To say we ran into some “technical difficulties” during the Continuity Blueprint launch would be an understatement…
Here’s a video that describes how we turned a “marketing lemon” into lemonade.
NOTE: Listen for the big announcement at the end of the video…
October 24th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Even though Murphy really got you guys, the video was excellent follow-up to your launch, especially the takeaways. We can all learn something from every one of these experiences. Thanks for the follow through.
Hale
October 24th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Hi Ryan
Good advice Tested, Proven Techniques… Not Some
Useless Ivory-Tower Academic Theory
October 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
If you’re interested in finding out how you can load balance your servers for large product launches like this you should check out: http://www.loadbalancersolutions.com/
October 24th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
You mentioned that your host is media temple. Do you use their grid service? That service is meant to be able to deal with large spikes in traffic so I’d be interested to hear if you use that hosting plan.
October 24th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Ryan
Appreciate your efforts at explanation and dedication to your customer and your product.
I was on edge of purchase even though at this time I really shouldn’t spend the money (maxed out seriously) and actually the server failure made me re-think.
However, I’ve watched the videos and I really get the concept and wish I could participate.
One thing that would hold me back is that it seems at minimum you should at least be up and running to point of having already ‘gone through the hoops’ with offering a SLO or just a product online, period.
I’m just starting out for all intensive purposes and though yes, I do tend to overthink things to death, am probably not quite ready for something as intensive or advanced as your system.
But I plan to be back and I hope you’ll offer this up again.
Christine
October 24th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I think people’s biggest FEAR with running a continuity program is running out of content because they think they have to have a special contacts or “gift of gab” to keep it going.
Good luck with the lemonade.
-F.J. Shark
http://www.NiceGuysAnonymous.com
http:://www.WomenFiguredOut.com
October 24th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Just glad I was in top 100 to jump in!
Bob Beckett
October 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I was on the Ustream Q&A and had also registered for the “Cut in Line” link. I refreshed the link seconds after you announced the activation and could not gain access. Thanks for the explaination and for taking responsibility. It is refreshing to hear when most only assign blame. I also appreciate the way you turned the occurance into a “lessons learned” experience and took advantage of the opportunity to edify others. That is true professionalism!
October 24th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Ryan,
Newbie here again. In the launch the other day you mentioned another module for us Newbies. Is that still going to happen?
Dominick
October 24th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Hey Ryan, thought you did a great job. It was cool how you used Ustream live. Take care.
-Tim Davis
October 24th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Ryan,
You spent less than 5 minutes on the “ascension” concept. I was really hoping to get details on this because I’m in a situation on an existing site where I really need to add a level. I’d sure love more in depth tips on this topic.
Mike
October 24th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Ryan,
You know what? I didn’t even see your ustream broadcast. I just kept on reloading the http://www.continuityblueprint.com/cut.html page because I simply thought that there were so many people accessing the page and I couldn’t get through. Finally, when I got through and tried to order, I couldn’t get through either so I asked my husband to keep on trying because I had to leave for another appointment. Finally, afetr so many hours of trying, I finally got through but I had problems with the shipping method not showing up.
But it was all worth it. I started watching the getting started videos last night and all I can say is WOW. Thanks you so much Ryan.
Babes
October 24th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
What you guys need (and everyone doing serious online business) is a legitimate systems administrator. Not to brag, but I’ve done huge launches (no name dropping here) and never lost a server. How? Well, I know about things like load balancing, preparation, database capabilities, real-world testing, etc.
Other guys (like me) do also.
If you’re making good money, you can afford to pay an guy to be your server guru. You just can’t rely on a company that sells bulk-styled colo or dedicated services to manage your web server. That’s not what they do. They rack up boxes and charge monthly rates to set up Red Hat or Microsoft Windows. None of those guys are tweaking the operating system, carefully configuring the databases and tweaking your daemons like the web server itself (program that runs the websites).
Hire an experienced systems administrator.
Many of us will work on a contract basis (for a launch, planning, not full-time employee).
October 24th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Will your answers to these comments be posted also. Totally amazing Advantage!!! Congrats, Bern
October 25th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Ryan, I caught you on UStream. Nice to see more people using it. Makes sense to do these launches using that tool to spread the work.
