Gumption

I've been Schmapped!

Or rather, one of my Flickr photos - of the large photoboard at the Hopvine Pub on Capitol Hill in Seattle - has been schmapped. Schmap appears to be a not-so-new (founded 2004) travel guide mashup that combines information on points of interest (from Wcities, an online travel information aggregator), e.g., restaurant reviews, with photos of the those places (from Flickr), and a map (from Google, Yahoo! or Microsoft). [My Flickr photo was included with my explicit permission.] Another friend had a Flickr photo that was selected for use in the Schmap review of Place Pigalle (an example of Flickr helping to make the world seem smaller and more connected).

I'm including what I hope will show up as a schmaplet below - Hopvine should roll around in the autoplay sequence (#22 of 32). I'm not sure whether the code was intended to be embedded in the body of a blog post (vs. a widget along the side), and it seems to give TypePad's editor problems ... I hope it doesn't break anyone's browser.

Although I have a number of photos of restaurants and other points of interest on Flickr, I've decided that I'm going to use my public Twango account to represent my self as a "foodie" - uploading old photos from food experiences there, so as to not disrupt the time-sequential nature of my Flickr account, which is more of a general historical record of where I've been and what I've done. Perhaps one of those photos will be candidates for future schmapping.

This co-promotional marketing dimension leads me to wonder whether Schmap's inclusion of user-generated content will help differentiate it from other online travel services. I know that my ability to upload photos to accompany restaurant reviews I write on Yelp is a definite appeal of that Web 2.0 service. On Yelp, though, I get to directly post reviews and photos ... Schmap intermediates this process - someone else writes the reviews, and Schmap appears to select photos rather than enable indiscriminate posting of photos (not that my photos are ever indiscriminate, of course). This will increase the signal-to-noise ratio, but at the potential cost of reduced engagement with the users generating the content ... reminding me of my dilemma regarding the use of Yelp vs. TripAdvisor in sharing some of my experiences during our recent family vacation along the Oregon Coast. Of course, maybe co-promotion was never Schmap's intention, anyway ... another example of my increasing symptoms of apophenia (the condition - "the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data" - not danah's blog ... which I don't read nearly often enough).

Continuous Improvement of our Thanksgiving Meal

We were searching around for our turkey recipe and then I remembered I'd blogged about brining and grilling a turkey last year, so I just went online to follow the instructions there (or perhaps I should say "here"). The post reminded me not only of the recipe, but of my pledge to not overcook the turkey "next time" ... and that Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a good accompaniment to the meal (my cousin-in-law, Richard Gagnon, wine manager at Brattleboro Food Co-op, first introduced me to this unusual pairing).

Among the variations this year:

• My mother and father-in-law stepfather are visiting (last year, Amy's aunt, cousin, cousin-in-law and their daughter were visiting ... and I forgot to take a picture of the people (!)).
• We bought a heritage turkey (just under 14 pounds) from our local PCC Natural Market.
• I checked the bird 15 minutes before it is supposed to be done (it was done at exactly the right time - 2 hours, 40 minutes, at 350 degrees - and was not overcooked, I'm glad to say).
• A newly discovered bacon Parmeson Brussels Sprouts recipe was a big hit with everyone.
• The mashed sweet potatoes were also tasty.
• The 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Ville Vignes" (which we enjoyed last year) and the 2000 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Chaupin" were outstanding; the Janasse had more fruit, body and depth, and [so] I preferred that one. Both are predominantly based on the Grenache grape, and so I may experiment with some single varietal Grenache next year, and perhaps a bit of Cinsault (Chateau Ste. Michelle offered their first single varietal bottlings of each grape this past year, and both sold out very quickly to Wine Club members).

On a separate but related note, an email exchange earlier in the day with Dan, who had posted a comment on last year's blog entry about his own firey experience with flaming grilling a turkey, assured me that he would be practicing safe[r] cooking this year.

Brining and Grilling a Turkey

We brined and grilled a turkey for Thanksgiving again this year.  We did it once a few years ago, and I forgot nearly everything we did, so this year, I decided to bookmark a few online resources and snap a few photos to help me remember how to do this more easily in the future.

We picked up a 15 pound Heidi's Hen Certified Organic Range Grown Turkey from our local Whole Foods on Tuesday. Wednesday evening, we prepared a turkey brine mixture based on How to Brine a Turkey (InGoodTasteStore.com), removed the innards from the turkey, rinsed it thoroughly with cold water, placed it sideways in our Coleman Personal 16 quart cooler (which we lined with a plastic garbage bag), and poured the brine over the turkey, adding about a dozen ice cubes on top before closing the lid. I was a bit concerned about the resident coyotes, but decided the handle lock for the lid would be strong enough, and so left the cooler outside on the deck overnight.

