Alive and Well
I read a great article in the New York Times this morning dubbed “Alive and Well in Silicon Alley.” The basic overview was that things are “buzzing” once again in NYC tech wise, and it goes without saying that thats a good sign. What I really found interesting, was that some of the companies mentioned are in the email newsletter publishing space. Pure content plays. I learned about flavorpill which publishes 9 different newsletters on various cultural stimuli (I just subscribed to their NYC and London editions). I also came across Thrillist, which is, in their own words “a quick, free, 4-times-weekly email that delivers New York guys only the latest and greatest in services, gadgets, gear, bars and restaurants.” I signed up for the NYC edition as thats their focus at this time. At the top of this email newsletter pure play is Daily Candy, which publishes a variety of daily emails and dubs itself as “the ultimate insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel.” The article also states that Daily Candy may be on the block for upwards of $100 million, or 9 or 10 times its earnings. Wow, thats one hell of a successful publishing operation….. using email.
I am happy to see that Silicon Alley is alive and well, read the article for the whole picture. I particularly enjoyed the section on fiscal responsibility, and how bootstrapping and organic growth is playing a big role in the success of the next wave of technology companies. That versus the gluttonous VC fueled spend fest circa 1998-2000. Whats really great to see, is that there are some great companies out there making their bread and butter from email. Email is also alive and well, and continues to be one of the most effective channels for marketing communications.