Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Napster Business Model

Author:Erik L. Neu
Posted:8/23/2000; 11:31:52 AM
Topic:Bob Metcalf ("From the Ether") on Napster
Msg #:19982 (In response to 19924)
Prev/Next:19981 / 19983

This is pretty much off the subject, but in the referenced punditry, the esteemed Bob Metcalfe noted that it was hard to find anything new to say about Napster, which made me again think of one thing that doesn't get discussed much...

What the heck is their business plan? Okay, forgetting for the moment about that lawsuit--they have garnered lots of eyeballs, what are they going to do to "monetize" them? It seems to me, at the moment, that they are operating out of the Netscape playbook (atually, Netscape's playbook was better)--we have captured a huge audience by giving stuff away (other people's stuff in Napster's case, of course), now there has got to be economic value to us *somewhere* in there!

Hummer Winblad has invested $15 MM in them and sits on the board, so there is probably something I'm missing, but I'd sure love for someone to spell it out for me.

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