Smilebox makes me smile

March 23, 2007 By

Look at the visuals inside Smilebox. Look at the fact that it’s one of a very few companies who’ve introduced me to its development team (pair programming, even!)

I love a company that puts its developers right in the middle of its office. That tells me it’s a different kind of company right off the bat.

But, there’s a lot more to this company that lets you build cool online greeting-card-like stories with video, photos, and lots of other goodies.

Looking at the walls you can tell that this company cares deeply about experiences.

In Kathy Sierra speak: Smilebox makes me smile. I felt happy while doing this interview and could tell just by looking around that this company was working on experience and on having fun.

Three videos:

1) A edited, short video combining the best of the demo and interview (I’ve embedded that video in my blog below). It’s five minutes long.
2) The full demo with Andrew Wright, CEO.
3) The full interview and tour (meet the developers!)

[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2007/03/PID_010674/Podtech_SmileBox_Editors_Choice.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/technology/1404/scoble-show-editors-choice-for-smilebox&totalTime=313000&breadcrumb=3F34K2L1]

Filed Under: 1
  • Tim Windsor

    No Mac version.

    No smile.

  • Tim Windsor

    No Mac version.

    No smile.

  • http://connectedhome2go.wordpress.com/ marimoto

    Finally tried Smilebox the other day. I do like it, and I like the simplicity. However, the choices in Scrapblog are just phenomenal. I’ll probably end up going back and forth between the two services. Using Smilebox when I want to create something quickly, and using Scrapblog when I want a more personalized presentation.

  • http://connectedhome2go.wordpress.com/ marimoto

    Finally tried Smilebox the other day. I do like it, and I like the simplicity. However, the choices in Scrapblog are just phenomenal. I’ll probably end up going back and forth between the two services. Using Smilebox when I want to create something quickly, and using Scrapblog when I want a more personalized presentation.

  • Martin

    Robert, not fair: please don’t tell how excited you are about a thing and then in the short version of the video you don’t show that thing …. I’m late for a appointment, just looked at my live bookmarks before I would rush out the door, thought “Smilebox?, I need a smile today, let’s quickly see what Robert is talking about”.

    After reading, I think “I want to see those developers, but I don’t have the time …. oh, the short version is only 5 minutes, I can watch that while packing my things and putting on my coat” but alas, packed and ready to go, some 10 minutes late and no developers :(

    So I took another 5 minutes to tell you about my dismay.

    But 15 minutes late, I do have to tell you that I’m really starting to like your show!

  • Martin

    Robert, not fair: please don’t tell how excited you are about a thing and then in the short version of the video you don’t show that thing …. I’m late for a appointment, just looked at my live bookmarks before I would rush out the door, thought “Smilebox?, I need a smile today, let’s quickly see what Robert is talking about”.

    After reading, I think “I want to see those developers, but I don’t have the time …. oh, the short version is only 5 minutes, I can watch that while packing my things and putting on my coat” but alas, packed and ready to go, some 10 minutes late and no developers :(

    So I took another 5 minutes to tell you about my dismay.

    But 15 minutes late, I do have to tell you that I’m really starting to like your show!

  • http://wenchadmin.wordpress.com/ deannie

    Thank you SO much for Editor’s picks. I have watched more of your videos this week than before. It definitely whets the appetite to come back for the longer versions when I can.

  • http://wenchadmin.wordpress.com/ deannie

    Thank you SO much for Editor’s picks. I have watched more of your videos this week than before. It definitely whets the appetite to come back for the longer versions when I can.

  • http://engtech.wordpress.com/ engtech

    Another thanks for the shorter videos.

    I’m still not watching them, but it makes me smile that they’re there.
    :)

    Here’s a link to smilebox: http://smilebox.com/ (love the mascot)

    More about pair programming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_Programming

    If everyone pair programmed then programming.reddit.com would not exist.

  • http://engtech.wordpress.com/ engtech

    Another thanks for the shorter videos.

    I’m still not watching them, but it makes me smile that they’re there.
    :)

    Here’s a link to smilebox: http://smilebox.com/ (love the mascot)

    More about pair programming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_Programming

    If everyone pair programmed then programming.reddit.com would not exist.

  • http://www.pluggd.com/ drew olanoff

    you’re right about the developer thing, when i came to pluggd, i made sure that i sat in the office with the developers because it really is all about experience.

  • http://www.pluggd.com drew olanoff

    you’re right about the developer thing, when i came to pluggd, i made sure that i sat in the office with the developers because it really is all about experience.

  • http://www.existentialventures.com/ Broc

    i guess i’m going to have to go read more about smilebox and pair programming now

  • http://www.existentialventures.com Broc

    i guess i’m going to have to go read more about smilebox and pair programming now

  • http://www.paraglidetandem.com/ John Paraglide Tandem

    looks cools but it’s does not work with Vista ???

  • http://www.paraglidetandem.com John Paraglide Tandem

    looks cools but it’s does not work with Vista ???

