Catwalking in cyber space

I don't care too much about clothes. Every few months, for as long as I can remember, I am seized by unhappiness at the way I dress. I the...

I don8217;t care too much about clothes. Every few months, for as long as I can remember, I am seized by unhappiness at the way I dress. I then gather my enthusiasm swiftly and rush to the shops with it. It8217;s usually gone before I can get there and I sigh back into my old clothes until a fresh burst seizes me once more.

In my old profession, journalism oops, make that media an editor could dress casually, which I did. Being a net entrepreneur gives me even greater leeway. I have had the satisfaction of wearing frayed trousers, T-shirt and keds and discussing potential investments over coffee.

I wonder sometimes if my choice of occupation is influenced by the dress code. Don8217;t mistake me. The net is actually a fashionable place. The fashion here hasn8217;t to do with clothes, it has to do with money. And fashion about what makes for a good investment changes more rapidly on the net than the colours of readytowear in the marketplace. At least when buying clothes, you know that your investment in black will be repaid over the next year or two.

On the net, you may seize the current fashion, invest crores on its basis, and discover six months later that your business model8217; incidentally, everything has to be a model8217; is passe. Too bad you can8217;t discard it like last year8217;s clothes. Perilous still is the fact that fashion as in readytowear is dictated by what happens in the US. Good thing that both investors venture capitalists and the invested net entrepreneurs are equally enthusiastic about dressing in the latest.

When our site was launched eight months ago, page views8217; was the measure of success. Pretty logical, one would have thought. It was around then that in an American article, I read of the concept of stickiness8217;: stickiness being the amount of time spent or pages viewed by a surfer. Around January this year, stickiness was all the rage. Everyone was breathlessly wearing it and discussing how it was a far better measure of a site8217;s long-term potential than page views. And now, after the stockmarket crash, revenue is in vogue.

As a designer would say, this is the age of minimalism. Just 12 months ago, no self-respecting, money-guzzling net entrepreneur would have been seen dead with revenue on his Pamp;L account. And the mere suggestion of profit would have sent him into a fit of outrage. Why? Because it would have meant that he wasn8217;t investing enough in his business. The maxim then was: the greater the losses, the greater the company8217;s market capitalisation. I have a sad admission to make. I have got into the business too late to enjoy the best excesses. Last year, I could have brandished a Mercedes as proof of long-term investment in the business. This year, I might have to settle for old clothes.

The writer is director, agencyfaqs.com, the advertising and marketing portal