RE: UKNM: So, any techys from BOO like a job?

[Sarah Clelland]

>Sorry to be so uncharitable, but weren't the techies one of the 

causes of the low-flying (nay, hedge-trimming) start that BOO, er, 

enjoyed?<


The problems with the site have been well documented. What I find 

really disconcerting is Ernst Malmsten from boo admitting to the FT 

that they weren't in control of their financial situation. 


Boo.com failed because they rushed to market, going live on a 

massive scale when they had no majorly exciting products, hadn't 

tested their site properly, didn't have substantial fulfillment 

systems in place and got their financial and marketing strategies 

wrong. In short their entire business plan was seriously flawed.


Engineering and testing your site is crucial and any developer 

worth their salt would not agree to deliver an untested site in an 

unreasonable amount of time without making a client aware of the 

implications. BUT, if the lunatics have taken over the asylum in the 

finance department, is there a case that the techies are the 

scapegoats for what was actually a failed business strategy? 

I fear that many businesses who have let impatience override sound 

business judgement may go the same way as boo.


Anyway, if any techie from boo.com with good asp skills is out there, 

Snow Valley can offer you a good home. 


Sarah Clelland

www.snowvalley.com



-----Original Message-----

From: Felix Velarde [

felixhead-newmedia [dot] com (mailto:felixhead-newmedia [dot] com)

]

Sent: 18 May 2000 10:14

To:

uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com

Subject: Re: UKNM: So, any techys from BOO like a job?



on 18/5/00 i read:


>Sorry about being so un-subtle, but with the shortage of

>good techys anything is worth a punt.


Sorry to be so uncharitable, but weren't the techies one of the 

causes of the low-flying (nay, hedge-trimming) start that BOO, er, 

enjoyed?


>In fact the demise of BOO has done the industry much

>good at all levels.


I agree with that statement - I hope it will make people realise that 

it isn't just good spiel that counts. With any luck it might also 

make VCs realise that getting the marketing right first time is the 

most important aspect of any business (the product and fulfillment 

only defines the price, the marketing defines the interest). It might 

also make groups of people think twice before starting something of 

that scale without previous, successful, experience together.


I do however feel very sorry for the 300 employees who fell victim.


-- 


Felix Velarde, CEO, Head New Media     office  + 44 (0)20 7737 7579

http://www.head-newmedia.com            mobile  + 44 (0)777 557 2000



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