RE: UKNM: Wimps?

[Richard Houston]

Sean said:

>Hm; I thought inward direct investment was a Good Thing?


Yes you're probably right. Thanks for an interesting insight.


:-)


However, my original post was intended to draw attention to the fact that

practically all the web innovations (and their commercial manifestations)

have thus far originated in the US. While people on this list are winging on

about the "impact" of such-and-such a piece of javascript, our counterparts

in the US are drawing up plans that result in soon-to-be ubiquitous

properties such as Amazon, Expedia, Excite, Yahoo, SixDegrees, AOL,

AltaVista, Planetall etc etc etc.


Who in the UK has the balls to innovate? Failed carpetbaggers "One In A

Million" are all that spring to mind form the recent past  ... and Dixons I

suppose.  But neither of these are exportable properties in the Amazon /

Yahoo / SixDegrees mould.


My question was whether this trend can be explained entirely in terms of

domestic market size and investment muscle. Or are we just glad wimpishly to

follow the US innovators?


Stefan, *please, please* don't mention Upmystreet.


p.s. has Cliff Stanford done anything with his RedBus fund yet? The profits

from the sale of Demon were supposed to become UK venture capital. I wonder

whether anyone has had a good enough idea for him to invest in ....


Moan over. Roll on, Blue Sky.


Richard Houston

Brann.