Ahh, the all too familiar saying you hear from those that will tell you they are focused on building the next best thing that will change the way consumers behave and act. In reality, they care more about beating (read: being) their competition. I get it, they’re most likely financially successful, probably have the fame and overall are easier to aspire to be – it’s the visual learner in us, we need to see it in order to achieve it.  

Whenever AD:60 or any of our partners start to go down the path of “what’s the competition doing” we realize that we are no longer following what really matters – our own path. This ends up in lack of focus and is most definitely a distraction to meeting the real objective.

“I’ve never known of an established company that was beat by its competition. Instead it was by the company they’d never heard of. MySpace wasn’t worried about Facebook, they were focused on Friendster.”

― Simon Sinek

When it comes to competitive research, I’m all about it. When done right it will give you a clear understanding of the gaps and opportunities in a category.  App reviews are a perfect example. You can literally read what your competition’s customer does and doesn’t like about their product and maybe with all that insight you can create a business out of it.

Let’s take it a step further: being a direct copy can also be beneficial. The marketplace is full of examples: Livingsocial, the clone of Groupon, Uber has copycat Lyft and the lists go on and on. For awhile Microsoft was down this path with Apple; and though I would say they’ve got their footing back, but these clones will never beat the category leader.

In business these types of companies are categorized into two groups: Infinite and Finite. The Finite plays to win, always coping and caring what their competition is doing. The Infinite is playing to survive, focused on their own path, taking their own risks and never forgetting that an unknown could swoop in and make them irrelevant. These companies stay focused on their vision.

This year AD:60 took a step to being an Infinite player. A company that adapts to the market instead of its competition. In our 2017 goals we put following at the top.

– Become a High Touch Service Agency that Builds Leading Class Solutions

The rewards, accolades and new business that we hope to win will be a result of achieving this goal.

What I love about this mindset is that it also applies at an individual level. Much like our clients or anyone building a business, we will sometimes compare ourselves to those around us: friends, co-workers, even family members. We’ve all seen or heard parents comparing their kid’s success. It’s the personal version of my opening statement – “Why can’t you be more like…” – but as this this post tries to point out, you’re never going to beat what you copy.

Hi! I’m Alex, a seven-year veteran entrepreneur who has recently become a first time CEO. I’ve made it my goal in 2017 to share my experiences in this new role. I look forward to your feedback and sharing this experience with you.

The post You Can’t Beat What You Copy appeared first on AD60.

I will let you in on an insider secret: a recruiter does not need to know what you are earning now, or what you have earned at any job prior – at any point. Ever.

The truth is, anyone that calls themselves a “Recruiter” or “Hiring Manager” should be able to look at your resume or LinkedIn profile, ask you a few questions, and tell YOU your market value. Not the other way around. What we are talking about here, is an essential skill set for anyone calling themselves a recruiting professional.

Why? Well, let’s break it down.

Your salary details are in fact no different than your banking information; it is personal financial information that should remain just that – personal and is none of their business!  If the person hiring is a true professional, they already know this answer without having to goad the candidate. They may take a different tact and say

“I personally do not want to press you for your salary information, but it is necessary for my client/company.” Or, “My client/company will not review candidates without knowing their current salary first.”  Bottom line is this – any recruiter who tells you that your salary information is necessary for them to assist you in a job search, is undoubtedly not a seasoned recruiter or someone you want to trust with your career future.  

Let’s introduce another concept. The recruiting process is a transaction — one where you are the client and recruiter/hiring manager is the consultant. So now I ask, what kind of credible consultant is afraid to tell their client the truth, in an effort to maintain their negotiation power? In today’s world, transparency is the name of the game. A key principle to transparency and building a strong recruiter to candidate relationship, starts with the recruiter being able to step out from behind the scenes, into the light of clarity.