Thursday, I fired up the two outer burners of our Weber Genesis Silver B gas grill, pulled the turkey out of the brine, and let it drain on a rack in the sink for a bit while the grill heated up (I decided not to rinse it or pat it dry, although several sets of instructions I found recommended doing both). I pinned the wings to the main bird, so as to prevent them hanging out directly over the active burners, placed the turkey and rack in a roasting pan, added about a cup of water, and placed the whole rig in the center of the grill, which left just enough room to close the lid of the grill while cooking.

I loosely followed instructions I found for Grilling Your Bird on the Barbeque (ReluctantGourmet.com), calculating the cooking time as 3 hours (12 minutes x 15 pounds), and maintaining a near-constant grill temperature of 350 degrees. However, since I was using a roasting pan, I decided would only turn the bird once (at the 90-minute mark, at which point I added another cup of water), and only reverse direction (180 degree rotation) rather than do a complete flip. Unfortunately, the propane tank expired shortly into the process, and I overcompensated by cooking the bird an extra 15 minutes -- it was a little dried out (though not badly so), and I think that I would have been fine at the 3 hour mark (even with the period of time the grill fell below 350 degrees). Next time I will start checking the temperature of the turkey with a meat thermometer about 30 minutes before the target end time, to reduce the likelihood of overcooking.

Amy, her aunt Nell and cousin Katie prepared all the other fixings, and everything was ready about the same time. In preparation for the special dinner, I had cleared all the Interrelativity equipment and paperwork out of the dining room -- which had been my office during my startup [ad]venture (maybe I'll clean up, or at least update, the web site during the Christmas / New Year holiday week), so the nine of us (including Katie's sister, Heidi, husband, John, and daughter, Georgia ... and, of course, Meg and Evan) could all eat around the table.

For wines, I followed what has become my traditional Thanksgiving wine and food pairing strategy: drink what you like, bringing out a selection of southern Rhone wines: the 1998 Patrick Le Sec Chateauneuf du Pape "Aurore", the 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve "Ville Vignes" and the 1999 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas. As some of the guests wanted white, I also opened up a 1999 Silver Lake Chardonnay "Founders Series" and a 2000 Renwood Viognier.

I just realized that after carefully capturing the preparation of the meal, and even snapping a photo of the wines, I did not take any photos at the meal itself ... that will be the goal for next Thanksgiving ... when [hopefully] the meal preparation won't require quite so much attention.

Building a Community around Football and Food on Bainbridge Island

Evan's team, the Woodinville Falcons (Cubs division), played their first regular season game today against the Bainbridge Island team at Strawberry Hill Park.  The team played very well, and Evan was excited about getting his first "real" tackle, on the second defensive play of the game [photos below courtesy of our star team photographer, and videographer, Bruce].

It was a great game, and it was a great after-game, as the food being served at the concession stand was like nothing I've ever seen or tasted at any other ballfield (outside professional sports, and even then, better than the food I've had at most professional stadiums).  In addition to the usual fare (hotdogs, soda, candy and chips), they were offering BBQ Pork, "Island Pork" (with jalapenos, sauteed onions and cilantro), and a Chicken Salad with goat cheese, candied pecans cranberries and pears.  The Island Pork was fabulous, as was the accompanying southern-style cole slaw (with sesame seeds -- it's amazing to me sometimes how little touches can make a big difference).  I smelled and heard good things about the other items as well [if you click on the photo below, you can read the full menu board].

I spoke with Liz Le Dorze, the Vice-President of Fundraising and Community Involvement for Bainbridge Football (pictured above, in the center, flanked by Margie Wienkers, Snack Shack Manager, and Kelley Yarbrough, Treasurer and Volunteer Coordinator -- who also contributed the cole slaw).  Liz told me the specialty food is part of a larger community effort that they are experimenting with this year.  The healthier food selections are intended to appeal to a broader range of families who will be coming to the park each Saturday, and she is hoping that will provide more incentive for people to hang out longer, meet other families and cheer on other teams.  They offer free meal certificates to the sponsors of the league, some of whom then donate the certificates to the home team coaches, who then are free to use them as awards for MVPs.  They also offer free drinks to the coaches and free meals to the referees (which, at least for this game, did not seem to influence or bias their calls in any discernible way :-).

I think it's a great idea, and wanted to share the news with others who may be heading to Bainbridge Island for a junior football game this season (don't bother packing a meal!) ... and with people who are in fundraising and/or community-building roles for other leagues or clubs, in case they might be inspired to replicate this tasty experiment!

