Invitation
[this was a private invitation set up in September that never happened because of a lack of interest from the developers community, something unsurprising because there didnt seem like an immediate benefit at the time. the intention is not to point out the moneygrubbing practicality of technology talent misled, but to highlight how someting that makes sense can get missed.]
You are cordially invited to participate to enjoin in creating an API Developers Web Community, henceforth noted as ThePopulus for API Developers. I have identified a select number of developers to join me in this venture, based on what I have observed as excellence exhibited in the successful/winning applications that each of you have developed. I based my assessment on a variety of factors that include number of users signed up, activity, complexity of problem solving, as well as the ease of delivery/uptake by the user.
The development of the API business (or in application “app” creation) has been vibrant, with more than 50,000 Facebook users registering themselves as developers to date (August 2007) the flurry of apps has indeed brought much vigor and activity within Facebook. However, Facebook’s strength is also a developer’s bane — the notion of gated communities within closed networks. Without an ability to cross over networks, developers will find the viral nature of their applications inhibited and pale in comparison in uptake when compared against Facebook’s own proprietary offerings which are unabashedly splashed across your home page (your own profile view). Your success in spite of this handicap will serve you well in Facebook, because it will be rather difficult for the next developer to mimic your app and catch up with you, unless of course you’re so threateningly successful Facebook creates a copy of your application. Here’s the catch, the next social network that opens up may have watched your Cinderalla story and stepped in to provide their own Top Friends, Graffiti, SuperWall — stuff that should not be too difficult to replicate, since invention is harder than reverse-engineering. Your precedent success at Facebook does not protect you of your rights to those ideas, as some would argue. We should start focusing on how we continue to succeed post-Facebook, ex-Facebook.
What is ThePopulus API Developers?
ThePopulus is a platform that I am in the process of creating, that will represent the end-game scenario of what is the wave of social networking on the Internet. At the end of the day, it wouldn’t matter which network you choose to eventually stick with, because ThePopulus platform will enable you to communicate across all networks, share intelligence, mobilize people, etc. But this is further down the road.
The API development community needs some structure to build upon the budding community that we have. These relationships cannot be maintained through a third party. I am prepared to use my resources to bring everyone together to create the Super App. If we integrate into one brand, and market ourselves to the rest of the community , leading the way into the various networks, we will no doubt be champions in each of the components we cover. By components, I have identified various essential parts of a web community that the API Developers’ should have, and each one of you will realize that when combined, we would have addressed most of the suggestions made by the developers across several FB threads, for example, these are somethings I have in mind
API Directory — with tagged information fields, categorized, contains other pertinent data like registration date, reviewers,
Tech Corner — Collective Intelligence and shared knowledge
- Why reconstruct this off-Facebook? Imagine two standalone tech help forums for APIs - some will have Facebook API development experience, some won’t. In order to bring them together in terms of information gap, relying on Facebook to store the archives as well as one’s ability to find that information (requiring probably a brute scan by keywords)
Legal and Business Mindshare
- Legal guidance re: partnership agreements, intellectual property
- Business resources incl. advertising support, app sales listing/packaging
Community Support
- Review/test new apps
- Advice
- Explore potential partnerships/combinations
Discussion forum
- To employ tagging and user feedback to better archive as collective knowledge
- Promote community relations with topics ranging from technical, to mgmt, acquisition strategy, execution of tactics
I hope we can take these discussions to the next level. You can contact me to discuss how and what you think, I am open to playing a role as a host for you, to a minority investor in your App, or as majority shareholder… Most importantly, what I want to do is to build this whole community for Apps, using Apps, based on eventually, an open API.
Regards,
Kien
