Pierre's comments

Mark, I agree with your statement "if you live by free, you die by free..", however, that being said, Google Apps is still an "alpha"--not even beta--product and really ought to be free. <p></p> <div> Our organization uses it and the architecture is a complete disaster. And, by the way, so is their counterpart, Microsoft Office Live Workspace which we also use. </div> <p></p> <div> The problem with both of these organizations is that they don't have a clue regarding what virtual organizations have a need for and, therefore, fail miserably with the apps architecture. </div>
on Google is learning the reality of free

<div>"The first order of priority is to accept that it needs to zero in on an identity... any identity." is well said or paraphrased by Bambi.</div> <p></p> <div> In line with that statement, MySpace can indeed reclaim, if not eclipse, its former position as the leading social network of its time by focusing on re-establishing itself as THE place for social networkers to go in order to learn HOW to leverage the power of the social network to their individual or collective benefit.</div> <p></p> <div> The reason social networkers eventually abandon these social network platforms is due to a lack of "ultra premium content" instead of a lack of fancy tools and widgets. For social networks, the message of that "ultra premium content" to its members must be centered and focused on "How to Virtual Organize Your Social Network" in order to leverage the power of the social network to your individual or collective benefit. </div> <p></p> <div> I have been articulating and sending out that message loud and clear, to both social networks and social networkers who either want or care to hear it, through 2 year-round Global-Web-Media-Teleconferences: 1) Content Monetization Strategy for Social Networks, and 2) How to Virtual Organize Your Social Network. </div> <p></p> <div> The idea behind that strategy is simple. It's not enough to provide the technology since that is only One Side of the Coin. The Other Side of the Coin is learning how to make effective use of the technology for the benefit of the social networkers. Once you satisfy the needs of your members with a 2-Sided Coin through this "unifying theme" and knowledge, your success is guaranteed. </div>
on MySpace 'Peanut Butter' manifesto

Keith Schorsch should team up with Virtual Organization Management Institute in order to offer its members knowledge on "how to virtual organize their social network" for their individual and collective benefit.<p></p> <p> The cost to Trusera is ZERO and the direct economic benefit is huge. </p> <p> At the very least, it should give its members that option in order to prevent the shutdown of this valuable service. Trusera has absolutely nothing to lose!</p> <p> We have been trumpeting this option for not only social networks who are on their last gasp but also those who are relatively well-funded by investors. After all, just because you have funding from investors shouldn't automatically exclude other revenue generating options.</p> <p> The bottom line is this: <b>no option should be left off the table.</b></p> <p> In fact, I just published a very timely article on Vator yesterday titled <b>"Social Network Monetization Strategy: What's Missing?"</b> </p> <p> As well, I have published other articles or papers, and am conducting seminars, on that very subject titled <b>"Content Monetization Strategy for Social Networks"</b> and <b>"How to Virtual Organize Your Social Network"</b> at <a href="http://www.virtualorganization.net">http://www.virtualorganization.net</a></p>
on Trusera closing down

I believe that partnering with a content provider that informs-educates users on how to leverage the power of the social network is a much overlooked aspect of a social network's monetization strategy. <p></p> <p>The primary reasons for that are: </p> <p> 1. The social network provider does not believe that their users will ever purchase content regardless of the nature of the content. </p> <p> Therefore, from a psychological standpoint, you cannot advance an agenda that you don't believe in and which you feel has no chance of success. </p> <p> 2. The internet graveyard is littered with information providers, including prestigious market research firms, who sought to distribute and sell "once valued" "brick and mortar content" on the web and failed miserably.</p> <p> As a result, this false logic has developed in the minds of all current and aspiring information providers: </p> <p> "Internet users will not buy content on the web." </p> <p> This logic assumes that people are rejecting the distribution medium instead of the content. What it fails to take into consideration is that people are not rejecting the distribution medium, they are rejecting the "value" assigned to the content. Their reason is simple AND correct: This information is no longer as valued as it once used to be since most--if not all--of it can now be obtained via the internet free of charge. </p> <p> Therefore, instead of lumping all content into one bag and assume that no one will ever pay for it, the challenge for a social network sitting on top of "hundreds of millions of eyeballs" is to [[ either ]] find and develop the sort of [not yet available] content that their user would be willing to pay for on an "a la carte" basis [[ or ]] partner with such information provider. </p> <p> In the case of social networks, the most logical piece of "information"--not tools--that all social network members are crying out for is: How do I leverage the power of this social network to my individual or collective benefit? </p> <p> For the most part, 98% of these social networkers do not have the answer and, [[for the two reasons previously stated]], no major social network is willing to step up to the plate to provide them with what they truly need. Instead they [social networkers] are being provided with more of the same: free tools, advertising, and a variety of fee-based subscription models. It's a real shame and a huge missed opportunity for all. </p>
on Reid Hoffman on the business of LinkedIn

