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I imagine I'm going to get ripped again. But as harsh as the comments about this on HN were this weekend, they were also helpful. I think this will show you w

I imagine I'm going to get ripped again. But as harsh as the comments about this on HN were this weekend, they were also helpful. I think this will show you what I have in mind. If you don't want to say anything publicly, email me: mail at awarner dot com

abstractbill 17y ago
I think if you added some post-production to the older videos, and made sure the transcripts for them were really well edited and convenient to find and search, etc, this would be a great idea - you would be curating something of real value, and I would totally pay for older stuff if I missed it. Of course "how old" and "how much" are very important questions ;)
andrewtj 17y ago
For anyone who (like myself) missed Andrew getting 'ripped', it's over at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1140456 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1140456
dpcan 17y ago
Could you just put all the videos on a DVD every 6 months and sell the DVD for $40?
- abstractbill 17y ago
  That's not a bad idea. Yet another alternative: Pay for access to the live interview (which might mean you get the opportunity to suggest a question that gets asked). Make the archived videos free after, say, a week.
- covercash 17y ago
  I really like this idea. The one setback here is the initial quality of the video isn't the best (skype) so it may not look so hot on HDTVs. The video could be spiced up a bit by keeping the low res skype talking heads in the corner and filling the rest of the screen with supplemental information such as bullet points of key topics, demos of products and other similar, relevant information. This way Andrew can keep the basic skype interview on the site for free and charge for the DVDs that contain all of this exclusive bonus content. You could even bypass the DVD and just put the improved videos behind the paywall which gives viewers an incentive to actually pay.
- patio11 17y ago
  The purpose of this suggestion is to guarantee people who are unwilling to pay instant access to the best, easiest way to get to the interviews, while giving the patrons time-delayed access to an inferior way to get to the interviews. I don't see that working out very well.
  - jfarmer 17y ago
    Seems no-risk to me. Put up an order form, play with pricing and DVD contents, etc. DVDs are easy to make and you can take orders before shipping. If you only get 10 orders, burn 'em, mail 'em, and shut down the service as a failure.
- AndrewWarner 17y ago
  I prefer bits over atoms any day.
jakecarpenter 17y ago
Over the last several months your interviews have worked their way into my routine and I often turn to them for motivation and inspiration. I think that the opportunity to help other entrepreneurs is a big factor in folks being so candid with you and I hope that they continue to be so willing to participate. I'll gladly pay for your stuff, but I don't know that I really want subscribe to a service. What about charging for a podcast like product that rolled your transcript, interview, and bonus content into a single purchase? Throw it on iTunes and I'd give a few bucks per interview.
- bendtheblock 17y ago
  I agree on both points here. If I'm ever feeling de-motivated I listen to a Mixergy interview and the story alone can make me focus on whatever it is I'm doing and see things in a broader context.
detst 17y ago
I really enjoy your work Andrew and no doubt think it has value beyond even what you are asking for it. Maybe you should have posted this before making the switch. I think people would have been less harsh and more likely to offer advice. As bad as you got "ripped", remember that most of us here put your work in very high regard. You've created so many great interviews that I keep telling myself that I'll eventually get around to watching as many as I can yet only watch a limited selection here and there. Perhaps this will force me to watch more in the first week or pay the price but I hope I don't stop watching.
- AndrewWarner 17y ago
  Yes. I meant to. It was a goof. My plan was to create the premium service. Only apply it to older shows and let people pay whatever they want -- even nothing. Then tell the interviewees. And after all that, announce it. I worked on that plan for weeks, but then we goofed and the HN audience caught it quickly so I had to react.
ivankirigin 17y ago
I like your interviews, but don't usually have time to watch the whole length. I really like the short video snippets. You should be careful not to make transparency push too hard into vanity or navel-gazing. Multiple comment threads about your site are a real turn off, just like I don't give a fuck about Jason Calacanis or whether bloggers should pay attention to TED.
frederickcook 17y ago
I really like the idea of premium content. In many interviews, you can tell there is a lot more information the interviewee has on the subject, but won't fit into the 1-hour time constraint. I'm picturing something like Seth Godin's alternative MBA course. VC's and entrepreneurs constantly complain that MBA programs aren't useful, partly because they are taught by non-entrepreneurs. You have an opportunity to create some incredible content from people with the most relevant experiences. Feel free to be really creative with premium content.
jhancock 17y ago
Thanks for what you've done thus far. You've obviously put a lot of thought into this change. Go for it, I wish you success.
sailormoon 17y ago
Look, it's your site. You do what you want, of course. But getting into charging for content is a whole new game. Do you think you'd get some of the past interviewees if they'd known you were going to charge for access to the interview? Where's their cut? And others wouldn't have wanted to appear at all if their precious time was just going to a tiny paid audience. You say you're not happy with the view rates on older interviews. I consider this a problem with your site's design, which is really not much more than a blog. Go and look at TED's site, they have an excellent idea where the front page shows highlights from the past. Implementing something similar might work really well for you. I also think you're overestimating the ability or willingness of people here (your obvious audience) to pay anything at all. People here are trying to be "ramen profitable" and $25 is a lot of ramen. For every blowhard blustering (presumably making use of the satellite internet on their G) about how $25 is nothing and anyone who can't afford that should probably just give up, I guarantee you there's a hundred who can not just drop $25/m on a whim to watch some inspirational videos. I just think it's a bad idea. But like I said, hey, it's your site, and congratulations on your success so far.
- AndrewWarner 17y ago
  When I said on the reg page that you can pay anything you want, I meant it. While I'm figuring this out and launching, I'm letting people name their price. Several said they could only pay $10 so I let them do that. A few said free, so I gave them free.
icey 17y ago
I'm glad to see you're doing something to make some money off of Mixergy, Andrew. If it means that you've got an incentive to keep doing these interviews, then it's worth it. Is $25 a month the right price? I have no idea. But I appreciate the straightforward nature of asking for a subscription. There are some good suggestions on your site as well, such as charging per interview in iTunes. If you haven't thought about it already, it might be interesting for you to partner up with sites like StartupToDo.com as well, or something like that. I've already watched most of your videos, so I don't know if I'm the right target audience for what you're selling right now. There is something I would pay more than $25 a month for though, but it would probably require more than just your work to make it happen - If I heard about a private mailing list that contained tips, advice, anecdotes, whatever that came from people like you, patio11, Jason Cohen, maybe maxklein (I'm undecided at the moment ;)), etc and I knew that the information sent out to that list wouldn't get made public for at least a month, I'd probably sprain my elbow trying to get my credit card out fast enough to start giving you my info. Maybe that's a model for you as well - private memberships get early access to interviews, not archive access. I mean, these things contain actionable information; I would think their greatest value would be right when they're made. Anyways, I'm sure you'll hit the right formula eventually. Nobody likes it when something that used to be free starts costing money; but if the product is good enough they'll get over it.
- jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
  ive actually thought about doing something like this after thoroughly investigating email newsletters. not sure on the formula. not sure if you make it paid.
  - icey 17y ago
    I would prefer paid to ad-supported. If you're talking about the art of business on the internet, I'm a firm believer in the idea that there is an advantage to knowing about techniques and opportunities before everyone else does. A paid subscription limits the audience more than an ad-supported service would. I mean, it's got to provide actionable information for it to be worthwhile, but these guys have been giving actionable information away for free all this time anyways.

