Q&A with Sheo Narayan, Dotnetfunda.com

1) Can you tell us a little about dotnetfunda?
Dotnetfunda.com is a popular asp.net, c# tutorials and training website offering articles, sample projects with source code and other features including tutorials, interview questions, tips and IT activities around the world.

2) Tell us about the response you have had so far?
I am pleased to see visitors response. We have visitors from 162 countries and territories and being browsed from more than 13 web browsers world wide (as per Google Analytics). Our most of visitors (top 5) are from India, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

3) What is Dotnetfunda's marketing strategy?
Currently I am focussing on latest articles on Microsoft technologies and seeing a great potential in it. There are certain areas I am very much excited to enter into and I hope that will give a larger user base in coming months. 4) Who are your closest competitors?There are certain websites like DotNetSpider.com, ASP.NET. Despite they are into existence for last several years and they have a team to support; I hope some day I shall compete them.

4) What is your mode of revenue?
Advertisements

5) What is your long term vision with Dotnetfunda?
I want to see this website the most useful and trusty website to find all kinds of resources on Microsoft technology. I want to see such types of contents on the website that can answer all questions of a software professional at any level.

6) Final message: Do whatever you like without thinking who is saying what and what will be the return, you will get amazing return.

Facebook Garage II New Delhi in pictures and videos

Fb Garage In Pictures

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Facebook Garage - II, New Delhi @ Tekriti

The second Facebook Garage of New Delhi was held in the premises of Tekriti Software in Gurgaon on 25th April. It was an eventful day with a line up of interesting sessions. The event also marked the announcement of Facebook planning to launch in six Indian languages in the coming days. Facebook was represented by David Ellis and Ghassan Haddad. They were here to talk about the localization of Facebook to increase the user base.

Some of the attendees were also blogging live on Twitter and Facebook. Ever since Facebook was launched in India, the number of users have been consistently increasing. The sessions were highly interactive with people sharing their experiences on Facebook. Although the number of people attending the event was not huge, I am sure it will rise in the future events. The event was also covered by NDTV for it's program Newsnet 2.0.

Following sessions were held during the event:

1) Swagat Sen: Swagat is a documentary film maker having interests in Indian history and culture. He discussed how Facebook has changed the way he communicates with the larger audiences. This is where platforms like Facebook come into picture by effectively communicating with a larger group of people. He sometimes sounded like a crusader for human cause, but we still enjoyed his discussion.

2) Nandu from Satchi & Satchi: He was here to discuss the importance of Facebook on brand building. He started of with a few definitions of Facebook that he collected from various people. Some of the definitions were interesting like "My FB is a mirror of myself", "My FB is the biggest coffee shop in the world", "My FB isn't like your FB". He also mentioned that FB cannot follow the traditional ways of brand building. All in all, it was an interesting topic for discussion.

3) Marc Canter: This was the most interesting talk and the guy was not even present physically. It was a video recording of his talk. Marc is the founder of Macromedia. Marc talked about how Facebook has changed people's lives. He also mentioned about Facebook being used for Customized Targeted Advertising. I liked the part where he said, "The moment we stop innovating, it is the beginning of your death." Very true.

4) Rajdeep Chatterjee, Times Media: He talked about Facebook being a platform for people to communicate with each other and how media can gain from platforms like these. He mentioned that platforms like Facebook can help generate useful content. He said that the netizens hunt the story and not the provider. His concept revolved around creation, collaboration and consumption.

5) Mayank Singh, a programmer from Tekriti talked about how Facebook applications can be used to reach out to people.

6) David and Ghassan first talked about the localization of Facebook and that it will be launched in six Indian languages. They also held a Q&A session. People came up with suggestions and also some of the problems they face in Facebook. A lot of fresh ideas were generated during this session and both appreciated the kind of ideas the attendees were coming up with.

People at Tekriti turned out to be good hosts again. We hope many more such events take place at Tekriti.

Startup Saturday

A lot of us are now aware of Startup Saturdays thanks to the initiative by Headstart. The HeadStart Network is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers and full time professionals to create and promote the startup culture in India. Headstart carries out a number of events across the country round the year. One of those events is a Startup Saturday. This event provides a platform for budding entrepreneurs, new startups, investors and people looking to join startups to come together and share their experiences.

Startup Saturdays started in Bangalore and has now spread to six cities including Bangalore. These are Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. The event occurs every second saturday of the month. There are usually two to three interactive sessions and of course, a lot of networking to be done. One of the sessions is conducted by a new startup giving its demo. The other session is usually by an expert sharing knowledge with the attendees.

