you have great products and offer genuine customer service and regulary update your product offerings, then the community will notice. People will visit, and they will buy your stuff, and then, even better, they will tell their friends, hey, you gotta come visit this store
[12:18] You: one sec...let me finish this thoght, and then i'll take some q's
[12:18] You: um...
[12:18] You: so...the reverse, however, is even more powerful
[12:18] Alliez Mysterio is Online
[12:19] You: if you open your store and your products are mediocre, or if you are rude to customers, or if your customer service is otherwise not good, people will tell their friends THAT
[12:19] You: and your business will be dead before it even gets going
[12:19] You: look at what happened with Armani the other day
[12:19] You: dunno if you guys saw that, but they opened an Armani store in SL last week
[12:19] You: pardon my french, but it sucked
[12:19] Desdemona Young nods and smiles
[12:19] You: for so many reasons
[12:19] Pica Paperdoll: armani never showed either
[12:19] You: ha ha...i didn't know that
[12:20] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley gets out his french dictionary "The man talks sense"
[12:20] Troy McLuhan heard they had nobody on hand at the opening
[12:20] You: so...i mean, what was the point. Their word of mouth was 100% awful from day one. and they will never succeed here
[12:20] You: that's it. I mean, there's no way for them to recover from that, it seems to me. And so the same goes for any new business. You have to be impressive is all ways from the beginning. And that's why it is so impoirtant to really have it all nailed down before you launch
[12:20] You: whew!
[12:21] You: okay...some questions? :-)
[12:21] Junko Umaga: Where can you get site statistics on SL?? like the number of premium vs. free users???
[12:21] You: ah...so...Linden Lab offers economic statistics. Hold on...let me get the URL
[12:21] Junko Umaga: thanks
[12:21] Alliez Mysterio is Offline
[12:21] Grace McDunnough: http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php
[12:21] Junko Umaga: See what your market is
[12:21] You: ah, there you go
[12:22] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: Heya Dan, Dave here, Fashion Designer; I'm agreeing on alot of your points.. does the book basically expand upon these? or are there more case studies/hard stats built up around this? Also, where will the book be availible? =)
[12:22] Alliez Mysterio is Online
[12:22] You: it doesn't have everythign you'd want, but a lot is there, and they update it regularly
[12:22] No Freenote: so are you saying that a person with a tyrant reputation... martha stewart or barbara streisand... would never make it in second life? the perfectionists are omitted?
[12:22] You: hi, dave...
[12:22] You: so...
[12:22] You: let me answer dave's question by explainig how the book is structured
[12:22] You: then i'll answer yours, freenote
[12:22] Hamlet Au is Offline
[12:22] You: okay...
[12:23] You: so...the book opens with a chapter explaining what a virtual economy is, how it works, and why anyone would want to put their time and real money into such a system. That's kind of a primer for those who are unfamilar with such economies
[12:23] You: btw...forgive me if I get distracted...the Blue Angels are flying over my house
[12:24] Alliez Mysterio is Offline
[12:24] Joi Koi: ha ha
[12:24] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: (funkay, get the Red Arrows around here now and then)
[12:24] You: then there's a chapter on business essentials, and then a chapter on marketing essentials
[12:24] You: then i get into the meat
[12:24] You: now...
[12:24] You: this is really a how-to book
[12:25] You: so each hands-on chapter (fashion, real estate, building, adult industry, etc) kind of follows a similar pattern: 1. explaining what the genre is; 2. explaining what is possible in terms of how much you can make; 3. talking about the technical skills that are required to build a business; 4. talking about how to provide customer service and marketing
[12:26] Desdemona Young: Thanks for being here today Dan. My question is: with all the research you have done within SL to write your book and of course your life experience here too, what would be the number one tip you would give any business owner?
[12:26] You: i would say that there are some case studies, but more, I incorporated the experiences of the many business owners I talked to in explaining how to structure the new buisenss
[12:26] You: um...and lastly...the book is scheduled to be in the warehouse on Oct. 22 and availiable in stores and amazon, shortly afterwards
[12:26] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: Oh, grand =) thanks
[12:26] You: i also have a blog I've started related tothe book:
[12:27] starcomber Vig: Hi Dan
[12:27] You: http://entrepreneursguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com/
[12:27] You: tell all your friends!
[12:27] starcomber Vig: I wanted to ask if you ever had business experience in Sl
[12:27] You: hee hee
[12:27] starcomber Vig: did you ever runa business?
[12:27] You: okay...so, wait...in order...
