Yesterday, the fate of Cambrian House was sealed. After raising over $7 million, the Canadian crowdsourcing firm shut its doors after an unsuccessful attempt at a new round of financing. So what gave? Was it a lack of focus or poor management? Or was the model doomed to fail in the first place?
In a short period of time, Facebook has established itself as one of the top social networks on the Internet. But this meteoric rise has hit a plateau. It’s hard to say why this has happened, but my guess is that Facebook applications are starting to have an adverse effect on the network.
The migration from desktop to Internet continues. Nowadays I find myself using very few apps on the desktop. More and more, I am transitioning to online services as the quality and scope of services increases.
The frenzy days of web 2.0 are over. Thank God. With it, many of the buzz words parted, although some continue to linger. Among the lingering stragglers, “AJAX” continues to nab the spotlight from time to time. Its slickness and interactivity have been applauded by many, while others believe this technology is on the way out.
When developing an idea into a full-blown business model, there is a fine line between optimism and irrational exuberance. It is important to embrace positive energy, but also maintain a level focus. Too often, start-ups acquire tunnel vision and fail to see the big picture. This clouded judgment can bring about catastrophic consequences.
Aidan Henry is an Internet strategy consultant, designer, and web entrepreneur.
aidanhenry (@) hotmail.com
