Beta!

The app is taking shape, and today is the release of Version 1.0 (20), which is really the 3rd time I've seen something that actually looks like a working app, on my iPhone. My iPhone 6s, a 6, and an iPad Air 2 are the devices I'm currently using for beta testing. Still trying to get registered to determine if the app will work on iPod Touch and/or older iPhones and iPads.

Here it is running, literally, on the iPad and the iPhone 6.

Adventures in Naming

Food for Thought - the name of a fun feature in the first versions of TeleMagic (1985). It was a motivational quotation that would pop up on the screen if the keyboard was unused for 2 minutes. This became one of the most-loved features of TeleMagic DOS.  I wanted to use this name for the app, but it appeared to be taken, and I thought we could do better.

Food For My Mind - there came a time early in the project where we needed a product name to register the project with apple, so I chose FFMM but knew we could do better and it was just temporary.

Mobile Motivator - still too many syllables. Better because it does describe a result (motivation). The word Mobile adds nothing to the name because the app can only run on a mobile device. This was the name chosen by a slim margin by an unscientific small survey of friends.

Mobile Mentor - suggested by a friend. Two less syllables, but still with the Mobile wasted word, and I didn't like the concept of another person (mentor) involved because most people would want to go it alone. Second guessed the MM. theme because of the possible perceived conflict of interest with DBLM.com and MM = Michael McCafferty, etc. I felt we could do better, but focused on immediate issues and delayed any further naming improvements until/if time permitted later.

tobewise - I kept searching for a better name that would describe a result, or a feeling, one would get from using the app. Not some difficult to remember name that would be clever, but a promise, a result, a feeling.  It finally came to me in the shower one morning. 2bWise. But that seemed to much like it was trying to be clever, and then that quote by Rumi hit me:

Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. 

Today I am wise so I am changing myself. 

In considering the nature of wise, I felt that Wise would be eternal, while clever is a moment to moment thing, solving problems one at a time. Wise is a way of being where there are no problems. Problems are avoided. Einstein's words: 

Intellectuals solve problems;

geniuses prevent them.

I like to think of geniuses as being more Wise than clever.

Simplicity was the key=one word: tobewise.

Humility=lowercase.

My design skills are with recognizing the right logo, and delegating the creative, so I set up a design contest at 99designs for some professional help. 

Meet the Team

When this app is launched and activities start to get the word out, there may be some degree of curiosity about who is behind it. So here’s who we are so far:  Rio Pedersen, Raj Sanghvi, CEO Bitcot.com, and Michael McCafferty. Photo is missing for "Steve" the un-named believer/benefactor who got us all started down this path.

Rio Pedersen

Raj Sanghvi

Michael McCafferty

           

99designs for logo, etc.

In a one week contest to come up with the best design for the app, 99designs.com drew in 30 designers who contributed 194 designs, trying to earn the $299 prize, of which they get only about $200. Almost all of the designers were from half a world away, judging from the time of day that they submit their designs. Many are communicating with substandard English language skills, and sometimes that makes it tough to help them improve their designs, or be responsive to the basic specs. As of 8/29 the contest is over, with the logo in the heading of this post.

-----------------------------------------------------

I was looking for something better than this design, below, that I used as a starting point for the design contest:

:

tobewise™

The right words at the right time…

As you can see, I'm not a designer.

Fonts previously under consideration:



Apple Chancery font. I like this one a lot and was suggested by Ann von Gal. What I really needed was a total logo package that included the logo, product name, and tagline, with colors and sizes and layout all together.

Here's a font I really liked because it was strong and yet ancient looking:

Known Bugs

Content Bugs:
1. Links for the author and Video are built up from the content and may resolve to some seemingly unintended results. Search further down the list for good links.

Content FINAL final

I found a deadly bug, immediately after I sent Raj the link to the FINAL, final content database.

And then I fixed it, and hopefully it is a non-issue, but it speaks to the ease with which bugs can get in the most unlikely places, and always at the last moment.

Last minute testing revealed that Wikipedia search on author would not produce a valid page of information in all cases, so I switched to Google search, which would include wikipedia entry if any, and more info as well, so it's not so much a loss.

More last minute testing revealed that in doing a youtube search that includes author and subjects could get an empty search, so I excluded the author from the youtube search and went with only the subjects.

This redefining the roles of search seems to bring a sort of balance to the resources.