abstractbill 17y ago

I think if you added some post-production to the older videos, and made sure the transcripts for them were really well edited and convenient to find and search, etc, this would be a great idea - you would be curating something of real value, and I would totally pay for older stuff if I missed it. Of course "how old" and "how much" are very important questions ;)

andrewtj 17y ago

For anyone who (like myself) missed Andrew getting 'ripped', it's over at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1140456 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1140456

dpcan 17y ago

Could you just put all the videos on a DVD every 6 months and sell the DVD for $40?

abstractbill 17y ago
That's not a bad idea. Yet another alternative: Pay for access to the live interview (which might mean you get the opportunity to suggest a question that gets asked). Make the archived videos free after, say, a week.
covercash 17y ago
I really like this idea. The one setback here is the initial quality of the video isn't the best (skype) so it may not look so hot on HDTVs. The video could be spiced up a bit by keeping the low res skype talking heads in the corner and filling the rest of the screen with supplemental information such as bullet points of key topics, demos of products and other similar, relevant information. This way Andrew can keep the basic skype interview on the site for free and charge for the DVDs that contain all of this exclusive bonus content. You could even bypass the DVD and just put the improved videos behind the paywall which gives viewers an incentive to actually pay.
patio11 17y ago
The purpose of this suggestion is to guarantee people who are unwilling to pay instant access to the best, easiest way to get to the interviews, while giving the patrons time-delayed access to an inferior way to get to the interviews. I don't see that working out very well.
- jfarmer 17y ago
  Seems no-risk to me. Put up an order form, play with pricing and DVD contents, etc. DVDs are easy to make and you can take orders before shipping. If you only get 10 orders, burn 'em, mail 'em, and shut down the service as a failure.
AndrewWarner 17y ago
I prefer bits over atoms any day.

jakecarpenter 17y ago

Over the last several months your interviews have worked their way into my routine and I often turn to them for motivation and inspiration. I think that the opportunity to help other entrepreneurs is a big factor in folks being so candid with you and I hope that they continue to be so willing to participate. I'll gladly pay for your stuff, but I don't know that I really want subscribe to a service. What about charging for a podcast like product that rolled your transcript, interview, and bonus content into a single purchase? Throw it on iTunes and I'd give a few bucks per interview.

bendtheblock 17y ago
I agree on both points here. If I'm ever feeling de-motivated I listen to a Mixergy interview and the story alone can make me focus on whatever it is I'm doing and see things in a broader context.

detst 17y ago

I really enjoy your work Andrew and no doubt think it has value beyond even what you are asking for it. Maybe you should have posted this before making the switch. I think people would have been less harsh and more likely to offer advice. As bad as you got "ripped", remember that most of us here put your work in very high regard. You've created so many great interviews that I keep telling myself that I'll eventually get around to watching as many as I can yet only watch a limited selection here and there. Perhaps this will force me to watch more in the first week or pay the price but I hope I don't stop watching.

