Comments on: Micro-Fads, Micro-Markets http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2005/02/28/micro-fads-micro-markets/ The personal web site of Brendon J. Wilson, a software developer, technologist, and entrepreneur living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:30:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Getafirstlife.com Creates a Micro-Market at www.brendonwilson.com http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2005/02/28/micro-fads-micro-markets/#comment-27554 Getafirstlife.com Creates a Micro-Market at www.brendonwilson.com Tue, 23 Jan 2007 06:19:04 +0000 http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/?p=220#comment-27554 [...] I noticed that Darren Barefoot (yah, Vancouver!) was pretty quick to capitalize on the micro-fame of his Get A First Life spoof of Second Life. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but I swear those CafePress T-Shirts that are now for sale on the site weren’t there this morning. [...] [...] I noticed that Darren Barefoot (yah, Vancouver!) was pretty quick to capitalize on the micro-fame of his Get A First Life spoof of Second Life. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but I swear those CafePress T-Shirts that are now for sale on the site weren’t there this morning. [...]

]]> By: Andrew Tinka http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2005/02/28/micro-fads-micro-markets/#comment-324 Andrew Tinka Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/?p=220#comment-324 Well, bringing it back to the old bits/atoms metaphor: Yes, you can slap together a web business selling T-shirts really quickly, because all you have to do is send CafePress some bits and they do all the heavy lifting of putting atoms onto shirts. But it took a long time for CafePress to build that factory, and it's a perilous business model (as far as I can tell, they're the only ones in that particular market). Also, CafePress serves all comers. Even people competing for the same micro-niche will use the same factory to print their T-shirts. Why does this happen? Because the structural atoms - the T-shirt - is generic and interchangeable. Having one factory serving everybody is the only way to get the price down. So my opinion is that the micro-markets you're talking about will only form around products where the <em>encoded information</em> holds the value, and the <em>physical structure</em> is irrelevant to the buying decision. Slapping logos on T-shirts is the obvious pioneer. CafePress now also does mouse pads, coffee mugs, hats, beer steins... all of which I think satisfy the criteria I've mentioned. But is there anything beyond "heat-transferred logos on basic goods" that does? Well, bringing it back to the old bits/atoms metaphor: Yes, you can slap together a web business selling T-shirts really quickly, because all you have to do is send CafePress some bits and they do all the heavy lifting of putting atoms onto shirts.

But it took a long time for CafePress to build that factory, and it’s a perilous business model (as far as I can tell, they’re the only ones in that particular market).

Also, CafePress serves all comers. Even people competing for the same micro-niche will use the same factory to print their T-shirts. Why does this happen? Because the structural atoms - the T-shirt - is generic and interchangeable. Having one factory serving everybody is the only way to get the price down.

So my opinion is that the micro-markets you’re talking about will only form around products where the encoded information holds the value, and the physical structure is irrelevant to the buying decision. Slapping logos on T-shirts is the obvious pioneer.

CafePress now also does mouse pads, coffee mugs, hats, beer steins… all of which I think satisfy the criteria I’ve mentioned. But is there anything beyond “heat-transferred logos on basic goods” that does?

]]> By: Brendon J. Wilson http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2005/02/28/micro-fads-micro-markets/#comment-325 Brendon J. Wilson Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/?p=220#comment-325 The point you appear to be pushing is that the value is in the malleable digital goods, which I agree with. However, I don't believe that the physical business side required to bring these goods to the masses is a perilous as you make out. But actually, I'd see it the opposite way - like you say, the ideas are dime a dozen, coming and going. But the physical infrastructure is relatively difficult for individuals to duplicate. As long as the fads keep bubbling CafePress can keep printing money (not a lot of money, mind you, but a nice little business that keeps people employed, pays the bills, and so on). The point you appear to be pushing is that the value is in the malleable digital goods, which I agree with. However, I don’t believe that the physical business side required to bring these goods to the masses is a perilous as you make out. But actually, I’d see it the opposite way - like you say, the ideas are dime a dozen, coming and going. But the physical infrastructure is relatively difficult for individuals to duplicate. As long as the fads keep bubbling CafePress can keep printing money (not a lot of money, mind you, but a nice little business that keeps people employed, pays the bills, and so on).

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