Bridging the Gap Between Features and Benefits

This article was originally written for The Success League:

SaaS companies love to talk about the benefits of their software such as, “Increase sales,” or “Reduce employee churn”.  Unfortunately just buying the product will not help you achieve your goals unless you have the proper behaviors.  While marketing is focused on benefits and engineering is focused on features, it is up to the customer success team to bridge the gap by helping customers develop the proper behaviors.

I first encountered this problem at 1factory where we help customers analyze inspection data.  We developed the product using what we thought were industry standard techniques like histograms but found that customers had trouble understanding how our product would improve their business.

The problem was that our customers had built up processes and procedures using their existing technology - Excel or sometimes even pencil and paper.  Since it takes 15 clicks just to create a histogram in Excel, people rarely made a histogram and did not have experience interpreting the data.  Our application represented a new way of thinking which customers had trouble adopting.

To solve this problem, our customer success team created a poster that showed how to identify common manufacturing problems by looking at a histogram.  Once customers knew how to interpret the data, they were able to integrate our application into their business and achieve the goals that we had promised.  By helping our customer develop best practices that complimented our technology, we were able to drastically reduce the adoption time and allow customers to start receiving value in a single day.

If you find that your customers are having trouble adopting your software, here is a three step process that you can use to help your customer align their behavior with your application.

3 Steps to Aligning Customer Behavior with Your Application

1. Define Success:  Work with your customer to define a realistic objective so that you are both working towards the same goal.  What are the short term and long term goals of the project?  What problem is the customer trying to solve?
2. Identify Behaviors:  Have the customer determine the behavior that will help them achieve their goals.  What activities will people do on a consistent basis in order to reach the objectives?
3. Align Product Functionality:  Finally, show how the functionality of the product can be used to support the behaviors that will help the customer achieve their goals. 

In some cases, you may find that the customer is not practicing the behaviors that they identified in step two.  If this is the case, help the customer identify intermediate milestones.  The first milestone should have customers mimic their current behavior in your application.  Once the employees have experience with the interface and are comfortable entering and retrieving data, then you can help introduce the new desired behaviors.  If you try to change behavior while someone is learning a new application, they will blame the application for their frustration.

If you are expecting your customer to automatically change their behavior in order to use your SaaS application, both you and your customer will fail.  As a customer success representative, it is your job to help customers align their behaviors with your application.  This alignment will speed up adoption, reduce churn and increase customer value.

A Better Solution to Counting Calories

Background:
Do you know how far you have to walk in order to burn off a piece of chocolate cake?  Most foods have this obscure value called a calorie but do you really understand what a calorie is?  Part of the problem of counting calories is that people can not relate to the concept of a calorie.  I propose that when people can relate to the amount of energy in foods, then they can better judge the impact the food may have on their diet.

Imaging that you are in a foreign country and you ask the concierge, “How far is it to the museum?”, and they tell you, “8 furlongs”.  If you are not familiar with this unit of measurement you wouldn’t know whether to take a taxi or walk.  However, if they said, it is a 15 minute walk (1 mile or 8 furlongs) then it would be easy for you to make a decision.  In this post I share an experiment to try and find a better way to frame calories for people who are trying to lose weight.

Experiment:
To determine if there was a better way for people to relate to calories, I chose a hamburger meal that has 900 calories.  I then converted that calorie content into the amount of energy that a person consumes walking as well as climbing up steps.

Next I conducted a poll on the Behavioral Economics group in LinkedIn with the question, “If you were trying to lose weight, which of the following hamburgers would you avoided based on the energy you get from eating the hamburger?”

The control group and was the calorie content of a McDonalds Happy Meal (hamburger with French fries and drink.)

The second answer presented the calories burned while walking.  I chose a normal pace for an 180 pound man of 100 calories burned per mile because it would be easy for the average person to do the math.

The third answer presented the calories as the amount of stairs you would need to climb to burn the calories.  The conversion factor is a little more cumbersome with a range between 5-10 calories burned per flight of 12 stairs.

Unfortunately, LinkedIn has a limit on the number of characters for the question and answers choices so a lot of information was lost when I edited the poll to fit in the allowed space.  When I was editing the poll, I kept the calorie amount for a happy meal but only referred to a hamburger based on the limited space. 

Results:
The poll is shown below along with the outcome:

From the result, there is no clear distinction between the control group and the walking option.  It does appear that people would not try to avoid eating a burger that would allow them to climb 600 steps.

Leanings:
The Choices were Equal:
Even without doing the math, many people guessed that the options all represented the same food item.  One way to prevent this from happening is to use a food item where the calorie content could possibly change between servings such as a plate of pasta.

Calorie Judgment: 
Some people had an intuitive sense of the calorie content of a hamburger and were able to recognize that 900 calories sounded high for a plain hamburger and guessed correctly that 900 calories referred to a Happy Meal.  By the time I recognized the error, several people had already responded to the poll and I did not want to change the poll and throw out the initial responses.  Additionally my original assumption was that people did not understand the size of a calorie and while several people were able to guess the inflated numbers, many people confessed to having no reference to how big a calorie is. 

Distance Walked vs.  Times Walked:
Several people mentioned that they could relate better to time spent walking rather than actual distance walked.  This is something that I had not considered however it does make sense.  Take the example of someone going for an afternoon walk around their office building.  They may not know the actual distance traveled but they would pay attention to the time in order to not be late for an afternoon meeting.  Given an average speed of 4 Miles an hour, the average person would burn off roughly 6 calories for every minute walked.

Steps vs Flights:
Another comment that came up is flights of stairs instead of a number of steps.  The average floor has 12 steps.  I had considered this option but did not use it because I thought that the higher number of steps would be a bigger deterrent than the lower number of floors.  Additionally, most people take the elevator when the have to walk up more than 3 floors so I felt that after 4 flights, people would again lose reference to the number of flights.

Framing with Energy:
One recommendation is that the energy be related to energy consumed by an electronic device such as minutes of TV watched.  With all of the variation in TV sizes and efficiencies, I think this may also be an abstract reference.  An idea similar to this concept would be to reference the distance a car could travel from the energy.

Attracted to Exercise Option:
One person I talked with turned the question around and was attracted to the walking option because they felt that eating the burger gave them the potential to walk 9 miles.  This concept would make sense for endurance athletes who need to store up energy but the intention of the experiment is to try and help people who are dieting chose low energy foods.  Remember, that framing also needs to take into account the other person’s perspective.

Recommendations / Next Steps:
To further test the concept of re-framing the energy in food, a simple label would be required that easily presents the energy content of specific food.  Here are some examples.  Please share any additional suggestions you have in the comments section.

