LockergnomePast, Present, Future

The Past

1996

• Simple, text e-mail messages

• Sponsor-supported newsletters

• Windows-centric

• Weekly distribution

• More creative than descriptive

• Need for a dedicated salesperson

• Hosted on Filez.com virtual server

The First Challenges

• Lack of local support, understanding

• Friends did not share vision

• New business models

• No smart funding opportunities

• E-mail newsletter learning curve

• Sparse competition

• No business experience, few guides

1997 – 1999

• Merger with alleged organized network

• Offer from Meckler for $100k

• First employees

• Set to publish on daily basis in HTML

• Branched into other content

• Time to write book, establish expertise

• Several quotes in the press

Sales Headaches

• Needed to find the right people

• Yielded too much control, responsibility

• Expensive mistakes

• Processes never refined

• Affiliate programs

• Training, retraining, motivation

The Iowa Connection

• Started preaching to the choir

• Little Red Hen Syndrome

• Few other like-minded geeks

• Became a poster child with energy

• Proposed to do a radio show

• Wanted to help everybody possible

• No local budgets

Gnomedex

• Proposed by chat room regulars

• Started with simple intentions

• Bring the world to the average geek

• September 13-14, 2001

• Iowa support was lackluster

• Difficult to describe to outsiders

TechTV

• Emailed Megan Morrone for promotion

• “Discovered” as a webcam interviewee

• Never seen the network before

• Decided (jointly) to make the move

• Trial by fire

• Low men on totem pole

• Frustration set in towards the end

eBook Surprises

• Began life as $5 GnomeTomes

• Rebranded as Lockergnome Tutorials

• Whittled down to PDF and MP3

• Gangbusters!

• $10k for the Birthday Special

• More authors, more problems

180 Degrees

• Moved from SF to LA

• Decided to initiate marital separation

• Grew apart from Iowa connections

• Worked with unsigned manager

• Handed most operations to new crew

• Met soul mate online

• Waited for Godot to appear

The Reckoning

Early 2004

• “Here I go again, on my own”• Tasks became a family affair• Had to shed kid-in-basement perception• Refused to hire another salesperson• Wanted to re-appear in the media• Incorporated CMS, Mail System• Needed new publishing mindset• Stuck fulfilling other people’s promises

The Present

Contributors

• Lockergnome became a bully pulpit

• Promotional engine for expertise

• Extended coverage beyond “computers”

• Further enabled the community

• Empowered other tech enthusiasts

• Infinite editorial opportunities

• Managed, directed by fantastic editor

Google AdSense

• Joel Comm offered suggestions

• Changed our model instantly

• Sleeping giant of the publishing industry

• Started reworking Web pages

• Started reworking RSS

• Overhauled e-mail newsletters

The Future

Tutorials Relaunch

• Authors get 50/50 Split of Gross

• Easily managed through eSellerate

• Simplified affiliate sign-up

• Simplified new author sign-up

• Jake Ludington at the helm

• Technology topics and beyond

• PDF, MP3, no DRM

The Chris Pirillo Show!

• Independent Internet Audio Broadcast

• Immediately seeking partners, sponsors

• Built for syndication model

• “Answer-based” akin to Call for Help

• For technology enthusiasts

• Hollywood won’t do it, so we will

• Instant audience, instant recognition

Game Plan

• Extending the model– New Contributors [Bloggers]– New Channels [Tech-centric]– New Partnerships [RSSAuction.com]– New Sponsors [Non-affiliate]

• Helping others with Context-based Ads

• “Open source” Lockergnome.com design

The End?