Social Entrepreneurship at Zino Society

The Zino Society Roundtable meeting had a social entrepreneurial flavor -- or perhaps it would be more accurate to say several such flavors -- this month.  Two of the four companies presenting their plans to the Zino investors (SoilSoup and MadreMonte) had goals of creating greater social and/or environmental welfare, and another (Jookster) was incorporating social and community dimensions into an important technology application area.  Moreover, during the discussion after the presentations, it's clear that new ventures that seek to "do well by doing right" are appealing to this group, which, as one member put it, has a predilection for "noble purposes and high ideals".

One of the best definitions of social entrepreneurship, and some of the most compelling examples of this energy in action, can be found on the web site for the PBS miniseries The New Heroes:

A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Just as business entrepreneurs create and transform whole industries, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value.

Although the ventures being pitched at the meeting may not [yet] have the level of impact exhibited by the examples shown in The New Heroes, some of them offer a local opportunity for socially responsible investing.

Cathi Hatch, Zino Society's founder, CEO and Primo ZINOrina, started things off by introducing Kay Syrrist, Director of Operations and CFO of Small Vineyards Imports (a company I wrote about after attending an earlier Zino Society Roundtable meeting).  Small Vineyards has organized a consortium of small wine producers in Italy that creates economies of scale in a way that offers a win-win value proposition for all stakeholders (producers, retailers, consumers).  There is a social entrepreneurial aspect to their efforts, given their focus on wines that are "customarily hand harvested, earth friendly, and always of superior quality".  Kay announced that, as a result of their presentation at the January Roundtable, they were able to secure investment to continue their efforts to bring "the wine, the stories, and the passion of these Italian winemakers to America", and so represent one of the early success stories for the Zino Society.

The keynote for the April meeting was delivered by Jeffrey Parker, Consul General of Canada for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.  Jeff spoke primarily about his prior role as Executive Director of Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC), a Canadian government program for providing early stage investment in companies engaged in research and development of advanced technologies.  This seed money is intended to attract later stage private sector investment and eventually produce "tangible economic, social and environmental benefits for all Canadians".  As might be expected, some of the investments have not yielded the desired results, but there have been some notable successes, such as Research in Motion, who was able to use the TPC money to create the Blackberry pager.  Jeff also noted the strong ties across the U.S./Canadian border, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, and his interest in strengthening those ties, especially along the entrepreneurial dimension.

The first company to present was Formotus, which offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model to "enable enterprises to easily create and deploy mobile data applications for their employees."  Joe Verschueren, the co-founder and CEO, shared some details about pilot deployments, but as I don't see any information about these on the company web site or elsewhere on the web, I won't say more here.  Formotus co-founder and COO, Adriana Neagu, was one of the creators of Microsoft Office InfoPath.

SoilSoup President and CEO, Ken Hunt, was next up, sharing some of the environmental and economic benefits of their Organic Liquid Compost Brewing Systems.  As an erstwhile homebrewer (of beer), I appreciate the Do-It-Yourself nature of their current product line, and as an environmental advocate, I appreciate the benefits offered through using biology (beneficial bacteria derived from worm castings) rather than chemistry for nourishing soil.  Ken referred to an Ohio State University study that demonstrated the positive effects of using SoilSoup on a field planted with winter squash: a 40% increase in marketable yield and a 50% increase in the percentage of marketable fruit.

Kapenda Thomas, Founder and CEO of Jookster, presented his company's goal as combining the best of MySpace and Google.  Jookster users can identify an interesting/useful site by "jooking" it -- a one-click operation via a browser plugin (the Jookster Toolbar) to add it to a favorites list.  If a user has a community of Jookster friends, their ratings can be used to order the results of a search, as can information about the location of the user (e.g., via geotagged IP addresses) [Update: Kapenda clarified that localized search results were a natural outgrowth of their community-oriented ratings, e.g., if a user's friends tend to jook sites in a particular locale, such as the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle, then searching for the term for "Queen Anne" is more likely to return results relating to that neighborhood than, say, a member of the British Royalty] providing what Kapenda calls context through community.  The revenue model is based on contextual advertising, and so they will need to build a critical mass of users; as noted in the Q&A, if they are able to demonstrate better contextualized search results, they may be able to command higher advertising rates.  An interesting exchange on various approaches to -- and assumptions about -- community search, including those embodied in Jookster and Wink, can be found on this post at TechCrunch.

The last presenter was the first presenter, Joe Verschueren, this time representing another venture, MadreMonte Coffee, whose mission aligns most closely with the examples of social entrepreneurship highlighted in the aforementioned PBS series ... and shares some similarities to Small Vineyards Imports.  MadreMonte markets fair trade organic coffee grown by small family farmers in the Cauca Valley of Columbia.  The goal is to foster peace, economic development, sustainable agriculture, food security and organic farming in Columbia, which is the third largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid.  The company seeks to leverage the high quality of Columbian coffee -- Joe said it was finest in the world (I am rather partial to Indonesian Sumatra, myself) -- and a "girl scout cookies" marketing strategy channeled through the Jesuit network (two Jesuit priests are the other co-founders).