Walk 20 minutes to burn this energy in this food.
Enough energy for a 20 minute walk.
You need to walk 20 minutes to burn this energy.

Conclusion:
Losing weight by counting calories can be very confusing.  Every different type of food has a different calorie density and the weight of food that you eat also impacts the amount of calories that you consume.  This prevents people from developing an intuitive feeling about the calories that they consume during an average day.  By using a metric that people can relate to, people may have a better understanding of the energy content of food and start to improve their decisions about the foods that they eat.  With energy content listed in terms of exercise that people can relate to, people can begin to better understand when their energy input is grossly larger than their energy usage and begin the process of bringing the two in balance.

Footnote:
During the poll, Dan Goldstein pointed out an excellent article in Decision Science News that also addressed this same topic.

If you want to leverage your brand, you need to maintain the promise!

The other day I received a UPS envelope that was addressed to the previous occupant my house.  Thinking that the envelope must be important to the previous owner, I took it to the local UPS Store in the hopes that they could forward it to the correct address which I did not know.  When I talked to the clerk behind the counter he said that there was nothing that they could do since they did not have the new address.  I told him that he should call the sender and try and resolve the issue.  At this point the manager of the store came by and said that they had no affiliation with the main UPS company.  If I left the package at his store, he would just have it re-delivered to my address.  He then gave me an 800 number to call and said I should deal with UPS directly and they may send a truck out to pick up the package.

At this point I started to get frustrated.  A customer of UPS had sent an envelope to the wrong address and the recipient notified a division of UPS that there was a problem.  The division then told me the that I was responsible for making sure that the envelope got back to the intended recipient.

Here is where I have a problem.  I trust the UPS brand.  UPS is a worldwide company that has a history of delivering packages around the world and I have used their service many times in the past.  When they put their name to a store, I instantly apply the trust in the parent brand to the store.  However, when something goes wrong, I expect the same level of service from the local store carrying the UPS name as I do from the parent company.  I feel that the UPS store is trying to take advantage of the UPS brand without taking on the responsibility that comes with the brand.  This undermines both my confidence in the UPS store and the parent UPS company.  The worst part is that this problem does not concern me.  The sender made a mistake and now it is up to me to fix it.

A little background on the UPS store.  According to the website, "The UPS Store, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of United Parcel Service (“UPS”) of America, Inc., is the world’s largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, printing and business service centers...In 2001, UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. In 2003, the two companies introduced The UPS Store brand. On April 7, 2003, approximately 3,000 Mail Boxes Etc. locations in the United States (at the time, nearly 90% of the domestic U.S. network) re-branded as The UPS Store and began offering lower (around 20% on average) UPS-direct shipping rates. In 2012, Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. became The UPS Store, Inc. The centers remain locally owned and operated..."

In my opinion, I don't see why a company should be able to take advantage of the strength of a brand and then hide under the excuse of being a franchise when there is a problem.  In my mind, you are all one company.  If that is not the case then let me know and I will no longer apply the same trust to the UPS Stores as I do to the parent UPS company.

How to Improve the 2013 America's Cup

The 2013 America's Cup has once again proven to be a showcase for the pinnacle of sailing technology.  However lack of spectator involvement makes it hard for the laymen to appreciate the advancements in the sport.  Here are some recommendations on how to improve the Cup so that more fans may enjoy the worlds oldest sporting trophy.

Decrease the Size of the Boats:
To begin with, it is true that the current AC 72 class of boats is amazing.  The New Zealand boat has hit a top speed of 41.5 Knots or 50.8 miles an hour.  This is an impressive speed when you consider that up until 2007, the world record for any type of sail powered boat was 41.14 knots over a 1 mile course and that the speed limit on the Golden Gate Bridge overlooking the America's Cup racing is 45 miles an hour.  However speed alone will not attract a following.  The first change should be to the boats.  With the current boats, the speed is so fast, that when you try to view the race on land the boats are only in your field of view for a few minutes and then disappear around a corner.

The large wing sail makes an impressive sight on the bay but the sheer size of the boats has increased the cost to a point where only three countries were able to mount a challenge this year.  Using slightly smaller boats would decrease the top speed but it would also decrease the overall costs and allow more countries to compete.  More competitors would increase worldwide interest and allow for more racing that could be watched.


Dock the boats at the Pavilion:  People come to the pavilion because they want to have a closer relationship to the boats and the people involved in the sport.  With the compounds located away from the pavilion in San Francisco, it is hard to see your local hero.

Here is a picture of the dock in Newport for the 1984 cup when Australia II finally won the the cup.

Americas Cup boats at the dock in Newport RI, 1983

Source: http://www.abc.net.au

While experts can argue about the merits of hull shapes and keel wings, it is easy for the laymen to notice the similarity of the boats at dock to thoroughbred race horses lined up to for a start and appreciate the building tension as the race approaches. 

The start of a horse race:

Source: http://charitybradford.com/2010/10/25/reality-check-for-nanowrimoers

Increase Shore-Side Activities:
Currently the South side of the harbor is taken up by large yachts.  Instead of excitement, there is a hush as people are afraid to talk around all the wealth.  Instead, the dock should be taken up by classic America's cup boats that offer rides.  At $50 a person for an hour tour with just the main, the endeavor would be cash-flow positive, the classic boats would get some usage and people would get a chance to ride on a legend.  For the boats that are too fragile to sail, just allowing people to walk on the boats would be a big hit.

One of things that is constantly talked about is how the physical exertion by the crew during the race and the biggest symbol of this is the winch grinder.  A booth should be set up that allows people to have a go at using the winch.  Since people can relate to the weight of water, a rope from the winch could be lead to a bucket that picks water up out of the bay and makes a big splash when the bucket reaches the top of a pole. 

 Winch Grinders on an Ocean Race, Man vs Nature

 http://yachtpals.com/volvo-puma-sailing-4014

A fundamental challenges of sailing is that the sea already forms a natural barrier between the competitors and the fans.  One way to overcome this is by having a series of mini races close to shore in boats like the Hobie Wild Cat.  The small races would give people a chance to watch several races in a short time helping people understand the patterns in sailboat racing.  Think of it as watching the junior rodeo while you wait for the real bulls to come out.  There must be thousands of college sailors around the world that would be willing to sail on a daily basis for a summer in front of a crowd.

 

A diversion while you wait for the America's Cup to start

Source: http://www.hobiecat.com.au/sailing/

One of the hardest things for people to relate to is the fact that boats have to follow a zig zag pattern to get around the course.  To clarify this concept for spectators, a mini course should be set up on shore that mimics the real course.  People would run along lines drawn on the ground to mimic tacking up wind and gybing down wind.  The color of the line would determine what tack you were on and the contestants would have to follow simplified sailing rules as they avoided other racers.