For startup enthusiasts in other towns and cities, Headstart plans to put the recordings of the Startup Saturday's on YouTube. One can easily register on the Startup Saturday site created for individual cities and attend the event. Anyone interested can also be a member of the organizing committee.

Delhi - http://network.headstart.in/projects/startup-saturday-delhi/project-home

Bangalore - http://network.headstart.in/projects/startup-saturday-bangalore/project-home

Hyderabad - http://network.headstart.in/projects/startup-saturday-hyderabad/project-home

Kolkata - http://network.headstart.in/projects/startup-saturday-kolkata/project-home

Mumbai - http://network.headstart.in/projects/startup-saturday-mumbai/summary

Ahmedabad - http://startupsaturday.in/index.php?title=Ahmedabad

The Startup Saturday site also has a lot of interesting and useful startup resources. The site also lists quite a few startup jobs for people interested in looking at joining a startup. I will be attending the Delhi Startup Saturday on 9th of May. Make sure you guys attend the same in your respective cities and make full use of it.

Q&A with Chandra Sekhar, Thankoo.com

1) What is Thankoo all about and how did you come up with this idea?

Thankoo is a place where users online can send Thank You Notes to anyone. Users can thank others by sending Thankoo Notes with virtual flowers, hugs, handshakes, kisses and smiles for whatever the reason may be. Users can score points for every Thankoo Note sent and each one received.

They can score 10 points for each Thankoo note received and 1 point for each Thankoo note sent. The points determine the goodness level of the users. Users can compete with others by scoring points and passing the different levels that are established. The site encourages you to compete by being a nice person who tells those close to them just how much they are appreciated.

On the Thankoo Toppers section users can see the list of profiles of the top 10 users who have scored the maximum points visible to the whole Thankoo universe. Users can allow people to see the note sent and received in the My Thankoo section or if they choose, they can opt to hide them for privacy reasons.Have someone to thank? Do it on Thankoo.com

2) Tell us about the response you have had so far?

Thankoo started on the 4th of Oct and it spread mostly by word of mouth. After Thankoo got nominated on TATA & NEN (National Entrepreneurship NEtwork) Hottest Startups Awards 2008, there havebeen numerous appreciations for the purpose of Thankoo and the value that it delivers. In just 1 month we could see over 300 registered profiles on Thankoo.

3) Do you have any competitors in this space?

There are no pure play competitors except for the conventional online greetings websites. There are upcoming features to beat this competition too.

4) What is your mode of revenue?

The focus currently is on developing a quality product. Thankoo is still in the alpha stage, and there are many more features that are lined up for release in the beta version. The primary mode of revenue would be through online advertising while the secondary mode is through one of the features that would be released in Thankoo Beta.

5) What is your long term vision with Thankoo?

To be place where anyone online can thank anyone and keep track of all the thanks in the world. It is our aim to encourage good deeds to others by providing Thankoo as a platform.

6) Final message: Have someone to thank? Do it on Thankoo.com

Startup review - Blogertize

Blogertize is a platform where you can advertise your blog and buy a pixel ad space for three years. Remember "Million dollar homepage"? But, let's not draw parallels here. Its a unique concept with lots of features which could even help monetize your blog. The site will be officially launched on May 31, 2009. It has already been featured in CNBC, Mid-Day, Entrepreneur, rediff.com etc.

Blogertize charges you a one time fee for the ad space for three years. Depending on the size of the ad space, the rates vary from 15$ to 150$. You can put a logo of your website on that adspace and place a link to your website. They plan to share a portion of their total profits after tax. This may include profits earned via various features like blogertize community, market place, shopping portal, podcast facilities, ad-network exchanges, ad revenue etc. They will start distributing this profit from the second year of operations.

For instance, podcast facility will convert your blog into an ad-supporting broadcast which can widely enhance the audience base. One can send visitors to Blogertize shopping application through his/her blog and earn commission on every purchase they make. Revenue sharing through niche blog ad exchange is another way of monetizing your blog.

Bloggers can keep themselves updated through regular newsletters. There is also an analytics application which will help you analyze your investments and returns with Blogertize. We will have to wait until all the applications start working effective May 31, 2009. The concept is good, although it will take some effort to convince people.

