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Who are you?
My name is Angelos Nicolaou and I am currently completing my MS in Project Management in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. My current focus is in Corporate Communication, although my background is in Construction and Business Management. I am a passionate believer of the cross-collaboration between different fields. That is how we can get the best out of what we do. My profile has been featured on multiple university websites including collegeboard and I have previously been quoted for my passion in technology by a number of news websites including Reuters and the Telegraph in the UK. I am the sole writer and creator of the blog Couchpepper, where I voice my passions and opinions.
Is there something that pushed you into blogging or was it just a natural outcome of who you are?
When I am passionate about something, anything, I like to read about it, and I read a lot. Naturally, therefore, (pun intended) I have developed strong opinions about the subjects that interest me. My interests include technology, the art behind the construction industry and politics. Where else to voice voice my ideas in the 21st century? Blogging was the obvious choice!
What do you think of Google Glass?
A dud. They (Google) say that its meant to “make technology less distracting”. Really? The thing is on your face. Maybe less distracting to you, but not to the people around you. And lets not even get started on the spastic head movements that you have to make to navigate Glass. Technology is supposed to adapt to your natural habits. Can you imagine walking up to the opposite sex at a bar with Glass on your face? Or having a serious conversation with your Fortune 500 boss? As interesting as it is in theory, it surely is not the “next big thing”.
Where do you see the tech industry in the next five years?
The biggest problem in technology right now are batteries, and people are sick of it. Charging our phones, tablets and laptops every day, hours, hour. And it doesn’t stop there. The problem becomes bigger as we are moving in sustainable technology, with wind turbines, solar electricity and electric cars. In five years I want a phone with a lightweight battery that I can charge once a month. That will be the next big thing. Will we get there? Well, I’m an optimist.
Is the next Bill Gates already building something?
You mean the next Steve Jobs? Yes. He is busy building a mammoth of businesses based solely on customer service. I am talking about non other than Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Amazon went from selling books, to selling literally everything, to becoming one of the biggest players in cloud storage to delivering groceries to your home on the same day you order them, to, recently, delivering packages to your doorstep with drones, in under 30 minutes. It’s not so much about their technology, it’s their care for their customers. They ask them what they want and get it done. Now that I think about it, maybe it’ll be Amazon who creates the batteries we talked about earlier.
Blogging is all about writing, writing, writing. What’s the key to get more traction, followers and readers?
1. Write about what you know
Not about what you think you know, not about you think your readers think you know and certainly not about what you think your readers want you to know. If the internet has taught us something, it is that no one knows everything. The next best thing is, therefore, an expert in a specific field. Writing about what you know keeps your blog focused, unique and creative. In a world where there is an abundance of copies and a repetition of information, that is the last thing you want to be.
2. Expand on social media, but don’t over expand
Social media helps your get the word out, it helps getting people to share your articles, and it helps you gain followers. That being said, no one likes seeing a Twitter feed, or a Facebook page, or an Instagram grid that hasn’t been updated in months. Expand as much as you can handle. You must be able to post multiple times throughout the day, and be sure to catch up on articles about the best times throughout the day to share articles.
3. Pictures. And Videos. A lot of them
I’m not saying that you should turn into another Buzzfeed, but unless you are a well known publication, very few people will actually read your seven-pager. The internet world is rough. There is a profusion of news, information and opinions and no one in the world has time to read all of them. Multimedia will not only make your blog more attractive but it will also help you get your message across fast. Look at the growth of “inforgraphics” for example - which is not even a real word (yet)! Readers want to get read as much information as they can on a single glance. Help them do that.
What’s your favorite blogger/tech journalist out there and why?
Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg. Walt has been around for quite a while now. He has remained consistent, serious, and his publications always come with a dash of smart humor. The result is that both readers and the tech industry trust him. Even Steve Jobs through a tantrum at his team once because Mossberg wrote a tough piece on them. Consistency is an attribute of most leaders in our world, and there is nothing more than a blogger can hope for than for his reader’s to trust him. Trust means that people will visit your blog for every big announcement, and even when the hot topics are stale. It means that your Twitter feed will not stop buzzing with requests for your opinion, and it means that no tech review is complete without people hearing your opinion.
What do you think Young Entrepreneurs should read in order to get always inspired and know how the industry is moving? (Apart from GreatPreneurs 
)
I think that Young Entrepreneurs should read as much as they can, from as many sources as they can, in order to form an opinion of their own. Try to base your readings on credible news sources that will not just voice an opinion, but who will give you the facts. Being an entrepreneur means that you will eventually have to pitch your idea. The last thing you want to do is sound like you copied your opinion from someone else.
Is there a startup scene in Cyprus? If yes, what are the top three startups there?
Cyprus is in the middle of not just an economic crisis, but also an identity crisis. With a tough economy on the island, should the entrepreneurs stay or should they go? The reality is that we have been through this before, in 1974, when Turkey invaded our island. Although we did see a diaspora at the time, it was the construction and finance businesses that saved the island. The latter, was also the one that caused the crisis that we are in today. Living in the US for the past five years, it is hard for me to judge how strong the startup scene is in Cyprus at the moment. What I can say with certainty is crises present opportunities. I would not be surprised if it is startups by young entrepreneurs who end up saving the day for our small island nation. The Cypriot Enterprise Link is a fantastic Cypriot initiated website that can provide you with all the information you may need for the Cyprus startup scene.
What would you say to a young blogger who has just started? Is it too late to blog and have an impact or is there still a place for the next big magazine?
There is always a place for you. Even if it seems like there is none, be sure to make a place. What no one has yet nailed are mobile magazines. There is something wrong with every single magazine and news app on the iPad today. If you find a way to make a magazine who’s content is not jeopardized by the bad quality of the app, or a great app who did not sacrifice it’s writing resources for its design, then I’m already a fan! Like I said before, stay focused and write about what you know. Realize that you are naturally unique and get the word out there through your writing.