This America's Cup continues to be a showcase for man's mastery over the wind.  However it is hard for the average person to be interested in the races due to natural barriers and a lack of understanding of sailing. Following these suggestions may help to improve appreciation for the sport.  This should lead to greater spectator involvement and renewed interest in the the greatest sailing event in the world.

How to Minimize Home Buyers Remorse:

Why is it that we experience buyers remorse when we purchase a new home?  One of the reasons could be that everything is unfamiliar about the new house.  I recently moved into a new house and had questioned the decision for a very long time.  Last night, I was driving home listening to the radio when I realized that I was driving the route to my house without thinking about it.  It occurred to me that when I first moved in, I had to think about every stoplight and every turn as I was learning the quickest path.  This process of learning is a cause of frustration in itself.  Whenever you learn something new, your mind is literally being rewired as you practice the new task.  After a while, you become proficient at the new task and you mind can work on auto pilot, allowing you to focus on other things and reducing the anxiety.  You can learn more about this concept in an earlier article that I wrote about How People Learn.

When you purchase a new home, every single task that you took for granted has to be re-learned.  The location of the silverware drawer, where you keep your keys, even where the toilet paper is in relation to the toilet.  While your body and mind are learning to coordinate each of these activities, you will naturally feel frustrated.  This felling of frustration compounds any other doubts that you may have had about the home that you chose such as did you pick the right school district and is the commute too long.  After you have learned your way around the house as well as the path to common destinations such as the grocery store and work, you can begin to function on auto pilot and the new home owner feeling begins to subside.  Your body begins to work from muscle memory as you perform tasks in your new environment without thinking about it.

So what can you do to minimize this initial frustration?  The short answer is that repetition is the only cure so you need to begin to standardize on the way that you do things as quickly as possible.  Even before you start putting dishes away in the kitchen, put labels on the outside of the cabinets and drawers for commonly used items.  Mark the silverware drawer, the utensil drawer and where you put the glasses, plates and pots and pans.  The labels will provide support until you can automatically reach into a drawer and find what you are looking for.

The same goes for other areas of the house.  Decide early what each of the rooms will be used for and how you will refer to them.  Is the spare room called the guest bedroom, the den or the play room?  Put tape over the door handles of any doors that might not be needed that often such as a hallway door that holds the water heater but looks like it might be a closet.  Put labels where other things may be installed or placed on the floor as a placeholder for where they will go.  This makes it clear what work has to be done and starts to give you some sense of orientation in a room that may only have a pile of boxes.  I like to use blue painters tape with a black Sharpie for this task.  The black on blue is a good contrast and the blue tape is designed to peel off without leaving any residue.  Another good use for the tape is to put tape over any light switches that are not critical.  That way you don't waste time turning on the garbage disposal when you are trying to find the kitchen light switch.

Real estate agents can also help with the task of orienting clients to the new neighbor hood.  After the new house is in escrow, take some time to drive with your clients around to common destinations.  The client should drive their car, while the agent sits in the passenger seat.  Make a list of destinations to drive to and then make a series of mini trips starting from the house each time.  Choose places such as the grocery store, a good place for dinner and the school if applicable.  For each trip be sure to start and end at the house so the patch to the new location can be determined.  Be sure to drive through the parking lot to the front of the building so any minor annoyances such as no left turn areas can be flushed out.  Driving together will not only give the homeowner the chance to learn the routes, but will also give the agent a chance to point out other stores that the homeowner might find useful such as a bank or drug store.

Buying a new a home is a major commitment that can produce financial and social anxiety.  This anxiety is compounded by the amount of new things that you must learn.  Only repetition can make the uncomfortable feel comfortable so get started living in your new environment.  With time you will have settled in and can't imagine living any place else.

Why children misbehave.

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  A new book might show that much of what we think is deviant behavior in children might actually be good intentions.  My friend told me the story how his son was brushing his teeth.  The boy got his hands all soapy and wanted to leave the room before he had washed the soap off.  The dad didn't want the boy to leave until the soap was off.  After the usual discussion, the dad asked the boy why he wanted to leave the bathroom.  The boy said that he wanted to open the door and show his mom that he was using soap on his hands.  The dad thought that the boy was being disobedient when all the boy wanted to do was to show that he was listening to his mom.

Marie-Nathalie Beaudion talks about this concept her book http://www.skillionaire.org/ talks about much of child's erratic behavior is actually a result of their brain still learning the best way to solve a problem.  When child is first born, it has very few neurons and can not reason through a problem.  Between the ages of 7 and 12, the child has the most neurons that it will have in its life but the path between the neurons is not clearly defined. The child may become easily distracted when it tries to solve a problem because each thought leads to other thoughts.  As the child matures, the number of neurons begins to decrease but the path between the neurons becomes more defined and the person is more equipped to solve complex problems.

According to the book, your job as a parent, is to help the child reinforce the good neural paths.  The best way to do this, is to listen to how your children work through problems especially when things go wrong.  Instead of yelling at your child when they do something that makes you upset, try to understand the child's thought process to see what they were thinking.  Often times, you will hear that they have several conflicting ideas in their head.  By talking to them, you can help them sort through their thoughts and learn the best way to handle a problem.  Next time they encounter the same problem, their mind will have reinforced the neural networks and they will be better able to handle the problem.  See a previous article that I wrote on how people learn, http://latentvalue.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-people-learn.html.  The article talks about how repetition of a thought or an action leads to excelence.

The process of getting a child to talk about their thought process is not easy and is even more difficult when you as an adult are angry but the results can be very beneficial not only to your relationship with your child but also to their development.

How to Fall Asleep

I recently had trouble falling asleep because I was thinking about work too much.  I then remembered that the mind has trouble concentrating on more than one thing at a time so I searched for a way to distract myself from the worries of the day.  I came up with a solution that hopefully will work for you.  The solution consists making up nonsense words in your mind preventing you from thinking about other things.   Eventually, your mind drifts off.  I will explain in more detail below, but first, there are two important steps you may want to consider when you have trouble sleeping because something is keeping you up.  This posts assumes that you have a normally busy day and the reason you can't sleep is because you mind is active not because your body is not tired.

First, read Dale Carnegie's book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.  This book is required reading for the Dale Carnegie course and a must read for anyone who is gripped with fear about what may happen in the future.  If you are still unsure, you may want to consider that 193 reviewers out of 237 gave it five stars on Amazon.