As soon as a consultant becomes afraid of losing their negotiation power, they can no longer be called “consultant.” They have turned into a dishonest professional that will view you as a dollar sign – a transaction – a commodity – rather than a valued relationship. It is not difficult for a recruiter to tell their clients the truth when they are confident in what they are pitching. In this case, pitching an open and exciting role. Regardless, recruiters and their clients will always want to know what you are earning now. Why? The answer is simple: it gives them a huge negotiation advantage when making job offers! There is a reason Massachusetts has outlawed the practice of asking job applicants for their salary details. When a recruiter or HR person requests your salary details, you can and should ask them a question in return, “What is the salary range for this position?” The salary range for an open position is a much more logical starting point for conversation than the irrelevant question, “What are you earning now?”

Do not be afraid to push back on recruiters, because ultimately they will not let talented people such as yourself slip through their fingers. They will not walk away from the opportunity to place or hire someone that knows their market value. This leads to the question recruiters SHOULD be asking, “What is your salary target?” With this question, good recruiters will be able to tell you whether they feel this salary target is reasonable or not. Going a step further, the best recruiters will tell you whether your target aligns with the company target.

The world is changing fast. The most notable organizations that are at the forefront of leadership are People-focused. At AD:60 we are just that. We believe people are the differentiators. This is more no evident than in our hiring process; candidates are people, and they are our partners from the very beginning. Do not be afraid to ask the hard questions. Do not be afraid to ask about the salary of a position. Do not let a poorly-trained or out of touch recruiter pressure you into giving up your personal salary details. Keep them to yourself and hold out for an organization that deserves you! Hold out for an organization like AD:60 that practices transparency and treats you like a partner in the hiring process, rather than a commodity.

The post Do Recruiters Need My Current Salary? appeared first on AD60.

I thought about how I observed the folks around me and what their daily habits were. Each employee at AD:60 has their own daily routine, as do many of my CEO friends. Some run five miles every morning or do a crossfit workout because they value being fit and healthy. Others do meditation or read a book a week to help their mind escape and reset. Often the habit doesn’t need to be separate from your job,  it could simply be to exude positivity throughout your daily interactions.

I thought it would be fun to share two daily habits I find extremely helpful in helping me achieve success, which for me means having my actions speak louder than my words.

#1 Spend one hour outside every day: As a digital-only company, almost all of my time is spent in an office in front of a computer. This is why I make it a rule to be outside for at least one hour a day. Be it walking my dog, riding my bike or just sitting at a patio with friends, I find being outside as a form of meditation. No matter if it’s broken into 20 min chunks or late at night, the fresh air helps me relax, release any stress and restart my mind for the next challenge.

#2 Leave the middle of the day free: My role requires me to be constantly engaging and talking to people, but it also requires me preparing for meetings and working with my team to ensure the highest quality deliverable is created. To help keep myself and others productive, we try to structure our meetings before noon and after 4 each day. Leaving a solid 4 hours to focus on deliverables, and eliminating the constant start and stopping that meetings can cause.

Do you have a daily habit that has helped you stay focus and be successful? Be sure to share in the comments as I’m always looking for new techniques to try.  

Hi! I’m Alex, a seven-year veteran entrepreneur who has recently become a first time CEO. I’ve made it my goal in 2017 to share my experiences in this new role. I look forward to your feedback and sharing this experience with you.

The post The Two Daily Habits for Success appeared first on AD60.

And while it’s something that everyone enjoys, we noticed that there was a downside as well. A couple of months ago, we noticed that our office manager was constantly cleaning up after the team. It was easy to understand why it was happen: people were busy and they rush in, make their meal and jump back to the task at hand. The problem? It meant that our office manager spent more time cleaning up and less working with our People Team, and the crucial work of building the company culture and connecting with new recruits.

“A culture is strong when people work with each other for each other. A culture is weak when people work against each other for themselves”
― Simon Sinek

Once we noticed this issue, it lead us to ask if there were other instances where people were so focused on completing their tasks that they did so at the expense of someone else. These types of cases can cause unnecessary extra steps in the process that has a ripple effect: loss efficiency and critically, a loss in creativity. I decided to address the situation in our monthly town hall and did so by sharing a simple story, which I’ve named “The Bottle Cap Principle.” 

