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Harvard Case - Evan Williams: From Blogger to Odeo (A)

"Evan Williams: From Blogger to Odeo (A)" Harvard business case study is written by Noam Wasserman, LP Maurice. It deals with the challenges in the field of Entrepreneurship. The case study is 14 page(s) long and it was first published on : Dec 7, 2008

At Fern Fort University, we recommend Evan Williams pursue a disruptive innovation strategy with Odeo, leveraging the Internet and social media to create a platform that facilitates user-generated content and fosters online communities. This strategy should focus on business model innovation, exploring strategic alliances with complementary businesses and digital transformation to build a robust platform for user engagement and content sharing.

2. Background

Evan Williams, a seasoned entrepreneur with experience in the nascent Internet space, founded Blogger, a pioneering platform for blogging. After its successful acquisition by Google, Williams sought to replicate this success with Odeo, a platform for podcasting. However, the podcasting market was crowded and facing challenges in attracting a wider audience.

3. Analysis of the Case Study

Industry Analysis:

  • Porter?s Five Forces: The podcasting industry was characterized by high competition, low barriers to entry, and the threat of substitute products like radio and traditional media.
  • Industry Lifecycle: The podcasting industry was in its early growth stage, with significant potential but facing challenges in user adoption and monetization.

SWOT Analysis:

  • Strengths: Williams? entrepreneurial experience, the potential of the Internet for user-generated content, and the emerging trend of social networking.
  • Weaknesses: Odeo?s limited user base, the lack of a clear value proposition, and the competitive landscape.
  • Opportunities: The potential for disruptive innovation through a platform that fosters user-generated content and online communities, the growth of the Internet and social media, and the potential for strategic alliances with complementary businesses.
  • Threats: The dominance of established players like Google and Yahoo, the potential for technological disruption, and the challenges of monetizing user-generated content.

Value Chain Analysis:

Odeo?s value chain was focused on content creation, distribution, and consumption. However, it lacked a clear value proposition for users and struggled to differentiate itself from competitors.

Business Model Innovation:

Odeo?s initial business model relied on a subscription-based model, which proved unsustainable. Williams needed to explore alternative models, such as advertising revenue, user-generated content monetization, and strategic alliances with complementary businesses.

Competitive Advantage:

Odeo?s potential competitive advantage lay in its ability to leverage the Internet and social media to create a platform that facilitates user-generated content and fosters online communities. This would require a shift from a podcasting-centric approach to a broader platform for online engagement.

4. Recommendations

  1. Pivot to a Social Media Platform: Odeo should transition from a podcasting platform to a broader social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover content. This platform should focus on facilitating user interaction, community building, and content discovery.

  2. Embrace Disruptive Innovation: Odeo should leverage disruptive innovation principles to create a platform that disrupts the existing social media landscape. This can be achieved by focusing on user-generated content, fostering community engagement, and offering a unique value proposition that caters to specific user needs.

  3. Strategic Alliances: Odeo should seek strategic alliances with complementary businesses, such as content creators, social media platforms, and technology providers. These alliances can provide access to new markets, user bases, and technologies.

  4. Digital Transformation: Odeo should embrace digital transformation to build a robust platform that leverages technology and analytics to enhance user experience, personalize content recommendations, and facilitate community growth.

  5. Monetization Strategy: Odeo should explore diverse monetization strategies, including advertising revenue, user-generated content monetization, premium subscriptions, and strategic alliances with businesses that can leverage the platform for marketing and promotion.

5. Basis of Recommendations

These recommendations are based on the following considerations:

  1. Core Competencies: Odeo?s core competency lies in its ability to leverage the Internet and social media to create platforms that facilitate user-generated content. This aligns with the mission of creating a platform for online engagement and community building.

  2. External Customers and Internal Clients: The recommendations focus on providing a valuable experience for users, attracting content creators, and forging partnerships with complementary businesses.

  3. Competitors: The recommendations aim to differentiate Odeo from competitors by focusing on a unique value proposition, leveraging disruptive innovation, and exploring strategic alliances.

  4. Attractiveness: The recommendations are based on the potential for growth in the social media market, the increasing user adoption of the Internet and social media, and the potential for value creation through user-generated content and community engagement.

6. Conclusion

By embracing disruptive innovation, focusing on business model innovation, and leveraging strategic alliances, Odeo can transform itself from a struggling podcasting platform to a thriving social media platform that caters to the growing demand for user-generated content and online communities.

7. Discussion

Other alternatives include:

  • Focusing on niche podcasting: This would limit Odeo?s potential market reach and expose it to competition from specialized podcasting platforms.
  • Acquiring a competitor: This would require significant capital investment and could lead to integration challenges.

Risks and key assumptions:

  • User adoption: The success of Odeo?s platform hinges on user adoption and engagement.
  • Monetization: Generating revenue from a user-generated content platform can be challenging.
  • Competition: The social media landscape is highly competitive, and Odeo will need to differentiate itself to succeed.

8. Next Steps

  1. Develop a detailed business plan: This plan should outline the platform?s features, target audience, monetization strategy, and marketing plan.
  2. Secure funding: Odeo will need to secure funding to support its transition to a social media platform.
  3. Build a strong team: Odeo needs to recruit talented engineers, marketers, and community managers to develop and manage the platform.
  4. Launch the platform: Odeo should launch the platform in a phased approach, starting with a beta version and gradually expanding its features and user base.
  5. Monitor and adapt: Odeo should continuously monitor user feedback, market trends, and competitor activity to adapt its platform and strategy accordingly.

By following these steps, Odeo can capitalize on the potential of the Internet and social media to become a leading platform for user-generated content and online communities.

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Case Description

For several months, founder-CEO Evan Williams has felt trapped, unable to control Odeo and its strategic direction. He longs for the "simple" days of Blogger, the previous venture he had co-founded. Although his Blogger experiences had included a major blow-up with his co-founder that had resulted in legal proceedings, a brush with near-bankruptcy, and the laying off of his entire team, Williams has become even more disillusioned with his current venture, Odeo. Odeo, a podcasting pioneer, had debuted almost two years before and had gotten off to a very strong start, with a high-profile debut at a prominent industry conference, coverage on the front page of the New York Times' Business section, and the raising of a large round of financing from a top-tier venture capital firm. His attempts to find an acquirer have failed, layoffs have begun, and he is now facing a meeting with an increasingly hostile board of directors. At that meeting, he is very tempted to resign so he can move on to his next project and regain the thrill of being an entrepreneur.

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