Completely disconnected: a tech-free week

By the time you read this, I'm a few days into the one week of the year that I try to completely disconnect from all technology. Some people can't believe that I'm able to do this (and think that I won't actually disconnect), and this year I've found it to be harder than ever to wrap everything up before I disconnect. Nevertheless, after a lot of preparation, I have completely disconnected.

It was harder than ever to disconnect this year because Punchbowl has grown a lot in the past year. Consider all of the various people that I had to prepare for my tech-free week:

1. My employees and contractors, including our bookkeeper
2. The Punchbowl Board of Directors
3. Our key customers and close partners, such as the great folks at Oriental Trading
4. Future partners, especially in cases where I'm currently in active negotiations
5. Our service providers including our ad representation, commerce partners, and technology providers

With all of these different groups, I used the same approach. Whether in-person, on the phone or in email for the past week I've simply communicated "I'm completely disconnecting next week to spend some time with my family (from August 14-22). I know it can be inconvenient for me to be out of touch, but I need to refresh. In my absence, Sean (Punchbowl co-founder) can handle anything that comes up. I'll be back in the office on Monday, August 23rd -- hopefully relaxed and ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead."


I feel confident in my ability to disconnect and I know that Punchbowl will run just fine without me. We have a talented group of individuals who know where we are headed as a company and know how to execute the plan. I often joke with Sean about my tech-free week - I tell him that the only reason he should contact me is if "the website kills somebody." Everything else can wait.

So what does it mean to disconnect completely for a tech-free week? It means that I won't be checking my email, writing/reading blogs, or looking at Facebook or Twitter (if you're reading this as a result of my status update on Wednesday, allow me to introduce you to FutureTweets). It also means that my laptop will be shutoff for the week and that my iPad will remain in a drawer. I won't carry my cell phone and I will change the voicemail message to encourage people to send me an email and only leave a message if it's *urgent* (note: I have a long memory for people who ignore my voicemail message and leave non-urgent messages). I will periodically check my voicemail to see if there are any urgent voicemails, and I'll use my phone to make calls when needed. I will watch TV periodically, but I try to ignore news channels. I don't read newspapers either during my off the grid week.

My view this week

Instead, I'll spend time reading books (the paper kind), spend time with my family without email or cell phone interruptions, and I'll relish the moments as my mind stops trying to multi-task all day. I'll stare at the sky and the ocean, I'll write down random thoughts that come into my head, and I'll enjoy a few meals slowly and leisurely -- taking the time to taste the food.

When I come back, I hope to be refreshed, recharged, and relaxed. And when I am, I'll know that completely disconnecting was once again worth it.

If you've never tried to completely disconnect for a tech-free week, give it a try. You'll be glad you did. Have a great week everyone.

Things you see in Silicon Valley

This past week I had a quick trip to Silicon Valley. I left Boston on Wednesday morning, and arrived back home on Friday morning. I was on the ground a total of around 30 hours. It was great to be back in the area.

From 1997-2001, I lived in San Jose and Palo Alto. So I'm really familiar with the area. Even after I moved away in late 2001, I visited often. In the formative days of Punchbowl, I was a frequent visitor to the Bay area. Thankfully, I have a cousin that lives right in the city. With a free place to stay (thanks Cara!), I found myself in the valley at least 3-4 times a year. However, ever since Punchbowl raised our Series A round, I haven't visited the area. It's hard to believe, but before this past week, the last time I was in Silicon Valley was May of 2008.

As the CEO of a consumer-internet start-up, it's great fun spending some time in the area. Here's a quick list of things that I saw on my quick trip to Silicon Valley:

