Micro-Audiences

Podcasting and the like has opened up the realm of "micro-audiences" to people (as I discussed briefly a few days ago, in relation to Scoble's missive to his boss), making them wonder why no one ever picked up on this new paradigm before. As I sit here watching Food Network, and a special in which celebrity chef Bobby Flay mentors young chefs, I noticed that none of the kids knew who he was.

Bobby Flay?! How can you not know who Bobby Flay is? That's when it occurred to me, these inner-city kids probably don't have cable TV. It was then that I realized that cable TV was serving content to micro-audiences before blogs and podcasting. Niche networks turned people like chefs into household names. There's no good reason why I should know who Bobby Flay is, as I've never eaten in one of his restaurants. But I do.

The internet and cable TV have given us the ability to get much more information on subjects that we enjoy, one might even say too much information. We don't just play videogames any more, we know who made them, and we know a lot about everything that went into them. DVD Special Editions show us the entire process of movie making. There have always been enthusiasts, but now you can literally become an enthusiast about anything you want ... instantly.

I've always said that there are two killer applications ... Information and Communication. You want to make a product that will be an instant hit? Make something that will allow people to get information on anything they want, and communicate it to others. Anything that can improve either process will be a winner.

We're all content providers. We've been entertaining our friends for years, that's nothing new. The only difference is that our reach has been expanded. The real question is, where can we go now? Our reach is world-wide, you can't get any bigger than that. Our delivery mechanism is almost instant, and you can't get much better than that, either. I surmise that the first can't be improved, so only the second is worth focusing on. And the only way to improve that is ubiquity. Make that content come to you, without you asking for it, and only intelligent agents and pervasive wireless can make that happen.

Although, apparently a lot of people out there are trying to tackle that first obstacle too. Belated Congrats out to the SpaceShipOne team on winning the Ansari X-Prize.