A couple of years ago, on a sunny summer day in Toronto, I was at a bar catching up with a childhood friend. This particular bar served bottles with the caps on, which at the time didn’t really mean anything. I would have a beer, fold the cap and put in the bottle. I didn’t even think about what I was doing, but as time passed, my friend eventually jumped in and took the cap from me and put in the trash. Seeing the confused look on my face, she pointed out that bottles with caps in them couldn’t be recycled and therefore required the staff to fish the caps out so the bottle could be properly processed.

She ended by saying “not thinking of how your actions impact others, you unknowingly made the next person’s job harder.”

This is something that has stayed with me and I think about it often. In fact, I have shared “The Bottle Cap Principle” time and again since it’s something that almost everyone can relate to. For the agency, the work we do can have a large impact on the daily tasks our team and partners have. For example, a badly written brief (or none at all) can create confusion or lack of direction, which can delay a team already on a tight timeline. And if there’s poorly written code then there is technical debt.

Everyday we do things, some from habit, others instructed and a few by circumstance, but in all instances there is eventually someone on the receiving end of that decision. We’ve all experienced it, and in many cases we live with it, but at AD:60 we don’t accept it. We strive to be the best and it starts by respecting each other’s roles and time. When done properly the end result is work that generates real results for our clients and their customers.

Hi! I’m Alex, a seven-year veteran entrepreneur who has recently become a first time CEO. I’ve made it my goal in 2017 to share my experiences in this new role. I look forward to your feedback and sharing this experience with you.

The post The Bottle Cap Principle: How a simple observation changed the way we work appeared first on AD60.

Over the years we’ve been privileged to work on some amazing products for incredible companies. We helped Songza become an innovator in the music streaming category – work that eventually lead to an acquisition from Google; we disrupted the fintech industry with Stash and brought Christie’s into the mobile age, the next evolution of its 200-year-old brand.

AD:60 has earned a reputation of being the partner of choice for developing solutions that introduce new top-line or increase bottom line revenue through digital technologies such as web and native applications.

This success is something we’re super proud of and believe it is the result of our unique perspective that was formed out of the entrepreneurial perspective of having our own product. In reality, the agency as it is today wasn’t the game plan; my partners and I had stepped away from the ad world for greener passages of the silicon alley life. The AD:60 agency was created out of necessity; a need for new cash flow while our internal product flourished into a cash positive business.

Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have. Without having a goal it’s difficult to score.
― Paul Arden

Growing an Agency from a Product

In the summer of 2008 my two partners and I launched MyBankTracker.com. This was a financial website for the purpose of helping consumers find unbiased information on various topics such as “Find the Perfect Bank, Selecting a Credit Card” etc. As you can see from the date, we launched on the heels of the housing market collapse. While this obviously wasn’t the best time for many Americans and those around the world, having a website that was focused on bringing transparency to consumers about their banks became very popular. To stay in business with zero to no marketing dollars, we hustled over the next year and saw traffic grow and advertisers sign-up.

As anyone who works for a business whose revenue is driven through advertising knows, getting paid from the agencies that represent the brands advertising on your property isn’t the quickest process. How slow? I’m talking net 120 days slow. More than that, what could easily be solved with a bank loan today, wasn’t as easy to come by in 2009. Wanting to stay bootstrapped (proud to say we continue to be today!), the decision was made to go back to our roots and launch the AD:60 agency.

Stay self-funded as long as possible.
— Garrett Camp, co-founded StumbleUpon and Uber

When the decision was made to step back into this world, we did so with the goal of building something different. A goal to build and rewire how an agency thinks and acts. Winning awards wouldn’t be our top priority, building an actual business or in this case helping our partners build there’s would be measurement of success.

As you’ll see below, I outline the pillars we put in place to achieve this, but as an agency built from wanting to have our own product be as successful as the clients we work with, it became extremely clear why our partners work with us.

