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We're Not Rock Stars Anymore (howtosplitanatom.com)
21 points by il on Oct 9, 2008 | hide | past | favorite | 11 comments



True words: "The secret to surviving in a bad economy is to become a real business."

However:

Given the snarkery is in this article, and that the author is a 'digital marketing expert', I'm sensing some resentment toward programming 'rock stars'. I've never been called a 'rock star', 'ninja', or what have you in the course of my work. Since I don't currently work in the Valley, I haven't been in the kind of situation where my work environment has video games and huge parties and whatnot. (Though this might change.) As such, I've always worked with a mind toward profit, and for businesses that were like-minded. If there's no revenue at the end of the day, VC or no, the project has failed.

It doesn't take a marketing guy to figure this out, regardless of how anxious they may be prep an 'I told you so'.

No talented programmers are going to go without work, though they might expect less in the paycheck. No solid companies are going to fold, though their next VC round might be more cautious. If you're good, and if your business is good, there's no fear.

So relax or panic, as quality dictates.


Good points (I wrote the article in question).

I'd like to put this out there -- I am talking to people on the business end of things a lot more than the technical talent (I've been on both sides).

Also, I am responding to the video that was embedded that implies that the sky is falling and everyone is going to be out of a job soon enough. I've always been opposed to that sentiment because it ignores what you so elegantly put at the end of your comment -- people doing good stuff (from both a technical and a business perspective) will continue to do well.

As for "digital marketing expert," ugh . . . I think it follows the same line, us "experts" will need to relax or panic as quality dictates.


What's digital marketing expert mean? Just extensive experience with online advertising or?


Online advertising management, social media (whatever that means), branding and image building in digital. Knowing how to deliver your content (video, blog post, product) effectively online and in the best of cases making it so people -care- about that product.

That's my definition, at least.


We were never rock stars.


In short, the industry is going to be forced to mature from its bed wetting phase and you know what?

That’s not really such a bad thing, is it?

.COM buble 1.0 Déjà vu!


Does anyone here think that the tech/software industry is in the bed-wetting stage? I don't.


Depends on where you're looking. Enterprise/consumer level software, no. The business models for web applications, well, bed wetting might be generous.


business models? what are you talking about?


Wow, that reporter sure is attractive.


"Get back in the van, Jagger"

Phrase of the day




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