Orthogonal Thinking

Randomness and causality

All my life I have been a late developer, and it’s never really bothered me. I was close to being the shortest kid in my school year until I reached 16, and then suddenly grew to one of the tallest. I founded ClickTracks long after other web analytics products seemed to make the market space impenetrable, and yet ClickTracks established a firm position. While there is such a thing as first mover advantage, more often than people give credit you’re actually better off examining the successes and failures of others and learning before you move.

I therefore hope a recent discovery of mine will be seen as late mover advantage, and not that I am hopelessly behind the times. I was browsing a bookshop and picked up, at random, a book named ‘Fooled By Randomness’ by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I have been enraptured by the insight, eloquence and sheer intellect of this author. If you’re reading this article then I assume you need to make rational, data driven choices, in which case you simply must read this book now. If you’ve already read it, forgive me.

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There was some surprise and discussion, and borderline witty banter, when I left ClickTracks. Perhaps some people thought that I was gone forever, never to share a Heineken at a trade show again. Well, you’re not getting out of it that easily. Now that I no longer work for a vendor, I am free to pontificate, opine and rant at will. I will be developing the curriculum within Market Motive, and helping subscribers squeeze the maximum optimization out of their marketing. That means you’ll be hearing plenty from me.

My first speaking opportunity is SES San Jose, where my presentation topic will be ‘The Dirty Secrets of Web Analytics’. It’s a behind the scenes view of what customers really should know about web analytics implementations. The title is deliberately inflammatory of course, but I am serious also in my belief that web analytics is harder to implement and use than many people are prepared for. It’s just the nature of the game.

Starting a new venture is exciting and risky, and I find myself wondering exactly what it is that attracts me about the process of building a company from scratch. My experience at ClickTracks was simply wonderful, and I had the chance to work with incredibly bright people. Perhaps most of all I enjoyed talking to customers. Anyone buying a web analytics tool is exactly the sort of person I enjoy spending time with: inquisitive, driven, seeking ways to improve. It’s delightful to share insight and explain a few of the things I’ve learned with such a group.

 Market Motive is the perfect vehicle my continuing to teach, coach and help online marketers perfect their tasks. Helping people do a better job is rewarding and fun. Of course anyone that has spent time with me will know that I sometimes have an odd way of approaching a problem. I’m told that I arrive at a solution sometimes through unconventional means, and sometimes by simply jumping to the solution without actually solving the problem. Much of the early design of ClickTracks itself falls into this category of course, hence the name ‘Orthogonal Thinking’.