[12:27] TheManKnownAsDaveP Crosley: hehe, I have some friends that Would be interested =)
[12:27] You: well...quickly...starcomber...no, i've not run a business in SL. My role is as journalist, who writes based on researching others' experiences
[12:28] You: okay, so...let me step back and answer the questions in order...
[12:29] Pete Lowell is Offline
[12:29] You: so freenote wanted to know if a tyrant could succeed in SL as a business owner, right?
[12:29] No Freenote: right... perfectionist really ala devil wears prada
[12:30] You: yeah, so my sense is that someone like that COULD succeed if they followed the principles of offering great products, updating them regularly, and most important, offering great customer service. Heck, they could probably play on their reputation as a tyrant, if they were willing to be humorous about it
[12:30] You: but...
[12:30] You: if they didn't have a sense of humor, and didn't treat their customers right, then, no, I don't think they could succeed.
[12:31] No Freenote: okay, thanks.
[12:31] You: and by the way, here's why: One thing I learned in my research is that there is no built-in brand advantage for a real-world company coming in and trying to compete with SL businesses
[12:31] You: look at armani...
[12:31] You: i mean, sure, people wanted to see what they had to offer
[12:31] You: but...
[12:31] Trixie Timtam: Bet Callie outsells Armani
[12:31] You: i think all SL businesses are on a pretty even playing field, and success of failure is ALL about performance.
[12:32] No Freenote: that's nice to hear
[12:32] You: ok, so desdemona wanted to know my number one tip
[12:32] Desdemona Young: :}
[12:32] You: my number one tip is: Treat your customers how you would want to be treated
[12:33] You: don't quibble over the L$200 you might lose over a dispute with one customer
[12:33] You: remember...we're talking about pennies here, folks
[12:33] Desdemona Young: ty Dan
[12:33] You: you will gain so much more by agreeing to replace that one customer's lost product than if you argue with them about whether or not they're trying to cheat you
[12:34] You: i think for some peopel, that's counterintuitive...but, yeah, the key is to remember that what's imoprtant here is volume of sales
[12:34] You: you can't make money in SL unless you sell a LOT of product
[12:34] You: and that takes a happy customer base
[12:34] Pica Paperdoll: any advice on how to get that first customer
[12:35] Pica Paperdoll: that seems like a really hard part to me
[12:35] Pica Paperdoll: the one who then loves your service and tells all their friends?
[12:35] You: how to get that first customer...yeah...okay
[12:35] You: so...let's use fashion as an example, because I think it's the easiest to talk about
[12:36] You: first of all...you need to work on your designs in private. You don't even want to try to start your business until your designs are really good, and until you have at least, say, 10 different things to offer
[12:36] You: okay, so, let's say you've done both of those things
[12:36] You: now what?
[12:36] You: well...
[12:36] You: there's a bunch of different things you can do
[12:37] You: first would be to open a small store, probably you want to be in a good, fairly well trafficked area that doesn't have a lot of lag
[12:37] You: don't set up your first store next to a really busy nightclub
[12:37] You: the idea here is that you want to get natural foot traffic
[12:37] You: and so you want that store to be attractive, and your products to be well displayed, and all that
[12:37] You: so...people will wander by, see your store and walk in
[12:38] You: man! those airplanes are so close overhead, it's scary
[12:38] You: and LOUD!
[12:38] Pica Paperdoll: :-)
[12:38] You: anwyay...
[12:38] No Freenote pats dan on the head
[12:38] You: the other thing that works for some people is looking for fashion designers who offer space in their stores to new designers
[12:38] You: Elikapeka Tiramisu (ETD Designs) is one who does that
[12:39] Pica Paperdoll: that's a good idea
[12:39] You: it's not something you can count on, at all....
[12:39] You: but...it works in some cases. The existing designer benefits by being able to help someone new and having fresh blood in their store, and obviously the new designer benefits by exposure in a popular place
[12:39] You: also...
[12:40] You: and it would be very bad of me to not mention this: Make sure to announce all your new products, and a new business, or new store, or whatever, in the Classifieds section of the SL Forums
[12:40] You: a lot of bloggers trawl the forums looking for things to write about, and many SL residents also look there for new things to check out
[12:41] You: basically...finding that first customer requires a combination of all these things
[12:41] You: and that's anothe lesson: Succeeding in SL business means mastering many skills
[12:41] You: hi jade
[12:41] You: :-)
[12:42] Wendyy Mahana: you're not a fan of selling in online stores?
[12:42] Trixie Timtam: LOL..sorry
[12:42] Troy McLuhan: SL is online, no?
