Mena's Corner: Barak at Six Apart
I continue to be impressed with the Six Apart folks. They really do try to practice what they preach. Mena is stepping down as CEO and the post linked above tells the story of hiring the new CEO.
Let's suppose that Six Apart gets huge, like really big. We, the users and public will have an accurate, honest and heartfelt record of what it was like to take Six Apart from a hobby to a giant, via the weblogs of Mena and Ben.
What if we could see the thoughts of Jeff Bezo and Bill Gates as they got started? Wozniak and Jobs? What if Henry Ford had a blog?
These are extreme examples- but what if?
In the future, I think we'll see the histories of companies being written day-by-day as they are built. The start-ups using weblogs today could be tomorrow's giants and their weblogs allow us, the online public, to see what's happening on the inside. We will get to know the real people behind the company and hear the story from the horse's mouth. I think the "market" will grow to value this more and more in the future.
This is not to say, of course, that this is a winning strategy for everyone. The risks are high and as the stakes grow, the "story" can quickly be corrupted by PR-style spin by those who may not "get it".
But, for those that are able to hold on to their voice and continue to tell the company's story in an honest way, I think the the real and long-term rewards could come in the form of loyal and trusting customers, which every company needs.