The Weekly Podcast: Rocketboom, Microsoft, Open Text
I may not have much time for blogging this weekend given preparations for a World Cup BBQ but here's this week's podcast. Not surprisingly, Kevin Restivo and I looked at the ongoing Rocketboom soap opera, and whether it deserved anywhere near the attention it received. We also talked about Microsoft's much-speculated move into the MP3 player market - a development we think will expand the market rather than be an iPod-killer. Finally, we delved into Open Text's takeover bid for Hummingbird, which appears to be yet another sign of consolidation in the Canadian software market.
Update: If you want some more Rocketboom “stuff”, check out this YouTube video (the video has been pulled off YouTube) check out this video of Andrew Baron, who appeared yesterday at CaseCamp in Toronto. It's an interesting PR strategy for him to talk about the split with Congdon but perhaps Andrew thinks it's better to get his message out after watching Amanda control the message for much of the week. His take is he and Amanda were having problems but they were in the process of trying to work something out that would have let her move to L.A. and continue to do Rocketboom. Here's a quote about Rocketboom's future
what everyone else thinks it will look like. My point for bringing up my confidence in all this is I can see in the long-run - say three weeks from now, a month from now - is people will be back. It will so much greater and stronger and people will be back in the swing of it, and this will put behind me. However, getting to that point is the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my
life and I am not prepared for it. I don't have that kind of experience
to deal with that kind of stuff. All I have is consulting with people while keeping it together creatively.”
As much as everyone appears to be siding with Amanda, Andrew comes across in the video as sincere and genuine. (Disclaimer: I've met Andrew a couple times, and like him. He strikes me as very Canadian: modest, smart, funny, nice guy). One thing that does come across if you read between the lines is Rocketboom is not flush with cash.
Update: Mathew Ingram watched the video as well today, and you can find his thoughts here. Leesa Barnes, who attended the CaseCamp event, also has some thoughts.
