Show Me the MoneyTube

Mark Cuban says: only a moron would buy YouTube.

I think that's vastly overstating the case.

Mark is obviously very good at making old business models a bit more efficient.

The hypothesis behind YouTube is just the opposite: to fundamentally and radically upset media economics and redesign the video value chain.

Is this risky? Vastly. Is YouTube on exactly, totally the right track to do it? No.

Will they probably go a long towards doing so anyways? Yup.

The Problems With 2.0, pt 1564622

Ross Mayfield waxes poetic about "helping" the CIA get the potential of 2.0.

One might reasonably wonder whether this goes against everything 2.0 stands for - decentralization, transparency, the edge, etc.

It's a contradiction (or sell out, if you like) which points to a bigger problem.

Every revolution needs principles. They need to be defended and nurtured because the market (analysts, etc) are inherently myopic - and revolutions take time to create value/upset the status quo.

The problem with 2.0 is that there aren't really any principles (hypotheses, if you like) anyone is standing up for. Entrepreneurs, for the most part, are just flipmeat - they have little intention of investing the time it takes to build something solid and durable. McVenture guys, for the most part, are just flipping the burgers, if you like.

In neither case are players trying to revolutionize much of anything. Hence, the long gap in any kind of significant liquidity event in 2.0. It's a shame - but it's squarely down to standing for exactly nothing.

Innovation Wednesdays

Don't forget - my weekly get together for all things new media/2.0/innovation in general is happening again this Wednesday at Coco Momo (formerly Dusk), 79 Marylebone High St, 7pm-9ish.

Thanks to everyone who came last week - I had a great time, many cool conversations, and I hope you did too.

Oh yah - we still need a name, so suggest away.