After the presentations, and an investors' discussion period, all the participants were offered a chance to partake of wine and wisdom, and as usual, both dimensions were exemplary.  The wines included

• Robert Sinskey 2003 Los Carneros Pinot Noir: one of the darkest, full-bodied and long-finishing Pinot Noirs I've tasted (though I admit to not drinking much Pinot, given my preference for big reds).
• Baer 2003 Ursa: a predominantly Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend that was my favorite (while still in the barrel) during a vertical tasting at Baer Winery of the 2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages a year and a half ago.
• Kennedy Shah 2004 Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend & 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon: the Picnic Blend, consisting of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, tasted like it would be an ideal accompaniment to a picnic on a hot day, but I liked the full-bodied cab, which was a blend that also included Merlot and Cabernet Franc, much better.
• Marchetti 2001 Rosso Conero Riserva: a blend that I believe is primarily Rosso di Montepulciano, whose name derives from "cherry" and is grown in small vineyards that are typically surrounded by cherry trees ... and thus there is a strong cherry component to the nose and taste of this full-bodied red.
• Giuseppe Lonardi 1999 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico: my favorite of the tasting.  As Kay was opening up the first bottle, he described Amarone as "sex in a bottle", and so I pointed to the proactive display in the corner and noted that my "ticket2talk" image was a bottle of Amarone, and my caption read "Amarone: Ecstasy in a Bottle" (and I swear I didn't know Kay would be there, nor that he would be pouring an Amarone).

 

Unlike the earlier Zino Society meetings I attended -- at one of which we deployed our proactive display -- some of the wine was offered as people were arriving and before the presentations began, and so conversations and connections were already flowing rather well by the time the "wine and wisdom" hour rolled around.  We did a better job of highlighting sponsors this time, thanks to the active engagement of Mary Holmes, Zino Society's VP for Business Relations, and I saw some people paying some attention to the display during the event.  However, I'm not sure there was much room for improvement in creating opportunities for interactions using technology: the wine and inspiring presentations offered pretty good tickets to talk.

Coming around full circle, I view Interrelativity itself as an example of social entrepreneurship.  The motivation behind Interrelativity is a fundamental belief that we are all kindred spirits on some level, each interesting in his or her own way, with untapped value we can offer -- and receive from -- others.  Strangers are simply friends who haven't met yet, and so our goal is to introduce technology into settings where it can help introduce people, by revealing interests and passions -- that people have chosen to share -- that go beyond what might be gleaned from faces, names and affiliations.  If this approach and capability to facilitate connections gains traction, it will help transform society in ways that benefit everyone.

The Proper Way to Enjoy an Espresso ... and a Cafe

I stopped by the original Caffe Fiore (in north Ballard) yesterday afternoon for a double shot of espresso, and was treated to a double shot of expert advice about the right way to drink an espresso ... and the right way to enjoy a café.  As Jon, the barista, was preparing my drink, he asked whether I wanted to enjoy it "the proper way" as he was reaching for a ceramic espresso cup -- suggesting with a raised eyebrow that a paper "to-go" cup would be improper.  I nodded, and he went on to tell me that there is not only a proper way to make and serve espresso, there is a proper way to drink it -- proper meaning "the way they do it in Italy" -- which is to down it in one shot, 8 to 10 seconds after it is served, when the crema is at its height and the temperature is perfect.

Of course, I wanted to experience the espresso properly, and so I tried this method, and I agree that it was a fabulous taste sensation, with the flavor filling my mouth and lingering long afterward, with the kind of subtle shifting of flavor perception I typically associate only with wine.  I have [in the past] tended to sip my espresso, trying to prolong the experience, and yet I have often recognized that after the first sip or two, the drink cools and the flavor and texture is diminished.  I remember being told as a child that the proper way to eat spaghetti, i.e., the way they do it in Italy, is to use a spoon along with a fork in order to "cup" the pasta as it is twirled into a bite-size ball. So now I have a more proper (or more Italian) way of enjoying both spaghetti and espresso.

Interestingly, Jon's advice is very much in keeping with a review of Caffe Fiore's Sumatra:

When hot, a robust, full-bodied dark roast with a pleasantly rough character: chocolate and wine tones in the aroma, in the cup a hint of fruity ferment and musty earth. As the coffee cools, however, the musty earth tones turn bitter and weigh oppressively on the cup.