Indiblogger Meet, New Delhi

Indiblogger had its meet in New Delhi on 4th of April. It was held in the Microsoft office premises in Gurgaon Cybercity. Considering it was a hot afternoon and people had to travel from Delhi to Gurgaon, the response was good. There were about 70-80 bloggers from various walks of life. There were people with jobs, people who did it as a hobby, entrepreneurs, people who made a living with blogging etc.

The event started with a welcome note by the organizers followed by '1 minute of fame' where everybody kind of got to know about everyone else in the room. We had a session on Social media and copyright by "Twilight Fairy" followed by a presentation on the latest version of Internet Explorer. Of course, we also had pizzas to hog. After that, we had an open forum for discussion.

The best part about the meet was that it did not look like a formal meeting but a fun filled event. I was surprised and happy to see people of varied age groups. There were bloggers in their early 20's and also bloggers in their late 70's. Yes, late 70's. Mr. D. Ravindran will definitely fit into that category. However, he did not sound like he was in his 70's. He made everybody laugh with his humorous comments.

All in all, it was a great event and we hope to see more such events in Delhi NCR in the near future.

Back from a long hiatus

I apologize for not putting content for such a long time. There are times when one just gets busy for no reason. I will be updating the blog regularly starting today. Thanks.

Q&A with Saritha, CEO of 6pack Cuisines

1) Can you tell us a little about 6packcuisine?

6Pack Cuisine was started to provide healthy and affordable options for lunch and dinner. Our menu is designed for the Indian palette; we play on traditional recipes but make them healthy. Major differences in our food (compared to other restaurants and many times in home cooking) is lower fat content, the right levels of carbohydrates and increasing protein significantly and avoiding trans-fats. We realize food makes an emotional connection with people, and so we've been careful to include recipes that our guests like and keep evolving the menu to better respond to our guests' needs. Right now, we offer rice meals, wraps, healthy biryani and a daily salad special. Our restaurants are clean, casual and quick-serve.

2) Tell us about the response you have had so far?

The response has been very positive. We have a loyal set of customers that range from the health conscious to those that just want a tasty, quick lunch or dinner. Quite a few of our customers have really been our champions and bring in friends and spread the word. We're learning as we go - luckily we've had a great response to date and so things can only get better.

3) What is 6packcuisine's marketing strategy?

Now that we're sure of our product's acceptance in the marketplace we'll be using traditional media routes as well as some under the line activities. The core message will be about health; messages like eating healthy can be easy, it doesn't have to be about diet food and to an extent re-educating folks on what healthy eating is about.

4) Where do you see yourself compared to your competitors?

Right now we don't have any direct competitors. Subway is likely the closest in terms of healthy food. We expect to do better than Subway as our food isn't imported, it retains the tastes that the local population are used to and like. Otherwise, its the canteens that don't really offer health or hygiene that many folks go to. So its a matter of building awareness around health and making 6Pack accessible.

5) How many people do you have on board?

We have just under 100 employees.

6) What is your long term vision with 6packcuisine?

We expect to expand nation-wide and we have a few other ideas up our sleeves. Nothing that can be discussed now, but we certainly have may possibilities ahead of us.

7) When do you plan to expand to other cities?

In 2009 we expect to expand to Bangalore and Chennai. 2010 may see Pune and Delhi as well.

8) Final message: 6Pack responds to two very real necessities - to provide easy, accessible healthy options and to build awareness around healthy eating. With diabetes, obesity and cardiac issues on the rise, 6Pack is not only a restaurant that serves delicious food, but also is helping Hyderabad get a bit healthier.

Carbon credit - A revenue generator

Ever heard of carbon credits? I am sure a lot of people might have heard about it but not many people know its exact importance. A company can actually generate carbon credits and sell it in international markets while sticking to it's core competencies. So what are carbon credits? Carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of fuels has become a cause of concern as it is leading to global warming and change in the atmosphere.

However, this very carbon dioxide has now become a trading opportunity across the world. Carbon credits are a part of international emission trading norms. The big question was how to reduce the emission of harmful gasses that contribute to global warming. This is where a large number of countries came together and signed the Kyoto protocol. The protocol outlined the capping of the maximum amount of greenhouse gasses for developed and developing countries. In turn, the participating countries set a cap on the emissions of establishments run by local organizations depending on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) norms.

