Category Archives: Technology

Clubhouse App - what is it and first experiences

Intro

Lately the app clubhouse is getting a lot of attention and traction. Yesterday I download the Clubhouse app on my iPhone and started to explore. I joined a room with my old uni buddy Tjalling Dijkstra and his friend Steven Broghouts called "Welcome Steven". All three of us were new on the platform and started chatting freely. This chat took more than 2 hours.

First experiences

Suddenly my buddy Bas Smit, whom actually approved my request to join Clubhouse, jumped into the room. As he is rather known in the Netherlands, he had a rather big following join him as well. Suddenly the group grew to 50+. We started chatting away and gradually the room grew to 150+ people and the group discussion group to over 10 speakers. We discussed a big array of topics, but the red thread was that we had great fun, joking around and sharing quite some knowledge. Topics like social media, content creating, fashion, entrepreneurship, gaming and many more were discussed. The beauty was though, that everyone was very much giving back and trying to help one another.

Clubhouse App
Credit: Jonatan de Boer

So, what is Clubhouse?

The official description is: "Clubhouse is a new type of social network based on voice—where people around the world come together to talk, listen and learn from each other in real-time."

My definition is: an app with chat rooms, where do you not type but talk. And, you can compare it to a conference call where everyone can eavesdrop.  But, it's more, you can compare it to a conference. You can have one person on stage and a huge crowd listening. It can be a panel discussion with multiple people on stage and taking questions from the crowd. It can also be a group discussion of peers with equal rights and speaking time.

Will it kill podcasting?

I do not think Clubhouse will kill podcasting, I do not even see it as a subtitute, but complementary to it.  So, why does it get so much traction I hear your asking? Firstly, because I think people during these weird COVID-19 times and lockdowns cravey human interaction. Obviously voice is better than text and voice only is less confronting than video calls. It is like podcasting a create medium to share knowledge, but where podcasts lack interaction, Clubhouse is all about interaction with the crowd. I would really call it a summit/conference/get-together on your phone.

How does the Clubhouse app work?

For now it is only available for iPhone and by invitation only. The founders want the platform to grow gradually and in a qualitative manner. You have to register with your mobile phone number. You can link your Twitter and Instagram handle. You can choose your own handle, but always have to enter your real first and last name. The bio can be as long or short as you want. Tip: be creative, use enters & emoticons. You can't chat in the app. You can follow others. You can create rooms and discuss any topic you want. You can stream real-time and plan one ahead. While you listen you can navigate within the app, but also on your phone using other apps. It works also very good on your carkit.

Next steps

After a very cool experience last night I logged in the Clubhouse app this morning to see how much traffic there was in the morning and engagement. The funny thing was I joined a Dutch group with a fellow Clubhouser from last night, had a quick chat and left as I was about to get into my first meeting of the day. Later on the day I logged on again and found some new groups, hosted by other Clubhouser that were part of our group last night and got inspired to share knowledge about the app and their journey to become an entrepreneur.

I am planning to experiment with setting up a few rooms on the Clubhouse app soon. I was thinking of setting up the following rooms evolving around these topics:

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Talking Wristwatches
  • Designing Jewelry
  • Diamond Industry
  • Giving back to the community

I would love to hear your experiences with the Clubhouse app and/or what rooms you would like me to set up. And, if there is someone that wishes to team up and create a room together, please send me a message.

Have an awesome day!

=Alon

P.S. My handle on Clubhouse is @alonbj 🙂

#Clubhouse #ClubhouseApp #Podcast #SocialMedia #SocialNetwork

Speaking at NetComm Suisse eLuxury Summit 2019 in Geneva

The Swiss authority on eCommerce, Netcomm Suisse, is organizing the eLuxury Summit 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. This is the third time they have invited me to come speak at the reputable events. On Tuesday September 17th, 2019 the will take place at the Ritz-Carlton in Geneva. This is the event for players operating in the luxury industry in Europe.

