2,000 “gate keepers” make or break a Web 2.0 start up
Robert Scoble argues that there is a gang of about 2,000 early adopters that flock to a new tool — like Twitter, for instance — and provide a breeding ground for mass success. According to him, it’s essentially the same 2,000 people, and though they don’t guarantee that a platform will take off, their presence is essential.
You see, there’s a gang of about 2,000 people who really control tech industry hype and play a major role in deciding which services get mainstream hype (this gang was all on Twitter by early 2007 — long before Oprah and Ashton and all the other mainstream celebrities, brands, and journalists showed up). I have not seen any startup succeed without getting most of these folks involved. Yes, Mike Arrington of TechCrunch is the parade leader, but he hardly controls this list. Dave Winer proved that by launching Bit.ly by showing it first to Marshall Kirkpatrick and Bit.ly raced through this list.
