I should have known all this good karma was too good to last... check out what just landed in my inbox:
Dear Mary Smaragdis,
Sun Microsystems, Inc. and the JavaOne(sm) Conference Content Team are grateful for your proposal to present at the 2005 JavaOne conference. The high quality of submissions made the selection process extremely difficult. We regret to inform you that we will be unable to accept your proposal entitled ' Built a better mouse trap? Get Marketing to beat a path to your door. '.
Thank you very much for your submission. We appreciate your continued support of the JavaOne conference.
Sincerely,JavaOne Conference Content Team
:-(
double :-(
I don't get to be a JavaOne speaker, despite my very best efforts
Here's the details of my submission... i really think it would have made for a great BOF. regrettably the powers that be didn't agree with me...
Title: Built a better mouse trap? Get
Marketing to beat a path to your
door.
Abstract: This lively and entertaining BOF shares practical how-to tips on getting your marketing organization interested in picking up your innovation and taking it to market. It provides an insider's perspective on working the system to get the marketing engines working for you.
Summary: This is an overview of what this BOF will cover:
I. It's easier to ride a wave than start one
-Aligning with existing objectives
-Figure out where you fit in the global plan; don't expect your Marketing people to
-Make it brain-dead obvious what problem you're solving
II. Getting a buzz
-Codenames
-Importance of demos -- killer reference app
-Blog; get others to blog
-Participate in a community (e.g. java.net)
III. Making friends in Marketing
-Don't roll your eyes when you meet with them
-Stay focused on the problem you're solving and how it fits into the global plan
-Help them get it without making them feel stupid
o Define words and concepts (they won't ask).
o Analogies are good o Symbols/diagrams/charts are good if they're simple; bag them if they're not
-Get them to use your innovation. Put them on the pilots; Get them in the beta program
IV. Keeping them as friends
-Be upfront about technical shortcomings; competitive landscape
-If it's going to slip, tell them about it as soon as you know. Don't surprise them.
-If you want Marketing to make you a priority; you've got to make them a priority
V. Helpful hints
-Talk about what the innovation does today; don't have the conversation focus on what it will do
-Always have a demo up-to-date and ready.
-Nobody knows more about this innovation than you -- write a book or at a minimum blog. Distinguish yourself as an expert.
Abstract: This lively and entertaining BOF shares practical how-to tips on getting your marketing organization interested in picking up your innovation and taking it to market. It provides an insider's perspective on working the system to get the marketing engines working for you.
Summary: This is an overview of what this BOF will cover:
I. It's easier to ride a wave than start one
-Aligning with existing objectives
-Figure out where you fit in the global plan; don't expect your Marketing people to
-Make it brain-dead obvious what problem you're solving
II. Getting a buzz
-Codenames
-Importance of demos -- killer reference app
-Blog; get others to blog
-Participate in a community (e.g. java.net)
III. Making friends in Marketing
-Don't roll your eyes when you meet with them
-Stay focused on the problem you're solving and how it fits into the global plan
-Help them get it without making them feel stupid
o Define words and concepts (they won't ask).
o Analogies are good o Symbols/diagrams/charts are good if they're simple; bag them if they're not
-Get them to use your innovation. Put them on the pilots; Get them in the beta program
IV. Keeping them as friends
-Be upfront about technical shortcomings; competitive landscape
-If it's going to slip, tell them about it as soon as you know. Don't surprise them.
-If you want Marketing to make you a priority; you've got to make them a priority
V. Helpful hints
-Talk about what the innovation does today; don't have the conversation focus on what it will do
-Always have a demo up-to-date and ready.
-Nobody knows more about this innovation than you -- write a book or at a minimum blog. Distinguish yourself as an expert.
I feel like i did when i was applying to colleges... and I kept getting the skinny envelopes.
:-(
double :-(
tipple :-(
mary
p.s. should have known all the good karma was too good to last.
kisses
Posted by 192.18.42.10 on March 08, 2005 at 09:40 AM PST #
Posted by Tina on March 08, 2005 at 09:48 AM PST #
I also received the mug, pen and stickers that you sent. The window sticker went down very well with my 3 yr old daughter.
Peter
Posted by Peter on March 08, 2005 at 09:57 AM PST #
Some fellow Solaris advocates and I did that at ApacheCon back in November. We couldn't get an "official" BOF going, so we just wrote it up on the announcement whiteboard and setup a spot in an open area.
Don't give up!
Sean
Posted by Sean on March 08, 2005 at 10:11 AM PST #
Posted by Ippoliti on March 08, 2005 at 04:49 PM PST #
Posted by Doug Curtis on March 09, 2005 at 06:48 AM PST #
Looking over your outline, I can say that I definitely would have attended the session. (Still will if you go all "rebel marketing girl" on us and stage your own unofficial session like Sean suggested.)
If you don't do that, though, you really should think about fleshing this out to a series of blog articles. You've got lots of good info even in just the outline and I for one would love to hear more.
Posted by Dave K. on March 09, 2005 at 09:39 AM PST #
truth is i'm a little gun shy because of an incident i had last year with an incident involving security and me wearing somebody else's badge.
but i think i can pluck up the courage.
thanks for being so supportive you guys. i think i might just try to figure this one out.
mary
Posted by mary on March 09, 2005 at 09:44 AM PST #
Posted by Bayzarre.com on September 15, 2005 at 05:11 AM PDT #