  • Jay

    I can believe VCs and Angel Investors continue to spend millions of dollars in these kind of junk websites/services – so called “Web 2.0″.

    How many people want to buy (by actually paying money) a scrap booking tool. And at 5 dollars a month for the Club Smilebox stuff I don’t think these guys can afford to keep servers running and employees paid. You have to be really really lucky to become the next myspace or the next youtube. Or else someone who’s filthy rich and/or really really stupid like Google to acquire you. But its pushing the luck too much.

    I am pretty sure these guys are going to end up in http://www.techcrunch.com/tag/deadpool sooner or later. Who wants to bet on that ??

  • Jay

    I can believe VCs and Angel Investors continue to spend millions of dollars in these kind of junk websites/services – so called “Web 2.0″.

    How many people want to buy (by actually paying money) a scrap booking tool. And at 5 dollars a month for the Club Smilebox stuff I don’t think these guys can afford to keep servers running and employees paid. You have to be really really lucky to become the next myspace or the next youtube. Or else someone who’s filthy rich and/or really really stupid like Google to acquire you. But its pushing the luck too much.

    I am pretty sure these guys are going to end up in http://www.techcrunch.com/tag/deadpool sooner or later. Who wants to bet on that ??

  • Jay

    I can’t even type properly….

    I meant….

    I CAN’T believe VCs and Angel Investors continue

  • Jay

    I can’t even type properly….

    I meant….

    I CAN’T believe VCs and Angel Investors continue

  • http://siliconvalleymusings.com/ Steve

    I talked with Smilebox at Demo 06 and was very impressed. Their target market is soccer moms.

    They have done their homework. It is a huge and growing market. For example, the Michaels Arts and Crafts store estimated they would generate 3.6 billion in revenue for 2006.

  • http://siliconvalleymusings.com Steve

    I talked with Smilebox at Demo 06 and was very impressed. Their target market is soccer moms.

    They have done their homework. It is a huge and growing market. For example, the Michaels Arts and Crafts store estimated they would generate 3.6 billion in revenue for 2006.

  • http://designninjas.com/ Bill Olen

    Nice Video!

  • http://designninjas.com Bill Olen

    Nice Video!

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  • Christopher Coulter

    Working on experiences and on having fun. Wheeee. If you are happy and know it, clap your hands.

    But wait till the Angels turn Devils, when the pie-in-the-sky internet lottery fails to materialize. But give it time, after awhile the Scoble Show will become a ‘Blade Runnerish’ curse.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Working on experiences and on having fun. Wheeee. If you are happy and know it, clap your hands.

    But wait till the Angels turn Devils, when the pie-in-the-sky internet lottery fails to materialize. But give it time, after awhile the Scoble Show will become a ‘Blade Runnerish’ curse.

  • http://www.evden-eve-nakliyatciniz.info/ evden eve nakliyat

    They havee done etheir homework. It ies a huge and growieng markeet. Fore example, the Michaels Arts and Crafts store estimaeted they would genereate 3.6 bilelion in revenue for 2006.

  • http://www.evden-eve-nakliyatciniz.info evden eve nakliyat

    They havee done etheir homework. It ies a huge and growieng markeet. Fore example, the Michaels Arts and Crafts store estimaeted they would genereate 3.6 bilelion in revenue for 2006.

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  • http://tenyearsofpics.blogspot.com/ Patrick Dodds

    “Try it, its free…”
    But it doesn’t work.
    A shame – a screen saying “updating” scrolling endlessly when I have just downloaded the programme – no smile there.

  • http://tenyearsofpics.blogspot.com Patrick Dodds

    “Try it, its free…”
    But it doesn’t work.
    A shame – a screen saying “updating” scrolling endlessly when I have just downloaded the programme – no smile there.

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  • http://www.myparaglidingbuddies.com/ cup beans

    It didn’t work for me either, so maybe the site is busy or the link needs to be fixed.

  • http://www.myparaglidingbuddies.com/ cup beans

    It didn’t work for me either, so maybe the site is busy or the link needs to be fixed.

  • Marisa

    I’m looking into using 5 smilebox templates linked to 5 pictures on my website (under construction) and was wondering how do they actually look when clicked in this manner and how long they take to load. Has anyone used it like this, any suggestions or do any of you have a better solution or idea?

    Marisa G.
    ColorWhims
    ProfessionalFacePainting.com

  • Marisa

    I’m looking into using 5 smilebox templates linked to 5 pictures on my website (under construction) and was wondering how do they actually look when clicked in this manner and how long they take to load. Has anyone used it like this, any suggestions or do any of you have a better solution or idea?

    Marisa G.
    ColorWhims
    ProfessionalFacePainting.com

  • http://www.smilebox.com/ Andrew Wright

    they load quickly in separate window so people get the best experience and can view full screen.

    Andrew Wright – Founder and CEO, Smilebox Inc.

  • http://www.smilebox.com Andrew Wright

    they load quickly in separate window so people get the best experience and can view full screen.

    Andrew Wright – Founder and CEO, Smilebox Inc.