Re: Get a job at a dot.bomb

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- progeny -dot- com>]

Andrew Plato wrote:

> 
> I also hate to tell you, but tech writers are getting it on the chin. Just this
> week I have 29 resumes from tech writers that were laid off in the Bay Area,
> Seattle, and Portland. I have two writers on staff that were laid off from
> local companies.

Thanks for the concrete figures, Andrew. You're probably in a much
better position to evaluate what's happening than most of us. 

Just out of curiosity: how many resumes would you normally expect in
a week from the Bay Area?

 
> As for dot.coms.  The run-away spending of 1998-2000 is gone. The new order is
> control and command. The people in charge are clamping down on excessive
> spending. Everything must have tangible return on investment (ROI). ROI that is
> short term and very real. Expect long, complex projects with questionable ROI
> to get tanked in favor of "slap it together at the last minute" type
> operations.

I agree with everything you say here except the last comment.
Investors not only want a realistic hope of return; they also want
proof of serious planning. The days when someone could cut and paste
a few generalities from other business plans, then do a search and
replace are gone. Investors want details, and they're taking due
diligence much more seriously.

 
> Right now, two markets are fairing pretty well: handhelds and networking.
> Networking is lucky, it is like electricity, it will ALWAYS have a future.
> Handhelds are doing well too. Not sure why.

A lot of research and development is being done in clusters these
days and embedded systems, too. Clusters, of course, could be
thought of as more highly evolved networks, while embedded systems
take in handhelds. But, whatever you call them, I suspect that most
of the innovations will come from these areas in the next while.

> What is not doing well - one acronym: B2B-ANYTHING. B2B is a faltering idea and
> concept. Many of the promises of technology providing frictionless and
> just-in-time inventory didn't pan out.

You mean we can offically retire that acronym? Good! Now, if we all
clap our hands, maybe P2P will go away, too...

-- 
Bruce Byfield 317.833.0313 bbyfield -at- progeny -dot- com
Director of Marketing and Communications,
Progeny Linux Systems

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if
it's been through a liquidizer first."
-Les Barker

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