More MySpace Love
If you’d prefer a cogent analysis of the rise of Myspace over the Page 6 version of events, I’d highly recommend you read Nisan Gavvay of Startup Review’s timely piece on how MySpace became popular.
In short it wasn’t music, it was the fact that the servers stayed up when Friendsters were down. They didn’t show friend chains or let people from the Phillipines sign up because it taxed the servers too much.
They tried to spam their parent companies email lists but it didn’t really work. But it gave them a start and the site spread virally from there.
Also, interestingly the ‘overnight’ success didn’t really start gaining traction until 6-9 months after launching.
Either way, go and read the piece. Certainly poses interesting questions on the endevors of Blue Lithium and Oversee, who are now launching consumer facing startups on the back of similar direct marketing prowess.
