Comments on: The Train Hasn’t Yet Left Every Station http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:55:36 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jose Mallabo http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Jose Mallabo Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:51:19 +0000 http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/#comment-4 Probably not in the traditional sense because the barrier to entry online isn't quite what it is offline. Which is where I would think today's entrepreneurs are hanging their hopes. For a lot of companies it's a win to go public or be bought out or to be among the market leaders vs. being the market leader. I actually think the companies that do well online are those that pay the most attention to what their communities and current customers want. The latest or the greatest from a techology perspective isn't enough anymore. It has to be meaningful and make a difference to our 'real lives' or the technology piece is just overhead. My point to my earlier post, though, is what I've learned in my career: that great stories are told, rarely found. Even the so called grassroots efforts are just that...well planned efforts. So the point to smaller players is really to market yourselves and be experimental -- because you can be sure as the day is long that the market leaders are. Probably not in the traditional sense because the barrier to entry online isn’t quite what it is offline. Which is where I would think today’s entrepreneurs are hanging their hopes. For a lot of companies it’s a win to go public or be bought out or to be among the market leaders vs. being the market leader.

I actually think the companies that do well online are those that pay the most attention to what their communities and current customers want. The latest or the greatest from a techology perspective isn’t enough anymore. It has to be meaningful and make a difference to our ‘real lives’ or the technology piece is just overhead.

My point to my earlier post, though, is what I’ve learned in my career: that great stories are told, rarely found. Even the so called grassroots efforts are just that…well planned efforts. So the point to smaller players is really to market yourselves and be experimental — because you can be sure as the day is long that the market leaders are.

]]> By: Paul Woodhouse http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Paul Woodhouse Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:22:25 +0000 http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/#comment-3 And in the name of competition I almost marked your comment spam for unsolicited employer promotion. ;-) Only kidding. Do you think the web can ever really be won? The companies that seem to be winning are those constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest and willing to evolve with them. (Or just buy them out.) Adapt or die seems to be quite a reasonable business model in this respect. I am very much looking forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh. And in the name of competition I almost marked your comment spam for unsolicited employer promotion. ;-)

Only kidding.

Do you think the web can ever really be won? The companies that seem to be winning are those constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest and willing to evolve with them. (Or just buy them out.)

Adapt or die seems to be quite a reasonable business model in this respect.

I am very much looking forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh.

]]> By: Jose Mallabo http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Jose Mallabo Tue, 10 Jul 2007 02:56:02 +0000 http://www.marketingconference.org/blog/2007/07/06/the-train-hasnt-yet-left-every-station/#comment-2 For those who think the web has been won, take into consideration that the "old guard" companies like Yahoo!, Google and eBay (my employer) would barely be approaching the 6th grade if they were people. These companies are buying and partnering with the so called 2.0 generation of the web for good reason -- because they still think there's a lot of competing left to do online. And from the behemoths that survived and grew through the early part of the decade to the startps they are buying or partnering with ... they are all great stories that by the time you've heard about them have been proactively and very thoughtfully crafted and marketed (even if sometimes they seem like they just ebb from the cracks of the sidewalk.) See you in Pittsburgh. Jose For those who think the web has been won, take into consideration that the “old guard” companies like Yahoo!, Google and eBay (my employer) would barely be approaching the 6th grade if they were people. These companies are buying and partnering with the so called 2.0 generation of the web for good reason — because they still think there’s a lot of competing left to do online. And from the behemoths that survived and grew through the early part of the decade to the startps they are buying or partnering with … they are all great stories that by the time you’ve heard about them have been proactively and very thoughtfully crafted and marketed (even if sometimes they seem like they just ebb from the cracks of the sidewalk.)

See you in Pittsburgh.

Jose

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