Video Killed the Radio Star

For the last three months we've been filming (or 'Fliping' as we like to call it) everything from road trip brainstorms to backyard bbq's. After reviewing hours of footage we now have literally hundreds of random clips that begin to tell the story of the Ultimate Meal Game. We also have hours of ridiculous antics that have no relevance to UMG, but we'll save that for another post.

On Friday I met with our good friend Ben to share some of this material. Ben's background is video production and he's agreed to edit the footage for us.

One of the reasons I enjoy working with Ben is because he's also really into music (shameless plug for his band - www.pilotgroove.com). We discussed the soundtrack for the project and decided that generic tunes just wouldn't do. However, Ben knows the rules and we can't just use any song we want without paying for it. Enter - Girl Talk. If you haven't heard of this DJ before then your last party wasn't as good as it could have been. He's know for mashing up multiple tracks and pairing artists that would never find themselves on the same stage . He also does this without permission, so we figured it would be safe to use his tracks. Ripping off the guy who's known for ripping off others....how much trouble could we get in?

Stay tuned for the video which should be ready for prime time in about two weeks.

From Rodeos to Groundswells

As we continue blogging about our current project and the progress we've been making, amidst the wire framing, we thought we'd reflect on some past food experiences of our own. See left photo: Brady and I in the kitchen at Rodeo Cantina. Looks like another quesadilla dinner after the infamous Tequila Tuesday.

When you're tossed a set of keys to a restaurant overlooking Honolulu harbor and told to run the show, life gets interesting...and so the story continues...much more to come...here's to everyone that chowed on the $1 tacos, chugged our $2 margaritas and danced the night away with the mixes from DJ Dyk, this Tuesday's for you!

Ultimate Meeting of the Minds

Thanks to the magic of conference call technology, we had another great meeting on the Ultimate Meal Game (UMG). As always, brainstorming was in full swing and there was no shortage of BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Fortunately we're all on the same page and realize the need to nail the core functionality before we go any futher.
We also kicked around some thoughts on what the look and feel of the brand should be. If done right, the UMG will be a cool lifehack that is fun, social and satisfying. We also want to tear down all barriers to entry and find a unique way for people to join. Rather than the normal 'create a profile' first approach, we want users to find the site and dive right in. That will be challenging but I think we're on the right track.
On Thursday we're going to review updated wireframes and some initial creative ideas. Looking forward to seeing the progress and sharing some early sketches with ya'll.

Ultimate

Ultimate: adjective: not to be improved upon or surpassed; greatest; unsurpassed.

We intend to be the most powerful, personal dining tool one could ever have. The key word is personal. Imagine if you could sit down at a restaurant and not even look at the menu..bring up the ultimatemealgame mobile app - search for the restaurant and via your preferences, it will populate what you're most likely to order. That's power. That's ultimate. That's also down the road, but we're trying to keep our ideas and concepts as transparent as we can to share everything we're doing on this project.

Get inspired by Bob Garfield of Adage as he takes you on "Your Data with Destiny."

Read: http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=130969

Logging...

It's been a big couple of months...


Things all started falling into place when we got our curious little hands on the Flip Mino. Needless to say, we both had to have one and it's changed the way we've gone about this entire project. Way to go Pure Digital for creating such a useful gadget!



The next step is logging all the footage we've taken over the past 2-3 months. Why a video and who cares? We're taking this thing to the podcast world where video will speak to the progress we attain. Our vision is that shortly the site will have at least our story, a place to enter your e-mail for updates on UMG and a video to launch this and tell ya'll a little more in detail of where we see this project going and how you can make a difference by becoming a user.

Read: Getting Real

Inspired

Just finished reading 'Getting Real' by the guys from 37 Signals. It's a great read whether you're trying to build an online application, run a business, or just be more efficient in whatever you do.

The book was recommended by a friend who is always good for some words of wisdom when a challenge looms. He and his business partner have agreed to help my friend Justin and I with a project we're calling the Ultimate Meal Game, or UMG for short.

The UMG started as a verbal icebreaker that my friends and I would use to kill the awkward silences that plagued us when we were in the presence of the opposite sex. Although the UMG is about food, conversations inevitably turned to travel, family, etc., and it was a great way to break the ice.

Over the years we continued to use the UMG and so did our friends. It seems that even those who are over their pubescent fear of women find it's a fun way to share their experiences and learn about others.

What is the Ultimate Meal Game? Stay tuned. It's going to be a big week and I look forward to sharing more about the project.