Dave and Adam are starting to explain their new venture. Here’s my interpretation and speculation from listening to their recent podcast, based on Dave’s bullet list:
- Content tools. Expect heavy use of OPML, particularly using Frontier, a software package created by Dave’s former company, Userland Software that’s either now open source or soon will be.
- Readers and aggregators, iPods and iPod-alikes. They hope to prevent compatibility problems and to improve the state of UIs. They want to advise manufacturers of podcatchers and perhaps even develop their own based on some OEM device.
- Content. “We’ve got the #1 podcast,” Dave claimed. He also referred to creating “a new music indstry” including “partnerships with RIAA companies.” Do they plan to compete with Apple’s iTunes Store and others? Dave also talked about “a building full of production people” so perhaps they’re also planning to create a large amount of original non-music content.
- Bandwidth. Sounds like they plan to enter the content-delivery business, too, with “people to manage the bandwidth.”
Whatever their specific plans, it sounds like a major undertaking. We’ll all be anxiously waiting to hear more about Adam and Dave’s (hopefully) Excellent Venture.