Second, keep a notebook by your bed.  When you have trouble sleeping, it is often because you are not sure how a particular event is going to unfold.  While you may not be able to control the outcome, you can control your actions.  Create a what-if scenario and then create an action plan if each scenario occurs.  Then, write down the top three actions that must be performed depending on the outcome.  Once you have clear path of action, you can relax because you know what must be done.  You may not like taking a particular action, but in your heart, you know that it must be done.  Then when you start to worry about the particular event, you just think about your action plan and you know what steps need to be taken.

Now comes the interesting part.  The goal is to distract your mind so that no other thoughts can enter your head.  You do this by creating up nonsense sounds or words in your mind that have no meaning and no connection except perhaps rhyming.  For example, you would begin to say, "ba, ma, sa, tee, wee, pee, knee, nin, pin, rin...".  The words should not tell a story or have any association with real life. As soon as you say one word, begin to say the next.  If you find your mind wandering to a concrete thought, refocus so that you get back to saying the words.

When I first started to use this trick, the tempo of the words began to increase until the sounds came rapid fire and became distracting.  I then realized that the sounds were much faster than my breathing.  By slowing down the creation of new words to match my breathing everything came together.  With each breath, I would create a new sound and this would be relaxing, my breathing would then slow with the relaxation and so would the speed of new sounds.  Eventually, I was not aware of either my breathing or the sounds and I was asleep.

The solution works because you conscious mind does not know how to interpret the words you are saying.  Your mind is engaged but there are no follow on thoughts that go in circles leading only to more worry or frustration.  You are literally creating static or white noise for you brain.  The brain is keeping busy but it does not know what it is doing.  With no clear action direction, your consciousness begins to lose control and you enter into Stage 1 Sleep which is the transition from consciousnesses to un-consciousnesses.  If your conscious mind can not track the thoughts in your head, it it cant be aware of whether you are awake or asleep.  This then allows you to enter the other stages of sleep automatically.

In conclusion, if you are having trouble sleeping because you worry too much, two things you should do are read "How to stop worrying" and create an action plan about what you should do.  The third trick that I recommend is to distract your mind by making up words that don't make sense   When you time these words to your breathing, your mind and body are in harmony and you will soon enter the next stages of sleep.

If this technique works for you or if you have another technique that works better, please share it in the comments section so that my readers may benefit from your success.

How People Learn

I recently started a new job and the first couple of months were very frustrating   Although I was very excited in the beginning, I soon became frustrated at not knowing my way around the company and who to call to resolve problems.  I then remembered the Situation Leadership II model that I had learned by Ken Blanchard.  The model states that people go through four stages of learning and as a manger you, should change your management style to match the stage of your employee.  First, they are excited but clueless, next, they are frustrated and lost, in the third stage they are competent but do not realize it then finally they are successful and confident.  This concept is similar to the adage about high-school students.  As a freshmen, you think you know everything but you know nothing, as a sophomore, you know nothing and you realize it.  When you are a junior you know everything but do not realize it and as a senior you know everything and you know it.

The Situational Leadership II Model

A managers style changes with the progression of the employee

Source:

As the employee progresses through the stage, the manger varies the amount of encouragement and direction.  In the beginning the employee needs little encouragement but a lot of direction.  In second stage, the employee needs clear direction as well as a great amount of emotional support.  In the third stage, the manager should provide strong emotional support but less direction.  Finally, the employee can work independently with little guidance from their manager.

This model is very similar to the concepts in the book called "Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment  by George Leonard.  The book describes a similar pattern path that people take to reach success.  In the beginning, you are excited, then you as you begin to practice, you get frustrated because the task is hard.  If you stick with it, you become competent but reach a plateau.  Finally after months of practice, with no change in results you have a breakthrough and reach a new level of mastery.  Unfortunately, many people tend to stop at the second stage when things get tough.  Imagine the person taking up golf.  They go to the store and buy all the right clothes and the best set of clubs and after the first lesson they quit because they can't hit the ball.  Mr. Leonard refers to this type of person as the "Dabbler".  They get excited about something new and then when they realize it is hard they quit before they have a chance to develop the skill.

The "Dabbler" quits when a new task becomes too hard.

Source

So why is it so hard to learn something and why do we get so frustrated in the early stages?  The answer lies in two concepts, Muscle Memory and Procedural Memory.  When you first start to do a task like swinging a golf club, you brain needs to direct every muscle in your body involved with the task.  At the same time your brain is recording each of the actions.  With so many things going on at once, there are bound to be problems and you rarely hit the ball in a straight line.

With consistent practice, your brain records the movements until they become second nature.  You can then perform the task without thinking.  Over time, your brain has literally become rewired.  It is this rewiring process that causes so much pain and frustration.  The same thing happens with Procedural Memory.  When you drive the same route to work, you brain creates an internal map.  After several weeks of commuting, you can leave your office and arrive home and not recall where you have been.  Your brain has been working on autopilot making turns without your conscious input.

The important thing to remember from all of this, is that it is the repetition that leads to mastery.  When you first start a task, your body and brain must focus all it's energy in order to be successful   This concentration can even be mentally and physically draining.  Without a good coach, you may fail at your task and become discouraged from trying again.  With positive feedback, your body continues to refine the model and create a stronger and stronger internal ability.  Eventually, you can perform the task without engaging your active brain and you are able to focus on higher levels of strategy to be successful.

Many products seem to ignore these stages of learning.  How many times, have you tried a recipe from a cookbook once and if it did not come out correct, you gave up?  Only by trying the same recipe several times can you become successful.  To help you along this path, products should encourage the customer to repeat a process until they have become successful.  For example, a cookbook could only have five recipes   On each page there are boxes where you can record the date you tried the recipe, how it came out and what you would do to change it next time.  After cooking the same recipe for five times, the person should be able to do the recipe without looking at the book.  There could be a series of such books. The first would be soups, the next casseroles, then breads and so on.

The smartphone is a perfect feedback system to encourage people to continue practicing a new task until they have achieved mastery.  The trick is to limit the task so the person can become successful in a small number of tries, provide some kind of feedback so the person can learn from their mistakes and to encourage the user when they are frustrated and want to give up (hint- have people upload their frustrations to a social network, it may prove very therapeutic).

By recognizing the stages that people go through when learning a new task and helping the user along the journey as their mind and body is transformed, companies can help people achieve goals that the person never thought they were capable of.

How to overcome the fear of writing

I clearly remember the first blog post that I wrote.  I agonized for hours over what to write.  I wondered how people would react.  Each sentence was examined and re-examined.  Throughout the entire process, fear prevented me from continuing.  I am writing this post during a break between meetings and it takes me a tenth of the time.  The biggest change that has happened is that I have already gone through the process of writing and posting blogs.  I know what to expect and what to avoid but most importantly I eliminated the fear associated with writing a blog post.