After finding the final :) bug, I submitted the database again,
only to find 2 more buglets, and had to ask for more time to fix the glitches.
Now that I'm sure I've got all the uglies, I'm not so sure...

:)

Update: After the FINAL final, the file was not used for another week or so, which meant that I had the chance to slip in another few typo corrections. Even when you think it's over "it ain't over 'til it's over"  (Yogi Berra)

tobewise. not for everybody.

tobewise

not for everybody.

some people can't take it.
too hyperactive to sit down for two minutes.

maybe some people can't read.

and of course, you need an iPhone.

so lots of people will miss out on tobewise.

Sad...

If Kahlil Gibran had an iPhone

If Kahlil Gibran had an iPhone
he would have built something like tobewise.

but with the tools he had at the time,
the best he could do was
The Prophet.

App description

Wise: 

having or showing experience, 

knowledge, and good judgment.

tobewise is an app-based process used by people who want to achieve a state of wisdom, a quiet confidence that they are doing the right things, the right way, for the right reasons as they progress along the path of a successful life.

It starts in the mind, so this app is a resource of wise thinking, in the form of the words spoken by the wisest people in all of recorded history, including present day Silicon Valley geniuses and billionaires. 

tobewise is a process, a system, for learning how to think in ways that inspire and motivate by thinking the same thoughts of the greatest minds.

This is the process:

1. Sit quietly, alone, close your eyes, breathe, smile gently.

2. Tap tobewise on your iPhone.

4. Select a subject, and immediately the words of wisdom flow from screen to your deepest mind.

4. Adjust the speed setting to allow slow, focused contemplation all the way up to maximum speed input in the time available, for example in preparation for an important meeting.

    a. to learn even more, follow the links, including huge library of videos!

    b. personalize by adding your own content.

That's it. Two minutes to a stress-free life where stuff comes together without a lot of wasted time, effort, and drama. Ideally once in the morning, and once at night. Repeat as desired throughout the day.

It's your mind. You can waste it on TV and facebook, or you can build your mind with tobewise.

This first release of tobewise features the following content:

     1. General Collection of subjects we can all use; and 

     2. Success in Business Collection of subjects for Startups, Entrepreneurs, Venture Capital, much more.

tobewise.

I believe it to be the only product of its kind.

Acknowledgements

Charles Speidel for your excellent help during the agony of naming this app. Thank you!

Rio Pedersen for such prodigious productivity and care and technical excellence in researching and editing the content database. Thank you!

Carol Soria for simplifying my life so greatly that I am able to focus more intently on projects like this app. Thank you!

Raj S for your patience, guidance and excellence with the technical aspects of building the app. Thank you!

There's one more person who helped get this project off the ground. Without his support and trust, this would never have happened. He doesn't want to be mentioned by name, so let's just call him Steve. Thank you!

Hello World: tobewise™

tobewise™ is born on the web.

This Blog:          tobewiseApp (blog)

Facebook page: Facebook.com/Tobewise

Website URL:   tobewise.co
                              currently redirects to this blog
                               

Twitter ID:        @tobewiseApp

Contact Information
     Name:        Michael McCafferty
     Email:        Help@tobewise.co
 
     Phone:        858.342.6949
     Text:            858.342.6949

     FaceTime:  FastMikie
     Skype:        FastMikie

               

The Unique Nature of the Product

There are hundreds of apps that have quotations as the primary content. The challenge is: how to stand out in a sea of quote apps?

Below are shortcomings of existing apps and the proposed unique features about the product that will position it strongly in the marketplace.

Scheduling:

Most quotation apps have a fixed schedule feature whereby a single Quotation is delivered once per day as a “Thought for Today”. This seems outdated, from the days of keeping a written diary, or a paper book for planning the day. Some apps even have features to deliver a single Quotation on a schedule, such as every hour, on the hour, or even every 5 minutes as an extreme. It is almost certain that a random quote delivered on a fixed schedule will be inappropriate at the moment it is delivered.

On-Demand delivery of (multiple) quotations will add value for the user. For example: the user is going to make an important sales presentation, and wants to get in a strong mind set, relax, and think positive. The user launches the app, selects the subject Sales and is immediately presented with a moving stream of quotes that do the job. There are many such situations where On-Demand motivation/inspiration are needed… job interview, team meeting, project start, before exams, etc. Attitude is Everything. Change your attitude, change your life. Begin it Now. Do it often.

Collection of quotes: (“Collection One”)

In most apps the quotes are from a fixed set of general purpose quotes supplied by the app creators.There is no ability to add/change/delete quotes.