I’d like to see more live teaching done like that.
Kind regards,
Dave Jackson
http://www.NetDominate.com
October 25th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Thank you for the pointers in the video! I made some notes and will utilise Ustream more. Cheers Ryan
October 25th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Hi,
Continuity is key EVEN FOR THE IT Infrastructure!
load-balancing:
FYI, if this can help here is my explanation for load balancing:
imagine a big event, lots of people coming in, so you plan for a “bigger door” to let them in (throughput), which is good, but the issue is that lots come AT THE SAME TIME and create a jum anyway!
So “load-balancing” this volume of visitors would mean that you rather use the space allocated to this “big door” to open-up multiple smaller but “adequat size” doors one after the other, every time you reach a certain additional volmue of visitors. Then you can close them one after one if not needed anymore. This way the risk is that you only screw-up a smaller door!
Also i recommand that load-balancing is on different “smaller servers’ rather on a Very big one ( same idea of ontinuity through “ridk-balancing”), this will maximize the chance that “stretching” on the same hardware does not get blocked by a HW failure, and will at least continue on the next one (and probalbly you can fix the failed HW in the mean-time and come back to it automatically and “transparently” for users…)!
NOW THE GOOD NEWS IS:
Your success has developed so quick that you need to “think bigger” for you infrastructure capacity! I know companies who have 10000 users coming in smoothly with garanteed access/response time on a well desinged/balanced environment using a .NET (dot Net) microsoft architecture or IBM Websphere or some equivalent open-source solution……The thing is to really sit-down and design it (or outsource such desing to let your team just drive it through requirements).
AND HERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY:
Once you have done that, why not offer a “CONTINUITY IT INFRASTRUCTURE ” to your list as a support to the Continuity suit: this could be from -just learning on how you built it, -to buying “space” on your “continuity hosting space” that would include access to all the gooies including Ustream etc….
thanks and good luck!
skander
October 25th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I have watched all your video’s with great interest. I was also about to purchase and did not in the end. Although I would like to it is just way too expensive for a grandmother on social security and still shopping for affordable health care. Good luck though, I am sure your program will be very very successful.
October 25th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Ryan,
I was on Ustream with you–and you seemed very poised under the pressuring circumstances. I’m already going through the module videos for CB and applying them in my business. Great stuff!
Adam
http://www.onlinecashflowguru.com/blog
October 26th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
hey Ryan, I have used all of the ideas you and the affiliates information have provided and I can tell you that for a newbie I’m gettin’ it, Thanks a million, Brenda
October 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Great video and explanation. Always good stuff!
You shared great information, If anyone does have a
a hosted solution for email - like ARP3 - I’d suggest
getting a separate mail server - that’s if you choose
not to move to another mailing solution.
Just food for thought
Matt
October 26th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Great video! Very very smart idea using ustream. One of our sites went down for 4 hours during a launch. I wish I would have thought of that when we that happened…
Chris
October 26th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Thanks very much for the explanation and for the great advise. We all really need to admit it when we make mistakes. You are have a great thing going.
Best for the future.
Dave
October 26th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Hey Ryan,
Rather than trying to get everyone rushing to the servers at once “less than satisfactory results” all you gurus reccommend, why don’t you just take deposits upfront from those interested in the product or service and let them buy at their leisure during a give period of time.
It will save everyone a ton of aggravation on both ends.
All of this scarcity nonsense and lining up in line waiting for the doors to open stupidity makes you all look like real fools in the eyes of marketing professionals like myself - don’t blame it on the equipment, blame it on yourselves for not planning ahead.
How could you be running ustream.tv on your sales page when you said your servers were down? Hmmmmmm?
Clever, but some of us, who weren’t even following could see through the BS.
Get real, will ya?
Who do you think we are?
Some of us just didn’t just fall off of turnip truck. Duh!
REPLY FROM RYAN: As I mentioned in the video, my billing server went down not my main server. (Actually, my main server went down as well but MediaTemple got it back online in minutes.)
Good tip on the deposit idea, though. May try that in the future.
In the meantime, try not to find conspiracies where none exist.
