About Balsamiq Champions
Balsamiq Champions is a blog dedicated to the users and fans of Balsamiq.
The idea came from a few different sources.
The first was a blog post by Kevin Kelly in 2008 targeted at independent musicians called "1,000 True Fans." Seth Godin then extended this to thinking about tribes of true fans.
The second was an inspired email from Lisa Tweedie, a customer and self-described "true fan." Part of her email read (emphasis ours):
Over the last few days I've been scanning around your website, facebook, twitter and there is alot to love on there about your company and the way you do things... However I wonder if you are making the most of the real sense of joy that people get from using your products...
We are all creating software and other peoples wireframes are absolutely intriguing... I can see scope for lots and lots of everyday stories about how people are using it on the ground.... what intrigues me as a UX person is what is happening in the trenches...
You have a tribe of us true fans out there now... ripe for helping out and I think most of us would enjoy it. I don't see this as simply marketing but more as a learning environment... helping your customers learn the ways your tool can be put to use... such very simple practical lessons would be invaluable to many people...
Finally, we recently watched Kathy Sierra's amazing talk on creating "badass" users, which really connects with our simple reason for existence - to rid the world of bad software. We'd love for everyone out there involved with building software to become "badass" at making it be a joy to use for their customers.
So, how will this new blog work?
Our plan right now is to feature articles from, and interviews with, users of our products who are doing awesome things with it, have mastered it and want to share their tips, as well as having stories from "the trenches" as Lisa suggested.
Our goal is to facilitate a conversation by users, for users because you, our beloved users and customers, have so much to teach. And, you have shown us that you are extra awesome because you want to share your awesomeness with others (which exponentially spreads more awesomeness in the universe)!
You are Champions.
Not only have you triumphed over the challenges of creating software, you now want to pull back the curtain, show us your magic, and share your secrets to success.
Lastly, this blog is also a place where we can learn more about how you use our products, what you love about them, and what you don't love about them, so that we can continue making them better, so that we can help you become better.
To get involved, email us at champions@balsamiq.com and tell us your story, we'd love to highlight it on this blog!
Leon for the Balsamiq Team
