Well, they've had a good run but apparently the Casa de Scoble is heading for the big sleep. Or is it the dirt nap? I can never remember. No announcement yet but we hear it's imminent. Word is that Scoble was planning to bail in January anyway but now he won't have to. Hard to believe PodTech is going under, because they seemed to have such a solid business model. Find people who don't have much of anything significant or entertaining to say; film them doing this; then sell advertising against the content. What's not to love? Everybody in the Valley is just really bumming out. Except that of course everyone is also really heartened by this because it really confirms that the Web 2.0 model is viable and is really going to be huge. It's the whole creative destruction thing. Podtech flames out, but not before showing what's possible with this new medium. And of course having such a high-profile failure on your resume just makes you incredibly valuable in the Valley. Much love, Podtech. Peace.
UPDATE: Dear Reader Carlos the Jackal informs us that Scoble predicted his own problems in a post last October. No word lately on the troubles inside. So much for naked conversations, and companies telling their customers and audience everything about their business. Gee, and it seemed like such a good idea.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
PodTech: RIP
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17 comments:
When people are cheering at a company that is going out of business, saying, "Now there's a revenue model that works.", you know you're in a bubble. At least this time there are no obnoxious ads of suck puppets during the Super Bowl.
So the Scobelizer was unable to survive after being disconnected from the Borg hive mind?
I guess his cortical implant malfunctioned, leading him to embark on a journey with no revenue model.
"I blog, therefore I podcast, therefore I make money?"
Guess not. Should not have given up his day job, whatever that really was. I imagine THAT has been a valuable lesson. Some of us learned this the hard way during the first bubble.
I tried to tell him the videos were too damn long.
Scoble still rules. I cross-posted on your piece at innovators-network.org so visit us and check it out!
Anthony
Scoble still rules. I cross-posted on your piece at http://blog.innovators-network.org so check it out.
Anthony
FSJ,
Deep in my heart, I fear that a generation of entrepreneurs has brain damage and should be terminated.
You made it LOOK so easy. These pretenders don't know the sweat and tears it takes to win.
VCs racing to invest OPM (other people's money for you dumbtards) when they get 2% management fees, 20% of returns, and 10% carried interest, well they have no downside in pissing away OPM while they win a bundle if things win.
And since the last bubble burst in 2000, all these VCs hold hands and only invest if they unanimously agree. This spreads the credit to every partner for winners, and innoculates every partner from blame for a bad deal.
Errand Boys like Scoble don't know that they are, well, just low level guys whose egos have been pumped up so that they will do anything to give investors a return.
Thousand of business virgins like Scoble are minted each year. Especially at top Bschools. And there are even more hack, tech boys who wanna be marketing guys.
FSJ, one day you should host your version of The Donald's TV show "The Apprentice" -- show 'em how much dull, boring, hard work is needed before a rare company can break out into major league success.
FSJ,
Robert says it isn't so...quite loudly on his blog. He's never been one to hide from the truth in my years of following him. What gives?
-giovanni
I think a key point here is that you can't try and create a demand for something that isn't, at least in some form, in demand.
This wasn't a "YouTube for podcasts", which may or may not have worked, who knows. Podcasts' popularity were on the wane when this company started.
Ebay worked because people like buying used and discounted stuff, they always have. They added the auction feel to it, and it took off like wildfire.
Same with Flickr, etc, etc.
In this vein, Apple will probably continue to offer shit people don't need or want because they are now as desperate as the VCs decide what is new and hip.
My response is here: http://scobleizer.com/2007/10/25/reports-of-podtechs-demise-are-bull/
This is bull.
Maybe I should start reporting that Forbes is going out of business.
I read it on the Internet somewhere. Must be true.
I think you'll find that Scoble is mightily pissed at you. His take is that there is no problem.
http://scobleizer.com/2007/10/25/reports-of-podtechs-demise-are-bull/
"Except that of course everyone is also really heartened by this because it really confirms that the Web 2.0 model is viable and is really going to be huge."
Really, really, really?
I thought you were a professional writer?
What did I really DO there?
Um... dumb people... hello? Reminder... this is not real.
So fake Steve, so much for journalistic integrity and editorial accuracy! It appears that neither you or anyone from Forbes bothered to contact PodTech or Robert Scoble to confirm your 'story'. Nice job! Why should anyone believe anything you post here in the future? I certainly won't...
Well the most "interesting" post on Scoble's blog about FSJ was from dawn key.
"I don’t understand the attraction of reading a fake person making fake accusations, except that the venom he expresses against successful people makes readers feel better about their own life.
I suspect this guy’s audience is mostly those who would pay a prostitute to pretend to be somebody else and then be ego-enhanced by her fake orgasms.
Actually, the biggest thing that surprised me is how poorly this guy writes, given that he’s a professional writer. I guess he’s trying to cop a voice. Not doing a very good job of it, IMO."
Her blog is at: http://dawnkey.wordpress.com/
Scoble has a great personal brand and will be fine no matter what happens. Podtech has revenues, and theoretically could be managed to profitability as a good healthy small business. I realize Silicon Valley doesn't think that way, but in the rest of the world when a company gets to revenue and controls expenses it doesn't go away.
I love you with all my heart.
Seriously. I mean, not totally seriously. I just want to express how nice it is to hear someone else (besides the voices in my head) talk about this... issue. And by that, I mean issue(s). And by that, I mean a good 50% of what makes the tech industry irritating. And by that, I mean that Scoble accounts, in my book, for about 100% of that 50%, as he leads the charge for, and gives voice to, all the pretentious self-important blowhards who think they're going to change the world with their iPods.
I love my iPod, but I use it for things like... music. It's far better than any other personal digital audio player pocket sized personal digital audio player thing I've ever used, but it still isn't going to save the manatees or whatever.
Whether what you've posted here plays out, it's just nice that not everybody on the planet is blind to what an obnoxious abuser of grammar and poster of long boring content Scoble is.
When I was at Channel 9, despite the fact that I had a nervous breakdown after seven months of outpatient morphine rehab, I had to undo the damage the guy did with his "long form video" style. I had to explain to each of my interviewees that they no longer had to talk for an entire hour about something that could be covered in fifteen minutes. Most were happy to hear it, and our viewers were happy to see the change as well, as it meant getting their info in a third (to a half) of the time it used to take.
Wow. Got a bit off track.
Anyway, rah rah rah. Sis boom bah, and all that.
Keep on keeping on, Not Exactly Steve Jobs. You bring a bit of joy and reality to the "blogosphere" (surely one of the ugliest words ever invented).
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