Starting ChatGPT RPG: a language model as game master
Early tests of a language model as game master for solo role-playing, in the weeks around ChatGPT's launch. What works and what breaks.
By Robert ScalesBlog · 2022
17 posts published in 2022.
ChatGPT is here
The same model family, a new interface, and suddenly the public is engaging with it. Observations from the first week of ChatGPT.
By Robert ScalesDocumenting your business from day one
Procedures, decisions, figures and passwords. The simple documents that prevent considerable difficulty later, and that make a small business sellable one day.
By Robert ScalesImage generators arrive: Midjourney, DALL·E and Stable Diffusion
In a single summer, image creation from a sentence has become available to everyone. What this means for marketing, and why authentic photos remain more effective.
By Robert ScalesHow to write an elevator pitch that doesn't sound rehearsed
Thirty seconds to explain who you help, how, and why your business. A simple elevator pitch structure, and how to deliver it naturally.
By Robert ScalesGoogle's helpful content update: a self-check for small business sites
Google is targeting content written for search engines rather than for people. A practical self-check for small business websites.
By Robert ScalesCoaching e-commerce and remote online businesses
Coaching entrepreneurs who plan to sell on Etsy, Amazon, their own online store or remotely. What these projects require that a local café does not.
By Robert ScalesSolar, batteries and power in the backcountry
Paddlers once carried spare batteries for a flashlight; today they need a power plan. How to keep devices charged on a long trip.
By Robert ScalesSubscriptions and memberships for small businesses
Recurring revenue is an e-commerce trend that small businesses can put to practical use. Boxes, memberships and service plans, and what keeps subscribers engaged.
By Robert ScalesGame concepts: designing a narrative solo game
Solo role-playing games are gaining momentum. The principles that make a narrative solo game work, from the designer's perspective.
By Robert ScalesLeave no trace in the age of geotags
A single viral photo can wear down a trail in one summer. How to share wild places online without harming them.
By Robert ScalesStartup ideas that fit a small region
Viable startup ideas take a different form in a small market. Where to find them, and how to confirm the market is large enough before committing.
By Robert ScalesPlanning a canoe trip with apps
A canoe trip now begins on a laptop, weeks before reaching the lake. Offline maps, two weather sources and reservations made the day the booking window opens.
By Robert ScalesGetting ready for Google Analytics 4
Google has just given everyone about fifteen months to move from Universal Analytics to GA4. Here are the steps a small site should take this spring.
By Robert ScalesThe Business Model Canvas for small startups
Nine boxes on one sheet. How to use the Business Model Canvas to test a small business idea before you write the full plan.
By Robert ScalesAlmost a year of teaching new entrepreneurs: where to start
What people starting a business need first, before any logo or website. Observations from almost a year of teaching a business launch program.
By Robert ScalesGPS then and now: thirty years of finding our way
From a compass on a paper map to a phone with offline maps. What has changed in backcountry navigation, and what has not.
By Robert ScalesYour business deserves to be found.
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