Given at Harvard's HackWeek 2014

1. Startups, Volcanoes, and Texting Refrigerators
@ Harvard Hackweek

2. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?
Sam Dunn
CEO
@sdunn
Zach Dunn
CPO
@zachdunn
!
!
!
!

3. is a
DIGITAL PRODUCT
COMPANY

4. believes
DIGITAL IS BIGGER
THAN A SCREEN

6. BY THE NUMBERS
4 years in business
15 people + 1 apprentice
2x growth every year
0 dollars in investment

7. ONE TINY ROAR
The road to mightier things

8. HOLYOKE
Birthplace of Volleyball.
!
(You learned something today. You’re welcome.)
!
!

9. BUILDINTERNET.COM

10. •
•
“Learn out loud” blog started in 2008
•
Top 10 web development blog between
2008-2010
•
Limp Bizkit, Lady Gaga, and Batman
(among others) use our code.
•
Yes. That Batman.
Wrote about development, design, and
(allegedly) business.

11. “Can you make a custom version…?”

12. Lesson
Adoption is teaching people to ask for the right things.

13. NEW PAINT

14. HOLYOKE 2: THE SEQUEL
It was expensive to change our desktop background
!
!
!
!

15. MASSACHUSETTS
First client without “…and what do they do?” as a follow up
question.
!
!
!

16. CAMBRIDGE
The foothold to Boston
!
!
!
!

17. YOURATHER.COM

18. Available on web, iOS, & Android

19. Would you rather...
Show your friends and family your entire internet history
!
or
!
Live near an active volcano?

20. Would you rather...
Show your friends and family your entire internet history
39% (111,476 votes)
!
!
Live near an active volcano?
61% (174,223 votes)

21. Traffic
Over 1/3 billion responses
~1 million views per day

22. Lesson
You’re the only one who knows what you haven’t had time to build
yet. Ship like you’re ignorant.
!
…also people really love Matt Damon.

23. BOSTON

26. HOW DO YOU PICK A
GOOD PROBLEM?

27. Let’s use time travel.

28. TITLE
“By 6 a.m., a new gallon will be on your doorstep,
thanks to a microchip sensor embedded in the milk
carton and transmitted to an Internet device on your
kitchen counter.
!
It’s the latest battle in cyberspace. And it’s coming
soon to your refrigerator.”

29. Does it get you… laid, paid, or made?

30. No really.
Laid
Paid
Made

31. For connected devices…
??
NSFW
Laid
Paid
Made

32. TITLE
When Nikon wanted to showcase their
new Android-powered camera at SXSW,
Robin powered an RFID tagging app.
Attendees snapped pictures and then
scanned their wristband to upload
tagged photos to their Facebook.
featured it as one of the
best influencer marketing
campaigns of 2013

33. TITLE

34. TITLE

35. Lesson
Customers are feature sponsors if you build products they want.

36. getrobin.com

37. •
Robin is a web platform for
connected devices + data
•
Simple to build interactions
between physical + digital
things with identity.
•
Helps software ask better
questions about the real
world.
•
“What’s the quietest available
conference room right now?”
getrobin.com

38. TITLE
The Internet of Things today
THE INTERNET
API + BACKEND
API + BACKEND
API + BACKEND
CONNECTED DEVICE
CONNECTED DEVICE
CONNECTED DEVICE

39. TITLE
We think this one is easier
THE INTERNET
IDENTITY COMPANION + WEB PLATFORM (API + BACKEND)
CONNECTED DEVICE
CONNECTED DEVICE
CONNECTED DEVICE

40. TITLE we interface with the physical world
How
Digital
Physical
MANIPULATORS
Outputs. Things that “write”
to the environment.
BASE STATION
SENSORS
WEB PLATFORM
(HARDWARE OR APP)
Inputs. Things that “read”
from the environment.
IDENTITY
Universal Device + Signal Translator.
Connected directly to internet.
Context. People who are in
the environment.
EXAMPLES
Estimote Beacons are sensors.
Lockitron is a manipulator.
Nest Thermostat is both a manipulator and a sensor.
3RD PARTY API
3rd party devices with internet
can connect directly.

41. TITLE

42. HOW TO
BUSINESS GOOD

43. FIRST RULE
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Extend the same courtesy to others.

44. SECOND RULE
Don’t spend the majority of your time working
to enjoy the minority of your time.

45. THIRD RULE
Invest in the people around you.

46. READ THESE
Made to Stick - Heath Brothers
Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
ReWork - Jason Fried

47. WATCH THIS
Why 30 is not the new 20 - Meg Jay

48. Lesson
TBD

49. THANK YOU