Successful venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki launched Truemors, a site that explores media rumors, about a year ago for $12,107.09, and it's now been bought by NowPublic, the world's largest user-generated news site, who hired Kawasaki to continue on the board.
Kawasaki's business model was like many others: throw it up against a wall and see if it sticks. Venture Beat commented at the launch that it was a site smothered in spam. Eventually the site was cleaned up and traffic grew from zero to 50,000 people a month. There was no public announcement of Kawasaki selling the site, and no price was given, but NowPublic is the new owner and Kawasaki still plays a key role.
Hunger for Gossip Sites
Truemors Sold to NowPublic
Trend Themes
1. User-generated News - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a platform that allows users to generate and share news content, attracting a large audience and potential revenue through advertising or subscriptions.
2. Media Rumor Exploration - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a website or app that focuses on exploring and discussing media rumors, providing a platform for users to engage with rumor-related content and generate discussions.
3. Site Cleanup and Optimization - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build a service or tool that helps website owners detect and remove spam, improving user experience and driving traffic growth.
Industry Implications
1. Digital Media - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce new digital media platforms or tools that cater to the growing demand for user-generated content and rumor exploration.
2. Online News - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Reinvent the online news industry by creating innovative news platforms that prioritize user-generated content and foster engagement through rumor exploration.
3. Website Optimization - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Provide website optimization services or tools that help website owners enhance their platforms, improve user experience, and drive traffic growth.