October 26th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Great job Ryan. You’re a superstar!
Blaire Allison
The Love Guru
http://www.loveguru.net - for girls
http://www.datingtipsfordudes.com - for guys
October 26th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
ok u own me
October 26th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Hi Ryan,
Way to stay cool, dude, I would have been having a
square cow.
Brilliant use of video.
I just want to let you know that I’m grateful for
the “napkin”, and I’ve already begun to impliment
the concepts therein…
You’ve truly been a blessing, to me.
Best Wishes,
Jeff Davis
October 26th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Cloud hosting—- Sir learn about it use it
October 26th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Hey Ryan
Brilliant Napkin business Model and totally greatful for the Snowball number crunching. As an Accountant I totally endorse what youve done in fact bettet than most accountants I know. Not only Putting the biz model on paper (or napkin) so Your minds eye and therefore logic and reason can conceptualise it and not just your thoughts (which play on emotions and hope), but also by looking at figures and breaking them down, next to the model, it is more like creating a Balance Sheet and looking at the business as an investor/owner to assess the state, movement, life and future economic benefit and clarity of the ROI of your business…
Anywayz im blabbing now, but even I forget to write and jot down ideas and figures, and often rely on just thinking about them…(Descartes could be wrong when he said “I think therefore I am” - should have been “I do (or write) therefore I become”…
Well on a negative note, are you sure the crash, albeit unexpected, was also a strategic promotion for Ustream as an affiliate?
after all it seems you already had it prepared or waiting in the wings to jump on and have implemented…lol kidding.
Thanks anyway. Ive only just heard about you last week, and learnt of your launch few days ago yet Ive found youre a great mentor teacher and Youre refreshing…I think you just revealed the many other gurus model or ’secret’ that they have been hiding which goes to show you are ethical and professional and you teach what you preach.
Well good luck, Il be following your ideas and sound tangible techniques to quash all the other overwhelming informational junk that has clutted my mind, though most of it is my fault I know.
Thanks for your articulate, clear and engaging communication…good to watch a video on the edge of my seat for once….
Victor T
VTOnlineEmpire
REPLY FROM RYAN: Ustream is a free service and doesn’t have an affiliate program. Also, you won’t see an affiliate link anywhere in this video (including when I plugged Aweber which does have an affiliate program).
And in the end, I would have much rather everything gone perfectly so I could sell more of my stuff as opposed to engineering a crash so I could plug someone else’s offer.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
heh just saw Jason Moffatt suggest the UStream thing on the Mass Control video. Nice to see it get utilised as a launch tool. Everyone loves reality TV
October 27th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thanks man!
October 27th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Hey Ryan,
Great example of turning a crisis into a benefit!
This sort of customer service can be applied in all sorts of ways.
For anyone launching on a smaller scale (like I’ve just done), you could simply upload a live Q&A page and publish answers to questions that readers are sending in to your email support.
It stops you having to reply to the same questions over and over.
Not quite as fast as UStream but a useful alternative as a quick fix.
Cheers!
~ Peter Tremayne
http://www.SuperEasyVideos.com
October 27th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for being so open and honest and giving us such a great example. A lot of people talk about customer service but you have given us a real-time live demonstration.
There’s also some great learning in the comments above, regarding server load balancing and other technicalities of running a launch.
This is brilliant stuff!
Thanks,
Dave Ovenden
http://myturbohq.com
October 27th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Great video as always Ryan, you’re da man! Great job with the launch even though you had some trouble!
Chris Klasson
http://chrisklasson.com
October 27th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I am responding to the above video and leaving a note as instructed for the Ustream Marketing project. I am a signee for the $1995. program. I was not on the launch last week. I didn’t know about it, however, I just received your email on Sunday through Tellman’s site and signed up immediately. I hope this is the right link. Eddie
October 28th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Hi Ryan,
I’m sorry about your troubles and I am glad you put out this video, but I am more and more convinced “the crashed server” really is a marketing strategy to increase the buying intensity. I mean it has happened to the last 30 product launches marketers have sent me; from Frank Kern on down to Googlesnatch. Is that merely a coincidence that no one could get it right?