After I downed my espresso at the counter (no time to carry it back to the table ... which helps explain the prevalence of espresso bars in Italy), I sat down and opened up my laptop, noting aloud to Jon and another customer who had just walked in that there was an access point labelled "Metro King County".  They told me that some Metro King County buses are now offering WiFi and so I was probably picking up the access point of a passing bus.  This, then, led to a discussion about the use of WiFi in cafes, and both of the conversants expressed disdain for the way that WiFi-enabled laptop users have encroached on the social atmosphere some of their favorite coffeehouses ... including the other Caffe Fiore, recently opened in Queen Anne (the Ballard cafe does not offer WiFi).

I have observed -- and written about -- the social impact of WiFi in cafes, and can see both the costs and the benefits.  Using a laptop does seem to diminish one's approachability more than the reading a book or newspaper, and yet, some people seek out third places such as cafes not for conversation but to enjoy the social experience of being alone in a crowd.  I often seek out cafes expressly for the ability to check my email when I'm traveling between local meetings (and a drip coffee or espresso, depending on the time of day).  The problem seems to be related to the proportion of laptop users ... and, of course, how much time -- and money -- they (er, we) spend.  Trevor, a friend and former colleague -- and also a social person who also enjoys using WiFi in cafes -- once suggested that the ideal ratio of laptop to non-laptop users is approximately 1:2 ... enough so that he doesn't feel awkward being the only laptop user, but not so many that the clickety-clack of the keyboards overcomes the hubbub of conversation.

I did not find a web site for Caffe Fiore, but in googling around, I discovered that the Seattle Weekly notes that at the Queen Anne cafe, "free Wi-Fi keeps the low-key corner cafe lousy with laptops and gossip on weekday afternoons" [although I wonder whether this article contains a typographical error, where "lousy" was intended to be "busy", given that another description of Caffe Fiore in Seattle Weekly refers to "the pleasantly chic and relaxing atmosphere" ... and, if it is a typographical error, whether it represents a Freudian slip].  At Seattle WiFi Mug (Caffeinated and Unstrung: A Guide to Seattle's Free Wireless Coffee Shops), the page for the Queene Anne café provides an alternate perspective from a [presumed] WiFi laptop user: "until 8:30 it is wonderfull... From then onwards, there is just droves of very loud talking moms, with even louder children".

All of this is very much in keeping with observations Kristi Heim shared with me just yesterday morning about the sense of community at the original Caffe Fiore, the relative lack of community feeling at the Queen Anne cafe, and the role that WiFi likely plays in that difference.  I had never heard of Caffe Fiore before that, and I find it rather synchronistic that I just happened to come upon the cafe yesterday afternoon, after deciding to take the "northern" route home after a late afternoon meeting at Shilshole Bay Beach Club.  I'm not sure whether there are any coincidences, but when I encounter unexpected confluences and convergences, I like to investigate further, and am usually rewarded ... often in multiple ways.

Wine and Wisdom ... and Interrelativity

There were lots of insights and experiences involving entrepreneurship, investing and wine flowing at The Rainier Club during last night's Zino Society Roundtable meeting.  As with the last Roundtable meeting, the event offered a unique combination of business and pleasure, with a short keynote address and four investment pitches by entrepreneurs, followed by a wine tasting.  Unlike last month's meeting, Interrelativity deployed a proactive display to help people connect before the meeting started and during the latter portion of the event.  [And due to my focus on this aspect of the event, my notes from other aspects are not as thorough as last time.]

Cathi Hatch, CEO of the Zino Society, led things off with some introductory remarks about the presenters at the Roundtable, as well as highlights from other events organized by the Zino Society, whose mantra is "Connecting investors, wine professionals and enthusiasts—from A to ZINO".  Cathi noted that many of the entrepreneurs who have presented thus far at Roundtable meetings have commented on the "intensive coaching" they received as part of the screening and preparation.  I have been increasingly attentive to various kinds of advisors and advice, and can see the positive outcome of the efforts of the volunteer coaches on the quality of presentations I've seen thus far.

Tom Hedges, co-proprietor of Hedges Family Estate, shared an "Insider's Scoop" about some differences between "old" and "new" styles of winemaking, which I would characterize in terms of elegance and refinement vs. exuberance and [fruit-]forwardness.  Among the trends that are shifting the marketplace toward the new style are the drop in wine consumption in Europe (where the "old" style is dominant) and the rising influence of Robert Parker: Tom suggested that a single 100-point rating from the editor of the bi-monthly Wine Advocate would enable a winemaker to retire. Winemakers often face a choice between producing for profit and producing for love ... a perspective that contrasts with the notion of "do what you love, the money will follow" that I've blogged about recently ... although I can't say that I have been able to demonstrate a linkage between passion and profit in my own venture.

