The FAIR phone

Fed up with the Apple/Samsung phone monopoly?

Tired of phones blocked by their operators?

You want to know that your phone was not made in some unhuman factory, mounted by kids in China?

Well, I have your new phone : THE FAIR PHONE

Why should you buy it?

1.              It is fair.

2.              You’ll have a dual SIM. YES if you are an expat, you’d appreciate having two SIMS in ONE PHONE.

3.              You can change the battery when it dies (it cost around 8 euros on any shops), no need to get a new IPhone

4.              Only 300 euros

5.              It meets your needs of photo with 8MP camera.

6.              16GB storage (if necessary, you may add a micro SD)

7.              Its an Android phone: so easy to use, can be connected to all computers.

8.              You have all the life cycle infos from the primary materials to the manufacturing.

9.              They don’t include a charger because it is compatible with a micro USB. You already have one at home, your friends have some… (unlike the Apple ones…)

Because YES, you can stay connected while being FAIR.

All pictures are credited to Fairphone and available under the following link

My first crowd-funder experience

Since I write this blog, I am following a few blogs to get some insights, experiences from others. There is one that I especially like it is called Generation Berlin. A French artist lives in Berlin and talks about her experience there. As I spend 5 years in Germany and have a German boyfriend, a part from me is still over there. I  really like reading her blog.

Anyway,

She realises a short movie. The shooting is between August 25th and 29th 2014. The film, "The prison guard's daughter", is about the friendship of two girls and a teen ager in the summer in the french counrty. The project needs some more funding. So she decided to use the following platform touscoprod.

So I went on the website. You have different level of funding for which you get something: the script of the movie, a postcard from the shooting team, an invitation to the Premiere, a day on the shooting…

And I did it, I invested...

What I like about crowd funding?

I feel now part of the adventure

I know where my money is going

I feel special by getting something back

I am really looking forward seeing the movie

I 

So go on this link, and you too make this project happen! Only 13 days left...

How to organise an Unconference : from the idea to the day it really happened.

During the last years, I travelled to conference in South Africa, in Italy, spend a few weeks in Strasbourg to meet my fellow space enthusiast and share innovative ideas and views on the Space Industry. One day, while flying back tired from the travels and the fight to get the fundings, I thought : I have in Bremen plenty of people that are working on exciting them with which I would like to share ideas.

I saw on the internet the Space Up concept popping up abroad, Paris, Belgium, New Zealand. To know what is a Space Unconference please see my article. I knew this format would be awesome. And this happened on April 11-12th. 

What are the important steps to start?

1. Get a team with motivated and independent people
2. Make the website and flyers as soon as possible
3. Get some sponsors and make them commit to the event (Let them pay! otherwise they can say no, and your are in trouble)
4. Find a place to accommodate your event with enough rooms and light
5. Organise a cool DJ that will rock your breaks
6. Choose the catering. If people eat well, they will be happy. Happy participants is important for an happy event!
7. The whatsapp group for the organisers save your life during the event
8. Communicate with to have new participants, to connect with them
9. Find some cool keynotespeakers (see below our astronauts Reinhold Ewald)

Lessons learned:

1. Make people pay so they can commit.

I wanted to have a free event so everyone can join whatever the back-ground. However, we had a full event and refused some people, which was a pitty because 20-30% of the people did not show up or just stayed an hour or a day...

2. Dealing with the budget is not that easy

It takes some time. So maybe dedicate one person to do this job.

3. It is important to push the participants to participate 

Even if the event has no rules, the participants have to be the conference, it is important to explain to the people the concept, give them the confidence to be on stage, propose some subject, get prepared to different topics.

What next?

1. Help the new team to make Space Up Bremen 2015 even better
2. Try to apply this format of conference to other areas
3. Get people over 35 to participate

What is an unconference?

Last year, I discovered the concept of unconference. I will present you, what this means, why I think this is awesome, and tell you a few words about the one I am about to organize with some friends.

Definition of an unconference

On google the definition is the following: a loosely structured conference emphasizing the informal exchange of information and ideas between participants, rather than following a conventionally structured programme of events. "At this unconference, attendees created sessions on the spot, making for an energizing and freewheeling exchange"

Why do we need unconference?

