Shafiu's blog http://shafiu.com things i find worth blogging posterous.com Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:57:00 -0700 Have you got what it takes to be a Successful Entrepreneur? http://shafiu.com/have-you-got-what-it-takes-to-be-a-successful http://shafiu.com/have-you-got-what-it-takes-to-be-a-successful

So you want to be your own boss, have financial freedom; follow your dream of being an Entrepreneur? It’s not an easy path. Most of the time it’s a lonely and tiring journey. But when you succeed the rewards are totally worth everything.

Here I have listed some of the very important skills you can harness to become a successful entrepreneur.

Click here to read the full Article

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:37:00 -0700 Dhiraagu and Wataniya 3G speed test http://shafiu.com/dhiraagu-and-wataniya-3g-speed-test http://shafiu.com/dhiraagu-and-wataniya-3g-speed-test

 

Here is a speed test I did on Dhiraagu and Wataniya 3G. I selected a Hong Kong server for this test from both phones. Dhiraagu 3G seems much faster. To make sure I ran this test three times and got similar results.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:51:00 -0700 Using Foursquare in your business http://shafiu.com/using-foursquare-in-your-business http://shafiu.com/using-foursquare-in-your-business

I have been using foursquare for couple of weeks now.  Foursquare is like a social game where people compete to hold most mayorships, and badges. I have posted couple of screenshots from the foursquare Android app. Their Wiki page provides a good overview of the service.

Foursquare is a web and mobile application that allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location. Points are awarded on weekends and non-business hours for "checking in" at venues. Users can choose to have their Twitter and/or their Facebook accounts updated when they check in. In version 1.3 of their iPhone application, Foursquare enabled push-notification of friend updates, which they call "Pings." Users can also earn badges by checking in at locations with certain tags or for check-in frequency.[3] The company has stated that users will be able to add their own custom badges to the site in the future. If a user has checked-in to a venue more than anyone else, on separate days, and they have a profile photo, they will be crowned "Mayor" of that venue, until someone else earns the title by checking in more times than the previous mayor.[4] Users can create a "To Do" list for their private use and add "Tips" to venues that other users can read, which serve as suggestions for great things to do, see or eat at the location.[5]

Highlighted here are couple of ways your business can use foursquare (From brainwoo article by Katie.)
  • Rewards for check-ins and Mayors: Decide on your offer, promote it via Twitter, Facebook, your Web site, signage, etc., and train your employees to approve eligibility by checking customers’ mobile devices.
  • Make your most loyal customers feel special: Hold an event for the people who frequent your business the most, or offer them a special discount. Let them know they are appreciated.
  • Encourage customers to come back: If someone was Mayor of your business in January, but then had no check-ins in February, send them an offer to come back.
  • Fill your business on a slow night: If Tuesdays are typically a slow time for your business, offer a check-in special, or a discount to the first person to become Mayor. 
  • Sponsor the leaderboard: Foursquare’s leaderboard shows the people who have earned the most points in a city that week. Foursquare recently opened it up to sponsorship. Check out what they were able to do with Pepsi – how could your brand benefit from sponsoring such an increasingly valuable piece of real estate?
Here are some benefits for your businesses (From brainwoo article by Katie.)
  • Word-of-mouth marketing: Foursquare works with Twitter and Facebook, meaning one check-in at your restaurant could be potentially viewable to thousands via users’ social networks.
  • Customer loyalty building/reward: Businesses can track customers’ visits, and can easily reward their most frequent customers. Foursquare promotes business’ “Mayor Specials,” specials for those who visit an establishment the most.
  • Recommendations from your best customers: Foursquare users can add “tips” about places, such as what to try on the menu or the best day to visit. These tips are available to anyone who checks in to your business, or even if they are close to your business.
  • The sky’s the limit: Right now, creativity is the name of the game. If you can think of a way to use Foursquare to promote your business, it’s probably possible. If not, Foursquare is willing to work with you on your ideas.
Almost all famous locations in Malé has been added to foursquare. Since there are quite a lot of Smart phone users in Maldives services like these can be utilized to take your business to next level.

There are other similar services such as  Gowalla, Facebook is also preparing to launch their location based service. So list your business in these services, create offers and get your customers to fall in love with you.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:14:00 -0700 Taking your Site from One to One Million Users by Kevin Rose http://shafiu.com/taking-your-site-from-one-to-one-million-user-20 http://shafiu.com/taking-your-site-from-one-to-one-million-user-20

From FOWA London 2009

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:05:32 -0700 The Emotional Toll of a Startup http://shafiu.com/the-emotional-toll-of-a-startup http://shafiu.com/the-emotional-toll-of-a-startup

People often compare running a startup company to a roller coaster with all of it's intense ups and downs.  Actually, some days it feels more like navigating 20 foot seas in a rubber dingy.  New entrepreneurs often do not truly understand the emotional toll a startup can take.

One week your user growth spikes and you are sure that you have hit the elusive hockey stick.  The week it comes crashing back to earth for no apparent reason.  One week you pull off a near perfect product rollout, the next your servers won't stay up for more than ten minutes.  Aaaahhhh, it's enough to turn a normally sane person into a bipolar, manic depressive.

