Too Little Value

If you have ever attended a business plan seminar, an elevator pitch class or a forum on how to pitch your company to investors you will realize a common theme exists – your idea provides a solution to what problem? Another way to describe this concept is what value do you provide to your target audience? Generally this concept is held in high regard – except in the world of the Internet business.

Almost on a daily basis there appears an entrepreneur with a new widget or concept that has little market value. One of the most recent examples is Cuil, a search engine launched last month by a few x-Google employees claiming a better search engine. Even if technically it is true, to the average user it offers no visible advantage. And because the search results return in a manner that is unfamiliar on the site it appears different but offers no real advantage. Might be some brilliant technology folks, but did they ever ask what problem they are solving for their respective target market? Read the rest of this entry »

Social Networking NOT the Next Big Thing

Well another social networking site bit the dust today as “Tickle” a site owned by Monster.com is shutting down. Tickle was a social networking and advice site that offered free tests to users – sort of a permission marketing concept. The news follows other recent failed attempts by Conde Nast and Verizon as reported in a recent article in Silicon Alley Insider. Read the rest of this entry »