Top 10 Things I Learned at Geeks On A Beach 2

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I had just attended my first Geeks on a Beach with my friends in the Bohol startup community. I got so bummed with not being able to go with them the first time so when I heard there would be a group discount for the next one in Cebu, I jumped at the chance and cashed in months early.

GOAB2 with hosts Dave and Albert

Naturally, I learned a hell of a lot while listening to all the talks, most especially during the Breakout Sessions I joined _{(which starstruck me a bit when sitting face-to face with people like Gwendolyn Regina and Mike Prasad)}. A few hilarious and completely embarrassing stories I can share with you regarding the topic of being starstruck was when I had the privilege to greet Janette Toral as she entered the venue. We've interacted before and I helped her with promoting her event once but that didn't stop me from making a fool out of myself in front of her. Same thing when Ravi Agarwal approached me to ask about MLePay, one of Symph's startups, during one of the breaks. I was all "Uhh.. haha.. I umm.. Yeah", being a total dumbass because I couldn't believe these people were taking to me in the flesh. All jokes and embarrassment aside, they were awesome people and were quite forgiving of me at times in our conversation when my brain gave up on me when I needed it most. 

For this post, I will bother you people with the "10 Things Ashley Learned at Geeks On A Beach 2" with the purpose of one, sharing what I learned and two, to keep myself from forgetting said learnings.

GOAB2 venue sans people

1) Portfolio Company 

A portfolio company is a company or entity in which a venture capital firm, buyout firm, holding company or other investment fund invests. All of the companies currently backed by a private equity firm can be spoken of as the firm's portfolio. * 

When put in the startup view of things, portfolio companies are basically the companies being funded or invested in by larger organizations. Like Tactiles and Nyfti from Ideaspace.

2) Bootstrapping Company

A situation in which an entrepreneur is starting a company with little capital. An individual is said to be boot strapping when he or she attempts to found and build a company from personal finances or from the operative revenues of the company. * 

Bootstrapping was what we did when we launched our new office. We did ghetto cut-outs as the office's signage and smacked on a Wordpress theme and did impromptu pictorials a day before opening to the public. Bootstrapping is what many startups do, usually during validation and testing, based on what I've seen so far.

3) Venture Funding

Usually a high-risk/high-return opportunity done by investors for startups with strong growth potential. As a small-to-medium business starts up, some founders feel the need to get an investor up front. Negotiations happen between the startup and the investor as the latter gives a certain amount to help fund the business and in turn, gets private equity stakes.

4) E-Commerce Law

Also known as Republic Act No. 8792, it is

An act providing for the recognition and use of electronic commercial and non-commercial transactions and documents, penalties for unlawful use thereof and for other purposes. *

The law puts the Philippines in the global market, making virtual contracts, online banking and connects all government departments to the internet and provide universal access to the public. More of the law explained in this wonderful post. 

5) Hacker News

The HN concept was quite new to me when I started research on it for this post. I've heard many of my colleagues refer to it when a substantially interesting event happens in the tech world. As it was repeatedly referred to by both participants and speakers, I decided to give it a look.

I honestly found the site very boring at first glance and only came back to it two hours later, but as I finally decided to give it a chance and actually read through some of the links I realized that the site was overflowing with information that actually matters. I should make a note to check what's up everyday.

6) Curating Serendipity

The most fun presentation for me in the whole event.

7) Success in Digital Media = Right Mechanism + Audience + Brand and product

8) Bitcoin Miners

Bitcoin is, for a lack of a better term, virtual money. This virtual money has value though and you can purchase anything with it, from books, clothes to property and real estate. Bitcoin come from Miners that are tasked to approve transactions and solve certain algorithms to generate more Bitcoin in return. Its software is completely free and open-source and, as I browse sign in Coins.ph, seems really interesting and convenient. Will probably make a separate post out of this soon once I've done a few transactions.