As an engineer is a research center I often get to go to conferences. This is the perfect opportunity to present the work performed and hopefully get some feedback on my ideas and network with my fellows. For the networking, it works as plenty of events outside the conference are organized. However, I meet two big issues:

-if I want to go to a conference, often I get this from my boss "Your paper sounds very interesting .... But we don't have any budget and we cannot let you go on your working time". And then starts the fight to find scholarship, should I pay with my money and invest in my future? Do I want to spend my precious holidays to a conference? Well, maybe when I am looking for a job, ok, but then, really?

-I have worked on the paper during days and nights, hope to have some constructive critics, but when I get over the world, have the perfect Prezi/power point, the room looks more like this

So, at the end, I fight to get into a place on another continent to spend time in dark rooms and people are bored! 

Last year, I heard about the UNCONFERENCE concept. The goal is to have people, interested to discuss with each other. No topic are fixed, no agenda is set!

And I decided with my friends to make one in Bremen and it will be completely free! I am so excited to see the outcome of this event.

What about the Space up Bremen?

Space Up is a space unconference for people who are passionate about humanity's future in space and want to play a part in it. Space up Bremen is the second of its kind in Germany and hopes to bring space enthusiasts together in an informal environment to brainstorm on the future of space, discuss new ideas and whatever you feel like!

Space up Bremen offers:

* Inspiring talks from experienced professionals

* 2 days to talk with fellow minded participants about the future of space

* A great warm-up to the festivities of Yuri's night (http://www.yurisnight-bremen.de/)

Please register as soon as possible at http://www.spaceup-bremen.org, but hurry up because the number of places is limited to 80! 

And hopefully people will look more like this

Trendsplant: an Example of Entrepreneurship in Spain

A couple of weeks ago we started a "start-up series" with this post about entrepreneurship in Paris. We got very good feedback and we would like to continue motivating our readers!

I would like to introduce Luis, a good friend of mine who started his business in Spain. He is a software engineer, but he decided to quit and spend his time and energy doing what he has become his business: he and his associates created a young, non-expensive, high-quality, comfy and trendy apparel brand!

From right to left: Luis (with Hoodie and Beanie),
his girlfriend Elena (with Top) and me (with Hoodie)

R: How did this adventure begin?

L: We have always been action sports lovers, and we were always snowboarding and loving the videos of the pros making all that cool stuff. My friends and I started to make some t-shirts for our snowboarding trips... That was the seed of what has become our dream, Trendsplant. 

R: The logo represents the brand and your customers. Why an elephant?

L: We love animals, and we wanted to give a robust image of our company and clothes, that is how we came up with the idea of the "Eleplant". Elephants are robust, noble and nomadic. These values represent Trendsplant, a streetwear company that makes apparel for active travelers who love to explore the world, while preserving and expressing their individual style. Among many designs we chose 3 and we posted them on Facebook to involve our followers and let them decide!

R: Something good about entrepreneurship:

L: Doing what you love in life is always a challenge, that´s why entrepreneurship is so exciting, you are always learning tones of things, while creating something yours. It´s awesome!

R: Something bad about entrepreneurship:

L: Sometimes it's reeeeally difficult to disconnect from work... since your business is your passion you are always thinking about ways to improve things and solve issues and you carry them wherever you go!

R: Any tips for entrepreneurs?

L: Set your goals for short/med/long term. Then organize yourself and your life, that is how you can achieve most of your goals.

We would like to wish Trendsplant lots of luck and success, and we look forward to seeing their products in German retailer shops very soon!!!!

If you are interested in purchasing (I'm sure you want to have a look to the Trendsplant collection!) go to http://www.trendsplant.com/.

How to be more effective at work! Short Review of "The four hour workweek"

I have a 39 hour contract at my job. I am sure I could perform the tasks I do in less than 30 hours a week or even less. However, my contract says I should stay 39 hours so I spend time thinking about this blog, drinking coffee with my colleagues, hang out on facebook etc... I know people who tell me that they don't have time for anything, they are so busy and they work 40-50 hours a week. I don't believe them, it is not possible to be efficient that long!

Lately I read this book, which totaly agrees with my point of view: The four hour week. Tim Feriss explains during 350 pages how you can change your life and get a descent salary while working only four hour a week. You can spend the rest of your time travelling, learning new things and enjoying life. Read this book! 

Life is too short to spend it at work being useless.