I faced a similar situation writing my first book.  I was not sure if it was good enough or how people would react.  However, once I published the book on Amazon, Industrial Strength Techniques for Home Organization, I realized that my fears were unfounded.  As I write my next book that will tie together much of the concepts from this blog, the writing process is much easier.  Time is spent producing content rather than agonizing over thoughts.

Many of our fear come from not knowing what will happen and our imagination creates dangers that are far scarier than reality.  Once we have gone through the experience once, we realize that most of our fears were unfounded.    Entrepreneurs also must go through the fear cycle.  The first customer pitch, the first VC meeting, the first hire.  All of these events become second nature after having experienced them once.

The trick then is to get people over the initial hurdler of an experience so that they can move on and accomplish great things.

With this in mind, how can companies like Amazon help people overcome their fear of writing?

Soft Launch:  One technique is to use a staging area where people can publish their work without exposing it to the world.  This is typically used for technical reasons to help people correct errors but it should also be used to help people overcome the initial fear of uploading their first work.  The soft launch would allow people to share their work with a small group of friends minimize the fear of public scrutiny that may stifle the creative process.

Priming:  The second technique uses priming.  When people describe how they are going to perform an action ahead of time, they are more likely to follow through with that action.  Amazon could help people create a schedule for writing the book.  To help break the project into smaller parts, people could upload individual chapters according to the schedule that they created.

Offer a Mulligan:   In golf, it is not uncommon for people to mess up their drive on the first tee.  A Mulligan is a do over and the second shot is usually much better.  Amazon should encourage first time publishers to create a smaller book or a collection of short stories.  Once people have the confidence of publishing one book, they can move on to writing their epic novel.

By understanding that first time writers often need help overcoming the fear of writing,
Amazon can take steps to minimize this fear and lay the seeds for the next great novel.

How to add more value by doing less

I was listening to Rory Sutherland on Ted Talks and he mentioned Professor Ayelet Fishback and her work on the dilution model: How additional goals undermine the perceived instrumentation of a shared path.
Here is a link to the paper: The Dilution Model: How Additional Goals Undermine the Perceived Instrumentality of a Shared Path.

In summary, this model states that if a product or service performs multiple tasks, people have a perception that the ability to perform any one of the tasks well is diminished.  The paper states the example of a coffee shop that serves both coffee and sandwiches.   Sure people may have a need for both coffee and sandwiches and it would save people time if they could buy both at the same place.  The problem comes when you ask people about the quality of the coffee.  Research shows that since the café does not specialize in coffee, people will say the coffee is not as good as specialty coffee shops despite actual quality.

This same pattern is played out in many other multi function areas.  Mr. Sutherland gives the example of the TV with built in DVD player.  No matter what the technical specs say, people will think that the combination unit must have inferior quality to stand alone units and will thus buy the parts independently.  One explanation for this bias is that people may belive that compromises are made in the design that would impact quality.  Mr. Sutherland also uses the example of Google Search.  Instead of adding the weather and news, Google Search does one thing only and this increases people’s perception of the ability to do that.

Of course a discussion like this is not complete without dragging in the leaders of minimalism; Apple.  If you look at the early iPods you will notice that they all had limited functionality but did it very well. In fact, latter versions such as the shuffle actual removed features thereby possibly increasing the perceived quality of music play back.

It is important to note that context for a product should not be ignored.  Ludwig von Mises states that it is impossible to tell the difference between the value created by the food and the value created by sweeping the floor.  In the example of the coffee shop, eliminating sandwiches would increase the perceived quality of the coffee but the ambiance of the café must also be considered.


So how can the concept of goal dilution be applied to improving product value?  The first step is to try not to be all things to all people.  Minimize the product features to the core functionality that reflects the strength of your company.  Next understand the ecosystem within which your product operates and try to fit into that ecosystem as easily as possible.  If you make DVD players understand that you need to connect to a TV to work.  In order to simplify that process, why not accept the fact that not everyone has access to the back of their stereo system and put the connections on the side.  If you are a coffee shop, make sure you are located next to a complimentary product such as bagels.

How to build a software product roadmap.

One of the biggest challenges of software development is trying to decide what features to add to particular version.  Here is a new model that will help you build a software product roadmap by considering the activities of the expected user group.  This model focuses on two dimensions of activities, the duration or time to complete the task and frequency or how often a task is performed.  Other dimensions such as task importance will be ignored for now as this model is focused on increasing worker productivity.

Typical Tasks of an MRP system

As you can see some tasks are performed frequently while others are rare but have a long duration  However, each of these tasks require resources and are an expense for a company.  Minimizing the time to accomplish these tasks will create value for a user and free a user up to focus on more strategic tasks.

It is important to make the distinction between user tasks and product functionality.  This model is focused on where users spend their time without your software.  Once the software is adopted, many tasks should decrease in duration and frequency.  At that point, new tasks will emerge as users focus on new challenges.

Once you have identified where your target users spend their time, the next step is to plot the tasks on the chart similar to the graph above.  Next, create a 45 degree line in the upper corner and then move the line to the lower corner based on the version of the software.  Tasks above the line should be included in a particular version.  Tasks below the line are reserved for future versions.  Each task should then have an associated feature that will help the user minimize the time it takes to perform the task.

This method ensures that you can provided the maximum productivity gains to users with the minimal engineering resources.  There is no sense in adding a feature if it does not solve a problem that the user encounters infrequently or can be done very quickly.

Product Roadmap that is based on where users currently spend their time.

One thing that becomes obvious in this model is the law of diminishing returns for software functionality.  After several versions, you have simplified the majority of the users tasks and it is harder to show value.  Microsoft Word is a good example of this.  The majority of tasks such as cut and paste, spell check, grammar correction and bullets/numbers were released in earlier versions.  All the future improvements are related to tasks that are done infrequently and have a short duration.

By using this model, you can focus your engineering resources on the biggest problems your customers are facing.  Additionally, this model provides a framework for discussing the activities of the users that is much better than creating a list of what you want the software to do.  If someone tries to add some functionality that is ahead of the version curve, you can give justification on why to hold off on the feature since it is ahead of the version curve.  Similarly, if any tasks is being performed by the customer is behind a particular version curve, then you need to make sure that the task is included in the next version. 

What is Cozy?

I was recently looking for the modern replacement of the the Volkswagon camper van.  I considered the Mercedes Sprinter, the Nissan NV, truck campers and truck shells.  Somehow,  nothing seemed to give the same feeling as the VW bus and I couldn't understand why.  The only conclusion that I can come up with is that the VW bus is cozy while the other solutions are either too big or too small.

