Risky Business

Twitter Still Not Sure How To Make Money

By Matthew Bandyk

Posted: May 26, 2009

An overrated business idea: start a website that doesn't sell anything, and just hope to get tons of traffic. It's very difficult to get the kind of massive traffic needed to turn a profit.

But even if you get millions of views, there's no obvious answer about what to do next. Twitter is one of the most highly-viewed web ventures--from 1.6 million users last year to 32.1 million currently--but as an article in today's Journal examines, they're still trying to figure out a business model.

That's not to say that the uncertainty is because Twitter can't make money. It's clear that it can always sell itself off for an impressive sum:

Speculation continues as to the company being sold. Twitter raised $35 million from venture capitalists in February, on top of about $20 million previously raised. That month, Twitter received a $255 million valuation that makes it unlikely the company would sell for anything less than $1 billion, people familiar with the matter say.

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money of PA @ Jun 05, 2009 10:01:29 AM

Callie

Yep, Twitter is highly overrated. And apparently, according to early news account-the company has been sold for an ungodly amount.

Pretty smart for the developers. This is the same thing that happened with main of the dot.coms in the mid to late 90s.

Hype increased the value of worthless companies or companies certainly not worth the amounts mindless citizens invested upon them.

Twitter isn't making money...doesn't have a business model...and it warrants a gigantic sell-off.

This type of mindless business logic is what ruins the economy.

Twitter, simply put, is over glorified instant messenging. Nothing more, nothing less. The media hyped it...people went there to see...and started instant messaging (more contacts).

Calandra of NE @ May 27, 2009 07:16:53 AM

Blind faith VC

I’m actually very surprised that twitter was able to get 52 million in VC at all with out a business model. The VC’s must have been anticipating that the valuation would go up with user base growth, planning on cashing out on a buyout, or they were just blind and confused. It reminds me of manipulative teenager barrowing money from his parents, and telling them “I’ll pay you back when I get a job”. And the parents knowingly plan on never seeing that money again.

Jeff Weiss of FL @ May 26, 2009 23:02:21 PM

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Risky Business

Risky Business

Matt Bandyk, a reporter for U.S. News, explores capitalism from where it all begins, with the entrepreneur, whose risk taking and experimentation provide the roots from which the rest of the economy grows. As much courage as it takes to create one's own business, even the entrepreneur needs some help, and this blog will look at news, trends, and practical advice for starting and running a small business.

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