9) State of Philippine's Media Culture

In one of the breakout sessions in the second day, I got to hear Kaloy Uypuanco talk about his and his team's effort to revive the Visayan culture in the youth. I felt that this deserved a separate post entirely so I wrote something really quick previously, especially after I got to hear another speaker talks about the same issue at another event.

10) 10 Internet Facts by the World Startup Report

Google is a monster, overpowering all the world's tech companies together that it had to be put in a separate pie chart. The ranking of countries in slide number 5 shocked me so much that Andrius, Lead researcher of the World Startup Report, had to reassure me.

Want to know more about our Internet Hall of Fame Research? Ask us anything on Reddit: http://t.co/I4apcjMtYV
— World Startup Report (@WorldStartupRpt) June 16, 2014

One last funny story to tell you is that Movenpick Hotel, the venue of GOAB2 has these fancy rooms by the lounge. I needed to use the restroom and the concierge gestured to a room hidden away at the corner. I went in and thought:

Where am I?

I then noticed the drier and went around looking for a sink but didn't find any. Then I saw a door handle and lo and behold,

This is the bathroom??!!

So yeah, those green tube-like structures were the sinks and water came down on your hand like a waterfall. The experience was similar when my family and I went to hong Kong and I got to experience sinks with sensors for the first time.

It was good to see old friends again and I definitely had fun at the event, especially since I got to help the organizers on occasion. Cheers to Techtalks.ph and on to the next event!

One of the very few decent selfies I take for #goab with the Bohol + Joseph team @benskelton @jaypaulaying pic.twitter.com/4nvdFbJBYg
— Ashley Uy (@mashleyuy) August 21, 2014

GDays Mandaue 2014: Getting your business out there

Overview of GDays Mandaue here.

Bernardo Arellano III, GBG Iloilo Founder, went up as the second speaker . I remember getting updates from him and the GDG Crisis Mappers when the earthquake and Yolanda relief operations were happening. They came to Bohol and went out to map the areas where the roads were too damaged to pass through, where the most help is needed and where the nearest evac stations were. You can find the map here. They really helped out a lot of NGOs and made the relief process faster and more efficient. Hats off to them for making such a difference.

Bernardo Arellano III talks about Google Places

Why is mapping your business such a big deal? Most traditional brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs rely on the word of mouth within the community and fliers and whatnot to attract attention to their store. I'm not saying that that's a bad thing but, let's say, you're a hotel owner for example and you rely on the word of mouth. What good will it do if the people who know about your great services and amenities are the people that don't really NEED a place to stay since, well, they live there. What if you're offering a specialized service? Wouldn't it be great if not only the people around your area, that, give or take,  may only use your special service once a year, but also people that are actually looking for your service, use your service?

I made a foreign friend at a local event one time and she said "You can't look anything up in Google about the shops in Bohol". She was planning her trip here and turned to good 'ol Google to help her with her plan since she's new to the area. She wanted to look for a nearby convenience store near the hotel she was staying in, a auto shop or service center nearby her area to get her motor checked if anything happened, the nitty gritty details that she needed weren't there and in turn, these businesses just lost a fine customer. She could have just looked for them when she got to the hotel, of course, but my point in giving that example was visibility. You're running a business and you want as many people to know about it as possible. What better way to do it that using Google Places and Google Maps? With the right optimization, you could have a global audience! What also makes most Google services the best is that it's for FREE. A good chunk of these features are, which is great!

Here's a great video on what is so important about getting your business out there.

"Each small business is different but they all need one thing to make them successful. Customers."

So how exactly do you "get it out there"? I'm sure a lot of people are already familiar with Google Maps but there is this other service from Google that isn't as popular, _{(according to me that is because before the event, I had no idea that this service was available)} Google Places. Here's a quick video on what Google Places is all about:

So I'm not any Google Places expert and I've never even used the thing before since I don't have a business to market BUT I want people to know that a service like this with huge traffic, I might add is just there. For free. Just sitting there. USE IT. 

