Thentic Startup Blog http://blog.thentic.com Real food has a story. So does our company. posterous.com Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:42:00 -0700 Learning to code, two months in... http://blog.thentic.com/learning-to-code-two-months-in http://blog.thentic.com/learning-to-code-two-months-in

My first post about coding was entitled Learning RoR. Boy, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Since then, I've either read, done tutorials, watched videos or asked questions about html, css, haml, sass, javascript, jquery, ruby, ruby on rails, rspec, cucumber, mysql, mysqlite, ssh, git... wow. Thing is, it's all awesome. Sure, as you go deeper you'll uncover factions and your personal preferences, but that so much information and opportunity is out there for you try, learn, enjoy and use... absolutely amazing.

Here's to all of you who made it possible. Thank you. 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Fri, 29 Apr 2011 07:45:00 -0700 Outline for a future post - The Disconnect http://blog.thentic.com/outline-for-a-future-post-the-disconnect http://blog.thentic.com/outline-for-a-future-post-the-disconnect

Despite, or maybe because of, all of our friends, jobs and activities, people are increasingly disconnnected from one another. 

Outside of sleeping and a very short list of other things, food is the one thing that connects us all. Can sharing a meal really bring us back together, or is it becoming just another chore to complete? It's a matter of perspective and resources. For those with resources but no perspective, eating is becoming a status symbol. While the opposite side struggles to find decent quality, affordable foods and is forced to compromise on their health and well-being.  

Shifting from an agrarian to urban society has kills some connections, experience and culture and replaces them with others. Sadly, the ability to recognize and access real food is one of those casualities. 

- Whose fault is it? We've lost the fundamental knowledge or points of reference to make informed decisions. Call out retailers for missing the opportunity to be that resource. Consumers need to pick their battles/recognize tradeoffs. 

- Or is it a natural result of population growth? Will the pendulum swing back?

- Ideas for change. Top down, bottom up, local, regional... 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:41:00 -0700 Learning RoR: The first 10 days http://blog.thentic.com/learning-ror-the-first-10-days http://blog.thentic.com/learning-ror-the-first-10-days

Day 1 – I had attempted learning Ruby on Rails before, but I’m a Windows guy and RoR and Win didn’t get along too well back then. So I load up Ubuntu and start sudo-ing away… everything seems cool.

Day 2 – Screw something up somewhere, no idea where. By the end of the day, still no default rails page. Decide to try something else…

Day 3 – Windows attempt - delete all recognizable rails files but leave ubuntu thinking I may be back in a day or two…

  • Find Michael Hartl’s http://www.railstutorial.org , follow install instructions and see Rails default page within 20 minutes. Seriously? This can’t be right… spend remainder of the morning making/re-establishing accounts on heroku and git. 
  • Deploy to both by the end of the day. Awesome.
  • If anyone is reading this and you or someone you know wants to start learning RoR, do yourself a favor and start with his tutorial. 

Day 4 – Complete thru Tutorial through Chapter 3.

  • Delete Ubuntu from file system. 
  • Did not set up *autotest*, might go back and do it later. 
  • For now, *bundle exec rspec spec* to run tests

Day 5 – Complete thru Chap 5.

  • Fail to git properly. Attempt to open file but system says “Changes made. Accept changes?” Blindly click yes and lose a day’s work. (Or so I thought. Read up on Git.)
  • Have a difficult time understanding named routes => skim entire chapter before doing exercises to understand whole process.  
  • Ran into some issues on $ commands – *annotate* doesn’t work directly , must "bundle exec annotate"

Day 6 – Some mistakes with git/heroku again, seem to have lost entire site.

  • Basically rebuilding from scratch. Lost gems, routes, custom css, entire files… 
  • Save backup of files so as not to rebuild everything again. Will redo book later… 
  • Don’t have tests running since rebuild2. - Don’t fuck with git/heroku, keep things local for now…  
  • Remember: when creating/linking new pages: def the page on the pages controller, define path on routes.rb, then add links from existing page(s) to new page.  
  • Attempting git/heroku -> looks like it worked, but index is rails default, all other pages work 
  • Git basics:
    • Git status 
    • Git add . 
    • Git commit –am “….” 
    • Git checkout … 
    • Git merge … 
    • Git push 
    • Git push heroku
  • Good, simple Git Cheatsheet: http://cheat.errtheblog.com/s/git

 So that was 3 hours of rebuilding/redeploying… starting on Chapt 6. - 

  • Started moving forward again, but at next *rake db:migrate* received error that table already existed. This seems to screw up all tests, totally dropping tests just to keep moving. (Edit: This is a bad idea.)
  • Found on dashdingo.org simple commands to drop table: *sqlite3 db.development.sqlite3* once you started sqlite3, then at sqlite prompt enter *drop table table_name;* (remember to add semicolon to complete statement), then *.quit* 
  • This should drop table, then rerun *rake db:migrate * which seems to work.