Our true vision was disproportionately aligned with our clients, because we want to become our clients.

Our Pillars to Building an Agency

For AD:60 to establish itself as a premier digital agency, we relied on high-touch, strong strategy and a goal to fulfill three primary objectives:

• A Seat at the Table. This means having a say, pushing back and not just taking direction and delivering any solution to get the paycheck. Anyone who works for or with AD:60 needs to believe the concepts we’re developing will achieve real results. For some that’s growing a user base while for others generating revenue on day one. We’ve also worked with partners that need to do these both as a requirement to achieve favorable terms in their next round. In the end, it is equally important for us to see the work we do turn into something people want to share, talk about and even pay money to use.
• Think Features Last. To properly build the right solution, we begin each project with a Solution Thinking Methodology. Our mantra is “Think in solutions, not in features.” By defining the problems that the solution tackles, it answers the questions “why are we building this?”, “who has these problems?” and defines the solution “how are we doing this?” This methodology allows us to create solutions that have successful features.
• Simple, but Iterative. Cut through the BS, clutter or anything else you want to call it and instead offer an efficient approach that optimizes effort for both the client and the agency. We understand new discoveries will occur during the process, it’s what makes product development so much fun. Charging for every pivot is not.

We know it works when:

• Net Promoter Score: Score a 9/10 turning our partners into Promoters (9+) aka “loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth”. To use this means we are helping our partners grow their business
• 80 Percent Capacity: Ensure 80% of our team’s capacity is billed through partner investments in AD:60 technologies and talent
• Internal Technology Development: Utilize the remaining 20% of capacity to advance AD:60 capabilities and create a foundation that drives us to the premier level our mission looks for

Delivering for our partners is goal number one, but always keeping that internal product R&D mindset is key to our team’s future growth. When we successfully deliver on all these pieces, I realize why I love being back in the agency world. It’s about the opportunities our partners give us:

• A chance to test and learn new technologies
• The ability to refine our skills in building products that drive business growth

Most importantly, while our approach has evolved, we’ve stayed true to our core values. It’s a key decision point for our partners when they consider contract renewal or extension. We are proud to have partners such as Nutrisystem, who are now into their fourth year with us.

Having our own product, we aren’t dependent on alternative marketing products or needing to focus on winning awards to advertise our capabilities. This doesn’t mean that we don’t want or appreciate recognition, but it’s not our focus. Instead, our focus is to work with companies that genuinely need help creating a digital infrastructure that is vital to their success. We continue to learn from our partners and we refine our own mission. In the end, it always comes back to the learnings we gain from working on our own product. This experience allows us to apply the right solution for our partners core need. Because at the end of the day, our goal is to provide a technology solution will allow a business to reach the right customers and the right time and bring their the brand to the target audience in a meaningful, powerful way.

Hi! I’m Alex, a seven-year veteran entrepreneur who has recently become a first time CEO. I’ve made it my goal in 2017 to share my experiences in this new role. I look forward to your feedback and sharing this experience with you.

The post Agencies Built from Products Act Different appeared first on AD60.

Creating a relatable, yet financially stable brand.

To create the best possible financial investing application that is simple enough for new investors but advanced enough for the veteran investor, AD:60 and StashInvest needed to first create an identity that was not only easy to understand, but portrayed confidence and stability among our customers.

The logo, colors and fonts utilized to establish the STASH brand brought on a sense of calm and long term commitment. An idea we wanted the user to feel when stashing their cash in the application.

For the application, we focused on the need to implement a simple UX, backed by a clear strategy. The look and feel of the app had to reflect the new brand identity while at the same time, a clean layout to ensure users did not feel overwhelmed when investing their money. Hand-drawn illustrations were added as navigation icons to give a level of playfulness and universal feel that would allow us to expand the brand to new locations overtime.

To avoid the overwhelming feeling that can be caused by financial applications, AD:60 applied a simplicity the app by structuring it into three distinct sections; MyStash, Discover and Account that acted as separate housed actions that offered subtle ties that drew connections between the sections.

