Speed of innovation

Here is an old article from Discover magazine talking about Web 2.0 technologies. Reading about science and Web 2.0 in the same magazine made me write this blog entry:

http://www.discover.com/issues/oct-05/departments/emerging-technology/

"Speed" in true physics definition is always relative to a frame of reference. When you talk of "speed of innovation" in high tech startups, the frame of reference is the technology that the startup is working on.

If you look at the startups in Web 2.0 technologies, the speed of innovation is much higher than compared to companies in the other high tech areas like network systems. This could lead to application of other concepts like "Relative velocity" from Physics world to hi-tech world. This could be an interesting framework for evaluating startups.

Product Management in a startup

Product Management in a startup is like a journey to unknown destination. In most software startups, the direction changes 3-4 times before the startup either has a successful exit or closes for business.

These changes in direction pose a big challenge for PM team . The PM team is the connecting link between engineering and sales. The responsibility of aligning the engineering with the new direction lies with PM. This might not only mean change in product features, new technology development but also change the way QA and development teams think.

This alignment, if not done in a timely manner can result in people rowing the boat in different directions. Imagine white water rafting where two rowers are not aligned and the raft keeps going in circles and does not move forward.

Future of Cell phone camera and YouTube.

We we have read so much about the cell phone camera being used in places where it is not supposed to be used, but Saddam's execution video showed up on the web was the most shocking of all the incidents. I can imagine why somebody would want to capture celebrities or some naughty things, but capturing an execution video and posting on the web is beyond my comprehension.

This incident does bring up a good point though: What is the future of technologies like youtube, cell phone video cameras etc?

Today people are just rushing to "YouTube" to post amateur videos and to watch them. The future of these technologies depend on the kind of use these technologies are put too. Most of the videos on YouTube are for entertainment purposes. Today YouTube is a fad and people are shooting video just so that they post on YouTube and not for any other purpose. IMHO, this model is not sustainable. I cant imagine people will continue to make funny videos and this will continue to grow. There will be a time and very soon too, when these will be used for exchanging videos with your family, posting some TV programs and posting home videos. The closest analogy is sharing photographs and sites like yahoo photos. Today they are just commodity sites and not the hottest site on web...