While reading this book, I found it hard to change my life directly. But I took three things, tried to apply it and it works:

1. Know that your time is very very very valuable 

We always say "Time is money". This has a part of truth. Your time has a great value, and it is yours. There are some tasks you don't like to perform like cleaning, make updates on your computer, which you sometime could outsource for 30-50 Euros. But you don't want because you think you can do it yourself for free. Maybe you could use this time to finally learn Spanish, make you first app like Rosa or just spend some quality time with you friend and family. 

So when you have a new task asks yourself "Is my time worth to perform this?”

2. The Pareto principle (p70 in the book)

"Pareto's Law can be summarized as follow: 80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs"

For example, when you write a report, in order to reach the quality 100% you need to spend 100% of time. However, you will spend 20% of your time to reach the quality 80%. Is this 20% value to the product more valuable than this 80% time? Please refer to point 1. Your time is valuable!

3. Stop reading your emails!

Tim Ferriss states that he needs to check his work email only once a week. When I started my job, I would have an alert popping on my desktop every time I got a new email. I suppressed it! Then I had only the small envelop on the task bar, but this also disturbed me. Now, I try to check my emails only once during the morning, before/after lunch and once during the afternoon. It is hard but worth it! 

No one expect you to reply to your emails in the next three minutes. If it is so urgent, they will call you! In that matter you are more focused on your task, if some people decide to make an email conversation then you can catch up easily and most of it YOU ARE MORE RELAXED!!!!!

TIP: Before leaving work in the evening, plan the first task that you will perform in the morning. When you arrive at work perform this task before opening your emails. This will give a better feeling to start the day and raise your effectiveness.

I hope this helps you! Do you also have some usefull tips for us to be more effective at work? Please share with us!!!!

My Travelling experience with Airbnb (Air Bed and Breakfast)

While studying, I would travel and stay in cheap hostels, shared dorms. I had some good and bad experience sharing rooms with strangers. I also splett on couches using the website couchsurfing. I met some amazing people, got some local flairs and main of all, it was free!

Now that I am earning my life, I want more comfort, privacy without losing the possibility to stay at a cheap place, meet some local people and get out of the tourist hubs. This year I discovered airbnb. The principle is easy, people like you and I rent a room or an apartment. All the transactions are made through the website. I pay before I go. The host get the money 24 hours after I came.

Until now I had two amazing experiences: in Berlin staying in 100m², three bedrooms, for 70 euros a night with my friends for a girly week-end; Istanbul, a nice studio in the trendy area for only 60 euros a night for a romantic escape with my boyfriend. The places are nice, bigger than a hotel, cheaper, well equipped usually with Internet, access to a kitchen. The host are there for you if you need and give you the best tips to go out. Therefore I would highly recommand it to you!

One room of the place in Berlin

View of the Studio in Istanbul

The company has been created in 2008 from three entrepreneurs in California as hotels where sold out in San Francisco during a conference. I invite you to watch the video from Joe Gebbia one of the founders telling about the beginning of Airbnb. In 2008 it had reached the million guests served, 4 million in 2012 and 9 million in 2013 since its creation. Are you going to join the adventure?

For more information about airbnb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbnb

https://www.airbnb.fr/annual

http://vimeo.com/23275754

Meeting with Parisian Entrepreneurs : Julien, Simon and Remi

I was reading books about start-up giving some example in the US. I found it hard to picture myself doing the same. And I thought: I know people doing this in my country, who are my friends. Why not just talk with them? Simon and Julien are entrepreneurs in Paris. I had lunch with them in order to know more about their adventures.

Simon and Julien are working in two different start-ups:

Julien and his associate Remi (in the mirror on the picture) are working on a web-based system with a mobile segment for emergency mechanic in the Paris Area. They hope to be on the market mid-2014.

Simon (on the right on the picture) Start-Up Incenteev wants to develop professional tools to motivate employees in a company. Incenteev is developing its product since 2012.

From our talk, I remember three tips:

1. First think target user then think product. When developing a product it is important to know your customer, very well. Meet them, talk with them, identify their needs and be as specific as you can. Then you will design the product fulfilling their needs.
2. Get your software/application tested by your customer before while developing a software/application, it will allow you to identify the weaknesses of your concept. If the product is intuitive and easy to use, you will be successful!
3. To be successful, no need for great innovative idea. Find a niche, jump in it and do better than the competition.

Well Simon, Julien and Remi, thanks a lot for this first chat! And I hope we will have such successful lunch together in the future and I will learn more about your adventures as entrepreneur in Paris!