I had a real hard time making sense of the connection between our lack of application innovation imagination with respect to the current and future availability of high-bandwidth, the potential for hackers to bring your bandwidth to a crawl, and the need to charge for bandwidth based on usage. I agree with you with respect to the lack of application innovation part, however, that being said, what does that have to do hackers? Hackers can bring the internet to a crawl regardless of the amount of bandwidth availability. With respect to charging for bandwidth a la energy utilities style, how would that deter "hackers" who are hellbent on creating havoc? The sort of "disruptive activity" by some thrill-seeking teenager you described can be easily remedied by a simple edict from the broadband provider.
on The first big broadband application

Bambi, I think Branson should partner with you instead of reinventing the wheel. I guess I am biased because I-we-love Vator. Keep up your wonderful work. Pierre
on Announcement: Launching Air Vator

I think it's awesome, Bambi. As well, Scott made a good point about Entrepeneur's egregious behavior. However, I don't see the connection between the two. One conversation has to do with apples and the other one has to do with oranges. Perhaps Scott's comments may have a tempering effect on Entrepreneur.com's going forward behavior.
on Bambi's blog: Vator on Entrepreneur

I am trying to 1) understand the concept, and (2) the target market. 1. Owning your brand implies that you do not currently own it....hum! I am trying to understand how you get to own your own brand simply by providing a link to it from your site to somebody else's site. 2. You can NOW get a free blog from Google and order a domain name [ IN YOUR NAME ] for $10 without lifting a finger. You can select your own template. From there, you can create links to all of your profiles on the web. And it's been done for a long, long time by a lot of people. So what's new? People who are terribly ignorant of the web and what's out there--I assume there are a lot of them--could be a good market for that. The only thing of value that they are offering is a DOMAIN NAME and a NICE WEBSITE TEMPLATE and VAPORWARE. You can get a good deal of traction in the short term, however, I don't see it as a viable long-term business model. However, that being said, I could be dead wrong....may be the genius of this idea is in its simplicity: a central repository of your resume and links to profiles on the web. The term "owning your brand" is just vapor intended to imply it's something new, of substance, and other worldly. I guess that's what packaging is all about: style over substance.
on How do you control your image and brand?

By the way, there is a bug on the beta signup page. It will not accept email addresses longer than 30 characters. Mine happens to have 31 characters.
on Bambi's blog: Vator launches Company updates

It's wonderful, Bambi. However, that being said, how does it differ from Twitter? Since I am already signed up with Twitter, once I sign up with your beta program, I guess I will be in a position to answer my own question. Keep up the wonderful work you're doing! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
on Bambi's blog: Vator launches Company updates

The REAL solution is for entrepreneurs to REALLY start thinking-out-of-the-box when it comes to a monetization strategy instead of the standard "got an idea, go to an investor, burn some cash, go back for more cash, burn more cash, get plenty of eyeballs, and hope that, eventually, over God knows how much time, revenue can be generated from product sales or advertising." .................... <p> How about burning the midnight oil trying to figure out the "killer value" of your offering and who your first "paying customers" are going to be......... Before you even launch your business, why don't you contact these "future [[paying]] customers" and ASK them if your product or service is.... (1) something they have an [[urgent need]] for because it would solve an existing problem or issue for them NOW (assuming your product or service REALLY worked the way you say it would); ..... (2) ask them to GIVE YOU -- instead of you giving them -- specific examples of how your product or service would make life much better for them and how it would positively affect their bottom line .....[[good reverse psychology]] ....after all, if they really understood the value of what you are offering, then who would be in a better position to have this sort of information...certainly NOT you, an outsider who doesn't know a darned thing about the inner workings of their company and the day-to-day issues they have to deal with,..... (3) is it something they would pay for, and at which price point [[besides FREE]] your product or service would be attractive enough to get them to at least try it upon release, ......(4) ASK them what kind of guarantee do [[[ they want ]]] and then you can figure out what kind of guarantee that you are willing to provide to these paying customers who are willing to try your products just in case you messed up;.....(5) are they willing to make an "informal-no guarantees" purchase commitment to you before you roll out the product...that's your way of distinguishing from those who are just blowing smoke up yours and those who are genuine</p>................................ <p> Once you have this information, then you will get a chance to find out YOUR REAL VALUE PROPOSITION as well as know how much money you will REALLY need to get your business off the ground; and whether you can build it slowly and profitably in an [[organic]] fashion or whether you will REALLY need an investor to help you get it off the ground OR whether you should even go ahead with the idea........... .....</p> <p>..... I know it's tedious, may take a long time, can be very discouraging because you're bound to get a lot of negative feedback from people who may not clearly understand what the hell it is you are offering as well as from those who could care less about what you have to offer;........a lot of well-meaning, as well as mean-spirited, people may try to pierce some holes into your armor in order to point out some weaknesses in your arguments or value proposition;.........and some people will just outright ignore you because they are just not interested in helping you do your homework either because they don't have the time or they figure you can contact them once you've got everything figured out, have a product, and then they'll give you time and let you know whether they are interested or not.............</p> <p>........Just to have known or come across all these individuals is a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY -- a gift - that will help make you a much better business person-entrepreneur and which will help guarantee your success........Whether they are The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, in some strange fashion, you will owe your success to ALL of them......</p> ......<p>The point being, target paying customers FIRST before you even launch. This is standard research which can be accomplished OVER THE WEB at absolutely no or very little cost to you the entrepreneur, outside of your own sweat. Although, if you got a 9-5 job, that means you will have to "lose some or plenty of sleep" burning that midnight oil.</p>
on What am I Missy? Episode 5

