Just a token.
Really, a trifle.
What I want from you is….
YOUR VOICE.
–Ursula, in The Little Mermaid
There comes a time in every product lifecycle when people start to ask “Who does this data belong to anyway?“
Does it belong to the developers and funders of the product? Or does it belong to the people who begin using the product in the hope that “leverage your network” doesn’t mean “steal your network”?
I hope it means the latter. That’s not great from a short-term product standpoint, it reduces the amount of cash you can make upfront and how quickly you can monetize. But here are some reasons NOT to block access to user data:
It sidelines your value prop: If you’re a data hoarder, say so. Chances are that’s not in your mission, vision or values on your company “about us” page. For BraveNewTalent, our mission is to Map Global Talent. Our value lies in mapping talent, building employer talent communities and supplying tools to make your data more usable in general, whether you’re an employer or a jobseeker. Our value doesn’t lay in collecting stuff, making a huge database that’s JUST AS HARD TO SEARCH AS THE STUFF WE HAVE NOW! pssht
It’s a bait and switch. People are getting smarter and stuff like that has a way of coming back to bite you. Now, in a world where the users and content are king, do you really think it’s the best idea to be seen as the social media equivalent of a used car salesperson (don’t get your pants in a twist, my hubby used to be one…)? When you continue to build out cool “free” services and then WHAM! hit users with a pay to play model (even if you do it as steadily and sneakily as LinkedIn) people moan and groan and start looking for tools with TOS that will remain consistent.
It shows a lack of understanding. The way the new space works is less about stagnant data and more about targeted, rich data that can be updated, managed and used. Most people are willing to pay to have their data enhanced, built out, managed, parsed and made more dynamic. Less people are willing to pay for a pile of names/email addresses/profiles/numbers because when you get down to it, it’s freaking difficult to wade through.
You can’t control social. You can build data silos, digital pens, networked fences and paywalled rooms, but you can’t contain people. When companies try to corral the user’s data (and employers, recruiters and hiring managers ARE users) one of two things happen: People either move on to a different platform or usage is reduced or stopped. It’s like building a house with your bare hands because you want it exactly right and then finding out you’re building it for the rich guy that already has his own daggum house. Your building will suffer when you feel it’s not your own.
**This is not a post about not monetizing or about creating products that are open, free and easy to every corporation out there. I know people have to make money, but if you allow me to import all my data and then turn around and charge me for the privilege of building your database, we have a problem.
