Communication Filled Workbook: Fill & Download for Free

Absolutely! This was my pretty much my path actually. I graduated with a bs in IEOR here in California where there is not much manufacturing. I had a couple internships but quickly got frustrated and thought the useful analyses could be more easily with data stored naturally in a DB and tracked with a well designed native-app or web-app... rather than the typical 300MB Excel workbook used to run and track the production lines.However my track was a little different from yours in that I did not have much prior programming experience (except a self-paced Java class) nor a minor in CS&Math.I began learning on-the-job and through books/online tutorials/lots of trial and error. Then now I am back-filling with CS fundamentals. But I can tell you with pure honesty that I am 100% happy with my decision and truly enjoy the job and industry.What has come in handy is the critical thinking, the rigor, the structure, the communication/problem framing, the methodical problem solving practice and experience that you have by completing a degree in engineering. Just remember that (and your DS/algo) and you will be fine and will be able to hold your own against the rest of them :)Over time you too will get acquainted with the finer details of a language, the unintuitive edge cases to account for, the best-practices, the practical approaches. But remember those come with seasoning, no one truly began with those, those are the fruits of years of experience and trial & error.So get to it, roll up your sleeves and fearlessly go for it. You will amaze yourself at how well you will perform.p.s. pro-tip, don't over think the problems :) build something that works, is safe and fast enough for today. You can always engineer another day. GLHF!

First, go online and do a search for Illustration and Photography Representatives. Start making a list of the representatives and agencies you find.Or go online to any number of sites dedicated to showcasing illustrators' works. These sites are essentially directories for illustrators who pay to advertise in them. In many cases the ads are paid for by the artists' agents, especially it the agents represent several illustrators and want to group them all together. Workbook, Blackbook and The iSpot are just a few examples.Pick up a copy of the Communication Arts Magazine Illustration Annual. It comes out every July but you can go online and purchase the most recent copy directly. It usually has several pages of ads from artists representatives.Once you've got a list of artists representatives agencies be sure to visit their websites and see what kind of illustrators they already represent. Avoid agencies that already have an illustrator who's work is similar to yours. You want to find an agent where your work fills a void. Start by calling them in person and asking if they're looking for fresh talent. Be ready to email them 10 or 12 examples of your best work. Follow up in writing how much you would like for them to rep you.Some will require that you assemble 3 or 4 portfolios that they can send or bring over when they're visiting clients. However, more and more are using iPads, which can store several artists' works and a lot more examples.Be prepared to cover 65-75% of the costs involved for them to prepare mailers, postcards, and any other promotional materials that they need to exclusively promote your work.You should know that an agent takes 25 to 35% of the illustration fee as their commission. This covers they're time showing your work and facilitating projects with clients. In return, you get more time to concentrate on your work and hopefully you get much more work as a result.

I've written this answer several times today. Now it is just copy and paste. Sorry, but you've fallen into one of the most common traps; but there is hope at the end.This is a rather easy and difficult question to answer at the same time. You can save your idea with some work.Competing with the #1 company (or other companies) in any market requires a number of elements. I am not sure I will catch all of them here.The caveat: Competing with #1 requires a lot of resources; toppling or competing with the exact same product or service and beating or equalling them is almost impossible, unless you have a huge advertising budget. However, if the race is just starting you may be able to simply create the perceptions that get you the same results.The keys to your success:Differentiate: You are selling flavored water in a building. What makes you different? What is Coke? Colored, flavored, carbonated sugar water. How do you compete with #1 in that market, because Pepsi is killing itself even with taste test challenges and a monster marketing budget. Simple! Change the flavor! Sunkist (by a quick Google search) appears to be the top selling orange soda. What is it? Colored, flavored, carbonated sugar water. The only difference is...orange flavoring. --- In your case, create a perception of differentiation.Solution: Differentiate your app and brand so significantly that it is perceived by the consumer as a totally different product.Value and/or Value Proposition: We have a workbook we use with our advertising clients that teaches how to create those elements in a value proposition that have meaning to your ideal customer. The primary elements we teach are how to have the proper hooks, personality, and critical or compelling needs. It is NOT a mission statement and if it sounds corporate or like it came from the Dilbert mission statement generator (its real) you are missing the mark. Many times our clients have a very messy document with bullet points and other elements. This is for you, not public posting. Download the workbook here for free Brandgineering | Dream Advertising OutcomesSolution: Do more than differentiate, become insanely memorable to the consumer and create an extremely compelling need for your product through marketing psychologies. This can be done through the product or an experience; regardless the psychology is to create emotions that create the kind of brain chemistry changes that bind the consumer emotionally to your product. - You can bury the competition with things like great customer service or a customer experience that just buries the competitor.Why People Buy: People don't buy products. I know that may sound like heresy, but it is true. Given the number of companies that have brochures or web sites that thought what the product is; features, etc. But, all the neuromarketing research is telling us that people buy based on many triggers; some from the subconscious. They buy a change in their...[ask me in the comments section when you get the workbook, I will tell you.] . We actually spend the time with our clients telling them how and why people buy. --- It is not because of expensive creative or web sites. --- Humans are ultimately triggered by one, very simple thought process to buy.Solution: Rather than selling your app, you need to fill that specific void that I will happily teach you for free. Free. This goes back to perceptionWe have a number of other free content that I will not repeat here on how to create the kinds of experiences and other elements you can use to attract your ideal customer. Of primary importance in your success will be three elements that are interconnected:Mindset: What? Yup. Probably one of the most neglected and most important parts of advertising. Has a huge impact on your advertising. This also includes replaceable business systems. How to select your customers and how to treat your staff. (Maybe you could serve an upscale customer. Jaguar had a crappy product when they came to the US. The solution: jack up the price and rich people just thought high maintenance was part of an expensive sports car.)Marketing: Really, just the entire customer experience. Marketing is all about generating the kind of customer experiences that gets people talking and needs to use a balanced approach. Never believe a web designer or social media person that their product is the magic bullet. Research shows there are no best mediums or magic bullets. Only 10% of all sales are online; use other mediums and reach the 90% of the market they are not; assuming they are only marketing online.Message: Regardless of the method/medium that you are providing a consistent experience and message about what your brand is to the customer.Free content and blogs on how to most effectively use all your media to communicate the elements above at the link below. Most of the information addresses mindset, you can find plenty of nuts and bolts stuff; this is evergreen information about effective marketing. Content Marketing SchoolHumft. I give this info away because our rates are pretty darn pricey. Hopefully, you can learn and grow from this info and it gets you information that most staving "creative" firms will never tell you. Before becoming a patron of the arts, educate yourself on what really does work and always have a holistic blueprint or design that guides your decisions. Just because it is "hot" or popular, doesn't mean it is the best thing for you. While we have built more than $15M in web sites, I also know that 41% of successful small businesses don't have a web site. Did I say, don't have a web site? The point is, and this is proven out in research, specific mediums are not what get results. You can go to business MeetUp(dot)com events, network and build relationships FREE and get great results and business running in your door - 80% of all sales are done this way. Don't get hung up on the HOW and buy stuff you don't need while testing the waters or growing your business.Brand.gineering