[12:42] You: oh...well...actually, i think selling through OnRez and SLExchange is crucial
[12:42] Junko Umaga: Any comments on service businesses??
[12:42] Wendyy Mahana: like SlExchange
[12:42] Wendyy Mahana: ok :)
[12:42] You: one sec, folks. brb
[12:42] Troy McLuhan: (He's asking the planes to stop)
[12:42] Pica Paperdoll: hehe
[12:43] You: ha ha
[12:43] You: yes
[12:43] You: darn planes
[12:43] Wendyy Mahana: :D
[12:43] You: we get four days of blue angels here
[12:43] You: so...
[12:43] King Rexroth: what constitutes ascale for "business" in SL? what is the monthly revenue of some of the successful fashion designers in SL, for instance?
[12:43] You: i absolutely recommend, as I said, SL Exchange and OnRez
[12:44] You: it means that people can shop when they're at work. Many companies won't let empoyees use SL
[12:44] You: hi, king
[12:44] King Rexroth: hi daniel
[12:44] You: okay...well, that is definitely the question, right? How much can you make
[12:45] You: it really is a huge spectrum
[12:45] You: let's start at the top. The top designers and business owners are doing very well. Many are making full time livings
[12:45] King Rexroth: well, more like when it stops being a hobby and starts being a business
[12:45] You: i will be honest with you, though...no one would tell me real dollar figures
[12:45] You: um...
[12:45] You: how to answer?
[12:46] You: i think in order to make that transition, you have to basically work two jobs
[12:46] You: your regular day job and your SL business. Finally, you will get to the point, if you have the skills, the right products, the marketing skills, etc., where you are earning enough to quit the regular job
[12:46] You: but...
[12:46] You: that will only happen to the very best
[12:46] You: does that answer the question?
[12:47] King Rexroth: and that's still not necessarily "a business"
[12:47] Junko Umaga: 125 businesss are making > $5000/mo. USD
[12:47] You: well...
[12:47] King Rexroth: but i guess it's tough to answer that more precisely
[12:47] You: i think it's a business when you decide that it's something you want to do going forward and which you are willing to commit a regular amount of time and energy to
[12:47] You: until you make that decision,it's a hobby
[12:47] Troy McLuhan: That figure is based on the Linden dollar economy. Many people working in SL get paid in USD or the like
[12:48] Junko Umaga: !?!?!?!?
[12:48] Junko Umaga: offline??
[12:48] King Rexroth: i woudl say the same thing about most of my hobbies, dan :)
[12:48] You: yeah, i mean...i think that the number of people who are making full-time incomes in SL is probably in the high 3 figures or low four figures
[12:48] You: ha ha
[12:48] Spin Martin is Online
[12:48] No Freenote: i have another question dan....
[12:48] King Rexroth: i.e. that i want to go doing it going forward and commit a regular amount of time and energy to
[12:49] You: well..i mean, that's the thing. Second Life offers business opportunities for everyone from someone who just wants their premium account fees covered to those who want to quit their job and work in Thailand
[12:49] You: but, yeah, it's a very difficult balancing act
[12:49] Junko Umaga: NICE
[12:49] You: and the thing is...the customers will be your feedback
[12:49] You: if you are not doing it properly, they will tell you. By not buying your products
[12:49] You: :-)
[12:49] You: i'm sorry...i still feel like i haven't answered your question, king
[12:50] King Rexroth: np :)
[12:50] Junko Umaga: Does Sl have its own cyber stock market yet ???
[12:50] You: heh, that's a good question junko...i'm actually not sure
[12:50] You: i think i've heard of something herre or there, but i can't recall off the top of my head
[12:50] Trixie Timtam: Yes
[12:50] You: oh, let's see...
[12:50] You: i wanted to offer one other crucial tip
[12:50] Junko Umaga: What racket that would be !!!!!!
[12:50] You: which is: INNOVATE
[12:51] You: you will not succeed by being a copy-cat in an SL business
[12:51] You: you surely could make really nice products that are simply new versions of what someone else is making
[12:51] You: but...
[12:51] You: people know
[12:51] You: and they will talk
[12:51] You: and there's that word of mouth thing again
[12:51] You: the key here is to find a niche and corner it
[12:51] You: if you are the first one to make ____ product, you will be noticed
[12:52] You: so, pica...that's another way to get that first customer...to come up with an entirely new product
[12:52] Desdemona Young: any advice for staying inovative? help to cure "designers block"?
