Two Years Before the Mast Max Effgen, March 16, 2011 My brother Ryan is an excellent writer. He often gives books as gifts. I came across this article in the WSJ: A True Adventure at Sea and on Shore by Angus Phillips and was reminded of one of the great gifts he has given me over the years. Two Years… Continue Reading
Pathfinder Avenger Xlite: How I rollerboard… Max Effgen, March 15, 2011 Recently, a friend asked me for advice on luggage. I travel. It has slowed lately, but I was “up in the air” for about a 10 year stretch. 2 million AAdvantage miles later, I tend for be a know-it-all when it comes to navigating airports, hotels, rental cars and all… Continue Reading
The Future of Mobile Banking Max Effgen, March 13, 2011 I have been taking a look the the mobile banking space as it relates to CRM for financial institutions. Many major banks offer mobile solutions today and often cite mobile technology as their top innovation initiative. Expect the growth will continue alongside rising smartphone popularity, younger consumers’ spending, and comfort… Continue Reading
“Grease the groove” Max Effgen, March 9, 2011 The rain is ridiculous today in Seattle. More like a Midwestern thunderstorm than the usual mist, sun-break, overnight rain that the Pacific Northwest is famous for. Today on my run, the “Grease the groove” concept was stuck in my head — much better than the typical “Walking on Sunshine” by… Continue Reading
Seattle Skyline Max Effgen, March 5, 2011 Seattle’s skyline from Kerry Park in the Queen Anne neighborhood is one of my favorite views of the city. This panoramic was taken on a cold, clear morning with my trusty Xpan. For this weekend edition, I am making this wallpaper available for all 2 of my readers in 3… Continue Reading
How do you break a LEGO? Max Effgen, March 2, 2011December 2, 2013 This is a re-post, but I have had another great service experience with LEGO. Thanks! You are awesome. I am still not exactly sure what kind of super-powers my son has. He does posses the strength to break unbreakable LEGO pieces. In my youth, I lost my first tooth by… Continue Reading
Sales is Support, Marketing is Support, Service is Support Max Effgen, February 28, 2011 My friend, Robert Pease, wrote an interesting post arguing that sales equals support. I have been thinking about this idea as well recently. There are some interesting trends that anyone who is customer or prospect facing needs to consider. Social media has made it possible to signal intent on an… Continue Reading
Mac OS 10.7 Lion Wallpaper Max Effgen, February 27, 2011 Learned over the weekend that the latest version of Apple’s Mac OS is being called “Lion.” Wallpaper will be needed. This lion if one of two resident males at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Click the image for a 1920 x 1200 wallpaper freely available for personal, non-commercial use. You… Continue Reading
Perfect for the 10 year-old in me… Max Effgen, February 22, 2011 I found this on awesome ET in the extreme on Threadless. Not sure if it ever made it into t-shirt form, but it should have. Click the image to check out on their site. Continue Reading
Why gCRM? Max Effgen, February 21, 2011 Because Google is getting serious about the enterprise. I believe it is just a matter of time that they will release a CRM application. How serious is Google’s enterprise? Leading VCs are taking notice: Brad Feld: My Increasing Love Affair With Google Apps. CRM is a logical next step, because… Continue Reading