Read full Article at bigstartups.com

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:20:07 -0700 ChatRoulette Piano. (MAD Skills) http://shafiu.com/chatroulette-piano-mad-skills http://shafiu.com/chatroulette-piano-mad-skills

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:57:22 -0800 Printscreen.tv - first episode released. http://shafiu.com/printscreentv-first-episode-released-0 http://shafiu.com/printscreentv-first-episode-released-0

Visit PrintScreen.TV

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:26:46 -0800 Win FREE t-shirts from tshirt.com.mv http://shafiu.com/win-free-t-shirts-from-tshirtcommv-0 http://shafiu.com/win-free-t-shirts-from-tshirtcommv-0

Reblogged from http://blog.mvgeeks.com
We are giving away free t-shirts for your suggestions.

Just post a suggestion to “How can we improve?” on our Facebook Fan page wall. That’s all. Now you stand a chance to win free t-shirts from http://tshirt.com.mv. We will be randomly selecting winners every 5 days among the Fans who have submitted the Answer to our wall.

Winners of first draw were Draconiams Fazyl Oppo and Muawwaz Yoosuf.

The draw for the first winners were held live on Ustream.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:54:00 -0700 Leo Laporte http://shafiu.com/10728004 http://shafiu.com/10728004

 

A lunch keynote by Leo Laporte in Online News Association 2009, the founder and host of online tech-oriented video show/network TWiT. He gets $70 cpm and makes $1.5m/year with TWiT and costs are $350,000/year.

Click “ON-DEMAND” button and select “Technology Jounalist Leo Laporte Fri Oct 2 2009 01:43:31” to play the video

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:48:00 -0700 Word Cloud of Anni http://shafiu.com/10728006 http://shafiu.com/10728006

A Word Cloud of the most commonly used words by President Anni in his speeches. Source: http://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/4/?ref=1,6,0

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:12:00 -0700 Tornado in Maldives (vid) http://shafiu.com/10728009 http://shafiu.com/10728009

 

Video of the tornado that touch down near Male’ International Airport. (Video shot at Artificial Beach).

Here is a picture too. (taken near Surfing area)

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:40:00 -0700 Firefox beats IE in Maldives http://shafiu.com/10728015 http://shafiu.com/10728015

Firefox gains greater browser marketshare in the Maldives. Maldives is very likely to be the first country to have a greater Firefox marketshare. (Source: StatCounter Global Stats via @inerd)

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:32:36 -0800 30 young Entrepreneurs to follow on twitter http://shafiu.com/30-young-entrepreneurs-to-follow-on-twitter http://shafiu.com/30-young-entrepreneurs-to-follow-on-twitter http://younggogetter.com/2008/11/12/30-entrepreneurs-to-follow-on-twitter/

I am among them. :)

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:46:00 -0700 A dhivehi technology podcast http://shafiu.com/a-dhivehi-technology-podcast http://shafiu.com/a-dhivehi-technology-podcast

Me and Shaff has been working on a dhivehi technology podcast called giklzr on our spare time.

check it out: http://giklzr.com

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:42:00 -0700 molv is a finalist in Mashable Showdown http://shafiu.com/molv-is-a-finalist-in-mashable-showdown http://shafiu.com/molv-is-a-finalist-in-mashable-showdown

molv our newest startup is a finalist in the Mashable Showdown. A winner will be selected by the VC community at the end of September and will get $50,000 in investment money

http://mashable.com/2008/09/01/mashable-showdown-finalists/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:11:00 -0700 Our Trip across Russia http://shafiu.com/our-trip-across-russia http://shafiu.com/our-trip-across-russia

Hey everyone.

Me and Lesika are leaving tonight on a one month trip to Russia. I will be travelogging the whole trip. You can checkout the latest updates and where I am  from the Wayfaring map on shafiu.com.

:)

Travelouge map.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:09:56 -0700 I am quiting my 9-5 job @ Wataniya Telecom http://shafiu.com/i-am-quiting-my-9-5-job-wataniya-telecom http://shafiu.com/i-am-quiting-my-9-5-job-wataniya-telecom

Yeah people. you heard it right.

I am quiting my job @ Wataniya Telecom. The reason is that I need more time for my projects and working in a 9-5 job it became pretty much hard.

So from the end of this month I will be a fulltime entrepreneur.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:22:05 -0700 molv launched, mobile live video streaming for masses, (codename: xyphus) http://shafiu.com/molv-launched-mobile-live-video-streaming-for http://shafiu.com/molv-launched-mobile-live-video-streaming-for

Stream live videos from your mobile phones to the world for free. molv is in alpha stage, So we are giving out only limited accounts.

So hurry up.

http://molv.com/request_invite_code

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Tue, 27 May 2008 03:57:57 -0700 I sometimes just dont get Flickr 'trend' http://shafiu.com/i-sometimes-just-dont-get-flickr-trend http://shafiu.com/i-sometimes-just-dont-get-flickr-trend

Ok. Thats it.

I couldnt passby without commenting on this one. Look at this picture and read the comments below. Notice anything different?

Is it such a great shot? Is it such a nice beach? Do you see paradise from it?

Enlighten me people. May be I dont know enough about photography  :/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain Fri, 23 May 2008 03:45:30 -0700 Flying http://shafiu.com/flying-716 http://shafiu.com/flying-716 http://www.raajje.tv/view/689/aleef-flying/

Just cool.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/395852/bw_shot2.png http://posterous.com/people/KB2m2yQW7T Shafiu Hussain shafiu Shafiu Hussain