In times like these, the importance of Social Networking is paramount. The one best solution: Virtual Organize Your Social Network! Here is a link to an article I wrote titled, "Social Networks: Virtual Organize It, Stupid!": <a target='_blank' href=' http://virtualorganizationinstitute.com/social-networks-virtual-organize-it-stupid.pdf '>["http://virtualo...</a> Better late than never. Best of luck to those who have been affected.
on Yahoo layoffs, live on Twitter

You're right on the money, Mark. And for those who are currently employed and want to go in business for themselves, I will venture to take it one step further and tell them: Let your employer finance your business. How do you that? I will provide a follow-up article on just how this can be done.
on The best equity is sweat equity

Although I am an enthusiastic and fervent proponent of space travel -- some years ago I even registered the domain names "spacetourism.com" and "marsflightreservations.com" -- I do, however, have mixed feelings about the timing of the news in light of today's global economic mess. However, that being said, I do realize that the world cannot come to a complete standstill and that our continuous need for adventure and progress is an essential ingredient in our efforts to get ourselves out of the mess we're currently in. If Esther has an additional $3 million to spare, I would love to volunteer to accompany her on her space mission :)
on Esther Dyson bets $3 million on the moon

David, as a follow-up, I believe that another solution could be: the birth of a new Venture Capital Negotiation industry. An appropriate site could be VentureCapitalNegotiator.com whereby individuals could be represented by either the organization itself or [ETHICAL] FREELANCERS--with no conflict of interest--listed on the site with DEEP EXPERTISE and KNOWLEDGE of the industry and its practices who would represent individuals in negotiations with venture capital firms in return for an equity stake of either 1% of the stock or a minimal fee or a combination of the two. This would be much better than a regulatory body and, I believe, does not require waiting for the angels to come down from heaven to rescue entrepreneurs, and could be done INSTANTLY in today's day and age. The only downside that I see to this formula is the TRUST factor. How can you really be sure that this FREELANCER is qualified and competent to advise you and represent your best interests? And how can you be sure that this freelancer is not a wolf in sheep's clothing or that you're not asking the fox to guard the chicken coop?
on Reforming venture capitalism

David, congratulations on the best article I've ever read on Vator. This article, as is, should be made required reading for ALL business majors at colleges and universities worldwide. As well, it is a must-read for all entrepreneurs - whether or not they have a current need for capital. The idea being that until the entrepreneurs themselves understand how the game is played, they will always be vulnerable to existing predatory practices in the VC industry and there will never be a change in the status quo. I don't believe, in the near term, that regulation or self-regulation will do the job. On the other hand, by empowering the entrepreneurs themselves with the knowledge of today's practices in the industry, this will most certainly go a long way toward addressing the imbalances addressed in your article and rectifying current abuses and provides them with much leverage to negotiate a fair deal. After all, VCs need entrepreneurs as much as entrepreneurs need VCs.
on Reforming venture capitalism

Absolutely awesome. I am very impressed and will definitely use your service.
on Kyte

The web seems to be stuck in the Virtualization of the Workspace Era. The Virtualization of the Workforce Era will dominate the web over the next 7-10 years. The companies that are able to master Virtualization Convergence, that precise point where Virtualization of the Workspace and Virtualization of the Workforce reach a state of equilibrium, will dominate the virtual landscape and will become the future Googles and Microsofts of the world over the next quarter century or more. Virtualization of the Workforce can only be achieved through Virtual Organization Management. The companies and investors that understand this most basic and fundamental principle will reap rewards of astronomical proportions.
on How to get Norwest's Tim Chang to listen to your idea

Don, I do indeed believe that the Web 2.0 - social network phenomenom is currently in the supernova stage and that a lot of these companies are struggling to evolve into virtual organizations. Here is a link to an article, "Evolution of Social Networks into Virtual Organizations", I wrote on that subject: <a target='_blank' href=' http://www.virtualorganizationinstitute.com/evolution-of-social-networks-into-virtual-organizations.pdf '>["http://www.virt...</a> The next shiny object will be the social network--or any other organization--that is able to evolve into a "virtual organization." The reason is extremely simple and, as you have correctly alluded to, "dollars and cents." The current revenue business model for social networks does not really work, however, once they transition to the "virtual organization" business model--hence evolve into virtual organizations--it will be like opening up the revenue floodgates.
on Does Web 2.0 = Bubble 2.0?

I want to offer a series on virtual organization management, a modern discipline I have founded and pioneered since 1997. Virtual organization management covers best-next practices, policies and procedures for operating and thriving in a virtual environment and for managing a virtual organization.
on Bambi's blog: Introducing contributor channels