Blekko, Google killer? Not Yet
07/20/10 20:27 Filed in: Innovation | Product
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There has been a lot of buzz about Blekko recently from articles in Techcrunch to the recent post on SEOBook. Right now between the hundreds of millions of dollars Microsoft is spending on Bing and then billions of dollars Google is making, it seems like a search engine startup is suicide.
I remember a couple of years ago when Cuil came out, and there was the discussion that this would be a Google killer... that hasn’t happened yet. Blekko is bringing a different approach. They are bringing a much more systematic and realistic approach, rather than a full blitz. One thing that webmasters and SEO’s should be paying attention to, is the information Blekko is going to share.
Everything I have read about Blekko tells me that they will be open with the information relates to their algorithm. The number one thing that comes to everyones mind is linking data. With the Bing & Yahoo! deal, a lot of SEOs have been worried about Yahoo Site Explorer link data being discontinued.
Its exciting to hear about a potential “Google killer”. Blekko will be different from Google and Bing, and those differences will make it tougher for users to adopt, but it will separate Blekko from Google (whether users like it more or less in the end). Even Blekko admits theres no such thing as a Google Killer, they understand the difficulties of building a search engine from scratch. I like the viral strategies that they are trying to leverage in order to build traffic. It will be exciting to see a new player enter the game, it is definitely too soon to know whether Blekko will be a challenger, but it will be exciting to watch the management team try to maneuver the market.
There has been a lot of buzz about Blekko recently from articles in Techcrunch to the recent post on SEOBook. Right now between the hundreds of millions of dollars Microsoft is spending on Bing and then billions of dollars Google is making, it seems like a search engine startup is suicide.
I remember a couple of years ago when Cuil came out, and there was the discussion that this would be a Google killer... that hasn’t happened yet. Blekko is bringing a different approach. They are bringing a much more systematic and realistic approach, rather than a full blitz. One thing that webmasters and SEO’s should be paying attention to, is the information Blekko is going to share.
Everything I have read about Blekko tells me that they will be open with the information relates to their algorithm. The number one thing that comes to everyones mind is linking data. With the Bing & Yahoo! deal, a lot of SEOs have been worried about Yahoo Site Explorer link data being discontinued.
Its exciting to hear about a potential “Google killer”. Blekko will be different from Google and Bing, and those differences will make it tougher for users to adopt, but it will separate Blekko from Google (whether users like it more or less in the end). Even Blekko admits theres no such thing as a Google Killer, they understand the difficulties of building a search engine from scratch. I like the viral strategies that they are trying to leverage in order to build traffic. It will be exciting to see a new player enter the game, it is definitely too soon to know whether Blekko will be a challenger, but it will be exciting to watch the management team try to maneuver the market.
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Boston/Cambridge Industry Organizations You Should Know
07/19/10 21:07 Filed in: Boston/Cambridge
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There are a lot of great organizations in the area you should know about. Here are a couple Boston/ Cambridge Tech and Marketing Organizations that everyone in those industries should know about, and try to attend at least a couple of events.
These organizations are great to be involved with. Click through to see what the organizations are all about. Watch my Cambridge/Boston Events calendar to find events put on by these organizations and other meet-ups in the area for tech and marketing professionals.
There are a lot of great organizations in the area you should know about. Here are a couple Boston/ Cambridge Tech and Marketing Organizations that everyone in those industries should know about, and try to attend at least a couple of events.
These organizations are great to be involved with. Click through to see what the organizations are all about. Watch my Cambridge/Boston Events calendar to find events put on by these organizations and other meet-ups in the area for tech and marketing professionals.
iPhone 4 or iPad Mini
07/19/10 20:12 Filed in: Product
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The thing that has been most surprising to me during the iPhone 4 crisis has not been that Apple really does consider people who buy its generation products beta testers or that Apple has created such a fan base that people are willing to buy their products even if they have known issues.
What was most surprising to me was that people don’t care about the phone anymore, they would prefer to have smooth software, text messaging, a big app store, internet access, and yes, style. I can’t tell you whether or not we will still call them cell phones in 20 years, but the phone will be an even less important feature.
The thing that has been most surprising to me during the iPhone 4 crisis has not been that Apple really does consider people who buy its generation products beta testers or that Apple has created such a fan base that people are willing to buy their products even if they have known issues.
What was most surprising to me was that people don’t care about the phone anymore, they would prefer to have smooth software, text messaging, a big app store, internet access, and yes, style. I can’t tell you whether or not we will still call them cell phones in 20 years, but the phone will be an even less important feature.
Two Startups to Watch
07/09/10 00:14 Filed in: startups
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Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about innovation and the hot start ups. Its easy to see the potential of the Twitters, Facebooks, Groupons, and Foursquares, but its also fun to watch start ups that aren’t as glamorous, but do provide major value to their industries.
RentMonitor which was (is?) a part of Techstars is an interesting concept. I have never had to deal with the plethora of issues that a landlord must have to, but in getting to know my past two landlords I can tell it is not an easy job. Rentmonitor acts as a dashboard for them making it easier for them to post property listings and to collect rent. I have been watching the the TechStars TV show “The founders” which is where I first found out about this company.
Another company from Cambridge/Boston that I have seen a lot is Grasshopper Labs, specifically their latest product, Chargify. This application enables start ups and small companies to easily set up a membership fee for their site/products. I like the opening they found in the industry. Rather than dedicating resources recurring billing this product will do that for you. I saw this company present at Webinno. On their site it shows they have a new product coming soon, I am looking forward to see what’s next.
These are two great start ups that aren’t necessarily re-inventing the wheel, but they have certainly managed to find problem that needs to be solved. What I especially like about these companies is that they aren’t targeting the enterprise client (which is likely a saturated market) and instead they are going after the smaller clients.
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about innovation and the hot start ups. Its easy to see the potential of the Twitters, Facebooks, Groupons, and Foursquares, but its also fun to watch start ups that aren’t as glamorous, but do provide major value to their industries.
RentMonitor which was (is?) a part of Techstars is an interesting concept. I have never had to deal with the plethora of issues that a landlord must have to, but in getting to know my past two landlords I can tell it is not an easy job. Rentmonitor acts as a dashboard for them making it easier for them to post property listings and to collect rent. I have been watching the the TechStars TV show “The founders” which is where I first found out about this company.
Another company from Cambridge/Boston that I have seen a lot is Grasshopper Labs, specifically their latest product, Chargify. This application enables start ups and small companies to easily set up a membership fee for their site/products. I like the opening they found in the industry. Rather than dedicating resources recurring billing this product will do that for you. I saw this company present at Webinno. On their site it shows they have a new product coming soon, I am looking forward to see what’s next.
These are two great start ups that aren’t necessarily re-inventing the wheel, but they have certainly managed to find problem that needs to be solved. What I especially like about these companies is that they aren’t targeting the enterprise client (which is likely a saturated market) and instead they are going after the smaller clients.
