Weekly Pivot Points:  Web Business Journal

This week we start casually collecting & sharing news bits with insight for pivots (or turning points) in life or the web business.  What did you see this week that you found interesting or exciting in our interconnected ebusiness world?

Geek Web Business Friends are ABUZZ about Google Glass Launch

If you have been under a rock, Google has gone Star Trek with uber geek “fashionable” augmented reality glasses.  With fashion design that Geordi La Forge would love, well funded geeks are plunking down $1500 beans to be in Google geek augmented reality Nerdvana/ beta.  Just a few takeaways:

• If you haven’t already applied to be a “Glass Explorer” you are too late.
• Sergey Brin does Ted 
• Sergy can’t  take them off at the Oscars.  He could but he didn’t.  Did he get permission to record everyone?
• Google realizes they don’t do ‘fashionable‘ well.  Perhaps $GOOG should have called Warby Parker sooner?

As if most of mainstream business was keeping pace with the change world of user interface design (ux),  (As if online businesses were up with responsive/mobile strategy, Now this… )

Yahoo! Web Business Friends Disappointed but Marissa, Marissa, Marissa-  You charming brilliant evil genius.

Since my days attending SEO Conferences where Marissa Mayer was a speaker, I must admit I was impressed with her charm and brilliance.

So in a counter-cultural move, telecommuting is nixed at Yahoo effective June!  In a connected world where most of us work any time from anywhere with wifi, what’s up with that?

Is working from home dead at Yahoo!? $YHOO  Yes, for now.   After getting razzed by everyone from Sir Richard Branson “To successfully work with other people, you have to trust each other.” to Kara Swisher  and the hilarious comments at publishing ‘the Yahoo! MEMO”.

Fastpivot is a virtual team that prides itself on leveraging technology to build the best team in the world, regardless of location.  We  see the value of being together AND working from home: both have merits and pitfalls. At this point, I would be remiss if I didn’t share we are hiring ninja ux designers.

So, back to Yahoo!-How do you say “layoff” without saying layoff?  Telecommuter, if you like that lifestyle, opt yourself out and work from home, just not for Yahoo! $YHOO!!

Tech recruiters in Sunnyvale just ordered double-double shot espressos all around…

Groupon you are not brilliant. Naughty web business… Greedy evil genius maybe…

After reporting earnings, Groupon stock took a serious dive this week.  CEO Andrew Mason walked the plank after sharing the news.

Please permit a short rant here.  So, what happens when you take a huge chunk of the value from the merchant in your promotion formula for the low margin, high volume pricing of the offers you parlay?  Sustainable?  I think not.

To his credit, outgoing CEO Andrew Mason’s exit letter scored extra tongue in cheek points:

“After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family,” he wrote in a note to employees. “Just kidding—I was fired today.”  (Relevantmagazine.com) 

Further, in a great example of being ‘out’ while being ‘in’, Mason’s annotated farewell memo made it onto Rap Genius.

Rare the small business advertising twice on Groupon.  Something about losing money but trying to make it up on volume that stings…  Unless you are shorting $GRPN stock to make up the difference that is…  (Actually shorting Groupon might not even help.)

PS-If you emerged from the rock mentioned above and read our email/blog first thing! Thanks!

You permitted the rant, now for a little ‘selly sell‘. Thanks @ChrisBrogan 

We have a web design whitepaper coming next week: “Seven Tricks of the Trade to Enhance your Website.”  I guarantee it will have at least one free dose of common sense.  Email me at matt at fastpivot.com and I’ll shoot you a copy as soon as the editors give the go.  Trust me. That won’t take long.

In the meantime, discuss among yourselves:

• Would you, could you, did you order Google Glass? If so, will you let us live vicariously thru your rose colored annotated lenses on your vblog?
• How do online businesses user interface designers plan to keep up with device proliferation from large to tablet to small to now wearable watches and glasses?  (Didn’t even mention but the watches are coming…)
• Is telecommuting dead or just at Yahoo?  Does your company culture embrace ‘work at home’?
• Was Marissa Mayer’s move smart or silly as the arguments against the horseless carriage in Henry Ford’s day? Speaking of Ford, that guy could really crack a whip.
• Call me a liar: Heard any good Groupon repeat ad buy stories?