Classic Volkswagon Camper Bus

http://www.outyourbackdoor.com/article.php?id=1204

Above is a classic Volkswagon camper bus.  Notice that the average person cannot stand up straight when they stand inside without the pop-top.  When you stand near the doorway, you can see the entire inside of the bus.  There is very little room to move around inside and yet the doors seem to invite you in to sit down at the table to eat.

Dodge / Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van

http://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/2010/02/sprinter_van.php

Now look at the Dodge / Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van. It is easy to stand up inside and walk around.  Large windows let you easily see the world.  Sure, the van is much more comfortable but is it inviting?

Classic Truck Camper

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/41259-Camper-and-Truck-Photos/page18

Another classic is the truck camper that allows you to stand up, sleeps four and includes many of the comforts of home such as sink, fridge and stove.  However the scale is much larger compared to a person.  You need to climb up the stairs to get in. When you stand next to the camper, you can not reach the top or see inside the windows.

Fully outfitted truck shell camper

http://www.tiny-house-living.com/small-truck-camper.html

Truck shell campers like the one above offer far less space but easily fit onto most trucks.

Each of the above solutions have their purpose.  Truck shells and campers can be removed in the off-season while motor homes always include a kitchen sink but are they cozy?

I talked to a friend of mine who used to travel by overnight train with his family in India.  He said that the sleeping compartments where quite tight and that you shared the compartment with several other families.  Despite the close quarters, he met several lifetime friends on those trips and looks fondly back at those days.

One explanation for the benefits of the cozy effect is the concept of physical proximity and the Mere Exposure Effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effect).  This states that people form stronger relationships when they have more frequent interaction with something or someone.  If you have ever spent time in a VW camper bus with other people, you know that it is impossible to move without bumping into someone else.  Of course the truck camper shell takes this idea to the extreme but there must be some limitation on how close you want to be next to someone on a continual basis.

If we are to assume that people value human interaction and that close proximity encourages human interaction, then we should also assume that people would value an environment that encourages interaction, hence our attraction to cozy.

The next step is to identify some key elements that contribute to cozy.  I propose the following:

Elements that create a cozy environment:

1. Ability to see entire space.
2. Roof height that is close to head level.
3. Forced proximity to other people.
4. Shared experience.
5. Little empty space.
6. Entrance way that starts wide and then narrows.

By incorporating these elements in automobiles or communal spaces, companies can create a feeling of coziness that customers value and are attracted to.  Once the space has been created, people will fill the space and create interactions far beyond what the company could have offered through product features.

Can you identify the Truncation Effect on your incomming inspection?

A friend of mine, Jon Glommen, was asked to review a chart similar to this during an interview for a quality position.

Incoming Inspection Data for Large Number of Parts

The histogram showed the incoming inspection data for a  large number of parts from a supplier (100% inspection).  The curve was supposed to illustrate how each part was built to spec and show that the supplier had no quality issues.  Mr. Glommen then informed the interviewer that the curve was only showing half of the picture and that the supplier was actually producing a large number of nonconforming parts which were scrapped and these costs were being passed on to the customer.

Jon noticed that the curve represented only a portion of a normal distribution.  The supplier was measuring each part at final inspection and only shipping the parts that met the required dimensions.  The remaining parts were either reworked or scrapped, both of which increased costs and delayed delivery.  Removing nonconforming data points and only showing the data that meets the specification is called the Truncation Effect.

The curve in the above picture was generated using a random set of data with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 5.  In this theoretical example, I have set the lower spec limit at 92 and upper spec limit at 108.  This is the same as removing approximately the lower 5.4% and upper 5.4% of the curve.   In other words, the supplier would have to produce 111 parts in order to ship 100 parts.  This increases both the lead time and cost by 11%.

The histogram below is another view of the same set of data adding back the parts that the supplier had removed.

Histogram including truncated parts

This chart clearly shows the long flat tails that are typical of a normal distribution.  Using a statistical software application (JMP), I have added the theoretical normal distribution curve.  In this case, the mean is 100 and the calculated standard deviation is 4.97.  Notice how the curve closely matches the data set in this example.

Next, I calculated the distribution for the incoming inspection excluding the truncated data points.  The stats software calculated the same mean of 100 but a lower standard deviation of 3.88.  Below is the calculated normal distribution curve overlaid on the incoming inspection data.

Calculated Normal Distribution overlaid on data with the Truncation Effect

Notice that the center of the calculated curve is higher than the center points and that the edges of the curve are lower than the data points.

One method to check for the Truncation Effect is to use Process Capability Analysis.  Here is a quick overview of Process Capability Analysis.  The standard formula for Process Capability is Cp = (USL - LSL)/(6* sigma).  The Cp for the truncated data = (108-92)/(6*3.88) =0.68 which is less than 1.  This tells us that the spec width is smaller than the process width and that the supplier is producing nonconforming parts.

Why is it important to look for the Truncation Effect?
If all of your parts pass incoming inspection, you may believe that your supplier is producing high quality parts.  However when you use a histogram or Process Capability Analysis on the data you may find that your supplier is achieving the high quality by removing the non-conforming parts.

Next Steps
First, if you have observed that inspection and/or test has resulted in rework or scrap, or the distribution of incoming material indicates that truncation is occurring, then it is important to work with your supplier to identify why parts are being reworked or scrapped and to help your supplier eliminate this waste.

Second, an accurate test is needed to determine if there is evidence of truncation.  One test might measure the number of points above 10% of the lower spec limit.  If you see a large percentage of points near the cutoff, it may indicate that there is hidden waste. If you have a large amount of data, if truncation is occurring it should be pretty obvious.

Third, a method is needed to estimate the true mean and standard deviation of the population in the presence of truncation. To get this information we need to have the supplier report first time yield and final yield. In addition we need to know the test or inspection results (i.e., measurement results not just pass/fail) of all units which were sampled.

In conclusion, incoming inspection of parts from a supplier may only show that the supplier only delivers parts that meet your requirements.  Further analysis is needed to determine if your supplier has hidden waste that they are containing internally.  By working with your supplier to help minimize this internal waste, you will speed up delivery and reduce costs the of your parts because the overall yield of the supplier's process will increase.

Note: For further reading, learn about Process Capability Analysis http://www.qimacros.com/qiwizard/process-capability.html

How to Eat Less

Do you finish all of the food on your plate or are you able to stop eating even if there is still food left?  Chances are, many people will not stop eating until all the food is gone no matter how much is on the plate.  This action is logical in some cases.  Many people who grew up during the depression did not know when they would receive their next meal therefore they would eat all the food on their plate.  Other people are members of the Clean Plate Club because as children, their parents spoke of the starving people in other countries.  Luckily, food scarcity is less of a problem these day and restaurants will often serve more food than the average person should eat in a typical sitting.  So why do you still finish all the food even if you know when the next meal is coming from and how do you limit your eating to prevent weight gain?

