For my founders profile, I have selected Bryan Falcon, CEO & co-founder of Haiku Learning Systems. Since 2006, Haiku Learning Systems has been providing an online learning management system (LMS) for K-12 educators, which aims to provide the “The simplest way to bring the web to your classroom… and your classroom to the web”. I […]
Continue reading For my founders profile, I have selecte… Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur BootcampTagged: LMS RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Scott
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lullings
Single point of sale
I am agreeing with the 2.1 and 2.2 introduction pieces and found them to be very clear. I am also finding the 2.2 Who is the customer? to be very cut throat. I can understand that there can be a massive disconnect between the decision maker and the active user. For example I can see […]
Continue reading Single point of sale Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace-
pcollins
Some great musings,
To answer your question about the decision making process with companies….. I had taken a course where we learned about the s.m.a.r.t. rule for analyzing new technologies and their appropriateness (specific/measurable/attainable/realistic/timely) and that’s all well and good. But it brings up the point that you ask – who is actually doing the decision making?
And generally it’s not the frontline workers is it? Or the users? I was asked during the summer to take a survey about using the new connect system for my course and in my head i was thinking, “you’ve already taken the plunge, why ask me now?”
PC
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melissaayers 5:37 am on September 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI Scott, Haiku seem to have a nice product, its the first time I have seen/heard of this LMS. It has a nice simple, lightweight feel to it. I wounder if the GUI and usability design has been influenced by Falcon (and his theatre/director background) or it was his design/development team.
C. Ranson 7:14 am on September 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Scott, I too had never heard of Haiku, would it be comparable to Moodle? I navigated through the website and looked up their partners, interesting one of them is Desmos the second company I selected to investigate. I am guessing their revenue is generated through the advanced user who pays for the service?
stammik 9:17 am on September 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The school board I teach in encourages us to use Moodle, which I have tried, but as Falcon insightfully notes, LMS which strive to offer a wide range features for everyone, as Moodle does, often become too bloated, cumbersome to learn/use and unattractive looking. Under Falcon’s guidance, Haiku instead aims to satisfy 80% of its users extremely well and realizes that the remaining 20% may not find what they are looking for with Haiku – which is ok. It’s a focused product, clearly targeted to a specific customer.
I imagine Falcon’s clear sense of creativity and design have strongly influenced the GUI, but when the the concept hits the screen, its the development team which must be trusted to execute Falcon’s vision. One more reason to applaud him for selecting the right team to execute his vision.
The “fermium” price model hooked me. It’s the classic puppy dog sales approach, just hold on to it a bit and you won’t want to put it down!
Lisa Nevoral 6:15 pm on September 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Scott, since our last course together I have checked out Haiku and liked the simplicity of it. We are still using Moodle at my school, but as you have indicated, Moodle is sometimes fairly cumbersome and unattractive looking. I find at times it is not an intuitive site, but there are things on there that I like.
I think that it wise of Haiku Learning Systems to work closely with educators to get a feel of what is needed. In my school district (and many around BC), we are using a online student information system for attendance, marks, etc. but is not user friendly. There have been suggestions on how to improve the system, but not many have been made. If Haiku can satisfy 80% of it’s specific users, I think that is pretty good for a business.