Picostation is attempting to define the market for Moblogging, enabling users to share text, photos, audio and video files with each other.
Interview conducted by Nathan C. Kaiser on Monday, June 27, 2005 in Seattle, WA.
Our technology enables mobile blogging to incorporate text, audio, photo and video files.
Everything has historically been one way. Applications such as games, screen savers, etc. all went to the phone and nothing enabled the phone to communicate with the outside world. Through our work starting 4th Pass we realized that the power behind this technology was in a two-way flow of information.
It is, but they don’t utilize the full capability of the phones. Simply because it is too difficult for users. Consumers may try a capability once or twice, but unless it is simple and easy to use they won’t try it again.
And incorporating social networking capabilities, proximity tools, etc. A user submits photos, audio, text or video files and can share it automatically with others with no effort. Friends, associates and family can then collaborate in real time.
How do you propose to sell this service? Sell directly to the carriers or to the phone manufacturers (OEMs)?
We plan to work with carriers and OEMs. A combined strategy is the key to succeeding in this market.
Most carriers have an in house team that is also building a service that would allow them to offer a similar solution. Our goal is not to compete with the in house teams, but to show how we can add to their capabilities with limited development resources. If we couldn’t do it better then we shouldn’t be in this business.
We provide a means for them to differentiate their products within a very crowded field. With our service, they can have an integrated solution already built when speaking to the carriers.
Most carriers average customer uses 2 MMS messages twice a month. Customers who have our service use it an average of 10 times. It then comes directly to revenue.
The key is to make this technology as intuitive to use. If it is difficult people simply won’t use it.
Keep focused on the market. This is especially true for new services and technologies where it isn’t well understood by the market as a whole. It is key to identify what need the technology services, the potential and capabilities. It is also essential to keep your costs low.
One of the key ways we have kept our costs low is by building a team abroad. It is at such a point that we would have been at a competitive disadvantage if we didn’t use an international team.
That is correct. The cost savings are so immense that it really isn’t a option. However, there are some definite disadvantages of going abroad. Companies lose the creativity and team building that happens when you have a team working together in one location.
Seattle is becoming a center for management. Most tech companies are outsourcing their development as well.
You must be very aware of cultural differences. There are things that affect everyday life in different areas that seem very foreign to us here in the states. These differences can affect the performance of the business very directly.
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