Hi, my name is Brett van Zuiden.
I am a maker, a hobbyist, and an optimist.
I live in Oakland.
About
- CIO at Summit Public Schools
- Former PM Lead at Clever, Outschool
- Founding CEO of Filestack
- Studied EECS, Math, and Mechanical Engineering at MIT
Posts
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From space to idea in 1 month
It’s exciting to help a company expand into a new customer segment or line of business, but it’s also daunting - where do you begin? Expanding on my earlier writings, this post offers a roadmap for going from a vague direction to a compelling, high-confidence product strategy in the space of a month. ›
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Creating new lines of business in established companies - part 1: recommendations
On the way to building a hugely successful company, most startups will need to expand from their initial product-market fit to a portfolio of successful products. Building a new business in an established company is similar to building a brand-new startup, but has some unique nuances that can make or break the initiative. ›
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Awareness, Successful usage, and Outcomes: An opinionated framework for project metrics
Before starting on a new project, teams should write down target metrics that they expect to hit if the project is successful. A helpful format is to measure and set goals around the following three metrics: are people aware of the project, are they using it as expected, and is it producing business outcomes. ›
Projects
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Treehouse
My dad and I built a treehouse on my parent’s property
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UpNext
A glanceable ePaper calendar for your desk
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Internet Radio
Streaming music through a vintage 1930's radio
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SoundByte
A speaker with a computer inside and a uniquely physical interface
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Exploring Epicycles
Using the fourier transform in art
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Uber Button
Summon a car with a big red button.