Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Looking for a (Savvy) Senior Application Developer.

Do you love to write code?​ Want to work smarter, not harder?
Do you thrive in an work environment that enables you to work on exciting and challenging projects, day in and day out?
Do you like to change the status quo and create value that has long-term impact and rewards?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then we need to talk.

The majority of our client development work is with Open Source such as PHP, Python, AJAX, Javascript, CSS and MySQL.​ We are looking for a talented, proven senior web application developer to join our team.​ The skills previously listed are highly desirable, but there’s always something to be said for talent, potential, and attitude, so if you happen to be a developer with more expertise in other languages (.​NET, Ruby, etc.​) and are open to adding Python, PHP, AJAX, etc.​ to your arsenal, we want to hear from you.

We are looking for the following qualities in a candidate:

  • Interested in learning and have a creative mind that enjoys the challenges of application development
  • Gets excited about clean code but knows that ugly code is out there and dealing with it is an necessity sometimes
  • Enjoys client interaction and problem solving, in a passionate way.
  • Knows the tools of your trade
  • Wants to raise the skill level of the whole team, not just themselves
  • Has the ability to play well with others – we will be welcoming you into our team
  • Has the ability to work independently – coding, testing, gathering requirements, and communicating with clients
  • Knows the value of a great user experience when it comes to building applications
  • Accepts the fact that mistakes will be made and that every experience is an opportunity to get better and improve the working processes within the agency
  • Appreciates that meetings are necessary but detests unnecessarily long or unproductive ones.​ You can’t wait to leave a meeting and go back to writing code!
  • Knows that open, honest and productive communication is key to project success
  • Believes that working less hours smarter is better than working more hours harder
  • Knows that perfection may not be possible but aiming for excellence is realistic
  • Wants a full-time position in a growing company

Are you an application developer who is savvy enough to deal with an intensively customer service oriented digital agency?​ We are that company.​ We consistently deliver for not only long lived and well-maintained clients, but also our new projects.​ They range from Flash intensive brand micro-sites with a major focus on user experience, to ordinary database driven content management systems such as Joomla, Drupal and Typo3. We also work on unconventional projects with interesting and occasionally not so interesting features thrown in the mix.

We will build anything that creates value and pass up those projects that are too cumbersome, outrageous or simply unsustainable.​  On any given day you could be part of a large team building a cutting edge web site or you may be “solo” coding feature enhancements or fixes for a client’s online forms.​ We thrive in a results oriented environment because our team is treated well and our clients are treated even better.

What we need from you:

  • Provable, quantifiable expertise as an application developer (code samples and/​or project descriptions)
  • Provable experience working on web application projects (work history)
  • Salary expectations.

What we don’t need from you:

  • We don’t enjoy reading lists – especially not a list of the 50 technologies you know.​ If your resume doesn’t make it clear that you have focus on a specific web technology(s) then you’re just wasting both of our time sending us your CV – and nobody enjoys having their time wasted.
  • If you are looking to ladder climb and want to play politics this is also not the place for you.​ You are happy to work and are ready to address and solve problems as they arise.​ We do not pretend to know everything and mistakes are likely in every endeavor.

Where you will work:

We have a great office in one of Nairobi’s quieter suburbs near the city centre with lots of windows and a very open floor plan. We dress down most of the time, but are always at our best in front of clients.​ We are professional and the management team is very hands on and engaged with the work that is done.

We try very hard not to require more hours that are required of anyone and we strive to work 8.30 to 5.00 pm every day with a one hour lunch break.​  That said, we’re flexible and recognize that we all have lives outside of the office – and we also know that sometimes, especially when deadlines demand it, normal working hours just won’t get the job done.​  When it doesn’t, we act accordingly – and we show our appreciation when people step-up.​  We use our leave days and so will you, for your sanity and ours.

If think that your that special talent we may be looking for, kindly send us your CV on jobs@dotsavvyafrica.com

BrandFORUM on New Media

New social media such as Twitter, Facebook , You Tube, i-report and Google are just some of the channels that have popped up in the recent past. While they are not traditionally what one may call media houses, they are in competition with media houses for consumer eyeballs and attention. The best thing about these brands is that they are actually consumer driven. The question is: Will New Media brands edge out traditional media and traditional marketing techniques? This was the point of discussion at Brandscape’s 14th BRANDforum held recently at Palacina where a group of professionals converged to share their views on the emergence of the new media. Read the full article here.

Business Daily article on Kenyan Businesses using Social Media.

Today’s Business Daily Newspaper has an article on Kenyan businesses and professionals using social media and social networking as a marketing and service delivery channel. I was interviewed for the same by Business Daily’s Wanjiru Waithaka and I am quoted in it. You can read the article in full on the Business Daily web site here >>

Kenya’s brands @twitter!

In light of all the hyperbole currently surrounding the Internet micro-blogging wunderkind twitter, I decided to do some research to see just how well the micro-blogging service is doing in Kenya. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised and a little disappointed at the same time. I managed to locate the Top 100 Twitterers in Kenya (as of this posting) via twitterholic at this link for Nairobi, Kenya. The truth is that the twitterholic listing is out of date by a month or two from what I can tell and is mostly centered on Nairobi – but its the only comprehensive Kenya specific ranking that I could find online.

The top 100 @kenya twitter listing is largely dominated by bloggers with @kahenya currently occupying the top spot with 1,731 followers and closely followed in second position by @paulakahumbu with 1,730 followers. The gap between number 2 and 3 is significant with @intelligensia having 450 followers. I was surprised to learn that yours truly @moseskemibaro cracked the top ten at number 9 with 311 followers!

