Blog
The Apple Smart Watch Is Here
March 9, 2015
Our timing could have been better. With two weeks to go until our big Haystack launch in the USA, Canada, and the UK, we started to hear rumours that Apple had chosen the same day to launch their new smart watch. Some people have called it the not so smart watch because to work properly,... Read more.
Solving Society’s Little Problems
February 24, 2015
Where I live, there are three big supermarkets all within walking distance. The bread is good, inexpensive and there is a good variety to choose from but all three supermarkets don’t open until 8am. There is also a recent arrival in the neighbourhood, a new independent baker’s shop that opens at 5am. The bread is... Read more.
Haystack’s Christmas Hangover
February 17, 2015
Our straightforward plan for global domination was to launch Haystack in Australia then move onto the USA and UK before rolling out our wonder App in all 26 languages that dominate world trade. Pretty Easy Really. And boy did we enjoy the first 24 hours of going live and the rest of that first week... Read more.
The Most Frustrating Communication Habit We Can All Avoid In 2015
January 22, 2015
It’s a frustration we can all relate to… Painstakingly spelling out your email letter-by-letter over the phone – racking your brain to remember your Alpha-Bravo-Charlies – only to have the caller ring you back because the email bounced. Read more.
Making The Most Of ‘Silly Season’ Networking
December 3, 2014
It’s fondly referred to as the ‘Silly Season’, but for those in business, Christmas – and the inundation of party invitations that go with it – can present a great opportunity for forming meaningful career and business-advancing connections. Read more.
Should You Still Carry Your Business Card Around?
November 18, 2014
Business cards seem to be the talk of the town at the moment. In the last week alone I’ve read two articles published by prominent business websites talking up the importance of having a business card. Read more.
Haystack Goes Live Tomorrow!
October 19, 2014
Tomorrow is our official launch day on the Australian App Stores for iPhones and Android devices, and it’s been a whirl of activity this past week. On Thursday Haystack was one of five finalists at the QUT Bluebox Innovation Challenge where we won the People’s Choice award and $10,000 but lost out to Tanda for... Read more.
Apple Clears Haystack For Lift-Off
October 13, 2014
After all the build-up and anticipation, the approval from Apple for our iOS version of the app was a bit of an anti-climax. Just a two line email that arrived without any fanfare. I expected to hear some bugle music at the very least when I opened the email. The wave of relief was quickly... Read more.
Finding Your Eco-System
October 6, 2014
For the six years before my brothers and I founded Haystack, I was a management consultant with PwC in Brisbane. Our team was full of budding entrepreneurs. We worked on billion dollar mining projects by day and on our own start-up ideas at night. Everyone seemed to be involved in side projects. We had Chris... Read more.
Going Global?... Start Local!
September 30, 2014
Have you ever wondered how technology companies manage to cut through the noise and get new products into the hands of the right set of customers? How do you think that your favourite smartphone app got global traction? The typical answer is because; “it’s just good” or “it does exactly what I need it to... Read more.
Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants
September 23, 2014
Credit where credit is due – I stole the ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ concept from one of my former consulting colleagues and she got it a few years ago from Bob, the same VC guy from New York that threw me out of his office. Standing on the shoulders of giants was Bob’s... Read more.
How To Design A Global App?
September 16, 2014
My favourite App at the moment is Vivino, the app for wine drinkers. The image recognition works pretty well, and the database of wine labels Vivino recognizes is massive. From a Penfolds 389 to an obscure Spanish white, Vivino identifies them all and lets me note how much I paid, where I bought it, and... Read more.