This is SO ten months ago…
If you presuppose that a given service is solving a problem for users (and thus attracting interactions and creating data), you will maximize strategic advantage not by “building a data asset” (connoting “proprietary”), but by becoming the most desired collaboration partner within a network of complementary services (via open API, biz dev partners, data portability, etc)…
…I think the value in being a “dumb pipe” (lol, really?) within a network of services is WILDLY underrated…i can think of twitter as a “dumb pipe” because it is agnostic to the a) content and b)medium [SMS/Web/AIR/etc] of the data flowing through it
(that’s not too “dumb” ;-)
Originally posted as a comment by Ethan Bauley on A VC using Disqus.
Had to repost this (5/2008 comment) after reading Dan Frommer’s comment about Twitter’s freemium model (from today):
“this is a decent way to keep the lights on and nurture a user base until it has enough users (and companies built on its platform) to be an AT&T-like utility company.”
Word.
And if I see one more article (not talking about SAI ;-) wringing hands on this subject, I might lose it.
Although I understand why it’s interesting to people. It’s just…if something interests you, do your homework.
Thanks for reading, hasta manana…
