Brent Frei's blog

Apps on Tap - What Gets Used and Why

Brent Frei — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:01:30 +0000

Progressive companies are running more and more of their business in the cloud. Certainly the companies choosing Gmail, Calendar and Docs tend to make future decisions in favor of the cloud -- and most notably, in favor of apps that work well alongside the Google Apps.... Read more

Smartsheet - A Business App for Google Drive

Brent Frei — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:02:28 +0000

Today, Google added Drive to its suite of online business applications, and Smartsheet is already adding an extra gear to its transmission. Google Drive has upped the ante for anywhere, any-device access to files in the cloud.... Read more

Turning Dead-End Spreadsheets into Dynamic Projects

Brent Frei — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:33:19 +0000

Thanks to all who joined me yesterday on our webinar “Turn Dead-end Spreadsheets into Dynamic Team Projects.” We had great interest in the topic from folks in a wide variety of roles.... Read more

The New Kid's First Steps in Task Management

Brent Frei — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:20:44 +0000

Yesterday welcomed Asana, the 323rd entrant into the online task/project management arena. This one is notable in that the founders are early Facebook alumns.... Read more

Google Apps Marketplace: Separation Begins

Brent Frei — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:10:54 +0000

Google Apps' Switzerland approach of not favoring any particular Marketplace ISV is a necessary stance in a growing ecosystem. But from the shoppers' perspective, the unbiased choice is both a benefit -- and a burden. Variety improves the quality and diversity of choices, but it feels like you’re drowning in all the options when searching for the best fit.... Read more

5 Fundamentals for Revving Up an Online Business Application

Brent Frei — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:23:08 +0000

Because Smartsheet gets kudos for its usability, I often get asked about how we decided on the fundamental design of the product. Keeping an application "easy to use" sounds simple enough. But when you've got powerful features, it's anything but.... Read more

Smartsheet Customers are Really Good Looking

Brent Frei — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:05:19 +0000

We’re constantly monitoring and measuring our brand in a variety of ways. But recently, during one of these exercises, one of our engineering-types pointed out “our customers are really good looking.” Not what I expected to come out of the ongoing social media monitoring efforts, but the unsolicited exclamation really made me chuckle.... Read more

Advice for Better Spreadsheet Designs

Brent Frei — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:47:01 +0000

Susan Harkins writes in TechRepublic about ten common pitfalls in self-produced spreadsheets.... Read more

Google Staff Picks Smartsheet in the First Round

Brent Frei — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:27:03 +0000

This week, Smartsheet was selected as an inaugural Google ... Read more

The 3 Mortal Sins of Online Advertising

Brent Frei — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:15:05 +0000

You Had Me at "Intuitive", But Lost Me at "Methodology"

A funny thing happened while Googling my own company information. I noticed a competitive advertisement that was clearly targeting folks interested in Smartsheet. In a matter of 5 minutes, the advertiser had committed all 3 mortal sins of online advertising.... Read more