Why Nice is The Killer IT Skill

By Mike Landman

“How can I help you?”

There are a lot of skills companies look for in IT people. Smart, analytical, experienced. Windows, Cisco, Dell. The one most often overlooked is Nice.

When I started Ripple, it was in no small part because of the way IT people were acting. Busy, smug and secretive. So I set out to build an IT company with a culture of being nice, friendly and approachable. Pretty regularly people will say to me “well, that’s neat, but does it really matter?” Yes, and it’s a meaningful IT skill. Here’s how I know: continue reading

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How small business should think about cloud computing

By Mike Landman

I was interviewed for Smart Business Magazine a while back, and we discussed The Cloud. These were my thoughts:

SBM: The cloud seems to be everywhere. What should businesses be thinking about? Is the cloud right for everyone?

Me: The short answer is: Yes, it’s right for everyone. The long answer is: Maybe not right now, and not for everything. continue reading

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Ripple and ROWE

By Mike Landman

In June of 2010, I was asked by the ROWE honchos at GoROWE to write on their blog a little bit of how Ripple became a ROWE. Here’s what I said…

Let me put this out there: I am a Work Utopia guy. I want people to come to work and feel like it’s more than a job. I want them to feel a deeper sense of meaning, connectedness, and engagement. I have implemented many, many ideas that would help make Ripple a Work Utopia. So when I read about ROWE in 2006 I was struck by how Work Utopia it was. Complete freedom! A Results-Only Work Environment. How much more Work Utopia could something be, really? Even with a Work Utopia mindset I still struggled with the perceived loss of control. I wondered: “How the hell could that even work?”

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