Phil Simon's Virtual Soapbox | Phil Simon - Author of The Age of the Platform, speaker, consultant, technology management expert

FAQ

What topics do you speak about?

Quite a few, actually. I speak about many technology and management topics.

Can I reprint or cite your articles and blog posts?

Most of the time, the answer is yes. The content found on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. This license means you are free to share, copy, or distribute my work under the following conditions:

You must attribute my work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
You may not use my work for commercial purposes without express written permission from me.
You may not alter, transform, or build upon my work without express written permission from me.

You can read more about Creative Commons here or more details about my license here.

There is one exception: My pieces for The Cutter Consortium are behind a pay wall. You’ll have to subscribe to Cutter or request guest access.

What are your writing and editing rates?

It varies on the time frame, type of project, length of the piece, amount of research involved, etc. While I don’t like to lose deals over small sums of money, those looking for articles at the rate of 20 cents/word or $40/hour should look elsewhere.

Will you write for my site for free?

No. I get the whole Chris Anderson “Freemium” argument but my bank doesn’t accept exposure as a form of payment for my mortgage. On occasion, I will guest post on different sites sans payment but this is the exception–not the rule. I have bills to pay and writing helps me do that.

Why should I hire Phil Simon as a consultant?

Organizations almost always get one bite at the apple when implementing new technologies. A failed implementation can haunt an organization for years. My wealth of experience translates into pragmatic solutions designed to maximize an organization’s chances of success. My diverse experience with many industries and technologies enables me to independently and objectively assess a situation and recommend a sound course of action. My commitment to personal attention and world-class customer service ensures the right course of action for each organization. Finally, my techno-functional background allows me to steer organizations in the right direction, avoiding cataclysmic mistakes based on lack of technical knowledge.

What kinds of consulting arrangements do you offer?

A few types:

Traditional or full-time, on-site consulting
Milestone consulting (although I admittedly have my reservations about the effectiveness of this type of arrangement)
Remote consulting

Are your services available to individuals or just organizations?

Yes. Organizations can only optimize their systems by employing knowledgeable and cross-trained end users. The new project manager, end user, or consultant can benefit a great deal from my experiences “in the trenches.” Having been a part of over 40 different system implementations, I can show organizations and end users how to avoid mistakes made by other organizations.

Can I guest post on your blog?

Yes. If you have an idea for an interesting topic, contact me and we might be able to work something out. Check out these tips on guest posting.

Do you only do strategic consulting?

No, I play different roles on different projects. Sometimes my clients ask me to play a more tactical role on a project. I’m anything but an exclusively “30,000 foot” guy.

What is Technology Today?

Technology Today is my podcast with different people on technology-related topics. I interview guests about contemporary issues with the use (and misuse) of technology. I also sometimes will speak with authors about their books.