Two serial entrepreneurs become MySpace executives
MySpace’s plan for rejuvenation is starting to come together. Today, it’s bringing on serial entrepreneurs from the tech industry, who can potentially figure out how to improve its product. Mike Jones is its new chief operating officer and Jason Hirschhorn is its new chief product officer. They’ll be reporting to former Facebook executive and Project Playlist chief executive Owen Van Natta, who became MySpace’s chief executive in a quick management change-up last week. All of… Continue Reading
Question for new CEOs at MySpace and Project Playlist: Now what?
After an abrupt series of events this week, former Facebook executive and Project Playlist chief executive Owen Van Natta is now officially the CEO of MySpace. Meanwhile, Project Playlist has named MTV Networks cofounder and executive John Sykes as its new CEO (no, he’s not that John Sykes). MySpace cofounders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson have meanwhile been reduced from CEO and president jobs to peripheral advisory roles.
So the question for both companies is: Now… Continue Reading
DeWolfe officially out as MySpace CEO — what about Anderson?
MySpace has just confirmed earlier reports that co-founder and chief executive Chris DeWolfe is planning to step down in the “near future.” The News Corp.-owned social network says he’ll continue to advise it, as well as serve on the board of MySpace China, a small Chinese-language affiliate (where he’ll serve alongside Rupert Murdoch’s wife, Wendi Deng).
Other reports have already pinned former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta as DeWolfe’s likely successor but MySpace isn’t commenting about… Continue Reading
GamesBeat 09: More great speakers lined up
As the March 24 GamesBeat 2009 games conference draws near, we’re unveiling a new list of speakers. We’re proud to say that some of the biggest names in the gaming world are joining us for the program. Tickets are still available.
Chris Taylor (right), founder of Gas Powered Games, will share the stage with me as co-emcee of the event. We picked Taylor because he has been an advocate for creativity in games and because he’s one… Continue Reading
Dear Facebook, please make me a supermodel
Public event listings on Facebook have been used to influence politics and organize protests. But now events organized through Facebook — and their chaotic aftermath — may just lead to… a modeling contract?
Two weeks ago, British teen Georgina Hobday posted a Facebook event to announce her birthday party, one worthy of MTV’s reality series My Super Sweet Sixteen (where spoiled rich teens throw lavish, themed tantrums to celebrate their coming-of-age, often with ponies and Range… Continue Reading
MySpace Music gets EMI on board, launches tonight
The much anticipated MySpace Music is geared to launch tonight, providing a platform for both major and independent labels and artists to promote and sell their music. The monetization potential of MySpace music is driving a great deal of interest to the new platform, as MySpace has always been considered a useful promotional platform for artists.
Despite tension between some indie labels and MySpace along with its major record label partners (the record labels have invested… Continue Reading
Snap Summit 2.0 summary: It’s all about Facebook
updated
The Snap Summit 2.0 conference yesterday in San Francisco was supposed to be about the new wave of social applications, but it turned into a Facebook conference.
Here’s why: The number of Facebook applications and downloads just keeps growing — at a faster rate than other social network companies are experiencing.
Dave Morin, the senior platform manager at Facebook, was the event’s main attraction. He opened his talk with a story about a woman he had met… Continue Reading