by Aner Ravon
Filed under: web 2.0
“”A maven is an expert, and it’s something that every Jew thinks he is on every subject that exists.” (Wikipedia, For the politically correct police – I am Israeli).
I’d like to go through some uncom.ventional once again. Remember the good old days? When doctors had to study for years before getting respect for their expertise in medicine? When lawyers went through ordeals before becoming authorities in their fields? When experience was not just “cool” but mandatory?
Remember when scientific evidence was required to substantiate theories? Remember the old hypothesis–>theses–>researc–>evidence–>proof sequence? Remember when plagiarism was the most shameful sin in any self respecting profession?
Remember when we used to analyze? Collect information? Cross our sources? Respect our own conclusions? Enjoy debating them with others?
Bubble prophets attribute the inevitable Armageddon to shallow terms such as “lack of a business case”, or “lack of echo-systems”. My biggest fear is of the Piper Of Hamelin effect. It seems like we are going back to pre-scientific times. We substitute bloggers for reporters, opinion leaders for analysts, gurus for scientists. We look for word of mouth instead of objective observations. We don’t debate, we co-flatter-ate. We convince ourselves we have no time where in fact we are simply lazy. We are so busy doing ping-backs, track-backs and kiss-my-ass-backs we forgot about the real essence of actually having to work.
If Techrunch mentioned me then I must be hot. If Yossi Vardi likes me then I’m a protégé. If I reached Technorati 100 then I must be the next Rupert Murdock. If my Alexia is climbing faster then yours then I am smarter then you are. Everybody is a mavin. Everybody quotes other gurus. Very few lead, so many follow. I hate being a cliché, but boy, there is so much façade in this web 2.0 mascarade!
I know this entry is not really practical. The bottom line, if there is one, is keep it real folks. Focus on what your brain and heart tells you. Don’t forget you need to work hard first. The Yossi Vardis are smart, which is why they will most likely endorse you AFTER you got to deserve it. Read, follow, network but don’t forget to think and create. The more we follow these basic principles, the better our chances are to actually make this whole thing sustainable.
Aner Ravon
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Brings tears to my eyes, thinking about an era in which things took place in a truly respectable and intelligent manner… Then again, the past is easily made subject to idealization, whereas it too was probably just about average. I say, take advantage of the ignorant hype effect. Use it as a background for the real effort, work, and insight to stand out against.
04.30.06 @ 9:16 am[…] The basic concept of Guru-ism seems to be triggering a lot of emotional reactions and discussions. Fellow blogger compatriot, Uri Baruchin (and got a billboard push by Guy Kawasaki) and even I myself have touched on it at a point. […]
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Could not have said it better. And it takes more than “hard work” (yet another cliche…). Time and effort alone do not guarantee success. Nor do good products.
And by success, I refer to business success, yes, $$$. We love to discuss “social change” and “Web2.0 impact” and “end user experience”. But ultimately, we (and our investors) are in it to make money, to earn a living, to retire to the Bahamas. We’re not there to attract a large user base, to impress the Vardis of the world (unless it helps us make more $$$), or turn out the absolutely best product out there.
As unhip as it sounds, business analysis (and the dreaded business plan) are no less important than the technical vision.
As in “I can build the most advanced gizmo-what-you-ma-call-it” vs. “Is there room in the marketplace for another gizmo? Is there real need for it? Can I monetize it?”.
Otherwise, you’re a hobbyist, or a philantropist, building stuff for its own sake. Don’t be surprised when GOOG or MSFT drive you to the ground…
04.12.06 @ 4:17 pm