The next big thing…

That’s actually what we do here at NZfusion; working on the next big thing… it’s hard out and many people don’t get the next big thing. Not like us anyhow. So I thought I’d share a few of the ingredients that we believe is important.

You shouldn’t mistake the list as conclusive, exclusive or even necessary; it is simply a road map of useful ingredients. Which when followed correctly can help make a delicious creation, but sometimes the cake will flop even when the recipe is followed exactly - the same is true with the next big thing. The recipe simply makes the process of making a cake easier, so I’ll presume we have a recipe - and just talk about some interesting ingredients! They may also help other recipes work - but I’ll make no guarantees.

Some web2.0 ingredients

Users - it doesn’t matter where you get them, they’ll make the next big thing happen.
RSS/Atom - this is a basic API that allows easy integration with a number of existing applications, mostly feed readers; web browsers like Firefox and IE7; web applications like netvibes and iGoogle;
Blogs - the most popular blogs tend to be about rubbish - the next most popular blogs follow specific topics and provide useful and informative information about that specific topic. It would seem likely that the community interested in the next big thing, will be very interested in the blog about that thing - discussing changes and tools that are available and useful. Perhaps a user blog and a development blog - presuming the next big thing has an open development environment or API as recommended below.
Web 2.0 integration - most major web 2.0 sites have an API, this allows you to either leverage off application services available from these service suppliers, or it allows you to market the next big thing in the middle of their space. Effectively utilising their hard work recruiting users. There is no easier way to deploy a product. Take it.
API - A web application doesn’t need a web site, there is plenty of opportunity to remove it and rely on traffic via a strong API. For example, API traffic on twitter is 10x web site traffic. If you build a useful API, developers will use it and create wonderful applications that you would never have thought of. Thus cementing the popularity of the next big thing.
Development environment - the next big thing might follow in the foot steps of other successful applications, many of these now offer a development environment or sandbox that allows developers and users to experiment with customised components. This is just another excuse to visit the next big thing, it has to be good for it.
Open Standards - it is very important that standards are followed, they will help your web site display quicker and more accurately on more web browsers. It will increase the number of people that understand the components of the next big thing, which will increase the reach of your community. Consider implementing:
1. RSS/Atom XML feed formats.
2. Strict xHTML/HTML.
3. OpenSocial application containers for frameworks.
4. jSON, SOAP or REST web services for web services.
5. OpenSearch, which would really be a component for applications that are compatible.
Need for Speed - it is essential that users have the best experience possible; most users realise that good things take time; though most users don’t have much time to spare or much reason to wait for the page to load. If the application does something quickly, they’ll do more with the application - that’s logical right? The more they have done, the more likely they’ll return. Community is also a good way to attract returning visitors - which is why you need users!
A solution - to a need or a problem. This is vitally important; you’ve got to address something. However, the problem does not need to be difficult or complex. And there are so many major problems affecting users today - access to knowledge is being reduced the noise created by blogs like this; access to websites often require logins, so users often have a plethora of accounts; which leads to many opportunities for identity theft and an increasing need for sensible security practices.
You! need to enjoy working on the next big thing - if you don’t then it isn’t going to go the distance. If you take a look at the alexa ranking of twitter, you’ll notice it was running for 8 months, with steady growth; until growth exploded. From the Biz Stone Read/Write Talk interview:

“So with Twitter, it was something that we created from scratch and we were super enthusiastic about it. We were using it. Like I said, we were literally giggling when we first started working. We just really enjoyed it and loved it. From that point, it translates to everything you do. It translates with management and it translates to coding.It translates to just sending out…”

Something that I notice constantly, is an assumption that digital business is different from traditional business; which is true for some aspects; but is false for most. You have a service or a product that you want people to be interested in. Those people live next door, around the corner and go to the same café and bar. You can reach them as easily as saying hello, and perhaps they’d like a t-shirt or an espresso?

You can get 500 people to stumble or visit your website for almost a dollar a person; you can get 500 to add your open social or facebook application as easily as launching it - but it will cost you at least $500 in time anyway. You can reach as many people as quickly for around the same cost throwing a party at a local bar - or you could do something more original. They might not visit your website - but they’ll learn more passively about it and tell more people about it as well. (This is completely assumed). And you’ll get some interesting pictures to associate with your launch on Flickr or video for YouTube.

Essentially, if you are after big, just make sure you dot your I’s and cross your T’s. Remove the obstacles that users might encounter; and listen to what your users say. If they want cake - it might be a good idea to provide it.

Last 5 posts by James Little