Day 7 Minus a few days in between with friends visiting…  

  • After screwing up another commit and losing files, created a tangled mess by trying find/recreate files. Can’t get user model working, so punting and starting over. Will try to get tests working better on this go around…actually trying redo from saved version 4/14
  • Starting over from scratch, git workflow: 
    • $ git checkout -b modify-README (creates and switches to new branch called “modify-README”
    • $ git branch (shows local branches and what branch we’re on)** o 
    • $ git mv README README.markdown (*mv* is unix command *move* which renames file README to README.markdown)** o 
    • $ git status (shows branch and commits/updates)** o 
    • $ git commit –a –m “Improved readme file” (commits changes, *-a*shortcut to commit all modifications to existing files, but if new files have been added, must use *git add . *to tell git about new files
    •  $ git checkout master (shifts us back to master branch after commiting branch changes)** o 
    •  $ git merge modify-READE (merges changes made on modify-README branch to master)** o 
    •  $ git branch –d modify-README (deletes modify-README branch) 
  • If branch is totally screwed, you can delete the branch by the following: 
    • Be on screwed up branch (might need git status to remember branch_name)
    •  $ git add .
    •  $ git commit –a –m “screwed up"
    •  $ git checkout master
    •  $ git branch –D branch_name (deletes branch without merging changes)

Day 8

  • Rocking along. Got to chapter 9 and something, somewhere isn't working... 
  • Clocking 23 errors and can’t resolve a single one after a day of working on them.
  • Starting this chapter over.
  • New found git knowledge lets me reset back to last commit, sweet! No redoing from Chapt 1 again....
    • $ git reset --hard

Day 9

  • Start running tests after every example is typed or copy/pasted in. 
  • Complete through Chap 11. Starting to understand how testing fits. 
  • Don’t rush, write tests, go from red to green.

Day 10

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:43:00 -0700 Starting a web startup without coding skills = bad idea. http://blog.thentic.com/starting-a-web-startup-without-coding-skills http://blog.thentic.com/starting-a-web-startup-without-coding-skills

Three years ago I started Thentic. The possibilities brought excitement and joy. Working with a few friends, we created some mockups and started talking with businesses. We created a "Charter Member" subscription level and with that received checks from 10 customers before a single line of code was written... seriously. We were on to something.

To make a long story (3 years to be exact) short: Founder's lack of technical knowledge = lost time, money, credibility, and friends. Which one of those is the worst?Money, while causing most of the problems, is probably the easiest to remedy. Credibility and friends can be restored, but maybe not to where they were before. Time is gone, there's no getting it back. 

Specific reasons starting a tech company/website without coding can be bad:

  • You do not understand how an action or feature is created. You are too far removed from the underlying requirements and therefore cannot see where improvements, simplifications, or roadblocks can be made or removed.
  • Things are always lost in communication and translation. The more your vision is removed from the execution, the more likey your vision will fail to be fully realized.
  • Your ability prioritize and/or define requirements is hindered. (These top three may just be variations of the same thing.)
  • An additional layer of scheduling/life conflicts are introduced, which can slow progress. 
  • Money. You spend a lot of it and your lack of knowledge prevents you from knowing whether it was well spent. 

 

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:23:15 -0700 Why does a little company that gets big become 'bad'? http://blog.thentic.com/why-does-a-little-company-that-gets-big-becom http://blog.thentic.com/why-does-a-little-company-that-gets-big-becom
I see and hear about one problem frequently. 

The scenario is this: A small producer is launches a product with help of a local retailer; you know, an independent shop where the producer could meet directly with the owner and cajole him or her into selling their product. The product is popular and the producer starts to scale. He gets a contract with a regional chain, and then with a regional division of a national-chain. Business is looking good, but with those chains come two problems: volume discounts and supply chain weaknesses. 
  1. Volume discounts mean the chains sell product at prices lower than the independent retailer's (who helped the producer get started) wholesale price, so people wonder why they should shop there...
  2. The producer's suppliers must keep up with demand and, as is the case with many organic ingredients, there simply isn't enough to go around. Maybe that's why Dean Foods switched to non-organic soy beans for SILK? 
And, these problems can get worse when the producer is acquired by a profit-maximizing conglomerate. 

