February 08, 2006

Bubble 2.0

OK, I know and understand the concepts behind Web 2.0, I like the concepts behind AJAX, I think Ruby on Rails is cool, and I really really think that the short future on computer applications are on web applications. Furthermore, I believe that creating nowadays a "web site" instead of a webapp, or ding a webapp that isn't Web 2.0 is certain ruin and misery. So no, I don't agree with Russell Shaw when he says that "Web 2.0 does not exist". But even the Webbies out there must agree that there's a ridiculous "Web Bubble" going on... again. How many startup based on Web 2.0 applications do you know? Reading your daily news you'll figure that there are dozens being created per day! I'm not as skeptical about this as Kevin Cornell, but when was the last time that you head about a new Web 2.0 app, and when I mean new I mean an application doing something new or better than the applications available before? I don't care to read about Yahoo Photos migrating to Web 2.0: after all they bought Flikr and will probably want to turn their two webapps into one without loosing users. But I couldn't care less about Feedster having new features, since after all they are nothing more than a news reading site like their competitors Google News, that make you able to get a feed for the search you want, and have more cantent than Feedster could ever have. But it's not the existence of alternatives like Feedster that bother me, no, I actually enjoy the existence of competition. But, PLEASE, do you know how many feedster-exactly-like new startup's with no-user-base-yet I knew TODAY? SEVEN! 7! Sorry, but that is just ridicculous.

Do you want to create a Web 2.0 startup? Then, PLEASE, do this five steps:

  • Think first if you're really sure you want to bet in such a risky ride;
  • Have a fucking business plan, damn!;
  • Study the market, the alternatives, and try to find all possible webapps that do similar things than yourse;
  • Do an heavy study of all the previous applications and find its strongs and weaknesses;
  • Think in what could make your webapp PERFECT, and see how would it cost.
If you notice some similarities on this and in "how to create a business" it's because you're creating an application, an information system and a business, all three in one. And what to know more? It isn't hard at all! Look, for instance, social communities. How many do you know of? I could list ten in less than 30 seconds. Which ones are "heavily used"? You can list two or three, no more or you are completely clueless on the issue. Now, When did social communities first appeared on the web? Are they still profitable? The final pair of questions: why is it that the most-used one is the most-used? Is it good? I'll make some homework for you: the two final questions are answered by "because it's the best one" and "no". So, why aren't there better alternatives? Because we're on the "Bubble 2.0", and you care more on being a webbie than doing something good and profitable.

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