My latest contribution for Scenario Magazine, about how technology has played a significant role against Egypt’s despotic regime.

After I wrote this article new riots erupted at Tahrir Square in Cairo, with the terrible consequence that even more people lost their lives fighting for freedom and democracy against their regime.

The journey [...]]]>

My latest contribution for Scenario Magazine, about how technology has played a significant role against Egypt’s despotic regime.

After I wrote this article new riots erupted at Tahrir Square in Cairo, with the terrible consequence that even more people lost their lives fighting for freedom and democracy against their regime.

The journey towards a new and better country has just started for Egypt, while Europe worries about recession, the Egyptian people are fighting for basic human rights. But as a wonderful Egyptian friend and entrepreneur puts it; we are optimistic – we have to be.

Thanks to all the amazing Egyptian entrepreneurs and the US and Danish mentors, for an unforgettable journey and experience, June 2011 in Cairo .

Today we launch Konfect – a service that makes it easy for you through one interface, to find, explore and connect with people across your communities. Search by entering the persons common username, profile link or real name, and Konfect will show your new contacts social networks.

The person you are searching [...]]]>

Today we launch Konfect – a service that makes it easy for you through one interface, to find, explore and connect with people across your communities. Search by entering the persons common username, profile link or real name, and Konfect will show your new contacts social networks.

The person you are searching for does not have to be signed up on Konfect. As long as the persons social networks uses friendly microformats, Konfect can list the services used by that person.

The idea came from attending conferences, receiving numerous names and business cards, with the need to convert your new contacts into online connections – leading to the name KONFerence connECT.

Konfect is solving the problem of finding a contact on multiple communities. Before Konfect you had to search for the person on every single relevant community, or go through pages of Google search, either way time consuming.

Konfect has been in closed beta since September 2009, and with our public launch we offer easy search and connect. Konfect is produced by Webcom Labs, which plans more convenient cross-network features in the future – and to speed that process up, we are in the search for funding.

We launch in connection with LeWeb, making it easy for you to expand your network. I will be at LeWeb, if you want to meet or Konfect.

When a jazz band gather for a jam session it is all about improvising based on experience, skills and creativity. They are focused on the opportunities that arises from the chord chart (the frame that defines the rhythm and harmonic). They sense, they listen, they collaborate while creating unique unpredictable art.

Based on the [...]]]>

When a jazz band gather for a jam session it is all about improvising based on experience, skills and creativity. They are focused on the opportunities that arises from the chord chart (the frame that defines the rhythm and harmonic). They sense, they listen, they collaborate while creating unique unpredictable art.

Based on the same principles we create jam session startups, meaning that we set a course and we gather the perfect team of highly skilled people. We do not create an agenda or agreements, but we focus, do our best, sense and listen to our users. We collaborate on creating unique, unpredictable and user driven startups.

What happens when we skip the business plan, the agreements and the technical specifications? It is simple – we execute, learn and improve. Instead of a business plan, we set an overall strategy i.e. our course, set up milestones and deadlines, and we take these very seriously. Our deadlines makes us prioritize and fight the perfectionist part of us, that want´s to launch a perfect service, which will never happen.

I have tried both ways of running a startup, but somehow the more effort I put into planning, structure and great business plans, the less I achieve. The reason is that I miss out on spontaneity, which in many cases are the best source for innovation.

When we build Mentory, we knew that we should launch a basic version i.e. no Rolls Royce to start with, but instead sense the adaption while listening to our users. In the past three months since we launched, we have learned lessons and gotten ideas that couldn´t have been predicted up front. The journey is also much more exciting, we know our course but we do not know where it will take us a long the way, and in the end – it is all about Jazz.