I imagine that the four entrepreneurs who gave their pitches are hoping to establish a linkage between their passions and future profits.  Judy Johnston, CEO of Blue Lake Children's Publishing, shared the story behind the Tessy and Tab Reading Club, a children's magazine offering a fresh approach -- with respect to content ("genuine preschool life experiences") and presentation (lots of images) -- that contrasts with older approaches represented by Highlights for Children, for the 2 to 5-year-old market.  They have already achieved a renewal rate that is twice the industry average, and have a number of other publications in planning of production for older children.

Doug Perednia, M.D., founder and CEO of Kietra Corporation, talked about the pros and cons of paper vs. digital medical records, and showed how Kietra's eXtensible Practice Record (XPR) seeks to take advantage of the best of both worlds, enabling doctors to use paper forms during their interactions with patients, and then applying scanning technology to digitize some of that information (e.g., the diagnostic codes) for later processing, storage and retrieval.  Doug noted that they do not market directly to doctors, who are feeling increasingly pinched, but instead market to medical billing companies, and to medical billing software vendors (whose customers are medical billing companies), who in turn encourage their customers (ultimately, doctors and their staffs) to use the specialized forms by passing on some of the cost savings.

Chad Stevens, president and CEO of Signature Destinations, talked about the motivations behind this regionally-oriented resort club: offering greater availability than most time-share programs (a 6:1 member to property ratio), and fewer hassles and restrictions than owning multiple homes.  Another distinguishing characteristic is their focus on regional "hubs" -- destinations from which a number of short excursions are possible.

Fred Ledbetter, CEO of CourtTrax Corporation, presented their vertical content search solution for a horizontal market, offering a single user interface to a variety of professionals seeking information from the 4500 database systems that underly the 80 court systems across the United States.  Given the range -- and age -- of these systems, individually querying them can be extremely time-consuming.

After the presentations were over, Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges poured samples of all of the Hedges Family Estate current releases, and Ron Yabut of Austin Robaire Vintners was pouring his 2002 Ryson Reserve Cabernet and "4th Street" Syrah.  I wasn't able to sample as much as I would have liked to, given my focus on and near the proactive display -- which, unfortunately, was on the opposite end of the room from the wine tasting stations -- but my two favorites were the Austin Robaire Ryson Reserve and the Hedges' Two Vineyard Reserve.

And last, but certainly not least: the proactive display triggered a number of conversations that I was able to observe (and in some cases, participate in, so this is hardly an unbiased account).  As has been the case with every deployment, the technology itself -- especially our radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, reader and antennas -- is the topic of some conversations, and I overheard other conversations that were clearly triggered by images that people had provided in their online profiles (given that I could see the images that were on the display while the conversations were underway).  I hope that we can do a full survey to learn more about what kind of impact we had on Zino Society members' experiences at the event.

Scott Axworthy was once again willing to help out in this deployment.  One of the things we learned from our recent deployment at the Seattle Games Conference was that a power imbalance may diminish the inclination of people to seek connections with those around them, e.g., many of the students at the earlier event were primarily interested in connecting with the sponsors (who were potential employers), and not so interested in networking with each other.  At the Zino Society event, there was a similar sort of dynamic (entrepreneurs seeking investment, and investors), but I think that the fact that the two groups last night represented different demographics, who may have better recognized the value of networking (and for whom, in fact, networking may be more valuable), may have led to a stronger inclination on the part of the participants at last night's event to create profiles (though there were definitely some attendees who had no interest in creating a profile).  Also, the fact that there was a time slot explicitly reserved for wine and conversation may have helped provide more impetus for some people to create profiles.  And, of course, the influence of the fine wine itself cannot be understimated.

A Starbucks Experience

I've always liked Starbucks -- the coffee, the stores and the company.  Yesterday, I had an especially inspiring experience at a Starbucks store, with special coffee and personal service by a wonderful barista, while meeting with an extremely creative former Starbucks employee.

I went to the Starbucks at Overlake Village to meet with Paul Williams, who recently left Starbucks to start his own company, Idea Sandbox, to help "connect people with solutions" [aside: I am really enjoying connecting with people who are about connecting people lately ... we connectors have to click together! <groan>].  I met Paul through his blog, while searching for information on ThinkSpot before the Idea Day event I went to last month.  Paul had been thinking -- and blogging -- about a ThinkSpot-like spot, and discovered this "meeting place with attitude" very shortly before signing a lease for a place in which he intended to create a very similar space across the street from the ThinkSpot.  I did some "lateral browsing" on Paul's site, read about Idea Sandbox and several other posts -- including his very creative "odranoeL ekiL etirW" idea -- and, as I am increasingly wont to do when I meet an interesting person in the blogosphere (who lives in the local area), sent an email to see if we might get together.

