More Scoble family news, challenges ahead for PodTech

Maryam, this afternoon, will announce the other news we've been holding back on: she's joining PodTech too.

I told you she was a good negotiator! 🙂

But, seriously, she's built up a large audience of her own on her blog and her interests are far different than mine are. (She has a popular book and movie clubs).

That might give you a hit about what else attracted me about PodTech.net: it isn't going to be only about tech. 

She also is a better writer than I am and, even, more human. Truth be told she's the main reason I've been successful at Microsoft. First, she backed me up everytime. Second, she gave me the time and the space I needed to blog and read all the feeds I do. Third, she keeps our family running like a well-tuned watch. Fourth, she gives the best back rubs. Oh, TMI (too much information). Heheh.

Oh, and Dave Burke, I totally agree with you about PodTech that its content is too commercial and not interesting enough. I wouldn't subscribe to it, if I weren't joining the company. In fact, last week before I had made my decision John Furrier asked a mailing list I'm on for advice about the new redesign they turned on last week. I gave the company 21 ideas to improve.

I've done this before. Remember how I got to Microsoft? I stood up at an MVP Summit and told Ballmer how to improve Microsoft (I told him to get Microsoft a more human face). He signed a dollar bill for me for that idea. A few months later I got hired to help the company get a more human face.

See, I don't want to join companies where everything is going well. Why? Cause there's no opportunities there! 

So, don't subscribe to PodTech.net just cause I'm going. Make us earn your subscription! 

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47 thoughts on “More Scoble family news, challenges ahead for PodTech

  1. Nice blog….indeed number one on wordpress.com ranking ..Well, can you please share it how u added nice amozon script and personalised banner in your blog…..? A hint will work for me…..thanks

    Like

  2. Nice blog….indeed number one on wordpress.com ranking ..Well, can you please share it how u added nice amozon script and personalised banner in your blog…..? A hint will work for me…..thanks

    Like

  3. double nice news !! :)_ Con’grat !!

    Will Scoble Jr be doing podcasting too :)-

    Afterall, if he appears as a guest you may jus sway the 10-15 yrs demographics towards your corner !!

    Like

  4. double nice news !! :)_ Con’grat !!

    Will Scoble Jr be doing podcasting too :)-

    Afterall, if he appears as a guest you may jus sway the 10-15 yrs demographics towards your corner !!

    Like

  5. Microsoft will miss you whether they know it or not. My biggest frustration here is that the school district I work in blocks podtech.net with their filter. Internet blocking is a sore subject, but I have to say, it sure is tough to teach kids and make it relevant when the real innivation in the world is blocked in a school because we would rather keep the world out than teach them to live in it responsibly.

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  6. Microsoft will miss you whether they know it or not. My biggest frustration here is that the school district I work in blocks podtech.net with their filter. Internet blocking is a sore subject, but I have to say, it sure is tough to teach kids and make it relevant when the real innivation in the world is blocked in a school because we would rather keep the world out than teach them to live in it responsibly.

    Like

  7. I have just coined a term, that I hope is original to refer to the scale of your blog readership in comparison to mine – “on a Scoble scale”. It’s all yours man. I too have just resigned to pursue some crazy idea that I can do something meaningful outside an almost extinct corporate dinasour.

    Good Luck Scobes.

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  8. I have just coined a term, that I hope is original to refer to the scale of your blog readership in comparison to mine – “on a Scoble scale”. It’s all yours man. I too have just resigned to pursue some crazy idea that I can do something meaningful outside an almost extinct corporate dinasour.

    Good Luck Scobes.

    Like

  9. @3 I rather doubt Ballmer even knows. And if he does, likely doesn’t really care as Scoble’s loss won’t impact the shipping of either Vista or Office. From what I could tell nothing Scoble did ever directly added to MS’s bottom line, and MS wasn’t really dependent upon what was in his brain for anything innovative. So, unlike losing a Distinguised Engineer, losing Scoble likely doesn’t even earn a cursing rant from Ballmer. My guess is Ballmer’s likely somewhat nonplussed by where Scoble is going compared to Microsoft.

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  10. @3 I rather doubt Ballmer even knows. And if he does, likely doesn’t really care as Scoble’s loss won’t impact the shipping of either Vista or Office. From what I could tell nothing Scoble did ever directly added to MS’s bottom line, and MS wasn’t really dependent upon what was in his brain for anything innovative. So, unlike losing a Distinguised Engineer, losing Scoble likely doesn’t even earn a cursing rant from Ballmer. My guess is Ballmer’s likely somewhat nonplussed by where Scoble is going compared to Microsoft.

