I ride the bus everywhere in Seattle. One mobile app I use regularly is One Bus Away. It tells you how minutes away, in real time, your bus is until it arrives at your current stop. It works very well, but it’s designed from the perspective that you’re waiting for the bus to arrive. It doesn’t work so well for planning the trip, or how long until you arrive at your destination, once you’re en route.
That’s where the Transit Rider app would come in. It’d be a single solution for people who ride the bus, and eventually subway/light rail riders. Ideally, it’d do the same functionality as One Bus Away. However, You’d also be able to plan your trip, select the starting stop you like best (because there could be multiple options), then tell it when the bus picked you up. The mobile application would then estimate your arrival time. This could be a fantastic app if designed correctly.
Given the complexity of it, it wouldn’t be possible to create a working prototype for a Startup Weekend project. However, it could be mocked up with static assets and an associated business model. When it comes time to build it, then you’ll need a Java developer to support Android, and an objective-c developer to support iPhone / iPad. It’ll make heavy use of APIs on the server, so you’ll need some great server-side software developers.
This is a project that should be made. it needs to be made which is why I’m writing about it. If you do decide to make it, You should start by developing it for Seattle on Android first. Worry about the iPhone/iPad experience after you’ve worked out the Android experience. That way I can be a tester for you.
How to Do Barcamp Seattle
I’m excited that Barcamp Seattle is only a few weeks away. Every year I look forward to it. Every year it doesn’t disappoint. Barcamp Seattle is always filled with great presentations, awesome discussions, and smart people. When all is said and done, I walk away inspired and energized. If you’ve never been to a Barcamp, and you’re near Seattle, you should definitely attend. It’s a 2 day event August 14-15, 2010. One thing to keep in mind is that space is limited this year. It’s free to attend, but make sure you register because it will “sell out”. You may be wondering … What is it like at Barcamp Seattle? In a word, Rad!
Rules of Barcamp
Barcamps are sometimes called un-conferences. This is because they defy some of the traditions of regular conferences. My favorite is that anyone who attends has the opportunity to present.
The Rules of Barcamp are as follows
1st Rule: You do talk about BarCamp.
2nd Rule: You do blog about BarCamp.
3rd Rule: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
4th Rule: Only three word intros.
5th Rule: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
6th Rule: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists.
7th Rule: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
8th Rule: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present. (Ok, you don’t really HAVE to, but try to find someone to present with, or at least ask questions and be an interactive participant.)
As you experience Barcamp, keep a couple of things in mind
Be Nice - You learned this from Mom, and Patrick Swayze in Road House
Don’t Pitch Me Bro – Giving a session about your work is bad form. People come to Barcamp to learn and share ideas, not the hard sell.
Vote With Your Feet – Time is precious at Barcamp. If you’re not enjoying the session, walk out quietly. Try another one.
What Can I Present
There’s no real limit on what you can present. Perhaps that’s why it’s hard for a lot of people to come up with a topic. Others suffer from blank page syndrome. What do you find interesting? What do you know that might interest others? The attendees tend to be software developers, web designers, entrepreneurs and social media folks. So presentations tend to cover things like social media tools, web apps, UI/UX concepts, publishing. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. What inspires you? How would you make something better?
Some potential sources of inspiration are your previous blog posts and articles, other conference sessions you’ve attended, and news/magazine articles on topics that interest you. Combine them, bend them, or turn them on their head.
Final Thoughts
Barcamp is a great venue if you’re new to public speaking. The audience is on your side, and wants to hear what you have to say. So pick a topic that interests you and has some depth to it, and share it with the world.
Video Challenge
I created my first ever video, as a response to a challenge put out by Mel Kirk on her website randommel.com. It was an interesting process. One that I think I could get used to. However, if I’m going to do more street footage, I’ll definitely require a video camera. It felt a little silly to use the iSight camera on my macbook. People were a little baffled, but that’s probably because it was raining today in seattle during filming, and my laptop is not waterproof. It’s on youtube but for convenience i’m adding it below, so you can watch it now. Enjoy!
