November 16, 2005
an open letter to bill gates
Dear Bill,
One of your more groovy and well-known employees, Robert Scoble called the little South African wine company I work for, Stormhoek, “Microsoft’s Real Competiton”. [This was in response to an earlier blog post of mine.]
Of course I was delighted. Good PR for Stormhoek etc, plus I was getting tired of always hearing you guys just mentioned in the same breath as Google or Apple. I mean, give somebody else a turn, C’mon.
Of course, the “Stormhoek vs Redmond” idea left a few people going “Huh?”
Small wine company? Big software company? Competitors? What’s up with that?
Frankly, methinks what seperates us are minor technicalities. Size isn’t everything. After all, unlike Microsoft, we don’t have an army of folk on the payroll. Not do we have an army of sharholders to keep happy. Both are a royal pain to keep on board. Small has its advantages. We like that. “Meaning Scales”.
Secondly, at the end of the day, we’re both competing for the same thing.
We’re both competing for other people’s money. We’ve both got bills to pay.
More importantly, we’re both competing for what they call “Conversation Share”. People have a choice; they can spend their limited time on earth talking about the X-Box, or talking about a small vineyard in South Africa. Their choice, not ours. All we can do is make their choice easier to make in our favor, using what limited resources we have. And that in turn sustains our markets. That in turn allows us to meet payroll.
And yes, both Microsoft and Stormhoek are ultimately selling the same thing. We’re both selling stuff that allows people to interact with each other more easily. Both software and wine are forms of social lubrucant. At the end of the day, “Other People” is all we have.
You’re a smart guy; none of this stuff will be alien to you. But it’s alien to much of the wine business, and dare I say, business in general. A lot of people get into the wine business to escape the real world– leave the rat race and open a vinyard etc etc. We’re trying to do the exact opposite. We want to kick some butt. We want to disrupt the market we’re in. We want to prove a point. Software or booze, it isn’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.
And yeah, if either Microsoft or Stormhoek ever forgets this stuff, we’re dead. When Robert Scoble talks about Microsoft’s Job Number One should not be “Making Products”, but “Thrilling Customers”, he’s not just talking about software. He could be talking about wine just as easily. ANY person in business should have the same goal. It isn’t rocket science. Again, “Meaning Scales”.
Good luck in Redmond. Looking forward to seeing Vista when it comes out.
Godspeed,
Hugh MacLeod
http://www.gapingvoid.com
Cumbria, UK
Brilliant Hugh! Your rap is absolutely right.
Send some social lubricant!
Once in a while you say something that makes me reconsider dramatically why and how I make jewellery. As I read your blog I am more convinced that the most important aspect of the whole thing is to give my customers something interesting to say when someone asks them, “nice earrings, where did you get them?”.
Note to Wine Company: Compete with Starbucks Not Microsoft
Yeah sure, I know that only a fool would ignore the Scoble bait, Why a Wine Company Competes with Microsoft, and Hugh jumped over like a happy little puppy for some tummy rubbing link love with his new Open Letter…
the label contest seems a little manipulative, no? it seems as if you guys had the idea with the fresh sticker all along, and held the contest to generate ‘conversation’ as you say, with no real intention of announcing a winner? nice spin on referring to submissions, by pointing out michelle’s comment, without choosng a winner from submissions.
very clever. but from what little i know of marketing, people don’t like being deceived?
Jack, the “design competition” is not over yet, so there’s no winner to announce yet. We’re still open to ideas. And we have no intention of keeping the money for ourselves.
Keep in mind– this is an organic work in progress. I have no idea what lies on the other end.
Well put.
But now I have the hilarious thought in my head the the “web 2.0 flip” is now going to involve the big guys buying out small wine companies from South Africa.
RSS Smackdown
I do appreciate Seth Godin’s giving us amateurs another lesson in how to do RSS feeds. His instructions are pretty damn clear. But I have to admit, the whole process is still a little daunting. I do have a few
thoughts on my thoughts? here is one for nick and jake.
Diageo (huge fugly corp) is doing whiskey tasting tours to Talisker country (bonnie scotland not so industrial)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Spittoonbiz?m=906
Did Bill Gates replayed your letter ?
Sorry, I meant Did Bill Gates reply your message?
FUck bill gates ..who cares about him…
sizegenetics