MyVideo in 2010
This is personal continuation of the brief update I wrote on the MyVideo Blog about recent changes behind the scenes.
When we formalised MEDIAS, we knew managing various brands, platforms and services would be a difficult task. Our focus shifted towards technology platforms and services relating to video, particularly in a mobile context. As a result MyVideo was left to tick over while we observed activity and debated its future. Earlier in the year, I decided to part ways with MEDIAS to renew focus on MyVideo and realise its potential. Parting ways with a startup and my work colleagues was a difficult decision but one that I feel is best given my goals and aspirations for the future.
The idea of MyVideo has always been about a local platform, a way of organising, aggregating and presenting South African video content.The technologists out there have argued that such a platform is insignificant with YouTube dominating the global and local market. There is no doubt that YouTube is a dominant force and I believe its invention to be critical to the evolution of the web. But YouTube will always be YouTube. In an emerging market such as South Africa, local opportunities require flexibility and an understanding of market conditions. There will always be opportunities outside of YouTube and the opportunities for integration, alongside differentiation, are just as exciting. It is in this spirit that the next iteration of MyVideo and its combination of platforms and services will be introduced.
Much has been learned since MyVideo’s inception in 2007 ranging from technical frameworks to content delivery. I’m a huge believer in iteration (the act of repeating a process) and I think we achieved some success leading up to 2010. The challenge for the new team currently working on MyVideo is to lay a new foundation with particular emphasis on future iterations. It will take time and patience but I believe the journey is an exciting one.
The MyVideo blog and MyVideo Twitter Stream will be the best place to follow the developments as we start the new journey.
Feel free to add your comments or queries here if you have any.
Looking forward to seeing the next version Tristan, MyVideo has a lot of potential. Keep at it.
Cheers
Thanks for the support Davo! I agree, it has exciting potential! I’ll post another update on the progress soon.
All the best.
May 14th, 2010
10:10 am