The answer may lie in a behavioral bias called the Endowment Effect which causes people to place a higher value on things that they posses.  The Endowment Effect states that people will demand more for an object that own than they are willing to pay for that same object.  In other words, if I gave you a mug as a present, you would only be willing to sell that mug for a higher price than you would be willing to buy it for.

In the case of eating, it may be, that people are unwilling to give up the food on their plate because they feel it is theirs even when they know that they should not eat all of the food.

To break this cycle, you need to be willing to give up some food on your plate.  Of course it would be impolite to take food off of your plate and put it someplace else on the table.  However the following plate design would serve a similar purpose.

To eat less, just push some food on your plate into the "For Later" section.

At some point in your meal, simply push some food into the portion of the plate that says “For Later”.  The phrase can be interpreted different ways.  For some people, it could mean that they want to bring the extra food home in a doggy bag for a snack at home.  For others it could mean that the food they do not eat today does not increase their weight later.  Another way to view it is to give your body a chance to digest the food that you are currently eating before eating more.  Often times, the feeling of satiation or fullness takes a while to kick-in after a meal.  Pausing during the meal gives your body time to register the food you have eaten and you will find that you are really not that hungry for the remaining portion.  Either way, by pushing the food away from you, you are overcoming the Endowment Effect thereby gaining control over how much you eat.

The amount of food that you push away is not important.  In the beginning, it feels very strange, but with time, it becomes second nature.  When using this technique, you will find that you leave the table with a feeling of lightness rather than heaviness.  See a related post on ways to make you feel better after eating: http://latentvalue.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-restaurants-can-increase-value-of.html.

By designating a portion of the plate for later, people would more comfortable not eating all of the food on their plate creating a healthier balance between caloric intake and caloric needs.

Note:  There can also be other variations on what is written on the plate.  You could show a cute monsters mouth or say something like “Feed your Willpower”.

Wagon Ruts of the Web

Imagine that Google had discovered the ideal search algorithm and every search returned the best content from the web.  This ideal algorithm would be based on a  larger number of factors including back links, how long people stayed on a page, how long the page has existed and the relevancy of the content.  Under the ideal model, it would seem that each time a page was visited, the page would become even more solidified as the proper results for a particular search term.  This action would be equivalent to creating wagon ruts in the internet.  People continue to travel down the same path and that path becomes self fulfilling forcing people to travel in that path.

An example of wagon ruts worn into rock.

Does search fall into the same trap?

Source: http://www.txaisi.com/Texas_History.html

Unfortunately, while the algorithm was ideal and gave the best results for your search query, it would be very hard for new sites to get a better ranking since rankings would be based partly on historic data.  In some cases, the wagon ruts would be accepteble.  Suppose you searched for "official IRS website".  In this case, the first result should be www.IRS.gov.  However, if you searched for, "favorite song in Canada", you might be taken to a page that lists the most popular songs but would this be really relevant to you?  The context would determine how relevant the results were.  It is very likely, many different people have an opinion about the best song in the country and it is up to the searcher to further sift through the different pages.

It seems then, that search is a mix of exact matches and some not so exact matches.  The results for, "restaurants within 1 block of 1800 Union St" would fall into a wagon rut only changing when a restaurant physically went out of business or a new one opened. However, searches for, "best restaurant within 1 block of 1800 Union St", should return a a more open path result.  The campus map below shows many paths across a campus.  It is very likely, that people often leave the path and look for a direct route that meets their immediate needs.

There are many paths that let you cross this campus.

Source: http://www.ohio.edu/athens/greens/cgreen.html

YouTube shows evidence of wagon ruts.  Here is an example of a search for, "golf swing" taken two days apart.  Are these the absolute best results in the world for golf swing?  The only difference between the two results is the second ad.  The first ad is the same in both results.

YouTube search results on 4/9/12 and 4/10/12.  

The only change is the second add.

When searching YouTube, people are not usually looking for a wagon rut result.  They usually are looking for something new and interesting.  The one exception to this is when people are trying to find the original version of a video that has many parodies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrfUXuBaJ1E&feature=youtube_gdata).

Research has been done that shows that wagon ruts are not only a result of technology but also are the result of social behavior.  In a study titled "Experimental Study of Inequality and Unpredictability in an Artificial Cultural Market", http://www.filosofitis.com.ar/archivos/experimentalmarket.pdf  Matthew J. Salganik, Peter Sheridan Dodds and Duncan J. Watts showed that wagon ruts can also be created when people are influenced by other peoples choices.  When people were asked to rank different songs, people gave a higher ranking to songs that other people liked.  This causes some songs to rise to the top of the charts only because they happened to get some sort of initial push.

So how could Google or Bing improve their search results?  To improve the results, search engines should combine a mix of wagon ruts and open paths in their search results.  The wagon ruts would be helpful when people are looking for exact information that has a defined source.  The open paths would be used to introduce new possible results that might meet the users' requirements.  Over time, if the open path results are useful, they would upset the wagon ruts and become wagon ruts themselves.  This continuous testing would allow new ideas to be introduced without creating too much chaos in the results.

By mixing up wagon rut results with open path results, Google would present a broad result set that would help a rational person find the specific information that the person is looking for.

Best Backpacking Stove

Weight, reliability and flame control determine whether people like a stove.  The SVEA 123 and Optimus 111 Hiker stove are all-time favorites for reliability but are often criticized for being heavy.  MSR stoves like the Whisperlight, Dragonfly or XGK are lighter but their large number of moving parts and o-rings leads to constant failures and maintenance in the field.

Here is my recommendation on how to make the lightest most reliable stove. Start with the basic concept of a SVEA 123 using a brass burner, internal wick, self cleaning jet and fuel cap / pump attachment.

Begin by getting rid of the brass windscreen.  Next remove the brass fuel storage / stand.  Instead replace it with a round brass sphere that incorporates the fuel cap.  A sphere will hold more fuel for a smaller amount of material and will sustain greater pressures with thinner metal because of the round shape.  Additionally, if you turn a SVEA 123 over, you will see that the bottom is actually concave to withstand the pressure.  This adds extra weight, and makes the stove bigger for a smaller amount of fuel.

Here is how the guts of my new stove would look.  

Ideal Backpacking Stove

The sphere should hold enough gas for three days of camping.  Ideal for a 2 day weekend trip with one day to spare.  A larger bulb could be screwed on for larger group use.