A carbon credit is a credit given to an organization for emitting lesser amount of carbon than the standard fixed by the UNFCCC. These credits are bought over by the companies of developed countries -- mostly Europeans -- because the United States has not signed the Kyoto Protocol. The more eco-savvy you are, the more carbon credits you earn. It is kept in the form of an electronic certificate. Industries that have the maximum potential of earning carbon credits are the ones that emit greenhouse gasses like power, energy, cement, metal, textiles, fertilizer etc. They can do so by emitting lesser carbon. They can then sell their carbon credits to European companies.

The buyers however can only buy 25% of carbon credits. The rest has to be their in house initiative to cut down emission. India and China are likely to emerge as the biggest sellers and Europe is going to be the biggest buyers of carbon credits. India has generated some 30 million carbon credits and has roughly another 140 million to push into the world market. Waste disposal units, plantation companies, chemical plants and municipal corporations can sell the carbon credits and make money. Carbon, like any other commodity, has begun to be traded on India’s Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) since last the fortnight. MCX has become first exchange in Asia to trade carbon credits.

Guess what? Having an eco-friendly office building can also earn you carbon credits. One has to take measures like rain harvesting, using LED lighting system, using solar panels to generate electricity, waste minimization, using environment friendly building materials etc. The international retail price for a single credit could range from $20-25. Its an excellent option for getting additional revenue and helping mother earth at the same time. Think about it.

My 9 resolutions for 2009

Here are my not so easy and not so difficult resolutions for the new year. I hope to implement all of these.

1) Blog at least three to four times a week.

2) Write interesting stuff which will grab every one's attention.

3) Frequently visit other start up related blogs.

4) Quit my job (to become full time entrepreneur).

5) Get two of my web ideas up and running.

6) Visit as many start up events as possible.

7) Make lots of like minded friends on the Internet.

8) Learn more and improve upon my knowledge.

9) Increase my tech quotient.

Online advertising

Online advertising is proving to be a cost effective means to reach out to target customers. With more and more people spending time on the Internet in India, Internet advertising is all set to grow in a huge way. Industry sources believe online advertising will be worth $100 million by 2010-11. Considering the increasing number of Internet users in India, it is worth spending money on Internet advertising. On the other hand, it is one of the most common modes of revenues for web businesses.

There are various modes of online advertising. Some of the important ones are:

1) Pay per click (PPC): It is one of oldest method of online advertising. It is also known as cost-per-click. These are mainly keyword based ads which appear on the front page of a search engine. These ads either appear on the first two or three positions of the search results or in a column on the right side of the page. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market. PPC adverts are also done on content websites where advertisers pay only when a visitor clicks on the advertisement.

2) Cost per sale: The term Cost Per Sale for advertising in which the advertiser pays only for those clicks where the user clicks through on the banner or ad and actually purchases a product on the advertiser's site.

3) Search engine optimization: This is basically the optimization of the content of your website by certain professionals depending on your target customers and keywords related to your business. It improves the chance of your website appearing on the first page of a search result.

4) Banner ads: These are the most common ads that we find while browsing the Internet. Banner ads are embedded on to a web page. These could be either in the horizontal or vertical format. When the viewer clicks on the banner, the viewer is directed to the website advertised in the banner. This is known as 'click through'. Banner ads function in two ways - CPA and CPI.

a) CPA (Cost per action) - This means that the advertiser only pays when a certain action is performed on the ads displayed. Accordingly, the actions are called cost-per-click through, cost per lead (free registration), cost per sale with click through, lead and sale as the actions.

b) CPI (Cost per impression) - This is a flat rate model where in the advertiser pays per impression. A single impression could mean loading of the web page. This could exclude reloading of the same page. Some web companies prefer this as it results in a consistent revenue.

5) Cost per mille (CPM) - CPM or cost per thousand is a measured form of advertising. It is the cost per thousand views of the ad.

To calculate CPM you take the cost of the campaign divided by the impressions divided by 1,000. [CPM = Ad Cost / (IMP/1000)]

To calculate Ad Cost you take the CPM cost times 1,000 and then divide the impression number by that result. [Ad Cost = IMP / (CPM * 1000)]

To calculate Impressions you take the Ad Cost divided by CPM and then multiply that number by 1,000. [IMP = (Ad Cost / CPM ) x 1000]

6) Pop-ups and Pop-downs - These are the small windows that appear when you first get onto a website. Pop-ups appear on your screen in full, pop-downs appear on the bar at the bottom of your screen and you have to open them to get rid of them. Surveys have found that most Internet users find pop-up adverts intrusive and annoying.

We will discuss about the trends and changing forms of online advertising in future.