Further down the list, it was interesting to note the Kenyan brands that had created Twitter profiles and had some followers. @wildlifedirect had the largest following of 314. The next brand is @kenyaairways who we’re ranked at 28 with 89 followers, a number I expect to grow massively if they invest in creating more visibility for their twitter profile. The interesting thing is that @kenyaairways have a very active twitter profile that is promoting their offerings and also providing a channel for interaction with their customers. Clearly, Kenya Airways is a authentic Kenyan brand that is really “getting” new media.

Further down the list for companies, my company @dotsavvy is ranked at 34 with 69 followers – not bad considering we only set-up a twitter profile around two months ago with very limited marketing so far. In position 45 and with 45 followers is @theeastafrican, the twitter profile for The East African Newspaper. Their profile has been conspicuously silent of tweets since January 2009 which is strange since they are a leading weekly newspaper!

Next up at position 61 with 26 followers is @theinsyder, a well established Kenyan tweens magazine – I expect them to really grow if they invest lots in building up their followers since their market is mostly Kenyan youth. @ntvkenya is the twitter profile for NTV which is one of Kenya’s largest television channels is positioned a lowly 91 with only 4 followers!

I’m thinking that the twitterholic list for Kenya may not be very up to date since I just found out that @984capitalfm and @easyfm96 are having a faux challenge of sorts to see which of the popular radio stations can reach 1000 followers in the shortest time possible. As of this posting, @984capital is ahead with 92 followers so far and @easyfm96 has only 9 followers. However, in a nutshell, its great to see that Kenyan brands are getting twittered!

Oprah just joined Twitter – and she’s already got over 110,000 followers!

In more Twittermania on the web this week following Ashton Kutcher winning the 1 million follower challenge with CNN, Oprah Winfrey has bestowed her first class media credentials on the micro-blogging service. The amazing thing is that in a matter of days, she has already got over 110,000 followers on Twitter as of this writing.

All things considered, Oprah could use her global reach and gold-plated credentials, to set-up a new Twitter challenge – to become the fastest Twitterer ever to reach over 1 million users. I am betting this could happen within the next month or so if she pumps up the challenge using her global visibility and popularity.Once again, more evidence of the “media of one” emerging trend! More on the Oprah Twitter launch here >>

Ashton Kutcher beats CNN to 1 Million Twitter Challenge!

This is amazing! Ashton Kutcher actually beat CNN today in getting over 1 million followers! The gap was tight, with only 1,200 followers separating the winning Ashton and losing CNN.  The win was also seperated by only 30 minutes showing just how “real-time” the challenge was. Ashton’s symbolic win is a clear demonstration of social media as an emerging channel for individuals to exert the same level of influence and visibility as traditional media companies. This for me proves a point, that the “media of one” trend is actually taking off and traditional media companies need to sit up and pay attention! More on this story here >>

More @ CNN vs Ashton Kutcher Twitter Challenge.

Its really hard to believe but the CNN Twitter account racing Ashton Kutcher to 1 million subscribers wasn’t even under CNN’s control sometime last week. This is no-brainer for CNN since by adding more stories to their feed — and links to CNN’s site — CNN.com could generate hundreds of thousands of extra pageviews per day.

However, as posted earlier today on this blog, the main reason for the acquisition of the Twitter account by CNN is the free notoriety that they stand to gain from the faux challenge by Ashton Kutcher to beat them in crossing the 1 million followers mark – this has never been achieved by anyone to-date on Twitter. Looking at the way that Ashton’s followers are growing at a massive rate, its very possible that he could actually make it, although the gap now is fairly small to the 1 million mark.

Once again, the CNN vs Ashton Kutcher Twitter challenge reinforces my thoughts on the idea on what is fast becoming the age of a “media of one”, enabled by social media on the Internet. I’m really wondering if Kenyan media and media in other  emerging markets are picking this trend up! For more info on the CNN vs Ashton Kutcher Twitter Challenge, have a look at Ashton’s video below:

Ashton Kutcher challenges CNN to Twitter popularity contest

Ashton Kutcher has challenged CNN to a popularity contest on the social media site Twitter. CNN and Ashton Kutcher are racing for 1 million followers on Twitter. CNN and Ashton Kutcher are racing for 1 million followers on Twitter. The celebrity and the news network are racing to get 1 million followers on the micro-blogging site, where users post 140-character messages.

Kutcher says he finds astonishing that one person can actually have as big of a voice online as what an entire media company can on Twitter. This is what I call the power of “a media of one”, a term I recently used at a new media forum. For the full story on CNN.com, go here >>

Is Twitter’s Marketing Power Going to Waste?

In an article featured on Fast Company web site, research conducted by Webtrends shows that Twitter is being under-utilized by companies for internet marketing. This finding is reinforced by additional research conducted by Facebook that shows Twitter-like stream feeds are two to four times more effective than other online methods of communication for getting your message to a larger audience – are marketing managers and their marketing agencies hearing this?! Read the full article here.

Mention in Brussel Airlines’ BSpirit Magazine.

_headerJust stumbled on a mention for a presentation I did for the Kenya Music Week 2008 in Brussel Airlines’ BSpirit Magazine. The article, titled, “Rising up the Scale”, explores the growth of internet marketing, social media, sales and distribution in regards to East African Music. Enjoy the read here.