Extensive prototype testing followed by rapid releases with our beta group confirmed our approach with overall investment levels and engagements beating our initial objectives.

Investing, the way it should be.

AD:60 and StashInvest delivered a strategy and final product that brought a concierge feel to the investment vertical that allows you to connect to your beliefs, interest and goals.

We understood that education has a key role in helping our customers make smarter decisions. That is why STASH provides recommendations, guidance and support through a virtual advisor. This simple be intuitive feature, helps our customers become educated on how to make smarter investments.

Additionally, STASH has one of the most integrated social elements of any brokerage app. If you opt-in to social, you can follow friends who have accounts with STASH through Facebook or your Contacts. By following your friends, you will be able to see what investments your friends own, to help share ideas in what you should invest in next.

With a minimum investment of $5, over 30 unique investments to choose from, getting started with STASH is extremely easy.

The post Introducing Stash, the easiest way to invest your way appeared first on AD60.

Available on iOS iPhone, iPod and iPad, this luxury client has been a partner of AD:60 for more than 3 years. Continuing to push the boundaries within the auction space, Christie’s realized it was time to expand their auction modal to push their ecommerce gallery in the hands of its most prominent customers.

With a fresh UX that needs to handle the many elements of the Christie’s app (over 500 screens), we were able to introduce fixed priced sale items and online only auctions.

Through a tight collaboration, we have shifted this 100 year old brands infrastructure to create a mobile experience worth using. Performing at the level their audience expects, we worked closely with Christie’s tech team to restructure their existing APIs to be fully mobile friendly without interrupting their legacy code. These new APIs are able to handle file sizes of 5 mbs for dynamically changing data seamlessly over non-wifi connetions. All of this is presented within a UX and UI that offered new touch point’s for users and new revenue for Christie’s.

The post Christie’s Auction House appeared first on AD60.

Stash is a digital investment advisor that makes it simple and fun to invest your money based on your interests and goals. You can start investing with as little as $5.

Americans understand the importance of investing – but with so many options, getting started proves to be too intimidating for many of us. That’s why Stash is designed to make it easy and guide you every step of the way. Read more about Stash, directly from the CEO.

AD:60 was brought on to work with Stash’s team, which is part of TechStars New York, to bring the concept to life and to create the branding. What we love most about Stash is that you actually have a say about what you are invested in.

The app is scheduled for a late Q3 release so get in line for early access now!

The post Stash – A New Way to Invest in What You Love appeared first on AD60.

We support several nonprofit organizations we feel strongly about. AD:60 matches employee donations and volunteers time and energy to the following charities:

Brighter Children serves needy children in India, Colombia and Kenya. It’s a non-profit organization that funds education for kids in these countries. AD:60 has been an integral part of the cause and currently serves on the board of Brighter Children.

Sleeping Children Around the World provides bedkits (mattresses, pillows, blankets) to children in 33 countries. The organization proudly gives 100 percent of bedkit donations to each child and doesn’t use the funds on administration costs.

Honor Flight Network pays tribute to our country’s war heroes. The organization transports veterans to Washington D.C. to visit memorials.

AD:60 is proud to be involved with these worthy causes, and hope our efforts will fuel more support and awareness.

The post AD:60 Gives Back appeared first on AD60.

AD:60 developed a state of the art app for iPad and iPhone allowing users to purchase anytime, from anywhere. This beautiful app is the first ecommerce app for AD:60 and for Christie’s and we are very proud to say that sales and downloads are soaring! Using the calendar the user can see upcoming sales. They can set up a reminder to put in a bid for that piece of jewelry they still desire, the wines they want to invest in and the art to line their home walls. This app allows the busy modern person the luxury of shopping while on the go or while reclining on the sofa- wherever you are AD:60 has revolutionized online sales from the comfort of your finger tips. Enjoy shopping for excellence!

The post Christie’s App: Shop art everywhere! appeared first on AD60.