Mark Evans

The Value of Discovery

So why is StumbleUpon worth $40-million even though its just a small browser extension with a still-emerging business model? It’s all about discovery. At its very best, the Web is about discovering new information, Web sites, music, etc. but as the Web becomes increasingly mainstream, discovery becomes more of a challenge as the big brands and big money establish themselves. So along comes StumbleUpon with a tool that lets you discover cool Web sites - and video - based on what other people like. Voila, you’ve got a hit and a multi-million takeout target on your hands. StumbleUpon’s cache is a lot like the excitement over music services such as Pandora and Last FM, which let people stumble upon new music. If I was excited about what’s next on the Web, it’s not social networks and places such as Facebook, it’s discovery.
More: In some ways, the Web was a lot more interesting seven or eight years ago before everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Back then, you have a bunch of new, first-movers trying to figure out how the Web worked and whether it would ever become a mainstream tool. Since there were far fewer Web sites around, it was easier to find different kind of sites. Not that I long for those days when I suffered through dial-up service but it was a different world back then.