AndrewWarner 17y ago
Yes. I meant to. It was a goof. My plan was to create the premium service. Only apply it to older shows and let people pay whatever they want -- even nothing. Then tell the interviewees. And after all that, announce it. I worked on that plan for weeks, but then we goofed and the HN audience caught it quickly so I had to react.

ivankirigin 17y ago

I like your interviews, but don't usually have time to watch the whole length. I really like the short video snippets. You should be careful not to make transparency push too hard into vanity or navel-gazing. Multiple comment threads about your site are a real turn off, just like I don't give a fuck about Jason Calacanis or whether bloggers should pay attention to TED.

frederickcook 17y ago

I really like the idea of premium content. In many interviews, you can tell there is a lot more information the interviewee has on the subject, but won't fit into the 1-hour time constraint. I'm picturing something like Seth Godin's alternative MBA course. VC's and entrepreneurs constantly complain that MBA programs aren't useful, partly because they are taught by non-entrepreneurs. You have an opportunity to create some incredible content from people with the most relevant experiences. Feel free to be really creative with premium content.

jhancock 17y ago

Thanks for what you've done thus far. You've obviously put a lot of thought into this change. Go for it, I wish you success.

sailormoon 17y ago

Look, it's your site. You do what you want, of course. But getting into charging for content is a whole new game. Do you think you'd get some of the past interviewees if they'd known you were going to charge for access to the interview? Where's their cut? And others wouldn't have wanted to appear at all if their precious time was just going to a tiny paid audience. You say you're not happy with the view rates on older interviews. I consider this a problem with your site's design, which is really not much more than a blog. Go and look at TED's site, they have an excellent idea where the front page shows highlights from the past. Implementing something similar might work really well for you. I also think you're overestimating the ability or willingness of people here (your obvious audience) to pay anything at all. People here are trying to be "ramen profitable" and $25 is a lot of ramen. For every blowhard blustering (presumably making use of the satellite internet on their G) about how $25 is nothing and anyone who can't afford that should probably just give up, I guarantee you there's a hundred who can not just drop $25/m on a whim to watch some inspirational videos. I just think it's a bad idea. But like I said, hey, it's your site, and congratulations on your success so far.

AndrewWarner 17y ago
When I said on the reg page that you can pay anything you want, I meant it. While I'm figuring this out and launching, I'm letting people name their price. Several said they could only pay $10 so I let them do that. A few said free, so I gave them free.

icey 17y ago

I'm glad to see you're doing something to make some money off of Mixergy, Andrew. If it means that you've got an incentive to keep doing these interviews, then it's worth it. Is $25 a month the right price? I have no idea. But I appreciate the straightforward nature of asking for a subscription. There are some good suggestions on your site as well, such as charging per interview in iTunes. If you haven't thought about it already, it might be interesting for you to partner up with sites like StartupToDo.com as well, or something like that. I've already watched most of your videos, so I don't know if I'm the right target audience for what you're selling right now. There is something I would pay more than $25 a month for though, but it would probably require more than just your work to make it happen - If I heard about a private mailing list that contained tips, advice, anecdotes, whatever that came from people like you, patio11, Jason Cohen, maybe maxklein (I'm undecided at the moment ;)), etc and I knew that the information sent out to that list wouldn't get made public for at least a month, I'd probably sprain my elbow trying to get my credit card out fast enough to start giving you my info. Maybe that's a model for you as well - private memberships get early access to interviews, not archive access. I mean, these things contain actionable information; I would think their greatest value would be right when they're made. Anyways, I'm sure you'll hit the right formula eventually. Nobody likes it when something that used to be free starts costing money; but if the product is good enough they'll get over it.

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
ive actually thought about doing something like this after thoroughly investigating email newsletters. not sure on the formula. not sure if you make it paid.
- icey 17y ago
  I would prefer paid to ad-supported. If you're talking about the art of business on the internet, I'm a firm believer in the idea that there is an advantage to knowing about techniques and opportunities before everyone else does. A paid subscription limits the audience more than an ad-supported service would. I mean, it's got to provide actionable information for it to be worthwhile, but these guys have been giving actionable information away for free all this time anyways.