I'm using this is a metaphor for pouncing on your visitor before letting them get to know youAnd it is. It’s all about you. Yesterday I found this really great online service and checked out their About page. It wasn’t really about them at all - it was a thinly veiled sales/benefits pitch and it got me thinking about content and how sites engage their visitors. Too many times people try to pounce on their visitors - never getting to know them or letting them get to know you. (more…)


This too shall pass

posted by Ryan Plesko

thistooshallpass-webA lot of people have heard the phrase “this too shall pass” but few, I think, know the whole story. I was talking to my sister last night and she was telling me about some quotes she had recently framed. “This too shall pass” was one of them and its inclusion made sense with some of the hardships she has been going through. She didn’t know the origin or the full meaning of the phrase so I summarized for her. Here is the version from Wikipedia: (more…)


Ken Hoffman got me grounded

posted by Ryan Plesko

I was sitting here trying to think of something interesting and smart to write but I couldn’t come up with anything so I decided to tell you a story.

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down, and I liked to take a minute, just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a… Wait, that’s not the one…

When I was in high school I joined the American Association for Nude Recreation… or I tried, at least. (more…)


SXSWi, Ruby on Rails, and HAML

posted by Ryan Plesko

badgeI just got back from South by Southwest Interactive and despite the nasty weather had an awesome time. I didn’t go to any of the sessions - I didn’t even have a badge :) What I did do was attend all the parties, meetups, and social things I could. There are some awesome people there if you’ve never been - I heard it described by someone online before I got there as “The entire internet in person.” I agree. (more…)


Teams, Leadership, and Management

posted by Ryan Plesko

Management is a tricky responsibility. Erica Burnett wrote to me: “There are only two ways in which companies achieve greatness: by tyranny and by teamwork. The former won’t keep the valuable people around for too long — they’ll move on to a better opportunity. But the latter will ensure that people invest themselves in your company and keep it growing.” (more…)


I’ve always been a car guy and last week I headed out to the Dallas Auto Show to check out the new stuff. I grew up in a General Motors family - my dad always drove a GM or Chevy truck and my mom had a Suburban and later an Oldsmobile and a Buick. I’ve always been a fan of domestic cars - I’ve owned a couple Jeeps, a Z-28, and a Trans Am.

It was easy to figure out why the domestic automakers are in such trouble. I was completely unimpressed with the domestic offerings. There was absolutely nothing from the big three (or their sub-brands) that seemed unique, forward thinking, or cool. (more…)