In February 2016 I spoke at the Swiss event: "e-Commerce and Digital meet Luxury Watches" organized by the national eCommerce association Netcomm Suisse. And, in March 2017 I was invited to speak at the international event “e-Commerce meets Fashion 2017” in the Ticino Fashion Valley of Switzerland.

Alon Ben Joseph speaking at eLuxury Summit 2019 in Geneva

Although this is third time attending a Netcomm Suisse event, they are diverse every time. And, again I am very honored to have been asked to speak during this event as well. I will speak about our experiences in omni-channel retail in the luxury industry at Ace Jewelers.

During this event I will have the honor to share other professionals operating in both the luxury industry and tech world. Executives working at leading companies like: Breitling, Baume & Merier, Brunello Cucinelli, Missoni, Manufacture Royale SA, and many more. I am really excited and hope to meet you in person as one of the 250 visitors in Geneva, Switzerland.

Alon Ben Joseph speaking at eLuxury Summit 2019 in Geneva

Pre-order your tickets worth CHF 3.500 via the official website: Netcomm Suisse Site.

#ELUX2019 #NetcommSuisse #AlonBenJoseph #SpeakingEngagement

27th column for trade magazine De Juwelier - Apple Watch is de Swatch van de jaren '10

Do you think Apple Watch is dominating the watch industry? This is my third column in 2019 for Dutch trade magazine "De Juwelier" and 27th in total. And, I am sharing my opinion about the Apple Watch and comparing it to Swatch back in the 1980s.

You can find every single article in PDF format on the Oak Consultancy page.

I have written about smart watches and the Apple watch before, but it is still on my mind. In this column I write why I believe it is a good thing Apple sells 33 million watches every year. Especially for the traditional watch industry and makers.

To download the PDF, please click here.
Magazine got launched 27 June 2019 in physical format and this is the text in Dutch:

Apple Watch is de Swatch van de jaren '10

“Apple Watch is de Swatch van de jaren ‘10”

 Het zal u wellicht verbazen, maar ik moet eerlijk bekennen dat ik blij ben dat er van de Apple Watch 33 miljoen stuks per jaar verkocht worden. Ja, dat leest u goed: Apple verkoopt 33 miljoen horloges en ik ben er blij mee. Waarom? Ik ben van mening dat de rol van de Apple Watch vergelijkbaar is met die van Swatch in de jaren ‘80. Ik durf dan ook te stellen dat de Apple Watch de horloge-industrie gaat redden in de nabije toekomst, omdat het dragen van een Apple Watch een jonge generatie opvoedt om überhaupt iets te dragen aan hun pols. Als de nieuwe generatie straks niets meer gewend is of wil dragen aan haar pols, kan het immers zo maar zijn dat het polshorloge straks hetzelfde lot is beschoren als uw grootvaders zakhorloge…

Eeuwenlang zijn klokken en horloges louter mechanisch geweest. Op een gegeven moment hadden slimme klokken- en horlogemakers zelfs zo veel aan het concept verbeterd, dat het mogelijk werd om een nauwkeurige horloge dagelijks om te pols te dragen. Het mechanische polshorloge was er in soorten en maten, van puur functioneel tot rijk gedecoreerd en voorzien van additionele complicaties, van eenvoudige instrumenten tot ware kunstwerkjes. Een nauwkeurig polshorloge was een onmisbaar en trots bezit. 

Maar toen kwam quartz om de hoek kijken. Toen eind jaren 60 de eerste quartz polshorloges werden geïntroduceerd waren ze vele malen nauwkeuriger dan de ‘ouderwetse’ mechanische horloges. Ze waren ook stevig aan de prijs, maar dit laatste zou rap veranderen. Quartz horloges werden snel –exponentieel- goedkoper. In het verlengde hiervan werd het bezit van een nauwkeurig horloge een vanzelfsprekendheid en van een trots bezit werd het horloge gedegradeerd tot een eenvoudig gebruiksvoorwerp.

