Posts!
Syndicated Traffic vs Internal
This graph illustrates a point that I deba often within AOL - relative to our development of our syndicated application rev-share network. Posting here as a reminder to all in the discussion!Reference URL to post!
Back to topSpinner.com - relaunch!
Back to topSpeaking at WWW2007 Conference in Banff
I will be presenting at the WWW conference this upcoming Saturday in Banff. If you are around - please drop by:http://www2007.org/industrytalk4.php
Back to topAOL Update
I often get asked how things are going within AOL - here are the new additions to my previously published timeline:AOL doors open - warm welcome by Marcien Jenckes (the only man that can make an acquisition happen in 60 days within AOL)
Userplane traffic grows
Userplane released free-integrated offering - sees substantial pick up
Unexpected support and camaraderie from SVP Tina Sharkey
Direct exposure and strategy brainstorming with Jon Miller + handsome strategist Jorge
We hit 55m ads daily delivered
Corp dev research
"Becoming part of the legacy of AOL"
Userplane hires 5 more genius staffers (still a small team at only 14 : )
"What about widgets" - a Bankoff commissioned research project
Discussion, research and finally comprehension of AOL as a business (model built, finally visually understandable for me)
Seeing pieces of the soul of AOL - meeting with Ted Leonsis
Evaluation of AOL's future, establishment of directional decision for Userplane
Tina Sharkey resigns - Halloween
Strategic direction "commitment" by Jim Bankoff, Publisher Services
Exposure to Ad sales group, comprehension of strengths and short comings
Exposure to Jon Millers executive strategy meeting
Jon MIller fired.
Jason C. quits
Additional support of vision via Jim Bankoff and Marcien Jenckes
AMN starts rolling in our ad inventory!
Commitment of additional internal technology for vision realization
Build, build, build.
New Userplane'ers come aboard!
Userplane Webchat release- SNS support
Userplane gets up on AOL Beta! Yeah!
Jim Bankoff quits.
Time to meet Ron + Randy.. Next week maybe : )
Tina moves to SF - CEO of Babycenter (nice work Tina!)
Never met up with Randy - but had a nice call or two with Ron!
"Fuzzy leadership" period
AMN and our ad inventory, plans made
Testing on OBI (internal AOL technology) for Revshare system
Expanding the Userplane Model
Derek & Tom quit - ad strategy reevaluated (again)
Engagement on non-Userplane project around proposed Widget strategy
Preparation, traction and approval on expanded budget
David L. Offsite + intro Kevin Conroy
Judith Meskill leaves to work with Tina Sharkey
Jim is still unemployed - but happier than ever
Revshare system goes live - finally !
Seeking CEO's
I have a few companies I am advising looking for good entrepreneurial CEO's - someone with both a mix of technology and business experience. If you are in my network and interested - please let me know!Back to topPoll
| True | |
|---|---|
| False |
How big internet brands can compete with startups
Sweat equity is a hard thing to reproduce. It is one thing to build a internal team to magnify an already growing business. Most large brands do this well - growing month over month - motivating their teams to do "more" of what they had done in the past. But lets look at the new "big" web destinations: 3 of the top 10 sites were grown externally with VC involvement:YouTube
TheFaceBook
CraigsList MySpace is the exception. The founders of MySpace became part of the eUniverse (aka Intermix) family through acquisition. While within Intermix they founded MySpace with a unique agreement that permitted them personal equity in this new venture and the ability to also raise external funds to supplement Intermix's growth funds. This could had been amazing foresight on behalf of Richard or Brad from Intermix - or just pure intelligence from the MySpace founders. What they managed to do is something that Google, AOL and Yahoo have not been able to replicate. How does a big brand build a top 10 web property online and organically. I believe the answer is through equity distribution to founders - setting up private / partially owned subsidiaries - that have internal founders participating in ownership of the newco - giving the larger parent ownership, funding responsibility and a preferential longer term buy-back arrangement. This permits founders to spend the extra time and effort on developing these new businesses - partial legal protection to the parent for the relaxed process compliance, and the benefit of being part of a potentially large and new business segment they were not participating in the past. I doubt many large brands will take this progressive approach - but it would be a differentiator that would attract top talent to assist in building these new companies - and possibly allow these top internet brands to truly compete with organic startups.Back to top
Ticklist..