Creating a Google Places Business Listing

Calling out to business people in Bohol!! This exists! I will join your ranks soon but while I'm not there yet, give more power to small businesses!! Please, so all the smart Pinoys will STAY in Pinas!

Oh and on a  further note, I know this such a late announcement but whatever. Google Street View is coming to the Philippines!! Yeeey! So stop bathing naked in the street near the drain because you'll never know when your naked ass will be up live on the internet for everyone to see :D

Right now, only Intramuros has been captured properly. They'll be partnering with the Department of Tourism and will be starting at Metropolitan Manila and will hopefully work their way down to other historic places of the Philippines. A more detailed report from Rappler here.

GDays Mandaue 2014: Musings on Innovation

Overview of GDays Mandaue here.

The first speaker up for the event was Wilson Ng of Ng Khai Development Corp. It was really inspiring for me to hear all the efforts he and his team made to pursue their desire for innovation.

"A businessman isn't necessarily an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone who creates new wealth through innovation."   -Wilson Ng

He first talked about how innovation starts businesses. What are your consumers' unmet needs and how do you, as an entrepreneur, fulfill it? For me, that guide question is something I've been mulling about for at least a year now. Starting my own business has always been at the back of my mind and I know, in time, I can do it, but what would it be about? An Internet Cafe? That'll be okay I guess but let's save that option as a last resort. An IT Solutions Company? Plausible. I mean, I know a few people I can work with if it comes to that but there are a few _{(abeit underground ones)} popping up here in Bohol and there are a ton in Cebu so it isn't something that hasn't ever been done before _{(in the two given provinces at least)}. I want to start something new, something fresh, something I'll love doing, but everyone wants to do that now, don't they. I guess I'll have to give that question 5 more years to think about.

"Open yourself up because business opportunities will come and go." -Wilson Ng

That is so true. I look two years back and I couldn't have gotten this far if I hadn't opened up to my first StartupWeekend or, if I look ever further, took the responsibility of being the Web Developers' Guild president, the opportunities that I got today, all the entries of this blog actually, wouldn't have happened. So thank you WDG :)

Mr. Ng mentions that there are two ways to do business: 1) Use proven techniques and 2) Try to do something new. Obviously, an idealistic person _{(such as myself)} would pick number two but is it really that easy? To do something no one has ever done before? The challenge isn't only the "how" but the "what", too. What hasn't been invented yet these days. You have to have a special mind _{(not a Beautiful Mind because that's just creepy if you get the reference)} to be able to think ways out of the box. Because face it, we use the phrase "think out of the box" all the time but do we actually know where the box is in the first place? Yeah. Think about it.

One misconception about innovation is that we think it's something totally new but in reality, it can be a marriage of two different ideas or the alteration of an existing idea where you can add or subtract something from it. The fact that you took time on renewing an existing business model or product to make it better is already a feat in and of itself. But just don't get it too over your head and end up actually making the product worse than it already was. That'll completely defeat the purpose.

And that's it for my musings on Innovation. Big thanks to Mr. Ng on giving us a "4-month course in 40 minutes" and for really getting my attention. This post will forever be in my "references for future life situations" column in my brain.

I suck at ending my write-ups.

GDays Mandaue 2014: My First Major Google Event

My Musings on Innovation.
Why I think Getting your business out there is important.
How Social Media Can Affect Your Business.
The mind-blowing Secrets of Gmail.

As the event opened with models strutting their stuff on the stage, fancy dresses and large John Lennon sunglasses, I was thinking dafaq? It was really cool and all _{(the designs were so fab but I could never think of being able to bring it if I ever get the chance of wearing them)} and after watching the fashion designer's, Bree Esplanada, video about being able to use Google to build his online presence, I thought sure, great for him but at the back of my mind was this is weird.