Het duurde een aantal decennia voordat horloges weer in een ander licht gezien zouden worden. Opvallend genoeg komt dat voornamelijk door de ontwikkeling van het Zwitserse Swatch horloge. De bedenker van het Swatch horloge en de oprichter van de Swatch Group wordt vaak de redder van de Zwitserse horloge-industrie genoemd. Hij heeft véél geld verdiend met Swatch en dit vervolgens geïnvesteerd in klassieke merken, waarvan velen op het punt van omvallen stonden. Dit is van onmiskenbaar belang geweest, maar belangrijker is wat hij met Swatch heeft bereikt: hij heeft horloges weer hip, fun en relevant gemaakt. Het polshorloge als sieraad, als accessoire, als verzamelbaar object.

Mechanische horloges en quartz horloges hebben bewezen heel goed naast elkaar te kunnen bestaan. Hetzelfde verwacht ik van smart watches. Smart watches hebben geen lange levensduur, ze hebben niets met esthetiek of kunst te maken. Het zijn functionele zielloze gereedschappen die na een (paar) jaar worden vervangen voor een nieuwer en beter exemplaar. Waar ze echter onbewust een hele belangrijk rol spelen, is in het feit dat ze een jongere generatie leren dat ze iets dragen aan hun pols. Plus dat deze jongelui de tijd tot zich nemen vanaf hun pols - en niet van hun mobiele telefoon.

Zijn 33 miljoen horloges er veel of weinig? De gehele Zwitserse industrie heeft vorig jaar een kleine 24 miljoen horloges verkocht. De Japanse industrie bijna 68 miljoen, en China in combinatie met Hong Kong een kleine 900 miljoen. Een gemiddeld Zwitsers horloge kost echter ruim 800 dollars, een horloge geëxporteerd uit Hong Kong circa 26 dollars en uit China slechts gemiddeld 4 dollars. Hieruit kunnen wij concluderen dat Apple op papier, met een gemiddelde verkoopprijs van 218 dollars, zeer zeker een geduchte concurrent is voor de traditionele horlogemakers

Wat ik om mij heen zie is dat de dragers van Apple horloges boven gemiddeld vaak een analoge wijzerplaat kiezen om de tijd af te lezen. De meest populaire wijzerplaats is de meest simpele is in design - een mix tussen een Mondaine treinstation klok en een pilotenhorloge van IWC. Op de tweede plaats staat de wijzerplaat met Mickey Mouse, welke geïnspireerd lijkt te zijn op originele designs van Gerald Genta. En dat terwijl de mogelijkheden vrijwel onbeperkt zijn, en een wijzerplaat gewisseld is door middel van een simpele download en een veeg met de vinger.

De Apple Watch en alle andere smartwatches zijn dus eigenlijk geen bedreiging voor de gehele horloge-industrie! Misschien alleen voor het fashion-segment en het instapniveau… De enige traditionele horlogeproducenten waarvan ik denk dat ze echt onder lijden zijn bijvoorbeeld de Fossil Group met al haar merken, de Movado Group en Timex. In het instap-segment van de horloge-industrie worden dan ook meer en meer smartwatches aangeboden worden.

Wat in mijn opinie een echte dreigement is voor de horloge-industrie, is mogelijkheid dat er helemaal geen behoefte zal zijn aan horloges en dat heeft met mode, trends en lifestyle te maken! Herinnert u nog mijn column: “Is de tijd wel rond?” in dit prachtige vakblad? Daar waarschuwde ik al voor het gevaar voor de bestaansrecht van analoge (ronde) horloges indien jongere generaties op school (en thuis) uitsluitend digitale tijd voorgeschoteld krijgen. Misschien moeten wij eigenlijk dus wel heel blij en dankbaar zijn dat Apple zo succesvol is?!

Reageren op deze column is mogelijk door een e-mail te sturen naar alon@oakconsultancy.com of te bellen naar Oak Consultancy, tel. 020-2602100. Aanvullende informatie is ook beschikbaar op OakConsultancy.