But consumers are also at fault and should take small steps to be more informed. They should understand at least some of the realities of food production and take pride in knowing who is producing what in their region. Sure we're a big country and you're not going to know everyone, but you should at least know the basics. 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:08:00 -0700 On Confusion http://blog.thentic.com/on-confusion http://blog.thentic.com/on-confusion

How do you feel when you see this: 

Woodstock_nongmo

...makes you think Woodstock is trustable, a forward thinking brand. 

So, how do you feel when you see this:
Aurora_dairy

...that Woodstock is putting its label on Aurora Dairy's milk. And, in case you don't know, Aurora was sanctioned by the USDA for 14 willful violations of federal organic law. (Thanks go to the Cornucopia Institute for bringing these issues to light.)

It's no wonder consumers don't know where to turn. 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:23:00 -0700 What's a Thentic tasting note, if not a review? http://blog.thentic.com/whats-a-tasting-note-if-not-a-review http://blog.thentic.com/whats-a-tasting-note-if-not-a-review
This question is asked pretty often....  For me a tasting note is anything from a flavor profile or suggested pairing to anecdote or fact. I want to hear why a bartender uses a specific product, or why a retailer is chooses to sell it, or what a nutritionist's thinks or even why a farmer who chooses to sell his/her produce through the outlets they do - we're much more interested in learning about the thinking/benefits of those types of users.  

There are enough sites, yes Yelp I'm looking at you, where the value starts and ends with "she waz like"oh ,your gonna luv this"* 

So, to put it more simply, we're just trying to improve the quality of food and beverage info that's available online... 

 

*pretty much verbatim, but two minor edits to protect the innocent.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:44:00 -0700 Welcome Altereco! http://blog.thentic.com/welcome-altereco http://blog.thentic.com/welcome-altereco

I'm really excited to announce Alter Eco will be joining Thentic! They are leaders in the Fair Trade movement and their founder Tristan Lecomte was recently named one of Time Magazine's 2010 World's Most Influential People.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:37:02 -0700 What's it mean to be "Thentic"? http://blog.thentic.com/whats-it-mean-to-be-thentic http://blog.thentic.com/whats-it-mean-to-be-thentic To me, a company is Thentic when it commits to being open and honest with its customers. It's a promise to answer people's questions and concerns; especially the tough ones. It's participating in the conversation and not fearing disagreement. It's about making decisions for the long-term, not the short. It's about real relationships. 

The companies on Thentic want people to ask questions and get answers, share their knowledge, be connected, and, most importantly, create the best products than can be. 

That's what Thentic is to me. 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Sun, 02 May 2010 15:17:00 -0700 Why advertising (and email marketing) is losing credibility... http://blog.thentic.com/why-advertising-and-email-marketing-is-losing http://blog.thentic.com/why-advertising-and-email-marketing-is-losing

We're all bombarded with ads. We know it and the advertisers know it. So they work harder to stand out and we grow more and more tired of claims and attempts at humor. Nearly every day I receive emails claiming "The best kept secret...", "Just for you..." or something obviously written by some 20-something year old marketer whose trendy, cliche filled headline is only funny to other 20-something year olds. 

Seriously, it's obviously bullshit. Maybe I'm alone in this but I think there are others like me who'd simply like to receive information from identifiable sources who we can develop a relationship with and trust.

That's what we're working on at Thentic.

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:11:31 -0700 Why Thentic doesn't do editorial... http://blog.thentic.com/why-thentic-doesnt-do-editorial http://blog.thentic.com/why-thentic-doesnt-do-editorial Last night, we hosted a tasting event with a handful of producers. There were 75 or so attendees; a few of which asked me, essentially, "Can you tell us what food to eat or what issues are really the important ones?" 

No. 

Deciding what to eat, depends on your values and perspective. I don't think anyone can tell you what to eat. They can help by educating you about the issues; but in the end, it's your decision. Think about it for just a second: if the environment is what you care about, does that mean a low-carbon footprint, being local, or organic? Is USDA certified organic as good, better, or worse than another certification? How far do you want to take it? 

Most people don't have the time or inclination to wade through all the issues. But refusing to make a minimal effort is pretty sad. People need to think for themselves, discover and stand by their values, but be willing to allow people to hold their own, different beliefs and values as well. 

Our job is to make it easy for you to get opinions and information from a variety of sources, so you can make up your own mind, not tell you what to do. 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/5fdx9g2IcvsZ David Renkert thentic David Renkert