We improve on this by giving the user the ability to add personal favorites, with links, that may not be in the basic collection, as well as the ability to delete quotes that are unwanted for whatever reason. Further, users can add personalized Subject keywords to each quote allowing quotes to be added to several lists at once.

Sequence of quotes:

Existing apps deliver quotes in a random, or unknown sequence that is unchangeable. We give the user the power to choose.

Speed and Direction Controls:

Most apps present a single quotation with no ability to manually browse the collection. Some allow browsing back not forward. Browsing requires a swiping gesture or touching an icon for each new quote.

A Fun Factor and Value can be added by allowing the user to Auto Speed-Browse through the entire collection, or any Subject or Author. This allows the user to sit back and watch a continuously changing display of the best words from the smartest people who have lived.

User Experience

Most apps present a boring, flat, unchanging user experience whereby nothing moves on the main screen unless the user initiates it.

Our app will always be moving to keep interest at a high level and to show the user the range of possibilities. The user can also Pause the action, or Go Back to review something they may have missed.

User Analytics

Most quote apps give no user analytics at all. People who like to think also like numbers, so we’ll give them some numbers to think about to help them get the most from the app, eg:

Number of Quotes for Favorited

Number of Quotes Deleted by User

Number of Quotes Added by User

Number of Quotes Shared by User

Total number of Quotes in Collection

Number of Unique Authors and Unique Subjects

Quotes delivered on schedule.

Quotes manually browsed.

Quotes displayed in Auto Mode.

Time spent in app.

Video Content

Video content is by far the most compelling content. Most quote apps are focused solely on text content. They miss out on the increased user engagement that video offers. Each quote in Collection One will link to a YouTube video list searched using the Subject keywords. Also user editable link to personalized content.

Community

Need a free solution for user-community interaction without programming it into the app. A link to a standard online forum, moderated?

The background story

In 1985 a new software category (CRM) started up with the release of a software product called TeleMagic, for the PC.

It was designed primarily for salespeople to use in their work, to keep track of the many details of the selling process, to produce letters, proposals, dial the phone, send faxes (remember those?), and interface with the company's accounting software to do billing and inventory control.

It seems so obvious now, but just did not exist in 1985. And it seemed obvious to Michael McCafferty too, so he programmed it and built a company to sell the software.

Customers loved the software, and some are still using the software 31 years later. They just can't find anything better for their needs.

One of the early users of TeleMagic was a guy named, let's call him Steve, running a business in, let's settle on Seattle, and he purchased a copy of the software and he credits the product as a very important tool in building a successful business.  

There was one specific feature of TeleMagic which was a favorite of many customers. It was a screen popup that would occur whenever your keyboard went idle for, say, 2 minutes.  The popup would be a quotation intended to lift the spirits of the user, and motivate them to persevere. It was called "Food For Thought".

Fast forward 31 years and Steve’s business had programmed their own software for their CRM special needs, so TeleMagic, and that great pop-up Food For Thought were no longer used.

When a family member needed help recently, Steve remembered how those quotes in TeleMagic might help others. But the software packaging and diskettes were gone, and even if they could be located, there were no machines that could read those old floppy disks. What to do?

Google, of course. And with enough googling and perseverance, Steve located the guy who wrote the TeleMagic product, one Michael McCafferty, at 12:32 in the morning of January 3rd, 2016, to see if those quotations might still be around. Mike put the word out to the remaining TeleMagic dealers. Within hours, the dealer in Sweden found his disks and ran them on his ancient PC, found the quotes and emailed them along to Mike who emailed them to Steve at around 4 in the morning.

In a subsequent meeting, Mike mentioned that the Food For Thought feature was a favorite of users, and a favorite of his to do as the programmer. He said he had often thought of doing an app for the smartphone that would replicate that feature from so long ago. Steve thought that was a good idea and wanted to help make it a reality.

Raj Sanghvi joined the team to do the app programming and agreed to do the work for a budget and bonuses and now it looks like we have a wonderful adventure ahead...

Goals

1. Inspire, motivate, and educate people,
2. Help people achieve their goals
3. Legacy for all who worked on this app.
4. Create The best quotation app, to be proud of what we do.

Audience

People who want it: Entrepreneurs, sales reps, students… people with ambition, goals, dreams, plans…

People who need it: Disaffected youth, millennials, unemployed, criminals, people who seem to have bad luck, sick people.