Now build a lightweight cage around the stove to hold the pots as well as provide a windscreen.  The center stove would be attached to the cage spring like connectors.  That way if the stove assembly was dropped, the outer cage would absorb the shock and the inner stove would be protected.  Add little tabs to the top and the bottom of the cage to provide additional support.  The tabs would fold into the cage when not in use.

Stove with Windscreen and Fill Cap with Schrader valve

The fuel cap / pump attachment / pressure relief valve should have a Schrader bicycle tube inflaetor nozzle.   The pump on an MSR stove is the weakest link and should be eliminated.  By moving to a Schrader valve, you can get the entire bicycle industry to start developing lightweight pumps.  Each pump is interchangeable and the bicycle gear heads will have a field day.  Win / win for both industries.  Don't forget to add a small chain so you do not lose the cap.

The standard way of lighting a SVEA 123 is by holding it with your hands to warm it up until a little gas spills out and then lighting the gas.  In cold weather, you may not want to take your hands out of your gloves to touch a cold metal stove.  This is where the pump comes in handy.  Another alternative is to use a small cup on the end of a little stick.  Unscrew the fuel cap, dip the stick into the gas and then pour it into a small reservoir in the burner head.  Replace the cap, light the fuel and when the stove is hot, turn on the gas.  The cup could be incorporated into the fuel control key to keep from losing it.

By using similar components as a reliable SVEA 123 but incorporating a round gas tank and light weight wind shield, MSR, Primus or Optimus could create a next generation stove that is compact, lightweight and extremely reliable.  The most complicated part, the pump, could be based on the open standard of a Schrader valve allowing a large number of companies to contribute designs.  With this hybrid approach, many complementary companies outside the camping world would support the new design with pumps solidifying the stove as the leader in the industry.

Improving Home Security with your TV

When buglers are deciding what house to rob, one of the critical factors is, "is the owner home?"  When you go on vacation, it is always important to have your neighbors pick up the mail and the newspapers so things do not pile up in front of your house.  People also have lights on timers that turn on at night to make the house lived in.  Unfortunately, setting the lights on timers can be difficult and you have to decide which lights to turn
on.  A bright light only in the front room will still make the house look empty.

TV Light coming from a window

Source: http://faketv.com/

There is one exception to this rule and that is having a single TV on in a room.  Many times when you drive by a house, the entire house will be dark except for the TV light coming from a window.  This usually means someone is watching TV before bedtime.  If a burglar sees the TV light, they will typically move on to the next house.  So how can you take advantage of this fact?

Here is how it would work.  TV manufactures should add a option to the menu that allows the TV to turn on and off for a certain time period each day.  The channel could periodically change. The volume would be set at a level that is a little louder than normal viewing.  If you have dish network or comcast, just leave the reciver box on for your vacation.

When a burgler drives by your home, they would see the lights flickering from the TV and hear the sound and think that someone is home and move on to the next house.  Of course this would not work if your TV is in the front room visible from the street.  It would work better if the TV were in a back room where no one can see who is watching the TV.

By adding a menu option that turns the TV on at specific times during a vacation, TV manufactures can create the illusion that someone is still in the house causing burglars to move to the next house.  This should add no cost to the TV but should provide piece of mind to the owner.

PS. While searching for images for this article, I came across the following company that does this very task expect they sell a stand alone LED device that mimics the TV light in a room.  http://faketv.com/

How to increase bike safety.

The blog Lovely Bicycle has a great article on a concept she calls the Mary Poppins effect http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/01/mary-poppins-effect.html.  The Mary Poppins effect states that drivers will give more room to a young women riding a traditional bike with no helmet and long flowing skirt than to the same rider wearing a helmet, tight clothes on a race oriented bike.  The author developed this concept when she noticed that some drivers treat her differently depending on what she is wearing and what bike she is riding.  Reading the comment section of the blog, you see that several people have also confirmed the effect while.

The Merry Poppins Effect

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/01/mary-poppins-effect.html

At this point it is difficult to identify which of the factors – gender, attire or bike type have the greatest impact but there is one comment from a man that may be helpful.  He states that he has observed the same effect when he wears a coat that flaps in the wind.  The flapping coat and skirt may cause the bike rider to appear bigger than they actually are causing drivers to give them more room.  Another theory is that drivers fear that the coat or skirt may catch on their car window and they give the biker room out of their own interests.  A third theory states that the flapping causes some confusion and unpredictability.

A road bike however is the exact opposite.  When you see a biker in spandex on a road bike, they ride with precision and consistency.  A driver is more likely to come closer to them because the bike almost appears stationary next to the car.


Another thing to notice is that a road bike has a triangular shape with the thinnest part of the bike in the back and the widest in the front.  Drivers may see the back tire and assume the rest of the bike is the same size.

Top view of a bike.  Notice the bike is thinnest in the back.

http://www.zuckbikes.com/bikesthedon.php

Bike Safe http://bicyclesafe.com/ shows one example of how a rider addresses this problem by using a foam pool toy to show the maximum width of their bike.

The noodle is the same size as the widest part of the bike.

http://bicyclesafe.com/

If there truly is a Mary Poppins Effect, how can that concept be used to improve bike safety?

The first method is to modify bike clothes.  One way to do this is to add small ribbons to the sleaves of a bike jersey.  As the rider pedals, the ribbons would dance in the air and create a confusing image that should help create the Mary Poppins effect. 

Streamers create confusion causing drivers to give more room.

http://mdweightmanagementsolutions.com/2010/07/26/how-to-improve-your-athletic-performance/

For road racers like the one above, this ribbon would have to be small to help reduce aerodynamic drag.  One option for bike commuters who do not wear tight fitting clothes would be to have a coat that has tails that  are designed to flap in the wind.  Remember the goal is to create confusion and make the rider look like they take up more space.  Betabrand http://www.betabrand.com/ is one company that could help produce this type of clothing for daily commuters.

Another method would be to add streamers to a stick on the bike itself.  Care should be taken that they are not too long so they would get caught in the spokes or brakes.  Again, as the rider pedals, the streamers would fly in the breeze erratically creating confusion about the riders actual size and location causing drivers to give more room.

Of course, this does not mean you can ride recklessly.  When the morning radio states that there is an accident involving car vs motorcycle.  There is no doubt about who wins.  The motorcyclist goes to the hospital and the car my need a paint touch up.  Bicyclists suffer the same fate.

By modifying clothing to create some sort of visual confusion, bicycle clothing manufacturers can reduce the possibility of a collision between a car and the rider.  The visual confusion will cause drivers to keep a greater distance between their car and the bike rider which makes for a safer bike riding expereince.