The Argolon/LouderVoice 2008 Predictions
Written on January 1, 2008 by Conor O'Neill
Here’s a few quick ones off the top of my head:
- Cubic Telecom will have a £100m exit
- European Founders, Howzat Media, TAG or Advent will do a deal with a web or mobile start-up here
- More foreign VCs will invest in Irish web start-ups than Irish VCs
- One of the current batch of Irish Web 2.0 start-ups will go global in a big way
- EI’s €170m VC fund will continue to provide minimal benefits to Irish web start-ups
- Eircom’s small fund will result in two major web start-up successes
- Someone will launch a full Y Combinator/Seedcamp here
- Minister John McGuinness will be given responsibility for re-structuring all state bodies concerned with business
- EI will absorb Údarás na Gaeltachta
- EI will launch a self-contained web unit with its own budget, minimal red-tape, firewall access to Facebook and based in the Cork Gaeltacht or Kilkenny
- Damien Mulley will launch his own start-up
- Six Apart will launch a free version of Typepad
- Six Apart or Automattic will launch a full blown social network built on their blogging platforms
- Facebook Sign-to-Noise will continue to plummet as more and more people join and repeat usage plateaus (How many FB apps did I have to install this week just to read happy new year messages?)
- There will be a management bloodbath at a high level in the mobile operators as they see ARPU drop on traditional services and continue to sit idly-by, unable to make sense of the mobile internet
- Google’s Mobile strategy will continue to peek out here and there and continue scare the bejesus out of the incumbents
- The first Google Android phone will be launched by HTC and won’t be fantastic
- Amazon will merge with eBay
- Amazon will seriously impact Apple iTunes
- Google will buy 3 (ok ok that’s wishlist too)
- RyanAir will buy 3
- Ye know I cannot come up with one decent prediction about Microsoft. More of the same maybe?
- The BBC will brand the OLPC XO as the BBC Micro Model D and launch a major combined TV and internet education program around it
- Google will buy Bebo
- One of the video 2.0 companies will be massive (Qik, Seesmic, Kyte, Ustream etc)
- A dedicated generic Irish Social Network will be launched
- Bandon and Old Chapel will get 12 Mbs broadband (that’s on the fantasy list)
- Old Chapel residents will get flat-rate unencumbered 3.5G on our phones (ditto)
- 2008 will provide tougher challenges but greater rewards to Irish entrepreneurs than 2007
More as I think of them!
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dollars, that wouldnt keep me in cars Conor
No seriously, hopefully this year is good one for everyone on the Irish front.
We have some amazing products and a gang of superb people including yourself whose spirit never ceases to amaze me.
The magic word for me in 2008 is network, lets get out there more
Oh ok, sterling then
I’m convinced that people like you who believe in the powerful business benefits of community will see their efforts rewarded this year.
Totally agree on networking. Best advice I got all year was from my Da who said “you can’t build a successful business sitting in your office”.
As part of Open Coffee, would brain-storming sessions, or show-and-tell type sessions help start ups? I have a couple of apps that Id like to show and get feedback on and I’d love to help others with ideas or suggestions.
Absolutely.
The Cork OCCs have been very unstructured (in the spirit of the London one) but due to the smaller crowd I think we need to add structure.
We do have access to the boardroom in Rubicon if required so maybe we should have a few there with pre-agreed “agenda”. I though the Comhar session in that style worked very well.
Any OCC Cork planned?
Hopefully Friday week if I get my ass in gear
Good predictions. Beats the usual bland ‘there will be more activity in the social networking space’ any day.
I predict about 50% will come good. Not a bad hit rate at that!
Paul