Comments on: Building a profitable business http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/ Technology and Innovation news in Montreal Tue, 22 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Handy Angebote http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-915964 Handy Angebote Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:45:55 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-915964 There's noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made sure nice factors in features also. There’s noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made sure nice factors in features also.

]]> By: Brendon Andy http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-914011 Brendon Andy Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:42:14 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-914011 Is usually blogengine much better than wordpress in some manner? Has to be because it is more and more popluar lately. Is usually blogengine much better than wordpress in some manner? Has to be because it is more and more popluar lately.

]]> By: Heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-31008 Heri Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:36:54 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-31008 Totally agree Ben. Glad you understand what I wanted to write about. It's not about blogs, newspapers but business models on the Internet Totally agree Ben. Glad you understand what I wanted to write about. It’s not about blogs, newspapers but business models on the Internet

]]> By: Ben Yoskovitz http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-31002 Ben Yoskovitz Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:54:07 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-31002 The discussion here shouldn't be about newspapers at all. People are missing the point that Mark MacLeod and Heri are making. The idea that everything can be free on the Internet is a predominant one, but obviously problematic if you're trying to run a business. And to rely exclusively on advertising - especially as Mark points out, when it's inside an application - is even more troublesome and difficult. I want to write some more thoughts on this soon, but I don't want to fill up the comment box. Nevertheless, this shouldn't be a debate about newspapers...it should be a debate about which business models will work, where, and when. How they should be applied is equally important, and understanding why you want to implement one model over another. The discussion here shouldn’t be about newspapers at all. People are missing the point that Mark MacLeod and Heri are making. The idea that everything can be free on the Internet is a predominant one, but obviously problematic if you’re trying to run a business. And to rely exclusively on advertising – especially as Mark points out, when it’s inside an application – is even more troublesome and difficult.

I want to write some more thoughts on this soon, but I don’t want to fill up the comment box.

Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be a debate about newspapers…it should be a debate about which business models will work, where, and when. How they should be applied is equally important, and understanding why you want to implement one model over another.

]]> By: Heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-30994 Heri Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:24:32 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-30994 Nick Molnar, There are many blogs started by industry profesionnals who have inside knowledge of what will come up next in their industry. This beats any journalist who might have many connections and even his neutrality to win confidence. J.Liles take a look at ohmynews, techcrunch, gigaom or paidcontent.org Benjamin, newspapers' readership is shrinking. While I don't see the NYT or the Washington Post disappearing overnight, they will see their reach cut because of media fragmentation and platforms avalaibility. Also, as I mentionned earlier, there are profesionnals who get a blog up and write exhaustive and "serious" articles, because they get PR / marketing / networking thanks to their blogging. And they do it for free. So I don't see yet why content should not be free. Of course, all of what I've just said applies to the newspapers's current business model. They can only stay in place if they change their business model Nick Molnar,

There are many blogs started by industry profesionnals who have inside knowledge of what will come up next in their industry. This beats any journalist who might have many connections and even his neutrality to win confidence.

J.Liles take a look at ohmynews, techcrunch, gigaom or paidcontent.org

Benjamin, newspapers’ readership is shrinking. While I don’t see the NYT or the Washington Post disappearing overnight, they will see their reach cut because of media fragmentation and platforms avalaibility.

Also, as I mentionned earlier, there are profesionnals who get a blog up and write exhaustive and “serious” articles, because they get PR / marketing / networking thanks to their blogging. And they do it for free. So I don’t see yet why content should not be free.

Of course, all of what I’ve just said applies to the newspapers’s current business model. They can only stay in place if they change their business model

]]> By: Benjamin Schweizer http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-30923 Benjamin Schweizer Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:07:05 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-30923 Newspapers have one competitive advantage: a large customer base. It is not that easy that you simply produce an equally good product (article) and you win. You have to attract new customers and convince them, that your offer is worth changing. You have to create a brand. And when you have reached the size that your brand is of some worth, you are probably doing serious business and no more a 14 year old teenager that is spending some free hours on a pet project... Newspapers have one competitive advantage: a large customer base. It is not that easy that you simply produce an equally good product (article) and you win. You have to attract new customers and convince them, that your offer is worth changing. You have to create a brand.
And when you have reached the size that your brand is of some worth, you are probably doing serious business and no more a 14 year old teenager that is spending some free hours on a pet project…

]]> By: heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-457340 heri Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:40:09 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-457340 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">@startupcfo that's a great article; thought-provoking ... I began to write a comment but took too much so here: http://tinyurl.com/69wy5l</span></span> @startupcfo that’s a great article; thought-provoking … I began to write a comment but took too much so here: http://tinyurl.com/69wy5l

]]> By: Montreal Tech Watch http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-457341 Montreal Tech Watch Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:16:08 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-457341 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Building a profitable business http://tinyurl.com/69wy5l</span></span> Building a profitable business http://tinyurl.com/69wy5l

]]> By: Mark MacLeod http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-30910 Mark MacLeod Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:32:07 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-30910 Hey Heri, Thanks for posting on this. You've hit the nail on the head: If you're not doing free, someone else will. The trick is do it in a sustainable way. your readers seem to have an issue with newspapers being replaced by bloggers. This is happening now. Just check out Nowpublic (http://www.nowpublic.com/). My point was less about this and more about tech businesses. I worry about sustainability. Some companies that have done a great job of using free while being sustainable include Freshbooks and 37 Signals. Note - that in both cases, they did not take VC$. Mark Hey Heri,

Thanks for posting on this. You’ve hit the nail on the head: If you’re not doing free, someone else will. The trick is do it in a sustainable way.

your readers seem to have an issue with newspapers being replaced by bloggers. This is happening now. Just check out Nowpublic (http://www.nowpublic.com/).

My point was less about this and more about tech businesses. I worry about sustainability. Some companies that have done a great job of using free while being sustainable include Freshbooks and 37 Signals. Note – that in both cases, they did not take VC$.

Mark

]]> By: J Liles http://montrealtechwatch.com/2008/07/27/building-a-profitable-business/#comment-30904 J Liles Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:37:41 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/?p=825#comment-30904 "For instance, that’s why content-based businesses (say newspapers) are doomed because there’s always people like Mark, me or even the average guy willing to spend one hour in their day writing articles and take pictures of what’s up." I see your point, but is it really correct to equate someone who writes a blog article and takes a couple of pictures with a professional news-gathering organization with sources, standards, experience in investigative techniques, etc.? “For instance, that’s why content-based businesses (say newspapers) are doomed because there’s always people like Mark, me or even the average guy willing to spend one hour in their day writing articles and take pictures of what’s up.”

I see your point, but is it really correct to equate someone who writes a blog article and takes a couple of pictures with a professional news-gathering organization with sources, standards, experience in investigative techniques, etc.?

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