Running a small “Web 2.0″ company is an interesting experience. I don’t suppose it is much different from running any other company, except for the fact you live and die by the blogosphere. Every day, a few times a day I check the various ClaimID watchlists – Technorati, Feedster, Sphere, Google News – and see what people are saying about ClaimID. It’s addicting, it’s time-wasting, and each time I hit refresh the anticipation feels like Christmas Eve.
ClaimID has captured the imagination of a lot of bloggers. It is such a simple concept that many are compelled to write – and of course, we read everything that’s written. You develop a thick skin because you have to – even though response to ClaimID has been overwhelmingly positive, I’d be lying if I said the negative posts don’t hurt. Anyone who has invested their heart and soul into an idea winces when someone you don’t know puts you down in public. It doesn’t happen often, but each time it cuts.
Learn from the blogosphere, they’ll tell you. It’s sound advice. Bloggers provide free feedback, bug reports, feature requests and publicity. We’d be nowhere without the blogosphere – it is our megaphone. The blogosphere is a truly democratic market of ideas – although hype can raise things to the top, the market has a way of regulating itself. Bloggers will drive people to your doorstep, it’s up to you to convert them to users.
People often compare the blogosphere to an “ocean” – a fitting comparison. Oceans can’t be tamed or controlled – they will take you wherever they wish. To that extent, you also never know what an ocean’s going to wash to the shore. Today, the ocean of the blogosphere washed up inspiration, inspiration like none I’ve encountered yet.
PostBubble is a new blog from ACS, a consulting firm, and Webreakstuff, a top design firm. PostBubble decided to cover ClaimID, and the review was like nothing I’ve read so far – the author truly comprehended the scope of the problem we’re facing, and trying to address with ClaimID. If you’re going to read one blog post about ClaimID, this is the one. Says the author:
Who needs normal? Normal is boring, normal is status quo, normal never gets the spotlight and normal is well, normal. But there is something else to be said about Normal. Normal means that everybody knows it, everybody uses it, and everybody has heard of it. Email is normal, searching on Google is normal, and driving a car to work is normal. When it comes to business, becoming normal is an objective.
I thought of all this when I was reading through the buzz on claimID and had the feeling that there were bees inside my skull. I saw the potential, I saw the value, and I saw the spark, but there was still something seriously wrong with my head and I couldn’t quite figure out what was missing from the picture. It finally dawned on me that all of this speculation and analysis was like trying to break down the meaning of life. ClaimID is one of those ideas that can’t be simply broken down because there is only one clear way to describe what they are going to do: claimID is going to become Normal.
…… Regardless of what they accomplish or how, it should be duly noted that claimID epitomizes the opportunity and excitement of the Web 2.0 world. Web 2.0 should not be copycat and should not be a blind rush towards what seems to be the next craze and market opportunity. Web 2.0 is not to stumble on a market void and backfill it with a half-baked product or service. Web 2.0 is to create something that nobody knows they need and that they won’t be able to live without. This is the real objective of Web 2.0 and when something like claimID comes out it should remind us all what we are really trying to accomplish.
The rest of the post is here. I’ve read it over and over and over. It feels so good when people get your ideas at such a fundamental level. So today, I found inspiration. Inspiration was washed up on my shores from the blogosphere, and it felt really good.
Postscript: I should note that inspiration has been coming frequently lately, and that’s a good thing. Celebrated designer Bryan Veloso also brightened our day last week, but Terrell beat me to the reply. Not content to rest on our laurels, last night we introduced a MicroID-based link verification service – something that will allow all ClaimID users to easily put verified claims on links. It marks a big step forward for our little company.
Fred,
I’m ecstatic hear that you had this reaction to the ClaimID post on postbubble. We are trying to say what we really think about Web 2.0 companies and one side effect is that we will undoubtedly inspire some and probably anger others.
We obviously think ClaimID is hot and wanted to try to articulate it in a way that really shows why. It’s great that you have the same things in mind and that we were able to help spell it out in the blogosphere.
Cheers
Aneil