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  11. I’ll bet they just hired you to get Maryam. They just are worried about hurting your ego to say so. 🙂 Seriously though it sounds like this new company knows talent when they see it.

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  12. I’ll bet they just hired you to get Maryam. They just are worried about hurting your ego to say so. 🙂 Seriously though it sounds like this new company knows talent when they see it.

    Like

  13. Microsoft has billions of dollars. PodTech as like a crumbled twenty-dollar bill.

    As much as I despise Microsoft, I think I’d stay where the money is.

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  14. Microsoft has billions of dollars. PodTech as like a crumbled twenty-dollar bill.

    As much as I despise Microsoft, I think I’d stay where the money is.

    Like

  15. The corporate content is very well received by a certain audience (long tail topic based) but we recognize that going back to our roots is key – people and technology (Fresh Voices). I’ll be getting my show (Fresh Voices) back online shortly.

    John

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  16. The corporate content is very well received by a certain audience (long tail topic based) but we recognize that going back to our roots is key – people and technology (Fresh Voices). I’ll be getting my show (Fresh Voices) back online shortly.

    John

    Like

  17. My question for Bobby and John would be what do your podcasts offer that I can’t get from twit or the Gilmor Girls or any of the other myriad of podcasts out there? I went to the site and other than the mentions that you had hired Bobby, I can’t see what the benefit might be to subscribe to your feed.

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  18. My question for Bobby and John would be what do your podcasts offer that I can’t get from twit or the Gilmor Girls or any of the other myriad of podcasts out there? I went to the site and other than the mentions that you had hired Bobby, I can’t see what the benefit might be to subscribe to your feed.

    Like

  19. @14. I’m sure you have. MS’s management structure is not all that flat so it’s likely not all that difficult to interact with “several of those in management”. But that wasn’t the point. The point was about Ballmer and what impact your leaving has vs that of a Distinguished Engineer or someone DIRECTLY involved in actually shipping a product.

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  20. @14. I’m sure you have. MS’s management structure is not all that flat so it’s likely not all that difficult to interact with “several of those in management”. But that wasn’t the point. The point was about Ballmer and what impact your leaving has vs that of a Distinguished Engineer or someone DIRECTLY involved in actually shipping a product.

    Like

  21. Robert,

    Congrats again. It sure would help if you would explain why a very busy person like myself and your readers should take the time to visit Podtech, try out some podcasts/feeds and subscribe to them (I don’t have an Ipod but a Creative, so it’s kind of a pain). Give us the top N reasons why Podtech helps us do our jobs better.

    Thanks
    Tom

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  22. Robert,

    Congrats again. It sure would help if you would explain why a very busy person like myself and your readers should take the time to visit Podtech, try out some podcasts/feeds and subscribe to them (I don’t have an Ipod but a Creative, so it’s kind of a pain). Give us the top N reasons why Podtech helps us do our jobs better.

    Thanks
    Tom

    Like

  23. Lately, PodTech has been a serious mouthpiece for the advertisers or so it seems. I would like to see future items in the podcast clearly labeled as to whether it is paid promotion or not. The quality of the content has significantly been reduced from when John originally started.

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  24. Lately, PodTech has been a serious mouthpiece for the advertisers or so it seems. I would like to see future items in the podcast clearly labeled as to whether it is paid promotion or not. The quality of the content has significantly been reduced from when John originally started.

    Like

  25. Robert, congrats on the move… Even though you drink too much Kool Aid occasionally and the resultant posts just annoy me, you really have made a huge difference at Microsoft…

    And yes, let’s hope you can do the same for Podtech, ’cause I took a look at their front page and nearly screamed… Cluttered and commercial (hehe, like MS boxes)… So yes, do earn my subscription – let me know when things have changed a little over there and I’ll give ’em another look…

    -peter

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  26. Robert, congrats on the move… Even though you drink too much Kool Aid occasionally and the resultant posts just annoy me, you really have made a huge difference at Microsoft…

    And yes, let’s hope you can do the same for Podtech, ’cause I took a look at their front page and nearly screamed… Cluttered and commercial (hehe, like MS boxes)… So yes, do earn my subscription – let me know when things have changed a little over there and I’ll give ’em another look…

    -peter

    Like

  27. I hope you’re going to be doing PR or Professional Hobknobbing or something? The vocal mannerisms that so grate in C9 interviews would surely be all the more apparent in a podcast or vlog in which you are essentially interviewing yourself.

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  28. I hope you’re going to be doing PR or Professional Hobknobbing or something? The vocal mannerisms that so grate in C9 interviews would surely be all the more apparent in a podcast or vlog in which you are essentially interviewing yourself.

    Like

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