Facebook friend requests have increased, MySpace spam friend requests have increasedEdgo is advertising they are doing a $3000 CPM on the Crunchboard
Met with a small company working on solving the IM/Email web-interface challenge
Enjoying Web20ForSale
Back to top
Test
Userplane is releasing in beta our Userlist application - it allows users to have their own private buddy list and IM network for their site - with a simple copy and paste installation.. You can jump into mine at: Back to topNote on Doubleclick Deal
4/25/2005 - DoubleClick Inc. Announces Agreement To Be Acquired By Hellman & Friedman LLC, DoubleClick Shareholders to Receive $8.50 per Share; Transaction Valued at $1.1 Billion4/3/2007 - Google & Doubleclick - 3.1B, 300M 2006 estimated revenue.
2 Billion gain in 24 months.
I wonder if Google is going to get into display advertising : )
Back to topInflection Points, Distribution & Natural Growth
I always enjoy the debate on how sites got "big". I argue that there are always either large distribution deals or specific life-cycle inflection points that drive this growth. Such as:Youtube - Lazy Sunday Video
MySpace - Friendster Server Downtime and Adoption of Band Support
Twitter - SXSW Conference Distribution
Userplane - Release of Instant-Install widget
Some might argue that growth of these businesses are powered by specific features: ie - widget distribution for YouTube, HTML customization of MySpace profile pages.
It is a worthwhile debate. I have created a Web2.0 Dandelife where interested parties can add events to try to track some of the inflection points of this trend. The url and login is:
Login: http://dandelife.com/account/login
Username: web20
Password: web20
Love any and all comments!
Back to topAOL's New Micro-Communities
Although AOL has many new properties launching - there are two that are interesting and very web 2.0ish that are currently under the radar:
A simple slide show / widget creator using your AIM public photos, etc!
A collaborative story-telling system. Think MadLibs + Choose your own adventure!
Thinking about AOL's traffic flow - I begin to wonder if through development of a series of niche micro-communities we might increase user engagement from our giant destinations. In the past it seemed AOL primarily focused on the big content areas. With the ability now to rapidly develop destinations - in theory we could launch a web of micro-communities focused on individual niches within AOL, and help distribute traffic from the portal down to sticker destinations..
Nice work guys!
Now I wonder who at AOL could give me a list of unused domain names!
Back to topHeaded to SXSW in Austin!
Anyone headed there I should meet up with - any reccomendations on what to do in Austin?Userplane has a booth - I should be there Monday and Tuesday in case you want to stop by!
Back to topNuzizo and the rise of the physical, virtual community!
Nuzizo is a new online community that takes the paradigm of local neighborhoods and translates it to an online experience. The founder, an experienced community developer with roots in the online dating world, has built what might be described as ethnic niche communities, all mixing in a utopian online universe. To me it feels like a bridge between the Sims and MySpace - giving users real estate localization and a "Nuzizo " currency within a social networking environment.What impresses me most is the philosophy behind Nuzizo - although niche communities have risen supporting various ethnic groups - the founder of Nuzizo pictures a wonderful world of mixing cultures, and is using this platform to assist the bridging of races online. He has a wonderful vision - I hope that Nuzizo's principals can bridge into the real world!
Back to topFirst Widget Ever?
Readers - I have been asked "What was the FIRST web widget ever created" - my thoughts rolled back to the original hit counters - but I am eager to hear your opinions. If you have any thoughts on the first widgets for the web - please let me know!
CommunityNext
I will be in SF tomorrow for a string of meetings, then staying the night in San Jose - and attending Community Next on Saturday. Make sure to drop by our booth and say hi if you are around!Back to topFareCompare is impressive
Very nice site for researching airfare - shows maps with relative airfare to all your favorite locations!
My iDate Presentation
In case anyone is interested - here is my iDate 2007 keynote!Back to topSorenson Pushes VideoEgg Competitor
Sorenson gets into the web-widget game with their new Squish product..http://www.sorensonmedia.com/pages/?pageID=119
Back to topYour Mini's Test Tab
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Welcome
This is the personal site, blog and digital identity home of Mike Jones, CEO of Tsavo. Enjoy.
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I am currently looking for:
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Current Ninety-Five Percent
Tsavo is my current company, a 6 month old venture that originated through a series of mergers and acquisitions. We are currently building a larger publisher network, check back often for more updates!
dotLA
Just because San Jose can't have all the fun. A small web 2.0 group has formed in Los Angeles. We are looking for interested CEO's that are actually in the web 2.0 world. If you want in - drop me a note.
