When a company sets out to create a product, particularly one on the internet, I think it’s imperative to really look at the landscape before devoting resources. Right now, I’m virtually saturated with accounts. I have accounts for everything. Beta releases, Alpha releases, Preview releases and on and on it goes. I have a password manager so I’ve got it easier than many but I honestly don’t want anymore accounts or sites to use.
I want to simplify, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
The Need
Sometimes companies try to create the need. Others enter when there is a need and there’s competition. Some companies just play the “me too” game.
Unless you are entering the game with something different, why enter it? If your product looks like what’s already there, why would we care?
Does anyone need another social network? Does anyone need another microblog? Does anyone honestly want to use ANOTHER geo-location service?
The “Me Too” Game
Google just released Hotpot to compete with Yelp. Where’s the need?
I think Hotpot is simpler than Yelp. I think having Google search history integrated makes sense…but Yelp has traction and a more prominent social structure, especially being integrated with Facebook. Google…not so much.
Google released Buzz to compete with Facebook and Twitter, but they released it without enough features to make it worth it.
The biggest issue Google is having is that they don’t benefit from the network effect. A fax machine is only valuable if other people have a fax machine. Buzz is only valuable if other people are using Buzz. This is why Facebook succeeds in most of their new product attempts; they have critical mass, Google does not. If Google can’t figure out a way to tap into their base of Gmail users and Google account holders, then these new social efforts leave new users pissing in the wind–which no one likes because they get all wet.
The problem is that Google keeps trying to bring people away from other, more popular and established services rather than finding a space where no one is currently dominating. Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t see the need for most of Google’s attempts to go social.