Change ChangeThis

Change ChangeThis

: Fred Wilson says I made a potshot at the launch of ChangeThis. Uh-huh.

I said that I don’t much like the concept. I don’t like the name — valuing change for change’s sake (why not ImproveThis?). I don’t like the attitude (“People are making emotional, knee-jerk decisions, then standing by them, sometimes fighting to the death to defend their position” — well, speak for yourself, people). I don’ t like the technology (PDFs are not interactive; they avoid conversation). I scanned the topics this morning and was unimpressed.

Now I’ve read the “manifestos” and I’m even more unimpressed:

: The Art of the Start is not a manifesto written for ChangeThis; it is an excerpt of Guy Kawasaki’s new book. It’s promotion. OK, that’s cool.

This is the kind of business book that makes high-altitude generalizations treating business as religion, or at least a cult:

There really is only one question you should ask yourself before starting any new venture: Do I want to make meaning?

Meaning is not about money, power, or prestige. It’s not even about creating a fun place to work. Among the meanings of