Why we started the June Dating app

Why did we start a new dating app? My buddy Jonathan Salomon and I started a new company back in September 2017 named: Mokum Tech B.V. We did so because we are both serial entrepreneurs whom always have a zillion innovative ideas twirling around in our heads. The first development of this company is June Dating, a new dating app for both singles and matchmakers.

June Dating logo

I hear you thinking: 'another dating app?' and that is also the first thing we said to ourselves, should we really create another one. But, after many fueled brainstom sessions, discussions and research quests, we were conviced we had a winner in our hands. Our aim with Mokum Tech is to create products, technologies, software and tools that actually add value. That improve our lives. So, whatever we come up with has to tick that box. Please it needs to bring positivity and good karma.

June Dating app in the Apple iTunes App Store

June Dating ticked all these boxes and we truly believe we created something that is not out there yet. It adds value, it is innovative and it is definitely good karma.

What makes it really different is that it is actually a matchmakers tool, it makes life of matchmakers easier. And, for singles it really adds value and creates qualitative matches. Please read more here about the application and what the added value and benefits are.

We love Simon Sinek. We have read his book "Start with Why" several times. These are the reasons why we have started June Dating:

Necessity
Love is a necessity. According to Abraham Harold Maslow it was, but we kind of agree with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. But, that is not what we mean when we formulate The Why of June Dating. We mean there is a necessity in today's world for a new dating tool. A tool that is more qualitative. More fun. More today. June Dating is that app that helps singles find the needle in the haystack.

Technology
Jonathan and I, love technology. We love bringing people together. The combination of the tool, plus timing (the technology finally makes it possible) to launch the app June Dating.

Fun
It is important to have fun in what you do. Especially in your work. So, Jonathan and I, childhood friends, love to work as a team and have a lot of fun. But, we have also decided that June Dating needs to be fun. Fun for all users. Both the singles as the matchers. Not fun in a childish way. Not fun like a computer game. Not fun as in a fashion trend. No, fun like it gives pleasure and really adds value.

Good Karma
Besides having fun working as a team. The both of us also want to add value in everything we do. And, not only adding value in a monetary way, but also bringing value to all stakeholders. We do believe that the ultimate form is: good karma. Karma is that age-old universal theory of getting what we deserve based on our thoughts and actions. We believe love is good karma and therefore June Dating is an excellent 'good karma tool'.

The June Dating app is available for free in the Android Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store via this link: https://k7s2p.app.goo.gl/invite.

Please try it and share your thoughts and experiences with me.

Have fun.

#JuneDating #OnlineDating #DatingApp

Speaking at Netcomm Suisse eCommerce Meets Fashion Event 2017

This year I am speaking at a high-quality event organized by Netcomm Suisse in Swtizerland. On Monday March 13th, 2017 the third edition of the international event “e-Commerce meets Fashion 2017" in the Ticino Fashion Valley of Switzerland will take place. This is the event for players operating in the fashion sector in Europe.

Last year in February I spoke at the Swiss event: "e-Commerce and Digital meet Luxury Watches" organized by the national ecommerce association Netcomm Suisse. This was not just a lot of fun, but very professional and meaningful. It was meaningful in several facets: very high quality of subjects discussed, exclusive guests and relevant  to the topics and superb location & organizxation/execution.

Although this is thrid edition of the eCommerce Meets Fashion event organised by the Swiss eCommerce Association, this is the first time attending. And, I am honored to have been asked to speak during this event as well. I will speak about omni-channel retail in the luxury industry.

Alon Ben Joseph speaking at Netcomm Suisse eCommerce Meets Fashion 2017

During this event I will have the honor to share other professionals operating in both the luxury industry and tech world. Executives working at leading companies like: La Perla, Brunello Cuinelli, Merck, Bally, and many more. I am really excited and hope to meet you in person as one of the 650 visitors in Lugano, Switzerland.

Pre-order your tickets via worht CHF 1.100 via the official website: Netcomm Suisse Site.