Why isn't Rev more popular?

[Eric Chatonet]

Hi Chipp,

Great post :-)
I fully agree!
I'm a bit surprised by Runrev refusals about your interesting  
initiatives: I did not think they were, let us say, a bit obstinate...
This can have evolved yet or will evolve shortly.
At least I hope so :-)
They were (and are yet) a small company: grow up is necessary but  
always difficult (remember when we were 13 years old :-)
In fact, I think they are growing up a lot since they released  
DreamCard, capturing a part of HC scripters in the education domain,  
but you are completely right: if they want to appear as credible for  
'inventive users" than for hardline programmers, they must have two  
lines of products.

Best Regards from Paris,

Eric Chatonet.

PS. did you make a CC to support?

Le 1 déc. 05 à 17:25, Chipp Walters a écrit :

> OK, my turn and 2 cents worth.
>
> Here are some other reasons why I believe RR is not popular.
>
> 1) The company is based in Scotland. It's one thing when your  
> primary programming language is owned by Apple, a whole other risk  
> assessment when owned by a small company in Scotland.
>
> 2) A largely isolationist business strategy by RR corporate. In the  
> US, companies rely on building strong strategic relationships with  
> other companies to help them get larger. Guy Kawasaki has written  
> about this and has been successful in promoting the 'sum is greater  
> than the parts' philosophy. RR should build stronger ties with  
> companies who can help them promote or use their technology. The  
> recent multi-million dollar acquisition of Konfabulator (an  
> inferior technology to RR) by Yahoo only points at the fact the  
> company is *not* getting around.
>
> When I was CEO of Human Code, we spent resources doing 'road shows'  
> at networking conferences like 'Demo' and others, where industry  
> shapers hang out. It helps get noticed. It worked, too. Eventually  
> our company was acquired for over 100 million by a major industry  
> IT group.
>
> 3) The language is proprietary, and contrary to popular beief, the  
> learning curve is steep. This is because of a) a lack of good  
> learning resouces (unlike say, Flash or VB or even HyperCard); b) a  
> non-friendly first user experience; and c) a hybrid procedural/ 
> object-oriented approach with a metaphor (cards) not easily  
> understood by programmers as it doesn't map to any existing  
> programming paradigm other than perhap wizards; and d) a mixed  
> business-logic/content paradigm sort of like HTML where display,  
> content are intertwined.
>
> 4) Already mentioned here, but a lack of consistent focus on the  
> target market. Small companies need to be vertical. Rev is not.  
> They want to be all things to all people. They essentially offer  
> the same program to the Enterprise programmer, the hobbist, the  
> school teacher, the commercial software programmer and the  
> 'inventive user.'
>
> How to fix?
>
> 1) Open up an office in the US and call it 'headquarters.'
> 2) Leverage existing resources (investors) for networking  
> opportunities
> 3) Create at least 2 'different' products based on DreamCard and  
> Rev which have totally different look-and-feel
> 4) Raise *serious* money if you have to (based on the Konfab deal,  
> this shouldn't be too hard).
> 5) Create more opportunities for users to get involved. Here are a  
> few examples of RR's seclusionary strategy:
>
> I've asked if Altuit can build tutorials and have them sold/hosted  
> on RevOnline. The answer was 'not at this time' and I believe based  
> on the wrong assumption that it would cannibalize sales of their  
> own tutorials.
>
> I've offered to take over the documentation publishing parts of  
> RunRev and automate the updating of doc and PDF's and purchasing  
> printed reference documents. I even created the tools and demo'ed  
> them to RR for free to show how easy it could be. Again answer was  
> 'no.'
>
> I've asked to have RR sell altSQLite for a 33% profit and the  
> answer was the profit was not enough based upon their projected  
> sales of altSQLite. So, altSQLite is not even listed *anywhere* on  
> their website. Guy Kawasaki sold 3rd party plugins for 4D at their  
> website for no profit, just to show support for his product and his  
> partners.
>
> Many people have asked about creating a WIKI or other helpful tools  
> and instead of embracing the spirit of the helpfullness, RR has  
> steadfastedly pulled back.
>
> All said, RR still has more than a few things going for it. It's a  
> great platform, plain and simple. The company seems to be solid  
> financial-wise (unlike many of the X-talks we've come to know and  
> leave). Things do improve, though not at the rate many of us wish  
> them to.
>
> best,
>
> Chipp

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