1. My first stop in California is always In and Out Burger. If you haven't tasted a Double-Double, put that on your next Silicon Valley agenda.
2. Driving down 101 South is like a history lesson in the boom and bust of the dotcom era. My favorite building is the monstrosity that once housed Excite@Home. I was pleased to see that it's now a extension of Stanford University hospital.
3. The University Avenue exit for Palo Alto has changed so much since I first lived in Palo Alto. It's great to see the thriving economy in East Palo Alto (complete with an IKEA). Dammit, I knew we should have purchased a house in EPA.
4. One of events I attended was at the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto. The parking lot of the Four Seasons is an audacious display of wealth. Wow, two Lamborghinis in the same parking lot?
5. I love the billboards along Highway 101. Just north of the airport I saw a giant billboard for Zynga (the Facebook game company). I guess when you raise $100M+, that's what you do with the money!
6. Regardless of how many times I've seen it, the Bay Bridge is always breathtaking. It's sheer size is awesome and I love being able to drive right underneath it on the Embarcadero. In my opinion, San Francisco is the most beautiful city in the world (yes, that includes Sydney, Australia and lots of cities I've seen in Europe)
7. One of my meetings was down near Fisherman's Wharf. I snapped a picture of the Bay with Alcatraz in the foggy background. Until this trip, I had no idea that there were office buildings near the piers. What a great setting to have an office.
8. I love how there are so many start-ups in the same building. I walked into one specific office, and look at all of the different internet start-ups are in the same building! Neat.

That's just a quick list of the things I saw this past week in Silicon Valley. It's always refreshing to visit the hub of the Internet. This trip was no exception.

Free cake! A story of remarkable customer service

From the very beginning of Punchbowl, I made the decision to try and stand out from the competition by offering remarkable customer service. Since the day we launched the site, my personal cell phone number has been listed on the site (yes, it's still there). In the past, I've written about why I keep my cell phone number on the site, and those reasons are more true than ever today. In addition, our email support team responds personally to every message received. In most cases, you'll get a thoughtful response from us in 24 hours or less. As a company, great customer service is in our DNA.

As a result of our close attention to customer service, I try to pay attention to examples of great customer service when I interact with various businesses. While this blog post is well overdue (the story happened last year), the lessons for any company are as important as ever. Here's the story...

Last year, I had to take a one-day trip to Chicago. I scheduled the meeting so that I could go back and forth to Boston in the same day. It was a bit chilly in Boston that late October morning, so I brought along my favorite fall jacket. I was very fond of this jacket, and wore it all of the time. I was given this jacket as a gift while I worked at Bose Corporation. Its versatility, warmth, and fit was something I couldn't easily replace (although the jacket has a label that says Charles River Apparel, it's not readily available).

After my meeting in Chicago, I met a friend of mine for late lunch at the Corner Bakery Cafe on North Lasalle Street. We found a nice booth in the back section and I enjoyed the panini I had ordered. After lunch, we said our goodbyes and I jumped into a cab to head back to the airport.

On my arrival back at the airport, I exited the cab and made my way into the security line inside the terminal. As I entered the terminal and began preparing for the security screening, I realized that I didn't have my beloved jacket. It was one of those 'Oh shit' kind of moments. Did I leave my jacket in the cab? Did I leave it at lunch? I ran outside, but the cab was already gone. I glanced at my watch - there was simply no way that I was going to be able to make it back to the city and still catch my flight.

Luckily, I had the receipt from lunch, and within a few minutes I called and spoke with a helpful woman at the Corner Bakery Cafe. She had my jacket! Woohoo! I asked her if I could pay to have the jacket shipped back to me, and she said that she would get in touch with the General Manager and have him call me. I was thrilled.

Imagine my surprise when only ten minutes later I got a call from the General Manager. He didn't hesitate and offered to Fedex the jacket back to me in Boston. When I offered to pay, he simply said "I'm glad to have you as a customer, so it's no problem for us to pay for the shipping. I hope you'll come back and see us again soon." Delighted, I boarded my plane back to Boston.

A few days later, I received a Fedex box at my office. I was excited as I opened the box, happy to be reunited with my favorite jacket. But that wasn't all that was in the box. In the box was a large Cinnamon Cream Cake. I was -- and still am -- completely blown away. Not only did they pay for shipping my favorite jacket back to me, but they included a cake. Wow, wow, wow.

Are you providing this level of customer service in your start-up? Think about your interactions everyday with your customers. Do you delight them? Are you creating brand loyalty with each interaction? What's the equivalent a free cake in your business? Delight your customers, and they will be loyal for life.

(Special thanks to Alex O'Hara, the General Manager of the Corner Bakery Cafe on 200 North Lasalle Street in Chicago. I can't wait to be back in Chicago so I can thank him in person. I'll be eating lunch at the Corner Bakery Cafe).