I'm sure everyone in the audience thought the same thing so, after the GBG Mandaue organizers caught on, Bjorn _{(thanks so much for helping me get in, I had so much fun!)} came up on stage after a few segments and explained why they had the fashion show. Erica and Lindsey _(sp?) from Google talked, through a video, to the GDays Mandaue attendees about a Google Transformation Challenge. To use Google in businesses, no matter how small or big, to enhance, it, digitize it and make it grow. If you lack the knowhow, GBG Mandaue will help you do just that. They assist businesses and professionals, like Bree's fashion designing, and take it to the next level. Contact GBG Mandaue and let them know what they can do for your business.

Photobooth manned by Ryan Orcullo

Right outside the venue was a photobooth with really cute cutouts of the different Google Apps which was really great and fun to mess around with. I took my turn on it, of course, but I couldn't find my pic on the GBG Mandaue Facebook Fan Page. Instead, I found this:

close enough

I ran into Ryan and Rey, friends who I got acquainted with during my StartupWeekend experiences, and got to talk about the new FabLab in Bohol _{(Hardware junkies in Bohol, leave me a message! We should schedule a meetup!)} and StartupWeeken Bohol among other things. I learned a lot from my short conversation with them by the door as we densely stood by the entryway as busy organizers who obviously had to be somewhere important were squeezing through. It's conversations like this, with like-minded people willing to give and take information on topics you are passionate about, that you get to appreciate and enjoy your field of interest.

The entryway we stood by

I ended up sharing a table with them and a few more awesome people like Jan, who I met at SWC2, and Giovanni, who I met while riding up the elevator _{(with weird buttons)}  going up to Lakwatsa Resto Lounge.

I later met Jhanis at the event proper during an ice-breaker activity the second speaker made us do _{(say hi to the person beside you and ask them what fruit they'd be and why. She's a pretty banana)}. She's an amazing blogger with really funny entries about her life as a mom of two kids. I really enjoy reading her work, and it really helps me relate to what my own mom thinks, too.

The event overall was so much fun with so many learnings. I'll meet even more people in the afternoon session in our Google for Management group, which I will be blogging separately about, and I even got to talk to the event hostess, Issa _{(who I thought, and still think, would make a great model)} after the event ended and got to splurge about each of our family businesses and frustrations.

Again, thank you Bjorn and Ruben for helping me attend! It was an awesome experience :D

Google MapUp-Tagbilaran: Niceness of Boholanos

DTI Office, 2nd floor, FCB building near Cogon

Attended my first Google Mapup Evenat last September 3, 2013 which was held at the above mentioned office. It was really fun with Ruben and Dal  facilitating it all. Most of us were able to map out 20 or so places within the city. We also got some free shirts and stickers. Yey!

We also got to eat out at Gerarda's, a small restaurant by the roadside with awesome food, great service and a very relaxing and homey atmosphere. Definitely worth checking out.

Gerarda's, Torralba St., Tagbilaran City

We also had a little drama on the way there. Ruben forgot his trolley bag _{(with a laptop and some money in it)} at the back of the tricycle _{(three-wheeled public transpo common here in Bohol)} he was on. It already drove away by the time he realized it. The table was so tense within the first hour with everyone breaking into teams and left to try and track down the vehicle. We reported it to the local radio station and authorities but nothing. The guys who left came back empty-handed too so all we could do was sit down and eat the food that was served. Ruben was so chill about everything saying,

"There's always a reason why you lose something. It's either somebody else needs that thing more than you do, or it will be returned to you tenfold."

Coincidentally, the tricycle driver himself came knocking on the restaurant door to return the bag! We were all "Yeeeeeey" and continued lunch on a happier note. Ruben and Dal got the driver's details while I didn't. I'm sure they'll post around about it somehow. All I got was his vehicle's serial number: 0829. Kudos to you, good sir! Hopefully, MapUp events in the future will still be this pleasantly thrilling.