Stowe Boyd wrote today about what's still missing in web 2.0 apps. I like this topic because many would say that the space is already too crowded and that there are already a handful of applications in every area you look into. I agree with Stowe that there are other opportunities that have not yet been discovered, and not in small areas.
Two things strike me as food for thought:
• Not many web 2.0 companies actually manage to get beyond the early adopters stage into mainstream use. Looking at Alexa, many of these companies show an initial growth (Stimulated by the launch and PR effects) and then the graph remains constant. I didn't do a significant research on this, it's a general observation that seems to be supported. Just a few days ago I came accross Reality check 2.0.
• Apart from Myspace, Is there a Web 2.0 killer app / service in sight? The first generation of the web created a few: Portals (not a popular term but still here and still one of the two biggest players in the industry), web - based email, instant messaging and search. How do I define a killer app? …..a service or application that everyone uses, an indication that it offers substantial value that can't be ignored by the mainstream audience. I am not saying every service needs to be a killer app, but it has to deliver sound value to, or solve a real problem for, a mainstream audience.
So I agree that there are still many opportunities out there for important new services and new business models to emerge . There are several areas that are still untapped (and I hope eSnips addresses one of them: content sharing ).
For example, a huge gap has appeared in between Google (representing the web) and Microsoft (representing the desktop) and since the desktop is still the place where EVERY user manages their digital life, there should be many big opportunities in this space.
When we created eSnips we looked at this gap, thinking specifically of content sharing, and analyzed why some of the killer applications are so successful (IM, VoIP phone services , or email, the original killer app). Here are some of the points that helped us in the brainstorming process:
• They facilitate communication between people
• Many of them reside on the desktop (yes…I know the desktop is not too popular these days but no one can argue that something that's on your desktop is always in front of you, handy to use….
• They don't do a lot of different things, they certainly don't fulfil a large number of different requirements, but they do one important job well and simply. On the other hand,
• They tend to be generic, or perhaps the word is open-ended – they don't tell you for what purpose you should use them, you use them for anything that seems relevant. Many great products and services have emerged from looking at how people use current tools in ways their developers never thought of.
What we try to do in eSnips is take a very basic need - content-sharing - and make it as open-ended as possible. The downside of this approach, of course, is that unless the value of the application/service to the user is very clear,it may be more difficult to market.
Because web 2.0 applications / services are still at such an early stage, talks about web 3.0 and 4.0 may be premature. If we 're using the versions metaphor to describe where we are, I would say we are currently somewhere in the web 2.x phase.
We're getting ready for yet another transatlantic flight. This time to LA to demo eSnips at the OnHollywood Conference (May 2-4), and later to meet a handful of very interesting people in the Bay area. It'll be a long trip this time. Looking forward to it! 