I arrived a bit early, and asked Arlene, the barista, whether it might be possible to sample the Kenya Kirinyaga, which has an interesting description, but at $13 for a half-pound, represents a non-trivial investment (for me).  She kindly offered to make a press pot for me.  Paul arrived as she was doing so, and we soon went over to our table.  A short time later, Arlene brought over the press pot with two small cups so that we could both enjoy the sample (which we did, thoroughly).  After an hour or so, she brought over a couple of cups of icewater and straws, saying she thought maybe we might be getting thirsty.  Paul and I were engaged in a pretty lively and far-ranging conversation, and although I hadn’t recognized it, I was thirsty!

Ironically, one of the many topics Paul and I were talking about was the Starbucks experience -- what Howard Schultz describes as one "where you are treated positively, where someone goes out of her way to make you feel special, where you're welcomed with a smile and assumed to be intelligent".  This was one of the most outstanding café experiences I have had anywhere.  I really felt like Arlene took a very personal interest in ensuring that we had the best possible experience, and she was very successful.  Not only did it reflect well on Arlene and that store, but the entire Starbucks brand received a big boost in my mind (and it already enjoyed a strong personal brand position).

Arlene left the store before we did, so Paul picked up a card from Amy, the store manager, that had the mantra “Make a difference in someone’s day” on the back.  Arlene certainly made a big difference in my day, and I look forward to future Starbucks experiences!

Passion, Knowledge and Wine

Phil Condit, former chairman of Boeing, and four groups of entrepreneurs gave presentations emphasizing -- and exhibiting -- passion and knowledge at an Executive Roundtable meeting of the Zino Society last night at The Rainier Club ... then we all tasted some wine.  It's hard to imagine a more winning combination for a successful meeting!

I first heard of the Zino Society when Megan Schindler left her position as Assistant Director at the Northwest Entrepreneur Network to become the Zino Society's Director of Operations this summer.  When I took a quick look at the web site at that point, I remember thinking that this was a social club devoted to wine enthusiasts ... and while I love socializing and wine (especially when combined), my venture, Interrelativity, was not -- and, regrettably, is still not -- generating enough revenue to support such an indulgence.  When Kenny Byrne told me that he was giving an investment pitch at a Zino Society meeting this week, I went back to the site, and discovered that the organization is devoted not only to socializing and wine but also to matching up investors with entrepreneurs.  While I don't think I'm quite ready yet to seek investment for my own venture, I thought this meeting would be a great opportunity to find out more about this potential future path to investment.

Phil started things off by advising "Whatever you do, you have to follow your passion."  This is advice he gives not only to students trying to figure out how best to channel their energies to build their careers, but also to investors seeking opportunities for channeling their money (which, I suppose, may be thought of as simply another form of energy).  He said he is wary of entrepreneurs who exhibit a "spreadsheet mentality" and instead pays attention to the passion an entrepreneur has for his or her idea(s).  When asked about whether anything else matters, Phil added that [business] knowledge was pretty important, too, and that the next best thing to a passionate and knowledgeable entrepreneur was a deeply passionate entrepreneur who knows his/her areas of knowledge deficiency and builds a team to fill in all the holes.  [Note to self: build that team!]

After Phil's opening presentation, four entrepreneurs -- and members of their teams -- gave presentations to make the case for investing in their respective ventures (in case it's not obvious, there were a number of prospective investors among the Zino Society members and guests in the audience).  Because of my uncertainty about the confidential nature of some of the material, I'll restrict my comments to information available on web pages and general observations, and I want to explicitly note that I have no business relationship with any of the people or companies who were presenting (but do have a personal friendship with one of the presenters, as noted above).

Chris Rathe, co-founder, president and CEO of PriTest ("Illuminating Biodetection"), made a strong case for the need for and benefits of his company's products for food safety testing and life science markets.  In addition to the content of his presentation, I was impressed with the quotations he included from luminaries who corroborated the need, the benefits, or both.

Brian Carter, winemaker and COO of Brian Carter Cellars (and winemaker at Apex Cellars), and Mike Stevens, general manager and CFO of BCC, gave a presentation on their passion for -- and knowledge of -- the art of winemaking.  Their presentation concluded by augmenting the more traditional financial return on investment figures with some winery-specific perquisites, such as special events, discounts and wine labels, that I suspect were of particular appeal to this audience of wine aficionado investors.

Kenny Byrne, CEO of iSoldIt of Washington, presented the business value of his franchise, which helps make it easier to sell goods on eBay (the importance of which I blogged about recently).  One of the insights I got during Kenny's presentation was that alot of his business is related to major life stressors -- people who are selling things due to big changes such as the death of a loved one (estate sale), divorce, job change and moving.  He also noted that the success of eBay (and his company, and his customers) is due to openness and transparency -- everyone on eBay can see what and how everyone else is doing (reminding me of some of the principles of Open Book Management articulated in Jan Jewell's NWEN presentation a while ago).

