When The Old Guard Gets Hit By The Clue Stick

John Battelle has hit YellowPages with the clue stick

“You’re asking me to tell my advertisers to invite criticism? You’re asking me to actually create a platform that lets that criticism happen? Are you nuts?”

General nodding and murmurs of assent followed.

“Er…yes,” I answered. “Yahoo already does. And Google does too (though not as well….). You better also, or you’re…well…toast.”

It seems as though somebody listened because they are actually rolling out reviews. What worries me though is they are just paying lip service. If they don’t really get it, well they are still toast.

What I have learned, the hard way, through the dotcom period right up to now is it is NOT just about the idea. Anybody can have a great idea. It’s the implementation that counts. If your organisation doesn’t truly get it, believe in it and really work that good idea, it will all come to nothing.

Getting hit by the clue stick is just the start.