[12:52] Troy McLuhan: If you make objects, then people can also find you by right-clicking them, selecting "Creator", then looking at the creators "Picks"
[12:52] You: yeah...explore
[12:52] Pica Paperdoll: thanks dan
[12:52] You: look at what else is out there. TALK to people. Ask your customers what they want, and what they wish they could have but can't find
[12:52] Troy McLuhan: Isaac Asimov said he cured writer's block by going to the movies
[12:53] No Freenote: exercise work well for that
[12:53] You: one of the most impressive things I learned in talking to all these business owners was that they are really open to sharing what they know with competitoirs
[12:53] You: and customers are going to be your best source for ideas
[12:53] You: i mean, obviously, you need to reality-check what they say
[12:53] You: but...
[12:53] You: they'll be your inspiration for new idea
[12:53] You: and also...look around in the real world
[12:54] Gwyneth Llewelyn is Online
[12:54] You: i mean...i think one of the great things about SL is that you can build/design whatevber you can imagine and have the skills for, right?
[12:54] Trixie Timtam: I believe it is called the World Stock Exchange
[12:54] Desdemona Young: great advice - thanx
[12:54] You: so if you see some truly great thing in the real world, i bet you can figure out how to turn it into an SL product. Or, at least, someone could
[12:54] You: so...i have about 5 more minutes .any other questions?
[12:55] No Freenote: dan what is your experience of business that survive on donation? is this a good way to start from scratch and add something every week or do sl'ers still expect a finished product?
[12:55] You: i think you could do it...
[12:55] You: i mean...if you're wiling to work for free or for donations for awhile, it may well be a good way to built customers
[12:55] You: on the other hand...
[12:55] You: there's always the maxim that you come across as more professional the more you charge for soemthing
[12:56] You: it implies confidence and being sure that your stuff is the best
[12:56] You: so...i think that's a balancing act
[12:56] No Freenote: *thank goodness* i'm not professional at all....
[12:56] You: ha ha
[12:56] You: but definitely, building a customer base is important
[12:56] No Freenote: thank you.
[12:56] Pica Paperdoll: i think we are about out of time
[12:56] Pica Paperdoll: thank you so much dan for coming to speak with us
[12:56] Pica Paperdoll: this has been fantastic
[12:57] Trixie Timtam: Excellent presentation!!
[12:57] You: the only other thing i would say about that is that you need to be careful about setting expectations. If you give stuff away fro free for awhile, your customers may leave when you finally decide to start charing
[12:57] Trixie Timtam claps wildly
[12:57] Joi Koi: Cheers Dan
[12:57] Wendyy Mahana: thanks Dan!
[12:57] You: aw, thanks
[12:57] You: i appreciate it
[12:57] Desdemona Young: wOOt
[12:57] No Freenote: will you book be available in world, dan? you were great.
[12:57] You: you know...we haven't really discussed making it available in world. which is funny, because it's a good idea
[12:57] Pica Paperdoll: sell it on onrez :-)
[12:57] You: but...the timeline for creating it was so short that we never got around to that
[12:58] No Freenote: well good luck to you.
[12:58] Troy McLuhan: Reading books inworld isn't much fun. But going to a virtual book-reading or book-signing is cool
[12:58] You: i will tell you all...writing an entire book on top of a day job (I'm a senior writer with CNET News.com) in six months is HARD!!!!!
[12:58] You: crazy hard, really
[12:58] Pica Paperdoll: wow!
[12:58] You: but...now i've learned that i can do it
[12:58] Pica Paperdoll: did you sleep?
[12:58] You: which is great, because I want to write more books
[12:58] Trixie Timtam: Awww...come on..how hard can it be? ;-)
[12:58] You: sleep? er...what's that?
[12:58] Troy McLuhan: LOL
[12:58] Pica Paperdoll: hehe
[12:59] Pica Paperdoll: thanks again for coming dan!
[12:59] King Rexroth: writing a book in 6 months with no day job would be hard enough
[12:59] You: well, anyway, folks...thanks so much for coming
[12:59] You: i hope i was helpful and informative.
[12:59] No Freenote: good day everyone...
[12:59] Trixie Timtam: Excellent work..can't wait to read it!! TY!!!
[12:59] You: and i'd love to talk to any of you in the future. feel free to ping me
[12:59] TisAlliez Dayafter: Hope your book is a best seller!
[12:59] You: also...feel free to suggest topics for me to blog about
[12:59] Shred McMillan: Thanks for sharing, Dan. Great stuff.
[12:59] You: thanks alliez!
[13:00] You: if it is, it's because of YOU!
[13:00] Desdemona Young: Best of luck Dan
[13:00] TisAlliez Dayafter: :)
[13:00] Joi Koi is Online