Kay Syrrist, co-founder and Director of Operations,  and Josh Hanson, co-founder and Director of the Wine Group, showed how their venture, Small Vineyards Imports, is forming a channel for funneling the passion -- and quality -- of small wine producers through a consortium that creates economies of scale in a way that offers a win-win value proposition for all stakeholders (producers, retailers, consumers ... not so sure about the distributors, but that's another matter).  One of their producers from Italy, Antonio Sanguineti (shown below), arrived midway through the presentation and was available afterward to pour wine and share his perspective on Small Vineyards and other wine-related topics.

Ah, and this brings me to the wine tasting.  In addition to wines made by Brian Carter Cellars and others by imported by Small Vineyards (my favorite of which was the Duet made by Edi Simiic in Slovenia, in Antonio's left hand -- and so shown on the right side of the photo -- above), two other sets of wines were being offered for tasting.  Bob and Cathy Betz of Betz Family Winery brought their 2003 Clos de Betz, Père de Famille and a southern Rhone-inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (whose name I can't recall).  The 2002 Père de Famille was one of my favorite Washington wines of that vintage, but I liked the Rhone blend best of the three poured last night (unfortunately, it's not yet available).

Hope Moore, of Make-the-Dash-Count Foundation, poured their 2002 Merlot, made by winemaker Chuck Reininger of Reininger Winery.  The wine was very good, but I was even more inspired by the story behind it:

The Dash between the dates on our tombstone is a simple mark carved in stone that represents our lives and what we did with them. Have you ever stopped to consider this thought? Are you making your Dash count?

In December 2002 the idea was born to create a non-profit foundation called Make The Dash Count and establish a winery called Heaven's Cave Cellars. The concept was simple. I wanted to utilize the talents of experienced wine makers from Washington state wineries to create a premium red wine that would showcase not only their commitment to wine making excellence, but also their dedication to philanthropy and giving back to their communities. I wanted to take the two things I'm most passionate about and blend them together to make a difference, a way to make my own Dash count.

A potent combination of passion, knowledge and wine, indeed!

Togetherness vs. Interaction: Enjoying Aloneness in a Crowd

Chris Pluger wrote "Two Hours of Joint Solitude", a very thoughtful and provocative essay about his insights and experiences in a coffeehouse, sitting alone in a crowd, and philosophizing about issues of aloneness, togetherness and transcendence. 

We haven't fallen for a cleverly invented Madison Avenue advertising campaign when we gravitate towards coffee shops, where we can sit alone with other people and enjoy an evening and a cup of java and two hours of joint solitude. I think the existence of coffee shops, and the natural affinity we have for sitting in them, comes from deep within, from an unfulfilled longing that points us to a need we never knew we had.

Just as the feeling of hunger is a strong clue that something like food might exist, just as the sensation of thirst tells us there must be water to quench it, and just as our continual human quest for transcendence gives us a hint that there is something like a God who is above and beyond this world, so also the desire we have to share experiences, to simply be together, seems to tell us that people are supposed to be with other people and enjoy time in each other's company. We weren't meant to sequester ourselves behind tinted glass and soundproof modular office dividers and the high brick walls of planned communities.

We were meant for more fulfilling contacts, more intimate interaction, and deeper understandings. Our desire to sit together in coffee shops, our longing for deep connections and meaningful relationships, points to the reality that such relationships are possible, that such connections can be made, and such togetherness is our shared destiny as humans together on Earth.

Despite these observations about our fundamentally social nature, and the value for deeper, more meaningful connections, he also observes some countervailing tendencies of his own (that, I believe, are widely shared):

How out am I at this coffee shop? I'm actually looking at the same computer screen that I see at work all day. Except for a little lighthearted interaction with the barista, I haven't spoken to or even made eye contact with anyone yet.

The essay brought to mind the social contract of the familiar stranger, wherein people regularly observe, recognize, but do not interact with, others in their midst (lest they establish a precedent whereby they may feel compelled to interact during future encounters) ... an inclination -- or perhaps disinclination, depending on how you look at it -- that I can understand, and yet have trouble accepting.  I believe that social isolation and disconnection are defense mechanisms rooted in fear and scarcity, and that the world would be a better place if more people were more willing to embrace openness, vulnerability and abundance, by lowering their barriers and sharing their shadows and gold with those around them.

Chris' observations indicate that while he did not interact with anyone at the coffeeshop, he was keenly aware of -- and even appreciative of -- their presence.  I wonder how many missed opportunities for offering or receiving something of value from his transient neighbors transpired during his two hour experience of joint solitude ... and what the cumulative social cost of such missed opportunities amount to over all the times and places where people are unwilling to risk establishing more meaningful connections with others.